Chapter 15

Being a noble girl from a prestigious family isn’t all it’s cracked up to be; there are banquets every other day.

Sang Yao felt annoyed, thinking that she was too busy all day. Even though she couldn’t accomplish anything by attending these events, she still had to go just to make up the numbers.

Whenever there was a festival, the other girls would gather together and casually invite her along. She would usually decline a few times before reluctantly agreeing, only to end up not speaking much once she arrived. No one paid attention to her, so she just ate and drank, waiting until the end to leave.

It wasn’t just because of her past misunderstandings with Li Yao Ge. Honestly, the misunderstandings and humiliation she experienced with Li Yao Ge were a big deal to Sang Yao, but to this high-profile young lady, they were as insignificant as could be. She probably didn’t even remember Sang Yao’s name.

It was more because at such gatherings, there were usually only a few main characters: either from prominent families or with promising futures. They would treat each other like sisters, complimenting and praising each other, while people like Sang Yao just needed to be there to nod along.

The sunlight was intense, though it wasn’t yet summer, the day was getting hotter. Even if Sang Yao stayed inside, she would still sweat from the heat.

The day of the banquet was particularly clear.

Ran Dong picked out a light and simple muslin dress for her, with a relatively elegant color and style. Sang Yao already had a delicate and beautiful face, and this outfit weakened the aggressiveness brought by her plump and charming appearance, making her less eye-catching.

Ran Dong muttered in her ear, “Miss, if you feel uncomfortable, just come back early, forget about them.”

They had set the place in a forested area in the western suburbs, which was privately owned by the Li family. The nearby water flowed in twists and turns, and it was springtime with beautiful scenery. There was a private garden not far away, suitable for tea and rest.

When Sang Yao arrived, she didn’t see Li Yao Ge, but there were already four or five people there. They were chatting and laughing by the swing, and they abruptly stopped when they saw Sang Yao approaching.

They all looked at Sang Yao, making her very uncomfortable. She felt a bit awkward and greeted them politely.

Fortunately, their silence only lasted for a moment, and then they all greeted Sang Yao with smiles.

The one closest to Sang Yao even came up to greet her and then affectionately linked arms with Sang Yao, saying, “Yao Yao, you’ve finally come. We were just talking about you.”

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She sensed something strange; usually, her relationship with these people was neither good nor bad, they could greet each other when they met, and exchanging a few pleasantries was the limit. Today, why did they seem a bit too enthusiastic?

Sang Yao didn’t know why, nor did she dwell on it.

“Of course it’s true. At the last banquet, I wanted to talk to you, but you disappeared in the blink of an eye.”

She was pulled in front of everyone, and someone praised, “Our Yao Yao is getting more and more beautiful.”

Sang Yao felt a little embarrassed and said, “Maybe it’s because of this dress.”

She adapted very quickly, sighed at the girl in front of her face, and said as familiar as before, “I envy you all. You don’t need fancy clothes to look like fairies. My dad praises you every day at home.”

The girl covered her lips and laughed lightly, saying, “You mustn’t lie.”

In the past, Sang Yao had a decent relationship with these people. She was obedient and considerate, had many friends, but it faded after the incident with Li Yao Ge. Now, it seemed to have returned to how it used to be. Sang Yao felt that this anticipated outing seemed less boring now.

After chatting with them, Sang Yao realized that Li Yao Ge had not shown up yet, which made her curious and somewhat anxious. Someone noticed her actions and whispered in her ear, “Yao Yao, Miss Li probably won’t come today.”

The person speaking was named Xiao Xiu, and she used to be Sang Yao’s best friend.

Sang Yao was puzzled, and Xiao Xiu explained, “I heard that Miss Li seemed to have encountered something very important today. She was here earlier but left in a hurry.”

“But she’s not far from us, I don’t know if she’ll come back after she’s done with her important matter.”

Sang Yao responded slowly.

She wasn’t actually afraid of Li Yao Ge, but she always felt oppressed whenever she saw her.

Xiao Xiu nudged her arm and said, “Actually, Miss Li doesn’t have any ill intentions towards you.”

Sang Yao didn’t want to bring up these things again. She shook her head and said, “Maybe.”

The morning passed quickly. Since the sun was scorching hot, they decided to find a nearby private garden for lunch and rest before noon.

This private garden was open to the public and had its own threshold for entry and exit.

Sang Yao and her group, about seven or eight people, sat together in a side room. Most of them were chatting about the beautiful scenery, jewelry, and clothes. Sang Yao couldn’t join in, so she sat quietly, drinking water, and waiting for the food to arrive.

However, she didn’t know when the conversation shifted to her.

Someone tentatively asked, “Yao Yao, I heard that a few days ago, the Fifth Prince personally escorted you back to your mansion. Is that true?”

Sang Yao didn’t know where this rumor came from and quickly denied, “No, it’s not true—” Before she could finish saying “thank you,” she held back and said, “I came back by myself.”

“Why does Yao Yao still…”

Top of Form

“We’re not outsiders. I saw it myself. At the last banquet, His Highness gave you a piece of red jade.”

“His Highness doesn’t easily give things to others. Yao Yao, good things are coming your way!”

Whenever Luting was mentioned, Sang Yao felt uncomfortable. She frowned and quietly denied, “No… Besides, just because someone gives a gift, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“We’ve all heard that His Highness intends to make you his concubine.”

Sang Yao didn’t know when, but things she wasn’t even sure about had quietly spread throughout the capital.

She didn’t even know how it had spread.

She struggled, “No, I’ve never heard of such a thing. I’ve only talked to His Highness a few times.”

Perhaps because she sounded serious, the people present began to doubt. Xiao Xiu, next to her, asked, “Then why is everyone in the capital saying that His Highness has intentions towards you?”

Sang Yao shook her head, “I don’t know.”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became somewhat silent, and the attitudes of the people seemed to subtly change.

She suddenly realized, no wonder everyone was so enthusiastic towards her today; they all thought she was going to be the Fifth Prince’s concubine.

But soon, the atmosphere became lively again.

However, their topics mostly avoided Sang Yao, and whenever they did mention her, it was always about Luting.

They asked about Luting’s preferences, the variety of the red jade, and half-jokingly, half-seriously suggested that she take this opportunity to actively pursue Luting.

Sang Yao had always been good-natured. Although she felt uncomfortable, she only furrowed her brows and said, “Please don’t say that…”

But they didn’t stop. One person even echoed, “But with Yao Yao’s charming face, His Highness might not necessarily look down on her.”

“What are you saying? Yao Yao has such a charming and alluring face. Once the clothes come off, who knows if His Highness will eagerly come forward.”

This slightly taboo remark made everyone present cover their mouths and chuckle lightly, scolding her for being improper.

Only Sang Yao couldn’t force a smile.

She held the teacup, feeling like she wasn’t an unmarried young lady in the capital, but rather a hidden courtesan on display, where every inch of her flesh could be judged at will.

Although she would sometimes feel sad that she was a bit plumper and not as dignified as others, she never thought there was anything wrong with her appearance.

But in the eyes of others, it was different.

They naturally assumed she would want to seduce the over fifty-year-old Minister Li, and they naturally assumed she would flirt with Luting.

Sang Yao was not happy at all, and she was even a little angry. “Stop talking about it. I never thought of it that way.”

“Yao Yao, we’re just joking with you. Why are you taking it so seriously?”

Sang Yao choked up again. She wanted to refute, but she didn’t know how to say it, so she weakly said, “I don’t like this kind of joking…”

They laughed, “Yao Yao, why are you so petty?”

…

Sang Yao was extremely upset. After struggling for a while, she couldn’t stand it anymore and made up a random excuse to leave the table.

After closing the door, Sang Yao felt very suffocated. She wanted to leave quickly.

She thought that when asked, she would say she suddenly had something to do. After all, she didn’t want to see them anymore.

But because she walked too fast, she accidentally collided head-on with a maid coming towards her.

The maid was carrying iced tea, and in an instant, it felt as if the world had turned upside down, and the tea was all spilled on Sang Yao.

Sang Yao felt a cold sensation on her chest and took a cold breath. Her clothes were almost soaked.

But she saw the maid looking like she was about to cry, so she couldn’t bear to scold her. After helping her up, she only asked where she could change her clothes.

After the maid left, Sang Yao looked down at her wet clothes and felt even worse.

It never rains but it pours. She regretted not canceling the outing today.

The garden was quiet, with few people around. Sang Yao fanned the wet clothes in front of her while walking towards the room.

Magpies chirped in the bushes, and the corridor was winding. Sang Yao turned a corner and, when she looked up again, she saw the tall and slim figure of a man under the corridor.

She was really surprised to see him here.

Sang Yao stopped in her tracks, unsure of her feelings. She seemed surprised, but there was something else. Subconsciously, she called out tentatively:

…

It was rare for someone to address him by his name.

With such a soft and gentle voice, it was easy to tell who it was.

The girl who was always in tears and had a lot of affairs.

It was an accident that Xie Yun came here today, and he was in a bad mood. Sang Yao speaking to him at this time was like adding fuel to the fire.

Xie Yun frowned, and his cold gaze swept over. He was about to reprimand her.

The weather had gotten much hotter these days. Sang Yao had dressed modestly today, wearing a light muslin dress in a plain color and an old style.

That was if it wasn’t wet.

The delicate muslin fabric, once soaked, clung to her skin, revealing her symmetrical collarbones and even further down, everything was vaguely visible.

Sang Yao’s figure was actually not very voluptuous, just slightly more fleshy, but not fat. The places that should be slender were still graceful and easy to hold.

With black hair like clouds and delicate features, she looked very gentle. When she looked at people with her affectionate eyes, it would remind them of a misty morning.

Wherever she was, she could easily capture the attention of others because of her softness, which was often associated with desire. Her beauty always evoked intimate thoughts in people’s minds.

At this moment, under the sunlight, the girl was indeed very fair, almost dazzlingly white. But that wasn’t the main focus. What was really striking was the fabric tightly hugging her body, accentuating her rounded and slender shape, very attractive and eye-catching. There was even a slight protrusion at the front, which was clearly visible, whether it was a fold in the fabric or something else that caused it.

It was clear that it was a pink corset, with a thin strap under her neck.

Silence.

But only for a moment.

In this brief moment, Sang Yao noticed Xie Yun’s gaze and looked down.

“…”

Her face instantly turned red, feeling her mind go blank, pointing at Xie Yun in disbelief, “You, you, you…”