Chapter 68: Dead Ash and Dead Water

  Yuandai and Xiao Xian returned to the west wing, after entering the house and sitting down, Yuandai said: "Sister, actually didn't have to be like this?"

  Xiao Chengyan's face was slightly angry: "I didn't plan to be like this in the past, but seeing her like that, I really can't help but get angry!" She said, and then glared at Yuan Dai again, saying: "It's you, seeing her like that, not getting angry at all?"

  Yuan Dai listened with a faint smile, but said: "She doesn't want to go, so why force her? You forced her, and you won't be happy either. What's the point of doing that?" Her words were as light as clouds and gentle as breeze, without any ripples.

  Xiao Chengxian saw her like this, but couldn't help being stunned for a moment. After a while, he shook his head and said: "Sister, are you really sincere about what you just said?" If Yuexuan's words were indeed sincere, then they seemed somewhat heartless, after all, Lingyu Xuan had been very close to her before.

  Yuan Dai Bian also raised her eyes and looked at her seriously, asking: "Sister, do you think what I said is a lie?"

  Xiao Chengxian saw that she was indeed very serious, without a hint of joking, and was at a loss for words.

  Yan Dai said calmly, "If it's meant to be, then come; if not, then leave! Since she has the intention of parting ways with me, why must I force it? What's the point of forcing a relationship just for the sake of having a good sisterly name? Let Sister know that I'm not one to do meaningless things!"

  Xiao Chengyan looked at her steadily and finally sighed: "Others only say that sister's temperament is gentle, but they don't know that sister is actually so proud!"

  Yan Dai heard the words, but only smiled and didn't explain. The two sat opposite each other, chatting for a while, when Qing An came again. Xiao Xian saw her come again and couldn't help asking: "What's wrong? Does Master have anything else to entrust?"

  Qing Xiang smiled and said: "Master asked me to come and tell Miss that Mr. Lu will also be going over today!"

  Xiao Chengyan's eyebrows furrowed at the three words "Lu Gongzi", and she hummed softly before saying, "I understand!"

  After Qing Xing left, Yuan Dai looked at Xiao Chengyan and suddenly smiled: "As for Lu Weijie, sister doesn't have to worry anymore!"

  Xiao Chengxian listened to her words and was perplexed, immediately raising his eyes to look at her, with a puzzled expression on his face.

  Yan Dai didn't mind, and calmly said: "That Lu Wei Jie came here, not for anything else, but for me!" If he had come for someone else, even with a thousand days of precautions, it would be hard to say that there wouldn't be a momentary lapse. But if he had come for her, then it was destined that there wouldn't be any good outcome.

  Xiao Chengxian listened and became even more puzzled: "For your sister, you? How can this be said?" Although she had never seen Lu Weiying before, from Yuandai and Ling Yuanshuang's conversations, she could also roughly outline the emotional appearance of Lu Weiying.

  Yuandai's appearance, although considered delicate, was actually quite ordinary in a wealthy family surrounded by beautiful maids and servants. Moreover, Yuandai was not the type of person who liked to show off. She would never have thought that Lu Weiyin could possibly fall in love with her at first sight.

  It's just like this, it has come for her, but how can one put it into words?

  Xiao Xian's eyes sparkled with a hint of seeking truth, and Yuande only slightly raised an eyebrow: "This is someone who doesn't want me to fly high and surpass her in the future, so they're trying to make something up to ruin my reputation!" Her tone was calm, but with a hint of mockery.

  Xiao Chengxian was shocked and speechless for a long time, only managing to find her voice after a while: "What does your sister plan to do now?" Yuan Dai didn't explicitly mention who the person was. But how could Xiao Chengxian not guess? And it was precisely because she had guessed that she felt even more uneasy in her heart after the initial shock.

  She raised an eyebrow, her expression completely nonchalant: "If she dares to be so overbearing again, I'll really go and climb that high branch!" She said with a proud smile: "It's been twenty years, isn't it time for the winds of fortune to change?"

  She is normally gentle in nature. Rarely does she speak loudly to others, and coupled with her poor health, people can only see that she is weak and frail, and even more so, kind and easily bullied. However, with just one raised eyebrow and a smile, her pretty face suddenly exudes an aura of authority, making people inexplicably fearful, and even not daring to look directly at her.

  Xiao Cheng looked at her in surprise and shook his head with a smile after a long while: "If Rui Qing Wang were here, I wonder what he would think if he heard his sister say such things?"

  The closer she got to Yuandai, the more secrets she felt Yuandai had. Although she intended to investigate, if she asked too many questions without reason, it would be like interrogating her. Every time she had the opportunity to ask, Yuandai would lightly brush it off with a few words. She also understood Yuandai's attitude very well, although Yuandai didn't avoid talking about the past, she obviously didn't want to discuss it in too much detail either.

  Yan Dai heard this and smiled, saying: "If he is willing to call off the engagement, I actually wouldn't mind at all!" Although she deeply disliked that person for doing such a despicable thing, for now, she still hadn't changed her mind.

  The two of them brought up Ruiqin Wang Ba Li Zhao, which made Xiao Cheng Yan think of something else. She seemed to be deep in thought and said: "Speaking of Ruiqin Wang, I couldn't help but think that my sister had previously said that Ruiqin Wang was a dead ash, and now she says that your adoptive father is a stagnant water. I just don't know if there's any difference between this dead ash and stagnant water in my sister's heart."

  Yan Dai didn't think much and said, "Dead ash and dead water are indeed different! Dead ash can be guided to ignite a raging fire, but as for dead water, I really can't think of any method to revive it!"

  Xiao Chengxian heard this and couldn't help but smile, then casually said: "What's wrong with raising a few fish and planting a pool of lotus roots? When the fish swim in the water and the lotus reflects the whole pool, it's dead water, but looking at it will also make one feel refreshed!"

  Yu Dai smiled again, "Sister is wrong! Those living things are only on the fish and lotus, but not in the dead water itself. After all, dead water is still dead water, and there's no difference from before. The ones who benefited were just the fish and lotus!"

  Although this statement is not unreasonable, Xiao Chengyu still felt unconvinced after careful consideration. He said again: "That stagnant water sees the swimming fish and blooming lotus every day, isn't its heart joyful? In the long run, it's hard to say that it can't come back to life!"

  Suddenly, after hearing these words, Yuandai suddenly fell silent. For a long time, she smiled bitterly and said slowly: "Yes! He should be delighted in his heart! But has sister ever thought - when the fish grows up and the lotus blooms, he... will also have grown old!"

  Xiao Chengyan was speechless for a moment, but just now when they were arguing, she had forgotten the most important point. That is, what they are discussing now is actually about two people, not really a dead end or stagnant water! After sighing, she said: "Sister is right! Life has its limits, and the years of youth are only a few decades, which is indeed not to be delayed or put aside!"

  The two were talking here, and on the other side, Wenping had already lifted the curtain and came in to ask if it was noon yet, and whether lunch had been served.

  After lunch, the two of them took a short rest and changed their clothes. When it was almost time to leave, Xiao Chengyan sent someone to invite them out. The two of them put on their cloaks and brought their maidservants out the door. At the gate, two lightweight warm sedan chairs were already prepared for them to ride in.

  Two people, one on the left and one on the right, got into the sedan chair. Before long, they arrived at the Shu Ying Mountain Villa. In fact, the Xiao family's detached house was not far from the Shu Ying Mountain Villa, and there was no need for a sedan chair. The reason why a sedan chair was prepared was probably because Xiao Chengye had a wary heart towards Lu Weiyang, and did not want him to have any improper relationship with any of the three girls.

  In front of the Shuying Mountain Villa, someone had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the crowd approaching, he hurriedly came forward to greet them. Yuande and Daiyu also got out of their sedan chairs at this moment, and when Yuande looked up, she saw that the person who was greeting them was none other than Yue Yao, who was by Baili Zhao's side.

  Yue Yao was still the same, with a stiff face and not a hint of warmth or hospitality. He seemed to be deliberately being cold and distant. After nodding at everyone, he said: "The king is inside, follow me! The two ladies please enter the inner courtyard!" Having said that, he didn't even wait for anyone to respond and turned around to leave.

  She couldn't help but smile when she saw him treating his guests like this. Xiao Chengyan, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with her at the moment, naturally took a step forward and explained in a low voice: "This Yue Yao is actually the son of an official who has committed a crime, and somehow he ended up by the side of Prince Rui. This person seems ordinary, but his martial arts and strategies are all extremely outstanding. In the battle of Beijiang in the past, it was he who led the light cavalry to break into the enemy's rear, killing into the Khan's court, and the situation of the battle of Beijiang was reversed. After the army returned triumphantly, he was awarded the title of General of Beijiang for his meritorious service. When the news of Prince Rui being assassinated came out, he immediately submitted a memorial requesting to resign from office. The Emperor repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay, but he simply hung up his official seal and left!"

  Yan Dai listened and smiled, saying in a low voice: "So that's how it is!" No wonder Xiao Cheng Ye and Ling Yuan Qing, who were of such noble status as the young masters of aristocratic families, had been treated coldly by him, yet they hadn't shown any signs of displeasure. It turned out that this person's identity was actually quite extraordinary.

  The two of them were walking at the back, speaking in extremely low voices, but somehow, Yue Yao, who was leading the way ahead, suddenly turned his head and glanced at the two of them. His eyes were dull and expressionless, devoid of any warmth, as if he had heard their conversation.

  Xiao Chengyan suddenly felt a chill in her heart and subconsciously stopped talking, not daring to say another word.

  Yan Dai, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, seemingly treating Yue Yao's gaze as if it were nothing.

  In front of everyone, Yue Yao also didn't want to leave any traces, so he calmly turned his head and led the crowd around the nine-dragon screen wall facing Shu Ying Mountain Villa, walking up a golden and colorful painted corridor.

  The buildings behind the Green Sprout Ridge were mostly derived from the palaces of the previous dynasty, and their layout was also quite similar. However, since Puyu Mountain Villa was a prince's palace, many buildings did not exist in excess, and they were well preserved, but unlike Xiao's Mansion, although efforts were made to preserve it, due to its status, some buildings had to be rebuilt or demolished.

  Looking afar, I gaze at the distant mountains and pavilions of the villa, and can't help but secretly admire it in my heart. I know that in the previous dynasty, they must have spent a huge amount of national treasury to build this palace so magnificent and exquisite. It's just a pity that in the end, it was simply handed over to the new dynasty at no cost.

  She was lost in thought here, but a palace-dressed woman hurriedly walked over from the opposite corridor.

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