"What are you doing hiding in this gloomy corner in broad daylight?"
Cheng Xiran gently patted her chest as she asked.
Xue Lianyu slowly raised his eyes. Only then did he notice that although her cheeks were flushed, she didn't seem to be completely drunk. At least her mind was still clear.
"Oh, it's Xiran. I've been looking for you!"
There was resentment in his eyes, as if he had come to demand an explanation.
This made Cheng Xiran feel rather confused. She gave him a contemptuous look, then sat down opposite him, poured herself a cup of tea, and then leisurely asked, "Well, what's the matter?"
"The madam of the Huayan Pavilion told Young Master Zhang that you're my friend... After Young Master Zhang molested you that night, it seems he was serious. He came to the mountain villa early this morning asking me about your whereabouts. He even said directly in front of me that he has a fondness for men. I really couldn't fob him off, so I had to come and hide from him here."
After saying this, Xue Lianyu raised the wine flask in his hand and took another big gulp.
Hearing this, Cheng Xiran couldn't help laughing: "I always thought my male disguise wasn't very heroic. I didn't expect it would really charm someone. Hahaha, it seems I'm quite charming after all."
Seeing her laughing heartily and looking so cute, Xue Lianyu also giggled for a while. But then he became dejected again: "Anyway, he's looking for me everywhere now. I don't think he'll give up until he finds out your whereabouts and knows about you. I'm running around because of your matter now. I can't even go back to my own home..."
"I don't think you want to go back either." Cheng Xiran rolled her eyes at Xue Lianyu and saw through his thoughts.
Xue Lianyu gave a silly laugh and defended himself: "I've really been annoyed recently. That girl pesters me to play with her every day. But as a man, I'm someone who's going to do great things. How can I focus on playing all day long?"
Cheng Xiran rolled her eyes at him again.
It was really a miracle that such words could come out of Xue Lianyu's mouth.
"Come on, I don't believe you don't have any feelings for our Liyin girl..." Cheng Xiran pursed her lips and continued, "Besides, it's easy to solve the matter of Young Master Zhang. You can just give him a random address. When he can't find you later, he'll give up on his own after a while."
Xue Lianyu felt rather bored: "I was just looking for an excuse to go to A Duo's place and get drunk with him. But you've solved everything for me. What reason do I have to go to him now?"
Cheng Xiran calmly peeled an orange, her tone sounding calm: "Even if you go, he won't be there. I just came from the prince's mansion. He was summoned into the palace by the emperor... Going into the palace at this time, even if he comes back at night, it'll be very, very late."
Xue Lianyu smelled a hint of gossip. He couldn't help but put down the wine flask in his hand, blinked his eyes, and said with a sly smile: "I have to say, you've been getting quite close to A Duo recently. And I've always been quite curious. Why is it that everyone outside is spreading rumors that he has a fondness for men, but he just ignores it as if nothing happened?"
Cheng Xiran pretended to avoid his eager gaze casually and then explained: "Because... he wants those women who covet him to give up. In this way, those girls will gradually forget about him in the future and won't pester him anymore."
Xue Lianyu suddenly found that the reason she gave seemed quite reasonable. At least there seemed to be no logical mistakes.
Cheng Xiran quickly changed the topic: "The Hundred Flowers Banquet the day after tomorrow is hosted by the Empress Dowager. And since Liyin was raised by the Empress Dowager since childhood, she should go to this banquet too, right? If she does, why don't you let her come and stay at my place tomorrow? I'll go into the palace with her the day after tomorrow so that she won't be bored alone."
Xue Lianyu stared blankly and shook his head muttering: "My father specifically went into the palace to ask the Empress Dowager about this matter, so she won't go to this Hundred Flowers Banquet."
Cheng Xiran gave a mischievous smile: "It seems Uncle Xue has already regarded Liyin as his future daughter-in-law."
"I don't like her at all. She's still so young and naughty. I don't like naughty girls..." Xue Lianyu suddenly stared intently at Cheng Xiran and then said very emotionally, "I like girls like you who are well-educated and knowledgeable."
"Sorry, I don't think much of you."
Cheng Xiran refused straightforwardly. Even the shopkeeper was taken aback when he heard this. This girl was really straightforward and didn't give Xue Lianyu any face at all. At least among the girls Xue Lianyu had pursued in the past, none of them had ever rejected him. It was just a matter of time.
But now, Cheng Xiran's attitude had put an end to his always-lofty image.
Hearing this, Xue Lianyu wasn't angry, but just felt extremely wronged.
However, his current state didn't catch Cheng Xiran's attention. She didn't even want to look at him.
"Come on, stop acting like you're dying all the time. Take my advice and cherish the one in front of you. It's your good fortune that Liyin can take a fancy to you now. If you don't seize this opportunity to hold on to her, aren't you afraid that after a couple of years, her standards will be higher and she'll take a fancy to someone else and won't pay any attention to you?"
Xue Lianyu wished he could just bump his head against a wall and die. What nonsense was Cheng Xiran talking about?
"Forget it. I won't argue with you. Just let me go and indulge myself in a drunken dream!"
After saying this, Xue Lianyu got up and left. But after staggering two steps, just as he got out of the newspaper office, he suddenly turned back. He pulled Cheng Xiran further inside and said mysteriously with a look on his face: "I'll tell you. Your father went to the Huayan Pavilion last night. I'm sure he'll go there again tonight. And they've already met. Just wait and watch the show."
Cheng Xiran was just about to thank him, but unexpectedly, Xue Lianyu ran away so fast that he didn't give her a chance.
So she said "thank you" into the air.
After finishing organizing the manuscripts and the relevant layout for tomorrow, Cheng Xiran didn't stay any longer but chose to go back home. Sure enough, everything was just as Xue Lianyu had said. She deliberately wandered around the market for a while longer. When she got back home just in time for dinner, sure enough, her father wasn't there.
Nor was Cheng Zhiyue.
Mrs. Liu's face was extremely pale. Her old face couldn't stand a closer look anymore.
The old lady greeted her to sit down and have dinner. She also reminded her of some points she needed to pay attention to when going to the palace to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet the day after tomorrow. Cheng Xiran listened very obediently and remembered them all in her heart.
In short, this annual Hundred Flowers Banquet was actually a disguised matchmaking event.
Cheng Xiran wasn't very interested, but she had to go because the Empress Dowager had personally named her. Moreover, she still remembered what Gu Yuanqing had said a few days ago. Naturally, she knew the stakes involved and didn't dare to act rashly.
Mrs. Liu was like a living corpse. She didn't say a word or interrupt. She just kept eating mouthful after mouthful until the dusty Nanny Wang entered the hall. "Madam, I've inquired at the homes of some of the adults that the prime minister is acquainted with. The adult isn't in any of their mansions."
"Not being able to discipline your own daughter properly is bad enough. Now you can't even control your own husband. You've really failed as the mistress of this family."
The old lady snorted coldly. Mrs. Liu had nothing to say.
Cheng Xiran didn't feel sorry for her at all. Because she knew that if she pitied her and gave her a way out, she was bound to come back stronger. For someone like her who had ill intentions from the very beginning, all her evil thoughts must be nipped in the bud and not given any chance to survive.
Only then could there be a good ending.
After dinner, she sent someone to the Huayan Pavilion to inquire about the news and confirmed that Prime Minister Cheng was indeed there.
She told this good news to Zhuque and Yun'er, and she had already been imagining the exciting scene in her mind. But what she didn't expect was that the show would start early the next morning.
She was sleeping soundly when Zhuque woke her up from her dream.