"Sister..."
When Chu Liyin looked up, her face was covered with tears.
Seeing her tearful eyes, Cheng Xiran couldn't help feeling distressed. She quickly stepped forward and helped her up. "Liyin, what's going on?"
"Xue Lianyu is a complete bastard!"
On the way back to the Cheng Mansion, these were the only words that Chu Liyin kept muttering. Cheng Xiran patiently comforted her all the way and listened to her chatter non-stop.
When they returned to the Cheng Mansion, she finally stopped after talking herself hoarse.
Zhuque brought some pastries and hot tea. Chu Liyin ate with great gusto, completely forgetting about Xue Lianyu.
"Did you say goodbye to Uncle Xue before you came out? He always dotes on you. If he knows you ran out by yourself, he'll be worried."
At Cheng Xiran's question, the fried cake in Chu Liyin's mouth suddenly lost its taste. After gobbling it up, she pouted and said, "Uncle Xue told him to take me out to play at noon. But who would have thought that the bastard would just leave me behind and run away. I looked everywhere but couldn't find him. I'm sure he went somewhere to fool around!"
Cheng Xiran sipped her tea expressionlessly and patiently said, "Liyin, don't you think you've been too clingy to him? That's why he always wants to get away."
Chu Liyin clearly didn't understand. "But if you like someone, don't you want to be with them all the time... Anyway, I don't want to like that bastard anymore."
Seeing her pouting, Cheng Xiran couldn't help laughing. "I have a way to find out if he really likes you, but it depends on whether you have the determination."
Chu Liyin looked at her eagerly, and she explained the whole thing. As an outsider, Cheng Xiran thought that Xue Lianyu had feelings for Chu Liyin, but he just didn't realize it himself. At this moment, they needed a little push from the outside, or else these two might never get together.
She told her plan. She intended to take Chu Liyin into the palace with her tomorrow. She would let Chu Liyin pretend to take a fancy to someone else or be taken a fancy to by someone else. In this way, Xue Lianyu would surely get jealous and realize his own feelings.
At first, this silly girl Chu Liyin didn't agree. It wasn't until Cheng Xiran listed a long list of benefits that she was finally convinced.
"Now, it's your turn to ignore Xue Lianyu. If he really likes you, he'll come after you on his own."
Chu Liyin pouted. Although she was deeply troubled herself, she still found time to tease Cheng Xiran. "Is it the same between you and the prince?"
"I have nothing to do with the prince. Don't think too much."
Cheng Xiran tried her best to defend herself. Since she couldn't get any information from her, Chu Liyin could only scare her. "I don't know how many young ladies there will be at the Hundred-Flower Banquet tomorrow. They're all as beautiful as flowers. I bet the prince will choose one or two to fill his mansion."
She hadn't thought about this before, but when Chu Liyin said it, Cheng Xiran suddenly felt a strange sense of panic.
Yes, if he really took a fancy to some young lady, then...
She didn't dare to think about what would happen next. She could only keep comforting herself that Helian Duo had always kept his distance from women, and he would surely do the same tomorrow. He couldn't possibly fall for anyone!
However, she really took Chu Liyin's words to heart. Only Helian Duo could ask her questions. If she were to get a definite answer from him, she didn't have the courage. She really didn't.
"That's good. He's been single for so long. It's time for him to get married."
Cheng Xiran originally thought that she would only be sad for a while. But to her surprise, even when Zhuque urged her to go to bed at night, she was still looking out of the window, thinking about Helian Duo.
"Miss, if you don't go to sleep now, you'll be late getting up tomorrow."
Zhuque urged her several times, but all she got in return was Cheng Xiran's question. "Do you think the prince will take a fancy to some young lady tomorrow?"
Her feelings were completely revealed in front of Zhuque, but Zhuque didn't think much of it. She just thought she was curious and guessed, "The prince didn't seem interested in this kind of thing at the Hundred-Flower Banquet in previous years. But this year is different. After all, the new emperor has just ascended the throne. Maybe the emperor will choose a few for him."
It seemed that it was just a matter of probability.
Seeing Cheng Xiran looking so worried and frowning, Zhuque was a little puzzled. "Is this what's been bothering you, miss?"
"Of course not. I just don't want to go to this disguised blind date."
She slowly got up and let Zhuque help her undress.
That night, she couldn't fall asleep at all. She didn't know how many sheep she had counted, but it didn't help. She didn't fall into a deep sleep until the middle of the night when she was extremely sleepy.
Early the next morning, Zhuque shook her awake.
"Miss, if you don't get up now, you'll really be late!"
If it weren't for the fact that the Hundred-Flower Banquet was held by the royal family, she definitely wouldn't have gotten up today. But she didn't dare. After all, the Hundred-Flower Banquet was organized by the empress dowager. If she didn't go because of a momentary drowsiness, she might lose her head.
Thinking of this, Cheng Xiran still dragged her heavy body out of bed and let Zhuque do her hair.
She didn't let Zhuque put on heavy makeup. She just casually coiled her hair into a bun and decorated it with a few fluffy flowers and a red hairpin. Although it was simple, the bright colors of the fluffy flowers made her look more delicate and outstanding than usual. However, because she didn't sleep well last night, her complexion was still not very good.
Today, she was wearing a lotus-pink dress that dragged on the ground, with a crescent-white brocade short coat over it. There were delicate green plum blossoms embroidered on the short coat, so lifelike that even Zhuque couldn't help but praise. "Such exquisite embroidery skills can't be from the ordinary embroidery workshops in the capital. It feels like I can even smell the fragrance of plum blossoms just looking at it."
"I have to admit, he has good taste." There was a hint of a smile in Cheng Xiran's eyes that she couldn't hide.
But as soon as she thought that he would also attend the Hundred-Flower Banquet today and might even choose a wife for himself, her mood instantly sank.
Zhuque didn't notice. She quickly went behind the screen to get a cloak for her. "It will be bumpy on the way. You might get cold. Miss, you'd better wear this later."
Cheng Xiran casually picked up a pastry from the plate and took a bite. Then she asked, "Is Liyin awake?"
"Miss Chu woke up a long time ago. She's having breakfast in the front hall now..."
After getting dressed, Cheng Xiran rushed to the front hall. Cheng Zhiyue was already gone. Only Liu was sitting there expressionlessly, drinking porridge.
"Sister, you're finally here. Hurry up and eat. We need to set off after breakfast."
Chu Liyin seemed to be going for a cute look today. The two bright fluffy flowers on her head made Cheng Xiran want to laugh.
The old lady didn't forget to give them a few detailed instructions. Liu had regained some energy today, so she started to pick a fight with them. "Zhiyue knew that today's Hundred-Flower Banquet was of great importance, so she left for the palace a quarter of an hour ago. But our Xiran here is really someone who has seen the world. She doesn't even take the empress dowager seriously."
Prime Minister Cheng kept silent, and Sun Yanyan also chose to stay quiet after sizing up the situation.
"Thank you for the reminder, madam. I'll set off now."
Cheng Xiran took a few sips of porridge and gave Chu Liyin beside her a crazy look. After saluting everyone, she took Chu Liyin's hand and walked out of the mansion.
But just as they reached the mansion gate, they heard from the butler that there was something wrong with the carriage prepared for them, and it couldn't be repaired for the time being.
The butler looked helpless. "I checked it last night, and it was fine. But just now when I went to the back, I found that one of the wheels had fallen off for some reason."
She originally thought of hiring a carriage nearby, but that would take some time. Besides, her father's carriage was there, but Cheng Xiran knew it was impossible to use it.
"Obviously, this was done by your second sister. She's always the one who wants to see you in trouble the most."
Chu Liyin sneered.
But Cheng Xiran pulled her towards the prince's mansion. "We don't have time. It's more reliable to go directly to the prince. A big shot like him must be the last one to arrive!"