Steward Chen immediately realized that he might have picked up the wrong person. He quickly turned back and walked towards Ye Xi.
"Are you also a young lady from the Ye family, miss?"
"Yes. I'm Ye Xi. Greetings, Steward Chen," Ye Xi replied, secretly relieved. Then she generously curtsied to Steward Chen.
Everyone was utterly confused.
What did this mean? Did the prince want to have both wives? Was he going to pick up both young ladies from the Ye family?
Ye Jueyao's face had already darkened.
Suppressing her anger, she forced a smile and stepped closer to the two of them.
"Sister, why are you here? It's a pity that I'm busy now. Sister, please go back first. I'll talk to you when I return."
With that, she winked, and the nannies on both sides were about to come forward and take Ye Xi away.
But Steward Chen waved his hands repeatedly.
"Don't be hasty! Don't be hasty! Lord Ye, is this young lady of yours also named Ye Xi?"
Steward Chen pointed at Ye Jueyao and asked.
Ye Pengcheng couldn't figure out what Steward Chen meant for a moment, so he could only answer honestly.
"Steward Chen, you're joking. This is my eldest legitimate daughter. Her given name is Ye Jueyao."
Now the identities were confirmed.
Steward Chen heaved a long sigh of relief. So close! He had almost picked up the wrong person!
If he had taken this ostentatious eldest young lady of the Ye family back, the prince would probably have sent him to the rural estate.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Steward Chen sized Ye Xi up again.
Seeing that she was simply dressed and had deliberately made herself look old and ugly with her makeup and hairstyle, Steward Chen was very satisfied.
"Miss Ye Xi, it was rude of this old servant. Please come this way. The prince has been waiting for a long time."
Steward Chen made a gesture of invitation again.
"What!?"
Ye Jueyao and Qian Fangxue blurted out in unison.
The entire Ye family was struck as if by lightning.
How could this be? The person the prince wanted to pick up was actually the ugly and clumsy second young lady!?
Ye Jueyao could no longer maintain the smile on her face.
She took a few steps forward and blocked their way. Her beautiful face was slightly distorted.
"Steward Chen, is there a mistake?" Ye Jueyao asked.
Qian Fangxue also reacted and stepped forward to chime in.
"Yes, Steward Chen. My second daughter is usually rude and clumsy. Are you sure the prince wants to pick her up?"
Rude and clumsy?
A hint of mockery flashed across Ye Xi's face.
When she was a child, she had excelled in every etiquette lesson taught by the nannies, far surpassing Ye Jueyao.
If it hadn't been for Qian Fangxue's dissatisfaction with her excellence at that time and Ye Jueyao's subsequent open and covert suppression, sarcasm, and deliberate alienation, she wouldn't have hidden her talents in everything just to please them.
"Madam Ye," Steward Chen naturally knew what these two mother and daughter were thinking. "The prince personally instructed me. I'm sure there's no mistake."
Seeing that Steward Chen had a stern look on his face, Ye Pengcheng quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Steward Chen is right. Xi'er, you may go with Steward Chen. Mind your manners and don't anger the prince."
Ye Pengcheng was warning her.
Ye Xi obediently lowered her head. "Yes, Father."
The two of them walked out one after the other, leaving everyone behind in a daze.
Ye Jueyao felt her face burning with shame and anger.
In all her years, this was the first time she had suffered such a great humiliation.
She angrily smashed a pile of porcelain on the ground before she felt a little better.
"Qingyuan!" Ye Jueyao shouted coldly.
When did Ye Xi hook up with the Prince of Yu'an? She didn't know a thing about such an important matter! She was going to ask this little girl Qingyuan what that little bitch Ye Xi had been up to!
On the other side -
"Your Highness, Miss Ye is here," Steward Chen reported respectfully outside the Liuyuan Hall to Yi Yuan.
"Come in."
Yi Yuan's voice was as cold as ever.
Creak~
The guard at the door opened it and made a gesture of invitation to Ye Xi.
Taking the heavy food box from Saixing, Ye Xi straightened her clothes and stepped in.
"Your Highness," Ye Xi greeted respectfully.
"Don't stand on ceremony. Come and take a look at the young heir first."
"Yes." Ye Xi carried the food box and walked closer.
The young heir, Yi Yaofeng, was staring blankly out of the window. At an age when he should have been lively, active, innocent, and curious, he didn't even give Ye Xi a single glance when a stranger came.
Ye Xi wasn't annoyed. She didn't say a word either.
She gently placed the food box aside and took out the snacks and dim sum one by one.
As she took them out, she observed Yi Yaofeng's reaction.
These snacks were collected by her all over the city overnight. Besides the ones Yi Yaofeng usually liked, there were also the ones that the late prince and princess had favored.
The enticing aroma made people's mouths water.
The familiar smell lingered around his nose, and Yi Yaofeng's empty eyes showed a hint of wavering.
He turned his head to look at Ye Xi and stared at her with a frown.
[What does this auntie want to do?]
[Does she think she can deceive me with a few snacks?]
[Humph~ Mother doesn't like hibiscus cakes. She likes Ruyi pastries.]
When Yi Yaofeng wasn't paying attention, Ye Xi quietly touched him with her little finger to read his thoughts.
Ruyi pastries? Everyone outside had heard that Yi Yaofeng's mother liked hibiscus cakes and would have a few almost every day. Unexpectedly, what she actually liked was Ruyi pastries.
Ye Xi raised her eyebrows and automatically ignored the fact that Yi Yaofeng called her auntie.
It seemed that some things could only be known by family members, just like herself.
"It's a pity I forgot to bring some Ruyi pastries. I'm starting to feel like having some now," Ye Xi said regretfully. Then she asked softly, "I wonder if the young heir would like some? If you do, we can have some together."
Yi Yaofeng opened his eyes in surprise.
[What a coincidence? This auntie also likes Ruyi pastries?]
[But I'm not going to eat them! Father is gone, and Mother has abandoned me! They don't want me anymore. I'm not going to eat the things they like!]
Yi Yaofeng's surprise disappeared in an instant. Then he angrily turned his head and showed his back to Ye Xi to show his unhappiness.
Yi Yuan, who was standing beside them, raised his eyebrows slightly.
This woman did have some skills. In just such a short time, she had stirred up so many emotions in Yaofeng.
So many people had come before, but many of them couldn't even get a single glance from Yaofeng.
Slightly intrigued, Yi Yuan slowly walked over and sat down beside the two of them.
[Ah! Uncle Yuan is here!]
[He's so scary. He never smiles at me.]
[Woohoo~ I don't want him. I don't want Uncle Yuan!]
Yi Yaofeng's small body stiffened imperceptibly.
Ye Xi's eyelids fluttered slightly, and she looked at Yi Yuan with a complex expression in her eyes.
Indeed.
With Yi Yuan's serious and unsmiling appearance, and considering that Yi Yaofeng had just lost his parents not long ago and no longer had their love, and then immediately met Yi Yuan's cold and expressionless face, which child wouldn't be afraid?
"Ahem..." Ye Xi coughed lightly. Since she was here to comfort Yi Yaofeng, she might as well say what she thought.
Looking at Yi Yuan very sincerely, Ye Xi said seriously, "Your Highness, please stay a bit farther away. You're scaring the young heir."
Yi Yuan: ?
My nephew or yours? And he's scared of me.
Steward Chen: It seems that Miss Ye really isn't here for the prince.
The guard by the door: Oh! This Miss Ye is really brave!
Yi Yaofeng's eyes lit up, and he quickly turned his head to look at Ye Xi.
[How does she know?]
[All those aunts and sisters before were eager for Uncle Yuan to stick to them. Why is this auntie different today?]