"Xing'er, did you find the young master just now somewhat familiar?"
Xing'er looked back toward the end of the restaurant where he had disappeared and nodded. "A little bit. He looks like the young master who was being pulled by a girl and prevented from leaving at the Chen family's rockery that day."
Afterward, Shen Xiaobai had even warned her not to speak nonsense about it.
What was the relationship between that young master and Shen Xiabai?
Before Cui Yunchu could think further, a little maid walked quickly from the restaurant. "You must be Eldest Miss Cui. My young miss and young master have been waiting for a long time. Please come in."
Cui Yunchu recognized this maid; she belonged to the Chen family's young miss.
"Thank you for your trouble." Cui Yunchu stepped down from the carriage and followed the maid into a private room on the east side of the restaurant's second floor.
The door was pushed open, and the voices inside immediately stopped as everyone looked up toward the doorway.
Cui Yunchu had met the Chen family's young master a few times. Her gaze swept over him briefly before she looked away.
On the surface, he looked like a dashing young gentleman with a fairly handsome face.
"Eldest Miss Cui, you're finally here! My older brother was just talking about you," Chen Miaohe stood up happily and went to link arms with Cui Yunchu.
Her older brother had indeed been talking about her, but he was only mentioning some of the unfavorable rumors and speculations about Cui Yunchu circulating outside.
However, before leaving the house, Chen Miaohe had received instructions from her grandmother and mother to matchmake the two of them. Besides, she genuinely liked Cui Yunchu. Who wouldn't enjoy having a beautiful woman around, pleasing to the eyes?
Cui Yunchu naturally knew that Chen Miaohe's words were merely polite pleasantries, but she still gave her face by blushing slightly and glancing at Chen Jiuhe, who was sitting to the side.
The man, holding a teacup, had frozen the moment Cui Yunchu pushed the door open. All those rumors and speculations in his mind seemed to be instantly cleared out, leaving him in a prolonged daze.
The young woman possessed outstanding beauty, yet she was dressed plainly, completely devoid of the vulgar and flamboyant aura mentioned in the rumors. Her demeanor was elegant and natural, and her smile was perfectly appropriate.
Those slightly curved peach blossom eyes were as clear as a mountain spring, laced with a hint of shyness.
She looked like a peach blossom fairy, delicate and beautiful, with an otherworldly charm.
"Big brother, don't you agree?" Chen Miaohe blinked.
Chen Jiuhe's face instantly turned red. When Cui Yunchu looked up at him, he slightly lowered his head and said, "Don't speak nonsense."
However, his heart was beating like a drum in his chest. He kept silently reciting a calming mantra, only a step away from pressing his palms together and saying Amitabha.
Seeing her older brother's slightly shy face, Chen Miaohe's eyes curved into a smile.
She pulled Cui Yunchu to sit at the table, nudged Chen Jiuhe gently, and lowered her voice, "You were talking so tough at home, why have you gone soft now?"
Chen Jiuhe glared at his sister. The rumors about Cui Yunchu surged back into his mind, cooling the man's burning heart considerably.
"Eldest Miss Cui."
Cui Yunchu nodded slightly and called him "Young Master Chen," which counted as returning the greeting.
Chen Miaohe sat between the two of them. Neither spoke again, and the oppressive atmosphere made people quite uncomfortable.
It was Chen Miaohe who spoke first to break the dull silence. "I wonder if Second Miss Cui is feeling better? My mother intended to visit her a few days ago, but we heard she was lacking energy, and we were afraid of disturbing her rest."
"She caught a cold the day we went back and was sick for a few days, but she has just started to recover."
Hearing this, Chen Miaohe felt guilty for quite a while. "It's all my fault for not taking good care of her."
Cui Yunchu had a decent impression of Chen Miaohe and comforted her softly, "Miss Chen, you don't need to blame yourself. This matter has nothing to do with you."
Being children of officials, they naturally heard about things happening outside. Chen Miaohe had heard about the incident with the Liu and Li family daughters the day before yesterday. Hearing Cui Yunchu's words now made her even more certain of her guess.
The Cui family's daughters were truly not to be trifled with; Liu Wanting was a prime example.
Thinking of this, Chen Miaohe turned her head to look at her older brother, who was sitting quietly with his head down, deciding that she must give him a stern warning later.
The Cui daughters absolutely could not be offended. The taste of being dunked into a slop bucket was surely not pleasant.
Chen Miaohe gathered her thoughts and chatted casually with Cui Yunchu, moving from girls' hairpins and jewelry to the gossip about the noble ladies in the capital.
When women spent time together, they mostly chatted about such things.
Chen Jiuhe, sitting to the side, had no room to interject, so he just sat quietly, occasionally raising his eyes to steal a glance at the gorgeous woman sitting properly nearby.
Dignified and gentle, speaking softly, with a kind expression—where was the slightest impropriety that the outside world spoke of?
Cui Yunchu naturally noticed, but she only pretended not to know. After all, maintaining the demeanor of a noble lady in front of the Chen siblings was already exhausting enough for her.
She was afraid that if she suddenly let out a cutesy voice and blinked a few times, all her previous efforts would be ruined.
After all, habits formed over more than ten years were carved into her bones and were not easily changed.
"It's getting late. Why isn't he here yet?" Chen Miaohe turned her head to look at the door, frowning deeply.
"Is Miss Chen still waiting for someone?" Cui Yunchu asked.
Chen Miaohe blushed slightly and nodded. "Yes... the young master of the Shen family."
Just by looking at Chen Miaohe's expression, Cui Yunchu could guess almost the whole truth.
She had been invited here to discuss marriage with Chen Jiuhe, and that young master Shen was most likely Chen Miaohe's fiancé.
It was just... Shen.
Cui Yunchu belatedly realized something, and the teacup in her hand almost fell to the ground.
Was it that Shen family?
She suddenly thought of Shen Xiaobai, whom she had just met at the restaurant entrance. Could that young master be...
And Shen Xiaobai's warning at the Chen family banquet that day—what else could Cui Yunchu not understand?
She wanted to leave. Was it still in time?
She looked at the Chen family young master again. Hiss, he was full of flaws from head to toe.
"Yunchu, what's wrong?" Chen Miaohe was an observant person and asked with great concern.
"I..."
"Miss," the door to the private room was pushed open again, and the Chen family maid from earlier led a young gentleman inside. "Young Master Shen has arrived."
Chen Miaohe immediately stood up and curtsied. Chen Jiuhe, who was beside her, also stood up to greet the newcomer.
Cui Yunchu remained seated, most of her figure blocked by Chen Miaohe, and she heard the newcomer's clear and pleasant voice. "Miss Chen, Young Master Chen."
Cui Yunchu quietly pulled her stool forward, hoping to hide herself completely, preferably so the newcomer wouldn't see her at all.
"Yunchu, this is the Young Master Shen I just introduced to you." As luck would have it, Chen Miaohe's voice suddenly rang out.
"Young Master Shen, this is Eldest Miss Cui."
Chen Miaohe stepped aside, completely revealing Cui Yunchu's figure.
Shen Zilan knew that the Chen family's eldest son was discussing marriage with the Cui family, so he wasn't surprised to hear this now.
"Eldest Miss Cui." His gaze fell on Cui Yunchu's back, and he cupped his hands in greeting.
Cui Yunchu didn't move. Soon, the eyes of the three people in the room fell on her.
Never mind, it wasn't Shen Xiaobai himself, so what was she afraid of? They just shared the surname Shen. There were so many people surnamed Shen in the world; she couldn't possibly be afraid of all of them.
Moreover, she had seen Shen Zilan pulling and tugging with another girl at the Chen residence with her own eyes. Speaking of which, he should be the one feeling guilty.
A thin layer of sweat broke out on Cui Yunchu's palms.
A smile instantly appeared on her face as she slowly turned around and greeted, "Young Master Shen."
Shen Zilan was about the same age as the rest of them, but since he was the youngest in the Shen family's generation, everyone called him Young Master Shen.
For a long time, Cui Yunchu didn't hear Shen Zilan's response. She couldn't help but look up, only to see his narrow black eyes staring at her unblinkingly, as if looking at some rare treasure.
Was that joy in his eyes?
Cui Yunchu was a bit bewildered and tilted her head to look at Chen Miaozhe.
Shen Zilan didn't blink, his undisguised amazement and joy clear to anyone who looked. He stared blankly for too long.
Chen Miaozhe frowned. "Young Master Shen, do you know Eldest Miss Cui?"
Cui Yunchu: "No."
Shen Zilan: "We've met once."
"..."
A weird silence hovered in the private room.
Although it was Chen Miaozhe's first time meeting Shen Zilan, no girl would be happy to have her fiancé stare at another girl right in front of her, especially when that person was her future sister-in-law.
Chen Jiuhe's gaze also darted between the two, and he frowned.
Caught in the middle, Cui Yunchu received three different, peculiar looks, making her feel incredibly awkward.
Chen Miaozhe wore a smile. "Where did you meet? How come I've never heard Sister Yunchu mention it?"
Cui Yunchu: "..." If she had known that the Chen family's daughter was engaged to the Shen family, she wouldn't have come at all, let alone agreed to discuss marriage with Chen Jiuhe.
"At the Chen family banquet," Shen Zilan finally withdrew his gaze, trying hard to suppress the pleasant surprise in his heart.
Sister Peach Blossom was actually the Cui family's daughter. Just moments ago, he had been lamenting over when he would ever see her again.
"I see." Hearing this, the slight resentment in Chen Miaozhe's heart quickly vanished.
As a man, Chen Jiuhe understood perfectly the look Shen Zilan gave Cui Yunchu.
Displeasure flashed in his eyes.
But during the subsequent meal, Shen Zilan behaved very properly, without any further overstepping, and was quite attentive to Chen Miaozhe, which slightly eased Chen Jiuhe's displeasure.
"The liveliest time during the Dragon Boat Festival is in the evening. There are dragon boat races on the North Lake, eating zongzi, drinking realgar wine, and women have fragrant sachets and five-color threads."
Chen Miaozhe had a lively personality. She pulled Cui Yunchu and said, "Sister Yunchu, I heard that the five-color threads sold by the North Lake are the most effective. If you wear her five-color thread and tie it around your wrist to pray for blessings, it usually comes true. It also carries the meaning of casting away illnesses to dissipate with the water. Let's go together later."
Cui Yunchu didn't want to go; she wanted to go home and find her grandmother.
As long as she stayed in the same room with someone surnamed Shen, those memories would flood back like a tidal wave.
