(Two in one big chapter, asking for pink votes)
Yu Shu looked around but didn't see any trace of Qin Yuerou. When she passed by two lofts, she deliberately raised her head to look. The sky turned dark in the blink of an eye. She was afraid that something might happen, so she hurriedly retraced her steps. She wanted to first find Xue Rui to discuss things with him. Who knew that when she reached the back door of the banquet hall, she would see an eye-catching pink?
"Miss Qin." Yu Shu immediately called out, stopping Qin Yuerou. She took a few steps and walked past the waiter who was serving the dishes and wine. When she arrived in front of Qin Yuerou, the light from the back door allowed her to clearly see the worried expression on Qin Yuerou's face.
When Qin Yuerou saw Yu Shu here, she couldn't help but be stunned. When she regained her senses, she forced a smile and greeted her.
"I was dragged out by Feifei to look for you as soon as I arrived. Why didn't you see her?" Yu Shu pretended to look behind Qin Yuerou and took two steps forward. When she turned her head, she saw the tender and beautiful begonia on the back of Qin Yuerou's hair bun. Her gaze was pierced.
Qin Yuerou looked slightly absent-minded. She shook her head and said, "No, I didn't see her."
"Then let's wait here for a while. We agreed to come back if we can't find him."
Yu Shu suggested, and the two moved down the corridor. After waiting for a while, they saw Xin Liu walking out from the distant path with his head down.
Not too long ago, Xin Liu went to look for Qin Yuerou. Not long after she chased after her, she saw her and Ji Xingxuan walking towards the lakeside. Her curiosity was piqued and she didn't make a sound. Instead, she followed behind them and hid in the underbrush to eavesdrop on their conversation.
After a moment of panic, Xin Liu finally calmed down. He waited until Ji Xingxuan had left before he took a detour and returned.
Seeing Yu Shu and Qin Yuerou standing in the corridor waving at her, Xin Liu's heartbeat quickened. She tugged at the hem of her skirt and twisted her thigh. Taking advantage of the pain, she jogged over to them. Before she could stand still, she started complaining to Qin Yuerou.
Yu Shu only paid attention to Qin Yuerou's expression. Qin Yuerou, on the other hand, had something on her mind. The two of them didn't notice anything wrong with Xin Liu. After exchanging a few words, they entered together.
At this moment, the banquet had begun. The banquet hall that was previously absent was now full of guests. Liu Tan was sitting in the most conspicuous position and toasting people. Yu Shu walked behind Qin Yuerou and Xin Liu. She intentionally approached them and saw Xue Rui a few tables away. Coincidentally, he was also quietly looking around. When their gazes met, they exchanged a glance. Yu Shu raised her chin forward. When Xue Rui saw Qin Yuerou, his eyes flashed, and he turned back to continue drinking.
Yu Shu's gaze swept past Jing Chen, who was sitting to the left of Liu Tan, and moved elsewhere.
In the inner hall, there were long tables inlaid with Qiyang Stone. On them were tablecloths of the same color, revealing the clear color of the stone at both ends. All the tables were placed horizontally in two directions, leaving an aisle in the middle. Guests only sat on one side, with two or three people to a table.
Yu Shu's seat was arranged toward the front. Fortunately, it wasn't far from Qin Yuerou and Xin Liu. She could see them as soon as she turned her head. She didn't know if Liu Tan had deliberately arranged it, but she was the only person sitting at her table.
Yu Shu looked around. She wasn't surprised to see many familiar figures at the banquet. For example, she saw a few heirs and princesses sitting at the VIP table opposite her. She had seen them at the Dual Suns Gathering before. There were also Feng Zhaomiao, Qi Mingxiu, and Ruilin, the sons of high officials and nobles. There were also a few young masters and young ladies from aristocratic families she wasn't unfamiliar with. Most of them were like her who had just entered Taishi Library this year.
In addition, there were two other tables. The people sitting were all capable people that Liu Tan had recruited during the Dual Suns Gathering. Yu Shu wasn't surprised to see Wen Shao 'an, but she didn't see Helanchou.
Beside Liu Tan, there were two empty tables. Yu Shu didn't need to think to guess that Liu Tan had invited Prince Ning and the others.
Speaking of which, Liu Tan had only been back in the capital for a few months. His foundation wasn't as deep as Liu Hao's, and his reputation wasn't as good. For him to have this kind of extravagance today, it was mostly due to the Dual Suns Gathering that had just ended. It had given him the title of Prince and the marriage with Xia Jiang's family.
Yu Shu had sent a letter to Xia Jiang's guesthouse a few days ago. She knew that Xia Jiangmin wouldn't show up today. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, even Xia Jiang's Helang didn't come.
Yu Shu sat closer to the front, so naturally, many people saw her. There were people who came forward to toast the female fortune teller. She didn't refuse them, but she took a small sip. She smiled and said that her throat wasn't feeling good today, so she couldn't drink too much. No one argued with her.
After dealing with a few people, Yu Shu didn't look in Qin Yuerou's direction. She was afraid that if she got distracted, she would disappear again.
.....
Liu Tan drank with the people beside him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the empty table next to him. He stood up with a normal expression.
When everyone saw Liu Tan stand up, they all stopped talking and quickly became quiet. He said in a clear voice, "This prince's congratulatory banquet today is firstly to thank Imperial Father for his grace, allowing me to accept this task. Secondly, I want to thank my imperial brothers for taking care of this prince who has been away all year round. Brothers should be respectful to each other. Thirdly, I want to thank those who have joined my sect in the Dual Suns Gathering. This prince will drink three cups to express my sincerity!"
Without any empty words, Liu Tan raised his head and drank his cup. The young eunuch behind him calmly filled his cup for him. After three cups, he put down his cup. His face was flushed and he smiled in high spirits. He raised his sleeve and said, "Everyone, drink to your heart's content. There's no need to stand on ceremony."
Everyone present stood up and toasted each other. Congratulatory voices rose and fell. Yu Shu silently sat back down. She held the cup in her hands and stacked it on the table. She looked at the table diagonally across from her and saw Ji Xingxuan changing cups with Princess Xi Wen.
She wasn't sure if the "culprit" who pushed Qin Yuerou down the stairs was hiding in Xuan Spring Garden. She also wasn't sure if Ji Xingxuan would still be the "accomplice" tonight.
But no matter what, she had to drag her down tonight. She couldn't let her scheme against her without fear.
Ruthlessness flashed through Yu Shu's eyes.
At this time, there was a commotion outside. Then, someone shouted in a loud voice, "Ning Wangye has arrived — —"
Everyone's eyes turned to the door. In a flash, they saw a group of well-dressed people walk into the inner hall. There were both men and women. The person at the front was wearing a robe with a jade belt. He was waving his fan and talking cheerfully with his entourage. It was as if he was the host.
"Haha, Ninth Brother, I was delayed by something and came late. You won't hold it against me, right?" Ning Wangye, Liu Hao, had a righteous face and always spoke loudly. It was obvious that he was late on purpose, but no one felt that there was anything wrong with his actions.
Liu Tan smiled and stood up. He raised the cup in his hand and said, "I'm very happy that Brother Wang could come. However, I can't avoid this punishment."
Before Liu Hao could speak, Liu Yi, who was beside him, said in a low, muffled voice, "Fine, fine. Whoever wants to avoid it, I'll drink it."
Liu Yi's tone was harsh, but everyone in the upper-class circle of Anling City knew his temper, so they didn't find it strange. But what he did next made people's faces look strange.
Liu Yi raised his arm and pulled a graceful girl behind him into his arms. He swaggered to an empty seat and sat down. He pulled the girl into his arms and actually pulled her onto his lap. His actions were extremely frivolous. In front of everyone, he actually fed the girl wine with his mouth to her mouth.
Liu Tan was crowned king and this was a proper banquet. Yet, he was so unrestrained. It was no different from disgracing Liu Tan.
Everyone looked at each other and the atmosphere became awkward. Seeing that Liu Hao was smiling without saying anything, everyone thought that Liu Tan would turn hostile. However, unexpectedly, Liu Tan only glanced at Liu Yi and ignored him. He turned to Ning Wangye and said, "Brother Wang, please take a seat."
Liu Hao curled the corner of his mouth in interest. He led his people to sit down and also ignored Liu Yi's actions.
No one else noticed. Only Yu Shu stared at the plaything in Liu Yi's arms. She couldn't see its face clearly. She thought about what Ji Xingxuan had said to her outside the Fragrant Hut that day.
Liu Yi found a girl who looked similar to her to be his plaything and attended Ning Wangye's private banquet.
She just didn't know if it was the one in front of her.
Yu Shu frowned. She wasn't sure if Liu Yi, this brat, would embarrass her in front of everyone. Thinking about this, she looked at Ji Xingxuan again. She lifted her veil and lowered her head to drink wine. She couldn't see her expression clearly.
Xin Liu, who was sitting next to Qin Yuerou, was also secretly looking at Ji Xingxuan. She didn't eat much of the food and wine in front of her. She held her chopsticks and looked back at Qin Yuerou from time to time.
Qin Yuerou noticed her gaze and asked, "What's wrong, Feifei?"
Xin Liu hurriedly squeezed out a smile and pointed at the back of her hair. "I think this flower hairpin is quite unique. I've never seen you wear it before."
Qin Yuerou said, "This is a reward from the palace. I saw that it matched this set of clothes, so I took it out and used it."
Xin Liu said, "Oh."
.....
Xi Wen peeled a piece of preserved plum blossoms in boredom. She tilted her head to look at Ji Xingxuan, who was refilling another cup. She said, "How many cups has this been? Why are you in a bad mood?"
"When have I ever been in a good mood?" Ji Xingxuan couldn't help but laugh at herself. Her expression was slightly irritated. It was unknown if it was because of the alcohol.
"That's right. If I were you, I wouldn't be happy either." Xi Wen rested her chin on her hand and turned to look at Liu Tan's table. Her gaze fell on one person, and she pouted. "It's nothing. I'll help you vent your anger later. Isn't it just a fortune-teller? Does she really think that no one can deal with her?"
Ji Xingxuan pressed the space between her brows. She listened to the laughter and clinking cups around her. She felt her head ache. She took a deep breath, put down her cup, and said to Xi Wen, "I'm going to change."
After she finished speaking, she stood up with the support of the table. She did her best to not attract attention and walked to the back door.
When Yu Shu saw Ji Xingxuan leave the table, she straightened her body and subconsciously looked at Qin Yuerou. She saw that Qin Yuerou was staring at the dishes on the table in a daze. The seat next to her was empty. She hesitated for a moment, then walked past Qin Yuerou with a cup of wine in her hand. She walked to the other side of Qin Yuerou and sat down.
"Where's Feifei?" Yu Shu tried to start a conversation.
When she saw Mo Tiange sit down, Qin Yuerou perked up. "She said she wanted to get some fresh air. She just went out."
Yu Shu teased, "I saw that she was looking for you anxiously. She said she had to accompany you, but now she's willing to leave you behind."
Qin Yuerou smiled at her, then told her about how she met Old Man Xin at Xin Manor. She rolled up her sleeves and showed Mo Tiange the jade bracelet she wore to ward off bad luck.
Once the conversation started, the two of them started chatting. Unknowingly, it was getting late. Yu Shu gradually felt strange. According to her thoughts, someone must have lured Qin Yuerou out so they could make a move on her. However, after waiting for so long, not a single suspicious person came forward. Instead, Ji Xingxuan's seat remained empty. This made Yu Shu feel slightly uneasy.
Could it be that she was an eyesore sitting there?
Yu Shu suspected this, so she picked up where Qin Yuerou left off and jokingly said, "Feifei has been gone for so long and still hasn't come back. Could it be because I'm occupying her seat? I'll go back to my seat."
"En, okay." Qin Yuerou's conversation with Yu Shu diverted some of her attention. Her complexion looked much better than before.
Yu Shu held her cup and pushed her chair away. She planned to go back to her seat from the back, but when she walked past Qin Yuerou, she inadvertently glanced at the back of her head. Startled, she blurted out, "Huh? Where's your crabapple hairpin?"
When Qin Yuerou heard this, she turned around and touched her hair bun. She helplessly said, "Feifei took it off and put it on."
"Oh." The space between Yu Shu's eyebrows twitched, and she suddenly returned to her seat. A thought flashed through her mind, and a moment later, her expression suddenly changed. She cursed in her heart and immediately threw down her cup. She stood up in a panic and hurriedly walked in the direction of the back door that Qin Yuerou had pointed at.
Yu Shu's strange movements were noticed by Xue Rui. His eyes flashed, and he quietly apologized to Liu Tan before he also stood up and left.
Yu Shu walked out of the back door, and as she gazed at the brightly lit courtyard, she didn't know which direction she should go. Just as she was burning with anxiety, someone patted her shoulder from behind, and as soon as she turned around, she saw Xue Rui who followed her out.
"What's wrong?" Xue Rui asked.
Yu Shu acted as if she had seen her savior. She pulled his arm to the side and didn't have time to explain. She gritted her teeth and said, "Oh no, it's not Qin Yuerou. It's Xin Feifei! We have to hurry and find her! "
Xia Jiangmin's dream couldn't be wrong. A woman wearing a begonia flower and wearing a new dress would be pushed down the stairs. If it wasn't Qin Yuerou, it had to be Xin Liu!
How intelligent was Xue Rui? He knew that he'd changed his mind the moment he heard this, and he frowned as he turned around to look at the surroundings before raising his hand to make a gesture. Yu Shu saw an attendant that was watching the nearby lanterns jump down from the railing and jog over.
"Did you see where the sixth daughter of the Xin family went?"
This was the man that Xue Rui had placed in Xuanchun Garden through Liu Tan. This kind of nail was specially trained. Everyone in Anling City could recognize his face.
"I only saw her go that way." The nail pointed in a direction. If he looked closely, he couldn't see it.
When Yu Shu heard this, she immediately ran in that direction. She was afraid that if she was too late, she would see that lass Xin Liu's corpse!
Xue Rui stared at her back and said, "Leave one person to watch this place. You go and ask the rest to look for her. Don't make a sound."
"Yes."
Xue Rui saw Yu Shu disappear in the blink of an eye, so he quickly chased after her.
.....
On a certain balcony in the Spring Garden, Ji Xingxuan stood at the end of the corridor, her hands gripping the railing that reached her waist as she gazed at the distant banquet scene. The veil covering her face had disappeared at some point, revealing a beautiful face. Her brows were slightly drooping, her expression indescribably weary.
The surroundings were quiet, and a series of footsteps rang out in the corridor. Ji Xingxuan was disturbed, so she turned her head unhappily and narrowed her eyes. When she saw the person approaching and was illuminated by the lanterns hanging on the eaves, she coldly said, "You're following me?"
Xin Liu's chest heaved up and down. Climbing to the fourth floor made her a little breathless. She stared at Ji Xingxuan's face and thought that this was the woman in front of her who killed Cao Youling whom she quarreled with since childhood. She felt something burning in her heart.
That night, when she personally witnessed Cao Youling's death on the observatory, she had nightmares every night. Sometimes, she dreamed of Cao Youling crying and complaining to her. Sometimes, she dreamed of when she was young and fought with Cao Youling for the first time because her skirt was torn. In one moment, she pushed the young Cao Youling to the ground. In the next moment, that small figure turned into a skeleton and fell to the ground.
At first, she was afraid, but later, she gradually felt sad and sad. This complicated feeling caused her to overhear the conversation between Ji Xingxuan and Qin Yuerou. She couldn't control her anger. When she saw Ji Xingxuan walk away during the banquet, she couldn't help but follow her.
"Let me ask you." Xin Liu's voice was a little stifled. "Why did you want to harm her?"
Ji Xingxuan's back stiffened. She frowned and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"I'm asking you why you wanted to kill her!" Xin Liu fiercely roared. Her face flushed red. She took a few steps closer to her and pulled on her sleeve.
"I heard everything. You were talking to Yuerou. It was you who tricked her to the observatory. It was you who killed her. You vicious woman!"
Ji Xingxuan's face sank. She slapped Xin Liu's hand away and said with a sneer, "Did you drink too much and become muddle-headed? You don't understand what you're saying."
She pushed Xin Liu away and turned to leave. However, Xin Liu desperately grabbed the corner of her clothes.
"You vicious woman, you still won't admit it. Do you think I'm Yuerou? Do you think I'll be tricked by you with just a few words? You murderer, I won't let you go. I'll go to the front and tell everyone about your shameful deeds. Let's see how long you can pretend for! You murderer! "
Faced with Xin Liu's unwillingness to let her go, Ji Xingxuan felt an evil fire burning in her stomach. She quickly grabbed Xin Liu's wrist and used all her strength to shake her off. She shouted, "Whatever, go away!"
Xin Liu's eyes turned red from anger. She disregarded everything and said, "Just you wait. Your reputation will be ruined. You will pay with your life for murder. You will die like your grandfather!"
Hearing this last sentence, Ji Xingxuan's feet were like nails on the ground. In the dark night, the fire in her stomach finally burned her eyes. She could no longer remain calm. She turned around like a gust of wind and stepped in front of Xin Liu. She reached out her hand to slap her.
Xin Liu didn't have time to react and was hit by her. She turned her head and felt a burning pain on her face. Her anger reached its peak. She threw herself at Ji Xingxuan and screamed, "You dare hit me, you vicious woman!"
Both of them were women. Ji Xingxuan's strength was not much stronger than Xin Liu's. With a tug, they were pushed to the railing. Xin Liu grabbed her collar and wanted to slap her back. Ji Xingxuan's face was gloomy. She dodged and kicked her. Xin Liu's slap missed. Half of her body was hanging over the railing. She was caught off guard and fell down!
"Ah!"
With a scream, Xin Liu grabbed the railing in a panic. Her two hands gripped the two thin pieces of wood tightly. Her whole body was hanging over the fourth floor. Her face turned from red to white.
Ji Xingxuan was stunned. She subconsciously reached out to pull her, but when she was about to touch Xin Liu, a thought flashed in her mind. She hesitated and pulled her hand back.
"Pull, pull me!" Xin Liu's fingers were weak. She was about to let go of the railing. At this moment, her life was hanging by a thread. She couldn't care less. With a pale face, she looked up at Ji Xingxuan for help.
"Hehe." Ji Xingxuan laughed at this moment. Looking at Xin Liu's frightened look, her red eyes flashed with a strange light.
"Didn't you want to report me?" Ji Xingxuan whispered. "Then go to the underworld and report me. I'll wait for the ghost messenger to come and catch me."
As she spoke, she took a step back and looked down at her shoes. Expressionlessly, she lifted her toes and stepped on the fingers that were digging into the wood.
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Just as she was about to step on Xin Liu, she heard a gust of wind and heard heavy footsteps in the corridor. A strong force came from the side and knocked her away. Ji Xingxuan knelt on the ground and turned around in shock. She saw a person clinging to the railing, panting heavily. The person dangerously stuck his upper body out, his legs hooked onto the railing and quickly grabbed Xin Liu's wrist.
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