"Speak, what is it? I'm listening?"
Chu Qianyi put away his usual flippancy, his deep pupils profound and mysterious, like a pool of spring water.
"Come with me."
"Tch," Mu Qingyao's tea sprayed directly onto his face, a complete mouthful, not a single drop left. The man didn't even blink, nor did he get angry. His gaze was even softer than before, which made Mu Qingyao feel a little guilty.
"Young Master Chu, you asked for this. Can you refrain from telling such cold jokes when I'm drinking tea?"
"I'm serious."
Chu Qianyi added, then without looking at Mu Qingyao, he elegantly took out a brocade handkerchief and wiped the tea and saliva from his face.
Mu Qingyao stared at the man, her mind racing through countless possibilities, but she couldn't figure out what had gotten into Young Master Chu.
She remembered never giving him any such hints that she wanted to elope with him. Every time they met, she either insulted him or tricked him. It was one thing that he didn't get angry, but now he was actually asking her to go with him.
Could he be a masochist? Because his status was too noble, no one dared to treat him like this normally. So, the moment someone abused him, it struck his fancy, leading to such a bizarre thought.
"Chu Qianyi, are you sure your brain is fine? Asking me to go with you."
Chu Qianyi wiped the tea from his face, a faint smile curving his lips. He shed his usual effeminate demeanor, looking much more pleasing to the eye.
"When I ask you to come with me, it's not about eloping. It's because I don't want you to get involved in this game. Both you and I will become pawns in someone else's hands. Are you willing to be a pawn, to be used?"
As he spoke, his voice grew deeper, as if tossed about in a turbulent sea.
Mu Qingyao's gaze deepened, recalling what her father, the Prime Minister, had said.
Perhaps she would become a pawn, but not a pawn that anyone could move, unless she wished it. No one could touch her unless she wanted them to. She would no longer be as indifferent as before, standing outside the fray. Now that she was in the midst of it, it was impossible to remain detached. She had to take the initiative.
The fate of the world was the responsibility of every man. As long as her bottom line wasn't touched, she didn't mind helping the Emperor.
"Chu Qianyi, I don't know what your intentions are in coming to tell me this, but I want to tell you that I will not be manipulated."
Mu Qingyao stood up. The sky had already darkened. The round moon, like a jade plate, hung in the sky. She hadn't forgotten that it was the fifteenth of August, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and she was supposed to be enjoying the moon with her family. She had no time to deal with this inexplicable man.
"Please?"
Under the faint moonlight, Chu Qianyi's eyes held disappointment, followed by a hazy dark glint that made him inscrutable. He kept following Mu Qingyao's figure as she drifted away into the night.
"Your Highness, Master sent someone over to ask you to go to him."
"Mm, I know. See Young Master Chu out." Mu Qingyao nodded and turned to instruct the servants of the Mu mansion. The servant respectfully entered the pavilion.
Chu Qianyi's eyes concealed their sharpness, reverting to his usual effeminate charm, his smile captivating.
The servant was momentarily stunned. The person before him had already strode out. As he passed by Mu Qingyao, he paused for a moment, then let out a unrestrained laugh and strode towards the mansion's exit. Though his laughter was flamboyant, it carried an ineffable desolation.
Mu Qingyao, leading Mei Xin and Mo Chou, watched his retreating figure merge into the moonlight. She raised her eyebrows slightly, saying nothing.
Mo Chou couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise. "That man seems very sad. Although he's smiling, the smile isn't genuine."
Mu Qingyao wondered what was wrong with Chu Qianyi tonight. Why had he inexplicably come to talk to her like this? And why did he feel a sense of desolation in his heart? As her thoughts swirled, two figures appeared behind her.
"Yao'er."
It was Mu Qingzhu and Mu Qingxiang who had come around. Seeing Mu Qingyao standing dazed outside the pavilion, they asked curiously, "Where's that scoundrel?"
"Replying to Eldest Miss, he's gone," Mei Xin answered first.
"It's good that he's gone. Otherwise, I would have beaten him until he was spitting teeth. How dare he come to the Mu mansion! From now on, our Mu mansion and the Chu mansion are sworn enemies. We'll beat him once if we see him, and twice if we see him again."
Mu Qingzhu clenched her fists, gritting her teeth.
If Chu Qianyi were still here, Eldest Miss Mu would have gone into a frenzy. Mu Qingyao was amused by Mu Qingzhu's exaggerated actions, casting aside her worries. Mu Qingxiang, standing beside her, spoke softly, "Let's go, Father is waiting for us."
"Mm, let's go." The two elder sisters each took one of Mu Qingyao's arms. Mu Qingyao's lips curved into a smile, her heart warming. They were her family now, a loving family. If she could truly do something for them, it would be a happy thing.
Under the moonlight, the three flowers of the Mu mansion, each with their own charm, headed towards the front hall of the Prime Minister's mansion.
August fifteenth, the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunion.
The Prime Minister's mansion was filled with joy. Prime Minister Mu did not dine in the main hall as per the usual holiday custom. Instead, he set up a banquet in the central courtyard. In the courtyard stood a tall osmanthus tree, in full bloom, its fragrance intoxicating.
The moonlight was like water, a gentle breeze stirred, and osmanthus flowers fluttered down. Some were blown onto the ground by the wind, and some landed on the dishes on the table, surprisingly adding a touch of beauty.
The family sat around the dining table, their warmth like water. Mu Qingyao looked at this person, then at that, her heart filled with immense emotion. She realized that a family could celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival like this, enjoying the moon, conversing, and then eating the most delicious food and drinking the most beautiful osmanthus wine.
Although she was not their biological daughter, her heart was stirred and moved tonight, as if they had been her kin since birth. This feeling grew stronger and stronger.
In her past life, she had always spent the Mid-Autumn Festival with her grandmother. Her parents were thousands of miles away, and it was difficult to even see them, let alone celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Now, she possessed what she had most longed for in her past life: family affection.
Therefore, she would cherish it dearly. From now on, she would help them in any way she could.
"Yao'er, Father will toast you. This is the osmanthus wine brewed by your second mother. You won't get drunk if you drink a little."
Prime Minister Mu stood up, holding his wine cup, and looked at Mu Qingyao with fatherly affection.
"Thank you, Father," Mu Qingyao stood up and, along with her father, the Prime Minister, they clinked their cups of osmanthus wine.
Whether it was the wine that intoxicated people or her own good mood, the osmanthus wine was sweet and fragrant, like the most beautiful delicacy in the world, far more aromatic than celestial nectar.
From her past life to this life, she had never tasted such delicious osmanthus wine.
As soon as Prime Minister Mu sat down, the First Madam and Second Madam stood up, each holding a cup of osmanthus wine, looking at Mu Qingyao with smiling faces.