The commoners ate from large pots, with few dishes and steamed buns for rice. Seeing Xing Yuan agree, someone immediately went to fetch her a set of chopsticks and a bowl.
"My humble abode is simple! Please don't mind," Fang Yu Mo said with a smile. Regardless of why Xing Chen agreed, he would definitely support this marriage based on her attitude.
As Xing Yuan sat down, enthusiastic senior disciples were already helping to serve her food.
"Thank you!" Xing Yuan nodded gently.
"You're welcome!" It was evident that the senior disciple who helped had a somewhat honest and simple demeanor.
"Um, I wanted to ask, looking at your situation, your family background should be quite good, right? Can you get used to our simple food?"
Everyone's expression grew a little tense. Fang Xi Yue pinched her palm, hoping to calm her emotions.
"I can get used to it! I was lost outside for a few years when I was young, and only returned home later. Although my family has some wealth, we have always valued frugality, so I'm generally not picky about these things."
Xing Yuan was always quite honest about such matters. Otherwise, if the truth were revealed later and caused misunderstandings, it would be even harder to get closer to her elder sister.
Everyone's expression instantly relaxed, and their assessment of Xing Yuan increased significantly.
"Then, may I ask how many people are in Young Master Xing's family? If you are with our Ah Yue in the future, you cannot let her suffer any grievances," Fang Yu Mo continued to ask seriously.
Fang Xi Yue's face turned as red as blood. She bit her lip, lowering her head almost to the table.
Xing Yuan smiled and cooperated, "That is natural! In my family, there is only my grandfather and an elder brother. My parents passed away early, and I'm not very close to my uncles and aunts. If Miss Fang is willing, I can also move out and find a place to live, and I will absolutely not let her suffer any grievances."
Everyone nodded in agreement. This was good. While they never felt their status was lowly, in the eyes of the world, there were still many different perspectives. Temporary feelings could not last. They felt they needed to continue observing and must not be swayed by the impulsive decisions of young people.
"That's very good. However, Ah Yue is also someone we've watched grow up. If you truly want to be with her, you still need to win her over yourself. If you both love each other, we elders will naturally only support you," Fang Yu Mo said earnestly.
"I understand!" Xing Yuan nodded. If her elder sister had someone she cared about in the small world, she would naturally find a way to gain their support. This was also her respect for her elder sister.
No one spoke further. The group finished the dinner in a somewhat silent atmosphere.
As Xing Yuan stood up to leave, Fang Xi Yue, encouraged by the senior sister beside her, also stood up.
"Shall I walk you back?"
"Okay!" Xing Yuan turned back, her eyes filled with a smile.
On the way, Fang Xi Yue bit her lip, unusually nervous.
After a good while of self-preparation, Fang Xi Yue finally said, "Don't mind what happened today! My senior brothers and sisters are usually very enthusiastic, and not many people go to the small courtyard. So, please don't take it to heart."
"Mmm! The senior brothers and sisters are very hospitable. And what I said today is serious. You can think about it carefully. I truly want to be with you always," Xing Yuan looked at Fang Xi Yue with utmost seriousness.
"But... we really haven't known each other for long. Why?" Why me?
"Perhaps, you can think of it as love at first sight! In any case, you can trust me. Would you like to try?" Xing Yuan smiled and extended her hand.
Fang Xi Yue looked at her as if bewitched and placed her palm into Xing Yuan's.
Then, realizing what she had done, she was about to withdraw her hand when Xing Yuan gently held it.
Xing Yuan's voice was filled with endless amusement, "Since sister has already agreed, there's no chance of backing out. I will never let go."
Fang Xi Yue softly hummed, her face blushing, and said quietly, "It's getting late, I should go back too."
"Alright!" Xing Yuan felt a pang of regret, but she knew this was already her elder sister's limit.
Xing Yuan said with anticipation, "Then, shall I take you out tomorrow?"
"Mmm," Fang Xi Yue nodded gently.
Xing Yuan felt as if she had drunk honey, her eyes full of smiles. She obediently continued to hold her elder sister's hand and escorted her back to the courtyard.
Watching Xing Yuan's cheerful departing back, Fang Xi Yue's eyes involuntarily showed a hint of confusion. So, what was she about to do just now? How did it turn into her being escorted back?
Unable to figure it out, Fang Xi Yue stopped thinking about it. This was her first time dating, and she felt a bit anxious and lost. She went to find an experienced senior sister for advice.
"You two are together now?" The senior sister being consulted was surprised. Didn't you say before that you were just friends and hadn't developed into a romantic relationship? And now, just by walking someone back, the relationship has changed?
"Mmm!" Fang Xi Yue nodded gently, her eyes filled with unconcealed sweetness. She hadn't expected it either, and she didn't know why she had so vaguely agreed.
However, she didn't regret it. She believed in her judgment and believed that she would not betray her trust. This was a choice of the heart.
"This... have you really thought it through? Although I hope you find a good partner, you still need to observe more. After all, many people are not as simple as they appear." The senior sister didn't want to dampen her junior sister's confidence, but she was even more afraid that her junior sister would get hurt.
"Senior sister, I know. We'll just get to know each other first. After all, he doesn't know much about me yet."
"Alright! Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to dissuade you anymore."
"It's understandable that you want to show your best side, but you can also appropriately reveal some of your true personality. If everything goes as expected, you might be living together for the rest of your lives."
"If he only sees your good side, there might be conflicts later on. Honesty is very important in such a relationship. Think about it, if you knew he had lied to you, wouldn't you be extremely angry? ......"
When the senior sister talked about this, she was quite experienced. She spoke incessantly for several hours, only letting Fang Xi Yue go back to rest and digest when she started yawning, as she herself had been in several relationships, though they all ended without a conclusion. But she had also learned many lessons from them.
Xing Yuan hummed an unknown tune as she returned to her temporary residence, happily falling asleep.
As for her supposedly devastated "brother," she had long forgotten him. She had no feelings for this "brother" anyway. Since she had found the person, her mission was considered complete.