"That's fine then!" Ashu was just teasing her senior sister, as opportunities to see her shy were rare.
"Mm! Alright, it's your turn next. Prepare yourself! I'm going back to my room to remove my makeup." Fang Xiyue finished speaking in a hurry and quickly returned to her room with the flowers.
Fang Xiyue patted her face, finally feeling a bit calmer. Then, she felt a pang of annoyance. Why had she impulsively accepted the flowers?
Even if she did care a little, she shouldn't have agreed so easily! Otherwise, people wouldn't cherish it.
After admonishing herself a few times, Fang Xiyue felt she had regained her rationality. She had dreams to pursue and wouldn't be a kept woman!
However, the resolution she had made crumbled instantly upon seeing Xing Yuan.
Xing Yuan found himself with free time and, for some reason, walked towards Ruoxi Pavilion. Since he was already there, it wouldn't be right not to go in and take a look.
Thinking this, Xing Yuan completely forgot that he had specifically asked someone to say he couldn't come. All he wanted was to go inside and see.
The sky was already nearing dusk. The opera had ended, and there weren't many people left in Ruoxi Pavilion, only a few staff members coming and going, clearing away the tea sets left by the guests.
Xing Yuan walked in directly, skillfully found the backstage, and gently knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Ashu called out.
She was among the last group to perform today and had just finished removing her makeup, preparing to return to her courtyard. Naturally, she was a bit impatient about being disturbed on her way home.
Ashu opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise.
Wow! This person is so good-looking! I wonder who they're looking for?
"Excuse me, is Fang Xiyue here?" Xing Yuan's lips curved slightly, revealing a polite smile.
"Young master, you're looking for my senior sister! She's not here. She should have already returned to the courtyard by now. If it's urgent, please come back early tomorrow." Ashu retracted her gaze of admiration and said matter-of-factly.
This person was clearly one of her senior sister's admirers. Even if her senior sister didn't like him, she couldn't get involved. What was a man compared to a sister?
"Is that so!" Xing Yuan's expression instantly turned dejected. In Ashu's eyes, this person inexplicably looked a bit wronged.
Seeing a handsome man looking sad, Ashu felt she should offer some comfort.
"Don't rush! If it's something urgent, I can relay a message for you. Um, what's your name?"
"Really? Thank you. My name is Xing Chen. I've been here for a few days, and today I had an unexpected matter and couldn't make it to our appointment. I wanted to apologize in person. Is that convenient?"
"This... then why don't you come with me to take a look? If my senior sister and the others agree, I'll let you in." Ashu's attitude softened slightly upon hearing Xing Yuan introduce himself, as she suddenly recalled some rumors about her senior sister.
Could this be the person who had made her senior sister so lovestruck recently? He did look quite handsome. But her senior sister had met many good-looking people over the years; why was she only smitten this time?
Ashu's mind was filled with questions, but her face showed nothing. She simply led the way in silence. Finally, they arrived at the entrance of a large courtyard not far away.
Within Ruoxi Pavilion, the master's disciples all lived here. The courtyard was spacious, divided into an east and west wing. Male disciples lived in the east wing, and female disciples in the west.
They were all children without homes. When they ate their meals together from large pots, they always felt a sense of home. No, they were a family.
Ashu asked Xing Yuan to wait outside and went in directly.
"Ashu, why are you so slow? We're waiting for you to start eating." A man in a dark shirt saw the figure from afar and called out.
"Got it! I was just tidying up." Ashu replied and quickly found her senior sister's figure, walking over rapidly.
"Senior sister, that Mr. Xing who used to come looking for you is here. I bumped into him just as I was leaving. He said he wanted to come over. What do you think..."
Fang Xiyue's expression became slightly unnatural as she looked at the curious eyes of her senior brothers and sisters around her. She couldn't tell if she was shy or annoyed!
Fang Xiyue forced herself to remain calm and said, "Tell him to go back. It's so late, and we're about to eat. We can talk about it tomorrow if there's anything."
"Ah Yue, that's not very nice of you! Young Master Xing traveled all this way, and you're sending him away without even seeing him. Isn't that a bit impolite?" someone said with feigned seriousness.
"Exactly. Since he's here, why not call him in for everyone to see? We can also help you size him up! Your senior brother has seen many people; he can tell what kind of person he is at a glance." Another person chimed in.
"Even an ugly bride has to meet her in-laws, right? Don't tell us later that Ah Yue you've already decided and brought him over to see first!" a senior sister chuckled.
There was a chorus of teasing voices around them.
They practically lived together, so they naturally noticed any changes in each other quickly. Moreover, Fang Xiyue's behavior had been quite obvious.
Normally, she wouldn't even give a second glance to the many people who showered her with attention. But now, she was finding excuses that weren't too harsh to reject someone. Although she didn't always show it, they understood each other very well.
The joy in her eyes was impossible to hide. They had noticed it long ago and had even discussed it in secret. This was a rare opportunity, so why not call the person in to take a look?
Seeing that Fang Xiyue remained silent, indicating her tacit consent, a senior sister sitting nearby quickly said, "Ashu, please go and invite Young Master Xing in."
Ashu nodded and went to the courtyard entrance to call him in.
Xing Yuan was startled to be stared at by so many people. Why were there so many of them?
After a moment's thought, Xing Yuan understood their relationship.
He said gently and politely, "Greetings, senior brothers, senior sisters, junior brothers, and junior sisters!"
The crowd looked at Xing Yuan's appearance and demeanor and silently added a few points to their impression of him. It seemed Ah Yue had good taste; at least, he wasn't a dissolute young master.
"Ahem! Xing Chen, is it? Have you eaten?" Fang Yu Mo, as the eldest senior brother, took on the responsibility of an elder.
"Not yet!" Xing Yuan replied truthfully.
Fang Yu Mo was slightly taken aback. He had only asked politely; who would have thought he genuinely hadn't eaten yet!
"Well, if you don't mind, why don't you join us for dinner?" Since the words had been spoken, Fang Yu Mo could only grit his teeth and continue.
"Certainly! Thank you, senior brother." Xing Yuan accepted readily.
She wasn't someone who had been pampered since childhood, so she wasn't that picky. During times of war, even if one had a higher status, they wouldn't be able to eat very good food.