Wen Xingyi did not expect Bai Qingyue's mood to be so complex. Seeing her clear eyes, she stopped asking, assuming she had come to terms with it.
Seeing that the sky was already darkening, Wen Xingyi urged, "Alright! Then you should go back today! Otherwise, that one in Prime Minister Bai's backyard will stir up more trouble."
Bai Qingyue then noticed how much time had passed. She immediately got up and said, "Yes! Then I'll head back today. If you need anything, feel free to come to the Prime Minister's mansion to find me. As long as I can do it, I won't refuse."
"Okay~" Wen Xingyi stood up to see her off.
As Bai Qingyue walked back to her mansion alone, she suddenly remembered something strange. It shouldn't be like this! Before, if she was out of Xingyuan's sight for more than an hour, that person would worry and come looking for her. Now, she hadn't seen her for almost the entire day.
In fact, Xingyuan had bribed some friends in the martial world to help protect Bai Qingyue. She knew Bai Qingyue had gone to the Wen mansion, but at the time, she was busy preparing a surprise for her elder sister and held back from going to her. Hmm~ If her elder sister accepted this surprise, her status in her elder sister's heart should be higher, right!
Xingyuan thought with anticipation, her hands moving more deftly. A gift for a girl should not only be beautiful but also sincere. After all, what could be more sincere than making it yourself?
When Bai Qingyue walked into her courtyard with a somewhat dejected mood, she was instantly stunned by the scene before her.
The entire perimeter of the courtyard was adorned with circles of beautiful flowers, looking as vibrant as spring. Fresh red rose petals were scattered on the ground, and as Bai Qingyue walked on them, she felt light and airy.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, Bai Qingyue noticed that the entire place was filled with many more flowers. She immediately spotted her newly decorated room, with a gorgeous "flower gate" added to the door. Beside it were many flowers of various kinds whose names she couldn't recall. The flowers bloomed gorgeously, and this breathtaking scene made Bai Qingyue stare in a daze.
The small table in the courtyard was also filled with all sorts of pastries, most of which Bai Qingyue liked.
At this moment, Xingyuan walked over from a distance, holding something covered with a red cloth that resembled a cake. She placed it on the table, which had just one remaining spot.
Bai Qingyue blinked, what was this for?
Xingyuan quickly resolved her doubt. "Elder sister, today is almost our hundredth day since we met. I originally planned to give you a surprise in a few days. But you're in a bad mood today, so I thought we'd celebrate early!"
After speaking, Xingyuan uncovered the red cloth, revealing a faux cake adorned with various jewelry.
Xingyuan continued to look at Bai Qingyue gently and said, "Elder sister, my resources are limited. I don't know what kind you like, so I brought back a few of each."
Xingyuan's eyes were full of smiles, "These are all for you, elder sister! So, are you feeling a little better now?"
Her mood wasn't just better; Bai Qingyue was deeply touched. So Xingyuan had really put in the effort to prepare a gift for her! Perhaps yesterday she had gone to discuss this matter with someone. She must have misunderstood her.
This time, there was no need for Xingyuan to explain. The touched Bai Qingyue voluntarily dismissed yesterday's events as a misunderstanding. She also felt guilty about her inexplicable anger. She thought to herself, thankfully she hadn't asked directly then, otherwise, wouldn't she have hurt Xingyuan's feelings?
"Yes!" Bai Qingyue nodded vigorously, hugged Xingyuan emotionally, and whispered in her ear, "A'yuan, thank you! I'm very happy today! I really like your gift."
Xingyuan's smile deepened, and she hugged her back. It seemed that what people online said wasn't entirely without merit. For example, the method of giving gifts was really effective! This was the first time her elder sister had hugged her proactively in all this time!
Thinking of this, Xingyuan felt that her day's hard work had not been in vain.
However, Bai Qingyue's personality in this life was still a bit too shy. After saying this, she pushed Xingyuan away as if fleeing and sat down at the table.
"Wow! A'yuan, where did you find so much delicious food?" Bai Qingyue exclaimed, looking at the table full of food.
"As long as elder sister likes it!" Xingyuan smiled, not directly answering her question. These were naturally prepared by the imperial chefs from Feng Lipan's mansion. Even if ordinary people had such culinary skills, they wouldn't have enough ingredients!
"Mmm!" Bai Qingyue didn't dwell on it and picked up her chopsticks to start eating. She usually had to maintain her image as a refined young lady, so she couldn't be greedy. But in front of Xingyuan, she never felt the need to hide anything.
After satisfying her hunger, Bai Qingyue elegantly wiped her mouth, once again becoming the talented woman of the capital.
Xingyuan looked at Bai Qingyue, her eyes always filled with a gentle smile. Seeing Bai Qingyue put down her chopsticks, she said considerately, "Elder sister, are you full? I've also prepared some tea and snacks."
"Bring them out quickly!" Bai Qingyue's eyes lit up. Xingyuan's preparations were indeed thorough!
After eating and drinking their fill, Bai Qingyue strolled in the mansion to digest. Xingyuan still followed her unhurriedly. Patience was key to the slow-boiling frog method, and Xingyuan was not in a hurry; she had many years ahead of her anyway.
After a while, Feng Liyu began to occasionally ask Xingyuan out to discuss what they should do next. Feng Liyu felt that since all his secrets were already exposed to Xingyuan, he might as well make use of her and let her offer more suggestions.
Although Xingyuan was reluctant, Feng Liyu's status was high, and he wasn't her mission target. She couldn't use violence against him, so she had no choice but to find some excuse to deceive Bai Qingyue.
Because of the previous gift, Bai Qingyue's trust in Xingyuan soared. Coupled with Xingyuan's distressed look when giving her reasons, Bai Qingyue naturally had to be understanding.
Within a few days, news arrived that the Second Prince Feng Liyan would be returning to the capital at the end of the month. Feng Liyu's first thought was about business. He and Xingyuan finalized the date of their action, which was to be on the day of the First Prince Feng Lipan's wedding. Although doing so was somewhat unfair to Feng Lipan, it was indeed the best opportunity.
Feng Liyu did not intend to trouble his elder brother. He had always known that the First Prince only wished to escape the vortex of power, posed no great threat to him, and had even been kind to him. However, as a prince, many things were beyond his control.