They spoke hollow words all the way to the front, where two carriages were prepared at the side gate. Wang Qingzhen and Wang Qingzhu shared one, while the other was for the maids and nannies. Wang Qingyao and Wang Qinglin, who were betrothed, could ride in the same carriage as their fiancés.
Before long, the Tian family's carriage arrived first. Tian Yu alighted and was taken aback to see so many young ladies, especially Wang Qingyao. His expression became even more unnatural.
Wang Qinglin explained softly, "Prince Ding'an also invited Second Sister, so Second Sister invited us to go out together. It's been a while since we sisters have gone on an outing."
Wang Qingyao, without mercy, exposed her, "I didn't invite you; you were the one who said you wanted to go out and have fun together."
A hint of embarrassment flickered across Wang Qinglin's oval face. She had forgotten that Wang Qingyao was unconventional. Did they really need to explain so clearly between sisters about who invited whom? It was enough to just get along.
She gave a sheepish smile, "It's all the same."
Wang Qingyao didn't respond, and the atmosphere turned cold. They stood together waiting for Xiao Yun. Wang Qingzhen and Wang Qingzhu habitually stood on either side of Wang Qinglin, while Wang Qingyao stood alone on the other side, clearly separated.
Tian Yu's gaze kept drifting to the other side, landing on Wang Qingyao's face and body.
She seemed more plump than before, having grown up and become even more beautiful. Standing there gracefully, she exuded vibrant youth, like a freshly ripened fruit on a tree, making one want to pluck it.
Wang Qingyao noticed Tian Yu's gaze and glared back fiercely. Tian Yu tugged at the corner of his lips, feeling inexplicably happy.
Wang Qinglin, standing nearby, noticed their interaction and her face immediately darkened. Even though she had other intentions now, as long as she hadn't officially broken off with Tian Yu, his eyes couldn't hold any other woman.
She cast a reproachful glance at Tian Yu, displaying a pouty and angry demeanor of a young girl.
Tian Yu's heart melted. He quickly averted his gaze and casually found a topic, asking, "Brother Zijing, aren't you coming on the spring outing?"
Seeing that Tian Yu's attention had returned to her, Wang Qinglin became happy again. "Elder Brother only knows how to read. He reads every day and is about to turn into a bookworm."
Tian Yu sighed, "Brother Zijing is much more diligent than I am."
Although he said this, he didn't seem genuinely regretful. Both he and Wang Zijing were renowned scholars in Duanjing, but in terms of true talent, Wang Zijing was still inferior to him. Moreover, he didn't particularly agree with Wang Zijing's method of burying himself in books. A balance of work and rest yielded twice the results.
However, among the scholars participating in the imperial examinations in Duanjing, he was probably the only one who dared to relax and take a break a month before the grand examination.
Before long, the carriages from Prince Ding'an's manor also arrived, two of them. The first one was driven by Yuan Bao, the one Wang Qingyao was accustomed to riding. The second carriage was slightly plainer, driven by an unfamiliar young servant.
The carriages stopped. The people from the second carriage alighted first – four women who looked like maids. Then Xiao Yun also got down. He looked at the crowd by the side gate and was momentarily bewildered.
Wang Qingyao said, "More people make it livelier. Let's all play together."
Her expression didn't seem entirely sincere, and Xiao Yun understood.
The four maids and the young servant stepped forward to greet Wang Qingyao, "Miss."
Xiao Yun explained, "They are maids from my manor. You usually don't bring maids when you go out with me, but this journey is long, and I was afraid you wouldn't have anyone to attend to you."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Yin Zhu, and he seemed a little puzzled.
Yin Zhu said, "Miss, I'll escort you this far. Goodbye." She stuffed the bundle of equipment wrapped in clothes into one of the maids' arms and left without looking back.
Wang Qingyao: "..."
The four maids from Prince Ding'an's manor were named Zhen Zhu, Ma Nao, Fei Cui, and Shan Hu, all names that evoked precious gems. As Zhen Zhu shared the character 'Zhen' with Wang Qingzhen and 'Zhu' with Wang Qingzhu, the expressions of these two ladies turned somewhat unpleasant.
The group exchanged pleasantries with Xiao Yun. Xiao Yun, without any pretense, said, "We are all family, no need for excessive ceremony." His gaze lingered on Tian Yu's face for an extra moment.
Tian Yu tried his best to appear nonchalant, but recalling that Prince Ding'an had arranged for someone to beat his mother, he felt somewhat uneasy.
"What is that young man's name?" Wang Qingyao asked as she got into the carriage, thinking of Yuan Bao's name.
Xiao Yun looked at the unfamiliar young servant and said, "His name is Yin Piao."
Wang Qingyao: "..."
The servants around Xiao Yun were all highly skilled, with excellent eyesight and hearing. After Xiao Yun spoke, Yin Piao lowered his head in shame. Wang Qingyao glanced at him sympathetically, "Why do the names you give your subordinates sound so... well... ostentatious?"
Xiao Yun helped her into the carriage. After the curtains were drawn, he said, "Because I am rich."
Wang Qingyao: "...Are there also people named Jin Zi and Yin Zi?"
Xiao Yun: "Yes, don't they sound nice?"
Wang Qingyao: "Heh heh, very nice."
Xiao Yun's gaze fell on her feet. She then lifted her foot and playfully wiggled it, asking, "Do they look good?"
"Beautiful, they truly make the ground shine."
Wang Qingyao burst into hearty laughter.
"By the way," Xiao Yun said, "I need your help with something today. Fang Zheng asked for it."
"What is it?"
It turned out that Fang Zheng's sister, Fang Yuan, was also going on the spring outing today. Fang Yuan had a potential fiancé who was also coming along. This suitor was handsome, polite, and doted on Fang Yuan to an extent that left no room for criticism.
Wang Qingyao raised an eyebrow.
"The problem is that this man was introduced by Fang Zheng's stepmother, Madam Huang, who is her maternal relative. In the past, Fang Zheng would not have thought much of it, but after the incident with Granny Yu was exposed, Fang Zheng became suspicious. Would Madam Huang be so kind as to introduce Fang Yuan to a perfect man?"
"Fang Zheng also sent people to investigate. This man has a good reputation among his neighbors and peers. Isn't that strange?"
"It is strange, but how can I help?" Wang Qingyao asked, confused.
Xiao Yun looked at her admiringly, "You can use your sensing ability to sense it!"
Wang Qingyao's mouth twitched. "How can I sense a lack of virtue? My sensing ability is not as omnipotent as you think."
Xiao Yun looked somewhat disappointed.
The carriage traveled north, and after leaving the city gates, they reached the outskirts. Most families parked their carriages near the outer city gates. Those who didn't want to walk would switch to sedan chairs. The outskirts of the capital city had areas enclosed and developed into gardens and pavilions, as well as natural open spaces for tourists to roam freely.
Fang Yuan and her suitor, Huang Xuanming, arrived earlier than Xiao Yun and his party. They alighted from their carriage and waited by the city gate to meet up with them.
Once everyone had gathered and exchanged greetings, Wang Qingyao finally turned her serious gaze towards Huang Xuanming.
He wore a dark purple brocade robe with peacock patterns, a lake-green thunder-patterned sash tied around his waist. He had peach blossom eyes and delicately shaped lips that were slightly parted even when he wasn't speaking, giving him an approachable, smiling appearance.
Although his build was tall, he didn't exercise much, lacking muscle. His weight was moderate.
Her gaze slowly moved downward, and Wang Qingyao's eyes stopped at his crucial area.
"Oh ho," she exclaimed inwardly.