After a trip to the ancient Nanfeng Pavilion and secretly teaching a lesson to Xiao Yeyangâs enemies, Daohua felt that this experience was quite special and thrilling. She walked with a spring in her step, much lighter than before.
Xiao Yeyang watched in silence as Daohua hopped and skipped along, leisurely admiring the street lanterns, completely unfazed by her Nanfeng Pavilion encounter, which made him feel extremely sullen.
What in the world was going on inside that head of hers?
Why did everything seem to defy common sense when it came to her?
If it had been any other young lady who witnessed what had just happened, they would likely have died of embarrassment.
But this one, she just strolled around the streets with such audacity.
âWow, theyâve started releasing lanterns at Chong Building!â
Daohua suddenly pointed at the sky where Kongming lanterns were rising one after another.
Xiao Yeyang glanced over but didnât show much interest.
They had been out for a while by now, and the flower parade should have reached the vicinity of Chong Building.
âQuick, letâs get back. We canât waste the lanterns we bought. Letâs release them too, and make a wish while weâre at it!â Daohua said, pulling Xiao Yeyang towards the direction of Chong Building.
Xiao Yeyang allowed himself to be pulled along with an expression of resignation.
Soon, the group arrived at Chong Building.
âHuh, where are my elder brother and Brother Dong?â
Daohua looked over the building, both upstairs and downstairs, but didnât see anyone she recognized.
Xiao Yeyang calmly said, âIf weâre missing, theyâve surely gone to look for us.â
Daohua frowned with a bit of worry.
She didnât care much about the others, but she was concerned about her cousins.
Xiao Yeyang gave her an assuring look, âNow youâre worried? When you left with me just now, why didnât you think of this?â
Daohua replied, ââ¦I thought you only brought Defu with you, what if something happened and there was no one to help us?â
At her words, Xiao Yeyangâs expression softened, and he comforted her, âDonât worry now, who is Dong Yuanxuan? The son of the Provincial Governor. With him there, nothing bad will happen to your brother or your cousins.â
Daohua felt relieved and nodded, âShall we go look for them?â
Xiao Yeyang replied irritably, âWith so many people, how do you intend to find them? If they canât find us, theyâll naturally come back.â He said, taking two newly bought lanterns from Defuâs hands, âLetâs release our own lanterns.â
Daohua took the lanterns, still occasionally glancing around the street.
Seeing this, Xiao Yeyang called over Defu and told him to get bodyguards to look around on the street, âAlright, now you can relax and release the lanterns.â
Daohua smiled, took the lighter from Xiao Yeyang, and lit the lantern.
As the two made wishes staring at the slowly rising lantern, Dong Yuanxuan and his group returned.
âLittle Prince, Miss Yan, where did you go? Weâve been looking all over for you!â
Dong Yuanxuanâs face was filled with urgency and worry. He walked up to them and looked them over. Seeing that they were unharmed, his tense face relaxed a little.
When Daohua saw her elder brother Yan Wenxiu looking at her sternly, she knew she was at fault and shrank her neck, hiding behind Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yeyang was somewhat speechless at her cowardice.
Where was the boldness she had when she was dragging him forward?
At critical moments, she still needed to rely on him.
âYouâre asking where we went? I should be asking you the same question. Didnât I just take Daohua to look at the lanterns elsewhere? Yet when I turned around, you had all disappeared.â
Hearing this, Daohua suddenly looked up, her eyes shining with admiration as she looked at Xiao Yeyang.
Whatâs called fabricating lies effortlessly?
Whatâs called turning the tables?
Xiao Yeyang had just perfectly demonstrated these to her.
Dong Yuanxuan and the othersâ faces stiffened, then one by one, they showed looks of guilt.
Yan Wenxiu stepped forward with self-reproach, âItâs all my fault. I was so carried away with guessing the lantern riddles that I completely forgot the rest.â
Daohua saw Xiao Yeyang wave his hand dismissively and immediately said, âBig brother, you canât blame yourself. Werenât we also mesmerized by the lanterns and ended up separated from you?â
âHehe~â
As soon as Daohua finished speaking, a delightful, girlish laugh rang out.
Daohua looked up and noticed that behind Dong Yuanxuan stood a âyoung masterâ of similar age whom she had never seen before.
From that âyoung masterâsâ laugh, as well as their demeanor, Daohua recognized at a glance that this was a girl disguised as a boy.
âYuanyao pays respects to Little Prince.â Dong Yuanyao first saluted Xiao Yeyang, then walked straight up to Daohua, gently shaking her folding fan, slightly raised her eyebrows, and scrutinized Daohua from head to toe.
Then with a teasing smile she said, âThis must be the sister Yan whom Big brother often mentions, right?â As she spoke, she used the folding fan to lightly lift Daohuaâs chin.
Off to the side, Dong Yuanxuan saw his sister in a bullyâs tone teasing a respectable woman while looking at Daohua and felt as if thunder were rolling in his head.
However, Daohuaâs reaction was even more life questioning for him.
âOh, where did this handsome young brother come from, looking so pretty?â Daohua moved her chin away from the fan, stepped forward with a smile, and affectionately hooked her arm through Dong Yuanyaoâs, staring at her face with shining eyes, full of drooling admiration.
âLook at this little face, so fair and tender, really makes me want to touch!â Saying so, Daohua stretched out her âpawâ and swiftly caressed Dong Yuanyaoâs face twice.
âAh, itâs so smooth. I really like this young brother! Young brother, my home is in Xingzhou City, how about you come home with me? I promise to treat you well.â
Her manner and demeanor were like a big bad wolf eyeing a little white rabbit, brimming with heartfelt joy!
Boom~
Daohuaâs reaction stunned everyone present, leaving them all dumbfounded.
Even Dong Yuanyao, the person involved, looked at Daohua with a dumbstruck expression as if she didnât know where she was.
Seeing this, Daohua chuckled inwardly.
Little thing, you wanted to tease me, and now youâre scared, huh?
Are you afraid?
Xiao Yeyang, who was nearby, was shocked for a good while before coming back to his senses, followed by a fit of coughing, and looked at Daohua as if he was seeing her for the first time.
Suddenly he realized that Daohua was actually quite good to him.
At least she hadnât used any sleeping powder, itching powder, or played pranks on him as she did with Dong Yuanyao.
Dong Yuanyao was startled by the coughing and her cheeks flushed with color.
Her brother had often told her how mischievously clever the eldest Miss of the Yan Family was. When she met her today, she was moved to play a trick on her. Never did she expect that her previously undefeated tricks would now meet their match, and the prankster became the pranked.
Seeing the eldest Miss Yan looking at her with a mischievous grin, rapidly blinking her eyes in a triumphant and complacent manner, Dong Yuanyao felt enraged inside.
âDonât get smug. I saw where you went just now!â she said.
After speaking, she looked at Daohua complacently, as if waiting for her to beg for mercy.
Daohuaâs face did change for a moment, but she quickly recovered, blinking and asking, âYoung brother, I have no idea what youâre talking about.â
âYouâ¦â Dong Yuanyao was so angry that she was at a loss for words at Daohuaâs denial.
Daohua cockily raised her eyebrows, tiptoed, and leaned in close to Dong Yuanyaoâs ear, whispering, âIf you really knew where we went, then you must have been there too. You went there yourself, so how can you speak of us?â
Dong Yuanyao was stunned, pointing at Daohua, looking infuriated yet unable to speak.
Daohua, smiling, held Dong Yuanyaoâs hand, even taking the opportunity for another feel, as she played the rogue to perfection and offered what seemed like kind consolation, âWeâre both as bad as each other, arenât we? âThe pot calling the kettle black,â right, young brother?â
Seeing his sister vacillating between red and pale, Dong Yuanxuan felt extremely helpless inside.
The younger Miss Yan was audacious enough to pluck the whiskers from the mouth of a tiger like Little Prince; how could his sister possibly deal with her? Why bother to seek out discomfort?