Chapter 28

**biao ge/biao mei – way to address cousins

Li Wei Yang truly liked Li Min De because, in his eyes, she could sense a type of yearning that didn’t want to part. Even though San furen was his adopted mother and treated him as her real son, her personality was nonchalant and reserved, so most of the time, it left Min De feeling extremely lonely.

In the garden’s summerhouse, Li Wei Yang quietly retold him the stories of her life back in the village. She told him about the time when she would fold up her pants and wade through the water just to harvest wild duck’s eggs. Afterwards she would create a fire on the bank of the lake and cook the eggs by covering it in hot sand. She would then devour each and every one of it until there was nothing left.

Li Min De listened attentively with eyes filled of longing.

Living at the Prime Minister’s estate, he had never experienced something such as that. Not only did he feel it was a new kind of life, he could also taste the freedom in Wei Yang’s description.

He blinked and said, “San jiejie, one of these days, I want to visit the place you have lived before.”

Li Wei Yang stared into those eyes which revealed how much he wanted to flap his wings and fly away, chuckled and said, “Silly child, it isn’t a place where you can play.”

Li Min De lifted his head and stared at Li Wei Yang. Under the sun, her face revealed youthfulness, like a clear spring sky, but in those dark black eyes, it was hard to say whether she was happy or sad. It was a pair of eyes that was too complicated to read. This San jie, she really was unlike everyone else, Li Min De thought to himself.

On the other side of the garden, Li Zhang Le had just passed the rockeries when suddenly, she was startled by a figure jumping out of nowhere.

“Biao mei!” As these words were spoken, a young man dressed in a long silk robe from behind the rockeries stepped out and blocked her path.

Li Zhang Le recognized who this person was and smiled.

Li Zhang Le’s biological aunt had married General Zhong Yong. Later on, Zhong Yong inherited the noble position as Marquis of Bo Chang. Their oldest son, Gao Yuan, entered the palace to become the Crown Prince’s reading partner. During an assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, he had blocked the arrow for the Crown Prince and died at a young age. The Crown Prince was extremely sad about Gao Yuan’s death and pleaded the Emperor to reward Gao Yuan’s mother with the glorious title of Wei Guo furen

.

Since the eldest son had passed away, Wei Guo furen began to dote on the other son, Gao Jin. Gao Jin was handsome and even though, he seemed like an upright person, he had grown up to become a playboy. His behavior had caught the Marquis of Bo Chang’s attention and several times, the Marquis had become so angry he wanted to teach Gao Jin a lesson but each time, Wei Guo furen would step in to protect Gao Jin. This was because at that time, Gao Jin had been Prime Minister Li’s favorite student. The Marquis would regularly visit the Prime Minister’s estate with Gao Jin for two reasons. First, the Marquis hoped Gao Jin’s studies would bring good results to satisfy some of his greed and secondly, he wanted to ride on the coat-tail of the Prime Minister’s reputation.

Even though Gao Yuan and Gao Jin were indeed blood brothers, they did not seem like they were born of the same mother. Gao Yuan had been young, talented and educated. On the contrary, Gao Jin was but a playboy. Prime Minister Li had tried teaching Gao Jin several times but seeing that he didn’t take his studies seriously, the Prime Minister had to give up.

Furthermore, Da furen had spoiled this nephew of hers, mainly because he was her sister’s only son left. Consequently, Gao Jin was able to come and go in the Prime Minister’s estate as he pleased.

“Biao mei must remember and miss me that’s why you’re looking for me!” Gao Jin chuckled as he walked towards Li Zhang Le. “Normally it’s so hard just to see your face. Meimei has truly become even prettier as you grow up, just like a fairy. . .”

Li Zhang Le was usually on good terms with Gao Jin but today there was a huge smile on her face. “Of course there is a reason why meimei had invited biao ge over.”

Seeing Li Zhang Le’s smile, Gao Jin’s heart began to beat quickly. “Whatever meimei needs, your biao ge will do, even if it means throwing myself into the flames and boiling water. I will definitely get it done for you!”

Gao Jin didn’t particularly like to visit the Prime Minister’s estate, mainly because he didn’t like the Prime Minister’s serious face and how he was always trying to educate someone else. However, Gao Jin later discovered just how much Da furen would spoil him and not to mention, all of his biao meis were beautiful and elegant. In particular, Da biao mei, Li Zhang Le, was the prettiest amongst the others but Li Zhang Le’s personality was prideful and would always treat him coldly. But today she had taken the initiative to invite him over, making him extremely excited and happy.

Looking at Li Zhang Le’s unrivaled beauty, he realized that all the other women he’s ever been with were nothing in comparison. All he wanted was to take a hold of her hands and be intimate with her. However, he also knew that he couldn’t act recklessly with Li Zhang Le. Wei Guo furen had told him before that this Da biao mei of his would eventually become someone great—someone who he could not easily toy around with.

Li Zhang Le suddenly pointed to a person sitting in the summerhouse. “Biao ge, you haven’t met San meimei, have you?”

Following Li Zhang Le’s slender finger, Gao Jin noticed a young man standing with his back towards him. Sitting opposite of the young man was a young girl. She was wearing a pink dress that complimented her delicate features—slender chin, pink lips, white teeth and long, dark lashes to accompany a pair of deep, cold black eyes.

For a long moment, Gao Jin stood still.

Noticing his reaction, Li Zhang Le waved her hands in front of Gao Jin’s face. Grinning, she said, “What’s wrong?”

Gao Jin snapped out of his daze, a big smile on his face. “She’s that mysterious concubine’s daughter? She is really—” Different.

Unlike Li Zhang Le’s ethereal goddess-like beauty, Li Chang Ru’s seductive elegance, Li Chang Xiao and Li Chang Xi’s heart-stopping beauty, Li Wei Yang had a pair of eyes that were clear yet cold, like water in a bottomless well, filled with mysterious depth. With Gao Jin’s experience, he had seen all types of beauty but Li Wei Yang was something different.

Li Zhang Le asked, “Biao ge, isn’t San mei pretty?”

“Pretty! Pretty indeed!” The moment Gao Jin said these words, he seemed to have remembered something and became serious. “Of course, her beauty still cannot compare to biao mei.”

As if these words needed to spoken out loud, Li Zhang Le thought and smiled. “Biao ge, don’t you want to have a taste of San mei’s beauty?”

Cao Jin panicked when he heard Zhang Le. “Biao mei don’t toy around with me! The Prime Minister’s wrath is something I can’t touch!”

There was mockery in Li Zhang Le’s eyes. “If it was Er meimei and the others then of course biao ge cannot touch them. But her? If you like her then go ahead and make her yours. What can they do if you have the power to pursue her?”

Since he was fifteen years old, Gao Jin had become experienced when it comes to women. Yet the women he has touched were mostly obedient and timid, pretty maidservants in his estate or cute little things from a commoner’s background. As long as he liked them, he could have them. If his mother scolded him, all he had to do was pretend to listen. However, Li Wei Yang was still the Prime Minister’s blood and flesh. Should something bad happen, he would have no excuses to give the Prime Minister, which was why he was still hesitating.

Li Zhang Le coldly scoffed. “Biao ge! Biao ge should think it over carefully. If you lose this opportunity, there won’t be a next time. Even if anything happens, mother is still your blood-related aunt!”

Upon hearing those words, Gao Jin was a little dazed before realization dawned on him. As if he added blush to his face, his entire face turned red.

Looking at Li Wei Yang from afar, he viciously made up his mind. “Then I shall listen to biao mei’s words!”

The smile on Li Zhang Le’s face deepened. With Li Wei Yang’s status, even if she wanted to become Wei Guo furen’s daughter-in-law, aunt will not allow it to happen. In that case, she can only become a concubine. . .

Besides, aunt wasn’t a nice person to begin with. All of the concubines in the Bo Chang estate that Gao Jin had gotten bored of, they were now living a life worse than death!