Chapter 27: Feng Clan’s Young Lady
When Bai Luochu suddenly whispered in Pei Qingfeng’s ear, it made him somewhat uncomfortable. However, he didn’t avoid her like the other young ladies of the aristocratic clans. Pei Qingfeng suddenly realized that Bai Luochu was different from the delicate, aristocratic young ladies. A decision to not interrupt her formed in his mind and he quietly listened to what Bai Luochu had to say.
However, his heartbeat was speeding up and it was thumping rather loudly.
Bai Luochu didn’t notice that the Pei Qingfeng who loved to tease her had suddenly become very obedient. Even his ears were faintly reddish in color.
Pei Qingfeng felt the heat in his ear dissipating as he returned back to normal after Bai Luochu got up. With a smile on his face, he asked her, “How much is Young Lady Luo Chu going to charge me this time?”
The two of them were speaking merrily and they weren’t acting reserved around each other. It was completely different to how the other people in the palace behaved.
There wasn’t anyone around the two of them, but there were plenty of eyes staring at them. After all, a woman beside the Second Prince was something that was even more shocking than red colored rain. Not to mention the fact that the young lady beside him was someone with an unknown background, everyone became interested in their relationship. Among those looking at them was the Feng Clan’s young lady.
“Where exactly did that woman come from? Why is His Second Highness treating her so differently?” When the Feng Clan’s young lady saw this scene, she twisted her handkerchief tightly as she clenched her jaw. Her teeth nearly cracked from the pressure.
“Exactly! In my opinion, she is just a slut. Look at the way they are talking to each other happily... She thinks she is some kind of influential young lady!”
The one speaking up for the Feng Clan’s young lady was the Li Clan’s first wife’s eldest daughter. Two two madams of the Feng and Li clan were sisters related by blood. As such, the two ladies were cousins and it allowed them to form a stronger bond than that of mere friends.
As the Li and Feng Clans were considered the most outstanding aristocratic clans in this Cloud Water Nation, there were plenty of young ladies whose father had obtained a lowly official position due to their relationship. By standing beside the young ladies of these two great clans, they were able to attract some attention. Right now, looking at how the Feng Clan’s young lady was feeling somewhat down, all of them tried to console her one after another.
However, since there were people who were trying to comfort her, there were definitely people who were there to hit her while she was down. The Cheng Clan’s young lady came over to offer her opinion. She was someone who had never been on good terms with the Li and Feng Clans’ young ladies… Of course, her words were as sharp as blades.
“They are both eligible singles, why can’t they joke around with each other? Furthermore, even if the Second Prince is already married, isn’t it normal if he wanted to bring in a concubine? Maybe he fancies the pleasant looking lass… Why is Young Lady Feng getting jealous before becoming a bride? Aren’t you afraid of incurring the wrath and resentment of the people? Isn’t it just a rejection? Get over it. You are truly a joke among the noble ladies of the capital city.”
Before the Cheng Clan’s young lady finished her statement, she didn’t forget to bring up Young Lady Feng’s painful past of being rejected by Pei Qingfeng.
Young Lady Feng was a spoiled little lady and immediately raised her hand to slap the Cheng Clan’s young lady. It was lucky that the Li Clan’s young lady had quick reactions. She managed to stop her younger cousin from doing anything stupid. She used her eyes and indicated for Young Lady Feng to stay calm before criticizing the Cheng Clan’s young lady.
“My young cousin sister is spoiled and I hope that Young Lady Cheng won’t take it to heart. For Young Lady Cheng to humiliate my younger cousin like this… Maybe it’s due to the Third Prince’s marriage. I hope that you won’t vent your anger and pain on my younger cousin. We will take our leave first and I hope that Young Lady Cheng will be able to cheer up soon.”
The Li Clan’s young lady’s way of doing things was much more brilliant compared to that of Young Lady Cheng and her younger cousin, Young Lady Feng. Since Young Lady Cheng humiliated her younger cousin, Young Lady Li would do the same. She wanted her words to stab into Young Lady Cheng’s heart and make the wound as deep as possible.
Young Lady Li might be the most docile among all of them, but when she became angry, she was definitely the most terrifying among the aristocratic clans’ young ladies. After all, there was an old saying, “A dog that bites never barks.”
Several close friends of Young Lady Feng started to console her. Among them was a young lady from a general’s clan who said, “Why don’t we go and listen to what they are talking about? Won’t we be able to avoid all misunderstandings then?”
“That’s right, that’s right. Her words make sense.”
“That’s a good idea. Why don’t we go and listen to what they are saying? Even if we get caught, we can just say we are passing by to admire the scenery.”
Everyone added their comments one after another, affecting Young Lady Feng’s emotions. She was tempted to follow their suggestions but in order to keep her reputation, Young Lady Feng stammered, “This… isn’t good, right…”
“Why not?” The general’s daughter was a direct person and the moment she finished her statement, she immediately pulled Young Lady Feng towards Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu.
When the other aristocratic clans’ young ladies saw them, they didn’t hesitate and followed behind.
When Young Lady Li saw so many people going along, she naturally didn’t hold them back. She might not be interested in the Second Prince, but she had to follow along as she was afraid that her younger cousin would stir up some trouble.
When this group of young ladies were walking over in a grand manner, a heavy atmosphere formed in the air. Those who knew would know they were going to eavesdrop, those who didn’t would think that the first wife was trying to catch her husband committing adultery.
“Someone is coming. We better not talk about it in case someone finds out that your legs are fine. I’ll be out of business then… It will also be hard for you to explain yourself.” When Bai Luochu saw that Young Lady Feng and her group were approaching, she immediately informed Pei Qingfeng.
Seeing that this little lass was concerned about him, Pei Qingfeng suddenly became delighted. He immediately responded and explained, “Don’t worry. I formed a barrier around us since we started talking. Unless this barrier is undone, they won’t be able to hear anything even if they are standing right beside us.”
Young Lady Feng and her group stopped around seven or eight meters away from the duo. They were pretending to admire the moon but their ears were perked up as they tried to listen to what the two of them were talking about.
“Hey, these ladies can’t all have fallen for you, right?” After Bai Luochu knew that they wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation, she started to speak casually. These women had been following them for a period of time and it was obvious they were here to cause trouble.
“Who knows? I am not familiar with them. However, isn’t it about time you introduced yourself?” Pei Qingfeng looked at Bai Luochu and smiled like a fox.
Young Lady Feng could only vaguely see their mouths moving, but she couldn’t clearly hear what they were talking about. Hence, she had no choice but to walk closer. As a result, this group of people slowly got closer and closer to Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu. They were so close that their faces were about to touch, but they were still unable to hear what the two of them were talking about. A feeling of anxiety bloomed in their heart.
Even though Young Lady Feng still couldn’t understand why she couldn’t hear the two of them, the eunuch’s voice sounded in her ear. “The Emperor has arrived! The Empress Dowager has arrived! The Empress has arrived!”