"What's your name?"
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Do you want to ignore me?"
"Is Lord Chen your cousin?
He looks very fierce. "
"Why are you so good-looking?
Your father and mother must be very good-looking too, right? "
"I've never heard of Lord Chen having cousins before."
"You should have come to the capital earlier. The capital is very beautiful,
There are many, many beautiful places in the Western Mountains.
There's a huge horse farm outside the southern city,
Do you know how to ride a horse? "
"Pay attention to me,
My name is Qiao Fang,
My name is Ziyan. "
Qiao Fang followed behind Li Xiao and sometimes walked in front of her,
He walked backwards.
There was always a cheerful smile on his face, revealing the confidence and brightness of a proud son of heaven.
Sometimes, he would follow beside him, tilting his head to look at her and chatting with her.
Li Xiao pursed her lips and shyly avoided him,
She walked quickly to the toilet.
She... she really wanted to pee.
"You told me your name,
I won't follow you, "Qiao Fang suddenly said.
"..." Li Xiao immediately turned her head to look at him and met his young face. A pair of bright eyes were slightly curved,
Her canine teeth were particularly amiable.
"Li Xiao," she whispered.
Qiao Fang suddenly laughed. The young man's hearty laughter was particularly powerful.
Li Xiao also smiled, even though she didn't know it.
"You're so obedient," he said,
His white teeth were brilliant.
Li Xiao blushed from his words. Qiao Fang immediately felt his hands itch.
Such a girl..,
Really.. reminded him of a word,
It was fresh and delicious.
"You go." Qiao Fang pointed to the room at the end of the path and stood there with his hands behind his back,
He said with a smile.
Li Xiao nodded,
She hurriedly walked over.
But although she didn't turn around,
She always knew that he was looking at her.
She felt as if that gaze was tangible, making her back feel a little hot.
She touched her face and hurried into the room.
When Li Xiao finished tidying up her clothes and came out, the first thing she saw was Qiao Fang standing on the path in the same posture as before.
His hands were clasped behind his back, and he wore a dark golden robe. There was a bright smile on his face.
He stood under the tree, looking like a gentleman, elegant and valiant, pleasing to the eyes.
She pursed her lips and felt a little guilty. The redness that had just faded from her face surged up again.
When Qiao Fang saw Li Xiao, his eyes lit up. He waved at her like a child.
Facing such a person, Li Xiao couldn't help but soften up, so a faint smile appeared on her face.
She was a little rustic, a little shy and unconfident, but she was also exceptionally obedient.
Qiao Fang was stunned. His heart was beating so fast that his smile faded a little.
The brilliance in his eyes also turned from brilliant to deep.
Qiao Fang pointed at the big tree by the path, patted the trunk, and turned to Li Xiao. "This tree grows very fast. It was only this tall last year, but this year it has grown to this height."
Li Xiao raised her head and looked at the lush tree. "Really?"
"Really, I often come to Uncle Chai's house as a guest," Qiao Fang said seriously.
"It grows so fast …" She tilted her head and continued to look at the tree.
Qiao Fang reached out and picked up a leaf. He casually wiped it with his clothes and then said to Li Xiao, "Can you play a tune with a leaf?"
Li Xiao shook her head. "Can you play a tune with a leaf?"
Qiao Fang's eyes curved as he proudly waved the leaf in his hand. "Yes, I'll play it for you."
"Sure." Her voice was soft and gentle, soft and sweet.
Qiao Fang felt as though his heart was filled with sweetness. He pursed his lips and smiled happily. Then he picked up the leaf and put it to his mouth and blew it.
"Pfft … pfft … pfft …" It was a strange sound that sounded like a fart.
Li Xiao was stunned at first, but then she realized that Qiao Fang did not know how to play a tune with a leaf.
"Pfft …" She finally could not help laughing. She covered her mouth and giggled, revealing only her curved, sparkling eyes and two curved, willowy eyebrows.
She looked even more beautiful when she laughed.
Qiao Fang pretended to blow the leaf as he stared unblinkingly at Li Xiao's smile.
On this sunny summer day, the young man felt a throbbing that he had never felt before.
He could not take his eyes off her. He could feel his heart racing and his brain heating up. He felt so warm and sweet that his whole body went soft. He wanted to hug her and take good care of her.
The first awakening of love came at a time like this without warning.
… …
When the two of them returned to the courtyard, almost all the invited young ladies and young masters had arrived. The third young lady of the Chai family had already used summer as the theme and led the others to compete in poems.
The young ladies were sitting closer to the path to the gondola. They were the first to see Li Xiao and Qiao Fang walking back together.
The two of them walked one step behind the other. Li Xiao lowered her head and smiled slightly. Qiao Fang's expression was as bright as the sun.
The golden boy and jade girl, in such a shady alley, became a beautiful scene.
But although it was beautiful, many people had more complicated feelings in their hearts.
"Sister Zhen, why did you bring your eunuch servant out again?"
"He's strong and loyal. He's good." Ge Rong's second daughter, Ge Zhen, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
"You're not a princess. If it's discovered that we have a eunuch in private, we'll be in big trouble."
"He's not a eunuch. A natural eunuch should be a manservant.
Why can't we use a sick manservant? "Ge Zhen said.
"Stop arguing. Look — who's that girl?" Zhao Qing, the fourth daughter of Zhao Zhifang, the minister of the Ministry of Revenue, raised her eyebrows. Her eyes became sharp.
"She's so pretty …" It was a compliment, but her tone was subtle.
"Why is she so close to Heir Qiao?" There was hostility in her voice.
"Heir Qiao is smiling so happily …"
"Humph, I wonder which family's young lady is from. Look at her shameless appearance."
"Yes, she doesn't know how to avoid arousing suspicion. She's so close."
"That's Brother Chen's cousin. If you keep talking like this, I'll call Lord Chen over to talk about your psychology."
The third young lady of the Chai family thought for a while and decided to address them as equals. Although she said it with a smile, her tone was not polite. "Jealousy really makes people … ugly."
The third young lady of the Chai family's tone was full of sarcasm, but her smile was hearty and frank. Her eyes swept over the crowd. Everyone curled their lips or pretended to be busy and ignored her, but they did not continue to talk.
However, the second young lady of the Ge family, Ge Zhen, was still staring at Qiao Fang and Li Xiao. Then, she looked at Chai San and snorted.
"Oh, she's so charming. She's hooked up with him so quickly. Did she come to the capital to find someone to marry?" Ge Zhen said.
When the ten young ladies gathered together, there wasn't a single one of them who wasn't jealous. They were talking here and there, full of hostility.
Every time they saw the smile on Qiao Fang's face, and then looked at Li Xiao's pursed lips, they became more unhappy.
There were more than 30 people inside and outside the pavilion, including the maids, servants, young ladies, and young masters. Among them, two pairs of eyes swept around as if they were sizing up and observing. Then, their eyes fell on Li Xiao.
This pair of eyes sized up Li Xiao several times. The more they looked, the gloomier they became.
When Li Xiao stepped into the pavilion, she suddenly had a strange feeling. Her hair stood on end, and her scalp was a little numb.
She looked down at the back of her hand, and her eyes were full of doubts.