Chapter 137: Chapter 136: Turning Away
The water was clear, and a gentle breeze created ripples.
Seeing the girls ahead walking briskly, Du Yunluo couldn’t help but slow her pace.
Du Yunnuo noticed and lowered her eyelids, saying, "What, are you really afraid they might take advantage of the chaos?"
Du Yunluo replied vaguely, glancing at her own bright red ape wool cloak, and said, "Do you know how the princely heir recognized me?"
Du Yunnuo paused, pursing her lips and waiting for the answer.
"He heard that I was wearing a red cloak today," Du Yunluo said.
Du Yunnuo gasped, her eyes scanning back and forth between the snow jackets of the two of them, which had not been changed, before turning her gaze back to the front.
Mu Lianhui, who was walking at the forefront, was holding Jiang Yunuan, saying something that made the two burst into laughter.
Curving her lips, Du Yunnuo sneered, "In this light, my unreasonable county princess cousin turns out to be quite the good person."
A direct approach with open confrontation is much more comforting than these small tricks and schemes behind the scenes.
Princess An Ran, who was mentioned by the two, was completely unaware. She didn’t want to deal with Lu Wan and Huo Ruyi and, still angry at Duan Huayan because of Shi Lian’er, could only half-heartedly chat with Tian Jing.
Walking along the lakeside for a while, they saw figures in the distance.
In the pavilion by the water, the young men were chatting and laughing.
Du Yunluo widened her eyes to see more clearly.
She remembered that Du Yundi was wearing a light blue snow jacket today. Mrs. Zhen even mentioned that although the color wasn’t particularly bright or dull, it looked especially spirited once worn. Du Yunluo laughed at Du Yundi with Mrs. Zhen, saying that only a fair-skinned scholar like him could pull it off; anyone with a darker complexion couldn’t. Du Yundi glared at her twice and quietly told her, away from everyone else, "Fifth Sister, I know the princely heir isn’t a fair-skinned scholar; he definitely can’t pull it off," which made Du Yunluo punch him in annoyance.
Now looking again, by the pavilion, there was no light blue figure at all, and Du Yunluo felt a vague panic. Du Yunlan should have delivered the message...
Looking harder, Du Yunluo realized there were more than just one or two people missing.
The girls had just mentioned earlier that the male guests at today’s plum blossom viewing banquet were hosted by the three masters of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion—Mu Liancheng, Lian Xiao, and Mu Lianyu, and those present were the three brothers from the Du Family, the Heir of Prince Rui, Li Luan, Prince Cheng, Li Yu; the second son of the Chengyi Bo Mansion, Lu Wan’s elder brother and Du Yunying’s fiancé, Lu Huan; Huo Ziming from the Enrong Bo Mansion, who was to marry Princess An Ran; and Duan Huayan’s elder brother, Duan Guanqing, a classmate of Du Yundi.
Du Yunluo certainly didn’t recognize everyone clearly from a distance and couldn’t make out their appearances, but there were only six or seven people near the pavilion; the rest were nowhere to be found.
Mu Lianhui stopped and smiled, gesturing for Du Yunluo to come forward. Once she took two steps, Mu Lianhui pointed to the back of someone sitting in the pavilion and asked, "Can you tell who that is?"
She was pointing at Mu Lianxiao.
Having parted from him not long ago, how could Du Yunluo not recognize him? She smiled without speaking, holding Du Yunnuo’s hand as they took two more steps, subtly widening the distance between themselves and Mu Lianhui, while moving further away from the water.
If Mu Lianhui really wanted to imitate the Lian Family, she wouldn’t want to fall into the water in the dead of winter.
Du Yunnuo understood well, clutching Du Yunluo’s hand tightly to prevent any accidents while also trying to hold onto Princess An Ran.
Someone in the pavilion noticed them and informed the others, making everyone turn their heads.
The girls were momentarily stunned, unsure whether to advance or stay put.
Mu Lianhui smiled gently, "I told you, we’re all family by marriage, no need to worry."
Previously bold, Huo Ruyi blushed, took two steps back, and suddenly turned, accidentally bumping into Princess An Ran.
Princess An Ran, caught off guard, stumbled dangerously by the water’s edge, letting out a startled cry.
The cries overlapped, and Du Yunluo only felt herself losing her balance, landing on her backside on the ground.
No splash was heard.
She managed to calm the heart that nearly leapt out of her throat, taking in the scene before her.
Princess An Ran had fallen by the water’s edge, almost about to go in, while between her and Princess An Ran was the still-frightened, heavily breathing Du Yunnuo, sitting on the ground.
She suddenly realized.
Earlier, she’d seen Du Yunnuo trying to support Princess An Ran. But being unaccustomed, the princess had dodged slightly, leaving Du Yunnuo lightly gripping her sleeve.
When Princess An Ran lost her balance, Du Yunnuo instinctively tightened her grip on her sleeve, shifting the feathered snow jacket, while holding onto Du Yunluo with her other hand, which caused all three to end up on the ground.
Du Yunluo gazed deeply at the bewildered Princess An Ran, then lifted her eyes to look at Huo Ruyi.
Huo Ruyi, pale-faced, remained silent and did not help anyone up.
Mu Lianhui, realizing the situation, urged the maids to assist, extending her hand to Du Yunluo, "Yunluo, get up quickly, the ground is cold."
Du Yunnuo quickly stood up, propping herself on the ground, and also extended her hand to Du Yunluo. With the help of both, Du Yunluo stood up, as did Princess An Ran, and the three shared a quick, knowing glance.
If not for the three of them clinging together, causing Du Yunluo to instinctively fall backward, Princess An Ran would have undoubtedly ended up in the water.
Princess An Ran gave Huo Ruyi a cold, sidelong glance.
But Du Yunluo just gave Mu Lianhui a faint smile.
’Like father, like son; like mother, like daughter.’ That saying is undeniably true.
The calculations of the Lian Family were well-learned by Princess An Ran; only she intended to push, not Du Yunluo, but Princess An Ran herself.
Du Yunluo looked distantly towards the pavilion, where the people had also noticed their mishap and were approaching together.
So, that’s what it was about.
As they drew closer, Du Yunluo recognized their faces.
There were Mu Lianxiao, Mu Lianyu, Du Yunlang, as well as Duan Guanqing, whom she had met at Fa Yin Temple. The other two seemed familiar; after recalling a bit, she recognized Li Yu and Lu Huan, whom she had seen during previous visits to the palace.
Du Yunlang, frowning, walked over to his sisters, "How could you be so careless? Are you hurt?"
Amidst the crowd, Du Yunnuo knew better than to complain recklessly and quickly shook her head.
Du Yunluo also shook her head at Du Yunlang and then instinctively glanced at Mu Lianxiao.
Mu Lianxiao made a fist with his hand, placing it near his lips, and lightly coughed while turning his head away.
Du Yunluo paused, staring at his hand, suddenly recalling his previous words when he’d held her hand, and noticing a subtle smile at the corner of his eye, she felt a bit annoyed: What a jinx.
One laughed, and the other was slightly vexed; though not overt, Princess An Ran’s gaze followed Mu Lianxiao from time to time, and she saw it all, pressing her lips and darkening her expression.
"Second Brother," Du Yunluo quickly refocused, her main concern always being Du Yundi, "where are Third Brother and Fourth Brother? Where did they go?"
