Chapter 142: Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously

 Chapter 142: Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously      

In the Daohua Xuan, Daohua sat by the window, carefully trimming a pot of red plums with scissors.  

Behind her, Wang Man’er hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. After a long pause, she finally couldn't resist: "Miss, the Young Prince should have arrived at Old Madam Yan’s courtyard by now. Aren’t you going to see him?"

Daohua continued trimming without stopping: "What's there to see? There are so many people there; what if I end up neglecting him?"

Wang Man’er paused, unsure, and asked: "Miss, are you angry with the Young Prince?"

Daohua glanced at her: "Do you think I shouldn’t be angry with him?" She had stormed off in front of so many people, and anyone would have thought it was her fault. Yet, he walked away without a care, leaving her to face the mockery and verbal abuse of others.

If Xiao Yeyang truly considered her a friend, he wouldn't have acted like this.

In the end, to him, she was no different from the others. He never cared about her feelings.

Wang Man’er didn't know how to respond.

She felt that her miss wasn’t wrong, but at the same time, she thought that since the Young Prince was of high status, it wasn’t a big deal to pamper him a little.

Forget it, things were too complicated. She decided not to think about it.

---

In Old Madam Yan's courtyard, Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan first paid their respects to Old Madam Yan, then sat down.

Upon entering, Xiao Yeyang scanned the room, looking at everyone, and was surprised to find that Daohua was not there. His face immediately showed signs of displeasure.

The others noticed this as well.

Dong Yuanxuan exchanged a glance with Yan Wenxiu, signaling him to quickly go and fetch Daohua.

Why had the Young Prince come today, if not to see Daohua? If the main person wasn't here, it would have all been in vain.

Yan Wenxiu sighed inwardly. Based on his understanding of his sister, she had most likely deliberately hidden away. But seeing Xiao Yeyang glance towards the door repeatedly with a helpless expression, he steeled himself and left the room.

Outside, Yan Wenxiu looked up at the sky.

He suddenly felt a pang of bitterness—he probably wouldn’t be able to get his sister to come.

As her brother, he truly had no authority.

Xiao Yeyang remained quiet. Apart from responding when Old Madam Yan spoke, he remained lost in thought.

Seeing this, the others also refrained from joking too much.

Dong Yuanxuan, noticing the awkward atmosphere, smiled and tried to ease the tension: "Old Madam, today is Laba Festival, and we must have a taste of your family’s Laba porridge."

Old Madam Yan smiled and nodded, signaling Madam Li to bring in the porridge.

At this point, Yan Wenkai interjected: "Young Prince, let me tell you, our family’s Laba porridge is made by my elder sister herself. It’s absolutely delicious, and I guarantee you’ll want to come back next year for more."

Madam Li, who was in the process of serving the porridge, froze momentarily, unsure whether to serve it or not.

Upon hearing that it was made by Daohua, Xiao Yeyang’s interest was piqued: "Then I must try it. I recognize Daohua’s cooking skills; though a bit rough, the taste is definitely good."

Seeing that Madam Li was hesitating, Yan Wenkai was a bit puzzled. He had no choice but to stand up and take the porridge from the maidservant behind her. He quickly served Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan, then eagerly took a sip himself.

After one mouthful, Yan Wenkai  furrowed his brow, took another bite, and immediately looked up at Madam Li: "Mother, this porridge wasn’t made by Daohua?"

Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan also took a sip.

Hmm… the taste was rather average, but to maintain face for the Yan family, the two of them reluctantly ate a few more mouthfuls.

Madam Li smiled and explained: "Your sister isn’t feeling well. This year, the porridge was made by the cook."

"Daohua is sick?"

"What happened to Daohua?"

Both Xiao Yeyang and Yan Wenkai asked simultaneously.

Madam Li shook her head: "It’s not really an illness, it’s just that the weather’s been cold lately, and that girl has been feeling lazy and doesn’t want to move around."

Xiao Yeyang nodded, but didn’t say anything more.

Yan Wenkai said, “Sister practices martial arts with Man’er every day, doesn’t she? She shouldn’t be afraid of the cold.”

“Martial arts?” Xiao Yeyang raised an eyebrow. “Does Daohua still practice martial arts?”

Yan Wenkai waved his hand. “It’s just some random moves, to stretch and loosen up. It’s not the same kind of martial arts we’re talking about.”

Xiao Yeyang looked disapproving. “Martial arts aren’t something to play with. If you don’t practice correctly, it could harm your body. You should have a good talk with her.”

Yan Wenkai nodded. “Don’t worry, my big sister is more careful with her health than anyone else. You can tell by looking at my grandmother’s spirit.”

At these words, Xiao Yeyang smiled, remembering when they were fleeing, and Daohua wouldn’t let them drink untreated water, insisting they wait for it to boil.

At that moment, Yan Wenxiu awkwardly returned.

Seeing that Daohua wasn’t following him, Xiao Yeyang’s expression immediately darkened.

So, Daohua didn’t want to see him anymore?

For the first time, the young prince felt the sting of being shut out. He felt upset and wanted to rush out to ask Daohua what was going on, but considering the etiquette and his dignity, he could only sit there in silence.

Yan Zhigao quickly signaled to Madam Li.

On major matters, Madam Li was sensible, but she didn’t do as Yan Zhigao wished. Instead, she smiled and said, “Daohua has become more and more lazy. She loves staying indoors all day in this cold winter. Young Prince, don’t take it to heart.”

The reputation of her daughter had already been affected by the banquet at the Zhou family’s, and even though the person in front of her was the esteemed Young Prince, she wasn’t going to indulge him.

Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang didn’t know what to say and could only force a smile.

Seeing this, Yan Wenxiu thought for a moment and then said, “Young Prince, we have some beautiful flowers and plants in the yard at home. How about we go take a look?”

“That’s right! My big sister’s flowers are beautiful!” Yan Wenkai interjected at the right moment.

Only then did Xiao Yeyang nod.

The group then went to the garden. The adults of the Yan family stayed behind, but Yan Wenjie, Yan Yishuang, and a few of the younger ones followed.

At the Daohua Xuan Pavilion, Wang Man’er stormed into the room, seeing that Daohua was leisurely reading a storybook. She immediately pouted and said, “Miss, the Young Prince is in the pavilion with the second and third young ladies, reciting poems. Don’t you want to go see?”

Daohua paused for a moment, surprised. “Yihuan and the others are reciting poems with Xiao Yeyang?”

Wang Man’er nodded. “Yes, it was Lord’s idea. I saw from a distance, and the pavilion was full of laughter and joy.”

“Miss, you should go over quickly and not be angry with the Young Prince. Otherwise, the third young lady and the others might replace you in his favor.”

Daohua scoffed. “What favor? What position do I even have? If they want to replace me, let them. Who would care?” With that, she picked up her storybook again.

After a few glances, Daohua tossed the book aside in frustration.

Just as Wang Man’er thought Daohua was about to leave, to her surprise, her mistress stood by the window, lost in thought.

“Huh?”

After a while, Daohua smiled and shook her head. She was becoming more and more like a fool, thinking too highly of herself.

Little did she know, to Xiao Yeyang, she was just a replaceable companion, someone who could be swapped out at any moment.

If she followed his will, she’d get a smile; if not, he’d immediately turn to someone else.

Someone who had grown accustomed to being high above others couldn’t expect to establish an equal friendship with him.

(End of chapter)