Chapter 254: Private Chat

 Chapter 254: Private Chat

"Goodness, they've been going at it for almost an incense time (half an hour), and they're still not stopping?" Yan Wenkai muttered, watching Daohua and Dong Yuanyao continue to spar in the courtyard, locked in an ongoing back-and-forth.

At this point, it had nearly surpassed the time they spent practicing martial arts during their own sparring sessions.

Dong Yuanxuan smiled. "Both Yuanyao and Miss Yan are the type who won’t easily admit defeat. I think they're still going at it."

Xiao Yeyang chuckled as well. "Daohua’s endurance is strong. You can see that every time she’s knocked back by Miss Dong, she grits her teeth and rushes right back in."

"And Miss Dong has been training for longer, so her reaction speed and techniques are superior to Daohua’s."

"However, Miss Dong seems to lack the stamina that Daohua has. If Daohua keeps pushing her like this, neither will be able to gain the upper hand for a while."

Just as Xiao Yeyang said, Daohua and Dong Yuanyao were both exhausted, but neither was willing to admit defeat, so they kept going.

Yan Wenkai watched the two of them sweat profusely, feeling tired for them. He pouted, saying, "What’s the point of this? You’re both young ladies, why be so competitive?"

His words weren’t quiet, and Daohua and Dong Yuanyao, who had been considering how to end their sparring, immediately exchanged glances. They simultaneously paused their movements, then turned toward Yan Wenkai, rubbing their hands together as they walked over to him.

Seeing them approach, Yan Wenkai felt something wasn’t right, but he wasn’t afraid. Standing tall, he teasingly said, "What, are you two planning to gang up on me?"

While their skills were decent, they were no match for him, a true martial artist.

Dong Yuanyao eagerly raised her fists, saying, "Fourth Brother Yan, please show us your skill!"

Daohua didn’t bother with pleasantries. "Fourth Brother, take this!" She swung a punch at him.

Yan Wenkai quickly dodged by tilting his head and spinning around, feeling pleased with himself. However, when he looked down, he saw that Dong Yuanyao’s leg had somehow stretched out to trip him.

"Ah, so you two want a two-on-one?" Yan Wenkai grinned.

Though Dong Yuanyao’s attempt to trip him didn’t succeed, he immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready to show them what he was capable of. "Let me show you what real strength is!"

Daohua and Dong Yuanyao exchanged a smile, neither feeling intimidated. Instead, they charged at him together.

By the side, Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan watched as Yan Wenkai was surrounded by the two girls, shaking their heads with a smile.

"Let him run his mouth!" Xiao Yeyang said.

Watching the playful chaos in the courtyard, Xiao Yeyang felt a sense of relaxation. The epidemic had been brought under control, his uncle could finally fulfill his duties, and his royal uncle could breathe easier as well.

Dong Yuanxuan also felt at ease. With no further problems, his sister was safe, and the elders could rest assured.

In the courtyard, Yan Wenkai initially seemed to have the upper hand, but as the sparring progressed, Daohua and Dong Yuanyao’s coordination became more seamless. One of them would tie up his movements while the other attacked, and by the end, Yan Wenkai had taken quite a few hits.

"Ow, stop, stop! That hurts!" Yan Wenkai grimaced.

After a few more exchanges, Daohua and Dong Yuanyao finally stopped, standing to the side with victorious smiles.

Yan Wenkai rubbed his sore arm and grumbled, "Don’t get too smug. I was letting you win, you know? I didn’t want to go too hard on you since you’re both girls."

Daohua wiped the sweat from her forehead and grinned. "Fourth Brother, don’t forget that neither of us were using weapons."

Yan Wenkai rolled his eyes. "I wasn’t using one either. If I had, you wouldn’t have even had a chance to strike!"

Dong Yuanyao laughed. "Fourth Brother, you should be careful when talking big; you might strain your tongue."

Seeing Yan Wenkai still arguing with the two girls, Dong Yuanxuan shook his head and spoke up, "It’s time for you to leave!"

After all, a man shouldn’t casually enter the girls' quarters.

"Next time, I’ll show you just how good I really am!" Yan Wenkai declared confidently before leaving the courtyard.

Once he was gone, Daohua and Dong Yuanyao shared another smile.

"My Fourth Brother is so cute. We should spar with him more often."

Dong Yuanyao nodded. "Sure! My brother always says Fourth Brother Yan is a bit scatterbrained, but I think he’s actually pretty thoughtful. He was holding back when we sparred earlier."

Daohua lifted her chin proudly. "Of course, my Fourth Brother is a gentleman." She paused and then added, "Though sometimes he’s a bit careless and not very considerate."

Dong Yuanyao smiled. "Boys are like that, generally."

Daohua grinned. "Let’s go. We need to wash up and freshen up, or we’ll catch a chill."

After this day, Daohua and Dong Yuanyao’s friendship grew stronger.

As they spent more time together, Daohua realized that Dong Yuanyao had very modern, progressive ideas, and they often found many common topics to talk about.

Both of them disliked rigid rules and didn’t want to be confined to the inner courtyard, so many of their thoughts and beliefs were remarkably similar, and their bond grew deeper.

After several shipments of medicine were delivered by the court, the plague in Xingyun Prefecture was fully controlled. No new cases appeared in the city, and those who had been infected were recovering.

However, to prevent further spread, the city gates remained closed.

On the 15th of August, Daohua and her group celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival at Xingyun Prefecture.

"Good thing I’m here, or you wouldn’t even be able to eat mooncakes this year!" Yan Wenkai said, holding a mooncake in one hand while smugly addressing Dong Yuanxuan and the others.

Su Hongxin rolled his eyes but didn’t respond, focusing on eating his mooncake.

Because there were limited ingredients, the mooncakes Daohua made were in short supply. Rather than waste time arguing with Yan Wenkai, they all preferred to just eat more mooncakes.

The others ignored him, and even Xiao Yeyang, at that moment, didn’t hold back and was eating without hesitation.

After all, for the past couple of months, they’d only been eating light meals and taking medicine. Finally, they had some mooncakes for the festival, so of course, they wanted to enjoy them.

In no time, the few plates of mooncakes were devoured by the group of half-grown youths.

When Daohua and Dong Yuanyao returned after preparing the hotpot, they were greeted by nothing but empty plates.

Only then did Xiao Yeyang and the others realize that the two girls hadn’t eaten yet, and they all felt awkward.

"Well..." Yan Wenkai, still holding a half-eaten mooncake, looked at Daohua and awkwardly smiled. "Big Sister, do you mind? If you don’t mind..."

"I do mind!" Daohua cut him off quickly.

Daohua immediately cut in, turning to prepare the hotpot dipping sauce.

Yan Wenkai, feeling a little awkward, smiled sheepishly. He thought it might not be appropriate to only ask Daohua, so he turned to Dong Yuanyao with the mooncake in hand.

Seeing him look at her, Dong Yuanyao hurriedly said before he could speak, "I don’t like mooncakes." With that, she quickly ran off to find Daohua.

Yan Wenkai, left with an incredulous expression, muttered, "Why run so fast? I'm not a tiger!" He grumbled, feeling unappreciated, yet he still ate the half mooncake with a tilt of his head.

The others watching couldn’t help but laugh.

Soon after, the hotpot was ready, and Daohua called everyone to eat.

Without any elders around and being in a foreign land, the group, free from the usual restraints, ate, drank, and laughed as they pleased.

Daohua was also in a very relaxed mood. If not for the fact that everyone had recently recovered from illness, she might have even steamed a pot of wine to enjoy.

Before long, Daohua had eaten her fill but didn’t want to leave the table early, so she started observing the others.

Looking at the group of young men, full of vigor, Daohua smiled slightly and, suddenly feeling curious, whispered to Dong Yuanyao.

"Which one do you think is the best among them?"

She wouldn't dare say such things to others. Even Zhou Jingwan, despite not being too restricted by her family, was still somewhat bound by the constraints of her time. For instance, when they watched a play and wanted to discuss the actors' figures or looks, Zhou Jingwan would feel embarrassed.

But Dong Yuanyao was different. She was bolder, more casual, and, like Daohua, was also a fan of handsome faces.

Sure enough, as soon as the question was out, Dong Yuanyao’s gaze became intense as she started observing them. "As for nobility, the young prince’s bearing is unmatched. No one else can compare."

Daohua nodded in agreement. Even if nothing was said, when Xiao Yeyang sat down, everyone’s attention would naturally be drawn to him.

"As for elegance, your brother isn’t bad, and Big brother Zhou is alright too, but I think he tries a little too hard, acting overly serious," Dong Yuanyao continued.

Daohua couldn’t help but laugh and nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! I feel the same. My brother hasn’t quite developed enough of a thick skin, and sometimes he’s awkward, while Big brother Zhou doesn’t do that."

Dong Yuanyao added, "When it comes to being considerate, my brother is the best."

Daohua agreed, "Big brother Dong is thoughtful and steady, truly top-notch, unlike Big brother Su, who sometimes likes to show off. But he’s not unpleasant."

Dong Yuanyao smiled. "The Su family is known for their scholarly background. They’re used to the refined and cultured atmosphere, so when someone like Big brother Su comes along, lively and energetic, he naturally gets a lot of attention."

Daohua nodded in understanding. "Rare things are valued more highly." She then glanced at Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao, who were devouring their food. "When it comes to straightforwardness and cheerfulness, my Fourth Brother is the best; when it comes to reliability, my Third Brother is the best."

Dong Yuanyao nodded in agreement. "Fourth Brother Yan is indeed fun to be around, and it’s very relaxing to play with him. As for Third brother Yan, he gives the impression of being very dependable, like a friend you can trust wholeheartedly."

Daohua beamed with pride. "Of course, my brothers are all great."

Dong Yuanyao looked at the proud Daohua and sighed, "Ah, why do I only have one brother?"

(The End of This Chapter)