Did Miss become a nun today?

Pei Changyu's dark eyes closed slightly, his aloofness and captivating beauty blending together to give him an air of snow-capped mountains.

It made her feel uneasy.

After a long pause, he finally said, "I do have something to discuss with my cousin."

"The invitation from outside was sent to you by my mother."

She accepted his thanks but refused to look up at him.

The person walked to the door and suddenly stopped.

His voice was calm and unhurried, revealing neither joy nor anger. "If my cousin has chosen someone, she might as well let me take a look first. It wouldn't be good if she chose someone with ulterior motives."

After saying that, he lifted the curtain and went out.

Xie Yun Chu stared at the swaying curtain, remaining motionless for a long time.

Lan Yue cautiously approached: "Miss, what the young master said just now...?"

"It sounds like...he's not very happy."

The point is to make him unhappy, and ideally, he shouldn't come back again.

Lan Yue sensed that she was in a bad mood and changed the subject, "Miss, please take a look at whose invitation this is?"

Xie Yun Chu then opened it; it belonged to the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Since the news spread throughout the household that she wanted to find a husband, she received more invitations to marry in the past two weeks than in the previous ten years.

She understood that this was not for her, but for the Zhaoping Marquis's residence.

The Marquis's family has a clean and upright family tradition, without any messy relationships. Marquis Zhaoping is not just a figurehead; he also holds a position in the court. In addition, his eldest cousin entered the Ministry of Revenue at a young age, managing the court's purse. The Marquis's title will surely be preserved in the future.

The fifth and sixth young ladies of the Marquis's mansion have not yet made any moves, so naturally they are all keeping an eye on her.

A few days ago it was the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War, today it's the family of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, and also the families of the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies and the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Everything else is fine, but it's hard to refuse the invitation from the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. My aunt said last time that Vice Minister Du wanted to befriend the Pei family, so we can't refuse.

She asked her aunt, who had no objections, but reminded her of one thing: "Du Shaoqing's wife is on good terms with Madam Lu. Since she sent you an invitation, Madam Lu is probably here as well. Be careful."

Xie Yun Chu understood. "Don't worry, Aunt, I understand."

On the day of the banquet, her aunt was worried and insisted that her eldest cousin accompany her.

She had just boarded the carriage when Pei Changyu followed closely behind. Before she could feel embarrassed, the curtain was lifted again, and Pei Changfeng appeared uninvited, saying, "I heard my cousin is going to a banquet, so I'll go too."

The carriage suddenly felt a bit cramped, but it was better for three people to sit together than for two.

Pei Changfeng ignored his elder brother's murderous eyes and looked at Xie Yun Chu, "Why didn't you call me when you went out, cousin? Your brother rarely attends banquets, so he probably doesn't know the ins and outs."

Xie Yun Chu glanced at the two of them secretly, sighed, and closed her eyes. Buddhist scriptures, she needed Buddhist scriptures.

Seeing that she didn't refuse, Pei Changfeng's smile became even more smug. He moved closer to her and said, "Today is the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. Cousin, you'd better stick close to me and don't get fooled by those ill-intentioned people outside."

"Brother must have to entertain some colleagues today, so he probably won't be able to take care of his cousin. It'll just be the two of us traveling together."

Pei Changfeng kept talking non-stop on the way until the carriage stopped in front of the Du residence.

Xie Yun Chu was the last to get out of the car. She lifted the curtain, and two people in front of the car reached out their hands to her from the left and right.

"I helped my cousin up."

She hesitated for a moment, then looked at Lan Yue. Lan Yue immediately snapped out of her daze and, steeling herself, stepped forward and extended her hand.

A slender hand rested on hers, and Lan Yue felt as if two pairs of eyes were staring right through her from behind.

After getting out of the carriage, she asked in a low voice, "Miss, what's wrong with you today? Something seems off to me."

"Never mind."

Xie Yun Chu released her grip on Lan Yue, straightened her sleeves, and remained calm.

She ignored the two pairs of eyes staring at her from behind, and lifted her skirt to climb the steps.

As soon as they entered, a maidservant came to greet them and led them to the flower hall.

The Pei brothers were led to the men's section at the second gate, while the female guests went to pay their respects to Madam Du, and the three of them were finally separated.

As Lan Yue walked, she said, "I've inquired and found that this Madam Du is easygoing and has a good reputation. Since she has already sent an invitation to you, Miss, she probably won't make things difficult for you."

Madam Du was entertaining distinguished guests in the flower hall and didn't have time to see her, so she waited outside for a while.

"This Madam Du was the one who sent the invitation to Miss, but now that we've arrived at the door, she's nowhere to be seen. How rude of her," Lan Yue muttered under her breath.

Xie Yun Chu wasn't angry. Right now, she was probably entertaining Madam Lu. With the Grand Tutor's wife here, she naturally wouldn't have time to see her.

If we don't want to see each other, then we don't want to see each other; it'll save us the trouble.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, she said something to the maid outside and got up to leave.

She was just a guest at the banquet, not a daughter-in-law who was part of the family's established rules, so there was no reason for her to keep waiting.

She had shown all the proper manners; the fault did not lie with her.

The maid's expression changed slightly. She tried to persuade Xie Yun Chu to stay a few more times and was about to go in to inform the madam when Xie Yun Chu said nothing more and left with Lan Yue.

Men and women sat separately in the garden, but as the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet went on, the restrictions were lifted, and the two groups mingled together, laughing and joking.

Pei Changfeng stood on the opposite bank of the lake, searching for Xie Yunchu from a great distance. Once he found her, he immediately ran towards her.

"Cousin, I picked the prettiest flower in the garden and gave it to you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a clear, cold voice came from behind him, "Today we're admiring chrysanthemums, yet my second brother has picked them; what a waste!"

Pei Changfeng, unwilling to admit defeat to her elder brother, pressed on, "Brother, you're mistaken. These flowers were originally picked by Madam Du for everyone to enjoy. Whoever gets them keeps them. You didn't get them, so you say it's a waste? What, in your eyes, does your cousin not deserve these flowers?"

Pei Changyu chuckled, "What are you talking about, second brother? I'm referring to my cousin."

Xie Yun Chu and Pei Chang Feng were stunned for a while before they finally understood what he meant.

"I gave my cousin a pot of chrysanthemums last time, and she liked it very much, right?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on her, and his smile was sinister and unsettling.

Xie Yun Chu: "..."

This is not her cousin, definitely not the cousin she knows.

The flower in Pei Changfeng's hand instantly lost its luster. Cunning, truly cunning!

How come I never noticed before that my older brother is such a wicked person?

"What you gave me is your gift, but what I gave you is different!"

"Cousin, this is for you."

Pei Changyu's expression remained unchanged, a faint smile still playing on his lips. "My cousin loves the chrysanthemums I gave her the most, doesn't she?"

Xie Yun Chu stood between the two, her lips twitching slightly, feeling a chill run down her spine.

Pei Changfeng said in disbelief, "Brother, you weren't like this before."

Pei Changyu looked at his second brother and said softly as he turned to the side, "I've always been this way, it's just that my second brother doesn't understand me."

Everyone has desires in life; how can anyone escape them?

But his thoughts were hidden in the shadows, never seeing the light of day.

As the eldest brother, he should give way to his younger siblings, not compete or fight, and provide them with a safe haven. This is the magnanimity an elder brother should have.

He had thought that the bright moon wouldn't shine on him, and therefore this dark, shameful thing shouldn't have appeared.

It's good to just stay by her side like this.

But the moonlight no longer shines on just one person, so why can't it shine on him?

Once those desires are not restrained, they can no longer be controlled. If he were not afraid of scaring her, why would he have to endure it so much?

They tested him at every turn and pressured him constantly.

Xie Yun Chu should have been his.

She was young and didn't understand what love was. She was flirting with other men, but he didn't blame her. He said it was all because those people with ulterior motives seduced her.

Once she marries him, she will realize how good he is and will naturally look down on those other women.

His smile deepened. "Second brother, I must thank you. Although she can't be your wife, she can be your sister-in-law."