4 A Little Peek

There was a river whose many tributaries ran through Eastern Wei. Across one of these small tributary rivers, a lone figure stood on the opposite bank from where Yan Qiu Yue and her friends were playing around.

"Young master, is it alright for you not to be at the banquet?"

"Since when was it your place to lecture me?"

The aide shut his mouth and took a step back. Regardless of his intentions, if young master wanted to do something or be somewhere, he would always follow his own desires only. Nothing a lowly one could say would make any difference. Just had to blame himself for daring to care!

The young man crossed the bridge and drew closer to the group of girls. Yan Qiu Heng seemed to sense something and turned, but saw nothing suspicious. A person wearing dark green robes and a veil was not out of the ordinary whatsoever and only blended easily into a crowd of festival-goers.

Despite all four girls wearing veils, that young man was able to pick out Yan Qiu Yue in an instant. His thoughts filled with how lovely she looked in that sea-green dress, how delicate were her wrists, how beautiful her voice sounded! He strained to listen to their conversation, though he realized the impropriety of the act.

"Cheer up, Yue'er. That Wei Hong Sheng might not be one's first choice of a husband, but it has to be said that he at least has no concubines. You'd be the only woman at his estate." Song Lu Li coaxed her friend. She left unsaid "Who knows how long that will be for..." Still, it really was odd, she thought, for Prince Rui's heir to not have any woman at all. Despite all his other vices, there was hardly ever talk of him even being sighted with women.

"You know I am not one to be pessimistic." Yan Qiu Yue sighed. "It is what it is. I'm certainly not happy about it, but I'll do what I must. Promise me that you'll come to visit often."

"If that scoundrel dares to do anything to you, I--"

"Ah Fang! There are things that can and cannot be said." Song Lu Li frowned and Sun Fen Fang quickly deflated. She could only also promise to call upon the Prince Rui estate often.

He had heard enough. This little bit of time observing Yan Qiu Yue had to satisfy him for now. Who knew when this figure disappeared from the crowd and then reappeared a short time later inside the palace banquet hall as if he had been there all along...