On the deck, Daohua chatted and laughed with everyone for a while. Seeing her fourth brother teaching two cousins how to use a telescope to look at the distant scenery, and her second uncle and three cousins talking with her eldest brother, she looked around and realized there was no sign of Xiao Yeyang.“Why are you sitting here alone?”Daohua looked around and found Xiao Yeyang sitting by himself at the stern, drinking tea. Observing him staring blankly at the distant river, and recalling his family background, she suddenly felt sorry for him.Xiao Yeyang glanced at Daohua and, remembering how she cherished the whip Dong Yuanxuan had given her, didn’t feel like talking to her. Without saying anything, he turned his head away again.Seeing him act this way, Daohua was somewhat puzzled, not understanding what was making him sulk again. However, she didn’t mind; she laughed and sat down opposite him, saw the teapot on the table, and poured herself a cup of tea without asking.“This sme

Li Zixuan and Li Zixin followed Daohua to her courtyard, and even though it was nighttime, they were captivated by the flowers and plants in the yard.Surrounded by the faint fragrance in the air, both of them couldn’t help but take a deep breath.“Cousin, your courtyard is really lovely,” Li Zixuan exclaimed sincerely.Daohua smiled and said, “If you like it, you both can stay for some more days.” With that, she led them into the main house.Li Zixuan and Li Zixin followed her inside and their first impression was of spaciousness and elegance, with not too many furnishings, yet each one exquisite.At this point, Daohua turned to Guyu and Lixia to ask, “Is the Nuan Pavilion ready?”Guyu responded with a smile, “It has been ready since morning, and all of the young mistresses’ belongings have been moved there.”Daohua nodded, then pulled Li Zixuan and Li Zixin to sit on the couch. She personally brewed tea for them, and as she handed them the tea, she said with a smile, “My home is not

Wangyue Academy.Looking at the food box Yan Wenkai placed on the table, Xiao Yeyang smiled and asked, “Daohua, what delicious pastries have you made again?” As he spoke, he was about to open the box.Yan Wenkai shook his head, “It’s not pastries, it’s medicinal cuisine, specifically brought to nourish your body.”Su Hongxin, who was nearby, heard this and immediately asked, “Don’t we have any?”Dong Yuanxuan also looked over.Yan Wenkai shrugged, “My eldest sister said that you all have family elders around, who will take good care of everything for you, so she doesn’t need to prepare these.”Su Hongxin and Dong Yuanxuan were at a loss for words simultaneously.What kind of reason was that?Alright, it was a reason nonetheless.But who said the Little Prince didn’t have elders around to look after him?Isn’t that person in the other courtyard one?When they were trapped in Xingyun Prefecture, that person almost forcibly abducted the Little Prince with an entourage.Their families wer

The next day, Yan Yishuang did not appear in the classroom, and the entire Yan Family immediately became aware of Yan Zhigao’s stance—he had implicitly approved of the punishment Daohua had imposed on Yan Yishuang.In the classroom, Yan Yihuan and Yan Yile arrived early. Seeing that Daohua and the Li sisters had not yet arrived, they began to whisper among themselves.“Yesterday, after Third Sister returned to her courtyard, she threw quite a tantrum. I guess she must have been scolded by Uncle when she went to the front yard!” Yan Yile said with a giggle.Yan Yihuan reflected for a moment, “This is Third Sister’s own fault.” She paused, “The front yard is where Uncle works, and it’s full of men from outside. We sisters really shouldn’t go there.”“Even if Aunt had something to attend to, she would send a servant to summon Uncle.”“Third Sister burst into tears and ran to the front yard yesterday. Not only did she disgrace herself, but she also made the Yan Family lose face.”Yan Yile

Daohua had always been reluctant to marry.Even though she had lived in ancient times for twelve years and had grown accustomed to the rules of the era, there were still some concepts she found unacceptable.Ancient marriage customs emphasized parental authority and the matchmaker’s words, valuing the alignment of social status and family interests above all, with little to no concern for the affections between the man and woman involved.Many people got married without even having seen each other’s face.The very thought of living the majority of her life with a complete stranger made Daohua shiver uncontrollably.In these ancient times, families who were slightly indulgent towards their children would, at most, allow the prospective bride and groom to meet during the matchmaking process. Daohua’s desire for shared values, temperament, and mutual understanding was nothing short of a daytime fantasy.Moreover, she had no sacrificial spirit to speak of, managing concubines and educatin