The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Rustic Villagers

Xiao Wu peeked curiously at the bowl. The sweet pear tonic was clear and fragrant, and it looked perfectly fine.

Ye Chutang gently tapped her on the head.

”Drink this, and you’ll get an upset stomach.”

Xiao Wu quickly took a step back, clutching her little tummy and shaking her head vigorously.

’No, no! Every time I get sick, Big Sister has to work so hard to take care of me. I don’t want to be sick!’

Ye Chutang rose and poured the contents of the bowl into a potted plant by the window.

’It seems someone finds tonight’s drama lacking and wants to put on a show of their own.’

’Well... she wouldn’t mind obliging them.’

...

Guests began to arrive, and soon Ye Shixian, having completed her preparations, followed Mrs. Gao to take her seat.

As she entered, many eyes fell upon her.

Ye Shixian wore a pale jade-green gown with silver embroidery, a perfect match for the jade hairpin in her hair. The ensemble accentuated her slender figure and radiant features.

People began to whisper.

”Is that Ye Heng’s eldest daughter?”

”Rumor has it in the capital that his daughter is a great beauty. Seeing her today, I can confirm it’s true!”

”I hear she’s quite talented, too—adept at both poetry and painting.”

Mrs. Gao overheard these compliments, and a proud smile spread across her face.

’My daughter is one of the finest in the entire Capital City!’

Ye Shixian greeted the guests. Her every move was the picture of propriety, and with a gentle smile gracing her lips, she perfectly embodied the poise of a noble lady from an esteemed family.

Seeing this, a look of satisfaction appeared in Ye Heng’s eyes.

’His son might be a disappointment, but this daughter was someone he could truly be proud of.’

Suddenly, a voice cut through the chatter.

”Lord Ye, do you know when Chutang and her siblings will be here?”

The lively banquet fell silent as everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.

The speaker was none other than Xu Fengchi.

Ever since stepping into the Ye Mansion, he had been eager to see Ye Chutang and her siblings. Having waited for some time without any sign of them, he decided to ask about them directly.

Ye Heng seemed a little surprised himself. He immediately summoned Yu Hong. ”Go see why Chutang and the others aren’t here yet. With such honored guests present, they cannot be late and breach etiquette.”

Yu Hong assented. ”Yes.”

Ye Heng turned back to Xu Fengchi with an apologetic smile. ”Lord Xu, my sincerest apologies. Chutang and her siblings have only just returned to the capital and are likely still adjusting.”

Many people exchanged subtle glances.

’Even someone with no sense of propriety should know not to arrive later than the guests, shouldn’t they? This...’

With that, the focus of the conversation shifted to Ye Chutang and her siblings.

When Ye Zheng met with disaster, everyone had assumed his entire family was dead. Who would have thought that three years later, his second daughter would return with her three younger siblings in tow?

Who wouldn’t be curious about how they had survived for the past three years?

Ye Shixian lowered her gaze and took a delicate sip of tea.

’This is Ye Chutang’s first formal appearance since returning to the capital,’ she thought. ’Any perceived slight will surely set tongues wagging.’

About ten minutes passed.

”The Second Miss is here!”

The announcement immediately drew everyone’s attention. Looking up, they saw a young woman in a Haitang-pink dress approaching at a gentle pace.

A hush fell over the banquet.

They had thought Ye Shixian was beautiful enough, but no one had expected Ye Chutang to be even more stunning.

She wore no lavish accessories. Her oval face was flawless, and as she walked, she seemed to exude an invisible, graceful aura.

This was especially true of her eyes, which were dark and lustrous, clear and gentle.

She was the very image of a Haitang blossom swaying in the wind.

She reached the seated guests and inclined her head in a formal greeting.

”My apologies, everyone. I was feeling a bit unwell, which caused the delay.”

Only then did the crowd notice the people following Ye Chutang: two young men—one scholarly and refined, the other dashing and untamed—and a small toddler, no older than three or four. The little one was well-behaved, her large, dark eyes, like black grapes, filled with curiosity.

’So this is the bloodline Ye Zheng left behind?’ the guests thought.

The guests were taken aback.

Weren’t these the children who had been stranded for three years, only recently found? They were supposed to look destitute and wretched. Yet, while they weren’t dressed in finery, their inherent bearing was no less dignified than that of the young masters and ladies raised in the capital.

Ye Heng immediately said, ”Chutang, pay it no mind. No one is blaming you. It’s just that Lord Xu has been waiting for a long time to see you, which is why—”

”Chutang?”

Xu Fengchi was already on his feet, striding toward Ye Chutang and her siblings.

He fought to suppress the overwhelming emotions swelling in his chest. A thousand words caught in his throat, but all that came out was, ”...You’re back! It’s good that you’re back!”

Ye Chutang gave him a sincere, formal bow.

”Uncle Xu, it’s been a long time. I trust you’ve been well.”

Her words made Xu Fengchi’s eyes sting.

The last time they had seen each other was three years ago.

Everyone had said Ye Chutang and her siblings were dead, but he refused to believe it. He had insisted on searching, determined to find them, dead or alive. Even if they had truly met with a mishap, he had to bring them back, if only to give an answer to the departed Ye Zheng.

After searching for six months straight, he was caught by surprise when Ye Chutang herself sought him out.

He still remembered how she had looked then: slender and gaunt, her still-youthful face bearing a maturity and composure far beyond her years.

Her first words to him were, ”Uncle Xu, I need to ask for your help.”

For the next two years, though they had corresponded by letter, he had not gone to see them for various reasons.

Seeing her again now, how could he not be overcome with emotion?

”Yan and A Feng have grown so tall!” he exhaled, his expression softening considerably as he looked at Xiao Wu. ”This must be Xiao Wu, yes? She looks just like you did at her age.”

Ye Chutang looked apologetic. ”We should have been the ones to pay you a visit first—”

Xu Fengchi immediately shook his head. ”You must be weary from your travels; you should be resting! But you—you’ve been frail since childhood. Are you feeling unwell again?”

Ye Chutang smiled. ”Thank you for your concern, Uncle Xu. It’s just a minor issue, nothing serious.”

But Xu Fengchi remained worried. ”One can’t be careless about one’s health. Why don’t we have a doctor take a look at you?”

Mrs. Gao finally could not resist chiming in with a smile. ”Lord Xu, you needn’t worry. Chutang is a doctor herself. She even ran her own clinic. Why would she need anyone else to examine her?”

At her words, many of the guests looked surprised.

Ran a clinic? Ye Chutang?

Unable to contain his shock, Xu Rongqing asked, ”Chutang, is that true?”

Before Ye Chutang could speak, Mrs. Gao let out a long sigh, her tone a mixture of admiration and pity. ”It is! That’s how Chutang managed to support her younger brothers and sister. Goodness knows how much that child must have suffered these past three years!”

The atmosphere grew awkward, and the expressions on the guests’ faces as they looked at Ye Chutang became complicated.

’If that’s the case, doesn’t it mean she’s spent the last three years showing her face in public...?’

Then Mrs. Gao added, ”But that reminds me, today we’ll have to trouble Imperial Physician Zhang to take a look at Xiao Wu.”

Imperial Physician Zhang, who was suddenly put on the spot, was taken aback. ”What? But didn’t you just say she knows medicine? In that case—”

Mrs. Gao’s tone was breezy. ”Oh, in a small place like that, she mostly treated simple country folk for common ailments. But Xiao Wu’s condition is special. Even Chutang is at a loss, which is why we had to ask you to come, Imperial Physician Zhang.”

Outside the Moon Gate, Shen Yanchuan paused.