Chapter 38

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The young boy stepped forward, holding a red tray piled with an assortment of gold and silver ingots, jade pendants, finger rings, pearl necklaces, and more. Grinning, he cheerfully said to Gu Yan Fei, “Sister, why not place a bet? We’re all just playing for fun.”

Li Zhulang added enthusiastically, “It’s all just for the excitement. You can bet big or small, however you like…” He stopped himself just short of saying, If you lose, I’ll cover it, the words lingering on the tip of his tongue. He held back, afraid of coming across as overly forward.

Gu Yun Zhen, recognizing Li Zhulang, smiled graciously. “Alright, I’ll place a bet too.”

She glanced around at the dazzling red and blue trays, then leaned closer to Gu Yan Fei. “Second Sister, which team do you think will win?”

Gu Yan Fei smiled faintly, her tone calm and certain. “A draw.”

Both Gu Yun Zhen and Li Zhulang, along with the others nearby, froze in surprise.

The young boy couldn’t help but speak up, “The odds of a draw are less than ten percent…”

A draw was rare—betting on one was essentially handing money to the house.

“That’s fine, that’s fine,” Li Zhulang eagerly interrupted his younger cousin, clapping his hands. “The odds for a draw are high. If you win, your wager will multiply several times over.” His unspoken thought: And if we lose? Who cares! As long as the beauty is happy!

The younger boy couldn’t help but admire his cousin, mentally bowing in awe. Cousin really has no principles when it comes to winning a beauty’s favor.

Gu Yan Fei, slightly intrigued, reached for her pouch to place a bet. But when her fingers brushed against the empty silk, she realized she hadn’t brought any money.

Just then—clink!

A small gold ingot was tossed in through the open window, landing neatly on the table. It rolled in a small arc before stopping perfectly in front of Gu Yan Fei.

A moment later, a youthful, sun-kissed face appeared at the window, beaming with a dazzling smile.

“Miss Gu, our master is placing the bet for you!” Xiao Shi announced cheerfully, winking playfully as he balanced a dark-red tray gilded with gold designs.

“…”

Li Zhulang froze, the smile on his face stiffening instantly. He had been just about to offer to place the bet himself but was a step too late. His mind churned as he tried to decipher the identity of this “master.”

Who’s this guy? Lavishing attention out of nowhere… This must be a rival!

“Xiao Shi,” Gu Yan Fei called softly. Meeting Xiao Shi’s bright, dark eyes, she suddenly recalled the gaze she’d felt earlier outside Zhuoxin Pavilion. Everything clicked into place.

So, it was him. What a coincidence.

“Master asked me to send his regards to you,” Xiao Shi said with an even brighter smile, his rows of pristine white teeth flashing. From the tray, he picked up a cup of wine and placed it in front of Gu Yan Fei.

It was a cup of osmanthus wine. The pale yellow liquid was as clear as amber, with tiny, delicate golden osmanthus blossoms floating within, exuding a refined and subtle fragrance. Unlike the rich aroma of fresh osmanthus flowers, the wine’s gentle scent was perfectly balanced, neither overwhelming nor faint.

Gu Yan Fei picked up the cup, brought it to her nose, and sniffed lightly before raising an eyebrow. “From Qiong Fang Zhai?”

“You really know your stuff, miss,” Xiao Shi said with a chuckle, his eyes gleaming. With a subtle motion, he directed Gu Yan Fei’s attention toward the Moonlight Tower across the lake.

Gu Yan Fei tilted her chin slightly, her gaze following his cue. On the third floor of the tower, a hand gracefully lifted the edge of a gauzy curtain, revealing a familiar figure dressed in white. Although the distance obscured the details of his face, the youth’s striking silhouette and elegant bearing were unmistakable. In his hand, he held a cup identical to hers, crafted from the same pristine white porcelain.

The man in white effortlessly raised his cup, offering a toast across the distance, and then downed the wine in one smooth motion.

This toast, silent and unspoken, was an acknowledgment of Danyang City.

Their gazes met for a fleeting moment. Gu Yan Fei’s smile bloomed like a delicate flower, radiant yet serene, a beauty both subtle and striking.

In response, she lifted her cup toward Chu Yi on the opposite shore. Tilting her head back, she drained it gracefully yet with a natural ease, exuding an elegance that carried a hint of unrestrained charm.

Li Zhulang, momentarily dazed by Gu Yan Fei’s smile, snapped out of it only to crane his neck in a futile attempt to peer out the window. He desperately wanted to know who this mysterious rival was. Annoyance gnawed at him. Why was I just a step too late?!

Unfortunately for him, the soft, gauzy curtain covering the window obscured his view entirely, leaving him frustrated and clueless.

Outside the pavilion, the sound of cheerful chatter and laughter drifted closer as more people returned from the garden.

Sensing the crowd’s approach, Xiao Shi gave a polite bow to Gu Yan Fei before slipping away, denying Li Zhulang any chance to fish for information.

At that moment, seven or eight people filed into the pavilion, their faces alight with peculiar smiles. Murmurs of suppressed amusement rippled through the group as they whispered among themselves:

“How did Young Master Fang end up falling into the rose garden?”

“If you’re so curious, why not ask His Highness Kang Wang yourself?”

“Wasn’t the second young lady of the Marquis of Dingyuan Residence also there? Why not ask her instead?”

“By the way, how did those three end up there at the same time?”

“…”

The whispers and speculations continued to ripple through the crowd, rising and falling in waves. Even after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the chatter showed no signs of dying down. On the contrary, it began spreading further, from the Zhuoxin Pavilion all the way to the polo field.

However, the moment Gu Yun Rong returned in a fresh riding outfit, the conversations abruptly stopped, as if everyone had suddenly turned mute. This was no coincidence—Kang Wang was walking right beside her.

The polo match hadn’t been canceled due to the earlier disruption. With Fang Ming Feng injured and unable to return, Kang Wang stepped in to replace him for the second half of the game.

After only a brief delay, marked by the sound of a crisp gong, the match resumed.

The thunder of galloping hooves echoed once more, mingling with the enthusiastic cheers of the spectators. The white polo ball soared high into the air, glinting in the sunlight as the game charged forward with renewed vigor.

Kang Wang entered the game with energy to spare, brimming with confidence and determination. Eager to impress his beloved, he scored a goal shortly after the second half began. However, Gu Yun Rong’s performance was noticeably less sharp than before, resulting in a few mistakes.

Determined to catch up, Gu Yun Rong quickly adjusted her mindset and threw herself back into the game with renewed effort.

The two teams competed fiercely, neck and neck, neither willing to back down. As the match reached its halfway point, a stir arose at the entrance to the polo field.

From within the Zhuoxin Pavilion, someone softly exclaimed, “Huh?” Gu Yan Fei turned her gaze in that direction.

In the distance, from the garden path, a group of over a dozen people appeared, escorting two noblewomen with extraordinary bearing. One was older, around forty, while the other was slightly younger, perhaps in her mid-thirties.

The entire entourage treated the elder noblewoman with the utmost respect, crowding around her like stars encircling the moon. They seemed content to play the role of supporting figures, letting her shine as the centerpiece.

The older noblewoman was dressed in a deep purple jacket embroidered with chrysanthemums, its overlapping vines winding gracefully across the fabric. Beneath it, she wore an inner robe with a small upright collar in frost white, paired with a dark embroidered mamian skirt. Her hair was styled into a simple rounded bun, adorned with a single flat white jade hairpin carved in a ruyi pattern.

Her complexion was fair and smooth, her features noble and dignified. A faint, elegant smile rested at the corners of her lips. She exuded a serene, graceful presence, tempered with an air of untouchable refinement, as though she stood high above the mundane world.

Such a large entourage appearing here was impossible to ignore.

Someone immediately recognized the identity of the distinguished middle-aged woman, their eyes widening slightly in surprise. Even those who didn’t know her couldn’t miss the familiar figure of the Jing Wangfei walking at her side. The Jing Wangfei spoke softly and politely with the older woman, her expression warm and respectful, yet tinged with deference.

There were very few people in the world who could command such respect from the Jing Wangfei.

“Is it the Empress Dowager?” Gu Yun Zhen whispered in astonishment.

Indeed, only the current Empress Dowager could command such a grand presence and elicit such reverence.