Chapter 1400: Drinking Water from a Winding Canal

Du Zheng frowned but did not deny it.

Xia Yingluo looked at him inconceivably. How had things made a hundred-eighty degree change after not seeing him for so long? She asked, “What about Ling’er, does Ling’er like you? It would be nice if the two of you were together.”

Du Zheng said, “She is not suitable for the Du family.”

Xia Yingluo was stunned. “What’s not suitable? Ling’er’s temper is so good, she’s not a person who will cause trouble.”

Du Zheng said, “You don’t understand.” Xia Yingluo was born with a golden spoon, how could she understand how difficult it was for those powerless girls to survive in a prestigious family? In a modern Chinese family, few could have a good ending from marrying into the wealthy as a normal civilian. Furthermore, the Du family was a complicated environment and was nowhere near the Li family’s simplicity. And even if the Li family was considered simple now, it was because Li Lei had used his life experiences in exchange for it.

Xia Yingluo changed the question. “Does Ling’er know that you like her?”

Du Zheng said, “Don’t tell her. Just give her the things and don’t ask anything else.”

Xia Yingluo still wanted to say more, but Du Zheng slightly aggravated his tone. “Yingluo, don’t meddle.”

So Xia Yingluo just sighed. From an early age, she knew how stubborn this elder brother’s temper was, and he wouldn’t listen to advice at all. Now she could only hope that Jin Ling’er hasn’t gotten too deep. Otherwise, she would only feel sad.

She took the diamond hair clip and returned to her seat.

The young masters and young ladies around the seat had dispersed, and the drinking water from a winding canal activity had officially started.

The organizer, Mr. Yu, announced the rules. “All the young people present here don’t have to be too restrictive. How boring is making a poem, how about we do truth or dare instead? In a moment, I will put this small jug in the tray. It will drift along the water channel, and whichever seat it drifts to, I will designate one person on the seat to play truth or dare. Then, the person will continue to put the small jug into the water channel to drift and determine the next seat. This will go on.”

These young people were used to playing the truth or dare game, but it was indeed a fresh idea to play it in such a way, so everyone was eager to try.

In the midst of jubilation, Li Shaohui whispered to Xia Yingluo. “Where have you been?”

Xia Yingluo had already kept the hairpin long ago, and only casually replied, “I was gossiping with my brother Du Zheng.”

“Du Zheng seems to have something on his mind.” Li Shaohui and Du Zheng had been best friends for many years and he had long noticed that Du Zheng was unusual today. However, it was even more strange for Du Zheng to find his sister and not him for gossip.

Xia Yingluo smiled slightly. “Okay, don’t ask. You will know when it’s time for you to know.” She was not a gossip person and this matter concerned her two close friends, so she didn’t want to talk about it during mealtime in case other people hear about it, even if it was her own brother.

Li Shaohui knew her nature, and when she said that, he knew that it was definitely not a simple thing, so he couldn’t help but glance at Du Zheng anxiously.

Over there, the flowing jug stopped, and Mr. Yu appointed a young son on the seat to let him choose truth or dare. The young master chose dare and took out a gift he had prepared in advance. Then he gave it to the girl he liked, attracting ridicule, kindness, and jealousy from the onlookers. This was the true intention of the game. Even if it was a small game, it produced a lot of reactions. If all the families in this room were placed outside, it was a force that could stomp the situation. Which family could marry which family, and which could break with which was not a small matter.

The jug continued to drift down the water, and after a while, it stopped at the Pei family’s seat.

The young master who had put the jug was just about to appoint someone when Pei Yan lifted the jug with a smile and batted her eyes with thick makeup and asked, “Master Cui, give me this opportunity. I haven’t played this game in a long time and my hands are itchy.”

It was originally a mini-game, and there was nobody on the Pei family’s seat that Master Cui wanted to target, so he smiled openly and casually asked Pei Yan two questions to choose from. Some others whispered on the other seats. “Pei Yan? Isn’t she engaged? Why is she still here?”

“I heard that the engagement ceremony was not smooth last time, and then she fought with her fiancee for a long time. Who knows if they already broke up?”

“Ha, that fiance? I heard that he got some weird illness, and you can smell his body odor when you get closer to him. It’s particularly terrifying! I don’t even know how Pei Yan that big missy managed to endure it.”

“Poor girl, she was so intent on snatching Zhao Yixuan from other women. She thought she obtained a treasure, but it was actually a bug!” Someone laughed, full of glee over her misfortune.

“What other women?” Another person said, “The one she snatched from was the young lady of the Li family. She even dared to steal Ms. Yingluo’s man! However, she really saved Ms. Yingluo’s life. Who knew that Zhao Yixuan would have an incurable disease later on? This is life! Hahahaha.”

The sound of glee gradually spread and Pei Yan heard it. Her expression was terrible, and she glared at Xia Yingluo fiercely.

Xia Yingluo’s eyes met her, and with a sneer, she glanced at the Pei family’s seat and realized that Pei Ziheng had left. Sure enough, the monkeys call themselves king the moment the lion leaves? The remaining Pei family’s heir candidates all didn’t see eye to eye and the atmosphere was tense.

Xia Yingluo looked at Pei Yan’s elder brother Pei Chengyou and made a face at him. He said in a low voice, “Yan Yan, you are all people with fiancees. Don’t be playful and give the jug to your sister Wei Wei.”

The other man smiled and persuaded as well, but it was obviously just to make fun of her. “Yan Yan, listen to your brother, put down the jug. Those who know will know that you’re playful, but those who don’t might think you don’t want Zhao Yixuan anymore. Zhao Yixuan is our family’s hero. You finally won him over after much difficulty, so you can’t play push-and-pull with him, or he’ll be hurt!”

Pei Yan stared angrily at him. “What kind of hero is he?! I just want to play this game, what can he do about it?!”

Ever since Zhao Yixuan got the strange illness, the family didn’t let her terminate their marriage contract, thus she was sitting in a boiling fire of rage. At this moment, she exploded a bit, disregarding the occasion. Many people present showed a disdainful look, secretly saying that this girl was unbridled. As the lady of the Pei family, she didn’t know how to respect Imperial’s capable officers. This was not a marriage, but starting a feud.

“The sister is like this, but the brother isn’t anywhere better. If the Pei family falls into the hands of these two siblings, sooner or later they will lose out.” A new round of whispers began.

When Pei Chengyou looked at everyone, his expression was even more terrible, and he scolded his sister stupid in his heart. Not only did he lose a man himself, but he was afraid it would also affect his great career!