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Feng Yinxiao was lost in thought, and unexpectedly, Yun Kexin turned around as if sensing his gaze. Their eyes met, and in that fleeting moment, it was like a stone was thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in their hearts. Flustered, Feng Yinxiao quickly looked away and lowered his head: how would she perceive him? Finally, he mustered the courage to look up again, only to find Yun Kexin's gentle and pure gaze still fixed on him. The morning sunlight made her bright eyes sparkle beautifully, and the slight blush on her palm-sized face revealed her shyness and charm. Feng Yinxiao felt somewhat intoxicated.
"Young Lord, I heard you came to Fan City on official business last time. What was it for?" Yun Kexin asked softly. "However, you mentioned visiting an old friend the night you brought me back. Did you get to see your old friends?"
"Oh, I requested permission from the Emperor to come to Fan City," Feng Yinxiao replied with a smile, his spirited demeanor slightly tinged with a suspicious flush. "Actually, it was at someone else's request."
"At someone else's request?" Yun Kexin asked with a playful smile. "Who?"
"Well, it's nothing much," Feng Yinxiao realized he felt shy about revealing that his purpose for this trip was her. He changed the subject, "How long do you plan to stay in Fan City, Seventh Sister?"
"Not decided yet; it depends on Father and Mother’s wishes. Mother might want to stay at her family home for a bit longer..." As she mentioned "Mother" and "Father," Yun Kexin suddenly became pensive, turning to face the chilly mountain wind, remaining silent for a long time.
"Don't you miss the Duke's residence in the capital?" Feng Yinxiao asked abruptly.
Although Feng Yinxiao was unaware of the internal conflicts within the Duke of E's household, he sensed something from Yun Ke's attitude towards Yun Kexin. Moreover, that night when he returned Yun Kexin to the Han Wang residence and saw Yun Yang and Fu Lianyin, he was surprised to find that Yun Kexin bore no resemblance to the "Mother" and "Father" she often spoke of, deepening his suspicions.
Yun Kexin felt a chill in her heart and grew even more silent: of course she missed the Duke's residence in the capital and her biological parents from the Second House. It had been many days since she last saw them; she wondered how they were doing. In fact, on the night she arrived in Fan City, she had intended to return after attending Han Wang's banquet with Yun Yang and others because she couldn't afford to fall behind in her studies. However, she never expected to fall into Fu Lianyin's trap afterward, nearly ruining her reputation and delaying her return.
"I definitely miss home," Yun Kexin said as she gazed at the golden and green landscape below the mountain, feeling her heart lighten. It eased her previously pent-up frustration significantly. "I miss my cousin; we always had so much fun together." She expressed this delicately.
Feng Yinxiao noticed that when Yun Kexin mentioned "Mother," a hint of sarcasm crossed her beautiful face. Earlier at Han Wang's residence, facing Third Madam's display of maternal affection, Yun Kexin had shown a charming smile that seemed forced. It was not hard to sense her depth; she did not appear as innocent as she did now. Why would a nine-year-old girl show such a stark contrast between her public and private demeanor—especially in front of her own "Mother"?
No, Seventh Sister was definitely not someone who feigned politeness or played both sides; there must be some hidden truth here!
Feng Yinxiao furrowed his brows slightly and pressed his lips together. Immersed in his thoughts, he almost forgot about Yun Kexin as a gentle breeze brushed against his handsome features, bringing him back to reality. He realized he had overthought things and decided it would be best not to make assumptions until he understood the facts clearly.
"Seventh Sister, let's take a walk; we shouldn't just stand here," Feng Yinxiao smiled. "Otherwise, we might miss out on other beautiful sights."
"Yes, Young Master," Yun Kexin replied leisurely.
The two walked together along the leaf-strewn path in the mountains, sharing laughter. This was probably their first time having such "alone time" with someone of the opposite sex since they grew up—feeling a bit nervous yet excited, accompanied by subtle fluttering sensations from deep within their hearts.
“Seventh Sister, from now on just call me by my name,” after walking for a while, Feng Yinxiao stopped, turned to look at Yun Kexin and smiled, “Always calling me ‘Young Lord’, ‘Young Lord’, it feels so distant.”
As he spoke, his dark eyes flickered awkwardly between Yun Kexin and the space around them, trying to mask his inner tension.
“But you are indeed a noble lord, calling you by your name would be disrespectful,” Yun Kexin also turned to the side, looking up at him with a smile, “Just in terms of age, you are also ‘brother’, it’s not appropriate to call you directly by your name.”
“Then how about we do it privately?” Feng Yinxiao, much taller than Yun Kexin, stood with his hands behind his back, leaning down slightly to speak, which allowed him to take in her graceful figure and every smile and frown. He spoke with an almost enticing expression and tone, “I’ll call you by your given name, how about that?”
Yun Kexin felt flustered under Feng Yinxiao’s focused gaze and hurriedly lowered her head, shyly whispering:
“It’s just a title; there’s no need to make it so mysterious. If Young Lord doesn’t mind, we can call each other by our names from now on.”
Only then did Feng Yinxiao realize he had gotten too “close” to Yun Kexin, so he quickly took a step back, standing straight—having received her permission made him feel more restrained.
“Yun Kexin,” after gazing at her for a moment, Feng Yinxiao called gently, “Your cousin Yun Ke is about to participate in the Martial Scholar Selection. Aren't you going back to see him?”
“What?” Yun Kexin suddenly looked up, her beautiful face glowing with surprise like a lovely peach blossom. She eagerly asked one question after another, “Brother Feng, is that true? When?”
Feng Yinxiao was slightly taken aback; hearing Yun Kexin call him “Brother Feng” made his heart soften almost to the point of losing its strength—he hadn’t expected her to address him so “affectionately.” It wasn’t until she asked again that he snapped back to reality.
“Oh, on the eighth of next month,” Feng Yinxiao steadied his emotions and smiled, “That’s why I asked how long you would be staying in the city; I was worried you might return too late and miss your brother's competition.”
At this moment, Yun Kexin was truly grateful to Feng Yinxiao, thankful that he had informed her so promptly.
“Thank you, Brother Feng,” Yun Kexin nodded and smiled politely, “I will talk to my father and mother about this as soon as I get back.”
Feng Yinxiao nodded with a smile; rarely did any woman’s smile affect him like Yun Kexin’s did.
“Alright. I will stay in Fan City for a few more days,” Feng Yinxiao gazed at Yun Kexin, “But I need to return before Yun Ke participates in the selection. Because—”
"Brother Feng is Yun Ke's master, right?" Yun Kexin playfully blinked her eyes, a smile on her face. "Cousin told me all about it."
Feeling happy, Yun Kexin completely set aside their identities and treated Feng Yinxiao like a friend, reverting to her original nature. She was carefree, like a joyful bird. This surprised and delighted Feng Yinxiao.
"Yun Kexin, don't listen to Yun Ke," Yun Kexin's frankness made Feng Yinxiao less restrained, and he smiled modestly. "What master? I just taught him a bit about martial arts, nothing more."
"Brother Feng doesn't need to be modest. Actually," Yun Kexin suddenly paused as if choked, almost revealing that she knew about him from her past life. Fortunately, she quickly held her tongue. "I've heard of your reputation from Father; you accomplished remarkable feats at such a young age. Heroes emerge in their youth."
"Lord Yun flatters me," Feng Yinxiao said with a blush, lightly cupping his hands together. "I just acted according to circumstances and fulfilled my duties as a subject; it's nothing worth mentioning."
Yun Kexin was taken aback. In this situation, it was hard for her to connect him with the Feng Yinxiao from her past life who had killed Uncle and slaughtered half-siblings, even massacring the Duke of Yan's Residence! Her brows furrowed slightly, and her heart sank: What exactly happened to Feng Yinxiao in his past life? What kind of hardships did he endure that changed his temperament so drastically?
"Brother Feng, let's go back quickly; we've been out for quite a while," Yun Kexin forced a lighthearted smile. "I wonder if Cousin and Elder Sister Five are getting anxious; Xiao Sister might be clamoring to see me too."
"Yun Kexin," as Yun Kexin was about to leave, Feng Yinxiao called out to her, looking at her seriously. "Promise me that no matter what you decide to do or who you have to deal with in the future, you must cherish yourself and never let something like this 'fasting' incident happen again."
Yun Kexin's heart skipped a beat: Did Feng Yinxiao notice something? She felt embarrassed!
"Yes, Yun Kexin will remember that. Also," feeling flustered, Yun Kexin suddenly realized the way she addressed Feng Yinxiao and thought it necessary to explain. "Young Lord, since you hold the title of Marquis, it's inappropriate for a woman to call you by your name directly. Since your surname is Feng and you're a few years older than me, I will call you 'Brother Feng' privately from now on, if that's alright?"
If it weren't for Yun Kexin mentioning "a few years older," Feng Yinxiao wouldn't have realized he was four years older than her.
"That's fine; as long as you don't keep calling me 'Young Lord,' I won't find it awkward." Looking at the charming and lovely Yun Kexin before him, Feng Yinxiao smiled knowingly. "Let's go; we shouldn't keep Heir Apparent and Eldest Sister waiting."
Outside the pavilion, Fu Yihang and Yun Ran each held one of Yun Xiao's hands. The former was distractedly stretching his neck to look around—wondering where Feng Yinxiao had taken Yun Kexin and if she would be in danger—while the latter hoped they would take longer to return; the later they came back, the better chance she had for some gossip.
As both were lost in their thoughts daydreaming, they saw Yun Xiao jumping up joyfully exclaiming:
"Seventh Sister! Big Brother! Seventh Sister! Big Brother!"
Just calling wasn't enough; Yun Xiao struggled to break free from Fu Yihang and Yun Ran's grip, trying to run towards Yun Kexin. However, she was forcibly pulled back by Yun Ran, who frowned impatiently and said, "Don't go, Young Lord and Seventh Sister are coming."
Yun Xiao stubbornly shook off Yun Ran's hand but obediently didn't run away. Instead, she made a face at Yun Ran, which infuriated her even more.
"Young Lord, Cousin Kexin, where have you two been?" Fu Yihang asked jealously as they approached.
"We were just by the mountain over there enjoying the breeze," Yun Kexin replied indifferently. "We talked for a bit."
"Brother Fu, I had a great time without you. Seventh Sister has been living quite comfortably," Yun Ran mocked shamelessly.
Fu Yihang wished he could crush every bone in Yun Ran's body into powder or cut out her tongue so she could never speak again.
"Don't leave me behind next time," Fu Yihang said with a hint of resentment. "We're cousins and friends too, right?"
"And I want to go too, Seventh Sister! You have to take Xiao Er with you from now on," Yun Xiao protested with her hands on her hips and a pout. "I don't want to be with Elder Sister Five; I hate Elder Sister Five..."
Yun Ran felt embarrassed and humiliated, wishing she could disappear. (To be continued)
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