Chapter 373: with translation of chapter title

After a while, Mu Youyu finally lifted her eyes, her posture casual, 'A Jin, what did you all talk about in the meeting just now?'

Jiang Liangjin's fingertip paused, and he lightly rested his paintbrush on the edge of the paint box, his motion slowed half a beat, yet he still maintained a gentle, harmless expression.

'We talked a bit about things here in M Guo, and also the plans for going to Y Guo in two days.'

Hearing no useful information in that, Mu Youyu let out an 'oh,' her small hand rolling the edge of the drawing paper, slowly tracing circles over and over.

She didn't press further right away, but that seemingly offhand look inexplicably made Jiang Liangjin feel a bit guilty.

The two had been childhood sweethearts and knew each other well enough.

She wasn't the type to obsess over a single question and keep pressing, yet sometimes she wouldn't let any of the details he deliberately blurred go unnoticed.

Sure enough, Mu Youyu suddenly lifted her head, her eyes fixed on him with a hint of feigned innocence.

'Just that? I just saw Shuoshuo gege and Xian ge Qi ge come out earlier, and their faces didn't look too good.'

Jiang Liangjin's heart gave a slight jump, but his face remained unchanged; he even reached out to pinch her cheek, his tone indulgent to an absurd degree: 'I said it for fear that Youbao would fall asleep if she heard.'

Mu Youyu deliberately didn't take the hint, tilting her little head, 'I'm not sleepy; tell me what you said, anyway I won't go around blabbing.'

She spoke with utter seriousness, clearly seeing through his deliberate concealment, yet she didn't call him out, just softly pestering him.

Yet Jiang Liangjin had absolutely no resistance to any of her ways.

'Really, there's nothing major.'

Jiang Liangjin let out a light sigh, his tone softening; he stopped deliberately concealing things, but he also chose to speak of trivial matters.

'It's just that the clan has some miscellaneous matters to handle, and there were a few people who weren't behaving properly, harboring thoughts they shouldn't have, so we're discussing how to set things right.'

Having said that, he stopped at just the right point.

Mu Youyu gave up, a hint of obedient sensibility appearing on her small face, 'All right then, if you don't want to say, forget it; just tell me when you can.'

Jiang Liangjin hadn't expected her to let him off so easily; his heart eased, 'What I just said were all true, I just omitted some details… Will you be upset?'

'No way.' Mu Youyu turned her head, continued tidying the paintbrushes on the table, her voice light, 'I know A Jin is doing it for my own good, not wanting me to hear annoying things.'

She paused, her small hand stopping, a hint of mischief in the corner of her eye, 'But Brother said you promised him you wouldn't keep anything from me.'

Jiang Liangjin replied quickly, 'Yes, I promised Shuoshuo gege, I remember.'

Mu Youyu withdrew her gaze, took the drawing paper off the easel and rolled it up, 'As long as you remember, that's fine; when you can tell me, you will.'

Jiang Liangjin watched her motion, reached out, gathered her scattered paintbrushes neatly, and placed them in the box beside her.

'Go find Brother and the others.'

Two days later, the imperial banquet hall.

Gigantic crystal chandeliers hung from the dome, their brilliant light spreading across the entire hall, displaying utmost luxury.

A red carpet stretched from the palace doors all the way to the farthest steps, with attendants standing straight on either side.

This morning, the M Guo imperial family held a grand banquet, the hall filled with guests.

Those who received invitations were all top-tier aristocratic clans of M Guo, with no foreigners.

The floor was filled with noble men and women in splendid attire, each outfit and piece of jewelry understated yet aristocratic; a glance exchanged in conversation could sway the entire direction of M Guo.

'I heard from the servants in the mansion that it was Prince Qing An who personally ordered this banquet; what occasion is today?'

'How do you know it's Prince Qing An who's hosting it?'

'The inviter written on my invitation is Prince Qing An's name.'

'Mine still says Princess Ruo Ya; I think Princess Ruo Ya is the one hosting it.'

'How strange—my invitation lists the king as the inviter.'

A man in dark formal wear nearby frowned slightly, murmuring doubtfully: '…Isn't the king busy cooperating with Y Guo? I heard the duke of the Duke's Mansion of Paveika has been up to big things lately! How does he have time to hold a banquet?'

Another man beside him turned on hearing that, 'Oh? What big things?'

That man sized up the person opposite him, seeing a stranger, then casually lifted his wine cup for a light sip, his tone lax: 'Haven't you heard? Their governmental cooperation is adding an extra rule.'

'That's all stuff from several years ago.' The man walked away, uninterested.

……

The banquet hall doors opened, light spilling from the crack, as if gathering the whole daylight into this space.

Mu Youyu stood at the doorway, slightly stunned, instinctively turning her head to look at Qing An beside her, and whispered, 'Qing An gege, you didn't say… just a small gathering, right? Why are there so many people?'

Qing An had lured his sister here, secretly feeling pleased; he reached out to lightly support her from behind, 'After all, it's a royal gathering—it can't be that small.'

Mu Youyu: '……' She believed him only if he had a ghost.

But now that things have come to this, she can't just turn and leave.

A Jin and Brother and the others are still inside.

Mu Youyu withdrew her gaze, lifted her skirt, stepped onto the red carpet, and crossed the threshold.

She held her spine straight, chin slightly lifted, the necklace at her neck faintly visible, adding a touch of soft allure.

Her dark red gown was especially eye‑catching—not a flashy true red, but a muted wine‑red with a velvet feel, off‑shoulder style plus a sheer shawl, accentuating the slenderness of her neck.

The hem fell just to her knees—neither long nor short.

Her pink‑gold long hair flowed loose behind her, a few strands falling beside her ears; the brilliant crystal light from above fell on her crown, casting a small halo, beautiful enough to make one unable to look away.

Qing An followed at her side, half a step behind, unconsciously forming a protective circle.

As the two figures stepped into the banquet hall, they instantly captured everyone's gaze.

The hall, which had been murmuring with conversation just moments before, fell silent for an instant.

Everyone's eyes converged, unspoken, toward the doorway.