Chapter 116: Volume 1, Chapter 116: Does a One-Second Head-Pat Equal Having Face?

Ye Lanjue looked at Yun Qiyue's watery eyes and absurdly felt that Yun Qiyue's words made quite a bit of sense.

But, Ye Lanjue still 'plucked' Yun Qiyue off himself.

Then, before Yun Qiyue could react, Ye Lanjue's hand landed on the top of Yun Qiyue's head—and left after a breath's time.

When Yun Qiyue met Ye Lanjue's gaze, she inexplicably understood the meaning in Ye Lanjue's eyes.

It was as if he were saying, 'This way, you won't have no face.'

Does a one-second head-pat equal having face? Yun Qiyue didn't quite understand Ye Lanjue's train of thought.

Then, subconsciously, Yun Qiyue looked at the people around her, especially those young misses.

Sure enough, in their eyes, she saw envy and jealousy.

Yun Qiyue: "..." How much is face worth? Can you eat it?

She might as well have said she admired him and wanted to be closer to him just now.

After all, there shouldn't be any man who doesn't like hearing those mushy, death-inducing words—right?

Hmm, regarding Ye Lanjue, she wasn't sure at all.

But clearly, she had no chance to cling to him again, because Ye Lanjue glanced at the Emperor Xuanyuan Kun and said coldly, "The Hundred Flowers Banquet should begin."

Saying this, he didn't care about the reactions of the Emperor and those envoys, took a large stride, and walked toward the entrance.

Seeing this, Yun Qiyue followed Ye Lanjue's steps calmly.

It was just that at first, Yun Qiyue could keep up, but once they had both left the crowd's sight, Ye Lanjue disappeared in front of Yun Qiyue using his 'Lingbo Microsteps'-like pace.

Yun Qiyue: "..." Stingy.

Muttering this, Yun Qiyue walked toward the banquet by herself.

Either way, she could be more at ease if she didn't follow the crowd.

"Yun Sanyuan—"

Just as Yun Qiyue reached the Imperial Garden, a voice called out to stop Yun Qiyue.

Yun Qiyue turned back and saw a noble girl dressed in a dress with a yellow base color and embroidered with light purple and white flowers standing there, smiling at her, looking full of goodwill.

But, Yun Qiyue looked at her and had no memory of her at all.

So, who is this person?

Yun Qiyue looked at the other party calmly and didn't speak.

Seeing Yun Qiyue's appearance, Qi Xue's smile became even softer, "I am the eldest legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Qi Xue."

Yun Qiyue nodded, her expression indifferent, with no reaction.

Qi Xue said, "I heard before that you had recovered, but I never had a chance to see you; today, I finally got to see you."

Qi Xue's tone was slightly excited, covering her mouth and laughing, full of the demeanor of a noble girl.

"Something the matter?" Facing Qi Xue's obvious attempt to get close, Yun Qiyue only asked indifferently.

Qi Xue's smile stiffened, her hand squeezed slightly, then she smiled and said, "Nothing much, I just always wanted to be friends with Yun Sanyuan."

Hearing this, Yun Qiyue sized up Qi Xue, her expression indifferent, and didn't make a sound.

Always? Heh.

When the original owner was a fool before, who would really want to be friends with her?

Although Qi Xue's performance wasn't much different from when she met He You Lan before, Qi Xue's eyes didn't have He You Lan's innocence.

Although Qi Xue hid it well, Yun Qiyue could see at a glance that this person had other motives.

For such a person, Yun Qiyue had no interest.

Seeing that Yun Qiyue didn't speak, Qi Xue clenched her fist again, and while smiling on the surface, she asked with some curiosity, "Miss Yun, I heard that the Old Immortal taught you martial arts and medical skills; I wonder what else he taught you?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Qiyue's eyes flickered slightly, but she shook her head, "One shouldn't be too greedy; one can't expect the Old Immortal to teach everything."

Upon hearing this, Qi Xue smiled, "Miss Yun is right."

Afterward, the atmosphere between the two was a bit awkward.

Yun Qiyue looked at Qi Xue indifferently, and Qi Xue looked at Yun Qiyue with a faint smile.

One didn't want to talk much, the other couldn't find a new topic, and finally, Qi Xue left consciously.

Yun Qiyue looked at Qi Xue's back, the corners of her lips curled slightly, and then she walked toward the banquet scene—

At this time, most of the people remaining at the venue didn't know what had happened.

Seeing Yun Qiyue return, and seeing Yun Qiyue who had already changed her clothes, the crowd's expressions didn't change much.

On the contrary, at the Yun family's table, Li Shulan, her daughter, and the Old Matriarch, seeing Yun Qiyue appear intact, were disappointed and also carried a few traces of doubt.

Although the Old Matriarch and Li Shulan didn't know Xu Shi's specific arrangements, they knew that Xu Shi taking people out must have been prepared to deal with Yun Qiyue.

But why was Yun Qiyue fine?

And Yun Qiyue had returned, so why hadn't Xu Shi and the others returned?

The Yun family was full of doubts, only Yun Xinzhu looked relieved.

Compared to before, the crowd at the banquet didn't pay much attention to Yun Qiyue this time.

Just because, according to the time, the Hundred Flowers Banquet was about to begin.

According to the tradition of the Hundred Flowers Festival, once the Hundred Flowers Banquet begins, the noble girls have to go on stage to compete in talents, and the men below will choose the women they are interested in, and then, under normal circumstances, as long as it's mutual, the Emperor will grant them a marriage. Hmm.

So those unmarried girls and those noble young masters who wanted to marry, where would they have the energy to care about Yun Qiyue at this time? One by one, they were looking forward to the start of the Hundred Flowers Banquet.

Especially those women, they were looking forward to it incomparably in their hearts.

Just because this year the Crown Prince no longer had a fiancée, if they could stand out and become the Crown Prince's fiancée and future Crown Princess, then their future would be limitless.

At this time at the banquet, most people didn't know about the sordid affair between the Crown Prince and the Yun family's half-sister.

And those who knew didn't care; after all, it was just a half-sister, and it was impossible for her to become the Crown Prince's legitimate wife.

Compared to that half-sister, they were more wary of the Yun family's eldest branch's second legitimate daughter, Yun Yarou.

Because those onlookers, the ladies and misses, hadn't returned yet, Yun Yarou's matter hadn't spread, and Yun Yarou was an imaginary enemy in many people's hearts.

It wasn't that Yun Yarou herself was how powerful or her background was how powerful, but because Yun Yarou had an elder sister in the Huangyun Academy, so everyone had to be wary of Yun Yarou.

Under everyone's various expectations, the Emperor and Empress brought a group of envoys and officials, as well as those ladies and misses who had been out for a long time and hadn't returned, back to the banquet venue with normal expressions.

Everyone tacitly understood, and no one would mention the previous interlude at this time.

And the seats at the banquet had long been arranged; even the Emperor hadn't expected that the other two countries would also send people, but later, when he ordered arrangements, they were there.

Thus, everyone took their seats in an orderly manner.

Except for the Yun family, who were puzzled as to why Yun Jiande looked defeated when he returned, and why Xu Shi and Yun Yarou hadn't followed him back, everyone's attention was almost entirely on the envoys.

After the Emperor and Empress were seated and the envoys had taken their seats in an orderly manner, the Emperor Xuanyuan Kun announced the start of the Hundred Flowers Banquet.

Calling it the Hundred Flowers Banquet, it truly lived up to its name.

Although there were various snacks and dishes before, those were more for display; except for Yun Qiyue, no one ate more than a few bites.

And when the Hundred Flowers Banquet began, palace servants filed in, serving Hundred Flowers Tea, Hundred Flowers Wine, Hundred Flowers Cakes, and Hundred Flowers Feast, paired with the hundred flowers in the Imperial Garden, the floral fragrance at the banquet venue became even more intense.

Then, a drum sounded, signifying the official start of the Hundred Flowers Feast.

Just at this moment, the Xihai envoy stood up—