Yu Mingyue marveled at the calligraphy and painting, understanding why Xie Jiayan held it in such high regard.
His artwork lacked vulgar ostentation. Some areas were rendered with just a few strokes, and his color palette was simple, yet it was far from careless. Instead, it imbued the pieces with a grand and imposing aura, revealing the artist's candid and… remarkably proud spirit.
The style was indeed very similar to the illustrations in that travelogue of the Western Regions, both embodying a concise and majestic aesthetic.
"Thank you, Mother," Yu Mingyue said, knowing her mother's words were meant simply, but finding such a piece so quickly was no small feat.
"It's nothing major. Yue'er, the Duke's mansion's burdens are not yours to bear. Just be happy and be yourself." A young lady's time in her boudoir should be the happiest and most carefree period of her life. Her Yue'er had endured too much lately.
"Of course. Now that I see Mother has recovered, please take back the management of household affairs. I don't want to be tired anymore," Yu Mingyue leaned into Cui's embrace, still like an innocent young girl.
Cui naturally didn't want her daughter to be overworked, but the Yu mansion was now managed by her with perfect order.
Most importantly, all the branches of the family were united, as if returning to the time of the old Duke.
In recent years, the old madam's meddling had caused much discord among the branches. If only…
Never mind, how could he possibly return.
At that time, she had spoken up for Fifth Master, but she didn't have that much influence with the old madam. Instead, she was reprimanded by the old madam for disrespecting her elders.
It was also because of that incident that the old madam harbored a grudge and took the opportunity to retaliate, causing her to become estranged from the Duke and miss seeing her senior brother.
Yu Mingyue decided to visit the Xie mansion. Xie Jiayan seemed very displeased with her scheme against the Feng family, even scolding her sternly.
Several days had passed now; he should have calmed down.
To be honest, Yu Mingyue didn't quite understand what he was so unhappy about. Did he think she was ruthless?
But she felt she had done nothing wrong. If one is bullied, shouldn't one bully back?
Therefore, she was also a little angry with him. After returning from the spring hunt, she hadn't actively sought him out.
After these few days, she had managed to convince herself. He was the future Prime Minister, after all. It was better for her to make the first move to mend fences. What was face compared to practical benefits?
If Xie Jiayan hadn't spoken up for her, Feng Qirui's punishment wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
Moreover, she was visiting today with his favorite calligraphy and painting. No, she was climbing the ladder.
Seeing that the ladder at the Xie mansion was still there, Yu Mingyue felt even more relieved. It seemed things weren't that bad.
"Brother Jiayan," Yu Mingyue hadn't expected Xie Jiayan to be reading in the pavilion. This saved her the trouble of sending word.
Xie Jiayan looked up. Yu Mingyue was just jumping down from halfway up the ladder, her skirt swirling in the air like a blooming flower before she landed steadily.
Her Qinggong had improved. It seemed she wouldn't need the ladder for much longer.
"A gift for Brother Jiayan," Yu Mingyue placed the box in her hands in front of Xie Jiayan.
The smile on the young girl's face was like flowing spring water, with blooming peach blossoms, exuding brightness and vitality.
Seeing that Xie Jiayan didn't seem particularly interested in the gift, Yu Mingyue opened it herself. The scroll was quite long. To spread the entire painting out before Xie Jiayan, she had to lift her arms.
The artwork of Longqiu Jushi appeared before Xie Jiayan, blocking their line of sight. It was as if the light in the room had dimmed.
"Do you like it, Brother Jiayan?" Yu Mingyue peeked out with a smile, looking at Xie Jiayan with anticipation.
"Mm!" Xie Jiayan took the painting from Yu Mingyue's hands and turned it. The view immediately opened up.
Liankong appeared from nowhere, served tea and refreshments, and then quickly disappeared.