Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Upon hearing this, Xie Yihua paused slightly with her silver spoon, then rose, a gentle smile befitting a noblewoman, and softly addressed the crowd: "Our household has a tradition of inviting distinguished guests to the Lingyun Pavilion during festivals. Zhixi just mentioned that my elder brother has invited several young masters from the capital to ascend the pavilion for the view. The Lingyun Pavilion is built on an eight-zhang-high bluestone platform. From the pavilion, one can overlook the entire mansion and gaze upon the starry sky of the capital at night. Such a magnificent sight is not to be missed. Why don't we go for a walk together?"

The noble ladies all showed joy upon hearing this.

The languid air of idle chatter that had just been there vanished completely, the jewels at her temples trembled slightly, and her eyes sparkled with joy.

The reason why the girls in the audience were willing to support Xie Yihua was largely because of Xie Jue.

The eldest son of the Xie family is a literary prodigy, a gem among men, and the bright moon hidden in the hearts of all the noble ladies in the capital.

Normally, it's difficult to even catch a glimpse of someone from afar, let alone see them up close. No one would want to miss such a rare opportunity.

Girls of their status are generally not allowed to meet men outside the family, but there are exceptions.

For example, Chu Shaoyuan and Xie Yihua are good friends from generation to generation, and they have known each other since childhood.

For example, today is a holiday.

Young noblemen must be in groups of three or five, and young noblewomen must be accompanied by sisters. No one may be alone, nor may they be out of the sight of their servants. When they meet, they may exchange a few words.

Chu Zhiyin's eyes lit up, and she was the first to smile and reply, "Sister Xie is right! Tonight, with the lanterns and moon shining together, ascending the pavilion will surely be a wonderful experience!"

Everyone agreed, laughing and chatting as they walked hand in hand out of the pavilion.

Jiang Sese was eating fried cakes when she saw everyone get up and was about to move as well, but Xie Yihua gently called out to her, "Cousin Sese, please wait."

Jiang Sese's heart skipped a beat, and she cautiously took two steps back.

Xie Yihua approached slowly, her gentle smile vanishing, and said in a low voice, "Cousin Se Se, you really have some tricks up your sleeve. With just a few bottles of perfume and a wild, unsubstantiated story, you've managed to make everyone look at you differently. Do you really think you can climb over the Xie family to become one of the noble ladies of the capital?"

The group of young men ascended to the top floor of Lingyun Pavilion, stood by the railing, and felt the evening breeze blowing through the pavilion, causing their clothes to flutter.

The glass lamps hanging in the pavilion cast a brilliant light, illuminating the entire Xie Mansion.

In the distance, the upturned eaves are bathed in the silvery moonlight, while nearby pavilions and waterside terraces are shimmering with the light of lanterns. The lotus pond stretches for miles, its green leaves reaching the horizon, and lanterns float on the blue waves, their candlelight forming a galaxy.

A young nobleman leaned on the railing and sighed deeply, praising, "The Xie family's Lingyun Pavilion is indeed the most outstanding in the capital!"

Shen Ziyu leaned against the railing, her gaze sweeping over the people around her, but Xie Yao was nowhere to be seen. She turned to Gu Wenyan beside her and asked, "I just saw the Third Young Master here, how come he's disappeared in the blink of an eye?"

Gu Wenyan turned around and smiled upon hearing this, saying, "Brother Ziyu, you only just realized? Just now, the Third Young Master complained that the evening breeze made his robes damp, so he went to change his clothes. I reckon he should be back in a little while."

As everyone gazed into the distance, marveling at the sights, their eyes all turned toward the Qinfang Pavilion not far away.

From the vermilion pavilion by the lotus pond, a group of noble ladies arrived together, their jade pendants jingling, their robes fluttering, and a fragrant breeze carried by the evening wind to the pavilion.

The soft glow of the lanterns in the pavilion accentuated the graceful figures of the young women, while the two figures standing before the pavilion instantly attracted the attention of all the young men in the room.

Xie Yihua stood to one side, dressed in a light silk dress, her black hair styled into an elegant cloud-like bun, her skin as white as snow, like a fairy treading on water under the moon, aloof and detached from worldly affairs.

Such beauty and grace are rare even in the capital.

But the woman beside her was even more stunning.

The woman's eyebrows and eyes were strikingly beautiful, and her gaze was captivating. She was as radiant as a peach blossom in spring. The lamplight reflected in her eyes, making them shimmer and sparkle. Her skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade in the warm light, even more dazzling than a pond full of blooming lotus flowers, and more alluring than the floating lamplight on the pond.

The young men in the pavilion fell silent, then spoke up one after another: "Whose daughter is this?"

"We have known many prominent young ladies in the capital, but we have never seen anyone like this before. Could he be a distinguished guest from afar?"

But Xie Jue didn't respond to that.

Seeing this, Gu Wenyan smiled awkwardly and didn't dare to ask any further questions.

Chu Shaoyuan stood to one side, his brows furrowed as he looked at Jiang Sese's radiant appearance.

Chen Jingyan's gaze swept over the two people in the pavilion, and when it landed on Jiang Sese, a hint of amazement and amusement flashed in his eyes.

Just then, Xie Yihua seemed to raise his hand to stroke the woman's hair, but somehow he suddenly fell straight down the stone steps below the pavilion!

"not good!"

All the young men in the pavilion looked alarmed and anxious, leaning forward to look down, their hearts in their throats.

Falling from the pavilion like this, with its hard stone steps, could easily result in serious injury, let alone for a delicate noblewoman like Xie Yihua.

Chu Shaoyuan's expression changed drastically. He clenched his fists and rushed out of the pavilion.

At this critical moment, a maid suddenly leaped forward and caught Xie Yihua as she fell, and the two of them crashed onto the stone steps together.

The maidservant cushioned Xie Yihua's fall, taking the brunt of the impact. She groaned, and beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on her forehead.

Upon seeing this, everyone in the pavilion relaxed their tense nerves and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What a clever maid!"

Xie Jue's brows furrowed, his gaze sweeping lightly over the pavilion below before turning to the group of young masters beside him. He said, "Please excuse me, everyone."

Upon hearing this, the crowd was somewhat curious, but dared not disobey him.

Xie Jue, having long held a high position, exuded a profound and imposing aura. Even now, with his tone calm, he commanded respect and commanded respect.

Chen Jingyan gave Xie Jue a deep look, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes, before nodding with a smile: "Young Master, please continue with your business. I'll take my leave now."

Having said that, he turned and left.

Everyone bowed in agreement, then couldn't help but glance down before turning and going downstairs one after another.

The commotion was immense, and coupled with Xie Yihua's earlier exclamation, the group of noble ladies who hadn't gone far turned back instantly. Their footsteps were hurried and chaotic. Led by Chu Zhiyin, the group of noble ladies rushed to the pavilion, all of them pale-faced and uttering words of alarm.

Beside the stone steps, Hongdou had just caught Xie Yihua with her back. She was in so much pain that cold sweat streamed down her forehead, but she still managed to lift her head and asked in a trembling voice, "Fourth Miss, are you alright?"

The fourth young lady is the eldest young master's younger sister and the legitimate daughter of the Xie family; she must not be harmed in the slightest.

Jiang Sese rushed over and had Lü'e help Xie Yihua up, while she went to help Hongdou.

Zhixi and Hongshao realized what was happening and quickly went to help their young lady, while Lü'e retreated in a panic.

Chu Zhiyin glanced at Xie Yihua with a flustered look in her eyes and asked, "Sister Yihua, are you alright?"

Everyone else was also pale-faced, and kept calling for the maid to summon the family physician.

Just then, Xie Yihua suddenly looked at Jiang Sese with teary eyes, her voice soft and aggrieved: "Cousin Sese, I was just having a few private words with you. Even if I said something inappropriate, you shouldn't have pushed me. I've always looked after you because you're all alone in the Xie family, and I never expected to be treated like this in return..."

The noble ladies instantly erupted in uproar.

"What? It was Miss Jiang who pushed him?"

"It doesn't look like it... but Miss Xie wouldn't lie, would she?"

"No wonder she's so calm right now; she's feeling guilty!"

Xie Yujiao was so shocked that her face turned pale. Fearing that Jiang Sese would implicate the second branch of the family, she immediately shouted at Jiang Sese in a shrill voice, "Jiang Sese, how dare you!"

Hongdou turned pale with anger, and immediately said through gritted teeth, "Fifth Miss, I saw it, my young lady did not push anyone."

Xie Yujiao retorted sharply, "You're Jiang Sese's maid, so naturally you'll side with her!"

Jiang Sese reached out and grabbed Hongdou's sleeve, then looked up at Xie Yihua: "Cousin, when did I ever push you?"

Xie Yihua bit her lip and said, "I saw a strand of hair hanging down by your temple and thought I'd help you fix it, but as soon as I reached out my hand, you suddenly pushed me hard..."

This was the self-inflicted injury scheme that Zhixi devised for her.

Xie Yihua originally intended to suffer minor injuries, but he forgot that Hongdou, who was by Jiang Sese's side, knew kung fu.

She wasn't even slightly injured.

However, since Jiang Sese pushed her in full view of everyone, even if she wasn't injured, it would be difficult for Jiang Sese to stay in the Xie family mansion. Her mother and elder brother would not allow such a vicious and ungrateful person to remain in the Xie family mansion!