In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

But she still obediently stood there and let her pet her.

Then she took the small bamboo tube from its feet. It was ingeniously crafted with a waterproof and theft-proof active destruction device. She opened the bamboo tube using a special method.

The hand that was opening the paper hesitated uneasily for a moment.

She glanced at Cui Yutang, who was clinging to her, and nudged him: "Go get some food for it from the second shelf; it must be hungry."

"Okay." Cui Yutang turned and left without hesitation.

She eagerly opened the note, only to find it read: "I have seen the portrait. My dear daughter has excellent taste. I agree."

She was overjoyed instantly.

If her mother were here, she would definitely give her a big, sweet kiss.

When Cui Yutang turned around, he saw her face sparkling with joy.

"What's making you so happy?"

Xie Yige quickly composed herself—was her appearance inappropriate? No, she needed to be more reserved.

She spoke very softly: "It's a letter from my parents."

Cui Yutang's heart jumped instantly.

"They—agreed." Xie Yige's eyes sparkled.

"Really? Yige, is it true?" He excitedly hugged her waist and spun her around in the room. Their long, flowing hair tangled, collided, and flew in the air, like a flowing painting.

"Cui Yutang, put me down right now!"

The gyrfalcon stared at them in disbelief—where was my food?

"Yige, I will invite the Duchess of Yan to come with a goose tomorrow to formally propose marriage." His eyes shone as if they contained a vast galaxy.

Xie Yige blushed. "I promised Xie Wan Ning, the wife of the Xie family of Chenjun, that I would attend their Spring Festival Banquet tomorrow," she said softly, her voice lacking confidence.

"You can go as usual." He smiled and pinched her cheek. "I'll go see your brother and sister-in-law; it won't make a difference."

"Mmm." Xie Yige nodded, a shy smile involuntarily appearing on her lips.

"I wish I could marry you tomorrow." His voice was very low, carrying a dangerous undertone.

"You wish!" Xie Yige slapped him, her face flushed. "If you don't leave, my brother will come and kick you out."

She hugged him and pushed him out.

"Hehe, hehe!" Don't go! My food is still in his hands!

The gyrfalcon was stamping its feet anxiously on the windowsill, but no one paid any attention to it.

After Cui Yutang left, Xie Yige couldn't wait to hand the note in her hand to Zhou Xuan'an.

"My mother sent it." Her eyes held a mixture of pride and shyness.

Zhou Xuan'an opened the note; it was indeed his mother's handwriting. He suppressed the urge to smile.

"How come you received a message from your mother in just three days?" he asked, puzzled.

"Of course, we asked Yu Xiaoshan to help."

"No wonder you were in such a hurry to find him that day." Zhou Xuan'an was speechless. "I've never seen a girl as eager as you."

"He said he's coming to formally propose marriage tomorrow," Xie Yige said, hands on her hips, threateningly. "You're not allowed to bully him."

Zhou Xuan'an reached out and tapped her on the head: "I know, go back to sleep and don't bother your sister-in-law here."

She's not even married yet, but she's already siding with outsiders. It's so annoying!

Xie Yige stuck out her tongue playfully and then slipped away.

She was in a state of turmoil all night, tossing and turning, and was still in a daze on the way to the Xie residence.

I don't even know what Bichun dressed me up like this morning. I only remember Bichun working on my head for a long time, applying all sorts of things to my face.

It wasn't until Bichun gently nudged her that she said, "Miss, we've arrived."

She lifted the car curtain, peeked out, and instantly became fully awake.

The Xie clan of Chen Commandery flourished during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and was once known as "Wang Xie" alongside the Wang clan of Langya. They were the top aristocratic families during the Southern Dynasties.

Although it is gradually declining now, its cultural prestige remains, and it enjoys a very high reputation among scholars. At a spring banquet, almost half of the imperial relatives, nobles, and famous figures from the capital came together.

Xie Yige was genuinely startled when her carriage arrived at the door.

A large number of carriages and horses gathered in front of the gate, with a long line of carriages from each family and servants coming and going.

There were more than ten attendants at the entrance, all of whom were well-dressed and well-trained.

She took a deep breath and, with Bichun's help, got out of the car.

As soon as they stood still, an elderly woman dressed in fine clothes and with elaborate headdress came forward to curtsy and greet them. It was clear at a glance that she held a high position in the Xie household.

"Miss Xie, please come with me. I am the nanny by the Madam's side, and I was specially arranged to come and fetch you."

Xie Yige smiled reservedly, and Bichun and Zhixia quickly flanked her, saying, "This is my first time here, and I'm unfamiliar with the rules. Please forgive me, Madam. Do you have any tokens of your respect?"

A hint of approval flashed in the woman's eyes—she seemed to be very well-mannered and highly vigilant.

"Please wait in the flower hall for a moment. I will ask Miss Wan Ning to come in person."

He then led her into the banquet hall and sat her down.

By this time, quite a few people had arrived. Ladies of noble families and daughters of high-ranking officials arrived one after another, filling the hall with the fragrance of fine clothes and the shimmering light of their hair.

Many women followed the fashion trend, all wearing high buns and cloud-like hair, with plum blossoms and jade ornaments lightly placed on their foreheads. They slowly waved round fans between their fingertips, sitting in groups of two or three, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.

As soon as Xie Yige entered, everyone's gaze swept over her, seemingly casually. Her bright, captivating eyes were truly striking, and paired with her soft, adorable face, she was both innocent and alluring, a truly pleasing sight.

"Which noble family's daughter is she?"

"I don't think I've seen it before."

Whispers rose like a tide in the flower hall.

Xie Yige lowered her eyes, pretending not to hear, and picked up the teacup in front of her and took a small sip.

Just then, a servant suddenly announced loudly from outside: "The old lady of the Cui family from Qinghe has arrived—"

Xie Yige panicked and stood up abruptly.

Suddenly, a group of people emerged from the back hall of the banquet hall. In the center was an elderly woman with white hair, dressed in a deep purple wide-sleeved, button-down robe, surrounded by a crowd, her steps steady. She led the group to the entrance to greet them, among them Xie Wan Ning.

As Xie Wanning walked forward, she didn't forget to turn back and wink at her.

Madam Wang, the matriarch of the Cui family of Qinghe, was dressed in a dark blue brocade robe and a crown with nine flower hairpins. Her demeanor was dignified and serene, which was the standard attire of a first-rank noblewoman.

Her arrival was sudden. Although the old lady of the Xie family of Chen County, Madam Du, was surprised, she was very polite. The other noble ladies and ladies present also stood up and curtsied when they saw her.

The majesty of the most prestigious family in the Tang Dynasty was fully displayed.

Wang stepped forward, took Du's hand, and said with emotion, "Ruyun, we haven't seen each other for so many years. I missed you, so I came to see you."

These words brought tears to Mrs. Du's eyes.

They were close friends when they were young. After Wang got married, she lived in Qinghe for a long time and for some reason did not want to return to the capital. The two had not seen each other for decades.

The two women helped each other into the inner hall, and only then did everyone present relax.

Xie Yige breathed a huge sigh of relief.

How terrifying. I wish I hadn't come today.

But her joy was short-lived, as Xie Wanning came out and caught her.

"Yige, let's go. Grandmother invites you inside."