The First Jasmine - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The Young Masters of the Xu Family

Outside the main gates of the Ye Manor, two handsome youths alighted from a carriage. The youth in front cast a glance at the head butler waiting to welcome them at the gates, a trace of dissatisfaction flashing through his eyes. He clicked his tongue, turning back to smile at the occupants remaining inside the carriage. "It seems Eldest Brother's prestige isn't quite enough; there is no one here to welcome us."

The youth who alighted after him—who was roughly two years his senior—glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and said, "Did Eldest Brother let you tag along just to put on grand airs?"

The younger youth pulled a mischievous face at his biological brother, utterly unconcerned. "Who cares! This young master only came to see Sister Li."

"Xu Qingyan, mind your etiquette," a flat voice issued from within the carriage.

Xu Qingyan blinked at his brother, complaining in a low whisper, "Second Brother is even fiercer than Eldest Brother."

Xu Qingbai rolled his eyes at him. "Knowing he's fierce, why do you still constantly provoke him?"

Standing to one side, the head butler of the Ye Manor looked with awkward helplessness at the two young masters of the Xu family, who were engrossed in their own conversation. These two gentlemen had clearly treated his earlier invitation to enter the manor as a breeze past their ears, showing absolutely no intention of stepping inside—to say nothing of the remaining gentlemen still seated within the carriage, whom he had not even glimpsed yet. Just as he was hesitating over whether to step forward and extend another invitation, Ye Li’s slightly excited voice drifted out from beyond the main gates behind him: "Is it Fourth Cousin and Fifth Brother?"

Xu Qingbai turned his body to look at the green-robed young lady walking swiftly out from the interior. His gaze shifted from a touch of initial unfamiliarity to a warm smile as Ye Li drew near. "Li'er, I am Fourth Brother. Do you still remember me?"

Ye Li nodded slightly. Among the five sons of the Xu family, Xu Qingbai was the closest to her in age, being only a year older than her. Consequently, he had also been the closest to her during her childhood; back when she resided at the Xu family estate, the two of them had studied and played together. "Fourth Brother..."

"Hehe, Sister Li, I am Qingyan!" Xu Qingyan crowded forward, refusing to be left behind.

Looking at the handsome youth before her, Ye Li pressed her lips together and smiled. "Fifth Brother has grown up, and you truly look quite like Eldest Aunt. When you left the capital back then, Fifth Brother was still a small baby."

Xu Qingyan’s handsome face instantly collapsed. "Sister Li is bullying me."

"Where are Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Cousin... Third Brother?"

The curtain of the carriage behind them was suddenly yanked open, and Xu Qingfeng leapt down from the vehicle, laughing. "Fortunately, Li'er still remembers her Third Brother, otherwise Third Brother would certainly be green with jealousy."

Following closely behind him, two young men emerged from the carriage. They were none other than the eldest young master of the Xu family—hailed as the number one youthful Top Scholar under heaven—Xu Qingchen, and the second young master, Xu Qingze.

"Li'er," Xu Qingchen was dressed entirely in white, his refined and handsome countenance lighting up with a gentle smile upon seeing Ye Li.

In contrast to Xu Qingchen's elegant and pure scholarly air, the nineteen-year-old Xu Qingze possessed a more rigorous and solemn demeanor. At first glance, he gave off a somewhat cold and distant impression, yet Ye Li could similarly feel that the gaze he fixed upon her carried a genial warmth.

"Eldest Brother, Second Brother," Ye Li called out softly. For some unknown reason, her eyes grew slightly stinging and warm. A strange sensation of being overwhelmed and at a loss enveloped Ye Li, who had always considered herself more than capable of handling any situation. Even though the Ye Manor was teeming with sisters, Ye Li had always felt entirely solitary. Yet the sudden appearance of so many brothers by her side made it feel as though she had returned to the days before her mother's passing, when her maternal uncle and grandfather had not yet departed the capital. More than that, it felt as though she had returned to her past life—to that large family that, despite its endless bickering and roughhousing, had always made her feel safe and warm.

Xu Qingchen raised his hand to gently smooth a stray lock of hair beside Ye Li's ear, sighing softly, "Li'er, you have suffered these past years."

Ye Li shook her head repeatedly, yet her throat felt as though it were choked by something, rendering her unable to utter a single word.

"Third Sister, it is far too discourteous to leave our cousins standing at the entrance. We had best invite our cousins and younger cousins inside quickly," Ye Ying stepped forward gracefully, speaking to Ye Li in a gentle and soft tone. Only then did she offer a fluid, elegant bow toward Xu Qingchen. "Ying'er pays her respects to Cousin Qingchen."

To one side, Xu Qingfeng rubbed his nose and slunk behind his second brother. He had visited the Ye Manor countless times, yet the supercilious Ye Ying had never once shown him such polite deference.

Ye Ying’s expression shifted slightly, and she forced a brief smile.

Ye Li quickly suppressed the emotional ripples in her heart, smiling at Xu Qingchen. "It is Li'er who has been discourteous. Eldest Brother, let us head inside. Father and Grandmother are both waiting for my cousins and Fifth Brother."

Xu Qingchen nodded. Beside him, Xu Qingze gestured with his hand, and the waiting servants of the Xu family retrieved the gifts they had brought from the rear carriage, respectfully following behind their masters toward the main gates of the Ye Manor.

Walking beside Xu Qingchen and Xu Qingze, Ye Li inquired softly, "Eldest Brother, are Eldest Uncle and Aunt doing well?"

Xu Qingchen nodded and smiled. "Mother remained behind in Yunzhou. Father is doing well, though he is merely a bit fatigued from the journey. He will be fine after a brief rest."

"Eldest Uncle and my cousins have arrived, yet no one even gave Li'er a word of notice so that I could go out and welcome you," Ye Li grumbled in a low voice.

Walking behind them, Xu Qingfeng let out a great burst of laughter. "You can't blame me for this! It was Eldest Uncle who sent a letter in advance strictly forbidding anyone from coming to receive us. My own father only found out after Eldest Uncle and Eldest Brother had already moved into their private villa in the capital, and he threw quite a massive tantrum over it."

Ye Li also knew that her Eldest Uncle's personality despised those superficial formalities and constraints, so she didn't take it to heart, smiling instead. "Then I shall pay my respects to Eldest Uncle tomorrow. Are Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei doing well?"

"They are all well. Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei are the most loyal to our late Aunt. Their families are also entirely willing to accompany you to the Prince Ding Manor, so Grandfather had their entire households move along as well," Xu Qingze stated.

Ye Li nodded, omitting any superficial words of gratitude. In her heart, she felt an even deeper sense of guilt toward her grandfather; she had never been able to serve at his knees to make him happy, yet she still required him to worry over her affairs at his advanced age.

Xu Qingchen looked down at her, raising his hand to gently pat her shoulder. "Do not overthink things. As long as you live a good and fulfilling life, Grandfather will be happy in his heart."

"I know," Ye Li replied.

Ye Lin and Ye Shan watched the several handsome men walk into the distance with Ye Li at the center, before casting a glance at the dark, sullen expression on Ye Ying's face beside them. Exchanging a mutual look, Ye Lin looked cautiously at Ye Ying and said, "Fourth Sister... those gentlemen... are they Third Sister's cousins?"

Ye Ying snapped her head around, glaring at her venomously. The sheer malice in that expression—something Ye Lin had practically never witnessed before—caused Ye Lin to take an involuntary step backward, nearly colliding with Ye Shan behind her.

Ye Ying let out a cold, disdainful sneer, looking at her with utter contempt. "You had best give up on whatever thoughts you're harboring. The Xu family is a household of what caliber? They would never take a liking to the likes of you!" Finishing her words, she paid no heed to whatever expression Ye Lin might have, turning around to follow the group.

Ye Lin was left stunned by Ye Ying's sharp words, her delicate and youthful face flushing an intense crimson. Realizing what Ye Ying had implied, she felt a wave of profound shame and intense mortification.

Ye Shan looked at her, shaking her head. "Her mood is foul; who told you to go and provoke her? Let's go quickly; if we are late in returning, Grandmother will be displeased."

Ye Lin had never expected that Ye Shan—who had always kept her distance and minded her own business—would actually offer her words of comfort. Seeing that the others had already walked so far ahead that their silhouettes were almost lost to sight, she hastily followed along with Ye Shan.

Inside the Rongle Hall

"This junior, along with my younger brothers, pays respects to the Old Madame, and to... Uncle." Xu Qingchen took the lead in stepping forward to greet Old Madame Ye and Minister Ye, after which the others followed suit to perform their salutations.

Old Madame Ye looked at the five young men standing in the hall. Setting aside how exceptionally handsome, elegant, and refined the long-famed Xu Qingchen was, even the thirteen-year-old Xu Qingyan possessed clear and crisp features, conducting himself with perfect decorum. Even if she was unwilling to admit it, she had no choice but to acknowledge that the Xu family was indeed vastly superior to the Ye family when it came to raising children.

Old Madame Ye's eyes flickered, and she quickly smiled. "We are all one family; let us quickly dispense with these empty formalities. Is your father well?"

Xu Qingchen stood tall and straight, replying with elegant composure, "Father is perfectly well in all aspects. It is merely that the fatigue of the long carriage journey prevented him from coming to visit the Old Madame today. We request your understanding."

Though she knew it was merely polite talk, Old Madame Ye could not say much in response. She merely smiled and said, "The journey is arduous, so he naturally ought to rest well. Rong'er, why haven't you come forward to greet your cousins?"

Ye Rong stood beside Wang-shi. He had originally wanted to say something, but glimpsing his father staring at him with a strict, warning glare, he reluctantly stepped forward. "Rong'er greets his cousins."

Ye Rong was not a person of deep calculation; he couldn't even manage to maintain a decent superficial facade. He disliked Ye Li, so he naturally disliked Ye Li's cousins as well. Consequently, even though he had been warned beforehand by his father and grandmother, he was still entirely unable to conceal his true expressions. Even during his greeting, his posture and movements bore a trace of careless perfunctoriness. Beholding this, Minister Ye's face darkened once more.

Xu Qingyan twitched his lips, turning his head away without uttering a word. At any rate, he was the youngest, so it wasn't his place to speak.

Xu Qingchen, however, acted as though he hadn't noticed Ye Rong's expression at all. His smile remained warm, gentle, and perfectly courteous—even gaining a few measures of an amiable elder brotherly flavor. "Young Master Ye is too polite. I have heard that Young Master Ye possesses excellent literary talent. Qingyan is of the same age as Young Master Ye, yet he is incredibly mischievous. When you have leisure time, there is no harm in visiting each other more often."

In his heart, Xu Qingyan was practically driven to madness. Who wants to visit this idiot?

Yet on the surface, he didn't dare to oppose Xu Qingchen's intentions in the slightest. Forcing a compliant, friendly smile, he said, "Eldest Brother speaks the truth. This younger brother will certainly learn more from Young Master Ye."

Xu Qingchen was highly satisfied with his younger brother's compliance, turning around to have the servants present the gifts prepared for Ye Rong and the rest of the Ye household. Ye Rong instantly developed a favorable impression of Xu Qingchen. Compared to Xu Qingfeng—who always looked at him with critical disapproval, offered nothing but intimidation, and piled on various forms of contempt—the elegant Xu Qingchen, who didn't show the absolute slightest hint of looking down on him, was simply far too likeable.

To one side, Xu Qingyan—who had been forced into making a friend—stepped inconspicuously to Xu Qingbai's side. Stealthily nudging his brother's arm with his elbow, he shot him a highly bewildered look: How could Eldest Brother possibly like this fool?

Xu Qingbai’s gaze remained perfectly upright and righteous as he returned the look: Because he is dumb enough and idiotic enough.

If he weren't an absolute idiot, how could he possibly believe that the mastermind of their family would truly care for any member of the Ye household aside from their maternal cousin? The probability of that was simply lower than Eldest Brother choosing not to make things difficult for Prince Ding.