Chapter 654

Chapter Fifteen: The Three Little Ones—Niannian 15

A young girl in a goose-yellow dress stepped out from behind him.

Niannian frowned. She didn’t know the girl before her.

For some reason, she instinctively felt no goodwill toward her.

Niannian merely nodded at the newcomer and said nothing more.

That was simply how Niannian was. She maintained basic courtesy toward people she disliked, but she would never go out of her way to please them.

“Taotao, this is my cousin,” Li Mingyue said happily, introducing the two of them.

“So you’re Mingyue’s cousin. I’ve often heard Mingyue mention that she has a beautiful cousin. Now that I’ve met you, I can see that you really are lovely.” Xiao Tao looked at Niannian ingratiatingly, showering her with compliments.

Li Mingyue frowned from the side. She had never mentioned her cousin Niannian to Xiao Tao.

However, with Niannian and her father present, she had her suspicions but didn’t ask about them.

“Niannian, I’ll go find your aunt and ask her to prepare some of your favorite dishes. You girls must have plenty to talk about, so I won’t stay here and get in your way.” Li Tingzhou smiled as he finished speaking, then left.

“Mingyue, your father is so kind to your cousin,” Xiao Tao remarked. She quickly covered her mouth and added, looking somewhat embarrassed, “Mingyue, don’t take it to heart. I’m just blunt. I’m only envious that your uncle treats your cousin like his own daughter. Unlike my uncle—every time he sees me, it’s as though he’s looking at an enemy.”

As she spoke, Xiao Tao put on a sorrowful expression.

Listening from the side, Niannian felt that something about her words was very wrong.

Her uncle doted on her. How had he offended Xiao Tao?

“Miss Xiao, is there anything else?” Niannian asked, frowning as she looked at her. Her tone was rather unfriendly.

“Huh?” Xiao Tao hadn’t expected Niannian to ask her that so suddenly.

If she had spoken those words to Li Mingyue instead, Mingyue would surely have felt sorry for her and invited her to stay for dinner.

Although the Xiao family was fairly well-off, they were nowhere near the level of the Li family. The Li family’s meals were excellent—so good that even having enough money might not guarantee a meal like it at Qingyu House.

Thinking of this, Xiao Tao couldn’t understand why Li Mingyue’s cousin was so guarded against her.

She had no idea of Niannian’s true identity.

She assumed that the Li family was merely a family of merchants, and that their cousin probably came from an ordinary merchant household as well.

At least her own father was a sixth-rank official.

“Cousin…” Although Li Mingyue felt that something was a little strange, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with Niannian asking Xiao Tao to leave. Still, she couldn’t help feeling that it was somewhat inappropriate.

“Mingyue, since your cousin doesn’t like having me here, I’ll leave. Mingyue, I’ll come visit you another time!” Xiao Tao spoke as though she had been bullied. She took one step after another toward the door, turning back repeatedly as she waited for Li Mingyue to stop her.

However, she was almost at the entrance before anyone came to ask her to stay.

At that point, Xiao Tao understood perfectly well: Li Mingyue had no intention of keeping her for dinner.

With no choice, Xiao Tao left the Li residence, unwilling and resentful.

“Cousin, are you upset? Don’t take it to heart. Taotao didn’t mean any harm,” Li Mingyue said hurriedly, trying to soothe Niannian when she noticed her displeasure.

“Mingyue, I’m not being overly suspicious. That Xiao Tao has ulterior motives. Don’t get too close to her. Be careful, or she may sell you out one day.”

Looking at Li Mingyue’s innocent face, Niannian couldn’t help warning her.

“Cousin, you don’t understand Taotao. She isn’t a bad person.” Li Mingyue felt that this was all because Niannian didn’t know Xiao Tao well enough.

Niannian didn’t know how to explain Xiao Tao’s problems to Li Mingyue.

After all, she couldn’t even sort out her own relationship with the First Prince. What right did she have to teach Li Mingyue how to judge people?

“Cousin, now that you’ve returned to the capital, you aren’t planning to leave again, are you?” Li Mingyue asked expectantly, taking Niannian’s hand.

When they were little, the two of them had often played together. Later, Niannian went to Jiangnan, and they saw each other less and less.

Still, the two girls were close in age, and they had been very close as children.

At first, they had been a little awkward with each other, but now they had unconsciously grown close again, as though they had returned to their childhood days.

“Once my elder brother’s affairs in the capital are settled, I’ll probably still have to return to Jiangnan,” Niannian replied after thinking for a moment. Once her parents returned to the capital, they would likely leave together as well.

“Will Auntie be coming back too?” Li Mingyue asked excitedly when she learned that Li Zhiwei would be returning to the capital. She adored her aunt more than anyone.

Li Zhiwei had always doted on her.

“Yes. How about I take you to the Grand Princess’s residence tomorrow?”

Niannian wanted to meet Gu Nuonuo, her future sister-in-law.

“Cousin, you’re going to see the Grand Princess?” Li Mingyue asked. She remembered that Eldest Miss Gu seemed to be hosting a flower-viewing banquet at the residence tomorrow, and she had received an invitation as well.

“I’d like to meet the Gu family’s eldest daughter,” Niannian said with a smile.

“Then I’ll have to take you there tomorrow, Cousin. Eldest Miss Gu is hosting a flower-viewing banquet at the residence, so we can go together.” Li Mingyue had originally had no interest in attending flower-viewing banquets hosted by the homes of high-ranking officials and nobles. But if Niannian was going, she would accompany her.

“What a coincidence. Then I’ll trouble you to take me to the Gu residence, Cousin.”

The two sisters laughed after making their plans.

Niannian didn’t return to the Prince An’s residence that day. Instead, she changed her clothes at the Li residence and planned to go out with Li Mingyue.

The residence had always kept a courtyard for her, along with the latest fashions in clothing and jewelry.

“Oh, these things have finally met their owner at last.” Wen Xiu looked at Niannian, who had finally put on the clothes and jewelry she had prepared, and sighed dramatically.

“Auntie, do I look pretty?” Niannian asked happily, twirling in a circle.

“Pretty, absolutely gorgeous.” Wen Xiu covered her mouth and giggled.

The outfit she had chosen made Niannian look even more beautiful, and Wen Xiu was thoroughly pleased.

“Mother, why do I feel as though Cousin looks more like your real daughter? You treat her much better than you treat me.” Li Mingyue stood to the side, pouting unhappily.

“You ungrateful little thing. I only praised your sister once, and you’re already upset?” Wen Xiu couldn’t help laughing at her daughter’s jealous expression.

“Hehe.” Li Mingyue flashed a mischievous smile. She knew perfectly well that she was only teasing.

Her parents treated Cousin Niannian so well because Li Zhiwei and her husband had always been wonderful to them in return.

The moment the two girls stepped out of the Li residence, they saw Xiao Tao, who had been waiting outside since early that morning.

“Mingyue, you’re finally out!” Xiao Tao exclaimed excitedly as she hurried over.

She had been worried that Li Mingyue might refuse to attend the flower-viewing banquet at the Grand Princess’s residence.

She had already made inquiries. Several young masters from the Grand Princess’s household were still unmarried. If she had a chance to meet them, it would be an opportunity not to be missed.