The servants at the courtyard gate hurriedly bowed when they saw Li Hao, knowing how dearly the First Madam favored this young master.
The bright moon had only just risen, and scattered stars shimmered overhead.
Ornate lanterns had just been lit in the courtyard. Warm light glowed through the gauze-covered windows of the main hall, and merry laughter drifted from within. It seemed everyone had gathered in good cheer.
Uncle Zhao and Qingzhi followed Li Hao to the main hall, then stopped before the steps and stood with their hands lowered. They would wait here until the banquet ended, entering only if summoned.
The Li Family had strict rules, and its servants dared not overstep them lightly.
Inside the main hall.
As soon as Li Hao entered, he spotted an unfamiliar girl who was particularly eye-catching.
She looked about sixteen, at the age of a flower still waiting to bloom.
Yet she was already around five feet seven, her figure graceful, slender, and tall. Her eyes were clear and cool as a frost-covered lake, with a composure others her age lacked.
Li Hao could still faintly discern the pebble-round curves her cheeks had held in childhood. Now that she was growing into a young woman, however, her features had become more delicate and beautiful, like a flower about to unfurl.
She wore an oyster-white dress, pristine and elegant. Tiny crystalline glints shone among the folds of its gauzy skirt, as though crystal flakes had been sewn into it. Although the design was casual and relaxed, it was clearly exceedingly expensive. Paired with the girl's cool, crystalline air, it made her look like a fairy emerging from pale mist.
Clearly, this was Li Wushuang.
Li Hao also noticed the siblings Li Yun and Li Zhining sitting beside this older cousin he