Interested

Although Fu Yunkai was preoccupied with his own thoughts, he still mustered his spirits and smiled at Xiao Lingpu, saying, "The Fifth Highness went to Jiangnan and seems to have grown up all of a sudden. He speaks and acts much more maturely and doesn't cling to His Highness anymore."

He sighed, "If only Yunlang could be like the Fifth Highness."

Xiao Lingpu remained silent, his expression seemingly rather unpleasant.

Seeing this, Fu Yunkai dared not speak.

He knew why Xiao Lingpu was unhappy when he brought this up.

Because they were born of the same mother, the two brothers, Xiao Lingpu and Xiao Lingyan, always had a very good relationship. When Xiao Lingpu built his villa, Xiao Lingyan also built one next to it. However, he was young at the time and liked being around people, so he found it boring to be alone there. Even when he left the palace, he would follow Xiao Lingpu around like a little tail and rarely went to his own villa.

But lately, things have been a bit unusual. Since leaving the palace, Xiao Lingyan has preferred to stay in his own villa and hasn't come to Xiao Lingpu much anymore.

According to him, he's grown up and needs his own space. After his second brother gets married, he can't always cling to him anymore and will have to find his own ways to have fun. So he might as well get used to it now.

Xiao Lingpu should have been Gao Xing that his younger brother had grown up. But Xiao Lingyan seemed to have suddenly become distant, which always worried Xiao Lingpu. Moreover, he felt a little uncomfortable and strange, as if his younger brother had changed a lot.

Xiao Fuzi went to the neighboring courtyard and found that the Fifth Prince was indeed there. In addition to the Fifth Prince, Cen Song from the Cen Family was also present.

When he went in, the Fifth Prince was holding some papers and looking at them carefully, one by one.

The eunuch who led him in, seeing this, dared not utter a sound and stood quietly to the side waiting.

"Your Highness, is there a problem?" Cen Song, feeling uneasy as he saw Xiao Lingyan frowning and looking serious.

At this moment, the eunuch who had led Xiao Fuzi inside quickly interjected, "Fifth Highness, Xiao Fuzi has arrived."

Xiao Lingyan turned his gaze and saw Xiao Fuzi standing there.

When Xiao Fuzi saw him looking over, she quickly bowed and said, "Fifth Highness, the Second Highness is asking you something. Dinner is about to start over over there. Are you and Young Master Cen going to eat together?"

Xiao Lingyan remained silent.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Tell my second brother that I need to speak with my cousin for a bit, and I'll be there in about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Tell them to eat first and not to wait for us."

"Yes, Your Highness." Xiao Fuzi bowed and withdrew.

Xiao Lingyan then turned around, raised the sketch in his hand, and looked at Cen Song: "Tell me everything about that Miss Zhao, down to the smallest detail."

Cen Song scratched his head, wondering if the Fifth Prince had suddenly become interested in this style of painting because of the trouble caused by Fu Yunlang.

Although the Fifth Prince was his cousin and the two had known each other since childhood, the other was, after all, a member of the royal family, and he couldn't lie to Xiao Lingyan. Besides, Xiao Lingyan was only asking him for convenience. If he needed to know something, he could simply order the Imperial Guards to investigate, and they would know everything.

Although Xiao Lingyan is not yet sixteen years old, young, and has not yet established his own residence or commanded his own people, a prince is a prince. His abilities and shrewdness are far beyond what these people can match.

So he didn't hide anything and told Xiao Lingyan everything he knew.

Actually, he didn't know much about Zhao Ruxi, only some general information, most of which he had heard from others. But Xiao Lingyan listened with great interest, occasionally asking a few questions.

Just as Cen Song finished speaking, a servant came to report, "Your Highness, Young Master Cen, the Second Highness and Young General Fu have arrived."

Xiao Lingyan reluctantly shut his mouth and stood up. Just then, Xiao Lingpu and Fu Yunkai walked in.

"What are you saying? You're not even eating?" Xiao Lingpu asked, frowning.

As he spoke, he walked to the table, picked up a sketch from it, glanced at it, and asked, "What is this?"

"I'm very interested in Cousin Song's paintings, and I'm currently asking him about them." Xiao Lingyan sat back down.

Fu Yunkai also picked it up and looked at it. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he asked Cen Song, "Young Master Cen, where did you learn to paint this? Why is it different from the paintings we usually see?"

Cen Song was somewhat embarrassed.

While at the Beining Painting Academy, he overheard Kang Shilin and Wu Zong talking in unison about the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence's family seizing the estate, and they even said that the painting class would be canceled. Kang Shilin hadn't allowed them to talk about Zhao Ruxi teaching them to paint outside. Now that this had happened, he felt even more uncomfortable telling Fu Yunkai.

But he couldn't lie, so he could only vaguely reply, "Someone who's very good at drawing."

Fu Yunkai glanced at him, frowned, and said nothing.

Xiao Lingyan had observed all of this, and suddenly asked, "Yunkai is also interested in paintings?"

Fu Yunkai smiled and waved his hand, "I'm just a rough man, how would I know anything about painting? But this painting method is different from the usual one, so I'm asking."

Cen Song they would ask more questions, Cen Song quickly rolled up the painting and put it into the painting tube, saying, "Let's eat quickly, I'm so hungry."

He returned from Beining and was summoned by Xiao Lingyan as soon as he entered the house. He hadn't even had a snack and was starving.

So the group went to Xiao Lingpu's villa for a meal.

Fu Yunkai came to see Xiao Lingpu hoping he could give him advice on his marriage.

But after Cen Song and Xiao Lingyan that question, he suddenly realized that he was somewhat different from Fifth Miss Zhao.

Although the Earl of Suiping's Residence has declined, Zhao Ruxi's status has changed completely since she became the disciple of Master Mister Kumu. If the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince feel that he is not a good match for Fifth Miss Zhao, what should he do? Should he propose marriage despite the two princes' objections, or should he give up the idea to save face for the two princes? Either way, it would be disadvantageous for him.

Now that Cen Song is studying painting with Fifth Miss Zhao and seems to have a deep connection with her, he's probably even less inclined to approve of this marriage. If he were to go and say something to Mister Kumu, his marriage would likely be completely ruined.

After much deliberation, Fu Yunkai decided to keep quiet and wait until tomorrow to find an official matchmaker to propose marriage directly to the Earl of Suiping's Residence.

Fu Yunkai was preoccupied and didn't speak much, and the other three also seemed to have no desire to talk. Even though there was no rule of not speaking while eating in this courtyard, everyone ate the meal in silence.

After finishing their meal, Fu Yunkai and Cen Song took their leave. Xiao Lingyan also planned to return to the palace, but was stopped by Xiao Lingpu.

"Did something happen when you went to Jiangnan? You come back like a completely different person," Xiao Lingpu asked.

Previously, Xiao Lingyan was very attached to him, and the neighboring courtyard was basically empty. Such behavior—leaving the palace and going directly to the neighboring courtyard instead of coming to his place—had never happened before.

But ever since Xiao Lingyan returned from Jiangnan, things have changed. He no longer follows Xiao Lingpu. He's either studying with his teacher in the palace or staying in the neighboring courtyard. He's also studying more diligently than before, as if he's grown up overnight.