Chapter 115 - Prince
Yu Lin pattered over to find Yu Miao, and just happened to see a woman in a low V-neck dress. He immediately lowered his head to avoid seeing anything indecent, and walked over to Yu Miao while staring at his feet. “They just made ice cream downstairs, do you want to eat?”
“Want!” Yu Miao’s eyes lit up and she ran off, dragging Yu Lin along. She had long wanted to escape from what was just Cheng Xinran showing off her beauty.
The ball would be held at night, and Yu Tang only went to the office in the morning before returning to the small apartment in the afternoon to continue being sappy with his empress.
Song Xiao’s fever went down overnight and didn’t come back, so the two of them ordered hotpot takeout for lunch and ate a nice and warm meal at home. In the evening, Butler Cao came over.
“I’m here to deliver your formal attire.” Butler Cao brought along two assistants, each of whom was holding an outfit.
Butler Cao had ordered these clothes back in A City. As a qualified butler, he had to regularly prepare formal attire for various occasions for his master. Moreover, as a qualified chief butler, Cao Gonggong would naturally prepare two sets when ordering clothes.
The two outfits, one black and one white were identical in design. They imitated the formal attire of an European prince in the regency era, but were altered for a modern style. They looked as casual as modern suits, yet were as elegant as olden day aristocrats, and were very beautiful.
Yu Tang wore the black outfit and didn’t have the elegance of a prince at all – instead, he looked like a monarch who ruled the world. If he was given a scepter, he could probably start a war.
“I’m going, too?” Song Xiao sneezed into a tissue. Successful figures in the upper class circle and the nouveau riche of the business world were invited to the Yu family ball. Logically speaking, he could also receive an invitation, but it seemed that no one had invited him.
“If you don’t go, I’ll have to dance with other girls.” Yu Tang raised his chin and smiled nefariously.
Song Xiao blinked. “Then I’ll infect you with my cold. Whoever comes near you will get one.”
Yu Tang never thought that his empress would say something like that, and he immediately couldn’t help laughing. He hugged Song Xiao and they fell on the bed together. “Zhen is someone who practises martial arts and won’t get sick so easily – it’ll require deeper contact.”
Song Xiao coughed dryly and reached over to push him away. Couldn’t he see that the eyes of the two assistant designers were about to pop out?
These outfits also had outlandish golden cordons which looked too eye-catching. After thinking about it, Song Xiao chose to get rid of these accessories. He didn’t want Yu laoyezi to have an aneurysm the moment he saw the two of them. After getting rid of the cordons, the clothes looked much more normal.
The sun was beginning to set, and the Yu family residence was getting livelier. Dayu’s executives, the capital’s young ladies of note, and aristocratic families whom they had good relationships with all came to flatter the Yu family. Too many aristocratic families had set their eye on Yu Tang, who was a one-in-a-million wealthy son-in-law/husband.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Yu house, Song Xiao took the invitation card Butler Cao offered to him and got out of the car first before slowly walking into the hall.
There were already plenty of people standing around in the hall. There were two rows of fruits and refreshments which they could help themselves to, and a band played relaxing serenades. Men and women dressed in bright and beautiful clothes stood in twos and threes as they held glasses of wine and chatted quietly.
Song Xiao didn’t know many people here, and after greeting a few people whom he had business dealings with, he stood in a corner and sipped on his drink. A hand reached out from behind him to take away the iced lemonade in his hand and switch it out for a cup of hot tea.
Turning his head, he saw that it was Cao Gonggong in his butler suit, and the man smiled amiably as he said, “Your Majesty hasn’t fully recovered, and shouldn’t drink cold drinks.”
Song Xiao blinked and looked at Cao Gonggong, who had popped out of nowhere k2013; for one instant, he thought that Cao Gonggong had evolved into a secret guard. Raising his head, Song Xiao looked at Yu Tang, who was standing not far away next to the family head and going through the social niceties.
As if sensing his gaze, that person looked over as well, then mouthed at Song Xiao, “Be good.”
“You’re here.” The Dayu executives came over, and Yu Taixian smiled and greeted them. Yu Tang turned to look, and saw a few poised and luxuriously dressed aunties next to the board members, and instantly gave a reserved smile.
Yu Taixian was a little unhappy. He had said that they could bring a female companion, but on the contrary, these fellows brought their wives!
The executives pretended not to notice Yu laoyezi’s unhappiness, and smiled as they exchanged the typical greetings. Outsiders might not know, but they themselves were well aware that Yu Tang only liked Song Xiao. Yu Tang usually never approached women at all, and they would be out of their minds to bring their daughters to the Yu house.
Song Xiao saw the meaning behind this and raised the warm teacup to hide his lips as he laughed softly.
“Oh, isn’t it Song Xiao?” A woman’s voice rang out behind him. When Song Xiao turned his head, he saw Cheng Xinran, who was wearing a long dress with small diamonds in it.
“Cheng jie, it’s been a while,” Song Xiao politely replied.
Cheng Xinran gritted her teeth. “No need to call me jie every time, I’m the same age as you.”
“Aiya, you’re clearly older than he is, he’s just being respectful to you.” A girl dressed in a pink evening gown walked out from behind her, smiling as she spoke, and she nodded amicably at the unfamiliar Song Xiao in greeting.
Song Xiao smiled and returned the greeting. His simple, elegant, and gentlemanly smile was a lot more reserved than other men’s, but it also easily gave women a good impression of him.
“I remember that you’re older than Xiao Tang ge by a year ne.” A few other girls also came over.
They were all aristocratic young ladies who admired Yu Tang in the first place but weren’t set on winning him. However, this Cheng Xinran had set herself up as Yu Tang’s fiancee from the start, which annoyed everyone else, so they all came to poke fun at her.
“You’re the producer of ‘Golden Age of Jinghong’, right?” One of the girls recognised Song Xiao.
“Yes.” Song Xiao gave the young lady his business card. Simply printed on the platinum gold-coloured card was a name and a work number.
“Ah, I really like that show. I hear that you’re Qu lao’s grandson – could you help me ask for a piece of calligraphy writing? I want to give it to my grandpa as a gift for New Year.” The young lady who had spoken up at the very beginning spoke earnestly.
When the other young ladies heard this, their eyes brightened as well.
“My grandfather doesn’t do calligraphy often anymore, but if there’s a chance, you can come with me to visit him. If a young girl asks my grandfather for a written character, he will usually agree,” Song Xiao said gently.
“That’s perfect! I hear that the autumn scenery there is especially beautiful.” The young ladies smiled as they spoke, and immediately became closer with Song Xiao, while Cheng Xinran was ignored on the side.
“Can I be your dance partner later?” A bold young lady already couldn’t help but book Song Xiao.
Song Xiao smiled and didn’t say yes or no.
“Sorry, I’d like a word with Chief Song alone.” After waiting for a long while, Cheng Xinran still couldn’t get a word in. The ball was about to start, and they wouldn’t be able to talk then, so she could only interrupt the conversation.
“Who does she think she is? She’s just the niece of the Cheng family head.” The young ladies who were robbed of their handsome conversation partner were a little unhappy.
“I’ll be Xiao Tang ge’s first dance partner later; I definitely won’t give that country bumpkin from A City a chance.” They were all aristocratic young ladies from the capital, and they didn’t have a good relationship with the young ladies from A City.
Song Xiao held his cup of warm tea and walked to a corner with Cheng Xinran.
“I’ve heard of your relationship with Yu Tang.” Cheng Xinran sneered. “I don’t know how you managed to sneak in, but there are countless Yu family bodyguards here. I advise you not to have devious thoughts.”
As she spoke, Cheng Xinran pointed to the bodyguards in black standing behind the pillar and in one corner of the staircase.
Song Xiao nonchalantly glanced upwards, and the great general, standing in the highest position, gave him a silent salute. “Thank you for the reminder.”
Cheng Xinran choked, then took a deep breath. “Song Xiao, the two of us can be considered schoolmates. Do you want to make a deal with me?”
Song Xiao turned his gaze to her.
“You help me marry Yu Tang, and after the marriage, I won’t care what the two of you do; I’ll even help you hide it when necessary. How about it?” Cheng Xinran raised her chin slightly, looking like she was giving him charity.
“Miss Cheng.” Song Xiao smiled and finished the tea in his cup. “I think you’ve got it wrong.”
“My brother absolutely won’t accept concubines.” There was a soft and sticky child’s voice next to their legs. The two of them lowered their heads and saw Yu Lin in a little suit and a tiny bowtie, his hands behind his back. His small head was tilted upwards, and he spoke in a righteous face.
“This kid, how can you say that?” Cheng Xinran covered her mouth and smiled, then reached out to touch his head.
Yu Lin bent his waist to avoid that hand adorned with crystal fingernails, and wrapped his arms around Song Xiao’s thigh.
Song Xiao reached down to pick up the little fellow with practised ease. “Where’s Miaomiao?”
“Ai, Miaomiao has her own social circle now,” Yu Lin said with a world-weary face. “Let us two older brothers go eat ice cream ba.”
Song Xiao laughed despite himself. He couldn’t help wanting to laugh when he saw that tender little face put on an old man’s expression, and he carried Yu Lin over to the ice cream section, leaving a muddled-headed Cheng Xinran behind in the middle of a serenade.
Just now, when Yu Lin no concubines, he was referring to her?
The ball began, and Yu Taixian said a few polite words which boiled down to his intent to hand the Yu family over to his grandson. Today, he would have his grandson get to know everyone, and look for a match in passing.
Everyone clapped very deferentially. Standing next to Yu Taixian, Yu Tang had one hand behind his back, his posture tall and straight and his expression indifferent. He looked just like the prince waiting for his true love in the Cinderella fairy tale.
The surrounding aristocratic young ladies couldn’t help cupping their faces. This scene was just too dreamy. It was just that there wasn’t any Cinderella who would be arriving late to this ball.
“What’s the emperor playing today?” Song Xiao’s lips twitched as he took Yu Lin with him to stand outside the circle.
“Probably ‘Overbearing Chairman’s Runaway Bride’,” Dugu An said as he stood behind them and smacked his lips while eating his ice cream.
Little Theater
‘Searching For The Prince’s Lost Bride’
Fish Tang: Excuse me, is this your glass slipper?
Young Miss A: …No
Fish Tang: Excuse me, is this your glass slipper?
Young Miss B: No!
Fish Tang: The current young ladies are much more honest than in the fairy tales
Young ladies: Idiot, you’re holding a male shoe, how do you expect this laoniang to lie?
Xiaoxiao: …