The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 732: Chapter 733: A Familiar Face

An extremely handsome young gentleman?

Xiao Wu peeked out from Ye Chutang’s arms and blinked.

’Just how handsome? Could he be better-looking than Young Master?’

’That should be impossible.’

Xiao Wu mulled it over secretly. With that thought, she settled back into Ye Chutang’s embrace, reassured.

’She’s already seen the most handsome person in the world, so there’s nothing interesting about this commotion.’

Ye Chutang, however, raised a slight eyebrow at the news. "Oh? Who is it?"

The maid shook her head, covering her mouth as she giggled. "I only heard that he’s an envoy who accompanied the Southern Hu Mission this time. He’s said to be incredibly good-looking! The streets are completely packed now! So many young ladies have rushed out to get a look at him!"

’No wonder it’s so noisy.’

The main reason so many people had gathered was, of course, because of the Southern Hu Mission.

Everyone in the capital knew about the battle at Long City. Nanhu bandits had led the invasion, were subsequently captured, and then escorted back to the Capital City.

The Nanhu were in the wrong, so this trip was to offer a formal apology.

Hearing that they had arrived, everyone was naturally happy to go watch the spectacle.

As for that young gentleman...

Ye Chutang’s heart stirred. She had a faint guess about something and gave an order, "Fortunately, we have nothing else to do today. Let’s make a trip to the tavern."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu immediately perked up.

’To the tavern! We can check on this month’s earnings!’

Countless scholars had gathered in the Capital City, and Yunlai Tavern’s reputation preceded it. Many had gone there this month, drawn by its fame.

Even when it was full, many people still pulled strings just to get a pot of wine for takeout from the tavern.

’So recently... business has indeed been quite good for them.’

After a quick wash and change of clothes, Ye Chutang took Xiao Wu and boarded the carriage heading to Yunlai Tavern.

She did not bring Yan. Among the many scholars who visited Yunlai Tavern, quite a few went specifically for him. Everyone said that the Imperial College had a young genius who was deeply favored by the Lord Sacrificial Officer. He was brilliant, knowledgeable, and well-read, and they all wanted to see him in person.

If Yan went, he would undoubtedly cause another commotion.

So, after some thought, Ye Chutang decided to leave him at home to read by himself.

Once on the street, Ye Chutang noticed that many people were indeed hurrying in the same direction.

Even from a distance, she could hear the low murmur of discussions.

"Hurry! Walk faster! If we’re late, we won’t get to see anything!"

"My goodness, I have to ask, is that envoy from Nanhu really that handsome?"

"Of course! Haven’t you seen how many people have gone? In a little while, he’ll probably go straight into the palace! This is an opportunity not to be missed!"

"Hmph, what’s so great to look at? There’s no shortage of talented young men in our capital! Take the Xie Family’s second young master, for example, or Lord Xu Rongqing of the Hanlin Academy. Which of them doesn’t have first-class looks?"

"If you ask me, when it comes to true, unparalleled beauty, it still has to be the Young Master Heir of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion..."

"Tsk, that man is a god-like figure on earth. Is he someone an ordinary person can even dream of coveting?"

"That’s true..."

Ye Chutang, who heard every single word of this exchange: "..."

’Why does this feel a little off?’

’Why can’t Shen Yanchuan be cove—’

’No!’

’She had almost been led astray by their gossip.’

Ye Chutang shook her head, pushing those words to the back of her mind. But in her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Xiao Wu with her hands on her hips, wrinkling her nose in the direction of the voices outside, a look of indignation on her face.

’Young Master is already taken! Hmph!’

Ye Chutang: "..."

"Second Miss, we’ve arrived."

The carriage stopped outside Yunlai Tavern.

The hour was still early, so not many customers had arrived yet. However, Xue Ran was already busy at the counter, a stack of reservation slips by his hand.

Seeing this, Ye Chutang silently decided to give him double his monthly silver this month.

When Xue Ran heard them arrive, he immediately looked up and came over with a smile.

"Second Miss, Little Miss."

Ye Chutang didn’t visit often. She usually only came at the beginning and end of the month with Xiao Wu to review the accounts, and that was it.

Especially since he had heard that Ye Chutang had even made a trip to the palace yesterday...

Xue Ran carefully looked her over. Seeing that she was safe and sound, he felt much more relieved.

"I’m just stopping by to have a look today. You all carry on with your work," Ye Chutang said as she headed for the second floor. "Oh, and bring the ledgers for Xiao Wu to pass the time."

Xue Ran, long since used to this, immediately agreed.

Xiao Wu skipped and hopped after her.

Ye Chutang reached the private room and pushed open the window.

The clamor of the crowd drifted in again.

The Southern Hu Mission had to pass along this road to get to the palace.

This spot on the second floor was the best viewing platform.

Xue Ran quickly brought tea and the ledgers.

Xiao Wu sat leisurely across from Ye Chutang, her short little legs dangling in the air. Her small hands, however, flipped through the pages quickly. She was engrossed in the thick ledger.

Just as Ye Chutang took the first sip of her tea, the noise from the street below suddenly grew several degrees louder.

"Look! Is that him?!"

Ye Chutang lowered her gaze and looked in that direction.

A procession of carriages was slowly making its way down the street.

Commoners gathered on both sides, packed shoulder to shoulder. Soldiers of the Imperial Army, clad in armor, were lined up on either side, clearing a path.

There were guards protecting the front and back of the carriages.

They wore different clothes from the Imperial Army, and the style of their armor was also different.

More importantly, most of these men were tall and robust, with sharply defined features and light blue eyes.

One look and it was clear they were the Southern Hu people!

The curtains on both sides of the carriages were rolled up, so the crowd could see inside.

Ye Chutang quickly realized who everyone was looking at, because he was truly eye-catching.

In the last carriage, about four or five officials sat together. Among them was one man dressed in indigo brocade, with a slender and upright posture.

What was most striking was his face.

His skin was extremely fair, his nose high-bridged, his lips very thin, and his jawline smooth.

At a glance, one might almost mistake him for an exceptionally delicate and beautiful woman.

Only upon meeting his long, narrow, ice-blue eyes would one be startled into realizing—this was clearly a man!

He had an androgynous appearance, beautiful to an almost bewitching degree!

The moment she saw him, Ye Chutang instantly understood why the crowd had reacted so strongly.

A face like that would indeed be the center of attention anywhere he went.

Xiao Wu also came over, curious.

She too had to look twice before realizing that such features belonged to a man. She couldn’t help but tilt her head, blink, and then turn back to look at Ye Chutang.

After a moment’s thought, she shook her head decisively.

’That person is good-looking, yes, but compared to the incomparably handsome and celestial Young Master, he’s still a notch below.’

’And if he were a woman... he couldn’t even be compared to Big Sister!’

’Yup!’

With this thought, Xiao Wu quickly lost interest and sat back in her spot.

Just then, the man seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up.

Ye Chutang didn’t flinch or look away, and their eyes met.

Suddenly, a very strange feeling washed over Ye Chutang.

’This face... why does it seem a little familiar?’