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As soon as they did, everyone knew that the Little Prince who stayed at Wangyue Academy to study had also come to Xiangxia Mountain to climb it today. Instantly, there was much whispering and lively discussion.

Compared to the previous cold treatment, the Madams were now much more enthusiastic toward Madam Li, proactively approaching her to chat.

Over by Daohua and Yan Yihuan, the daughters of the families were also cheerfully calling each other sisters.

Witnessing the ladies’ shifting attitudes, Daohua felt both amused and at a loss, while also lamenting the fervent pursuit of fame and fortune that people are so keen on.

Now that they knew her three brothers were following Xiao Yeyang, they couldn’t wait to flock to their side. Their previous disdain toward them disappeared without a trace, as if it had never happened.

With everyone around being overly enthusiastic, Yan Yihuan was a bit flustered. Daohua took her hand to soothe her, “Speak less, observe more. If someone talks to you and you don’t know how to respond, just smile.”

“When mingling with the other ladies, as long as you behave appropriately and don’t breach any etiquette, that’s enough. If you encounter someone whom you get along with or share common interests, feel free to have more interactions.”

Bringing Yan Yihuan out was not meant to keep her restrained by her side forever.

In ancient times, girls didn’t have many opportunities to go out. Since they were out, it was best to seize the opportunity to make a friend or two. Regular correspondence or sending greetings to each other could prevent their life in seclusion from becoming too lonely or boring.

Yan Yihuan listened attentively and etched Daohua’s words into her heart.

Her mother had never said these things to her. Before they went out, her mother’s primary advice was to befriend the daughters of other families, with no mention of how that should be done.

Although she had some interaction with officials’ daughters back in the county, the experience was entirely different from the present.

She remembered that initially, it was those girls who took the initiative to talk to them and make them happy; however, here, even her aunt had been snubbed.

Luckily, she had her elder sister with her. Otherwise, being left out in the cold, she definitely wouldn’t know how to manage.

Now, because of her eldest brother’s appearance, the Madams and young ladies had suddenly become enthusiastic toward them again. She was happy, yet simultaneously unsure how to engage in conversation with them.

Fortunate was she that her elder sister was willing to teach her.

Yan Yihuan covertly observed Daohua, who was talking and laughing comfortably with the other young ladies, her eyes full of gratitude.

Although her elder sister didn’t often play with them, she was truly a kind person.

After finally getting rid of the crowd of girls that had converged upon them, Daohua exhaled, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

She marveled once again how the young ladies of the past were no simpletons; without careful attention, one could easily fall into verbal traps set in their conversations.

Seeing Daohua as if she had repelled a great enemy, Zhou Jingwan chuckled and said in a low voice, “Now you understand how I feel when dealing with other young ladies.”

Daohua shook her head, “It’s different for you. Your family is an ancient aristocratic family with a noble household, which has produced a Grand Secretary and a high-ranking Vice Minister in the Ministry of Personnel. Most people try to ingratiate themselves with you, and they wouldn’t dare to mock or set traps for you in conversation.”

“I’m different. Our family has only my father as an official, and he’s merely a Fifth-rank Prefectural Governor from humble roots, with shallow foundations. Any family here could easily outshine ours in terms of prestige.”

“My three brothers have gained favor with the Little Prince, and most people show warmth to us only superficially. In private, they probably feel more envy than anything. If I’m not constantly vigilant, at best I’ll be ridiculed, at worst, I could bring disaster on myself.”

Zhou Jingwan looked at Daohua with surprise, “Just by chatting with the other girls, you’ve thought about all of this?”

Daohua gave her a sidelong glance, “How could I not think? Our family has no strong ties, and in times of trouble, there’d be no one to turn to. We always have to be careful to steer clear of conflicts. Do you think everyone has a powerful family like yours to rely on?”

Zhou Jingwan retorted, “Who says that if something happens, no one would help? Our family would.”

Upon hearing this, Daohua just smiled, not pursuing the conversation further.

“`

Their family’s relationship with the Zhou Family wasn’t particularly close; at most, her three brothers and the young men of the Zhou Family attended the same academy, sharing some camaraderie between classmates, and she had grown somewhat close to Zhou Jingwan, akin to a bond between sworn sisters.

But these were connections among the younger generation that didn’t involve the adults at all.

How reliable could such a relationship be?

Daohua glanced back at Yan Yihuan, who was speaking softly with the two young ladies, and seeing her respond appropriately, she didn’t interfere any further, pulling Zhou Jingwan along and saying, “Come on, let’s climb a bit faster.”

Below, Madam Zhou watched her daughter and the eldest girl from the Yan Family climb up the mountain hand in hand, her heart filling with a touch of joy.

Thinking of the message sent by her eldest son, her gaze turned complicated as she observed Madam Li, who was chatting effortlessly with the other ladies.

She had not expected the Little Prince to hold the Yan Family in such high regard.

Now, the two younger Yan brothers were already studying and practicing martial arts with the Little Prince. Although they weren’t his reading companions, they were definitely in the same circle.

As long as the Yan brothers were smart enough, they could use this connection to take their family to new heights.

Look, the competition to curry favor with them had just started, and already everyone was flocking to them.

At the same time, she felt deeply emotional that her eldest son had caught the attention of the Little Prince only because he was acquainted with the three Yan brothers, which gave him the opportunity to make contact.

In terms of family background, scholarly knowledge, or demeanor, wasn’t her Zhou Chengye far superior to the Yan brothers in every way?

Forget it, let’s not talk about that. After all, their family had also benefited from the Yan Family.

It was her father-in-law’s exceptional foresight to forge a good relationship with the Yan Family, which hadn’t been a mistake!

Xiangxia Mountain was quite high, and all the ladies and young misses were accustomed to luxury and ease; making them climb to the summit would probably mean they’d have to be carried down afterwards.

Therefore, when they reached halfway up the mountain, Madam Zhou called a halt.

Maple trees blanketed Xiangxia Mountain, and come August and September, the leaves would begin to turn red. Even from halfway up, one could still feast their eyes on the beautiful scenery.

A temple was built halfway up the mountain, and Madam Zhou had already reserved a large courtyard there early in the morning.

At this moment, she was leading the young ladies and misses into the back courtyard of the temple to rest.

“Let’s rest first, and after we’ve recovered, we can go and pay our respects to the Buddha. If anyone gets hungry, you can try the vegetarian dishes here—they’re quite good,” Madam Zhou said with a smile to everyone. Noticing the young misses were getting restless, she added, “The scenery around the temple is also quite pleasant. The abbot is a man of taste; it’s said that he especially arranged a chrysanthemum display for this occasion. It’s a rare chance for you misses to come out, so feel free to look around.”

Upon hearing this, all the young misses were delighted, gathering in small groups and discussing where to go for fun.

“However, when you’re out and about, every miss must be accompanied by someone. Do you understand?” Madam Zhou couldn’t help but remind them once more, not wanting this pleasant outing to end with any unpleasant incidents.

Soon, the young misses left with familiar friends.

Some came to invite Zhou Jingwan and Daohua to join them, but both shook their heads, indicating they wanted to rest a while.

They had no choice, as they had climbed a bit too quickly earlier and were now somewhat tired and needed to slow down.

Seeing the fine sweat on their foreheads and their flushed cheeks, the other young misses didn’t insist and left with a laugh, holding hands.

When one of the young ladies came over to invite Yan Yihuan to see the chrysanthemums, Daohua waved her off, “Go on, just remember to take Wenxiu with you.”

Qian Bilan immediately smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Miss Yan, I’ll take good care of Yihuan.”

“`