After speaking, Fan Zhu Xia promptly ignored Fan Li Jie and continued drinking wine and acted as if there wasn't anyone sitting beside her.
A subtle smirk played at her lips as she felt the increasingly sour gaze of the man beside her making it hard for her to keep the amusement out of her face so she resorted to downing gulp after gulp of the wine straight from the jug.
For the first time, Fan Li Jie lost his patience and snapped, "Are you seriously going to keep ignoring me?"
Sparing him a glance, Fan Zhu Xia cocked her head to the side and looked at him from head to toe before she innocently drawled using a sickly sweet voice filled with amusement, "Father told me not to talk to strangers."
Feeling ticked, Fan Li Jie returned her look with a glare before spitting out, "Fine! My name is Fan Li Jie. Now you are?"
Stiffling a giggle despite Fan Li Jie staring daggers at her, Fan Zhu Xia flashed him a bright smile before inclining her head and answering, "This lady's given name is Zhu Xia. It is an honor to meet Young Master Fan."
"Likewise." Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Fan Li Jie noticed that despite her teasing demeanor earlier, Zhu Xia seemed completely sincere in her reply.
"Then may this young master ask how to address the young miss?"
"Senior can call this junior Xia'er if senior does not mind doing away with the formalities."
"That is fine with me if Xia'er calls me Big Brother. After all, I heard we were cousins."
Hearing his words, Fan Zhu Xia's eyes lit up with surprise and her mouth formed a small "O" as she looked at him as if he just gave her the greatest gift she could ever have.
It made her already blushing face, look all the more endearing and adorable, with her big light blue eyes glittering like translucent, clear spring water, looking like an innocent fairy was beaming right at him.
It was a huge contrast to her previous coquettish behavior that it left Fan Li Jie dumbfounded that he had to take a moment to collect himself.
Completely oblivious to the effect of her smile, Fan Zhu Xia excitedly grabbed his hands and asked, "Really?"
"Uhh, yes yes... Really." Fan Li Jie hastily replied with an awkward smile.
Laughing happily, Fan Zhu Xia suddenly pounced on him and hugged him tightly, leaving him flabbergasted while she just giggled delightedly.
Meanwhile, Fan Hui Zhong and Fan Hui Liang had already finished talking and was just about to go on their way to find Fan Zhu Xia when they ran into a servant who told them that Fan Hui Liang's youngest son, Fan Xian Liang just got back and was waiting for them to finish talking and was just outside Na Huan Pavillion.
Seeing them approach, Fan Xian Liang quickly straightened up and gave them a respectful bow while greeting.
"Xian'er greets Father and Lei Wangye!"
With a snort and a shake of his head, Fan Hui Zhong said, "Cut the crap with that 'wangye'... Just call me uncle you little brat!"
"That's right. You know how much your Uncle Zhong hates formalities." Fan Hui Liang added with a laugh.
Smiling sheepishly, Fan Xian Liang corrected himself and promptly apologized while scratching his head slightly.
"Sorry Uncle. I was just a bit surprised when I heard you were back."
"That's fine." Hui Zhong said in dismissal while looking at Xian Liang intensely which made Xian Liang feel slightly uncomfortable while his father just looked on curiously.
"Is there anything wrong Uncle Zhong?"
"Hmm, answer me this boy, did you camp a few miles away outside of the city walls last night?"
Startled, Fan Xian Liang unconsciously nodded as he answered, "Yes I did. I was actually with a group that accompanied the crown prince."
"Is that so?"
"Yes Uncle... Why did you ask?"
"Your presence feels familiar to the ones we encountered yesterday night."
Confused, Fan Xian Liang thought about who they could've encountered yesterday when his eyes widened in realization as he remembered that there was only one group that they encountered and that was made up of only two people.
"Yesterday? Wait, were you the cloaked man with the young lady in red?!"
"Ahh, so you were the ones watching us! Small world..." Hui Zhong musingly replied with a wry smile.
"Then Uncle, where's the young lady you were with?"
Lifting an eyebrow in question, Fan Hui Zhong decided not to ask why his nephew, Xian Liang was asking and instead answered, "Your Father and I are on our way to find her now."
Glancing at Hui Liang who nodded in answer to Hui Zhong unspoken question, Hui Liang then spoke, "From what the servants had told me, she should be at the pergola by the lotus pond behind the fake mountains."
"There's a pergola there?" Fan Hui Zhong inquired curiously as they started walking with his brother leading them.
"Yes Brother. It was newly built, Rou Xiang discovered a new breed of flowery vines and wanted somewhere to plant and showcase it so we had the pergola built." Fan Hui Liang said in reply, his voice softening a little as he talked about his wife.
"Ahh... Little Rou still likes growing flowers then? How is my sister-in-law?"
"She is doing quite well Brother! Rou'er is just over at the palace right now and is visiting the empress."
"Good, good."
Just when Fan Hui Zhong was going to speak again, Fan Hui Liang suddenly halted in his tracks as soon as they passed the fake mountains and his gaze was locked at the pergola in front of them with his mouth slightly hung open with a dumbfounded expression.
Following his gaze, both Fan Hui Zhong's and Fan Xian Liang's eyes couldn't help but widen in shock at the sight in front of them.
Right in the middle of the pergola, surrounded by blooming flowers and scattered wine jugs were two people on a long couch with a man in dark emerald robes reclining halfway with a woman clad in crimson robes practically sprawling on top of him as she hugged him tightly with her face buried on his chest while he softly stroked her hair with a subtle yet slightly visible smile on his usually stoic face.
Snapping out of his daze, Fan Hui Zhong loudly called out in a voice still filled with shock, "Xia'er?!"
In response to his call, Fan Zhu Xia's body visibly stiffened before she burrowed her face deeper into Fan Li Jie's chest and clung to him tighter, deliberately ignoring her father's voice and sensing her distress, Fan Li Jie gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and made comforting noises.
Her actions sent a pang of pain through Fan Hui Zhong and made him feel even more ashamed while Fan Hui Liang looked at them guiltily as they saw how much hurt Fan Zhu Xia felt because of what happened earlier.
During all this, all of them forgot the presence of the newly arrived Fan Xian Liang who was looking at the scene with incredibly shocked and bewildered eyes.
Seeing both his father and uncle looking lost and filled with regret is already confusing to him but seeing his usually cold and aloof brother who hates body contact with the opposite gender and could only tolerate their mother, holding, no, embracing a young lady in his arms protectively while gently whispering words of comfort was beyond anything his imagination could have conjured!
Gathering his wits, Fan Xian Liang couldn't help but look to his father and open his mouth to ask, "What's happening?"