"Who did you say came back?" Ms. Wang excitedly stopped in her tracks.
Luo Linhao looked at her strangely, and said, "My cousin has returned, I saw the carriage."
As his words fell, they indeed heard the sound of horses’ hooves.
Ms. Wang’s face was full of joy, followed by Old Yang and Yang Chuxia who had come out upon hearing the commotion. Yang Dachuan was nowhere to be seen, as he had gone to help with the first branch of the family.
In a blink of an eye, the carriage arrived before them. Fugui and Qingyou, the coachmen, got off the carriage first, followed by Ye Zi’an stepping out from the carriage.
Dressed in a plain white robe, with a pair of cloth boots and an ordinary white jade hairpin, his entire outfit was so ordinary, yet his noble demeanor was undeniable.
Brother An got off the carriage, and seeing Ms. Wang’s excitement and concern on her face, he quickly took a step forward.
"My dear child, you’re finally back. I was just thinking about you."
"I’m sorry for worrying you."
"It’s good that you’re back." Ms. Wang handed the kitchen knife to an old lady beside her and seemed to have no intention of going to the first branch of the family. "Quickly, come inside. Granny Lan, prepare some hot water for Brother An to wash up. Xiu’er, get some food ready. This child has gotten thinner."
Ye Zi’an was touched by Ms. Wang’s continuous instructions.
However, when his gaze fell upon Yang Chuxia, he thought to himself that Xiaxia had grown taller, her face slightly smaller, and even prettier.
Seeing him look over, Yang Chuxia winked at him.
However, her winking caught the attention of Ms. Wang who had just turned her head.
Well, that made Ms. Wang somewhat awkward. She thought to herself that she was really regressing, interrupting the two children’s conversation.
Therefore, she cleared her throat and said, "Xiaxia, you accompany Brother An and chat. I’ll go to the harem to prepare some of Brother An’s favorite dishes."
"..." Yang Chuxia was speechless, looking at her mother treating Brother An like a guest, even asking her to accompany him in conversation.
After entering the room, the servants left first. After chatting with Brother An for a short while, Old Yang also left. For a moment, only Yang Chuxia and Ye Zi’an were left in the room.
Seeing that no one was around, Ye Zi’an extended his arms towards Yang Chuxia with a gentle smile.
"Brother An!" Yang Chuxia was not shy. Having not seen him for more than a month, she missed him dearly. Seeing Ye Zi’an’s affectionate appearance, she didn’t care if someone might enter the room and see them. She took his hand and directly leaped into his embrace, tightly clinging onto his neck.
"Xiaxia is really enthusiastic!" Ye Zi’an hugged Yang Chuxia tightly, and the words he had been thinking of saying unconsciously slipped out of his mouth. He laughed softly, "Did Xiaxia miss me?"
"Yes, yes, I missed you."
Her honest words instantly pleased Ye Zi’an, making him laugh again. He then slowly said, "I missed Xiaxia too, very much, very much, very much..."
"If you missed me, you should have come back earlier." Yang Chuxia raised her head, acting willful and playful, even stepping on Ye Zi’an’s foot.
Ye Zi’an winced in pain but didn’t say anything, continuing to smile, "I was waiting for the results for a few days, so I returned late. Auntie and Uncle were anxious for so many days; I had to bring back some reassurance for them."
"Is that so?" Yang Chuxia glanced at him, "So, did you pass the exam?"
"What do you think, Xiaxia?" His tone was light, yet carried a hint of confidence.
Seeing him , Yang Chuxia knew that he must have passed.