After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

Qin Jingyu, also dressed in a silver robe, stood out in the crowd. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, forming an extremely gentle smile.

His little girl has grown up.

As the blessings were read aloud on stage, Ye Yaoyao, accompanied by her parents, came to the center to receive everyone's blessings.

They could see Qin Jingyu, the center of attention, at a glance. Their gazes met in the air, as if time stood still at that moment.

Deep within Ye Yaoyao's memory, scenes from her past life flooded back like a tide. At that time, Qin Jingyu's past life, Ye Huaichen, also attended her coming-of-age ceremony.

No matter how crowded or noisy the scene, she could always spot him in the crowd at a glance.

This bond warmed Ye Yaoyao's heart.

"Please, Lord Marquis, help the Fourth Miss with her hair."

The emcee's clear voice suddenly rang out in the main hall. In an instant, the once quiet hall seemed to be thrown into a calm lake by a stone, and it instantly erupted into chaos.

The guests whispered among themselves, their faces full of surprise, and murmurs rose and fell.

"They didn't even invite a highly respected elder to do your hair?"

"A father tying up his daughter's hair—I've never seen anything like it before!"

"I remember that it was Madam Ye who styled the hair for the Third Miss's coming-of-age ceremony, so how come it was Marquis Ye who did the hair for the Fourth Miss?"

"Look, Lord Ye is so nervous, he's even moving his hands and feet in unison!"

"Lord Ye couldn't be there to watch his children grow up, so doing the hair-dotting ceremony for the Fourth Miss this time can at least lessen some of his regrets!"

At this moment, Ye Xiumu's steps were slightly flustered, his palms were slightly sweaty, and his heart was beating faster involuntarily. It was only a few steps, but it felt like a thousand pounds.

In order to be able to style his daughter's hair for her coming-of-age ceremony, he began practicing styling Liu Yunshu's hair after they got married.

These days, he carefully takes the comb and gently combs Liu Yunshu's hair every day, repeatedly considering the angle and pressure of the comb, striving to do his best.

Despite having already gained Liu Yunshu's approval, Ye Xiumu was still incredibly nervous at this crucial moment.

He slowly walked up to Ye Yaoyao, raised his hand, and gently placed it on her head, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure.

Her eyes were slightly red, and her gaze was filled with endless love.

This youngest daughter, the only one he knew and the one he cared about and loved the most, had unknowingly grown up to be of marriageable age.

I can still picture her as a cute and innocent child, as if it were yesterday.

I feel reluctant to see her grow up and embark on a new chapter in her life, yet I am also delighted by her growth.

At this moment, the father's heart was filled with complex emotions, and a thousand words were gathered in his slightly trembling fingertips.

He reached out with trembling hands, picked up the comb, and gently placed it on Ye Yaoyao's cascading black hair, his movements so gentle they were almost reverent.

At this moment, the entire main hall fell silent, everyone holding their breath as they watched the father comb his daughter's hair. Everyone could see that Ye Xiumu's movements were very gentle.

The guests' eyes held a mixture of emotion, envy, and respect for the father-daughter bond.

Ye Yaoyao turned her head slightly, her gaze gently falling on her father's hands, which were trembling slightly with nervousness.

Those hands, which once commanded fiercely on the battlefield, were now moving with a gentle, almost reverent devotion as they carefully combed their own hair.

In an instant, her eyes were struck by the warmth of her father's love, and they instantly reddened. A crystal-clear tear uncontrollably slid down her cheek.

How fortunate she is to have met such a good father in so many lifetimes.

Ye Xiumu's movements were extremely slow, each stroke of his comb filled with all his love and care for his daughter.

As he gently moved the comb in his hand, strands of black hair gradually gathered and took shape under his touch.

Finally, amidst everyone's expectant gazes, a perfect and beautiful fairy-like hairstyle appeared before them.

Her hair was styled with beautiful lines, resembling the graceful posture of a fairy descending to earth. Every detail showed Ye Xiumu's dedication, and it was clear that he had put in a lot of effort.

"Clap clap clap... Father's love is as solid as a mountain, Lord Ye has excellent skills."

Someone applauded the father, and soon after, the others also came to their senses and cheered for the father who loved his daughter so dearly.

Ye Xiumu offered to style Ye Yaoyao's hair. At first, Qin Jingyu felt a pang of sadness, as he also wanted to style his little girl's hair.

Thinking about how many opportunities he would have in the future, he convinced himself not to compete with his future father-in-law.

A smile played on his lips; he was sure he would do even better than his father-in-law in the future.

Ye Xiumu checked Ye Yaoyao's hair from all sides to make sure there were no mistakes, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With a smile, he clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute to the guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending my daughter's coming-of-age ceremony. A banquet has been prepared at our home. Please come in and take your seats. Please do not be shy. Let us drink and share this joy together."

"We are glad to see Lord Ye arranging his daughter's hair. This trip has not been in vain. I imagine the fine wine and delicacies here will be just as intoxicating as this heartwarming scene."

"Yes! Yes! We won't leave until we're drunk tonight!"

The guests chatted and laughed as they walked orderly toward the banquet hall, led by their attendants.

As night deepened, the Ye family gradually returned to tranquility after the banquet ended.

Two figures slipped quietly through the back door. By the dim moonlight, it was clear that they were Ye Li'an and Xin Chuli. They walked hurriedly but deliberately quietly, heading straight for Ye Yaoyao's courtyard.

Ye Yaoyao used to chat with the system before going to bed. Now that the system has disappeared, she feels uneasy and is enjoying the gentle night breeze with the window open.

Light footsteps approached, and Ye Yaoyao exclaimed in surprise:

"Big brother, Sister Xin, why are you back?"

Ye Li'an came to the window, raised his hand and gently rubbed the top of her head, his eyes full of doting affection.

"Little sister, how could your elder brother not rush back on such an important day as your coming-of-age ceremony?"

Despite this, Ye Lian'an's eyes betrayed a hint of melancholy. He sighed softly, his face filled with regret.

"It was too late; I didn't get to see my little sister at her most beautiful."

Xin Chuli also looked regretful.

"Yaoyao, we rode at breakneck speed all the way back, wishing we could sprout wings and fly back, but we still missed it. It's such a pity."

Throughout the day, Ye Yaoyao's heartstrings were touched countless times by her family. Her eyebrows curved into smiles, and the light in her eyes shone brighter than the moonlight outside the window.

"Big brother, Sister Xin, I'm so happy you're back! Please come in!"

Ye Li'an had been inspecting government offices in various places for more than a month when Ye Yaoyao quietly returned for her coming-of-age ceremony.

"Brother, Sister Xin, thank you for your hard work traveling all this way. How is it in Jiangdong?"

Ye Li'an's expression turned serious.

“Little sister, we went to Jiangdong and secretly investigated the list you gave us, and we found quite a few problems.”

Xin Chuli nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we found out that the Cao family is the number one family in Jiangdong. They are local bigwigs, and even the government has to show them some respect."

"Yes, the people are very afraid of the Cao family. They fear that the Cao family has a history of oppressing and exploiting the people. We have discovered that they are selling smuggled salt, but the gold and silver they obtained are being transported elsewhere. The mastermind behind this must be someone with a powerful background."

"It's the Crown Prince," Ye Yaoyao told the two directly.