Chapter 72: Courting Attention (1) The Great Elder looked at Ye Xun, seemingly satisfied with her response, “I’ll write Xiao-You a letter and you’ll bring it to her.” With that said, the Great Elder started writing the letter immediately. Once Ye Qingtang saw the Great Elder and Ye Xun leaving the main hall, her eyes flashed with a mischievous gleam. She made an estimation of the time and when the awaited moment drew near, she excused herself and left the hall as well. But at the moment she stepped out of the hall, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Ye Qingtang raised an eyebrow when she realized it was Duan Tianrao who had blocked her path. “What do you want, Mr. Duan?” Ye Qingtang asked while her eyes flashed a look of contempt. Duan Tianrao had a complicated look and as he gazed at Ye Qingtang’s pretty face, his heart swelled with that unrelenting desire again. “Tang Tang, can I have a word with you?” Ye Qingtang could not care less about Duan Tianrao, but a sudden thought struck her and she put on a smile in the next moment, “I’m about to make my way to the courtyard for a breath of fresh air, we can chat over there if you want?” Duan Tianrao became elated when he heard Ye Qingtang’s reply. He had felt a tinge of regret ever since the day she revealed her appearance, but without a spirit root then, she lacked the credentials for a First Lady and he managed to get over it. But now…. After he had witnessed her revealing her spirit root and Mu Su’s agreement to refer her to an Exalted clan, that regret returned to hit him like a ton of bricks. He was worried Ye Qingtang would resent him over the engagement matter at first, but now, after seeing her smile at him, he felt a sense of relief. That’s right…. Although he had called off his engagement with her, with all those years they had spent together, Ye Qingtang’s infatuation towards him was a given. Come to think of it, she might be angry at him, but her heart would still long for him. “Of course. It has been a while since we had a stroll together.” Duan Tianrao surely had no objections and while giving his response, he put on his most dashing smile. Ye Qingtang regarded his narcissistic act with a cold-eyed glance before she turned around and headed towards the courtyard. Duan Tianrao followed closely beside. In contrast to the lively main hall, the courtyard exuded a peaceful atmosphere. The moonlight spilled onto the flowers which bloomed across the courtyard, bathing them in a soft shimmering glow. Duan Tianrao walked alongside Ye Qingtang, watching her pretty face illuminated by the moon, his heart fluttered and his eyes became fixated. Ye Xun may well be a beauty, but she certainly can’t hold a candle to Ye Qingtang. “Tang Tang, this reminds me of when we were young. You were pretty timid back then, always unwilling to go outside, and I’ll end up coming here to play with you. Do you still remember that foxtail flower growing in the outskirts of the city? You liked that flower and so I went all the way out there to pick it up for you. You were obsessed with that for quite a while….” Duan Tianrao could not help but start reminiscing on his childhood days with Ye Qingtang. Now that Ye Qingtang had a spirit root again, and a chance to join an Exalted clan, she would obviously be the much better choice when compared with Ye Xun. Ye Qingtang gave a perfunctory nod, and swept her eyes across the surrounding walls of the courtyard discreetly. Duan Tianrao did not realize he was being ignored and just continued to rattle on, “We were best friends back then, and did you know that at that time, I actually considered spending the rest of our lives together to be a wonderful thing, but….”