Chapter Sixty-Seven: Xingyang and Shen Lingyin Are About to Cause Trouble

"Xu Chumian, fortunes change, you won't always be this lucky!"

Xu Chumian looked impatient. "I'll return those words to you, County Princess. Family connections aren't always effective."

"you!"

Xu Chumian didn't want to say another word. She turned to leave, but Xingyang grabbed her wrist.

"One day, you'll regret this!"

“If I can get you into jail once, I can do it again. You’d better be glad that Xiao Qingyan is watching over you.”

Just then, a familiar female voice suddenly came from behind.

"In broad daylight, the county magistrate of Xingyang dares to openly oppress the people. This is truly unheard of."

As soon as the words were spoken, Xu Chumian froze.

The Princess of Xingyang was startled and turned around to see Zhao Lingyao and Zhao Yu standing not far away.

Upon seeing Zhao Yu's cold and stern face, Xingyang had no choice but to swallow the words of curse he wanted to utter, and said unwillingly, "Zhao Lingyao? What are you doing here?"

Zhao Lingyao snorted, her words carrying a hidden meaning: "Of course we come here to study, or to play games and scheme against each other?"

Zhao Lingyao is of noble birth. Although she has no official title, she is the only legitimate daughter of the Zhao family. In the past, Zhao Lingyao was lazy and unpretentious, but in terms of status, she can be considered one of the most popular young ladies in the capital.

Not to mention that Prince Chen was already far removed from the Xiao family's imperial power, and now that he had been demoted and was no longer favored by Emperor Mingde, he was merely a county princess in Xingyang.

Xingyang dared not confront Zhao Lingyao head-on.

Xu Chumian's gaze slowly fell on Zhao Lingyao.

When Zhao Lingyao was sixteen, she got engaged to the eldest son of the Li family in Longxi. However, less than a year after the marriage, Zhao Lingyao discovered that her husband was keeping a distant cousin outside the marriage.

In a fit of anger, Zhao Lingyao wrote a letter to Zhao Yu, and not long after, she divorced him and returned to the Zhao family in the capital.

Zhao Lingyao is not even fifteen years old yet.

It lacked the waning, desolate air of its past life.

At that time, the young emperor had just ascended the throne, and Zhao Yu was busy going to the palace every day to handle his political affairs. Most of the time, the two sisters-in-law would stay together at the Zhao residence to comfort and keep warm.

Zhao Lingyao looked at the woman beside Xingyang and saw that the woman suddenly smiled gently at her.

Soon, Xu Chumian noticed another gaze.

She slightly raised her eyes to meet Zhao Yu's gaze, then looked away expressionlessly.

Zhao Yu's expression darkened slightly.

Zhao Yu glanced at Zhao Lingyao and instructed her, "Study hard here. Someone from the manor will come to pick you up for lunch."

Zhao Lingyao pouted: "Okay, okay, big brother, you go ahead and get busy."

After saying that, Zhao Lingyao walked towards Xu Chumian and asked, "Sister, I've never seen you before. Which family do you come from?"

I heard from Xingyang that his name is Xu something.

Zhao Lingyao didn't hear clearly.

"Xu Chumian." Xu Chumian said gently, "I'm going to a girls' class."

Zhao Lingyao was only there for the first time and didn't know what a girls' class was.

So naturally, he took Xu Chumian's arm and went inside.

The two turned around at the same time, neither of them speaking to Zhao Yu.

Xingyang could only watch helplessly as the two left.

Facing Zhao Yu, Xingyang couldn't help but feel fear.

Zhao Yu's voice was extremely cold, "Behave yourself, or even your father can't save you."

After class in the morning, Zhao Lingyao waited for her outside the lecture hall.

As soon as she came out, Zhao Lingyao immediately went up to her.

"Sister Chumian, let's go have lunch together."

"It only takes half an hour to get back to the Duke's mansion, or we can go to a restaurant."

Xu Chumian remained calm and said softly, "I still have things to do at my shop, so I'm afraid I won't have time to eat lunch."

Zhao Lingyao's eyes widened. "You've opened a shop? Then I'll go with you. I can rest for two hours at noon."

She didn't want to have any more contact with the Zhao family, especially since Zhao Lingyao was Zhao Yu's cousin. Her past life was tragic, and Zhao Yu would find a way to help Zhao Lingyao avoid the path she had taken in her past life, so Xu Chumian didn't need to worry about it anymore.

Meeting Zhao Lingyao's big, bright eyes, Xu Chumian sighed inwardly and moved her lips: "Then let's go."

The maidservant beside Zhao Lingyao was sent by the second madam. Seeing this, she could only give her a troublesome look.

She scratched her head; the Third Miss wasn't usually like this.

Zhao Lingyao never expected that Xu Chumian was the owner of the popular Kapok Incense Shop in the capital.

Zhao Lingyao still had the heart of a child and didn't have much of the airs of a rich young lady. She wandered around in the backyard of the shop.

Xu Chumian ordered food from a nearby restaurant. After the two finished their meal, she placed several boxes of spices in front of Zhao Lingyao.

She smiled gently and asked, "Do you like it?"

Zhao Lingyao smelled each box and couldn't put it down, casually asking, "Sister Chumian, do you live in the backyard?"

Xu Chumian paused upon hearing the voice, "No, it's nearby."

Zhao Lingyao blinked.

Xu Chumian cut her off, laughing, "I'll have someone wrap it up for you."

As it was almost time for school to start in the afternoon, Zhao Lingyao, this bookworm, reluctantly left again.

Xu Chumian watched the carriage disappear into the distance, her brows furrowing slightly.

These two siblings...

In the afternoon, Xu Chumian returned to the Xu family courtyard.

Every two weeks, both the formal schools and the girls' schools would hold a small exam.

If one fails the teacher's test, one will be asked to leave.

After the quiz, there will be a winter snow-viewing party.

Xu Chumian went back to review her studies in the afternoon.

-

After finishing his studies in Xingyang, he did not return to the Prince's Mansion, but went to the Shen family instead.

Shen Lingyin has been investigating Xu Chumian's affairs these days.

After searching for so long, we've finally found some clues.

I never expected that this slut would hook up with Zhao Chenyu!

"Young Master Zhao had been relentlessly pursuing Xu Chumian, but he later died unexpectedly in a fire, and Xu Chumian ended up with Xiao Qingyan."

A ruthless glint flashed across Xingyang's face.

"Lingyin, it was that bitch Xu Chumian who was ruthless first, so don't blame us for being unjust."

Shen Lingyin frowned and nodded, "I have a plan, would you like to hear if it works?"

The woman's soft voice echoed in the room.

Xingyang: "I think it's a good idea, but Xu Chumian should be wary. We need to find a way to lure them over there."

Shen Lingyin smiled and said, "It's simple, leave it to me."

-

The next few days went relatively smoothly, and Xu Chumian would set aside time each day to transcribe the Monan translation.

After school each day, Mo Zhen would sometimes come to find her to have a meal together, and Zhao Lingyao would sometimes wait for her at the school gate to go shopping together.

He came out of the lecture hall that day.

Xiao Tao said, "Miss, just now Miss Zhao's maid came to tell you to wait for her in the flower room next to the hanging flower corridor in the west courtyard. Miss Zhao was kept in the hall today. She said she has something she must give to you in person."

Xu Chumian was both amused and exasperated, and she and Xiao Tao headed towards the west courtyard.

The greenhouse was very warm. Xu Chumian waited for a while and then Zhao Lingyao arrived.

There was nothing unusual on her face; her eyes were full of excited smiles.

Xu Chumian pushed open the door and went out, but out of the corner of her eye she looked through the gaps in the weeping willows of the hanging flower corridor.

Yu Shan was talking to Shen Lingyin. Shen Lingyin giggled, and Yu Shan looked at Shen Lingyin with a helpless smile.

The two were followed by Shen Lingyin's maid at a distance.

Xu Chumian withdrew her gaze, becoming wary.

Zhao Lingyao was going to give Xu Chumian a set of storybooks. "Sister Chumian, this is a treasured book of mine. I... don't usually give it away easily. You should read it carefully at home."

The thick stack of booklets was stuffed into Xu Chuming's hands. She glanced down at them and saw that the names were quite proper.

Zhao Lingyao winked at her, "Look carefully, I'll be checking."

Xu Chumian couldn't help but laugh, "So serious, did you write this?"

Zhao Lingyao's eyes widened suddenly, "No!"

Xu Chumian raised an eyebrow, not expecting Zhao Lingyao to have this ability. In her previous life, this girl kept it a secret and didn't leak a word.

Zhao Lingyao quickly put her arm around Xu Chumian, "Let's go, let's go out first."

Today at noon, Zhao Yu came to pick up Zhao Lingyao to take her back to the mansion for lunch.

Zhao Yu stood on his horse.

From the moment the two walked out of the school gate, Zhao Yu's gaze never left Xu Chumian.

Xu Chumian acted as if she didn't recognize him, and boarded the carriage without blinking.

Inside the carriage, Xu Chumian's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of unspoken sorrow in her expression.

Xiao Tao couldn't help but ask, "Miss, is something the matter?"

Xu Chumian: "Go to the Xiao residence."

These past few days, Xiao Qingyan has been saying he's busy with something, and Xu Chumian has a bad feeling about it.

The carriage traveled all the way to the Xiao residence.

The gatekeeper said that Xiao Qingyan was not at home.

Xu Chumian could only frown and go home.

Qingyan, what happened?