Upon hearing this, Rong Qingqing forced herself to stay alert and asked, "What exactly is going on?"

“Yesterday evening, Changlin suddenly came over and told me not to leave the courtyard. If anyone asked about you, I should say that we got along so well that you ended up staying here.” Shangguan Yanran said, frowning. “Who exactly wants to harm you?”

"It's just the same few people," Rong Qingqing said, squinting her eyes.

Seeing that she already understood, Shangguan Yanran didn't say anything more.

"Yanran, could you lend me a dress?" Rong Qingqing said.

"Okay." Shangguan Yanran replied, and got up to find a suitable dress for her.

"I also need a pair of shoes." Rong Qingqing lifted her skirt, revealing a pair of delicate, fair feet.

Shangguan Yanran was taken aback. "Look at your feet, they're so clean. Did Xie Jingrun carry you all the way back?"

"You're overthinking it. You were carried all the way back." Rong Qingqing pouted, somewhat dissatisfied with Xie Jingrun's rudeness.

Shangguan Yanran gave her a suggestive look, chuckled, and didn't tease her anymore.

Rong Qingqing pretended not to see it, changed out of her wet clothes, and then planned to go back to her own courtyard.

Shangguan Yanran stopped her, "Let me go back with you. After all, you didn't come home all night. If I go back with you, it will show that we were together, and it will dispel any suspicions from others."

"Alright, but it's too much trouble for you." Rong Qingqing felt this made sense, so she didn't refuse.

"What trouble or not? Unless you don't consider me a friend." Shangguan Yanran glared at her, feigning anger.

Rong Qingqing immediately took her arm and said with a smile, "Then I'll trouble Miss Shangguan to come with me."

"Alright, let's go." Shangguan Yanran laughed and scolded, and the two of them walked out of the house hand in hand.

As soon as the two returned to the courtyard, Xiao Tao came out to greet them.

"Miss, you..."

She was about to say something when Xie Jingyi, who came out from behind, interrupted her, "The old lady is finally back. We thought something bad had happened to her."

Rong Qingqing smiled and said, "Judging from your tone, I'm perfectly fine, but you seem very disappointed."

Xie Jingyi paused, then sneered, "Rong Qingqing, you'd better remember your place, otherwise if you make a mistake one day, things won't be as easy as they are now."

Rong Qingqing sneered, "I'll say the same to you. You'd better open your eyes and see who your real enemy is. Otherwise, if you're blind, you might get sold out one day and still be foolishly counting money for the other person."

Before Xie Jingyi could react to the meaning behind her words, Rong Yiyi, who was standing next to her, suddenly spoke softly, "Sister, I know Jingyi is impulsive in her words and actions, but don't insult her like that. Jingyi doesn't have any bad intentions. She was very worried about you not coming home all night."

Upon hearing this, Rong Qingqing felt nauseous, but her smile deepened.

"I had no idea Jingyi cared about me so much. I thought she disliked me and wanted to get rid of me."

Xie Jingyi understood the meaning behind her words this time. She frowned and said angrily, "If you haven't done anything wrong, why are you afraid of others disliking you?"

Rong Qingqing shrugged. "Although I haven't done anything wrong, I'm not afraid of you disliking me. I usually reciprocate by disliking those who dislike me. So, Miss, you don't need to take yourself too seriously. You may not like me, but there are plenty of people who do. I really don't care what you think."