After walking a few steps, Ying Gu came out to greet her with a smile, "Madam Bai, you've finally arrived? The princess has been missing you."

"Sleepless—Doesn't Aunt Ying ever change her rhetoric? She says the same thing every time she comes. The first time she came, she really thought the princess was concerned about the lady. Now, she's come three times and heard the same thing three times."

Mrs. Ding was already used to it and responded with a smile.

Ying Gu then said to Jiang Yinjin, who was standing next to Ding Shi, "This must be the young mistress. What a rare guest. Please greet the young mistress."

Jiang Yinjin said warmly, "Aunt Ying, please don't stand on ceremony. I've heard of your name before and have been wanting to visit you for a long time."

Ying Gu greeted Shen Mianmian again, and then chatted with Ding Shi while leading everyone to the inner courtyard.

Chen Mianmian didn't try to steal the spotlight; she deliberately walked behind the others.

As soon as I reached the courtyard gate, I heard the sounds of fighting coming from inside.

Ying Gu explained, "Don't be afraid, everyone. They are not assassins. The princess was just bored today, so she invited the young gentlemen to have a martial arts competition."

Ding asked in confusion, "Shouldn't a martial arts contest be held in the training ground? How can we perform it in the courtyard?"

Ying Gu laughed and said, "I don't have any martial arts skills anyway, so it's the same wherever I am."

Everyone was stunned—no martial arts skills? How can you compete without martial arts skills?

As they were talking, the group entered the courtyard.

Sure enough, the servants were all in the corner of the courtyard, and some of the decorations in the center had been moved away, leaving an open space for several young men dressed in white who were practicing martial arts to spar... if that kind of fight could be called sparring.

Recently, Chen Mianmian has become addicted to practicing martial arts, so when she sees a fight, she can't help but watch. However, she can't keep staring at it for too long; most of her gaze is on the ground, and every now and then, she takes the opportunity to glance at it.

Because the group was sparring in the center of the courtyard, they could only follow Ying Gu's lead and walk along the corner of the courtyard.

"Your Highness, I greet you. May Your Highness be well." Lady Ding greeted the princess.

Shen Mianmian was startled, only then realizing that she had been so engrossed in watching the fight that she had forgotten to greet the princess. She quickly half-squatted down and performed the lady's curtsy.

Suddenly, she realized something was wrong—in the Southern Chu Kingdom, there was a master-servant relationship. When meeting a superior, only the master was entitled to greet the superior, while the servants could only follow suit and could not speak.

Therefore, it is reasonable for her, as a concubine, to remain silent, but why is Jiang Yinjin, the legitimate wife of the heir apparent, also silent?

She looked up, and what she saw startled her – Jiang Yinjin was staring blankly in the direction of the princess, and beside the princess sat a stunningly handsome man.

The man was none other than the princess's first lover, Prince Ruyue.

Sweating profusely, Shen Mianmian hurriedly tugged at Jiang Yinjin's sleeve.

Jiang Yinjin was reminded and realized that she had been impolite, so she immediately performed the proper lady's curtsy.

Princess Rui'an didn't seem to notice Jiang Yinjin's outburst, since in her memory, few women could see Ruyue without being captivated by her.

There are very few women who can remain sober when they first meet Ruyue, and one of them is Chen Mianmian.

"Get up," Princess Ryan said, her gaze passing through the gap between Ding Shi and Jiang Yinjin to the woman behind them, who was bowing her head and lowering her eyebrows.

He thought to himself, "Is it because Shen Mianmian herself is also a stunning beauty that she doesn't care much about beauty and is therefore not attracted to it?"

It's a pity she couldn't find a man more handsome than Yue, otherwise she really wanted to continue testing this skinny little horse; he was quite a fun toy. Every move he made was beyond her expectations.

After receiving the princess's permission, everyone stood up.

Jiang Yinjin's palms were also covered in cold sweat. She lowered her head and dared not look up again, but the image of the man who was astonishingly handsome kept appearing in her mind.

Sitting on the chaise lounge, Ruyue turned slightly to the side, revealing a perfectly sculpted profile. Her thin lips parted slightly, "Princess, shall I excuse myself?"

Princess Ryan was about to tell Ruyue to leave, but she felt that someone was unwilling to give up until they fell for the trap, so she said, "No need, we're all family, please sit for a while longer."

Ruyue replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

Princess Ryan raised her eyes and looked at Ying Gu.

Ying Gu immediately understood and leaned down to listen to the princess.

The princess whispered a few words, and Ying Gu was surprised and hesitated slightly. She even tried to persuade the princess with her eyes, but the princess winked mischievously and said, "Go do it."

“...Yes, Your Highness.” Ying Gu had no choice but to comply.

Soon, under Yinggu's direction, the servants brought over three chairs.

At this moment, two chairs were placed side by side under the eaves for the princess and Prince Ruyue to use. Logically, these three chairs should have been placed in a corner or next to the princess.

However, one chair was placed next to the princess, while the other two chairs were placed on the other side—next to Prince Ruyue.

The servants were puzzled—what did the princess mean by this? In the past, whenever there were female guests, Prince Ruyue would avoid them, but today he not only did not avoid them, but also wanted to sit with the female guests?

Lady Ding also saw it, her beautiful face turned deathly pale, and her voice trembled as she said, "Your Highness...this...Your Highness, please have mercy..."

She didn't know how to persuade her, so she stammered.

Princess Ryan rolled her eyes at her, then grabbed Ding's wrist and pulled her to sit down on the chair next to her. "Let's have some fun, otherwise it'll be so boring."

"But...this isn't good..."

"Don't worry, no information from me will be leaked. Would I let Qingzhou be cuckolded? I just find her very interesting. It's rare to meet someone so interesting. Why don't you give her to me and let me have some fun with her?"

Ding knew who the princess was referring to, but she couldn't refuse. She could only sigh inwardly and felt a lot of pity for Mianmian. People say they enjoy wealth and luxury in the capital, but they don't think about how they can enjoy it in front of the royal family who have the power of life and death.

Everyone says that "thin horses" are playthings, but aren't they just like that?

Women are playthings of men; those in lower positions are playthings of those in higher positions; even powerful ministers, before the emperor, must grovel and flatter.

The people from the Xuanping Marquis's mansion would always confront them head-on, but in the Princess's mansion, they could only let the Princess play with them and make Liu Xiangning obediently come out to be beaten by Mianmian.

This is reality.

Ying Gu said to Shen Mianmian and Jiang Yinjin, "Please come this way, you two."

Chen Mianmian was completely bewildered—wait, did Princess Ryan take the wrong medicine today? She usually doesn't allow her first lover to meet anyone, but today she's offering him up willingly?

To get by in life, you have to have a little green on your head?

That's impressive!

Chen Mianmian stole a glance at the madam and saw the madam giving her a helpless look. She understood then—oh well, let the princess do whatever she wants. She worked so hard when she was reincarnated, so she should get some benefits after she is reincarnated.

And so, the two were led to Prince Ruyue's side.

As soon as you get close, you can smell a unique and refreshing fragrance.

Shen Mianmian didn't think it was the handsome man's natural body fragrance, after all, she was beautiful enough, and she didn't have any fragrance on her body.

The princess is rich and powerful; she must have specially created this fragrance for her beloved.

Yinggu said, "Please take a seat, gentlemen."

There are two seats in front of me, one of which is next to Prince Ruyue.

Chen Mianmian looked up at Jiang Yinjin, wanting to ask her where she should sit.

It would have been better not to look, because once I did, I broke out in a cold sweat.

But the usually composed Jiang Yinjin was now staring blankly at Young Master Ruyue.