The pearl earrings and red jade bracelet that Tang Ning bought with Wei Jing's money left Qin Qianqian completely bewildered. She was filled with panic, fear, and worry. Soon after, she began her second "date" with Wei Jing.

As soon as Tang Ning left the General's Mansion, she noticed that Wei Jing, who was standing by the carriage, almost subconsciously turned his head to look behind her. He didn't see the person he wanted to see. Although the young man was still smiling, he looked somewhat forced and lonely.

Seeing his reaction, Tang Ning deliberately avoided the two men's maids and attendants, and quietly whispered in Wei Jing's ear to explain.

She said that as soon as she got back yesterday, she gave the gift to Qin Qianqian and even went out with her next time, avoiding people. Unfortunately, no matter how much she pleaded, Qianqian just wouldn't go out with her. She even advised her not to overthink things and then refused to listen to her anymore.

"...Brother Jing, am I...am I really useless?"

Looking at Wei Jing in front of her, Tang Ning's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, her face full of self-reproach.

Yes, she was lying. Yesterday, she only wore the bracelet to provoke Qin Qianqian, and then said nothing else. So what? Did she think Qin Qianqian would let something slip? Even if what Wei Jing heard later didn't match what Qin Qianqian said, so what?

Given Qin Qianqian's precarious credibility with Wei Jing right now...

She was confident that Wei Jing would most likely believe her, who had appeared genuinely kind and even somewhat naive from beginning to end, rather than Qin Qianqian, who had abandoned him and broken his heart time and time again. Besides, people tend to be a little more critical of those closest to them; it's a habit almost everyone has.

You ask her why, even though she's prepared herself to be a devoted matchmaker, she deliberately doesn't tell Qin Qianqian about Wei Jing's invitation.

On one hand, her younger sister Qianqian hadn't been provoked to that extent by her. When she asked Wei Jing to go out with her, all she got was rejection. It would also weaken the stimulation brought by the red jade bracelet. As long as Wei Jing still had her in his heart, Qin Qianqian would have confidence.

On the other hand, it's because of the contrast that things stand out. The more pleasant and comfortable you are with her, the more you realize that Tang Ning is a kind, understanding, and reasonable little white lotus... oops, I mean, a little cutie, after spending time with Qin Qianqian, who is easily provoked by her and can react strongly to the smallest things.

Tang Ning maintained an expression of deep remorse on her face, but inwardly she smiled slightly.

Upon seeing Tang Ning like this, Wei Jing immediately frowned as well. "No! You didn't! How can this be blamed on you? Actually... I had already anticipated this outcome..."

Wei Jing gave a bitter smile.

He was forced to admit time and time again that in Qianqian's heart, he was not as important as he imagined. Compared to her good reputation, external pressure, and all sorts of difficulties and obstacles, he would always be the first thing Qianqian would give up.

Oh.

The more Wei Jing thought about it, the more his heart ached and ached.

Those who are favored are fearless.

The fearless Qin Qianqian probably didn't expect that the effect of pain would gradually decrease. The first time it hurt, the second time, the third, the fourth, the fifth time... one after another, when she was injured again, she could no longer feel the pain. And that was when Wei Jing's love for Qin Qianqian was exhausted.

Because his expectations were dashed once again, Wei Jing, walking beside Tang Ning this time, still didn't look particularly happy.

until--

Tang Ning sniffed at the scent in the air and excitedly tugged at Wei Jing's sleeve. "It smells so good, Brother Jing! Can you smell it? It really smells so good!"

Upon hearing Tang Ning's words, Chun Mian and Chun Tan's faces immediately revealed a somewhat indescribable expression. This was the first time that the usually reserved and tactful Chun Tan had lost her composure.

Does it smell good...?

Why do they think it smells so bad?

Ugh, they felt like they were going to throw up...

But the next second something incredible happened. Pulled back to his senses by Tang Ning, Wei Jing took a sniff of the scent in the air and, just like Tang Ning, showed a surprised and even longing expression.

This is...

Wei Jing, who knew exactly what it was just by smelling it, suddenly remembered this thing before he even lifted his foot. It seemed that girls always thought it was dirty. Not only his mother, but even Qianqian had expressed her incomprehension and disbelief that he liked to eat this kind of thing more than once.

Can't you see that the maids and servants following behind them are also looking extremely surprised and unable to bear it?

Ke Tangning...

Just as Wei Jing thought of this, he noticed that Tang Ning seemed to only then realize the strange expression on her maid's face. She immediately wiped the joyful, ecstatic look from her face, unable to suppress her embarrassment. She hurriedly turned to Wei Jing beside her, "No... I didn't..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Wei Jing lean down slightly in her direction and whisper in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Now, want to try some? I've been craving this for the past six months at the military camp. Judging by the smell, this place is definitely authentic. Shall we go..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Jing saw Tang Ning clutch his sleeve with an inexplicable look of surprise and delight, nodding vigorously, her joy almost uncontrollable.

The two of them specifically ordered the maids and servants following behind them not to come up. Following the scent, the two of them excitedly ran over and finally found the white-haired old man frying stinky tofu under a thick willow tree by the moat.

Seeing this, the two exchanged a glance and then immediately moved closer.

Half an hour later, the noble lady of the General's Mansion and the prince of the Jianwang Mansion stood facing the moat and began to eat the hot stinky tofu that even nobles would avoid like the plague.

After taking only a couple of bites, Tang Ning exclaimed, "Wow, this tastes so much more authentic than what I had in Xihe County! I thought I'd never be able to find anything this authentic again after leaving Xihe County, but I never expected... It seems the capital city is truly a land of outstanding people and resources!"

Tang Ning was so happy that she started using idioms indiscriminately.

Wei Jing ate while watching her with a smile.

Just then, Tang Ning started talking again, "Brother Jing, you don't know, back in Xihe County, my father... uh, that is, Qianqian's biological father, Master Tang, he never let me eat these things. He said it was really unrefined. What's so refined about it? Is it more important than being able to eat what I like? But what can I do? He's my father. My mother is gone. In his early years, he was a merchant, exposed to the wind and rain, living in fear and trembling. He developed many health problems. Whenever he gets angry, his chest hurts terribly. Of course, I don't want to upset him, so I don't even dare to eat it secretly. Now it's all good, he's gone because of his illness, and no one cares about me anymore. I can eat whatever I want..."

As she spoke, Tang Ning's eyes reddened.

In fact, it wasn't until the moment the original owner suffocated to death that she realized the person she missed the most was Master Tang, who had no idea she wasn't his daughter. Compared to others, he was the only one who loved her most selflessly and unconditionally.

Although the Qin family treated her very well, there were still fourteen years in between. No matter what they did, it was all done with a bit of deliberate effort and compensation. When relatives are deliberately polite, they will seem distant.

Actually, when Madam Qin was angry, she tacitly allowed Qin Qianqian to give up the marriage to her, which was not without the intention of making amends to her daughter.

Wei Jing was a rare unmarried man she knew who was both talented and handsome. Although she knew about his feelings for Qianqian, isn't that how things are after marriage? She wasn't satisfied when she married General Qin, but she eventually developed feelings for him.

Unfortunately, even Madam Qin couldn't have foreseen what would happen next.

Standing beside Tang Ning, looking at her slightly reddened eyes, Wei Jing felt a pang of guilt for no apparent reason.

Yes, for Tang Ning, although being recognized and returned to the General's Mansion, and leaping from the daughter of a merchant to the legitimate daughter of the General of the North, was truly a meteoric rise, she had been away from home for fourteen years. Being a newcomer, she knew nothing and was still separated from her closest blood relatives. Perhaps even now, she had not fully integrated into the General's Mansion.

Wei Jing thought about this silently, and for a moment even the food in his hands didn't taste sweet.

Tang Ning was the first to compose herself and turned to ask him about his situation with a smile. She felt that if a wealthy merchant like Master Tang wouldn't allow her to eat this, then the Princess Consort of Jian would certainly not.

Upon hearing Tang Ning's teasing, Wei Jing paused for a moment before immediately pouring out his grievances to her. His mother not only forbade him to eat it, but if he ate it and didn't bathe and change his clothes, she would immediately vomit if she smelled even the slightest hint of it. Moreover...

"Um?"

Tang Ning looked at him questioningly.

Qianqian was even more disgusted and loathed by the stinky tofu, and even more so than his mother. He hadn't eaten it for several years since he learned that Qianqian didn't like it.

Thinking of this, Wei Jing lowered his eyes slightly, then smiled and shook his head gently at Tang Ning, "It's nothing! Alright, alright, eat quickly, the tofu won't taste good if it gets cold, hurry up!"

"Mmm!"

Tang Ning nodded heavily, took a bite, and immediately squinted her eyes with a satisfied expression.

At the beginning of the date, Wei Jing wasn't very enthusiastic, but his spirits rose as soon as they started eating stinky tofu. The two walked, ate, and chatted, and it was then that they realized how similar their tastes were. Whatever Tang Ning liked, Wei Jing would also like from the bottom of his heart.

It's safe to say that Wei Jing has never felt so comfortable and happy with anyone in his entire life.

For the rest of the date, he almost never stopped smiling.

Happy times are always fleeting. Before long, the sun began to set and the sky darkened.

It's time to say goodbye again.

When Wei Jing sent Tang Ning to the General's Mansion, an inexplicable feeling of reluctance welled up in his heart.

It was this reluctance that made him keep an eye on Tang Ning's every move. Naturally, he noticed immediately that Tang Ning, who was about to get off the carriage at the entrance of the General's Mansion, lost her balance and almost fell.

Fortunately, Wei Jing reacted quickly and reached out to steady her.

"Ah, thank you, Brother Jing..."

Seeing this, Tang Ning, whose arm was being supported, blushed slightly and glanced at Wei Jing beside her, saying this softly.

After saying that, Tang Ning was about to pull her arm out.

"Wait, don't move."

Wei Jing's voice suddenly rang out.

Tang Ning immediately obeyed and stood still.

Then she felt Wei Jing raise his hand and lightly touch her hair, then spread his palm in front of Tang Ning. In his palm was a slender, emerald green willow leaf.

"It was taken from your hair, so it must have gotten on you by accident when we were by the river..."

Wei Jing explained it this way.

Looking at the willow leaf in his palm and feeling his care and affection just now, Tang Ning's face couldn't help but turn even redder.

"Thanks……"

She mumbled something like that.

When Wei Jing fetched willow leaves for Tang Ning earlier, he didn't feel anything, but now, seeing Tang Ning blushing, he seemed to have caught it and became awkward as well.

"You're welcome……"

The two stood face to face at the entrance of the general's mansion, one shy and the other awkward.

This entire scene was witnessed by Qin Qianqian, who had been waiting at the corner of the courtyard wall.

She watched as Wei Jing rushed forward to support Tang Ning the moment she nearly fell. If it were the old Wei Jing, he probably wouldn't have lifted a finger even if any other woman had fallen and died in front of him.

She watched as Wei Jing moved closer to Tang Ning and removed something from her hair. The distance was too great for Qin Qianqian to see clearly what Wei Jing was removing, but did it matter? In the past, if Tang Ning was around, he wouldn't even glance at other women dressed up, let alone notice if they had anything stuck in their hair.

She looked at the two people standing in front of the general's mansion, who at first glance seemed to be a perfect match, as if they were made for each other.

Qin Qianqian didn't even blink. Her face was expressionless, but only she knew how cold her heart was. It was so cold that her limbs and bones were also cold. If she hadn't pursed her lips tightly, her teeth would probably have been chattering uncontrollably.

How long has it been?

When A-Jing returned to the capital and learned that his fiancée had been replaced, how long had it been since he had solemnly vowed to her that even if she had been replaced, he would never marry anyone else?

It's only about half a month at most.

In just about twenty days, Ah Jing has already become so affectionate towards Tang Ning.

Then what is she? What about all those years they spent as childhood sweethearts?

Is it nothing at all?

Even if you do something to make her jealous or upset because you have resentment or displeasure towards her, there should be a limit. Obviously, Ah Jing has already far exceeded that limit.

As she watched, Qin Qianqian's eyes quickly reddened, but she still huddled in the corner of the courtyard wall like a coward, not daring to go forward at all, because she was afraid, afraid to see Wei Jing ignoring her again.

She couldn't stand that, she really couldn't bear it.

Before long, Qin Qianqian noticed that Tang Ning was smiling and talking to Wei Jing beside her at the entrance of the General's Mansion. After that, Wei Jing got into the carriage and left. Tang Ning stood there, watching the carriage of the Prince Jian's Mansion disappear around the corner. Then, she walked into the General's Mansion with Chunmian and Chuntan, who were following behind her, chatting and laughing.

As soon as she entered, Chunmian, who is always lively and active, surrounded Tang Ning like a little sparrow, chattering incessantly.

Because they were too far apart before, Qin Qianqian couldn't hear clearly.

It wasn't until the three of them, master and servants, got closer and closer to where she was hiding that she finally heard Chunmian's voice clearly—

"...Miss, Miss, I really feel that Prince Wei's attitude towards you is getting better and better! Didn't you see how he was the first to notice you being knocked down on the road and pulled you back? Neither Chun Tan nor I are as quick as him! What does this mean? It means that Prince Wei has you in his heart now! That's so wonderful, Miss. As long as the Prince has you in his heart, you'll be happy and content after marrying into the Jianwang Mansion... Oh, by the way, the Prince invited us to the Tingli Tower to watch a play tomorrow, right? Ah, I love watching plays, my favorite is 'The Fairy Couple,' but I wonder what play they'll be performing at the Tingli Tower tomorrow. I'll love it no matter what it is, hehe..."

Chunmian smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits.

Seeing this, Tang Ning immediately reached out and tapped her little nose, but out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the lush bamboo planted by the courtyard wall. As soon as she caught a glimpse of pink through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, she immediately raised an eyebrow.

Did you hear me clearly? Qianqian, Tinglilou, I'll be waiting for you to come and bump into me tomorrow.

Tang Ning smiled and said this to herself.

Currently, by using her devoted and innocent persona to help Wei Jing and his lover finally get together, she has already raised Wei Jing's favorability to 45. Eating stinky tofu together and her playing the victim have increased it quite a bit, and then catering to his preferences has kept adding +1, +1... and so it has risen to 45 in one go.

That should be the end of it. No matter how much she tries to please him or be understanding, he probably won't raise his interest much further.

Building favorability requires a balance of intensity and relaxation.

She had already shown herself enough; any further and she might arouse Wei Jing's suspicion. So, the next step was to have Qin Qianqian, who was struggling with inner turmoil and pain, provide divine assistance.

After all, she had been quite provoked, and her unwavering belief in Wei Jing began to falter.

She couldn't hold back any longer.

It's obvious that when she goes out tomorrow, she will run into Qin Qianqian, who is also going to listen to opera at Tinglilou.

Thinking of this, Tang Ning's smile widened even further.

Of course, to outsiders, she was simply happy about Wei Jing's change and looking forward to tomorrow.

Sure enough, the next day, Tang Ning, who had dressed up carefully, had just arrived at the gate of the mansion with Chun Tan and Chun Mian when she ran into Qin Qianqian, who was also accompanied by her personal maid.

Before Tang Ning could even speak, Qin Qianqian greeted her warmly as Ningning and said that she had heard there was a new play being staged at Tingli Tower. She had always liked these kinds of things and was just about to take Luyi over to join in the fun!

Before Tang Ning could react, Chun Mian, who could never keep a secret, exclaimed in surprise, "What? You guys are going to Tingli Tower too..."

Before she could finish speaking, Tang Ning tilted her head and shook it slightly, causing Chunmian's next words to dissipate into indistinct mutterings.

"Is...there a problem?"

Qin Qianqian asked with a puzzled expression.

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning immediately waved her hand, then took two steps forward and grabbed her sleeve, saying gently, "No, no, not at all. Chunmian has always been so loud and boisterous. I will definitely teach her a lesson in the future. Why don't we go over to Tingli Tower now? The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get a good spot."

Hearing Tang Ning say this without any gloom, Qin Qianqian's brows furrowed instantly.

Why?

Why wasn't she disappointed, angry, or afraid?

Isn't she worried that if Ah Jing sees her and spends more time with her, his heart will turn back to her?

Why was she so nonchalant and genuinely eager to drag her along?

She clearly likes Ah Jing, doesn't she?

Faced with Tang Ning like this, Qin Qianqian felt bewildered and confused for the first time in her life.

But what's even more puzzling is what comes next—

Almost as soon as Tang Ning saw Wei Jing, who was waiting in front of Tingli Tower, she had barely said a word to him when she immediately clutched her lower abdomen in pain and said in a strained voice that her stomach hurt. She said that she probably ate something bad yesterday and that she couldn't listen to the play today because she was in so much pain that she had to go back to see a doctor.

She also said that tickets to the opera at Tingli Tower were incredibly expensive, and told Wei Jing and Qin Qianqian not to spoil their enjoyment of the opera because of her. She said she had Chun Tan and Chun Mian to accompany her, and they should go see the opera first.

Without even waiting for Wei Jing and Qin Qianqian to question him, he grabbed a maid's hand and headed towards the General's Mansion.

"I...I'll go see her off..."

Almost as soon as Wei Jing saw Tang Ning in such pain, his brows furrowed. After speaking, he ignored Qin Qianqian's surprise and took two steps forward to catch up with Tang Ning, who was still clutching her stomach.

He was surprised to see Tang Ning wink at him deliberately as soon as he blocked her way.

"No need to see me off, Brother Jing, it's alright, I can... I can go back by myself. But you, remember to bring Qianqian back later!"

As she said this, Tang Ning lightly wiped the boy's fingers and took the opportunity to slip the prepared note into his palm. She then winked at him and, supported by Chun Tan and Chun Mian, headed towards the General's Mansion.

Only after the three figures of master and servants gradually disappeared at the end of the street did Wei Jing, his heart filled with mixed emotions, unfold the note in his hand. It read—

"Brother Jing, I've managed to get Qianqian out of the house for you. Remember to have a good talk with her. She still cares about you, I can feel it. As long as you talk to her properly, she'll definitely understand. Also, my stomach is fine, I didn't eat anything bad, so don't worry. It's not appropriate for me to stay here while you two talk, so I'll head over first. Good luck."

Upon seeing the note, and recalling Tang Ning's clumsy performance, Wei Jing's lips unconsciously curled into a slight smile.

Wei Jing's current favorability rating: 50.

On this side, not long after walking out of the street near Tingliyuan, they saw a white-clad man leaning against a wall not far ahead. They noticed his long, black hair tied up high, with two strands falling across his forehead. They saw his left index finger lightly hooking a small, palm-sized wine jar. They saw the slight upturn of his lips and the nonchalant, languid ease emanating from his eyes and brows in the sunlight. They saw—

Several large, dark purple characters were above his head.

Helan Ruo.

System score: 99.

Current favorability rating: 0.

Wow, what a pleasant surprise!