Heyue lowered her head, feeling distressed.

She said these words not for the sake of the Fourth Prince's wife, but because the Fourth Prince's wife represented the Fourth Prince, and Heyue did not want to hurt the Fourth Prince's feelings and thus distance herself from him.

Although she considered Guo Luoluo to be her elder sister and dreamed of calling her elder sister, it was not under these circumstances.

Undeniably, Guo Luo's behavior today has saddened He Yue.

Even if she had already suspected something was wrong, she didn't want her to say those words and make things difficult for herself or hurt the Fourth Prince.

If she weren't her older sister, Heyue wouldn't regret what she just said.

If she were the older sister, Heyue could only say "I'm sorry," she couldn't bring herself to be ungrateful.

Sometimes, He Yue even wondered, if she wouldn't admit it, why was she treating her like this? What right did she have?!

If she were just a stranger, why would Heyue care about her thoughts?

What gives her the audacity to say such things so openly?!

"You silly girl, you're making me blush." ​​The Eighth Princess's expression remained unchanged, as if she had expected it all along. She wasn't annoyed by her refusal and continued to smile, reaching out to stroke her hair: "What does it matter if it's just a formality? Even though I don't say it, I've already decided you're my sister. Don't refuse, or I'll get jealous of Fourth Sister-in-law."

As he spoke, he raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Fourth Prince's wife.

Everyone was surprised. It was rare to see the Eighth Prince's wife doting on someone so much. Could it be that this girl really had something special about her?

Looking at Heyue again, everyone couldn't help but become more curious.

Heyue couldn't tell whether the Eighth Prince's wife was happy or unhappy, and this feeling was very unpleasant.

"It's a blessing for this girl to win the favor of Eighth Brother's wife. Master often says that Heyue is straightforward and fearless, like a wild horse that can't be restrained. I think she's quite similar to Eighth Brother's wife, no wonder she likes her. In that case, she can be called 'elder sister'."

"Is Fourth Sister-in-law praising me or scolding me?" Eighth Prince's wife raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, her spoiled and willful expression on full display.

They all covered their mouths and laughed.

"Even after marriage, you still have that unforgiving attitude. It seems your eighth brother spoils you too much," someone joked.

A smug look flashed across the Eighth Prince's wife's face; she thoroughly enjoyed the teasing and showed no embarrassment whatsoever.

Fourth Princess Consort smiled and shook her head helplessly.

"We're here to have fun today, so you can't be unhappy. Liu Ye, take Princess Zhaojia for a walk around the estate, and make sure you serve her with utmost care." The Eighth Princess Consort instructed her personal maid, Liu Ye, in the blink of an eye.

"Yes, Madam." Liu Ye replied with a smile, then stepped forward and bowed to He Yue.

Heyue bid farewell to all the wives and followed Liuye elsewhere.

I had planned to invite my sixth sister and Yuxiu to go horseback riding together, but they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Looking around but not seeing them, Liu Ye explained with a smile, "It's rare for the princesses to come out, perhaps they've gone somewhere else to play. Where is Seventh Princess going?"

Heyue didn't think much of it. Since they went to play on their own, she led Hailan and Yuying, accompanied by Liuye, to walk in the fields outside.

Liu Ye instructed someone to bring over a small, bright red horse: "This is a horse from the estate. It is very docile. If Seventh Princess is bored, you can ride it around. The peach blossoms and magnolias in the estate are in full bloom. If Seventh Princess is tired, this servant will take you to the estate to sit and have some refreshments."

Heyue stepped forward and stroked the mane of the fiery red pony. Meeting the horse's clear yet slightly wary gaze, she thought of her jujube. She had forgotten to bring the jujube with her today to relax, and now she missed it.

Heyue tried to ride it. At first, the horse was a little resistant, but after Heyue refused to give up and tried several times, the horse gradually became docile and trotted with Heyue in the fields in the breeze.

Her body swayed with the horse's back, and Heyue looked at the scenery, but her mind was elsewhere.

At first, He Yue probably simply thought it was just a spring outing to enjoy the scenery. Since the other party was the Eighth Prince's wife, He Yue was happy to have another chance to talk. However, after hearing what the Eighth Prince's wife said and seeing the secret confrontation between the Eighth Prince's wife and the Fourth Prince's wife, she vaguely realized that this spring outing was not so simple.

The Eighth Prince's wife's public display of affection and indulgence could easily lead to misunderstandings. Everyone knows that Heyue is close to the Fourth Prince's wife, yet she has been invited to the Eighth Prince's wife's estate and is receiving special treatment from her.

This wouldn't have been a big deal; there are always one or two young ladies who receive special attention from several noblemen at the same time. However, the Eighth Prince's wife showed signs of discord with the Fourth Prince's wife, and it was because of her own child that she appeared to be trying to steal the Fourth Prince's man.

What exactly does she want to do?

I had a vague suspicion in my mind, but I wasn't sure, afraid it was just wishful thinking on my part.

As I pondered, the voices behind me grew fainter and fainter until I could no longer make out their figures.

Just then, several figures appeared ahead, standing in the field, seemingly talking. Behind them, servants each led a horse, following at a distance at a leisurely pace.

He Yue had good eyesight and wasn't too far away. She recognized one of them as the Eighth Prince. She didn't recognize the other two, but they were about the same age as the Eighth Prince. They were tall and had a refined demeanor. Because the Eighth Prince was talking, she only saw half of his handsome profile.

The other one was younger, a boy. As they got closer, Heyue vaguely recognized him as the boy she had seen once before at the Eighth Prince's residence.

Heyue had no intention of negotiating with the princes, including the Eighth Prince, and planned to leave.

When she turned around, Liu Ye and her two maids were gone. She must have unconsciously moved too fast and left them behind.

But the people over there had already seen her, and leaving now would inevitably make her seem guilty.

After the Eighth Prince shouted, "Who goes there?", he stopped, thought for a moment, and then dismounted.

Approaching, He Yue curtsied and said, "Greetings to you gentlemen."

The Eighth Prince suddenly laughed: "So it's Princess Zhaojia." He gestured for him not to stand on ceremony, and then asked, "Why is Princess Zhaojia here alone?"

Meeting his gentle and amiable smile, He Yue felt a surge of displeasure.

This person always has a smile on their face, but the more she looks at them, the more she dislikes them.

Because of his status, He Yue concealed her displeasure and replied with a smile, "I was not paying attention and went too far. I apologize for disturbing you gentlemen."

The Eighth Prince then remembered the two people beside him, smiled slightly, and introduced them to Heyue: "This is the Fifth Prince and the Twelfth Prince." He then looked at the Fifth Prince and the Twelfth Prince and introduced Heyue to them: "This is the little princess from the Marhan family. What a coincidence that we meet here today."

Was it a coincidence? Her gaze inadvertently swept over the twelfth prince, who stood there relaxed and composed. He met her gaze with a friendly smile before looking away.

Heyue disregarded the Eighth Prince's words, and thinking of the Thirteenth Prince's words, she became even more reluctant to stay there.

"Gentlemen, please continue your conversation. I'll take my leave now." He Yue smiled and took his leave, preparing to mount his horse.

The Eighth Prince raised his hand to stop her: "Princess Zhaojia, please wait."

He Yue paused, looked at her, and pondered, wanting to see what he wanted to say.