49 Chapter Forty-Nine
"Cousin, may I speak to you in private?"
Chapter Forty-Nine
Liu Qingqing hesitated, unable to admit that she had pinched herself.
The princess will definitely ask why she pinched herself.
Liu Qingqing quickly made up a lie, "I've been having nightmares lately, and when I wake up I'm afraid I'm still dreaming, so I pinch myself to see if it's real or not."
The princess was speechless upon hearing this, her eyes filled with heartache and pity. Her throat felt as if it were being choked by a cruel hand, and her brows and eyes betrayed her deep sorrow.
Seeing her daughter's panicked state, Ying Yi lowered her eyelids to suppress the intense brilliance in her eyes. Although she didn't believe it, she followed her daughter's lead and lowered her voice to ask, "What nightmare did you have?"
Liu Qingqing's eyes flickered, and she quickly made up a story, "I can't remember it every time I wake up."
Liu Qingqing always felt that the princess's eyes could see through her, so she picked up her teacup and lowered her eyes to sip it in order to hide her feelings.
All of this was seen by Ying Yi as if invisible blades were cutting through her flesh inch by inch, her heart being ripped out mercilessly, causing her to bend over in pain and cover her chest with her hand.
My daughter is not doing well.
Standing beside the princess, Bei Zhi hurriedly went to help her up, but the princess, fearing her daughter would discover it, raised her hand to stop her and sat up straight, gritting her teeth. Her pained gaze caressed every inch of her daughter's skin.
This is her daughter, whom she has finally found after a long and arduous search...
I lost weight after being sick, and my complexion wasn't as rosy as before.
She cherished Xie Lang dearly, trusting him implicitly before marrying her daughter to him.
But he betrayed her trust!
Since her daughter had been seriously ill and repeatedly declined invitations, coupled with the injuries she sustained today, Yingyi knew that her daughter was not having a good time in the Marquis's mansion.
She knew all too well what it felt like to live an unhappy life!
Only when there is no other way out, and no way to escape, will one end up hurting oneself!
The moment her daughter raised her eyes, Ying Yi's expression changed drastically.
She was no longer the gentle, timid, and self-absorbed Ying Shi of the past. Her daughter was no different.
Seeing the faint sorrow in her daughter's eyes, Yingyi suddenly said, "I have a lot of things here that I don't need. Take some back with you."
As Yingyi was about to raise her hand to signal the maid to come over, she suddenly stopped and simply pulled her to stand up. "Come on! Let's go and take a look together. Tell me what you like."
Liu Qingqing naturally refused, but before she could finish speaking, the princess gently pulled her, causing her to stumble two steps.
"The princess is really impatient," she thought to herself, as if there was a fire burning behind her.
And so, in a daze, he was dragged to the front of the princess's private treasury.
The size of the prince's mansion was different; the entire courtyard was a storeroom, and the princess's private storeroom was directly opposite the gate.
"Let's start with this one."
The princess whispered.
She was astonished.
So, this entire courtyard's storeroom originally belonged to the princess?
Liu Qingqing was taken aback, realizing once again just how important the princess was to the regent.
She looked around cautiously again, her mind reeling.
The servants bowed and opened the door, inviting them in.
Unlike the dusty storerooms of the Liu family mansion, this private storeroom was spotless, clearly well-maintained.
"Take a look and see if there's anything you like?"
The first thing that catches the eye is two rows of dazzling gold headdresses and jewelry.
White jade openwork lotus hairpin, silver-gilt lotus hairpin, cloisonné enamel butterfly earrings, agate carved jade belt hook...
Go around it, there's more behind!
The dazzling jewelry alone filled ten shelves!
Not to mention the countless rough gemstones behind it.
Rare antiques and precious books are even more abundant.
Wow.
Liu Qingqing couldn't help but sigh softly.
I witnessed once again what it means to be a member of the royal family.
It is said among the common people that although the young emperor is on the throne, the regent is the true ruler of the current dynasty. Liu Qingqing's gaze swept over the gold filigree nine-phoenix headdress, and she wholeheartedly agreed.
She stared in disbelief, looking at one place after another, her eyes shining brightly.
Her wide-open mouth is exactly the same as when she was a child; it's incredibly cute.
Ying Yi's heart melted, but when she thought of Xie Lang, her smile vanished and her face darkened. What was Xie Lang? If her daughter liked him, she could provide ten stunningly handsome men.
Upon looking further, Liu Qingqing sensed something was amiss, feeling that something was rather familiar.
The order in which the warehouse is arranged...
Liu Qingqing slowly scanned the area, her eyes filled with doubt. Where had she seen this before?
Before he could think it through, the princess summoned a servant and waved her hand, "Pack up all of these."
Liu Qingqing was shocked and quickly stopped her, saying, "Your Highness, this is unacceptable."
Upon hearing this, the princess scolded her, "Why is this unacceptable? Apart from Lord Xie, you and I get along very well."
Ying Yi tried to persuade her to accept the gift, saying, "Besides, my son is getting older, and I live deep within the palace and don't know what kind of girls in the capital are. I'll trouble you to keep an eye out for him."
One should not refuse instruction from elders.
Liu Qingqing left the Marquis's residence in a daze, having packed up a shelf of jewelry.
If the Marquis's carriage can't fit them all, then let the Prince's carriage follow behind!
Even other people's dowries are no more than this, right?
It's astonishing how they've attracted so much attention. Before long, word will spread throughout the capital that Xie Lang and his wife have such remarkable abilities that the Regent and the Princess value them so highly.
The coachman drove the carriage back to the manor. Just as the carriage came to a stop in front of the manor gate, Liu Qingqing bent down to lift the curtain and was about to step onto the carriage bench when she saw a pair of hands reaching out. Presumably, it was Zhao Pansheng who wanted to help her, so she reached out and took his hand.
She had barely grasped it when she realized something was wrong. Turning her head, she saw Xie Lang staring intently at her.
He only glanced briefly at the carriage behind the Prince's residence before looking back at her, seemingly not finding anything amiss.
She suddenly remembered that Xie Lang had told her to wait for him after breakfast.
...make her forget everything completely.
Her red lips parted slightly and then closed again. She lowered her eyes and, with his help, got out of the car. Perhaps she had something on her mind, because she lost her balance for a moment. Just as she was about to fall, before she could even utter a cry of surprise, a strong hand caught her around the waist.
The hand that was gripping hers tightened its grip, supporting her as she stood, while the other hand followed up to hold her on the other side.
They had never done this before. Liu Qingqing was at a loss and tried to back away, but his hands held her waist tightly.
"Don't fall."
His deep, husky voice reached my ears, and it even seemed to have a touch of gentleness.
Liu Qingqing looked up blankly, and when their eyes met, he looked away.
"Something urgent has come up, so I can't be with you today."
After saying that, he slowly released her waist.
Just then, Xie Wu led his black horse over. Xie Lang took the reins and leaped onto the horse with a graceful and swift movement. Once settled, he looked at her and said, "I may not be able to return home today. Have breakfast early and dinner late, don't wait for me."
With the clatter of hooves, Xie Wu mounted his horse and chased after Xie Lang. As he turned around, he glanced at Zhao Pansheng, who was standing quietly beside Madam Jing. Xie Wu pursed his lips, but before he could say anything, he urged his horse to follow.
Liu Qingqing stared blankly at his receding figure.
He just...
The thought immediately caused him to furrow his brow.
Perhaps she misread it.
How could the high and mighty Lord Xie Lang be flustered?
She wouldn't panic because of her.
On the other side, the Regent's Palace.
After her daughter left, Ying Yi had someone summon Ying Yucheng.
Prior to this, she had already gleaned some bitterness from the information gathered by her informants.
For example, when his daughter was unwell recently, Xie Lang not only took care of her day and night, but he also didn't visit her for half a month!
Ying Yi was furious.
She thought her daughter would live well under the protection of the Marquis's mansion, but what's going on?
She trembled uncontrollably, leaning back in her chair, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
Although her daughter didn't grow up by her side, her daughter resembled her. She could tell from just a few words and her daughter's melancholy expression that her daughter had already decided to leave.
If my son doesn't want to live anymore, then he shouldn't!
She is now the Regent's Consort, no longer the weak and cowardly Lady Ying. If she wants this matter to turn black, it can never be turned white!
Ying Yucheng arrived quickly. Ying Yi didn't say much, but simply asked Bei Zhi to bring over a brocade box.
“Just say it’s a secret medicine from the Ying family, and give it to Qingqing.”
Bei Zhi obeyed and opened the brocade box, inside which were three round, brown pills.
Ying Yi: "These three pills each have a purpose: one for contraception, one for feigning death, and the last one..."
Ying Yucheng: ...
Unexpectedly, the princess was so direct, so he quickly lowered his eyes.
Ying Yi glanced at him but didn't say anything. "Go, deliver it to your cousin as soon as possible."
Before leaving the Prince's mansion, Ying Yu stuffed the brocade box into his clothes. He was in a state of confusion and did not rush to the Marquis's mansion on horseback.
Now that things have become official, Ying Yucheng naturally visits his cousin more often.
Whenever he saw his cousin's calm eyes, he felt a pang of guilt for some reason.
He thought of his younger sister, who was about the same age as his cousin, and who was playful and spoiled, always eager to go up the mountain and down the river.
But what about my cousin? She's not doing well.
If they hadn't listened to the nonsense from the Liu family and had taken better care of my cousin, would she have been better off?
Guilt and pity welled up in Ying Yucheng's eyes, and his knuckles turned bluish-white from the excessive force.
He was only thankful that his cousin had a good marriage and married a good man.
Although he was not very familiar with Xie Lang, he had met him a few times and knew that Xie Lang had a very good reputation among the officials.
Xie Lang is a gentleman, and he would not look down on his cousin because of the Liu family. He would not be able to live a respectful and harmonious life with her on the surface.
He first led the horse to the alley behind the Marquis's residence.
He dismounted, leaned against the cold, high wall, took out a small brocade box and fiddled with it in his hands, thinking it over carefully. After some struggle and hesitation, he finally put the brocade box back into his clothes.
He patted the black horse's face again, "Let's go first."
The black horse was puzzled but couldn't bring itself to ask, so it just snorted.
Suddenly, a thought popped into his head, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
—If one day my cousin finds out that the princess is her deceased mother, and that he knew all along but helped to hide it, will my cousin resent him?
Liu Qingqing was unaware of the undercurrents surging outside.
After resting and having a full meal back at the manor, Liu Qingqing suddenly decided to go and take a look at the farm.
Having not visited the farm for a long time, and finally finding some free time with the autumn harvest approaching, Liu Qingqing decided to go and check on the farm.
As fate would have it, the carriage had just left the Marquis's residence and entered the main street when it encountered Ying Yucheng riding a tall horse towards it.
Ying Yucheng, with his sharp eyes, recognized the Marquis's insignia on the carriage.
He quickly guessed that his cousin was probably in the carriage.
A sense of joy welled up inside me; I hadn't expected such a coincidence.
He urged his horse forward to the side of the carriage and asked in a low voice, "Is this Madam Xie?"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Liu Qingqing's eyes lit up with joy. She lifted the carriage curtain and, sure enough, saw her cousin. Her eyes crinkled with laughter. "Cousin, where are you going?"
Her clear, bright eyes, reflected in the soft sunlight, were more beautiful than the finest glass in the world. Ying Yucheng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he only snapped back to reality after she called out "cousin" again. He smiled gently at her, his eyes slightly upturned, and said, "Want to go..."
She paused slightly, swallowed the words that were about to come out, and said with a hint of disappointment, "I wanted to take a stroll, but I'm not very familiar with the capital and don't know where to start."
He quickly asked her, "Where are you going, cousin?"
Because Ying Yucheng told her many stories about the frontier, she had a very good impression of him. In addition, Ying Yucheng was gentle and kind, so Liu Qingqing was not wary of him.
She replied with a radiant smile, "The autumn harvest is almost here, and I'm planning to go to the farm to take a look."
Thinking of his earlier statement that he had nowhere to go, and considering the stories he had told her recently and the many fruits and snacks he had bought, Liu Qingqing hesitated for a moment before inviting him, "Cousin, if you would like to go and take a look, you can come with me."
Ying Yucheng's eyes curved slightly: "In that case, I'll go with my cousin to broaden her horizons."
Liu Qingqing laughed again: "Cousin is joking."
Before they even left the city, Ying Yucheng had Liu Qingqing lower the carriage curtain, and he followed behind the carriage at a distance.
Once outside the city, the streets would become bustling and dangerous, and fearing the sudden appearance of villains, Ying Yucheng urged his black horse to catch up a few steps and get closer to the carriage. He chatted casually with Liu Qingqing about interesting things in the Northwest, while his eyes darted around like a hawk.
Perhaps it was because of Yu Cheng's presence that Liu Qingqing's tense heart relaxed a lot, and she felt that she had arrived near the manor very quickly.
In the past, when I came alone, I was always afraid of encountering bad people, and I was always on edge.
Liu Qingqing leaned against the window frame, looking at her cousin's majestic mount. Her gaze swept over her cousin's heroic and upright figure, and she couldn't help but sigh, realizing how reassuring it was to have someone protecting you outside.
She was unlucky before, but now she's tasting it.
very nice……
After they had been some distance from the estate, in order to avoid attracting attention, the two dismounted from their carriages and horses and walked inside.
After walking a short distance, the tall wild grass rustled.
Ying Yucheng immediately drew his longsword and shielded Liu Qingqing and her two servants behind him.
Granny Li and Zhao Pansheng exchanged a glance, then simultaneously picked up clods of dirt from the ground, held them in their hands, and quickly stuffed them into the young lady's hand.
As the group held their breath and tensed up, a figure suddenly leaped out of the bushes with the agility of a rabbit.
She gave them a bright smile, revealing a set of white teeth, then quickly bent down to brush the wild grass off her woolen clothes and mumbled, "Sister, wait for me."
Ying Yucheng sized up the suddenly appearing young man before him.
His black hair stood on end, his complexion was ruddy, his eyes were clear, his shoulders were slender, and he exuded a refreshing air. The unbuttoned collar gave him a wild and untamed look. He looked to be fourteen or fifteen years old, but his height wasn't much shorter than his.
She looks like a well-bred child from a good family, yet she calls her cousin "older sister"?
Are they relatives of the Liu family?
Judging from the boy's demeanor and agility, he doesn't seem like someone that the mediocre people in the Liu family could raise.
Just as Ying Yucheng was inwardly complaining, someone suddenly patted his arm. He immediately tensed up, and only relaxed after glancing to the side and recognizing his cousin.
"But is it someone you know?" he asked.
Liu Qingqing nodded. "It's someone I know, cousin, don't be nervous."
Just as Ying Yucheng was about to say that he wasn't nervous, he saw his cousin hurriedly take two steps forward, passing him and heading towards the young man. He couldn't care less about anything else; although he sheathed his sword, he followed closely behind his cousin.
The boy looked up at the sound, his body almost entirely covered in weeds. His eyes flickered, and he feigned confusion: "Is it brother-in-law?"
The word "brother-in-law" left Liu Qingqing bewildered, unaware that the person beside her was gradually turning red in the ears.
Liu Qingqing glared at him: "He's my cousin."
For some reason, Ying Yucheng glanced down at the arm she had just patted and suddenly felt that it was burning hot.
The boy smiled brightly, revealing his neat teeth, "Sister, please don't take offense at my nonsense."
He hastily clasped his hands together and bowed, saying, "So you're my cousin."
Her eyes darted around, and she smiled at her sister again, "May I also call you cousin like you do, sister?"
How can she have the final say?
Liu Qingqing quickly turned her head to look at Ying Yucheng.
Seeing her look over, Ying Yucheng subtly put his arm behind his back, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes, "Of course."
The boy's eyes flickered, his gaze darting back and forth, before he smiled knowingly.
"Hello, cousin. My name is Mu Ziying."
Ying Yucheng hadn't noticed anything amiss yet, but at that moment he lowered his eyes, turned to Liu Qingqing with a faint smile, and asked, "How's the harvest in the fields outside Beijing?"
Liu Qingqing then came to her senses and replied, "Logically speaking, it's about 30% better than before..."
Ying Yucheng asked in confusion, "How can this be considered logically?"
As they spoke, the two began to walk toward the manor, and Liu Qingqing gestured for the young man to come along.
Li Ying followed behind them casually, thoughtfully watching their retreating figures as they walked side by side. He lost interest when they started talking about serious matters. Looking them over, he thought they were quite a handsome couple. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a purple flower. He didn't know its name, but thought it was pretty. Just as he bent down to pick a wildflower, he heard his sister turn around and ask him, "I haven't come to see you lately. How are you? Do you have enough money?"
"Okay, okay, I'm so good to you. You gave me so much last time, how could it not be enough?"
"It's growing perfectly fine, why did you pluck it?" Liu Qingqing glared at him reproachfully.
Li Ying, the boy who went by the alias Mu Ziying, immediately stopped. He was surprised that his sister was looking at him instead of chatting. He scratched the back of his head helplessly and said, "I think the flowers are pretty and I want to pick them for my sister."
"Thank you for your kindness, I appreciate it, but I won't take it again."
After saying that, he beckoned to him, "Come, cousin, would you like to know how the tenant farmers are doing lately?"
Li Ying was surprised to hear this, but then she understood when she saw the encouragement in her sister's eyes. There were some things she couldn't say herself, so she had to say them through him.
"Some tenant farmers are doing well, while others are not."
Li Ying trailed off, and seeing Ying Yucheng looking over, he stopped keeping him in suspense and briefly explained what he had recently discovered: "As for the reason, it is naturally due to the actions of our master. The new dynasty has only been established for a little over ten years, and the court has not yet paid attention to many minor details, which has allowed treacherous families to take advantage of the situation."
"Normally, after deducting land tax and rent, the landlord would receive two or three tenths of the harvest. But if you encounter a fierce and domineering landlord, he might embezzle seven or eight tenths of the year's harvest."
Ying Yucheng was astonished, not because he was unaware that his master was greedy, but because he never expected that they would be so audacious even under the emperor's nose.
Seeing his cousin's wide eyes, Li Ying clicked his tongue indifferently, "Judging from your aura, cousin, you're no ordinary person. You naturally know that the landlords around the capital are not ordinary people. Besides, the landlords don't lack tenant farmers. If the tenant farmers want to work, they have to endure being exploited and ripped off. What can they do?"
Liu Qingqing listened intently, and feeling a pang of sadness thinking of her impoverished tenant farmer family, she gazed at the soon-to-be-harvested wheat fields in the distance and muttered to herself, "Is there really no other way?"
Li Ying's eyes flickered. What could he do? His father was digging a pit to catch pigs.
It just takes time to lull the fox into a false sense of security and make it show its tail.
Seeing his sister's sadness, Li Ying touched his nose and whispered, "Perhaps there is a way, but it will take time."
It should be understood in a sincere manner.
Military camps are also places where all sorts of people mingle.
But when he looked at the boy again, his gaze became more inquisitive.
Li Ying realized this and secretly regretted saying too much.
Let's not arouse my cousin's suspicion, shall we?
Just as I was wondering whether I should say something else to confuse the issue, my cousin spoke first.
"I remember my father mentioning that my aunt owned some land nearby. How is it now?"
This was a difficult question to answer. Liu Qingqing lowered her eyes and pondered how best to respond.
Even though she was anxious now, she didn't intend to use her cousin's help to deal with the mess left by Xiao Ying.
Seeing her like this, Ying Yucheng understood the situation and lowered his voice even further, "If it doesn't matter, cousin, you can tell me. Even three cobblers can outwit Zhuge Liang. Maybe my rambling ideas will help you come up with a new solution."
Liu Qingqing's heart softened a little, but Ying Cheng and Xiao Ying were also related by blood.
Hesitating for a moment, she gently bit her lower lip, leaving a moonlit tooth mark.
Ying Yucheng frowned, rubbing his fingers back and forth under his sleeve, and said soothingly, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. You can talk about it later if you want to."
With a look of apology in her eyes, Liu Qingqing nodded slightly to Ying Yucheng and gave a shallow curtsy. Ying Yucheng asked repeatedly what she was doing and helped her up.
Li Ying, who had been left aside, stroked his chin and hissed softly. After the two of them walked away together, he murmured, "I always felt that my cousin was more suitable to be my brother-in-law."
Ying Yucheng was a promising military general. Although he was not as illustrious as Xie Lang, a close advisor to the emperor, he was still a powerful figure on the border. More importantly, although Ying Yucheng was a military general, he was refined and gentle, truly mild-mannered, unlike Xie Lang, who always wore a fake smile, whose smile never reached his eyes and whose mind was full of schemes.
A little while later.
The group finally arrived at the estate owned by Liu Qingqing. Perhaps because the autumn harvest was approaching and the crops were ripe, the tenants were not busy with the work, and all they could see were endless golden wheat fields.
After hesitating for a while, Ying Yucheng finally asked, "Cousin, is something troubling you?"
Seeing his cousin looking at him with surprise, Ying Yucheng tapped his brow and said softly, "The closer you get, the deeper your brow furrows."
Liu Qingqing clenched her fingers, her throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. She desperately wanted help from someone, but she didn't know who to trust.
She had trusted Xie Lang, but... the ending wasn't good.
She felt her cousin was a truly sincere person, but she...
"Cousin, I won't hurt you, please trust me just this once."
Suddenly, the wind carried his gentle, helpless voice to her ear.
Liu Qingqing's fingertips gripped the delicate butterfly embroidery on the fabric. Ying Yucheng's gaze swept over her, and pain flashed in his eyes. He wanted to reach out and stop her, but his fingers tightened around her.
“Cousin, although this estate is in my name, I don’t have any say in it.”
She gently changed the subject, "Cousin, did you visit the Liu residence this time you came to the capital?"
Ying Yucheng subtly withdrew his gaze. Upon hearing her words, he was initially surprised but quickly understood. He lowered his eyes and looked at her earnestly, "Since your mother passed away, Father has forbidden us from having private dealings with the people of the Liu family, so naturally I will not go either."
Liu Qingqing looked back and saw that Ying Yucheng had not dodged.
My cousin speaks with such certainty, perhaps it's true?
After thinking about it, Liu Qingqing first smiled bitterly, and then calmly explained the whole story. Ying Yucheng, however, could sense the anger in her voice.
Being a military officer, his face darkened, his lips pursed, veins bulging on the side of his neck, and he glared angrily, "How could she treat you like this?"
How can elders seize the dowry of younger generations? It's so shameful that people would be ashamed to hear it!
Ying Yucheng's smile vanished, his handsome face tightened, and he said in a deep voice, "Cousin, don't be afraid. Leave this to me, I'll handle it."
Liu Qingqing: "Then I will accept your kindness, cousin."
Ying Yucheng forced a smile at her and waved his hand.
Although Xiao Yingshi still bears the surname Ying after marriage, they couldn't just stand by and do nothing when she caused trouble outside. Wouldn't that be aiding and abetting evil? If they had known this would happen, they should have taken their cousin to the Northwest much earlier!
Liu Qingqing also had her own plans this time; she wanted to use this opportunity to test how reliable her cousin really was.
Bitterness welled up in her eyes; in the past, she would never have been willing to test others like this.
The two chatted briefly away from the crowd before continuing on their way.
The fields yielded a bountiful harvest, and Liu Qingqing's mood improved somewhat.
She made a special trip to check on the tenant farmer. It seemed the young man had handled things reasonably well, and the tenant farmer looked much better than before. Although he was still dark-skinned, he seemed to have gained some weight and was no longer the blank-faced, lifeless man he once was.
She called the boy over.
The boy said he had found Doctor Lu to treat him. With his body healed, he had renewed energy, and naturally, his spirits lifted.
She hadn't yet decided whether to sell the estate and shops if she were to leave the capital.
This trip felt like it didn't take long, but time flew by, and the golden sun hanging in the sky was setting in the west.
They said goodbye to the boy and hurried back before the city gates closed.
Li Ying stood on a mound at the edge of the village, waving to them. Dust billowed on the dirt road as they walked further and further away until they disappeared from sight. The smile on Li Ying's face faded, and his expression gradually became serious.
Back in the city, the closer Ying Yucheng got to the Marquis's residence, the more uneasy he felt.
He felt as if the brocade box on his chest was a red-hot branding iron, burning him intensely.
Through the car window, Liu Qingqing could see that her cousin seemed to have something on his mind; his usually smiling face was now tense.
After much deliberation, seeing the high walls and green tiles of the Marquis's mansion, she couldn't bear it and asked, "Cousin, is there anything I can do to help?"
Upon hearing this, Ying Yucheng turned to look at her. Looking into her clear eyes and seeing the genuine concern in them, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he couldn't speak. Thinking about what he was about to say to her, he felt as if his whole body was filled with lead and he couldn't move.
"Cousin?"
Seeing him in a daze, Liu Qingqing called out softly.
Ying Yucheng composed himself, his eyes revealing emotions she couldn't decipher.
"Cousin, may I speak to you in private?"
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview:
"This is a brocade box that your cousin gave to you in the back alley today. There are three pills, each with its own purpose, but I couldn't hear the specifics because I was too far away."
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