Chapter 32 The Crown Prince
Xiao Min saw Xiao Yuxuan sitting opposite the Crown Prince and realized that he had forgotten something.
He had just reminded himself to keep a close eye on his fifth sister and not let her wander off when he was soon called by a friend to play a game of "Flying Flowers Order," and he had completely forgotten about the reminder.
Furthermore, he originally brought his fifth sister here to introduce her to people of the same age in the capital, but what did he do?
The banquet had already begun, but she was still sitting there all alone. The girls around her were chatting happily, but all this liveliness was detached from her.
Xiao Min was sitting far away, and it would be too obvious for him to go over now. He could only clench his fists, thinking that he could still make amends later.
Xiao Yuxuan didn't call for a maid. She poured herself a cup of tea and took a small sip.
Her gaze fell on the seat opposite her, where Xiahou Yin, who should have been sitting, had been replaced by someone else.
The gold thread embroidered on the other person's black robe looked somewhat familiar; it was the Crown Prince whom she had just bowed to along with the others. However, that face—
"Cough cough cough—"
She choked on the tea, coughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.
The person who saved her at the temple fair that day was the Crown Prince.
She still remembered the token.
Later, she inquired and learned that this was a token that allowed her to make priority reservations and receive discounts at several top restaurants and teahouses in the capital. There were fewer than ten people in the capital who possessed it. She had thought that the young man was from some noble family, but she never expected that he was the Crown Prince himself.
No wonder, how could she not have imagined that the person accompanying the Princess would be the Crown Prince?
Xiao Yuxuan looked away, not daring to look anymore.
The two sat facing each other, separated only by a winding stream. At such close proximity, the other person probably recognized her.
"After Miss Xiao returned home that day, was she alright?"
Xiao Yuxuan was taken aback, as if she hadn't expected Qi Jun to speak to her. After a moment of reaction, she respectfully said:
"I am unharmed. Thank you, Your Highness, for what happened that day."
Qi Jun nodded and stopped speaking, and the surroundings fell silent as if by unspoken agreement.
Xiao Yuyao remained expressionless, but her heart was in turmoil.
The Crown Prince actually knows Xiao Yuxuan?!
What were they saying? She couldn't hear them because they were too far away.
But just by looking at their expressions, you could tell that something must have happened between the two of them.
Xiao Yuyao was so preoccupied with her own anxieties that she didn't even notice when Xiao Min had someone hand her a plate of pastries.
"Yuyao, what are you looking at?"
Xiao Min followed her gaze and noticed that the Crown Prince was sitting right opposite Xiao Yuxuan.
He hadn't seen the scene of the Crown Prince talking to Xiao Yuxuan, and considering that the Crown Prince had said he wanted to share the joy with them and was unwilling to sit at the head of the table, he thought it was just a coincidence.
"It's nothing. I just noticed that Fifth Sister is sitting a bit far from us. Why don't we ask her to move to a different spot? It would be easier for us to take care of her if she sat next to us."
Xiao Yuyao had a concerned look on her face, looking worried about her younger sister. Anyone who saw her would find her gentle and kind.
“Alright, she’s sitting opposite the Crown Prince. It wouldn’t be good if she offended him by doing something wrong. I’ll go and talk to her.”
Qi Wenyue, however, stood up before Xiao Min, a wicked smile playing on her lips:
"I'll go tell them."
Xiao Min thought about it and agreed. After all, the princess was in the women's section, so it was reasonable for her to go find Xiao Yuxuan.
Xiahou Yin, unperturbed by the Crown Prince's interference, cheerfully sat down diagonally opposite Xiao Yuxuan, enjoying the newly served pastries and warmly inviting his new friend to sample them.
"Miss Xiao, this red pastry is delicious, you should try it!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuxuan picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The next second, she felt so sour that her facial features scrunched up.
She resisted the urge to vomit and quickly drank a large cup of tea to suppress the extremely sour hawthorn taste.
"This is way too sour."
Xiahou Yin ate another piece and was taken aback:
"Is it sour? But I think it's okay. Why don't you try this dish of mine? Maybe it will be better."
As he spoke, he picked up the plate beside him, preparing to hand it over.
"Young Master Xiahou, do not speak while eating."
Qi Jun's cold voice interrupted the two people who were about to exchange pastry plates.
Xiahou Yin had been away from the capital for a long time. The people of the southwest were open-minded, and he had not learned to be pedantic. He only had curiosity and respect for the crown prince, not much awe, so he put the plate down.
Xiao Yuxuan thought to herself, "The Crown Prince is truly a person who values rules and regulations very much."
"Xiao Yuxuan, I'm so glad to finally meet you."
Behind her, a voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of arrogance and malice, the tone commonly used by those high-ranking noble ladies from her previous life.
Xiao Yuxuan already knew who it was before she got up. She straightened her clothes, still maintaining appearances, and greeted them softly:
"Greetings, Princess."
Looking at her like this, Qi Wenyue felt disgusted. She raised her eyebrows:
"What a shameless girl! Do you see any other girl as eager as you to talk to other young men? Are you worried about not being able to get married?"
She had just witnessed the interaction between Xiao Yuxuan and Xiahou Yin. Although she didn't know who he was, she could tell from his seat that his family's official rank wasn't high.
This poetry gathering was at her behest. Xiao Yuxuan and those from lower social classes were given flower slips at the end of the page, so she didn't shy away from Xiahou Yin. She just wanted to find an excuse to teach Xiao Yuxuan a lesson to vent her anger.
"What makes you say that, Princess? Yu Xuan has never had any dealings with you before. I don't know when I offended you."
Princess Wen Yue publicly challenged the authorities, and most people only then realized that the beautiful and quiet girl sitting alone at the end was actually the fifth daughter of the Xiao family who had been found.
Someone who didn't understand asked quietly:
"She's Xiao Yuxuan? Why isn't she sitting with the Xiao family?"
“Yes, shouldn’t the families who drew lots sit together? Look at Xiao Yuyao…”
Xiao Yuyao and Qi Wenyue were good friends, and Xiao Yuyao's position was second only to the head of the table. When she heard others talking about this, she couldn't help but secretly blame Qi Wenyue for making trouble.
She just wanted everyone to isolate Xiao Yuxuan, and ideally, for no one to know she existed.
Xiao Yuxuan was already annoyed that the Crown Prince had spoken to her earlier, and now Qi Wenyue was making things difficult for her in front of everyone. Wasn't this just making everyone look at Xiao Yuxuan?!
Since that's the case, then she doesn't need to be merciful anymore.
Xiao Yuyao smiled and, feigning nonchalance, addressed the girls she was on good terms with:
"I just sent a maid to fetch Fifth Sister, but she refused to come. Perhaps it's because her place is close to His Highness the Crown Prince, and she wants to benefit from his favor?"
As for whether or not someone was actually sent, why would these people care? Even if Xiao Yuxuan refuted it, they could just say that Xiao Yuxuan was making excuses and lying.
"Xiao Yuxuan is too shameless. No wonder Princess Wenyue is angry. She is one of the initiators of this poetry gathering. What if someone like her disrupts the gathering and offends the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince..."
The voices around her then turned to attack Xiao Yuxuan. Xiao Yuyao breathed a sigh of relief, but then immediately put on a troubled expression:
"Please don't say that. She is, after all, my sister. It's my fault for not taking good care of her."
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