I never expected that my words would stir up such a hornet's nest.
"This is just for you, why give it to someone else?" Xiao Ziran's tone was still relatively calm, but his face showed displeasure.
The fan in the box is decorated with the tail feathers of a pink spoonbill on both sides. The pink feathers are bright and exquisite. It is a divine bird that he hunted after going through all the hardships of Longhu Mountain. He took the tail feathers of the divine bird to decorate the edge of the fan.
With just a casual remark from Shangguan Tianyun, he was about to hand over the gift that he had painstakingly prepared to someone else!
How could he possibly agree?
His uncompromising rejection caused Shangguan Jingyi's secret joy, which had been a result of his attempt to take advantage of the situation, to vanish completely.
Anxiety swelled up like a wine sac.
Tianyun looked like a startled cat. She raised her eyes, her bright cat-like pupils wide open, staring at him, not understanding why he was so angry.
He was the most carefree person imaginable. Even when Wanfo Temple offended him, he never got angry, and he never put on airs or acted arrogantly. She never expected him to be so tough at times.
Xiao Ziran's heart softened at her weak gaze. He suppressed his anger and was no longer the fierce man he usually was, whose mere glance could silence the entire army.
He softened his expression. "Since it's for you, you can give it to her if you want."
Qin Shi, being more experienced than the younger generation, immediately discerned that the heir of the Qi Prince's mansion likely harbored impure thoughts towards Tianyun. She was actually quite pleased with this. Having met him today, Xiao Ziran did indeed fit her ideal son-in-law.
He just didn't know if Yun'er had feelings for him.
Since the gift had already been given, Madam Qin sighed and declined, saying, "Winter days are tiring, so I'll go change first. Why don't you stay for a simple meal, Your Highness?"
Xiao Ziran stood up to see her off, and said politely, "Thank you for your hospitality, Madam. I won't disturb you for lunch. Please make yourself at home."
Shangguan Jingyi finally got the box. She sobbed and trembled, suppressing the urge to open it immediately. This drew a cold look from Xiao Ziran, who was unsure how to feel when he saw her desperately trying to hide the greed in her eyes.
Tianyu thought to himself that he had ultimately rejected Xiao Ziran's good intentions. Xiao Ziran's magnanimity in not holding it against him was his own doing, so he should do something in return. He turned around and instructed Lingqi to fetch a few hand warmers from the storeroom so that he could take them back to his family.
Xiao Ziran is older than Xiao Ziyan and has developed a strong and resilient physique through his military training. He is in the prime of his youth and should have concubines serving him. This would be a good opportunity for me to do him a favor!
While waiting for Lingqi to return, Shangguan Jingyi was not idle either.
After Qin left, she was like an ancient ferocious beast whose seal had been broken.
She put down the precious brocade box in her hand, her startled gaze shifting back and forth between the prince and Tianyun, before she seemed to have made up her mind.
She bowed to the distant sky and said, "Thank you for your kindness in giving me this gift. I am unworthy of it. I only hope that you will not blame me."
She paused, then glanced furtively at Xiao Ziran before saying, "That day, when I pushed my sister out, it was an impolite act done in a moment of panic, but the result was good. The young master also promised to prepare another generous gift for her another day. I hope my sister will not blame me."
Tianyun lightly scratched the table with her slender fingers. She glanced at Tianyun and saw her acting all wronged and petty. She wasn't particularly surprised by Tianyun's shady move of taking advantage of her and then trying to bite her back. It seemed that she had expected Tianyun to do this.
She retorted to Shangguan Jingyi, "What's wrong with you, sister? Did you take the thank-you gift the young master prepared for me?"
"If my younger sister is acting so stubbornly, I don't believe she doesn't harbor resentment towards her older sister. I know this is very unfair to her!"
Attending the banquet as the eldest daughter of the Siye Mansion was like this, and now accepting the young master's gift is the same. These things should have belonged to my younger sister, but I took them all away. I am utterly ashamed to have caused her such grief.
What good is it if I prepare this for you? In the end, it's still in my hands.
You were just lucky to be born into a good family, growing up in your aunt's womb... Shangguan Jingyi was furious about this again.
Why wasn't it me who was conceived in my aunt's womb...?
Shangguan Jingyi stood with her back to Xiao Ziran. When she uttered these words, if there hadn't been a hint of malicious smugness in her eyes, her words would have seemed somewhat sincere. Unfortunately, there wasn't a trace of sadness in her guilty eyes.
“Sister, you’re overthinking it. Since I offered to give it to you, there’s no question of me being jealous of you. If you’re still worried and suspect that I’m holding a grudge, you can return the gift to me; I won’t mind.”
She blinked leisurely, tilting her head to look at the person in formal attire. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, like that of a clever little fox—the same playful expression Xiao Ziran knew all too well.
He couldn't help but shrug his shoulders, suppressing a muffled laugh from his throat.
Shangguan Jingyi instantly felt like a snake whose vital spot had been pinched.
With its vital organs in someone's hands, it can only futilely wag its tail, trying to leave itself a last fig leaf!
"Since Miss Tianyun has put in so much effort but hasn't gotten anything in return, then let's go out with Ziran. Whether it's the jewelry and ornaments from Chaoyunci's Ni Chang Pavilion or the silver shop, as long as you like them, you can take them all!"
Tianyun's eyelashes trembled, and she looked at him in surprise with her watery eyes. Prince Ziran was indeed generous and magnanimous, treating her, a "benefactor" in name only, so kindly!
Such an arrogant and wealthy tone...
She snapped out of her daze and quickly waved her hand, saying, "There's no need for that."
Shangguan Jingyi's toes tensed, and he hurriedly advised, "Your Highness is being too polite. It would be more appropriate to make it up another day!"
I'm so regretful!
Shangguan Jingyi suddenly regretted why he had argued with Shangguan Tianyun over the brocade box. If he hadn't, he would be the one shopping at the clothing store now, with the young master accompanying him.
"I think it's necessary. Since this... Miss Shangguan," he pointed to Shangguan Jingyi (he couldn't remember her name), "has accepted the gift, I can't show favoritism by only giving it to one person. We don't want outsiders to laugh at our Qi Prince's Mansion for being stingy and ungrateful, do we?"
But you weren't like this just now... When you were about to send Shangguan Tianyun over, you told me you'd make it up another day...
As he pondered, Shangguan Jingyi's face paled, and the smugness he had felt earlier slowly drained away like a wine sac with a hole punctured.
Xiao Ziran stopped laughing and deliberately put on a stern face: "Does Miss Tianyun look down on me? She declined my gift of thanks earlier and refused to accept it. Now she wants to refuse my invitation to reciprocate? Miss Tianyun is really underestimating me."
That seems to be true. To refuse again would seem too ungrateful and pretentious.
Meeting his sharp gaze, she smiled helplessly and said, "In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Your Highness, to spend the money."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
