The two dined in the private room, each lost in their own thoughts, while Empress Dowager Du, unusually, strolled in the Imperial Garden with a joyful expression.
Seeing this, Rong Momo realized that Empress Dowager Du was in a good mood, so she tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, is Jiang Luoluo really reliable?"
Empress Dowager Du remained composed, reaching out to pluck a brightly blooming hibiscus flower, and gently inhaling its fragrance.
His tone was quite certain, "I doubt she would dare to have any ulterior motives. She was right about one thing: although Prince Yi is not my biological son, I know his temperament best."
At this point, Empress Dowager Du smiled slightly, but a hint of coldness appeared in her eyes. "Five years ago, he was madly in love with that woman from the border region."
Before the two even returned to the capital, Xie Zhichen became pregnant.
So many years have passed, yet he still can't forget that woman; how could his heart hold anyone else?
Now look what's happened! He went to Yunchuan one minute, and the next he's fallen head over heels for Jiang Luoluo? That's a load of rubbish!
Upon hearing this, Rong Momo quickly chimed in, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is truly wise; your analysis is spot on."
Empress Dowager Du smiled slightly, casually twirling a petal between her fingers, her tone carrying a hint of certainty and pride, "That girl is clever, but what good is being smart?"
She can't cause any trouble in front of me.
Rong Momo nodded repeatedly, flatteringly saying, "Yes, yes, yes, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is the most shrewd. No matter how clever Jiang Luoluo is, she can't escape Her Majesty's grasp!"
As night deepened, moonlight spilled onto the streets and alleys of the capital. Jiang Luoluo sat upright in the slowly moving carriage, her eyes slightly lowered, a half-smile on her face.
Xie Yizhi rode a tall horse, the sound of its hooves making him stand out on the quiet street.
As he escorted the carriage, he would occasionally glance in its direction.
Although Jiang Luoluo was smiling, Xie Yizhi keenly noticed the unusual emotion in her expression; her smile, though bright, seemed veiled by a layer of mist.
Xie Yizhi secretly regretted that his gaze at Zuiyue Tower had been too direct and had pierced her heart.
The bitterness behind that smile caused him a slight ache in his heart.
Jiang Luoluo broke the silence with a light voice: "Dingdang, return to General Weiyuan's mansion."
"Alright, Miss." Dingdang drove the carriage around and headed towards General Weiyuan's mansion.
These words made Xie Yizhi's heart tighten. He trembled slightly at the reins in his hand and quickly averted his dazed gaze.
Is she... angry?
I'm not going back to the Jiang residence...
Xie Yizhi always prided himself on being able to read people's minds, but at this moment, he found Jiang Luoluo unfathomable.
He wanted to say something to salvage the situation, but felt at a loss for words.
In the end, he could only ride slowly alongside the carriage, feeling a sense of panic and helplessness.
The two remained silent throughout the journey, the night wind blowing and the sound of horses' hooves ringing out.
Before long, the carriage stopped in front of the gate of General Weiyuan's mansion.
Xie Yizhi quickly dismounted and strode toward the carriage, his brows furrowed with urgency.
However, before he could reach out to help her, Jiang Luoluo had already calmly stepped off the carriage with the help of her maid Dingdang, her movements so swift that he had no way to intervene.
Jiang Luoluo glanced at Xie Yizhi, bowed slightly, and said in a polite but distant tone, "Thank you for bringing me back today, Your Highness Prince Yi."
The words "Your Highness Prince Yi" brushed past Xie Yizhi's ears like a cold wind.
He was startled and pondered the form of address. When she was happy, she called him Your Highness; when she was unhappy, she called him Prince.
Now, the words "Your Highness Prince Yi" carried a polite distance, just like the smile on her face, seemingly gentle, yet impeccably cold.
Xie Yi felt as if he had been struck hard in the chest, and a dull pain arose in his heart.
He was almost certain that he had indeed gotten himself into trouble.
He composed himself, barely suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, and nodded slightly, his voice low and gentle: "Luo Luo, go back and get some rest."
Jiang Luoluo simply nodded, turned and walked into the mansion without saying another word.
Her back was slender yet straight, and she walked with composure and determination, as if she had never wavered because of anyone.
Xie Yizhi stood there, watching her figure gradually disappear into the distance, a strange sadness welling up in his heart.
Despite his countless schemes and plans, he was powerless to control her.
Jiang Luoluo returned to the room, leaned wearily against a chair, and let the maid remove her hairpins.
After taking a hot bath with the scent of flower petals, my body felt a little better, but the unease in my heart lingered.
After changing into a soft nightgown, she sat at the table, took out a thick stack of papers, and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, as if she was brewing something.
Seeing her mistress's furrowed brows, Dingdang hurriedly ground ink and silently served her.
Jiang Luoluo picked up the ink brush and casually scribbled on the paper. In a short while, a vivid pig's trotter appeared on the paper.
She pouted and angrily wrote on the side: "Xie Yizhi, you big jerk! How dare you doubt your mother!"
She grew angrier the more she wrote, so she drew a few more pig trotters, each stroke seemingly imbued with emotion. The paper piled up on the table, yet she still felt unsatisfied.
Dingdang kept her head down, focusing intently on grinding the ink, occasionally stealing a glance at her mistress, but dared not utter a sound.
Jiang Luoluo finally put down her pen, pouted and said, "Dingdang, go and get that bottle of osmanthus wine from my brother's study, and have the kitchen make some fried peanuts and bring them over while they're still hot."
Dingdang nodded repeatedly, ran off, and soon returned with osmanthus wine and steaming hot peanuts, along with two wine glasses.
Looking at the food and wine, Jiang Luoluo felt a little better and pulled Dingdang to sit down at the table.
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