Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Shameless. How shameless. ...
The moment their soft lips touched, Nie Xiangyi herself was stunned.
In such a brilliant moment, it seemed as if that kiss was just an instinct.
She felt that she had stopped thinking, her head was bubbling, her cheeks were so hot that they were almost burning, and she didn't know where to put her hands and feet.
Xie Zhi frowned tightly.
He looked at Nie Xiangyi's wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe that he had done such an overstepping of the bounds.
She still stood on tiptoe, her cheeks flushed like the sunset, her eyes half in shock and half in shyness.
The soft touch seemed to still linger on his lips, and his chest began to beat violently uncontrollably.
The unprecedented feeling of strangeness and loss of control made him subconsciously feel unhappy.
"You're overstepping your bounds." His expression wasn't very good, and he sternly rebuked her, "Hasn't anyone taught you etiquette and precautions?"
Indulge in self-indulgence and act recklessly.
Is she like this to everyone?
Or was it that such an extraordinary and frivolous behavior was simply due to someone's instructions?
Xie Zhi felt even more annoyed and confused. He subconsciously pursed his lips, but once again he could smell the faint fragrance of the gardenia wafting from his lips.
"Shameless. How disgraceful." He spat out a few words coldly.
Nie Xiangyi was stunned for a moment.
Her bubbling and boiling head seemed to be poured with a bucket of cold water because of these few words, and it instantly became much clearer.
She seemed to react by the way and took a few steps back in panic, "Your Highness..."
She lowered her head and didn't dare to look at Xie Zhi. Her cheeks were still burning hot, and she didn't know whether it was because of shyness or embarrassment.
"It's my fault... I overstepped my bounds, Your Highness..."
She shouldn't have kissed him on impulse.
It was just that the atmosphere just now was too wonderful, and Xie Zhi's profile was too beautiful. She looked at those lips like soft jade, and for some reason she stood on tiptoe.
His Highness should be even more disgusted with her this time...
Her hands kept rubbing the corners of her clothes, her eyebrows were drooping, and her voice was thin and soft, as if she would cry at the next second. She seemed completely different from the girl with sparkling eyes just now.
Xie Zhi's tone hardened, and for the first time in his life he felt that his words were a bit harsh.
She lost her mother at a young age, so perhaps she was just undisciplined and didn't understand etiquette.
He opened his mouth, pursed his lips, and after a long moment he said, "Forget it."
The fireworks faded, and Xie Zhi's back as he left in the night was like a drop of thick ink.
When Nie Xiangyi returned home, his mind was still in tatters as if it had been blown up by fireworks.
"Why did I kiss him for no apparent reason?" She was a little annoyed and muttered to herself under the quilt, "Your Highness must think I'm frivolous and indulgent."
Xie Zhi's cold and stern words scolding her were still echoing in her ears.
It makes people feel cramped and embarrassed.
She is indeed not as good as those noble ladies from aristocratic families, who follow the rules and are steady and self-possessed.
But even after being scolded like that, she still couldn't forget that scene. It was as if as soon as she closed her eyes, she would uncontrollably recall that kiss under the blooming fireworks.
She was dazzled by this momentary heartbeat.
The air in the quilt was thin and hot, causing the blush on her cheeks to linger for a long time.
She felt extremely conflicted at the moment.
While regretting that he had been so abrupt and presumptuous, he secretly missed that proactive kiss.
Xie Zhi's lips were lined with cold lines, just like his cold personality. Yet, they were also so soft, like a piece of fine jade.
He seemed to be stained with the refreshing fragrance of bamboo, and once you get close to him, you will be unconsciously attracted to him.
It wasn't her fault, she thought.
The frequency of her heartbeat never slowed down. Nie Xiangyi was happy at one moment and annoyed at another. She didn't even know when she fell asleep.
The brocade quilt covered her sweet dream, and brilliant fireworks were still blooming in her dream. Xie Zhi's face was blurred by the glare of the dream light. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly, then frowned and scolded her with the words "shameless".
What a mess.
At this point, Nie Xiangyi seemed to be caught in some subtle dilemma. She seemed to... not know how to face Xie Zhiliao.
The impulsive and reckless behavior of that night became clearer and clearer in my memories day after day, giving rise to the belated shame and embarrassment.
Xie Zhi, who lived in the house opposite, was still busy with official duties, going out early and coming back late.
Since that night, the two have never met again.
Even Ling Zhu was puzzled, "I haven't seen Miss Nie in recent days."
"She probably won't come again." Xie Zhi's voice was flat, but he seemed to have a barely perceptible frown on his face.
No girl from aristocratic family could endure such a ruthless rebuke.
She didn't cry, which showed her to be stubborn and strong-willed.
Well, Xie Zhixiang thought, it would be better to stop her from thinking about it, otherwise she would keep pestering him and even admit her mistakes.
But the girl's embarrassed and nearly crying face always lingered in his mind, intertwined with her joyful expression under the fireworks, making him feel inexplicably annoyed.
Perhaps he did speak a little too harshly.
Ling Zhu didn't know why he said that, so she just said, "Maybe he's busy preparing for the Chunhua Palace banquet."
"Chunhua Palace Banquet?" Xie Zhi's eyes suddenly fixed.
"As in previous years, the Imperial Concubine has sent invitations to all the noble ladies. I think Miss Nie is among them."
Ling Zhu paused slightly, "Someone from the palace came to invite Your Highness a few days ago, but Your Highness declined as usual?"
The Spring Flower Palace Banquet is a flower-viewing banquet held in the palace every year, usually at the peak of spring.
At this time every year, my mother would invite noble ladies from aristocratic families to enjoy the colorful scenery of Shanglin Garden together to show the grace of the royal family.
Although it was called a palace banquet, it was only because the prince and he had reached the same age and his mother was interested in seeing them.
Xie Zhi couldn't help but frowned, "As usual."
On this side, Nie Xiangyi knew nothing at the moment and was staying in the mansion with nothing to do.
Suddenly, the doorman announced that a servant from the Nie Mansion came to ask for a meeting.
"No one comes to visit you for no reason. It must be that Jiang is trying to make trouble again." Nie Xiangyi snorted and just asked someone to come in.
Sure enough, the person who came was none other than Fang Rui, the old nanny beside Jiang Yun'e.
Nie Xiangyi felt disgusted the moment he saw her. She was an accomplice to the evildoer, and Xue Mo's death that day was also her fault.
She snorted coldly and looked down at her. "Madam, why are you looking for trouble for Jiang again today? It seems that the slap you received last time wasn't painful enough."
Fang Rui bowed with a forced smile, but acted very humble. "That's not true, young lady. I'm just a messenger."
As she spoke, she pulled out an invitation from her hand. "The Imperial Concubine has also sent an invitation to the Nie Mansion for the Spring Flower Palace Banquet in a few days. Although the young lady is now living separately, she is still a young lady of our Nie Mansion. There is no reason for her not to go."
Nie Xiangyi glanced at the gilded red invitation and asked, "Palace banquet?"
How could they be so kind as to send an invitation just for her?
"Yes." Fang Rui lowered her head and replied, "All the noble ladies from the aristocratic families will go."
"Got it." Nie Xiangyi raised his eyebrows lazily, indicating that Hanxu should accept the invitation. "You can go back now."
"Madam has something else for me to tell the young lady." Fang Rui did not leave, but looked up at Nie Xiangyi.
"Madam said that the palace is no different from other places, and she hopes that the young lady will be careful in what she says and does and abide by the rules. Otherwise, it will bring shame to the Nie family."
I knew they wouldn't be so kind and attentive! Their true intentions were truly revealed.
Nie Xiangyi couldn't help but sneer in his heart. The previous respectful preparation was probably just for this kind of warning.
"She's the daughter of a criminal, a concubine promoted to the wife of a minister. What's the point of coming from such a humble family? How dare she bully me?"
She sneered arrogantly, "Why don't you teach Nie Yuanwei a lesson and stop acting so cheap and mean all the time? It's only bringing shame to me!"
Even though Fangrui knew that she was always arrogant, she didn't expect her to be so unscrupulous and rude, even making a fuss about Jiang Yun'e's background.
"Miss, what you said is quite biased." Fang Rui looked at her with a half-smile. "No matter how stingy the Second Miss is, she wouldn't behave inappropriately or lose her dignity."
The loose wrinkles on her face trembled slightly. "Now it's all spread around. The girl is either traveling with the fifth son of the Wang family, or she is obsessed with the third prince."
As she spoke, she raised her eyes to glance at Nie Xiangyi, as if challenging her. "Such frivolous behavior is shameless. If Madam hadn't been considerate of the fact that the young lady was a daughter of the Nie family and had shown mercy, how could she have dared to allow the young lady to enter the palace? If she had offended any guards or eunuchs in the palace, wouldn't it have brought disgrace upon the Marquisate?"
The words were full of innuendos and even involved the guards and eunuchs, which was really unpleasant to hear.
"What a wicked slave!" Nie Xiangyi's expression suddenly changed upon hearing this, and he said coldly, "I think you've forgotten the pain now that the wound has healed!"
Then she ordered sternly, "Han Xu, hold her down!"
Without waiting for Fangrui to struggle, Nie Xiangyi stepped forward and slapped her hard in the face with both palms.
Suddenly, two crisp "pa pa" sounds were heard in the house.
Nie Xiangyi's long, slender nails, like green onions, raked across her dry skin, leaving several red marks. She used all her strength in these two palm strikes, and two bright red palm prints instantly appeared on Fangrui's wrinkled face.
"Who do you think you are? Just because you've stayed in the Nie Mansion for a few more years, you dare to plot against me?"
"How dare this servant to make up stories about the young lady? I'm afraid the rumors out there will be a hundred times worse than this."
Fangrui covered her face with one hand. Although she lowered her head, anger was revealed in her eyes.
She had been in the Nie Mansion for many years, and since Jiang Yun'e became the legitimate wife, she had helped her manage all matters within the mansion. Even Nie Yuanwei had to give her some respect, calling her half-master. How could she have suffered such physical pain?
"As a slave, being beaten is nothing." She sneered, "Young lady, you can beat me, but can you beat others?"
Having said that, without waiting for Nie Xiangyi to speak, she simply said goodbye and left, "This servant will take her leave first. Five days later, at 3:30 am, the carriage will be waiting for you in front of the Nie Mansion."
"Wait." Nie Xiangyi suddenly called her.
"You mean, on the day I enter the palace, I want you to go back to the Nie Mansion and take the carriage by myself?"
"This is my wife's arrangement." Fang Rui answered in a serious tone.
"Do you think I, Nie Xiangyi, am a fool who can be fooled?" Nie Xiangyi immediately threw the invitation aside and sneered.
"When noble families entertain guests at banquets, carriages usually arrive at the gates of their mansions. Why do I have to compromise and rush back to the Nie Mansion to catch a carriage?"
If she were to go back to the Nie Mansion by herself, wouldn't it seem like she was asking for trouble?
Jiang Yun'e really did everything she could to control her.
Fang Rui only smiled submissively, her face burning with pain from being pulled. "After all, the young lady lives in a separate courtyard, so it's a little inconvenient."
So she simply declared, "If the carriage doesn't come to greet me, I won't go! Rumors are spreading that I'm the Nie family's abandoned daughter, so it's better to make it a reality!"
You can't control her by doing this!
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