Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Who do you think you are! It’s not your turn...
Nie Xiangyi turned her head suddenly and was surprised to see Xie Zhi standing tall and graceful under the shade of the hanging leaves.
The spring sunshine shone through the gaps between the new buds, illuminating him like a piece of exquisite cold jade.
His eyes and eyebrows were more beautiful than a woman's, but he didn't look feminine. His dark eyes were like a pool of cold spring water in the mountains, emitting a clear and cool air.
Today he was only wearing an ordinary smoky-colored robe with dark patterns, his hair tied up with a jade hairpin, and he looked clear-headed and handsome.
Perhaps it is his innate dignity that makes him seem distant and inaccessible, just like the cold moon in the sky, which is within sight but out of reach.
Nie Xiangyi's eyes showed a moment of shock.
She thought that he was truly worthy of the words "zhilan jade tree".
She remembered that when she first met him in Shanzhou, he was just like this, attracting all her attention at first sight.
"It's all right, what happened?"
The voice of cousin Zhong Lingyu suddenly rang out, and Nie Xiangyi came back to his senses and bowed to Xie Zhi.
Zhong Lingyu still maintained a decent smile on her face. She took three or two steps towards the water pavilion, but there was a hint of anxiety between her brows.
It's only been a short while since I was with Nie Xiangyi, how could such a big mess have happened?
She had just gone to the front yard with her husband Xue Moxun to welcome Xie Zhi into the mansion. She had originally been accompanying Xie Zhi for a stroll in the garden when they unexpectedly bumped into each other.
Although they didn't know what happened, several pairs of eyes watched intently. It seemed that Nie Xiangyi threw herself on Pei Lang, which caused her to fall into the water.
Someone said in surprise and doubt: "It seems that it was the eldest daughter of the Nie family... who pushed Miss Pei Liu into the water..."
"I didn't!" Nie Xiangyi turned her head to look at the girl who had spoken, and argued forcefully, "I was pushed by someone, and that's why I accidentally pounced on her!"
"But you clearly pushed her on purpose just now..." As soon as the girl opened her mouth, she met Nie Xiangyi's burning gaze and her voice gradually lowered.
It seemed as if Nie Xiangyi was being aggressive.
Zhong Lingyu winked at Nie Xiangyi, signaling her not to argue at this moment.
She couldn't help but grit her teeth, feeling extremely annoyed - these people didn't like her in the first place, and no one would believe her now.
The anxiety rising in her heart made her unconsciously knead the corner of her clothes. Her eyes moved around anxiously, but she caught a glimpse of Xie Zhi not far away.
His features were cold and expressionless, but his expression could not be seen clearly.
Nie Xiangyi was even more annoyed.
There were so many people around just now, and everyone saw her pounce on Pei Lang, but no one saw that she was also pushed.
Does he feel the same way?
At this moment, Pei Lang was rescued from the water.
The water in the pond was barely knee-deep, not particularly deep. However, the spring air still carried a chill, and Pei Lang was soaked and rather disheveled. A gentle breeze blew, and his face instantly paled.
Zhong Lingyu took a light green cloak embroidered with pine and bamboo from the hand of the nanny beside her and put it on Pei Lang, while instructing the maidservants beside her,
"Hurry up and take Miss Pei Liu to Tianguang Courtyard in front to change clothes! And then go get a doctor to take her pulse! It's a little cold in spring, so don't hurt yourself."
Then he lowered his voice and instructed, "Go quickly and ask mother to look after Miss Pei Liu."
The mother she was referring to was her mother-in-law, Lady Qi, the current Princess Yang Hui.
When Pei Lang got into trouble in the Xue residence, it was only natural that the master should be there to look after him.
However, today's matter involved Nie Xiangyi. She had always known her cousin's temperament. She seemed arrogant and willful, but in fact she was a simple-minded person.
If she wasn't watching here, and someone accused her of pushing someone into the water with just a few words, it would be difficult to explain to the Pei family, and it would also be bad for her reputation.
If she stayed here now, she could only ask Princess Yang Hui to look after Pei Lang so as not to give him a chance to be criticized.
Xue Moxun, who was here, looked at the mess in the water pavilion and couldn't help but show worry on his face. He just smiled apologetically at Xie Zhi.
"Your Highness, please forgive me for making such a fool of myself. It was my fault for not treating our guests well enough that I caused such a mess."
Xie Zhi's expression was indifferent, and even the gentle smile on the corners of his mouth was almost faded. Although his expression seemed gentle, it made people feel cold and distant for no reason.
He looked at the chaos here coldly, thinking it was nothing more than some childish, ridiculous and cheap tricks.
Just now, he walked half a step ahead of Xue Moxun and his wife. When he passed by the waterside pavilion, he saw clearly that when Pei Lang fell into the water, a pair of hands quietly pushed Nie Xiangyi's waist.
But he has always been cold-hearted and doesn't like the noise, let alone want to get involved in it.
He is not a nosy person.
Xue Moxun took a look at his expression and said hesitantly, "Your Highness, why don't you come back to the front yard with me?"
Xie Zhi turned around to leave, but his eyes suddenly fell on the wrinkles on the corner of Nie Xiangyi's clothes.
Her fingertips rubbed back and forth on the small piece of peach-pink fabric, and even her fingertips turned the same pink, like a small petal of peach blossom.
She still held her neck erect, looking proud, as if she had done nothing wrong. But her wandering eyes betrayed her again; she was nervous.
Like a cat about to explode, stubborn and pitiful.
For some reason, Xie Zhi stopped and suddenly turned into the water pavilion.
He simply replied to Xue Moxun, "There's a commotion in the front yard, so it's okay to stop here for a while."
Xue Moxun understood.
There are many guests today, and most of them in the front yard are officials, ministers, and nobles from aristocratic families. When they meet the Third Prince, they are inevitably bothered by the need to curry favor with him.
However, this Third Prince was the most aloof and distant.
At this moment, he was sitting upright in the waterside pavilion, sipping tea by himself, as if all the chaos around him had nothing to do with him, and he was isolated from the world.
Pei Lang fell into the water. Zhong Lingyu knew that she had to give the Pei family an explanation for this matter, so she pulled Nie Xiangyi aside and whispered, "Ah Si, what exactly happened?"
Ah Si was her nickname. When asked this question by someone close to her, Nie Xiangyi showed some grievance.
She pouted, "I did push her earlier, but I didn't push her into the water! Then I don't know who pushed me from behind, and that's how I pushed her into the water."
"Why did you push her for no reason?"
"That's what I was going to ask! It's all right, I'll give it to her and give her a good scolding!"
Nie Xiangyi felt more and more aggrieved as she spoke. Refusing to show weakness in front of others, she held her head high, looking stubborn and resentful. "She even scolded me for not having my mother's upbringing!"
Zhong Lingyu's expression suddenly froze.
She suddenly recalled the time when she first met Nie Xiangyi in Shanzhou. Back then, she had lost her mother, was thin and small, and always timid, looking at everything with a timid and dodging look.
Her grandfather patiently raised her for a long time, hoping that even if she was a little willful and capricious, it would be ok, and she would not be so pitiful again.
Pei Lang's words today might have touched her sore spot.
Zhong Lingyu felt an indescribable pain in her heart. She was negligent just now and shouldn't have left her here alone.
How could she, with her straightforward personality, handle such an occasion?
Another girl who was on good terms with Pei Lang spoke up, "Miss Pei Liu was just chatting and joking with you, why did it come to this?"
Even Nie Yuanwei, who stepped forward leisurely at this moment, frowned slightly, "Eldest sister has a rather bad temper. It's fine if she does this at home, but she also pushed Miss Pei Liu into the water. How can we explain this to the Pei family?"
Although her words were well-intentioned, they were tinged with a subtle hint of blame.
Nie Xiangyi was already very anxious, and after hearing her accuse him of something in just a few words, he became even more furious.
So she frowned and scolded, "Who do you think you are? Do you think you can control me?"
Being scolded by her like this, Nie Yuanwei blushed and was about to cry, "I was just thinking about my elder sister..."
"Look! She has such a rude temper! She doesn't even give face to her own sister!"
"No wonder he pushed Miss Pei Liu into the water without any scruples."
"It seems Miss Pei Liu is right. This guy doesn't look like someone well-educated at all."
Zhong Lingyu's face darkened.
How could she not hear that Nie Yuanwei had stirred up trouble with just a few words, as if to prove that Nie Xiangyi had pushed someone into the water.
Nie Xiangyi became the target of public criticism for no reason.
She had originally wanted to brush it off by saying it was just a joke, but now it seemed like she was being unfair.
She turned around and glanced at Nie Yuanwei coldly.
Nie Xiangyi stiffened her neck, the corners of her peach-pink clothes were crumpled into a mess by her, but she still held her head up stubbornly.
"If I didn't do it, then I didn't do it! If I did, how could the Pei family be afraid to admit it?"
Once these words were spoken, they sounded arrogant and domineering in the ears of everyone.
The Pei family, a family of noble character for generations, seemed not worth mentioning in her words.
Nie Xiangyi was so angry that her eyes were tearing up. Why did they blame her? She was the one being mocked for no reason!
It seemed as if everyone held an inexplicable malice towards her.
She took a deep breath and blinked hard to hold back the tears that were about to burst out.
She snorted again. She would never cry in front of these people!
Somehow, a pair of slightly red eyes just happened to meet Xie Zhi's sight.
Xie Zhi didn't seem to be looking at her. His bony fingers were revealed from his wide sleeves, holding the bone china teacup in his hand.
His every move was as graceful as the light breeze, and every action was pleasing to the eye, like a person in a painting.
Only those dark eyes were cold.
How would he look at her? Nie Xiangyi was even more annoyed.
She tugged at her skirt as if in despair, thinking indignantly, "He must think so too! Everyone thinks so."
Nie Xiangyi pursed her lips, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Big tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"Not her."
A cold and desolate voice came just like that.
Nie Xiangyi's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widened in surprise, and she stared blankly at Xie Zhi.
Xie Zhi's eyes did not fall on her, he just put down the teacup, as if he was talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him.
"Some hands pushed her, wearing a pair of jade bracelets with floating flowers."
That’s all I have to say.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what to say. They were surprised that Xie Zhihui had spoken up to clarify things for Nie Xiangyi, but also surprised that someone had actually pushed Nie Xiangyi.
Xie Zhi's words carry great weight.
It's not just because of his identity as the third prince, but also because he holds the power of the Divine Strategy Bureau at such a young age.
The Shen Ce Si was the emperor's personal guard and only took orders from the emperor. From royal family members to princes and ministers, the Shen Ce Si could bypass the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice and arrest people directly.
Wherever the Shen Ce Guards went, everyone was terrified.
Xie Zhi, though seemingly aloof and gentle, like a modest gentleman, is actually ruthless and ruthless in his actions.
In addition, he has always been clean and self-disciplined, with no factional disputes outside and no scandals about concubines inside. Since he took charge of the Shen Ce Division at the age of fifteen, everyone has been convinced of him.
If he spoke, it would be only to speak the truth.
After Xie Zhi spoke up, Zhong Lingyu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, there was an explanation.
As for who pushed Nie Xiangyi, as the head of the household, it was not appropriate for her to examine the girls' hands carefully as if they were interrogating a criminal to see who was wearing a pair of floating flower bracelets.
She then smiled and said, "Maybe it was just carelessness. Ultimately, it was my fault as the host. I failed to behave properly and this is what caused this mess. I should apologize to Miss Pei."
As he said this, he ordered his servants to prepare apologies one by one and put the matter behind them.
Nie Xiangyi had suffered a loss, so she wouldn't let it go so easily. Throughout the banquet, she was looking at the jewelry on the ladies' wrists.
But her eyes were sore from staring, and until she left Xue Mansion at nightfall, she still didn't see anyone wearing a pair of floating flower bracelets.
Zhong Lingyu sighed privately to her, "Grandfather always hoped you could be more lively and generous, but now you are so honest and straightforward, you will always suffer in the capital."
"I'm not afraid. At worst, I can just go back to Shanzhou." Nie Xiangyi snorted, "I just don't understand why they treat me like this. I don't have any grudges against them."
"How would you know the twists and turns here?"
Zhong Lingyu poked her forehead. "Take Pei Lang for example. Her grandfather was the Third Prince's teacher. Because of this relationship, she's the most likely to become his consort. The other day, you chased after the Third Prince at the Spring Gathering, sparking rumors. How could she tolerate you?"
Nie Xiangyi curled her lips, "If she has the guts, she can go chase Xie Zhi herself. Why would she embarrass me?"
Zhong Lingyu laughed. "As for the others, they might not be genuinely slandering you, but you have a reputation for being unruly and headstrong, so they're bound to have some prejudice against you. Plus, you already had a tantrum against Pei Lang earlier, so even if it wasn't you who pushed them, it still felt like you were the one pushing them."
Nie Xiangyi snorted, quite disdainful.
"But then again, you've only been back in the capital for a few months. How come everyone knows you're so willful and spoiled, even to the point where you've pissed off your mistress so much she can't get out of bed?"
Zhong Lingyu's eyes were quite meaningful. "Come to think of it, I remember you were like that when you were little. Back then, I heard in Shanzhou that you were difficult to teach and didn't follow the rules. Who would have thought that you would become a little girl who had to look at other people's faces even to eat a piece of cake?"
Nie Xiangyi shrugged, as if not thinking too deeply about it, and only complained: "They always use the rules to restrict me. This is not right, that is not right. What can I do?"
Seeing that she didn't seem to understand the deeper meaning, Zhong Lingyu shook her head and said, "Forget it. Be careful when you return home. Remember to come to me if you are wronged."
"How dare they let me wrong them?" Nie Xiangyi snorted disdainfully, then put her arm around Zhong Lingyu and acted coquettishly, "But thank you, cousin Lingyu!"
The carriage back home swayed and wobbled as it drove towards the Yongyi Marquis's residence in the night. Nie Xiangyi closed his eyes for a nap, still wondering who had pushed him.
At that time, all the noble ladies were surrounding her, so it was hard to judge for a moment. She slowly opened her eyes and glanced at Nie Yuanwei suspiciously.
But her wrist was slender and white, like a piece of jade lotus root, but it was empty without any jewelry.
Nie Xiangyi withdrew his gaze.
When they returned home, Nie Yuanwei's mother, Jiang Yun'e, now the wife of Marquis Yongyi, was waiting for them at the door.
The Yongyi Marquisate was now in decline, with only an empty title, and its friendship with the Qiguo Duke's House was not deep. For family dinners like today, invitations to the Yongyi Marquisate were never sent.
It was only because of the relationship between Zhong Lingyu and Nie Xiangyi that he invited Nie Yuanwei along to avoid gossip.
On this side, Jiang Yun'e saw Nie Xiangyi and Nie Yuanwei getting off the carriage one after another, and hurried to greet them.
"I heard that Xiangyi pushed Miss Pei Liu into the water today. What happened?" Her gentle face was filled with worry, like a loving mother.
Jiang Yun'e and Nie Yuanwei look very similar. They both have calm and gentle looks. They even speak softly, and their every move has a bit of the elegance of an aristocrat.
Nie Xiangyi only glanced at her sideways, and walked towards the mansion on his own, sneering, "You are well-informed."
Jiang Yun'e smiled awkwardly and chased after her, gently admonishing her, "Xiangyi, I'm not saying anything to you, but you have a bad temper. What is the status of the Pei family? How can you explain it now? If your father finds out, he'll definitely be angry."
Nie Yuanwei hurriedly held her hand, "Mother, it's all just a misunderstanding. The Third Prince has already clarified it for my eldest sister."
Jiang Yun'e was startled when she heard this and stopped talking, "Third Prince?"
She glanced at Nie Yuanwei's expression, but before she could say anything, her eyes suddenly fixed on her empty white wrists. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Huh? Where are your bracelets? Why are they gone?"
Her voice was filled with a hint of urgency. "That's my dowry, and I found it especially for you for the Xue Mansion banquet!"
Nie Xiangyi suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
