“Miss Xiange is kind and grateful, otherwise she wouldn’t have become friends with the Crown Princess.” Rong Ying remained calm and composed, taking this as just another step in her attempt to get closer to her.
After they finished exchanging compliments, Rong Ying asked a question.
"I heard that Miss Xiange is a distant relative of the Cheng family. I wonder why Miss Xiange did not go to seek refuge with her close relatives in the Cheng family near her hometown, but instead came to Pingkang City. Is there something important on her mind?"
When Xiange appeared, the Cheng family used the excuse that he was an orphan from a collateral branch of the Cheng family. But a family has many lineages, and even though the Cheng family had been in decline for a long time, there were still many collateral branches.
If there were distant relatives, the ancestral hall of the collateral branches could also take care of them, so there was no need to live directly in the main branch of the Cheng family's residence.
Of course, Rong Ying knew perfectly well that she was a woman from the Yue Kingdom.
However, for the Cheng family to acknowledge her, it would mean that the Cheng family had their own purpose in fabricating Xiange's background, which coincides with Xiange's purpose of coming from the Moon Kingdom.
Rong Ying made some inquiries and also had the opportunity to find out what the two sides were planning together.
Xiange was flattered: "I didn't expect my benefactor to care about my purpose. It's not that I don't have close relatives to rely on, but those people in my hometown are friendly on the surface, but cold-blooded in reality, and they all have their eyes on my family's wealth."
"To avoid having their money stolen, they abandoned their relatives and friends in their hometown and came to the main branch of the Cheng family, at least..."
Rong Ying narrowed her eyes slightly, picked up her teacup, and asked casually, "At least what?"
A faint blush appeared on Xiange's cheeks. She deliberately waited until Rongying finished drinking her tea before picking up the teapot and refilling his cup.
Rong Ying subconsciously looked up and saw Xiange staring at him quite seriously.
"If I get married, at least the main branch of the Cheng family won't covet my meager family fortune."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and gently touched her cheek, revealing a serious expression: "I've always thought I was good-looking, so finding someone to marry shouldn't be difficult."
"But when I arrived here, I was surprised to find that there were people more beautiful than me. The Crown Princess was so beautiful that she made me pale in comparison."
"It's a pity that I grew up in a small town and never saw the world. As a result, I developed a conceited heart because of my beauty. When I saw the outside world, I felt terrible."
"However, the Crown Princess is a good person. I feel happy to befriend her, so I can't feel jealous of her. On the contrary, I find the Crown Princess pleasing to the eye."
"But I still want to get married. What if someone is more beautiful than me? Will I have trouble finding a husband? My benefactor, you're from Pingkang City. Have you seen any women who are more beautiful than me?"
Rong Ying: "..."
He paused, looking at Xiange, and saw that she was also looking at him with affection in her eyes, and he realized that he had made a mistake.
He was focused on getting information out of them, while they were focused on using him as a target for a honey trap.
Rong Ying put down the tea that Xiange had poured for him, gazed at the distant pond, and remained silent.
Xiange didn't mind Rongying turning her face away. Instead, she picked up the cup in front of her and used the light tea to admire her reflection.
"My benefactor is not saying anything, probably to save face for me. Perhaps I am considered ugly in this place, and if I do, I won't be able to find a good husband in the future."
Even though Rong Ying knew she was just putting on an act, she couldn't help but turn around subconsciously.
Contrary to her appearance, Xiange was not plain-looking; rather, she possessed a bold and dignified beauty, with a striking and heroic air. Her striking features meant she didn't need much makeup to be uniquely beautiful, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who saw her.
Rong Ying admired her ability to belittle herself: "Miss Xiange cares so much about how others perceive you. Little do you know that you are very likely to attract lecherous men and find a husband who will not fear the day when his beauty fades and his love wanes."
What was supposed to be a very offensive remark didn't bother Xiange at all. Instead, she carefully considered Rongying's words and ended up feeling even more "sad."
“If I were beautiful, I could choose a handsome husband, but my benefactor couldn’t bear to tell me about my appearance. Where am I supposed to find a good-looking husband?”
"Even the saying 'beauty fades and love wanes' is used to describe beautiful women. It's kind of you, my benefactor, to use such words to comfort me. I'm afraid I'm not qualified at all, how could I possibly be waning in love!"
After saying that, Xiange let out a few long sighs.
Rong Ying was speechless. She had been pretending for a long time that Wu Yan wanted to choose a handsome young man.
However, he also knew that for women like Xiange who came from the Moon Kingdom, eloquence was their least remarkable skill, and if he got entangled with her on these matters, he would only cause trouble.
Rong Ying suppressed his surprise and then pointed it out.
"Does Miss Xian Ge think I'm a fool? Your close relatives are after your money. Don't trust the Cheng family's official branch. Aren't you afraid they'll deceive an orphan like you?"
"If they just settle you down with any marriage they can find, are you going to applaud and cheer?"
Xiange raised her head in surprise, strongly agreeing with Rong Ying's words: "Of course not, but I was just grasping at straws in my desperation. I believe they will treat a junior like me well."
"I stayed at the Cheng family's residence for several months and found that the outcome was very different from what I had imagined. For example, Princess Cheng, if she hadn't been betrothed to the Third Prince as a concubine, she would most likely have married a sickly man surnamed Wang."
"If Princess Cheng's marriage is like this, what am I? If the Cheng family, a respectable branch, were to marry me off so casually..."
Xiange looked at Rongying with a worried expression, her voice filled with deep grievance: "My benefactor, I certainly won't even have the chance to applaud and cheer."
"It's kind of you to consider so many consequences for me. It's a pity I met my benefactor too late."
Rong Ying: "..."
When has he ever thought about her?
"Now that you've seen through the Cheng family, why don't you leave before things get too serious? If you leave the Cheng family and ask the Crown Princess for a favor, the Cheng family will never dare to make things difficult for you."
Xian Ge regretted: "It worked before, but it doesn't work now."
Rong Ying focused her gaze and probed, "What's going on now?"
Xiange met Rong Ying's eyes and said fervently, "Xiange loves my benefactor. Now that I've left the Cheng family and become an ordinary woman, how can I often come to the East Palace to see my benefactor?"
Rong Ying couldn't help but sneer: "Miss Xiange, your reputation is important, so watch your words."
Rong Ying's reaction was very quick, which made Xiange laugh. She looked her over.
"Why does it seem like my benefactor already knew that Xiange liked you? Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have already made arrangements for us?"
Rong Ying then realized that it was one thing for him to know that Xiange was a woman from the Moon Kingdom, but it was quite another thing for him to know from His Highness that Xiange "liked" him.
His reaction was tantamount to making it clear.
"Then Xiange will have even more excuses to pester me," Rong Ying cursed herself inwardly, and then got up.
"It's getting late, I'll be going now."
“My benefactor, please escort me out of the palace again. I want to see more of the place today,” Xiange caught up with Rong Ying in a few steps, not blocking his way, and followed him closely.
Annoyed by being followed, Rong Ying immediately stopped and said, "Miss Xiange, you must follow the rules in the palace and not wander around recklessly."
Xian Ge Wu Wei: "I asked my benefactor to lead the way precisely to follow the rules, didn't I? If my benefactor hadn't led the way, and I had broken the palace rules, how could my benefactor have the heart to do that?"
While Rong Ying remained unyielding, Xiange headed towards Yichun Palace: "Since my benefactor won't lead the way, I'll ask the Crown Princess to borrow someone to guide me. Some of what I said earlier was a lie to my benefactor. The only person who truly knows why I went to the Cheng family is the Crown Princess."
“Wait,” Rong Ying called out to her.
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