Qingying smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Me too."
She rarely expressed her feelings, and that alone was enough to stir Wei Huaixu's heart.
He leaned slightly closer.
Qingying quickly shrank back, her face flushing red with embarrassment. "Not here..."
"What are you thinking about? Your hair is messy, I just wanted to fix it for you."
She puffed up her cheeks and muttered, "You're clearly just teasing me on purpose."
Wei Huaixu chuckled, gently smoothing her slightly disheveled hair and straightening the crooked hairpin in her bun. He knew better than to do anything out of line.
He didn't linger in Qingying's carriage; he quickly gave her a few instructions and left.
Only after he left did Yu Yue dare to approach him.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is so kind to the young lady."
Qingying propped her head up with one hand and blinked charmingly, "If he wasn't good to me, why would I like him?"
Yu Yue smiled and said, "What you say is true. Once you become the Crown Princess, you won't have to worry about those gossipy people bringing up your identity anymore."
Speaking of this makes her angry. She still remembers that at the palace banquet, those noble ladies flattered Qingying on the surface, but behind her back they looked down on her as a concubine's daughter, saying that it was beneath them to appear at the same banquet as her.
Those noble ladies were all legitimate daughters of their respective families, but Qingying was different. They clung to this fact, as if people were destined to be divided into different classes from birth, and no matter how noble the clan, a concubine's child was destined to be inferior to a legitimate child. What's more, her birth mother was a mistress with no title or status.
Qingying was already used to this. "They can say whatever they want, and I can't control what they say. As long as they don't disgust me, I can pretend to turn a blind eye."
The carriage traveled for another hour before finally arriving at the villa next to the hunting grounds.
Qingying's legs trembled, and she weakly stepped off the carriage.
Liu Chengfeng walked over and asked with concern, "How are you? Are you alright?"
Qingying glanced at him indifferently and said weakly, "What do you think?"
Liu Chengfeng quickly waved his hand at Yu Yue and said, "Hurry up and help the young lady down to rest."
Yu Yue thought to herself, "If you hadn't suddenly come and interrupted, I would have already helped the girl into the house."
However, she still obediently replied, "Yes."
Qingying was helped into the prepared room.
Ayan suddenly walked up to Liu Chengfeng and asked, "I see that Miss Qingying is so weak. Does she have some kind of congenital disease?"
"Yes, Shushu has suffered from lung disease since childhood, which makes her extremely weak. Even minor ailments can be life-threatening for her."
"No wonder...didn't you seek a cure?"
"Of course we've sought medical help, but the doctor said it's a condition she was born with and can't be cured."
“You have taken her to Medicine King Valley. I heard that there are people there who can cure all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases. The most mysterious doctor can even bring the dead back to life.”
"Our family physician, Doctor Qin, was invited from Medicine King Valley."
"The imperial physician?"
"Yes, my parents promised to fund his clinic so that he could see Shushu in time and take on apprentices, as long as he lives in the mansion."
"Your parents are so good to your sister," Ayan remarked with a touch of envy.
"Shushu is the only girl in our Liu family this generation, so naturally we all cherish her very much."
"The only girl?" Her tone carried a strange hint of sarcasm.
“Yes…” Liu Chengfeng belatedly realized that Ayan had been orphaned since childhood, and he probably shouldn’t have said such things in front of her.
"Um, Ayan, don't be sad. I'll be good to you from now on."
What nonsense are you talking about?
He realized that his words might have been a bit too direct and frivolous, so he quickly changed his tune: "No... I just hope you can be happy."
Ayan smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling like stars. "I know."
“You…” Liu Chengfeng scratched his head sheepishly, “It’s good that you know.”
...
Qingying slept for a while and was not woken up by Yu Yue until dinner time.
“Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince has sent some ginseng chicken soup. Please get up and eat some, as it will be a token of His Highness’s goodwill.”
Yu Yue persuaded her gently, and she reluctantly got off the bed.
After a quick wash, Qingying sat down at the table to drink chicken soup. She had little appetite, and although the table in front of her was full of dishes, she didn't touch any of them.
At this moment, Ayan walked in without waiting for an announcement. Seeing that she was eating, she sat down opposite her without any hesitation. "With so much food, would Miss Qingying mind if we added another set of chopsticks and a bowl?"
Qingying knew that she was a woman from the martial arts world who was used to being unconventional, so she didn't mind her rudeness and asked Tongxia to bring another set of bowls and chopsticks.
She stopped drinking her soup, wiped her mouth, and asked with a smile, "I heard from my brother that Miss Ayan was originally from Qingzhou?"
“My godfather was from Qingzhou. He raised me, so I am also a Qingzhou native.”
The implication is that she wasn't originally born in Qingzhou. This isn't surprising, considering she was orphaned at a young age and met a foster father; the debt of gratitude she owed him was greater than the debt of her birth.
"May I ask, did your godfather know that you came to the capital alone?"
She shook her head and said, "My godfather died four years ago. I later met my master and studied under him for three years. My master also died a year ago."
Qingying was taken aback. Liu Chengfeng had said that Ayan was only fourteen years old, yet she had already experienced such a difficult life.
A pang of sympathy stirred within her. “Forgive my intrusion, but I’ve brought up your painful past… Miss Ayan, I feel we have some connection. If you don’t mind, let’s call each other sisters from now on.”
Ayan smiled and said, "Okay, I asked Brother Liu. I'm a few days older than you, so you can call me 'sister' from now on."
Qingying smiled and nodded, "Yes, Sister Ayan."
"Hey, Qingying, little sister."
Tongxia brought over bowls and chopsticks, and Qingying personally served her a bowl of ginseng chicken soup, saying, "This was made by the imperial chef in the palace. It tastes extremely delicious. Please try it."
"The imperial chef?" Ayan raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing in her smile. "Was it sent by that Crown Prince again?"
Qingying hadn't thought anything of it at first, but the roundabout tone of her voice made her blush, and she lowered her head shyly, "Why is Sister Ayan making fun of me like them?"
"Hahaha... His favoritism is just too obvious. When we met him today, he seemed to be friendly to everyone, but only when he was facing you did his eyes show the utmost tenderness."
"Really?" Qingying awkwardly smoothed the strands of hair at her temples. "I didn't even notice."
Ayan smiled meaningfully, "Qingying is truly blessed."
Her parents doted on her, her brothers cherished her like a treasure, and she had a perfect husband who understood and loved her. Everyone who saw her would praise her for being lucky and blessed.
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