This matter is not over yet. Qingying is never one to suffer losses. Regardless of the other party's motives, the result has frightened her. She cannot quell her anger without seeking some compensation.
"Whatever your reasons, Young Master Lu, what's done is done. I'm not here today to hear your verbal apology."
Upon hearing this, the two immediately understood.
Lu Jingyan said, "Whatever compensation Miss Liu desires, I will do my utmost to fulfill it."
"I don't want you." Qingying slightly raised her chin and said, "I want her."
Lu Xingli was stunned, not understanding what she meant.
Qingying said, "I want Sister Lu to make a promise."
Lu Xingli and Lu Jingyan exchanged a glance, and after a moment, they nodded nervously.
"I need you to promise that you will never use these kinds of dirty tricks on me again. Can you do that?"
Before Lu Xingli could speak, Lu Jingyan immediately said, "It's possible, definitely possible."
Qingying's gaze fell directly on Lu Xingli, carrying a hint of coldness. "I want your answer. If you can't do it, then we don't need to have anything to do with each other anymore."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xingli nodded hurriedly, "I promise you, I will definitely do it."
"If you cannot do this, you will never find love in this life, nor will you die a peaceful death. What do you say?"
Qingying raised an eyebrow, looking at the other person's astonished expression.
Lu Xingli swallowed hard and nodded again. To show her sincerity, she raised three fingers and swore, "I, Lu Xingli, promise that I will never use these schemes on Liu Qingying again. If I break my promise, may I never be able to find love or die a good death in this life."
Qingying then stood up with satisfaction. "Let's leave this evidence at the Lu family's place. Be more careful in the future, lest you implicate the Duke of Lu's mansion."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Lu Jingyan immediately chased after her, "Miss Liu, let me see you off."
Qingying did not refuse and let him follow her.
As they left the Duke of Lu's mansion, Lu Jingyan finally spoke and asked, "Miss Liu just said that you cannot reciprocate my feelings, is it because you already have someone you like?"
"Yes." Qingying said without hesitation, "Young Master Lu is a talented and refined gentleman, and he will meet a woman better than me in the future."
He gave a slightly bitter smile. "I wonder what kind of man would be fortunate enough to win Miss Liu's favor?"
Qingying smiled and said, "You'll find out later."
She bowed to Lu Jingyan, then turned and got into the carriage.
Tong Xia lifted the curtain and glanced outside, saying, "Lu Erlang is still standing at the door, not moving."
Qingying disagreed, saying, "He can stand in front of his own house for as long as he wants."
Yu Yue smiled. "Does Miss really look down on the second son of the Lu family so much?"
"What do you mean by 'looking at someone' or 'looking at someone'? His so-called affection for me is just because I have the Liu family backing me. But I've always understood that this is my biggest bargaining chip, there's no denying that. It's just that I can't bring myself to like them because of their scheming."
Tong Xia nodded and said, "What you say is true, Miss. The Lu siblings have indeed lowered themselves this time. They have resorted to such despicable means to win your heart. They are far inferior to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Qingying glanced at her and said, "You've only met the Crown Prince a few times, yet you're already on his side?"
"slave……"
Yu Yue quickly held her down and scolded her in a low voice, "You dare to say such nonsense!"
"This servant knows her mistake." Tong Xia realized she had said the wrong thing and immediately lowered her head.
Qingying tapped her forehead and said helplessly, "You're only doing this because I spoil you. In the future, just say these things in private. Before everything is settled, don't let outsiders know that His Highness the Crown Prince has anything to do with me."
"yes."
...
The carriage swayed and rattled for a while, gradually reaching a densely populated area, the bustling downtown of the capital. Qingying did not go straight back to the mansion, but stopped at a teahouse along the way.
In the center of the teahouse, there was a stage, and on the stage sat a girl holding a pipa. Her face was covered by a veil, revealing a pair of pale eyes that lacked any vitality.
She played "Yangchun Baixue" (White Snow in Spring), a piece with a brisk rhythm and a refreshing, flowing melody. The music flowed from her fingertips like spilled beans, captivating the heart and lingering in the air for days.
Qingying went upstairs and found a place to sit down. It was a good spot to overlook the platform below. When the waiter came over to check the tea, she ordered a few pastries to be served with the tea.
She had just sat down for a while when she suddenly heard voices beside her—it was a familiar voice—Wei Dongchen.
The teahouse tables were separated by carved partitions, so she couldn't see who was sitting next to her, and naturally, no one next to her could see her either.
"That Lu Jingyan is plain-looking and even less talented, yet he dares to covet Er Yatou. This time, I'll beat him so badly he'll be scared out of his wits and give up!"
"Shushu is my sister, why do you seem more anxious than I am?" It was Liu Chengfeng's voice.
"How can you be such a good older brother? Your own cabbage is about to be eaten by a pig, and you don't even know how to protect it!" His tone was full of disappointment and frustration.
Qingying couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.
Just then, the waiter came over to serve the dishes. Qingying pointed to one of the plates of osmanthus sugar cakes with her slender white fingers and said, "Take this plate to the young master next door."
The waiter immediately did as instructed.
A short while later, Wei Dongchen sat down opposite her, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Just now... you heard everything?"
"Hmm." She smiled and looked at Liu Chengfeng, who had just sat down. "Shouldn't you be listening to lectures at Wenyuan Academy right now, big brother?"
Liu Chengfeng froze for a moment. "He should have been at the academy, but..." His gaze shifted to Wei Dongchen standing to the side.
Although he often hung out with Wei Dongchen, he was quite different from the playboy. He was knowledgeable in military strategy and skilled in martial arts, earning him the nickname "Little General Liu." He was methodical in his work, which is why Madam Pan didn't discipline him much. He rarely skipped school, and when he did, it was always at the instigation of others.
When Qingying saw Wei Dongchen nervously touching his nose and avoiding eye contact, she understood everything.
"You just said you wanted to beat up Lu Erlang?"
"No, no, you misunderstood. We're not talking about hitting people, we're talking about playing polo."
"Polo?" Qingying was very puzzled. How could polo beat someone so badly that they were running away in a panic?
Liu Chengfeng explained, "He arranged a polo match with Lu Jingyan and the others, which will be held at the end of the month on the summer solstice."
"Summer Solstice...aren't you afraid the sun will bake you until your skin peels off?"
Wei Dongchen grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and said, "You just don't understand. It's only fun when you're playing polo in the hottest weather."
Qingying thought for a moment and asked, "Can I go watch the polo match?"
"sure."
As soon as Wei Dongchen agreed, Liu Chengfeng objected: "They're all men, it's not appropriate for you to go."
Wei Dongchen said, "What's wrong with that? With Er Yatou cheering me on from the sidelines, I might even win more spectacularly."
"Can……"
"Don't worry, with you and me here, who would dare to bully her? Besides, the Crown Prince is here too."
Qingying was taken aback. "His Highness the Crown Prince is here too?"
“Yes,” Wei Dongchen said, “I’m on the same team as the Crown Prince.”
Qingying looked at Liu Chengfeng with expectant eyes and said in a soft, coquettish voice, "Brother, I've never seen a polo match before. I want to go and watch it. I promise I'll behave and not run around. Is that okay?"
Liu Chengfeng had never been able to resist her soft-spoken charm, and immediately nodded in agreement.
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