Lu Xingli said, "Second brother, don't forget what you promised me."
Lu Jingyan patted his chest and replied, "Of course, when have I ever lied to you?"
"Of course I trust my brother, but seeing her cold attitude towards you now, I wonder how confident you are?"
"You don't know this, but when I was acting as the bookmaker over there, she was staring at me so intently that she was completely lost in thought. Obviously, she wasn't entirely uninterested. If I take the initiative to show my affection a few more times, I'm not afraid she won't be moved."
"Now I can rest assured. When I become the Crown Princess, I will definitely remember my brother's kindness."
The brother and sister walked away talking, and Qingying could no longer hear what they were saying afterward. Fearing that she would be discovered, she did not follow them.
Yu Yue, who was with her, naturally overheard their conversation and said indignantly, "So this is what they were up to today! These brother and sister are really greedy. Not content with currying favor with the General's Mansion, they also dare to covet the position of Crown Princess. Aren't they afraid that their ambitions are too big and their appetites too small to satisfy them?"
Qingying straightened her robes, stood up, and said calmly, "Let's go."
"Miss, shall we go back to the waterside pavilion?"
"I'm not going. I'm going straight home."
She felt that she was just bored and wasting her time with these unfamiliar people.
Qingying asked Yu Yue to call Tongxia, who was waiting by the waterside pavilion, back to the palace, while she waited at the gate of the mansion.
Unexpectedly, Lu Xingli chased after her, asking, "Is Sister Liu leaving already?"
Qingying thought to herself: What? Am I supposed to just sit here and wait to be tricked by you?
She turned around and looked at the woman who looked a little disheveled from rushing over; her clothes were slightly messy and her hair was slightly askew. It seemed that she was really afraid that she would leave like this.
"I'm sorry, Sister Lu, I have something urgent to attend to and need to leave early." Qingying maintained the demeanor of a well-bred young lady.
Lu Xingli looked somewhat regretful. "We were just discussing how we could play something even more fun when you come back."
"Next time, Sister Lu, please invite me to come and play often when you have time. I don't have many friends, and I am very happy to meet everyone today. It's just a pity that there is an urgent matter at home that I can't make it. Please ask Sister Lu to say sorry to everyone for me."
Having said all that, how could Lu Xingli possibly persuade him to stay? He could only suppress his frustration and put on a reasonable act: "Alright, I genuinely want to be your friend. If you can come to our house often in the future, not only me, but my second brother will also be very happy to welcome you."
"Mmm." Qingying smiled gently, raised her hand to lightly tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a section of her fair wrist adorned with a red string, the small, round jade beads swaying slightly with her movement.
Lu Xingli's eyes widened immediately, wanting to see more clearly, but she had already lowered her hand, and the wide sleeves slipped down, completely covering her wrists.
"You..."
Just as she was about to ask something, Yu Yue and Tong Xia walked over.
Qingying pretended to be innocent, smiled and said goodbye to her, and then let the maid help her into the carriage.
Lu Xingli stood there, staring at the carriage that was gradually disappearing into the distance, his eyes growing darker and darker.
She seemed to have seen Wei Huaixu also have that red rope.
Is it a coincidence, or...?
"Fourth sister, what are you doing standing here? Where is Miss Liu?" Lu Jingyan's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
She turned around, flicked her sleeve, and walked straight into the mansion, coldly saying, "I'm leaving."
...
I hadn't seen Wei Huaixu for two days, and when I saw him again tonight, I noticed that he had some dark circles under his eyes.
What's wrong with you?
Wei Huaixu leaned against the window and smiled at her, "I just didn't get enough rest. I couldn't sleep all night thinking about you."
Qingying glanced at him and said coquettishly, "You're so glib."
"Don't you like it?"
She found it too embarrassing to speak so bluntly, so she could only blush and look away, then change the subject: "I went to the Duke of Lu's mansion today."
"I know."
Lu Xingli has admired you for a long time.
"I know."
"So what do you think?"
Wei Huaixu stared straight at her. She tilted her head slightly, and the flickering candlelight cast shadows on her porcelain-white face, making her look even more gentle than before.
He leaned down slightly and, when she was completely unprepared, kissed her cheek.
The girl's face felt as soft and supple as it looked. His slightly cool lips made only a fleeting, light touch to her skin before quickly withdrawing.
What was Qingying thinking at this moment?
She couldn't think of anything anymore.
She felt as if something had exploded in her mind in an instant, and with a "bang," all the blood in her body rushed into motion.
“This is my answer,” Wei Huaixu said softly.
Qingying was so embarrassed that she wanted to hide. She turned her back to him, lowered her head, stared at the cashmere carpet on the floor, and whispered, "I know..."
Wei Huaixu's low laughter came from behind him, and he seemed to feel much happier.
He didn't ask Qingying to come back, but said to himself, "I have some important matters to attend to these days, so I'm afraid I won't be able to visit you often. If you need anything or miss me, just write me a letter and leave it by the window. A guard will come and get it."
"good."
Even after he left, Qingying didn't dare turn back to face him again.
In the stillness of the night, lying alone on her bed, she would still shyly pull the blanket over her face as she recalled that slightly cool kiss.
I was so excited that I finally fell asleep in the middle of the night.
When she woke up the next day, she also had the same dark circles under her eyes as Wei Huaixu.
"Miss, the old lady's maid just came to tell you to have your meal over there."
Qingying yawned lazily, "Okay."
To avoid being noticed by Madam Wang, she asked the maidservant to apply extra powder to her face, so that she wouldn't be questioned about it later.
When she arrived at Wang's residence, she ran into Pan, who was walking towards her.
Today, Madam Pan was dressed in a rare crimson outfit, and her face showed obvious joy.
"Why is Mother so happy today? Has something good happened?"
"Shushu," Madam Pan said with a smile, holding her hand, "your father is coming back soon."
Qingying was also delighted, "Really?"
“It’s absolutely true. Your uncle told me this today after court. The Emperor himself issued an edict summoning him back to the capital.”
No wonder Madam Wang invited them to dine together.
The two entered the hall and sat down. Then, a maid brought out the dishes.
Wang said, "Ayu will be back in a few days, and Luo's pregnancy is gradually improving. I plan to set off for Chongfu Temple tomorrow to fulfill my vow."
Qingying said, "But brother's marriage is still unsettled, isn't it?"
Madam Pan sighed, "Your brother is always running away, he's not very settled. This matter can't be rushed."
Madam Wang said, "It's precisely because he's unsettled that you, as his mother, have to worry about him more. We can start arranging Feng'er's marriage once his father returns."
As the daughter-in-law, Madam Pan naturally dared not say anything and could only agree.
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