"Heh," Lin Qian's red lips curled slightly, a hint of disdain in them, "this is nothing. The real show is yet to come."
"Heh," Lin Qian's red lips curled slightly, with a hint of disdain, "This is nothing. The real show is yet to come." She slowly tidied her slightly messy hair, a sly glint in her eyes.
"003, tell me, if I 'accidentally' reveal what happened today to the Crown Prince, what do you think he'll think?" Lin Qian's smile deepened, as if she had already foreseen the good show to unfold.
"Host is brilliant! The Crown Prince and Prince Ning are mortal enemies, this is going to be a good show!" 003's voice was full of excitement, as if he could already see Prince Ning's unfortunate fate.
Lin Qian chuckled softly and turned to leave the garden. She needed to carefully plan how to make this performance even more spectacular.
Lin Qian watched Xiao Jingyan and Su Yao's departing figures, a cold smile playing on her lips. These people were nothing more than pawns on her chessboard, completely at her mercy. Su Yao's admiration and Xiao Jingyan's probing were, in her eyes, nothing more than laughable and clumsy tricks.
"Host, well done! Prince Ning is going to have a headache for a while now." 003's cheerful voice rang in Lin Qian's mind, as if celebrating a grand victory.
"Heh," Lin Qian's red lips curled slightly, with a hint of disdain, "This is nothing. The real show is yet to come." She gently stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist, her fingertips feeling a cool touch.
003's voice was full of doubt: "Host, what exactly are you trying to do? Wouldn't it be better to just go straight for the male lead? Why go through all this trouble?"
"Strategy guides? Those are so boring," Lin Qian said casually.
"Host, what are you planning to do next?" 003's voice was filled with excitement, like a child eagerly anticipating opening a gift.
Lin Qian casually smoothed out non-existent wrinkles on her sleeve, her red lips parting slightly: "Naturally... let them fight like dogs, leaving a mess behind."
003 seemed amused by her words, its electronic voice brimming with cheerfulness: "Host, you're so naughty! But I like it!"
Lin Qian ignored it and turned to walk deeper into the garden. Su Yao's affection was too straightforward, and Xiao Jingyan's probing was too clumsy; dealing with them was easier than crushing an ant.
However, this is just the beginning.
What she wants is not just to give them a headache for a while.
...
In the following days, rumors about a love triangle between Prince Ning, Su Yao, and Lin Qian spread like wildfire in the capital, with each version more outrageous than the last. Some said Lin Qian was scheming and deliberately seduced Prince Ning; others said Su Yao was unreasonable and deserved to be neglected; still others said Prince Ning was a womanizer and was just playing with women's feelings.
Lin Qian never paid any attention to these rumors, and even encouraged them. She knew that rumors were like a sharp blade, killing people silently in unseen places.
As expected, Xiao Jingyan soon found himself overwhelmed by these rumors. He had intended to use Lin Qian to test Su Yao's feelings, but he hadn't expected it to backfire, and now he had put himself in a passive position.
A few days later, in the Imperial Garden of the Royal Palace.
The annual Spring Banquet was held as scheduled. The young ladies of each family dressed up in their finest attire, vying for attention and hoping to win the emperor's favor.
Lin Qian wore a light purple dress, her long black hair tied up with a single jade hairpin. She was elegant and refined, standing out among the heavily made-up women.
"Miss Lin looks absolutely radiant today," a charming voice said, tinged with a hint of sarcasm.
Lin Qian looked up and saw Su Yao, dressed in a fiery red dress with exquisite makeup, walking towards her.
"Miss Su looks beautiful today too." Lin Qian smiled faintly, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
Su Yao sat down beside her, her gaze sweeping over her simple attire, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "Miss Lin, why are you so plain today? Are you perhaps afraid of stealing someone else's thunder?"
"Miss Su is joking." Lin Qian didn't take it to heart. "I just feel that true beauty lies not in outward adornment, but in inner qualities."
Su Yao sneered and was about to speak when she heard a commotion not far away.
"His Highness Prince Ning has arrived—"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xiao Jingyan, dressed in a black brocade robe, with a handsome face and a dignified bearing, walking slowly in surrounded by a group of officials.
Su Yao's gaze was instantly drawn to it, her eyes filled with infatuation.
Xiao Jingyan's gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing on Lin Qian. He paused slightly, then walked towards her.
"Miss Lin." He nodded slightly, as if to greet her.
"Your Highness Prince Ning." Lin Qian rose and bowed, her tone neither humble nor arrogant.
Xiao Jingyan sat down beside her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before he slowly spoke: "Miss Lin seems even more radiant than before."
Lin Qian smiled slightly and remained silent.
Seeing this, Su Yao was filled with jealousy, but dared not show it.
What annoyed him about the rumors from a few days ago was Lin Qian's unusually calm demeanor, as if it had nothing to do with her. He tried several times to confront Lin Qian and get to the bottom of things, but she always made excuses to avoid him.
Xiao Jingyan observed Lin Qian discreetly. The woman before him wore a pale purple dress that accentuated her snow-white skin and exquisite features. She was completely different from the girl he remembered who was infatuated with him. The rumors that had been circulating for the past few days had led him to believe that Lin Qian would use this opportunity to get closer to him, but he hadn't expected her to act as if nothing had happened, even having the leisure to attend the spring banquet.
"Miss Lin doesn't seem surprised by my arrival?" Xiao Jingyan looked at her with a half-smile, his tone tinged with a hint of probing.
Lin Qian chuckled softly, her eyes full of smiles: "Your Highness, you flatter me. Your status is noble, and today is the Spring Banquet; your presence is perfectly normal. Why should I be surprised?"
Her tone was calm, yet every word she spoke was profound, successfully shutting down Xiao Jingyan's words.
Hearing this, Su Yao felt a surge of anger and twisted the handkerchief in her hand fiercely, but dared not say anything. She could only vent all her resentment on Lin Qian.
Xiao Jingyan, having been rebuffed, wasn't annoyed. Instead, he found Lin Qian's unyielding attitude quite amusing. He suddenly recalled the rumors from a few days ago, and with a thought, asked casually, "Miss Lin, what are your thoughts on those rumors?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Qian's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "What opinion could I possibly have? It's nothing but the idle speculation of bored people. I have nothing to fear; let them say what they will."
Her nonchalant demeanor made Xiao Jingyan somewhat uncertain. He narrowed his eyes, wanting to say something more, but was interrupted by a clear, crisp voice.
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