No, no, it's not true, it's not true...
Qin Qianqian stared madly at the crowd huddled at the door, at the undisguised mockery and contempt on their faces, at her disheveled appearance and at Wei Jing lying unconscious beside her.
She felt as if everything before her was a dream, a nightmare from which she could not wake up no matter how hard she pinched her thigh. In this nightmare, both the onlookers and Wei Jing lying beside her seemed to transform into ferocious beasts that devoured her in an instant, as if they wanted to tear her apart.
With trembling hands, Qin Qianqian desperately pulled at the blankets on the bed, covering herself with them until she was almost completely buried in them. But the gazes of the people in front of her, as if they wanted to strip her naked, clung to her like leeches, impossible for her to shake off.
Even though she had almost wrapped herself up in the blankets like a ball, Qin Qianqian still felt cold, a cold that seeped into her bones.
Overwhelmed by shame and terror, Qin Qianqian's eyes were already bloodshot, and her teeth were chattering in her mouth.
Even though she had already put on such a pitiful appearance, the group of women standing by the door and in front of the window, who had always been at odds with her and whose main force had been pressuring her after her identity was revealed, still showed no intention of letting her go.
He spoke softly to the person next to him, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Qin Qianqian to hear clearly.
"Good heavens, to do such a disgraceful thing at the Princess's chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, how disgusting!"
"That's right. But since it's Qin Qianqian who did this, I'm not surprised at all. She's always been this kind of person, isn't she?"
"Hey, hey, did you guys see the face of the man lying next to her clearly? I... I'm not seeing things, am I? That face... it looks like..."
"Prince Wei!"
Because Qin Qianqian pulled on the blankets, Wei Jing, who had been unconscious under the covers, was finally exposed.
Upon seeing his appearance clearly, the group of girls couldn't help but shout it out in unison.
Upon hearing the name "Prince Wei," everyone was immediately filled with surprise and astonishment.
If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't be so surprised, but that's Prince Wei! He was engaged to Qin Qianqian, but she made him give up the engagement. Now he's the real heiress Qin Tangning's fiancé!
Oh my god!
The crowd, who had almost choked on this bombshell, looked at Qin Qianqian with a mixture of sourness, envy, disdain, and understanding.
Those gazes, like poisoned arrows, pierced straight towards Qin Qianqian.
"No way? It's actually Prince Wei? Everyone in the capital knows how much Prince Wei liked Qin Qianqian before. Did their old feelings rekindle after they met again at the Princess's residence? It's really... If I were Qin Tangning, I would probably be disgusted to death by these two. I used to admire Wei Jing so much, but now I hate him so much. How could he be such a person!"
"Exactly, exactly, and they just couldn't stand it? At the flower-viewing banquet at the Princess's residence... they really weren't deliberately trying to annoy Princess Qingping, were they?"
“Something seems off. Despite all this noise, Prince Wei is still lying there with his eyes closed. Could it be… could it be that…”
"Yes, I saw it too. Prince Wei hasn't woken up at all. He's most likely been infected. My God, could all of this be Qin Qianqian's scheme?"
"First, she gave up the engagement to gain a good reputation, and then she slept with Prince Wei and successfully married into the Jianwang Mansion. If we hadn't accidentally discovered it, Prince Wei would probably have been persuaded by her tearful words and insisted on breaking off the engagement and marrying her instead, right?"
"But don't you think this is too risky? Of all places, why not the Princess's residence? If she gets caught, how embarrassing would that be! How could Qin Qianqian, who cherishes her reputation so much, do something like this? Could she have been set up by someone?"
"What are you scheming about? You all went to admire the flowers earlier and didn't notice, but I stayed at the main courtyard and immediately saw the General's wife leading Qin Qianqian to meet several other ladies. I think it's likely that Madam Qin noticed something was wrong with Qin Qianqian a long time ago and is preparing to arrange a marriage for her. Once the marriage is arranged, there will probably be no possibility for her and Prince Wei anymore. Wouldn't she then be driven to desperation?"
"This is...this is just too shameless..."
"that is……"
...
Don't underestimate the logical reasoning ability of young ladies. In no time at all, they collectively and mentally filled in the whole story behind Qin Qianqian lying with the unconscious Wei Jing.
No, that's not it, that's not it...
Despite covering her ears, Qin Qianqian still couldn't help but hear the group's conversation, and she painfully denied it to herself over and over again.
That's not true at all. She cherishes her reputation so much that she didn't hesitate to give up her marriage to Tang Ning after her identity was revealed. How could she possibly scheme against Wei Jing and marry into the Jianwang Mansion?
She was clearly set up; she was tricked!
Why is everyone laughing at her? Humiliating her? Why!
Why aren't they mocking Tang Ning? Shouldn't Tang Ning have already fallen into the water by now? Why is everyone gathered here instead of talking about Tang Ning...?
etc.
Yes, why hasn't she heard any news about Tang Ning falling into the water? And none of their conversations have mentioned Tang Ning falling into the water at all. Why? She clearly sent Luyi to inform Qiuling, didn't she? She should have found an opportunity to push Tang Ning into the water long ago, shouldn't she?
Previously, she had ended up in front of this suspicious house because she was following Tang Ning and He Lanruo. She hadn't even seen who pushed her clearly. Now, there was no news of Tang Ning falling into the water. Could it be... could it be...
Yes, it must be Tang Ning who schemed against her; it must be Tang Ning who harmed her.
It was she and Helan Ruo, that adulterous couple, who deliberately harmed her!
Qin Qianqian's pent-up pain, frustration, and embarrassment seemed to find an outlet at this moment, and she began to obsessively blame all the problems on Tang Ning.
Meanwhile, as Madam Qin, filled with anger, walked straight ahead, the closer she got to the noisy room, the higher her heart pounded and the faster it raced. No matter how she tried to calm herself down, she couldn't.
The woman's hand gripped Tang Ning's garnet earring tightly, unaware that her palm was being pierced by the sharp points on the earring.
Just as she was about to reach the house, a familiar voice, trembling with sobs, rang out sharply in her ear—
“Listen to me, it’s not like that, it’s not what you’re saying. Ah Jing and I… Ah Jing and I aren’t as bad as you say. We were framed, we were really framed…”
Upon hearing this rebuttal, Madam Qin was immediately overcome with anger and her vision went black. She swayed and was caught off guard. If her personal maid hadn't caught her, she would have been utterly humiliated.
Even though she bravely endured it and her vision gradually cleared, she didn't feel much better. The other ladies who had also recognized the voice all looked at her awkwardly. Even the princess looked at her with suppressed anger. The ladies of the families she had previously arranged for Qin Qianqian to meet were also suppressing their resentment, with a look of relief and lingering fear in their eyes.
Fortunately, they had only just made contact with the General's Mansion and nothing had actually happened yet; otherwise, it wouldn't just be the Qin family who would be embarrassed today.
Thinking of this, the ladies secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Qianqian's voice was still explaining inside the room. Wei Jing, who was lying unconscious beside her, was finally awakened by her sharp voice.
Upon sensing Wei Jing's movement beside her, Qin Qianqian immediately grabbed his arm as if she had grasped a lifeline. "A-Jing, A-Jing, explain to them! We were set up, and we didn't do anything shameless..."
Yes, because Prince Jian, Wei Jing, entered this problematic room, the two men outside who had been plotting against Helan Ruo were afraid that things would spiral out of control and implicate their second master, thus endangering their lives. Almost as soon as Wei Jing entered the room, they hurriedly summoned someone over.
The difference between the two was less than 15 minutes.
All they dared to hope was that nothing irreparable had happened between Qin Qianqian and Prince Wei within that short period of time.
Wei Jing had just woken up when he heard Qin Qianqian's sobbing voice above his head.
In an instant, Wei Jing was jolted awake.
He quickly sat up, glanced at Qin Qianqian who was crying incessantly beside him, and then looked at himself, whose clothes were still intact.
When he entered the room, he was initially confused, but because he had practiced martial arts since childhood, he regained his senses briefly. Then he saw Qianqian lying next to him, disheveled and infatuated.
In an instant, Wei Jing realized that the two of them were most likely being tricked. Without hesitation, he struck Qianqian unconscious with a palm strike. As his body's reactions became more and more violent and his strength in his limbs was constantly dissipating, in order to avoid doing something wrong, Wei Jing hardened his eyes and slammed his head against the edge of the bed, quickly losing consciousness as well...
That's why they were both unconscious when they were discovered; otherwise, given the effects of the incense under the moon and flowers, they should have been doing something.
But his efforts didn't seem to have much effect. He was found lying in bed with Qianqian, their clothes disheveled. Their reputations were ruined. Qianqian could never marry anyone else but him.
Thinking of this, a look of confusion and blankness unconsciously rose in Wei Jing's eyes.
In the past, if he had learned that Qianqian could not marry anyone else but him, even if it ruined his reputation, he probably would have been overjoyed and would not have had any other reaction.
But now, why, why is his heart so, so flustered?
Wei Jing's mind was in complete turmoil, impossible to unravel. After managing to sort it out, he discovered that he had managed to put the tangled mess into two words: Tang Ning.
Yes, Tang Ning.
Now that something like this has happened between him and Qianqian, how will Tang Ning view him?
She probably will never like him again, and she certainly won't... marry him...
The mere thought of this possibility sent a jolt through Wei Jing's heart, and a panic surged through his veins, spreading to every part of his body. Aside from this ever-growing terror, he could feel nothing else. Qin Qianqian's cries, the chatter of the people at the door—all seemed to travel from a great distance, creating a surreal, unreal feeling within him.
As Qin Qianqian, who was weeping uncontrollably, looked at Wei Jing's pale face and silent demeanor, a strange sense of panic also spread uncontrollably in her heart.
She slowly, slowly released her grip on Wei Jing's hand, a flash of hatred crossing her eyes.
She wanted to marry Wei Jing, but she absolutely did not want to marry him in such an embarrassing way. This was even more humiliating than if she had taken the initiative to go with Wei Jing to Lady Qin and Princess Jian to confess.
She couldn't take it anymore, she really couldn't take it anymore. At that moment, she felt as if her skin had been forcibly peeled off her face and thrown to the ground, where it was trampled on again and again by one person after another.
This feeling is worse than death...
It's so painful.
And who brought her this feeling?
Tang Ning.
Yes, it's all Tang Ning's fault; she's the one who ruined her.
Qin Qianqian squeezed the blankets tightly, then raised her head again. "Really, everyone, please listen to my explanation. I was really set up, and I know who set me up—it's Tang..."
Just as Madam Qin pushed aside the group of people blocking the doorway and walked in, her heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Especially when she saw Qin Qianqian's lips moving, her eyes widened in fury.
"flourishing!"
She suddenly shouted, directly interrupting Qin Qianqian's attempt to drag Tang Ning into the mess.
"Get down here right now!"
Hearing this, Qin Qianqian's resentment intensified, and the rage surging within her made her completely ignore Madam Qin's angry glare. "I was..."
Seeing that she wouldn't give up until she got to the bottom of it, Madam Qin, who had served General Qin on the frontier for eight years and was also skilled in martial arts, quickly walked to the bedside, pulled the disheveled Qin Qianqian off the bed, and slapped her across the face. "Shameless!"
The threat in their eyes intensified.
Qin Qianqian, who had originally been determined to drag Tang Ning down with her regardless of whether it was a scheme or not, was completely stunned by the slap.
Because she was the only girl in the family since childhood and the youngest, the Qin family always treated her with utmost care and pampering. Despite being rough and uncouth people, they never dared to lay a finger on her.
Let alone hitting her, even if she accidentally bumps into something and falls down, they'll feel sorry for her for a long time.
But now, her mother hit her...
She hit her...
Qin Qianqian covered her numb cheek in disbelief, turned around abruptly, and was met directly by Madam Qin, whose cold and ruthless eyes were even more intense.
That look startled Qin Qianqian so much that she shuddered, but quickly came to her senses.
Seeing that she had finally calmed down, Madam Qin gestured to the maids she had brought with her, and then gave an apologetic smile to the Princess and the others present, curtsied slightly, and said, "I have failed to properly educate my daughter, and I have made a fool of myself in front of everyone. I will take my unfilial daughter back to the manor now and give her a proper education."
As she spoke, seeing the mocking and disdainful looks from the others, Madam Qin's smile faded slightly, and she led Qin Qianqian forward first.
"Hey kid, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and catch up!"
This was Princess Jian, who arrived late and had a dark expression, scolding Wei Jing.
So the two families headed to the General's Mansion one after the other. On the surface, the turmoil of the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet had come to a temporary end, but everyone present knew that the capital would probably be in an uproar for quite some time because of this incident.
Around the same time, in the crevices of the artificial hills by the lake.
Afraid of falling, Tang Ning was held tightly in He Lanruo's arms, her hands also gripping the man's clothes tightly. She listened as the sounds around her grew fainter and fainter until there was no sound at all.
After a long while, she lowered her voice and tentatively spoke, "Helan...Helan Ruo...can you check if there's anyone outside?"
As soon as Tang Ning spoke, her warm breath sprayed onto He Lanruo's chest, which was covered by a layer of damp clothes and felt slightly cool. The clash of hot and cold caused goosebumps to rise on He Lanruo's skin. His Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably. He closed his eyes briefly, exhaled, and then tilted his head slightly. Through the gaps in the artificial hill, he saw that the lakeside, which had been crowded with people, was now completely deserted.
Seeing this, Helan Ruo was momentarily unsure whether she felt fortunate or disappointed.
"Hmm, there's no one left."
He was fine when he didn't speak, but once he opened his mouth, Helan Ruo found that his voice was surprisingly hoarse.
"real?"
Tang Ning, whose head had been pressed against He Lanruo's chest, immediately raised her head.
Helan Ruo also happened to turn her head.
Suddenly, their eyes met.
Previously, due to the critical situation, the two had no mind to pay attention to anything else. Now that there was no one outside, they suddenly realized just how ambiguous their position was.
Because their thin autumn clothes were already soaked through by the cool lake water and clung to their bodies, and because of the cramped space between the artificial hills, the two were pressed tightly together. For a moment, they could even feel the body heat transmitted from each other, not to mention the curves of their bodies.
Looking at Helan Ruo's handsome face, which was almost too beautiful, Tang Ning finally realized what was happening. Her cheeks flushed red instantly, and the blush spread to her ears, neck, and collarbone. She was so shy that even her toes curled up.
He Lanruo also watched as a drop of water slowly slid down Tang Ning's temple, tracing the contours of her cheek, continuing to slide down, down.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the artificial hill, casting a bright beam across her cheek. This made her already moist eyes appear even more radiant, as if bathed in soft light. Tang Ning, far from looking disheveled after falling into the water, instead possessed a unique, ethereal beauty, like a lotus emerging from clear water. Her skin appeared even whiter, her eyebrows even darker, her eyes even more lustrous, and even her lips even redder…
Despite being known as a playboy, He Lanruo, who had never had such intimate contact with any other woman besides Ji Muqing in her life, couldn't help but feel her heart pounding.
thump.
thump.
thump.
He was so engrossed in jumping that he couldn't look anywhere else except at Tang Ning's face.
Helan Ruo's current favorability rating: 51, 52, 53...
Just as his favorability rating had barely passed the minimum requirement, a muffled groan suddenly rang in their ears.
In an instant, the romantic atmosphere between the two vanished. They both looked to their side and discovered that the lewd man who had been knocked unconscious by Helan Ruo was now showing signs of waking up.
Before Tang Ning could say anything, He Lanruo struck again, knocking the man unconscious once more.
"Should we... go... Ah Qiu!"
Before Tang Ning could finish her stammering speech, she couldn't help but sneeze.
Upon seeing this, Helan Ruo frowned immediately. "No, you just fell into the water and have been here with me for so long. Don't catch a cold. You must change out of your wet clothes right away."
"I brought clean clothes in the carriage, but if I change my clothes for no reason, won't that arouse suspicion?"
Tang Ning was somewhat worried.
"It's alright, you change your clothes first, I... I'll go to my mother's and get a few irons, I promise I'll iron your clothes as quickly as possible, okay?"
Hearing him say that, Tang Ning, who didn't have a better solution for the time being, could only obediently nod.
Soon enough, Helan Ruo secretly brought Tang Ning to his room. Anyway, he didn't need any maids, and to make it easier to go out, he usually didn't leave anyone in his room. It just so happened that Tang Ning's entry wouldn't attract too much attention.
As for the man who intended to "play the hero and save the damsel in distress," he turned off the iron as he was grabbing it.
Once he has dealt with Tang Ning's matter, he will definitely interrogate her thoroughly to find out who dared to cause trouble at the Princess's residence.
When Helan Ruo finally brought the iron over, Tang Ning, wearing the dry clothes from Helan Ruo's closet, and the two of them, whether out of embarrassment or something else, began to iron Tang Ning's wet clothes facing each other.
Perhaps the atmosphere was too silent, Helan Ruo coughed lightly, before she could speak.
Two voices suddenly drifted in faintly from the tightly closed window beside them—
"...No way? Caught red-handed? That's incredibly shameless!"
"That's right. I heard that Miss Qin and Prince Wei were engaged before, but the engagement was later transferred to the real daughter of the General's Mansion. What do you think would happen if the real daughter found out that her fiancé slept with her adopted sister at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet?"
"I can't even imagine it. These two are the most disgusting people I've ever seen."
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning immediately dropped the iron in her hand to the ground with a thud, and the red-hot charcoal inside sprang out.
If Helan Ruo hadn't reacted quickly enough and pulled Tang Ning over immediately, the charcoal would probably have splashed directly onto her calves.
"Who goes there? Who's in the young master's room?"
The maid who had been gossiping by the window suddenly asked in a panic, and even hurriedly walked towards the door.
"It's me!"
Seeing that they looked like they were about to push the door open and come in to check, Helan Ruo spoke up without hesitation.
"What are you chattering about? You're making it impossible for me to get a good night's sleep!"
"This servant knows her mistake, this servant knows her mistake!"
He Lanruo, who had scared away the two maids with just a few words, had just turned around when she saw Tang Ning looking at her with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Please, take me back, please take me back now."
Tang Ning gripped his sleeve tightly, pleading in a trembling voice.
Upon hearing this, Helan Ruo glanced at Tang Ning's clothes, which were half-dry from being ironed, and nodded directly.
"good."
Tang Ning changed her clothes as quickly as possible, not even bothering to dry her half-dry hair, and absentmindedly followed He Lanruo into the Princess's carriage. On the way from the Princess's residence to the General's residence, her complexion didn't improve at all; it had become almost transparently pale.
Looking at Tang Ning like this, He Lanruo even felt a deep urge to hug her tightly and comfort her.
What's wrong with him?
Why would he...?
Helan Ruo lowered her eyes, trying hard to suppress the impulse in her heart.
He Lanruo's current favorability rating: 62.
Almost simultaneously, Qin Qianqian was led home by the furious Madam Qin. Looking at Madam Qin sitting above, the bewildered General Qin, the disdainful Princess Jian, and Wei Jing who seemed to be sleepwalking beside her.
Without a second thought, she knelt down with a thud.
"Mother, please believe me. Jing and I were really framed. It was Tang Ning, it was her. She schemed against us. She has feelings for Young Master Helan, but she doesn't want to bear the stigma of being annulled. That's why she deliberately plotted against us, making us look bad in public. Only in this way can she leave unscathed and be with Young Master Helan. It's really true, I beg you to believe me..."
Qin Qianqian spoke with tears streaming down her face, her emotions running deep and sincere.
Regardless of whether it's Tang Ning or not, if she's not having a good time, Tang Ning shouldn't expect to have one either.
Before anyone could even react after Qin Qianqian finished speaking, a maid came to report that Miss Tang Ning had returned.
Everyone in the hall watched as Tang Ning was sent back to the General's Mansion. Who else could it be but He Lanruo following behind her?
Upon seeing this, the others immediately frowned, and even Wei Jing was somewhat incredulous.
Qin Qianqian was overjoyed that Tang Ning would cooperate so well.
I never expected that Tang Ning would have He Lanruo send her back. This is really great.
Unfortunately, Qin Qianqian was too happy too soon.
As soon as she entered the main hall, Tang Ning glanced at the cold-faced crowd and Qin Qianqian and Wei Jing kneeling on the ground. Realizing that things were not going well, she knelt down without hesitation.
"Father, Mother, I beg you to seek justice for Qianqian and Brother Jing! There must be some misunderstanding about them being caught in bed together. If I'm not mistaken, someone has definitely plotted against Brother Jing and Qianqian. Please, Father and Mother, investigate thoroughly! I believe they couldn't be that kind of people. In fact, they were...they were truly in love, and they were even prepared to explain things to Father, Mother, and the Princess Consort, to break off their engagement and get back together—I know all of this. So how could they possibly do such a thing at the Princess's residence? Therefore, someone must have deliberately framed them. Please, Father and Mother, investigate this thoroughly and clear Brother Jing and Qianqian's name!"
After speaking, Tang Ning solemnly bent down, even banging her forehead heavily on the ground.
With a thud.
It seemed to strike directly into the heart of Qin Qianqian, who was already dizzy and pale.
Why did Tang Ning...?
She's finished.
Haha, everything's over.
Author's Note: Tang Ning: Surprised? Shocked? Happy?
Qin Qianqian: I'll f*** you, you god!
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