She watched intently as Wei Jing and Tang Ning walked further and further away, observing the young man in the moon-white robe looking at the girl beside him with a smile on his lips as he leaned closer to say something, and the girl shyly lowering her head—a scene of perfect harmony.
Despite it being the sweltering summer day, Qin Qianqian felt as if she were in the dead of winter, her whole body freezing cold, her eyes constantly stinging and aching. Yet, she still stared intently at Wei Jing as he walked further and further away, her hands slowly, slowly clenching at her sides.
If Ah Jing were to turn around and look at her now, she would definitely not blame him for his previous neglect and indifference.
Qin Qianqian said this to herself in her heart.
However, even after Wei Jing and Tang Ning walked towards the gate and crossed the high threshold, she still didn't see Wei Jing turn around.
Upon seeing this, Qin Qianqian abruptly closed her eyes, her body swaying slightly.
"girl!"
The maid who had been standing to the side, her eyes never leaving Qin Qianqian, rushed forward to support her and called out to her with concern.
Seeing her young mistress's slightly pale face and almost bloodless lips, the maidservant Lüyi, who had grown up with Qin Qianqian since childhood, finally couldn't help but speak up for her, "How could Prince Wei... how could he do that? The young lady was standing right in front of him, yet he acted as if he didn't see anything. Not long ago, he came to the young lady saying he would marry no one but her, but now... and that Miss Tang, she got such a good marriage entirely because of the young lady's generosity, and not only is she not grateful, but... she even showed such affection for Prince Wei in front of you! If you had known this would happen, you shouldn't have..."
"Enough, Greenery, be quiet."
Qin Qianqian quickly stopped her, then looked at the maid beside her with a helpless and bitter expression, "I am no longer the high and mighty eldest daughter of the General's Mansion. You must not speak so recklessly in the future. If this gets to Miss Tang and Mother's ears, I'm afraid even I won't be able to protect you. With my background, how can I compare to Tang Ning... Brother Jing will... will... ha."
As she spoke, Qin Qianqian tightened her grip on the green plant slightly, her eyes lowered, but even she herself didn't notice a trace of resentment flashing deep in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Tang Ning, who had just watched a good show, observed that even though the young man had been away from the General's Mansion for so long, the faint redness in the corners of his eyes hadn't completely faded, and his lips were tightly pursed. Regardless of what she tried to say to him, he either gave perfunctory responses or seemed distracted.
It's easy to imagine that the young man, who had been hurt by Qin Qianqian's words of clarification while hiding behind the artificial hill, now had Qin Qianqian's name written all over his mind. He both loved and hated her, felt resentful and angry. The fire burning in his heart was so intense that he didn't know how to vent it, and he no longer cared about Tang Ning standing to the side.
This made Tang Ning resentful. She liked watching plays, but she had no interest in being a supporting character in someone else's play. Someone like her should be the undisputed protagonist in any play.
Moreover, regardless of love or hate, Qin Qianqian occupies too much space in Wei Jing's heart, which is really not conducive to Wei Jing's improvement in his favorability towards her. So now, what she needs to do is to subtly and gradually take over Wei Jing's heart.
However, given Wei Jing's unwavering loyalty to Qin Qianqian, it's highly unlikely she could use her status as his fiancée to carry out this plan; it would likely be a thankless and arduous endeavor. Therefore...
Tang Ning raised an eyebrow in her mind. She looked up at Wei Jing, who was sitting in front of her looking unhappy. She glanced at him again, but he seemed to be completely absorbed in his own emotions and didn't notice Tang Ning's gaze at all.
"...Brother Jing, Brother Jing, Brother Jing!"
It wasn't until Tang Ning raised her voice and called him several times that the boy suddenly snapped out of his reverie and turned to look at Tang Ning, who had already removed her veil.
"What are you thinking about? You're so engrossed in your thoughts. I called you several times, but you didn't respond."
Tang Ning asked with a smile.
"N-nothing..."
Wei Jing replied vaguely.
After a moment of silence, Tang Ning looked at Wei Jing, who seemed lost in thought, and a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes. After taking a deep breath, she seemed to have made an important decision and called out to Wei Jing again.
Just as Wei Jing turned to look at her questioningly, the boat that had been sailing smoothly on the lake suddenly bumped into something, and Tang Ning, who was sitting not far from Wei Jing, was suddenly thrown off balance by the unexpected turbulence.
"ah!"
After a panicked gasp, just as Tang Ning was about to fall onto the deck, a large, iron-like hand suddenly appeared on her slender, white wrist and, with a reflexive pull, dragged her back.
However, because the ship was rocking so violently, even Wei Jing, a young man who had practiced martial arts since childhood and had an extremely stable physique, could not maintain his balance. He stumbled uncontrollably and fell to the ground with Tang Ning, who had been pulled into his arms.
"Hmm!"
Due to inertia, Tang Ning fell onto Wei Jing. Just as she was completely confused about what was happening, Wei Jing, who was half-holding her, saw the stool on one side shake a few times and then seem to be about to crash down in their direction.
Seeing that things were not going well, Wei Jing immediately protected the back of Tang Ning's head with one hand and hugged her back with the other. With a roll, he avoided the solid wood stool that crashed down with a bang.
Tang Ning closed her eyes in fear, her fingers gripping Wei Jing's clothes tightly, shrinking into his arms and not daring to move.
Only after the boat stopped rocking and the interior returned to its previous quiet and stable state did she dare to tentatively open her eyes and slowly raise her head.
The next second, it directly collided with Wei Jing's bright and dazzling eyes, which were like stars.
With just one glance, Tang Ning, who was lying on the boy, was stunned.
At this moment, Wei Jing, who was looking into Tang Ning's clear, bright eyes, was also unconsciously lost in thought.
The scorching afternoon sun shone through the cracks in the wooden windows, casting its light on the mess inside the boat. Whether it was the sunlight or something else, the atmosphere between the two became inexplicably entangled and ambiguous in a short while.
Just then, a worried and concerned voice rang out from outside the boat curtain, "Miss, are you alright? The boat just encountered a whirlpool, but luckily it wasn't big. Why aren't you saying anything, Miss? Did you bump into something?"
Chunmian's voice suddenly became anxious, as if she wanted to immediately lift the curtain of Xiangfei bamboo in front of her to go in and see if Tang Ning was injured anywhere.
At this moment, the two people in the cabin heard Chunmian's hurried voice and immediately separated as if waking from a dream.
"No, no, I didn't bump or hurt myself anywhere?"
As she spoke, Tang Ning hurriedly stood up from the ground, ran to the front, lifted the curtain, and looked at Chun Mian outside the cabin with concern, "But you, are you and Chun Tan injured anywhere?"
"No, neither do we. We're perfectly fine."
"That's good."
Tang Ning smiled, pursing her lips.
It was at this moment that Chun Tan, standing beside her, suddenly noticed that her young mistress's left hair ornament seemed a little crooked, and even the hem of her skirt was somewhat wrinkled. This...
It must have been caused by the vortex just now... right?
Chun Tan said this to herself with slight hesitation.
After calming down her two personal maids, Tang Ning slowly turned around. The moment she saw Wei Jing standing not far from her, her face flushed red, her cheeks turning as red as the sunset clouds, beautiful and charming.
Seeing Tang Ning like this, Wei Jing felt a little embarrassed. He had never... never had such intimate contact with a woman before. Before, with Qianqian, because she was always very reserved, at most he would just hold hands, which was enough to make him happy for several days.
But now, he actually...
Most importantly, she... she's so soft, it's like... it's like she has no bones at all. Holding her in your arms is like holding a cloud.
The sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy couldn't help but think this.
His mind was a jumbled mess, and for a moment even he couldn't figure out what he was thinking.
One woman blushed shyly, while the other was lost in thought, and the cabin fell silent once more.
After an unknown amount of time, Tang Ning finally recalled the decision she had made before encountering the vortex, and she glanced hesitantly at Wei Jing.
Wei Jing, having just caught that look in the other person's eyes, saw the other person take a deep breath, take two steps forward, and then reveal a gentle and bright smile, "Actually, I know you don't really want to be with me..."
She had barely begun to speak when Wei Jing abruptly looked up. He saw not a trace of resentment or displeasure on Tang Ning's face; instead, her smile became even more genuine and pure.
"I also know that the person you like in your heart is still Qianqian, Brother Jing. I actually know all of this."
Tang Ning continued.
Upon hearing this, Wei Jing's eyes widened slightly, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something.
But Tang Ning spoke first, "But things have already turned out this way. When I was first recognized and returned to the General's Mansion, this marriage fell to me by some twist of fate. I remember you were still in the army at that time, Brother Jing, and you inexplicably changed your fiancée. I think you must have felt depressed and upset, especially since the person you loved was still Sister Qianqian, but you ended up with me... I'm really sorry..."
"You don't need to feel sorry..."
Qianqian gave up on this marriage because she couldn't withstand the pressure, which means that she didn't care much for him.
Wei Jing gave a bitter smile to himself.
"Yes, yes, if I had been a little braver before, and hadn't been so anxious and worried about just getting back into the General's Mansion, and had acquiesced to this marriage, maybe things wouldn't have turned out like this..."
Tang Ning didn't say anything bad about Qin Qianqian; instead, she took all the blame upon herself.
This made Wei Jing's feelings towards her complicated. He had previously thought he had misunderstood her, but now it seemed that she was much better than he had imagined.
"so……"
Tang Ning pursed her lips and spoke again, "If possible, Brother Jing, let me help you. I think Qianqian might have been influenced by the gossips outside, coupled with her sudden change in status, and even... even some minor reasons related to the Princess Consort. Since you weren't by her side at the time, she couldn't quite grasp the situation and made the wrong decision to give up the engagement. When we parted at the door, I could also sense that she still... still had feelings for you..."
Wei Jing stared blankly at Tang Ning not far away, only to see her smile faintly again. "Actually, it's really hard to meet someone in this world whom you love and who loves you back. Now that you and Qianqian have met, you should cherish each other even more. Since Qianqian can't come to her senses, then you should help her! And I'm the most suitable person to help you both. With my help, Brother Jing, you can also talk to Qianqian properly, and of course, it would be best if you could coax her into it... and... and..."
At this point, her eyes flickered slightly. "Besides, I don't like you either. Really, I have absolutely no feelings for you. If you win Qianqian over and the two of you become a couple, I'll be free from this engagement, right?"
Tang Ning looked into Wei Jing's eyes with clear eyes.
I can tell that you also... you have feelings for Jing-gege.
Just then, Qianqian's words, which he had overheard behind the artificial hill, rang in his ears again.
Also that came to his memory was Tang Ning's blushing and shy expression at the time.
But now she's here telling him that she has no feelings for him.
Was it her previous expression that deceived him, or her current words?
Wei Jing already had the answer in his heart.
She clearly... clearly made this decision because she liked him and noticed his depressed expression because of Qianqian.
Was she really that stupid? She could have pretended not to have found out anything, married him, and avoided the stigma of being jilted. But she…
Thinking of this, Wei Jing lowered his eyes slightly.
Having grown up, he has seen all kinds of girls around him: noble, willful, scheming, innocent, and so on.
He had never seen anyone as gentle to the bone as Tang Ning. Almost instantly, the image of her angrily pointing at the disheveled scholar and cursing him at their first meeting became vivid in his mind.
Actually, he was only in that county before. He saw a girl with disheveled hair and one shoe missing from running away, being chased by a scholar with a ferocious face. He ordered his men to rescue the girl on a whim. Then, from a distance, he heard the girl jumping up and down and cursing. Wei Jing, who did not know what had happened, just felt that he had never seen such a shrewish and vulgar girl.
Now it seems that Tang Ning must have been really angered by that scholar that day, which is why she...
"Why? Why did you..."
Even though he knew in his heart that he should probably acquiesce to this silly girl doing what she said, Wei Jing still couldn't help but ask the question.
Upon hearing Wei Jing's question, Tang Ning paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "You may have forgotten that you, leading a pair of personal guards, once saved a little girl in Xihe County. That was truly a life-saving grace for me. Because..."
Tang Ning hesitated for a moment, but after taking a deep breath, she told Wei Jing everything about her past engagement to a poor scholar, the despicable things he had done behind her back, and the man's plans on the day she was rescued.
"...So, if it weren't for you that day, I might have died long ago. After all, I encountered such a villain. Even if I had... I would never have compromised. I would have just died."
As she spoke, Tang Ning's eyes reddened slightly, then a faint smile curved her lips. "So you really did see my ugly side that day..."
"No!"
Before Tang Ning could finish speaking, Wei Jing immediately denied it.
Hearing this, Tang Ning looked at him with some surprise, only to hear Wei Jing repeat himself earnestly, "No, there was nothing shameful about it, you don't need to belittle yourself like that..."
"Okay, I won't belittle you."
Tang Ning nodded obediently, then looked at Wei Jing not far away with clear and sincere eyes, "Then can we settle on this? Trust me, I guarantee that you and Qianqian will have a happy ending."
Tang Ning...
Wei Jing couldn't quite describe how he felt for the time being.
Wei Jing's current favorability rating: 30.
Upon hearing the system notification, Tang Ning's smile became even more genuine.
It's been so long since I've played such a pure and unpretentious "white lotus" (a term for a seemingly innocent and pure person), I really miss it!
After the boat trip, the maid Chun Tan keenly noticed that the young master Wei's attitude towards her mistress seemed to have changed a lot. If before he was indifferent or even somewhat indifferent, after the two of them came out of the cabin, his attitude seemed to have become attentive and gentle, and there was even a hint of pity in his eyes.
This made Chun Tan completely surprised.
She and Chunmian hadn't been with Tang Ning for long. Unlike the straightforward Chunmian, who had been wandering and homeless since childhood, she was always cautious, observing more, doing more, and speaking less. She had noticed before that the young lady was treated with a somewhat disrespectful attitude by the young master, and even his smiles were not genuine. Moreover, whenever the young lady stood with Miss Qianqian, the young master's eyes never left Qin Qianqian.
Chun Tan had secretly worried about Tang Ning, but she was ultimately just a maid with no connections. Without fully understanding Tang Ning's temperament, saying certain things would only invite trouble. After all, if Tang Ning was easy to talk to, it would be fine, but if she wasn't, she might scold her and kick her out of the General's Mansion.
Unexpectedly, in such a short time, the girl had already won over the heart of the Crown Prince, and he even paid close attention to her when she disembarked.
This is really...
For a moment, Chun Tan felt that perhaps she had underestimated this pampered young lady from a wealthy merchant family in Jiangnan.
Unaware that Wei Jing's sudden change would remind the usually thoughtful Chun Tan of so much Tang Ning, she put on her veil and left the lakeside with Wei Jing, walking and laughing all the way towards the city.
It was only after their conversation that Wei Jing realized that Tang Ning, who was free of burdens, was no longer the taciturn girl he had seen on their previous two outings. She seemed to have suddenly become very talkative, and every point of view of hers resonated with him, as if every word she said was just right to tickle his itch.
Wei Jing suddenly felt as if she were a kindred spirit.
Just as Wei Jing was engrossed in conversation, Tang Ning suddenly saw something, stopped in her tracks, and then grabbed Wei Jing's sleeve.
"What's wrong?"
Wei Jing, who was being pulled along, was still a little confused for a moment. Then he saw Tang Ning looking at a jewelry shop called Jin Yu Xuan not far away with her brows slightly furrowed.
The girl's brows immediately relaxed, and she leaned closer to him with bright eyes, whispering, "This Jin Yu Xuan is the best jewelry shop in the capital, Brother Jing, you should know that, right?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Jing, who had assumed Tang Ning wanted to buy jewelry, recalled the silver he was carrying and nodded slightly. He then heard Tang Ning continue, "When we left the General's Mansion earlier, were you angry about Qianqian's annulment of the engagement, and that's why you deliberately avoided speaking to her? Speaking of which, Brother Jing, I really have to say something to you. Young women are always sensitive. What good did your actions do, other than pushing Qianqian further away?"
"So what you need to do now is hurry up and go to Jin Yu Xuan to buy Qianqian a piece of jewelry that she likes. What girl doesn't love jewelry? If you're shy, I'll take it back for you and give it to Qianqian. She'll definitely appreciate your good intentions, don't you think?"
Tang Ning earnestly advised.
Looking at Tang Ning like this, Wei Jing's feelings became even more complicated. He hesitated for a moment, and before he could say anything, Tang Ning, with an expression that left no room for refusal, pulled him by the sleeve and led him towards Jin Yu Xuan.
Perhaps no one in the world knows Qin Qianqian's preferences better than Wei Jing. She loves pearls, all kinds of pearls. Once, on her birthday, Wei Jing gave her a box of South Sea black pearls, which made her extremely happy.
Thinking of this, Wei Jing, who had been dragged in by Tang Ning to choose jewelry, softened his gaze slightly. Finally, on the shopkeeper's recommendation, he chose a pair of round and crystal-clear pearl earrings.
Thinking of Qianqian's happy expression when she received the earrings, Wei Jing's lips also curved into a smile.
Wei Jing, who was in an overly pleasant mood, had just finished paying when he turned around and saw Tang Ning staring intently at the red jade bracelet on the plate, her eyes filled with amazement and delight.
After looking at it for a while, Tang Ning noticed Wei Jing's gaze and immediately turned her head. She glanced at the brocade box in his hand and smiled, "You've bought it, right? Let's go then!"
"Girls all love jewelry. It's rare to see you all here at Jin Yu Xuan. Why don't you choose a piece of jewelry for yourself?"
Wei Jing offered this suggestion.
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning could hardly hide her surprise. She hurriedly waved her hand, "No need, no need, really no need. You can buy it for Qianqian, I don't need it... Alright, alright, it's getting late, and you've bought everything, let's hurry back!"
Without waiting for Wei Jing's reply, she ran out first.
After a while, Wei Jing came out of Jin Yu Xuan and met up with Tang Ning outside the shop. The two then headed straight for the General's Mansion.
Upon arriving at the General's Mansion, Wei Jing first handed the brocade box containing the Dongzhu earrings to Tang Ning. After she finished saying goodbye and turned to leave, he suddenly called out to her.
Before Tang Ning could react, a larger brocade box was stuffed into her hand.
She looked up at Wei Jing in surprise, and subconsciously opened the box in her hand. What could it be but the red jade bracelet she had been eyeing for so long, lying on the light gray brocade inside the box?
She had heard that this bracelet was the prized possession of Jin Yu Xuan, and now…
Tang Ning was so shocked that she didn't know what to do.
"this……"
"This is for you. I saw you looking at it for so long before, so you must really like this bracelet. What young lady doesn't love jewelry?"
Wei Jing chuckled, "Alright, it really is getting late now, I should head back!"
Before Tang Ning could return the bracelet to him, Wei Jing had already left.
Tang Ning was left holding the box in her arms, staring blankly at the boy's retreating figure. After a long while, she finally smiled.
Turning her gaze back to the bracelet in her hand, Tang Ning hesitated for a long time before finally taking it out and putting it on her wrist.
"Girl, you're so pretty!"
The red of the bracelet and the white of her wrist complemented each other perfectly.
Chunmian couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Hearing the exclamation of praise, Tang Ning blushed and playfully pinched her nose.
After entering the General's Mansion, Tang Ning did not return to her own Lanqin Courtyard, but went directly to Qin Qianqian's Lanhua Courtyard with the earrings, and presented her with the gift in her hand with a smile.
Upon receiving the gift, Qin Qianqian stared in disbelief at the pearl earrings handed to her. Before she could say anything, her eyes were drawn to the red jade bracelet on Tang Ning's wrist.
Her memory has always been excellent, especially since Tang Ning had spoken to her for so long before. She clearly remembered that she wasn't wearing such a beautiful bracelet on her wrist before leaving the manor, but now…
"In your hands..."
She pointed to Tang Ning's wrist almost instinctively.
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning saw the bracelet on her wrist and tried to cover it up, but it was too late.
The quick-witted and boastful Chunmian introduced with a grin, "Miss Qianqian, you really know your stuff! The bracelet on your wrist was a gift from Prince Wei, and I heard it's the prized possession of Jin Yu Xuan..."
"Chunmian!"
Before the little girl could finish speaking, Tang Ning hurriedly interrupted her, covering her wrist with her sleeve. "Qianqian, don't listen to Chunmian's nonsense. I've been back for so long, I should go and pay my respects to my mother. Keep the gift safe, I'm leaving now!"
Tang Ning said this with a gentle smile, then turned and walked out, glaring at Chun Mian beside her at the doorway.
The little girl stuck out her tongue, her expression incredibly adorable.
Only after seeing Tang Ning's figure disappear at the courtyard gate did Qin Qianqian's gaze return to the pearl earring in her hand. She stared at it for an unknown amount of time before suddenly slamming the earring and the brocade box against the door with all her might, tears streaming down her face.
Why?
Why has everything changed now?
Everything changed after she returned from Tangning. Her parents didn't care about her, her brother didn't love her, she was constantly talked about and humiliated, and now even... even her brother Jing...
A pair of pearl earrings is worth very little, but Tang Ning is wearing a red jade bracelet on her wrist that she has never had before.
Was all of Jing-gege's feelings for her fake? Were his vows to marry no one but her just empty promises?
It's only been a few days?
Has he fallen for Tang Ning?
What should she do?
What should she do?
Meanwhile, Tang Ning, who had long since left Lanhua Academy, listened to Chunmian's ingratiating voice while stroking the red jade bracelet on her wrist.
I didn't do it on purpose; I was sincere from beginning to end!
She genuinely wanted to bring the two together, genuinely disliked Wei Jing, and genuinely wanted to sow discord between them!
Tang Ning smiled inwardly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com