The scenery behind Qixia Temple is quite unique. The mountains are layered upon each other, with tender green, emerald green, dark green and black green intertwined among them. The clouds and mist in the mountains add a touch of ethereal beauty and mystery to the peaks. Standing on the mountain path and looking down into the distance, you can see the well-arranged suburban villages of Beijing and the neatly planned streets and houses of the capital city.
Unfortunately, Qin Qianqian and Wei Jing, walking one after the other on the mountain path, had no time to appreciate the enchanting scenery.
Qin Qianqian was deeply saddened and devastated that her childhood sweetheart, Wei Jing, had fallen for Tang Ning in such a short time.
Wei Jing was worried that Qin Qianqian would misunderstand him and Tang Ning because of their recent "practice," and he was also concerned about Tang Ning, who was alone on the mountainside.
However, because Wei Jing was a man and practiced martial arts, he quickly caught up with Qin Qianqian, who was already stumbling along.
With her eyes bloodshot and looking utterly lost, Qin Qianqian, who was walking ahead, couldn't help but let a hint of surprise flash across her eyes as soon as she heard the commotion behind her and Wei Jing calling her name. But this surprise seemed so insignificant compared to Wei Jing's "heartfelt confession" just now.
Almost as soon as she recalled what she had just seen and heard, the light in Qin Qianqian's eyes dimmed again, but her steps slowed down noticeably.
Having learned her lesson from getting lost from Wei Jing on the street last time, Qin Qianqian was afraid. Even though there was only one small path leading down the mountain, she still dared not quicken her pace.
So one person slowed down, while the other chased after them with all his might. Soon, Wei Jing grabbed Qin Qianqian's arm halfway through the journey and pulled her around with a sudden force. Qin Qianqian, whose face was covered in tears and whose eyes were as red as a rabbit's, was turned around completely.
Upon seeing Qin Qianqian like this, Wei Jing felt an unbearable pang of pain, a result of years of affection and habit.
No matter what, Qianqian is the girl he has loved for so many years. He promised to treat her well for the rest of his life, to indulge her and follow her lead. No matter when, if she has a conflict with someone else, he will always stand by her side unconditionally.
Thinking this, Wei Jing reached out and pulled Qin Qianqian into his arms, holding her tightly. At the same time, he said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Qianqian, it's all my fault... Whether it was the conflict at Tingli Tower last time or this time, it's all my fault... I'm so sorry for making you so sad!"
After so long, hearing Wei Jing's gentle and soft voice again made Qin Qianqian, who was already feeling extremely wronged, unable to hold back her sobs and she began to clench her fists tightly around Wei Jing's clothes.
It's unclear how long Qin Qianqian cried before her sobs finally stopped.
Seeing that she had finally calmed down, Wei Jing then whispered in her ear what he had just said to Tang Ning.
"practise?"
Upon hearing Wei Jing's explanation, Qin Qianqian immediately looked up at the man in front of her in disbelief.
"If you said something like that, would you believe it? Why did you have to practice right when I appeared, instead of earlier or later? Was it really not something she did on purpose? Did she deliberately plan to let me hear what you said when I appeared? If she could anger me to the point of leaving, and you didn't come after her, then she would have achieved her goal!"
Qin Qianqian felt as if she had instantly seen through Tang Ning's scheming and plot, and intended to make Wei Jing understand as well.
But who would have thought that upon hearing her words, Wei Jing frowned and looked at her, saying that just now on the mountain, it was Tang Ning who was worried about her and urged him to come and chase after her. From beginning to end, she was thinking of the two of them wholeheartedly. How could she make such a misunderstanding about Tang Ning?
In order to prevent Qianqian from misunderstanding Tang Ning's good intentions, Wei Jing directly explained that Tang Ning had been helping them on the cruise ship, asking him to buy her gifts, and then pretending to have a stomachache in front of Tingli Tower to give them ample time alone together. Even the origami cranes on the Bodhi tree today were something she had helped them come up with. All these things, in short, showed that Tang Ning had been doing everything she could for them. How could Qin Qianqian say such a thing about him?
Hearing what Wei Jing said, Qin Qianqian finally understood that all her previous sadness, sorrow, and pain had been in vain. Whether it was the red jade bracelet, or hearing Wei Jing's knowing smile when he received the note at Lilou, or even the box of gifts Wei Jing had sent to the General's Mansion every day seven days ago, it was all a misunderstanding on her part. She had been so distressed that she couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and was in unbearable pain, becoming emaciated!
What did she do?
What did Tang Ning do this time?
Ah Jing said that Tang Ning was truly thinking of them both, so why did she never offer an explanation? Instead, she used the excuse of helping to spend time alone with Wei Jing time and time again. All those talk about helping or not was just a lie. She was clearly... clearly using this as an excuse to create a false image of being understanding, gentle, and generous in front of Ah Jing, and taking the opportunity to sow discord. And she even succeeded in doing so.
She foolishly believed that A-Jing had fallen for her, and argued with him time and time again, pushing his heart further and further away, and even making Tang Ning appear in his heart, causing him great torment.
She's so foolish.
That's so stupid.
It's a shame that Tang Ning had feigned concern when she saw her looking so haggard in the carriage. That woman was so hypocritical and disgusting.
She had never met such a scheming, hypocritical, and pretentious woman.
The thought of Tang Ning's schemes made Qin Qianqian want to vomit, she felt extremely nauseous. Yet, Wei Jing, standing in front of her, was still praising Tang Ning, his eyes sparkling with a soft light as he spoke of her.
After just one glance, Qin Qianqian was finally provoked to the point of being unable to bear it any longer. Because of the current situation between her and A Jing, all the goodwill she had for Tang Ning was due to her scheming. The other party was scheming in every possible way.
Such a treacherous and cunning woman, and Wei Jing was praising her like that right in front of her, no wonder Qin Qianqian was furious.
"Enough! I said enough! What help? What good intentions? I think she's been up to no good from the very beginning, scheming and plotting! She told you she wanted to help you coax me back, right? But how do you explain that you bought me pearl earrings and Tang Ning a red jade bracelet that day? And she even wore it in front of me. How could I not think things through!"
"If you deliberately pretended to have a stomachache and left in front of Tingli Tower, then why did you let me witness her leaving you a note?"
"And before, you sent a box of blue glass paper to the General's Mansion every day, and she never explained it to me. Instead, she just let herself wither and grieve alone. Even just now, she clearly knew I was coming, so she deliberately said something about practicing, just to make me misunderstand and make me feel bad! Ah Jing, why can't you see that?"
Qin Qianqian felt so disgusted and frustrated that she was about to explode.
It's probably because she hasn't lived in the information-saturated modern world, otherwise she would definitely say, "Only women can tell who the real green tea is!"
Upon hearing Qin Qianqian's words, Wei Jing's brows furrowed more and more uncontrollably, and he even began to find the situation somewhat absurd.
"I insisted on buying the red jade bracelet for Tang Ning. After all, she was willing to help us, and I couldn't just leave without giving anything in return. Did she ever show it off to you? Definitely not."
“She pretended to have a stomachache and left in front of Tingli Tower. She left the note because she was worried that I would worry about her. I don’t think Tang Ning expected you to see that scene.”
"And the blue paper, because it was a surprise, of course she wouldn't mention it to you. Also, do you know how many origami cranes she folded? A full nine hundred and ninety-nine, all within seven days. She was so busy folding origami cranes that she probably had no idea you were losing your appetite and couldn't sleep at night. Ask yourself honestly, did she even leave her own courtyard during those seven days? And you're just slandering her like this?"
"Even just now, you yourself said that you wanted to come to the Bodhi tree to make a wish, and that you had no idea from the beginning that Tang Ning and I had prepared a surprise for you on the mountain. How come now it's said that Tang Ning knew you were here and deliberately said that she was practicing to make you misunderstand?"
"Qianqian, do you even know what you're saying? Why do you see Tang Ning's good intentions as her having ulterior motives? What did she do to offend you? Even this marriage was something you deliberately gave to her back then. Now she's risking her reputation to help me reconcile with you, but in the end, it's her fault?"
Wei Jing felt that Qin Qianqian was simply unreasonable.
If Tang Ning is accused of scheming, what is she scheming about? Is she scheming to gain the bad reputation of having her engagement broken off? Or is she scheming to make the man she likes reconcile with another woman?
The mere thought of such a thing made Wei Jing feel extremely distressed. Even now, Tang Ning was alone in front of the Bodhi tree halfway up the mountain. If he really thought she would be so anxious as to ask him to come down and chase after Qianqian, would she?
Seeing Qin Qianqian's indignant and malicious expression, Wei Jing suddenly felt extremely disgusted.
He really couldn't imagine how the innocent, naive, lively, and proud Qin Qianqian could have become like this.
When something happens, instead of reflecting on their own problems, they are single-mindedly trying to shift the blame onto innocent people.
With this thought in mind, Wei Jing's gaze towards Qin Qianqian turned uncontrollably cold.
Having spent so much time with him, Qin Qianqian immediately noticed the change in Wei Jing's eyes the moment they changed.
Only then did he realize that revealing Tang Ning's so-called true colors to Wei Jing was a terrible mistake.
That Tang Ning is really too amazing. She has maintained a very good image in front of A Jing. In contrast, she gave up the engagement without consulting A Jing and even argued and got angry with him time and time again. She has lost all credibility with A Jing.
Ah Jing believed Tang Ning, but not her.
Upon realizing this fact, Qin Qianqian felt a mix of sourness, swelling, pain, and coldness in her chest.
On the winding mountain path, the former lovers stood face to face, neither of them speaking. After an unknown amount of time, Qin Qianqian, still overly worried that Wei Jing would really be taken away by Tang Ning, lowered her head first.
This was the first time in all these years that Qin Qianqian had shown weakness and bowed her head.
Seeing Qin Qianqian apologizing softly, Wei Jing couldn't help but soften.
The two made up, albeit reluctantly.
Unfortunately, Qin Qianqian felt frustrated and uncomfortable, and Wei Jing was not as happy as he had expected.
It's something he's been looking forward to for so long: talking things out with Qin Qianqian and making up, isn't it?
Why, why does he always feel like something's missing between the two of them?
Wei Jing was somewhat bewildered.
Wei Jing's current favorability rating: 70.
Meanwhile, Tang Ning, who was following He Lanruo down a rugged path for fear of being discovered by people at the foot of the mountain, raised an eyebrow in her mind the moment she received the system notification.
It seems that by now, Wei Jing should have already won over Qin Qianqian and even confessed to her all the "help" she had given her behind the scenes! Tang Ning never intended to hide these things from Qin Qianqian for long, nor could she hide them from her for long. Tang Ning just wanted to find the right time to expose them, and now, the right time has come.
Even without 54088's broadcast, she could guess the conversation between the two. Almost immediately after Wei Jing explained her actions, Qin Qianqian probably started cursing her in her mind, calling her a scheming bitch, and even tried to instill the fact that she was a bitch in Wei Jing. However, Wei Jing, who considered her kind and cute, refuted her point by point. Not only that, but because of her inappropriate word choice, ferocious expression, and even a significant drop in appearance, she directly aroused Wei Jing's disgust. Correspondingly, because of his guilt and comparison, Wei Jing's favorability towards her increased.
This was a good deal.
Tang Ning smiled even more happily to herself.
However, as Helan Ruo led her further and further astray, Tang Ning's face unconsciously showed a slight hesitation and unease.
Watching Helan Ruo walk ahead, Tang Ning, who had impulsively followed him down the mountain, began to pay attention to the escape route.
He Lanruo, who had already arrived at their destination, suddenly turned around and saw Tang Ning jump in fright, her face turning slightly pale, her eyes filled with fear and lingering dread.
Seeing her like this, He Lanruo immediately understood that Tang Ning suspected him of having ulterior motives. He subconsciously curled his lips and approached Tang Ning with a sinister smile.
Terrified, she closed her eyes and began wildly waving her hands, even letting out a few strange cries. He Lanruo then smiled mischievously and took two steps back.
Hearing his laughter, Tang Ning slowly lowered her hand, opened her almond-shaped eyes, which were red and wet with tears, and subconsciously looked at He Lanruo, who was still laughing in front of her.
Seeing him laughing like that, Tang Ning realized that she had been tricked. She was about to get angry when He Lanruo suddenly appeared beside her and gently pushed her from behind. After passing through a wall, Tang Ning found herself in a bizarre and fantastical world.
She had already heard about the uproar here, but who would have thought that it wasn't until she entered this place that Tang Ning realized her imagination was still too limited.
With tears still clinging to her eyelids, Tang Ning stared wide-eyed at everything before her, her mouth agape in disbelief.
Seeing her amusing expression, Helan Ruo's smile deepened. As she led the way forward, she introduced Tang Ning to her with a smile.
"This is the northern district of the capital. In the capital, there is a saying that the east is rich and the west is noble, while the south is poor and the north is lowly. As the name suggests, the east is mainly inhabited by wealthy merchants from the capital, the west by various high-ranking officials and nobles, and the south is where the poor people of the city live. Some students who come to the capital to take the imperial examinations usually rent their rooms in the south. The north, on the other hand, is where all kinds of itinerant performers and actors and other lowly people live, so it has a reputation for being lowly."
"Don't underestimate these people, they're quite skilled..."
Before Helan Ruo could finish speaking, Tang Ning looked at the group of martial arts practitioners performing monkey tricks not far away with a look of surprise and delight. However, because there were many people around, she couldn't squeeze in and could only watch from the outside. Helan Ruo saw that she looked like she wanted to watch but didn't know where to start, so she subconsciously grabbed her wrist and helped her jump onto a tree trunk.
"ah!"
Suddenly suspended in mid-air, Tang Ning was so frightened that she immediately grabbed He Lanruo's sleeve and let out a soft cry.
But she quickly forgot about her fear of heights, because from this position, she could see the monkey tricks performed by the people surrounding her in layers below. Tang Ning, who had never seen such tricks in such a small place as Xihe County, was so excited that her face turned red, and all traces of her previous unhappiness and sadness disappeared.
On the tree trunk, Helan Ruo, sitting beside her, looked at her bright, sparkling eyes, her slightly flushed face, and the occasional cheers that rang out from her mouth. Even her hands would occasionally clap along with the others, and the corners of her mouth would turn up in a smile.
After watching the monkey show, Tang Ning couldn't help but give away all the loose silver in her purse as a reward. The old man who performed the monkey show was so happy that he almost led his granddaughter to kneel down and kowtow to Tang Ning on the spot.
Fortunately, Tang Ning dodged quickly enough, otherwise she really wouldn't know what to do.
Her attire and generous spending naturally attracted the greed and covetousness of many people in this shady place. Unfortunately, before these people could even get close to Tang Ning, they were all secretly dealt with by the lackeys that He Lanruo had trained here over the years.
Yes, in this kind of place, human life is perhaps the least valuable thing. He Lanruo is generous, and in just a few years, he has gathered a large group of people around him. Every time he appears in the North District, they will spontaneously protect him in secret, solve all kinds of troubles for him, and ensure that He Lanruo has a good time.
Tang Ning, who knew nothing from beginning to end, kept tugging at He Lanruo's sleeve, starting round after round of sightseeing and playing.
There were storytellers, instrumentalists, dancers, acrobats, opera singers, crosstalk performers, shadow puppeteers, and even sumo wrestlers. There was a place called the Colosseum, but Helan Ruo stopped Tang Ning from buying a ticket to go in.
Helan Ruo had been to that place a few times before.
Unfortunately, it was far too bloody inside. The fights between animals were already brutal, but the battles between desperate people and wild beasts were even more gruesome. He Lanruo had spent money to save several people before. But often, no sooner had he given away money than another group of people would appear in the arena.
From that moment on, Helan Ruo understood a principle.
All living beings suffer, and there are no people in this world who can be saved. Even the Duke's mansion cannot support his extravagant spending.
Besides helping some people within his own capabilities, he didn't have many other options.
This is also a major reason why his monthly allowance of silver coins flows away faster than water, and his reputation as a playboy is probably more or less related to this.
Thinking of this, Helan Ruo chuckled softly.
Such a place is naturally not suitable for Tang Ning to enter.
He stopped her, but Tang Ning didn't ask any questions and readily went to watch other interesting performances.
The two of them continued until dusk, without having finished exploring the entire North District. Looking at the bustling crowd ahead and the brilliant sunset on the horizon, no matter how reluctant she was, Tang Ning knew it was time to return to Qixia Temple.
Tang Ning didn't know about the other noble ladies that night, but Madam Qin was determined to spend the night at Qixia Temple on Buddha's birthday. She would only return to the General's Mansion early the next morning after offering incense.
Even so, it would be very troublesome if Madam Qin discovered that Tang Ning was not in the temple.
Not to mention Tang Ning, even He Lanruo found that watching these performances with others had a unique charm. In particular, Tang Ning's exaggerated reactions and the way she clapped her hands until they were almost red when she saw something exciting made He Lanruo find it especially amusing.
However, he also felt it was time to send Tang Ning back to the mountain.
On the way back, Tang Ning was still happily telling He Lanruo about the performances she had just seen when, just as she was getting into the conversation, she saw He Lanruo's smile suddenly vanish, and she immediately leaped away and disappeared from Tang Ning's sight.
Huh?
"Tang Ning!"
Before Tang Ning could react, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.
She quickly turned her head and saw Wei Jing looking anxious, and Qin Qianqian, who was holding his hand and smiling gently, standing not far behind her.
"What are you doing here? We've been looking for you everywhere! We thought... Ah Jing almost had to tell Mother and the Princess Consort. If you had appeared any later, the entire Qixia Temple would probably be searching for you in the back mountain!"
Qin Qianqian said reproachfully.
Seeing that Tang Ning's gaze immediately fell on the hand she had just taken Wei Jing's hand, Qin Qianqian, who knew exactly what was going on, immediately let out a cold laugh.
Isn't she well-behaved, sensible, and understanding?
She wanted to see how long she could keep up the act.
Qin Qianqian followed Tang Ning's gaze and looked at her and Wei Jing's hands clasped together. She lowered her head shyly. "Tang Ning, I haven't thanked you for your help before. Jing... Jing already told me. Thank you so much for your good intentions. Now that we're back together, are you happy?"
Upon hearing this, a look of helplessness flashed in Tang Ning's eyes.
"This...this is great, really great. You two were a couple to begin with, weren't you? It's wonderful that you've made up..."
Still pretending!
"Since that's the case, I... I will explain things to Mother and Princess Jian as soon as possible. I... I will also take the initiative to annul the engagement... so that you..."
Before Tang Ning could finish speaking, her voice trembling, Qin Qianqian looked at her pale and frail face, and before she could even feel smug, she was already overwhelmed.
"No! It's never you who should speak up, it's Qianqian and me. After we get down the mountain, Qianqian and I will go to Madam Qin and Mother to explain things to them, and even to the people outside. Tang Ning, don't worry, our affairs will absolutely not involve you!"
Wei Jing said this with absolute certainty.
Oh wow!
Tang Ning, who had just raised her head, looked at Qin Qianqian's face, which had turned pale in an instant.
Tsk tsk, terrible!
How miserable!
Not only did she end up back where she started, but she also lost half of Wei Jing. And once she explained things, Qin Qianqian's reputation would only get worse. Princess Jian would hate her to the core, the Qin family would also resent her, and what would outsiders say?
Two-faced, hypocritical, deceitful, and of bad character...
These adjectives will likely stay with her until the day she dies, and Qin Qianqian will be completely unable to stay in the circles of the capital city from now on.
For Qin Qianqian, who has always been selfish and wanted everything, wouldn't it be like tearing out her flesh and destroying her heart?
Tang Ning was already looking forward to Qin Qianqian's next move.
whee.
Author's Note: Tang Ning: What's our goal? -- To cause trouble! No one's going to escape!
54088: Don't even think about escaping! [Hands on hips]
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