"But……"
Tang Ning frowned slightly, looking hesitant as she was about to say something, when Wei Jing immediately interrupted her.
"There's no 'but' about it. This matter was originally Qianqian's and my responsibility, so we should naturally take it on. It's already extremely unfair that you've been unfairly branded as having your engagement broken off. How can we let you worry about anything else? Tomorrow, as soon as we descend the mountain, I will personally lead Qianqian to apologize and immediately clarify things to the outside world. Qianqian and I have always been in love. It was just that Qianqian misunderstood something that day..."
"don't want!"
Before Wei Jing could finish speaking, Qin Qianqian, standing beside him with a deathly pale face, almost instinctively refused.
She...she doesn't want to!
Absolutely not!
How could Ah Jing do this? Why would he do it?
Why can't Tang Ning take the initiative to break off the engagement? Once she convinces Madam Qin to break off the engagement with A Jing, what's wrong with her getting engaged to him again?
Although Tang Ning may face some criticism, isn't that what she asked for herself?
Why did Ah Jing have to step up?
Did he even realize how the people of the Jianwang Mansion and the General's Mansion would view her after he led her to confess in front of Madam Qin and Princess Jian? Not to mention that he even wanted to explain to outsiders that she had only taken Tang Ning's identity and marriage to attract such gossip from those jealous young ladies. If he really explained everything clearly, she was afraid she would never be able to hold her head up in front of those people for the rest of her life, and might not even dare to leave the house.
She was already controversial because of her identity, and what Ah Jing did completely cut off all her escape routes. How could she accept that?
But after Qin Qianqian said "no," and felt the silence around her, she suddenly snapped out of her thoughts.
When Qin Qianqian looked up, she saw Tang Ning and Wei Jing looking at her together.
Only then did Qin Qianqian finally realize that she had rejected him too quickly and decisively, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes. "No...no, what I meant was...it was..."
She quickly turned to look at Wei Jing beside her, whose expression was strangely calm. She reached out and gently tugged at his sleeve, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear, "That's not what I meant, Jing. It's just... different... Tang Ning and I are completely different now!"
"After my identity was restored, I could only be considered an adopted daughter in the General's Mansion. Tang Ning was the true eldest daughter. Because she had suffered for fourteen years outside, everyone in the General's Mansion was very accommodating and doting on her. Even people in the capital felt some pity and sympathy for her..."
"But what about me? If you take me to ask for a annulment of the engagement, or even... even make it public that we still love each other, A-Jing, have you ever thought about... what people outside will say about you, and what they will say about me?"
"so what?"
After listening to everything Qin Qianqian had to say, Wei Jing asked this question directly.
"So..."
Qin Qianqian's suggestion had only just begun.
Wei Jing picked up where she left off, "So let Tang Ning take the initiative to ask. After all, she suffered grievances for fourteen years, so everyone will be more tolerant of her and won't blame her too much. Madam Qin might even grant her request, and then I can smoothly annul the engagement with her..."
"Then, I'll get engaged to you, right? Even if my mother might not agree, she's still my mother, isn't she? I'll beg and make a fuss, and she'll eventually agree to marry me, and then you'll be able to marry me happily, right?"
Even though Wei Jing was saying that it was the best path she had planned, Qin Qianqian couldn't bring herself to nod when she looked into his calm, even somewhat cold, eyes.
Who is Ke Weijing?
How long have he been with Qin Qianqian?
He could clearly discern even the slightest change in the other person's gaze.
Although Qin Qianqian didn't admit it verbally, her eyes completely betrayed her.
That's what she thinks.
She completely absolved herself of any responsibility; she made Tang Ning speak up for the annulment of the engagement, and she made Tang Ning speak up for the engagement; she was untouched by anything.
Even though she was the one who voluntarily gave up the engagement, and even though this situation is entirely her fault, she's still unwilling to make even the slightest effort for him or for their future...
hehe.
A fleeting glint of tears crossed Wei Jing's eyes. Yes, he had deliberately said that in front of Tang Ning, and even made a point of explaining it to outsiders. On one hand, it was to reassure Tang Ning, and on the other hand, it was to test the girl he had cherished in his heart for ten years. He wanted to know how far she would go for him and what place he held in her heart!
In retrospect, this attempt to test him had resulted in a complete defeat.
In Qin Qianqian's heart, he was not even as important as her reputation or the gossip of outsiders. For him, she was not willing to make any effort at all.
Just as he was preparing to give it his all, the girl he loved had no intention of holding his hand tightly and going through thick and thin with him.
It was at this moment that Wei Jing suddenly realized that perhaps he had never truly seen what kind of person Qianqian really was. She might love him, but her love was mixed with far too many other things.
With a slight smile, Wei Jing looked at Qin Qianqian, who seemed somewhat unfamiliar to him, with slightly reddened eyes. Then, he glanced awkwardly at Tang Ning, who looked bewildered and helpless, completely unaware of what had happened between him and Qianqian because she hadn't heard their conversation.
Wei Jing abruptly withdrew his gaze, staggered slightly backward, and ran out without looking back.
"Ah Jing! Ah Jing! Ah Jing..."
After Wei Jing left, Qin Qianqian suddenly panicked, then glanced at Tang Ning, who was also anxious beside her, with mixed feelings, before taking off after Wei Jing.
Seeing this, Tang Ning moved her feet slightly, but ultimately remained where she was and did not go forward.
Why didn't you chase after them?
Just then, Helan Ruo, who had disappeared earlier, reappeared beside Tang Ning. Looking at her worried profile, she raised an eyebrow and asked this question.
"After all, I don't think that Prince Wei is particularly interested in seeing Qin Qianqian right now..."
Upon hearing these words, Tang Ning merely lowered her eyes slightly, a forced smile playing on her lips.
“If it were before, I would have had a reason to chase after him, but now… Brother Jing has made up with Qianqian, and my role is over. I can’t think of any reason to go after him, and judging from Qianqian’s expression, she seems to still have some misunderstandings about Brother Jing and me… I promised to help, and if I were to ungratefully chase after him, wouldn’t that just be meddling? I can’t…”
As she spoke, Tang Ning pursed her lips and blinked rapidly, trying desperately to hold back her tears. Even so, her curled eyelashes were still wet with tears and stuck together.
Looking at Tang Ning like this, He Lanruo simply couldn't find a word to accurately describe this silly girl.
Based on what he had overheard about Qin Qianqian's plans, he really thought that Qin Tangning was probably the kind of fool who would be sold out and still help count the money.
Helan Ruo has eyes and can see for herself. Qin Qianqian probably didn't even give up the engagement sincerely back then. She just wanted to gain a good reputation so that Tang Ning could break off the engagement. Then she would marry into the Jianwang Mansion. From beginning to end, she didn't give anything except to scheme against Tang Ning, and she even gained a good reputation for nothing.
But this silly girl, just like the first foolish rabbit in the story of waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump, blindly ran headlong into the tree stump for the sake of Wei Jing.
After hitting it, he even asked the tree stump if it hurt.
He Lanruo really didn't know what to say.
Are you willing to accept this?
He suddenly asked this question.
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning couldn't help but turn her head and glance at him.
"What?"
"Are you resigned to this? Don't you want to try again? Are you really going to just hand over the person you love to someone else? Won't you regret it later? I see that Prince Wei isn't entirely unmoved by you. Don't you want to try again for yourself? After all, you're his rightful fiancée now. Haven't you thought about..."
Before Helan Ruo could finish speaking, two female voices rang out from a great distance.
"In the evening, after dinner, come to the back gate of Qixia Temple if you feel even a little bit unwilling."
After saying that, Helan Ruo disappeared from Tang Ning's sight once again.
The moment he disappeared, two girls dressed as maids came out from around the corner, chatting and laughing. When they saw Tang Ning, they bowed to her.
Tang Ning smiled and nodded at them. After watching the two maids in green leave, she turned to look at the spot where He Lanruo had disappeared, then looked at the fading sunset on the horizon. After taking a deep breath, she walked towards her room in the backyard.
At this moment, Chunmian and Chuntan, who were already worried about Tang Ning's safety and concerned that Madam Qin might send someone to summon Tang Ning to dine with her at any time, saw Tang Ning push open the door and walk in. Even Chuntan, who was usually not one to show her emotions, showed a little surprise, not to mention Chunmian, whose happiness and sadness were written all over her face.
In particular, Tang Ning also brought a package of snacks from the North District from her sleeve for the little foodie Chunmian, which made Chunmian so happy that she almost jumped for joy.
Night fell quickly. On the mountain, the sky was a deep, dark blue, dotted with bright, dazzling stars that seemed almost within reach.
Tang Ning, who had just returned to her room, was summoned by Madam Qin to dine with her. She discovered that Qin Qianqian was not present at the table in Madam Qin's room that evening. Moreover, the person sent to her whispered something in the ear of the old nanny who served Madam Qin.
Seeing this, Tang Ning raised an eyebrow in her mind and then quietly accompanied Madam Qin to continue eating vegetarian food.
As the night grew deeper, Tang Ning hesitated for a long time before finally choosing to go to the back gate of Qixia Temple.
No sooner had she arrived than her arm was suddenly pulled by an arm in the darkness.
Tang Ning's scream was already in her throat when her lips were suddenly covered by a large, slightly cool hand.
Shh, it's me, don't shout.
He Lanruo's breathy voice rang in Tang Ning's ears, and her breathing stopped being so rapid. Because her lips were covered, she couldn't speak, and could only stare accusingly at He Lanruo's blurry profile in the dim light.
Seeing her like this, Helan Ruo couldn't help but chuckle. He curled his lips and continued in a low voice, "A young novice monk appeared over there just now. I was afraid that he would discover you and cause some complications, so I had no choice but to resort to this tactic. I hope Miss Tang can forgive my rashness. Is that alright?"
After hearing Helan Ruo's explanation, Tang Ning subconsciously tilted her head, and sure enough, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a young novice monk who had just walked by on her right.
Upon seeing this, a faint sense of apology rose in her eyes as she looked at Helan Ruo.
He had never met such an easy girl to please in his entire life.
He Lanruo couldn't help but think to herself.
They're so easy to coax and deceive...
I heard that she once disguised herself as a man and traveled all the way to the capital alone. She wasn't kidnapped, sold, or cheated on the way, which is probably because she was really lucky.
Just as she thought of this, Helan Ruo immediately felt a faint, soft warmth brush against her palm.
This is……
Yes, his hand was still covering Tang Ning's lips. Whenever she moved her lips, they would naturally brush against his palm.
He Lanruo's eyes darkened slightly as he saw Tang Ning standing opposite him, her face full of questions and guilt. Her lips moved slightly in his palm, and she twisted her neck.
Helan Ruo paused, immediately removing her hand, only then hearing Tang Ning ask cautiously in a whisper, "Have they left?"
It was only then that Helan Ruo realized why Tang Ning had acted strangely earlier; she was asking him if the little novice monk had left.
"Hmm, um."
Upon hearing this, Helan Ruo gave a vague response.
Tang Ning then turned around and looked around again, letting out a deep sigh of relief.
"It's good that you're gone, it's good that you're gone..."
She repeated it twice, then turned her gaze back to Helan Ruo in front of her. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly asked, "What... what did you mean by what you said to me before?"
Hearing this question, Helan Ruo seemed to suddenly come back to his senses. He put the hand that had just covered Tang Ning's lips, which he could still feel faintly softly touching, behind his back, and loosely clenched it. Then he regained his previous composure when facing Tang Ning, and raised an eyebrow. "Want to know? Come with me."
After saying that, he took the lead and walked towards the dark back mountain.
Tang Ning was left standing there, truly caught in a dilemma: whether to follow or not.
In the end, it was the bustling North District that Helan Ruo took her to during the day that convinced Tang Ning, and she caught up with them in no time.
At this moment, Helan Ruo, who was walking in front, heard the commotion behind her and then slightly raised her lips.
He had only taken a couple of steps when he suddenly heard a low gasp from behind him.
Helan Ruo immediately turned around and saw that Tang Ning had stepped into a bush by the roadside.
After finally managing to pull his foot out, he crashed straight into the branches of a locust tree by the roadside.
It was at this moment that Helan Ruo finally realized that in such a dim environment, this Miss Tang seemed to be blind, unable to see the right path at all, and could only grope and stumble around aimlessly.
He remembered that some people did seem to have night blindness, just like Tang Ning. In dim environments, they could see nothing at all, as if they were blind.
Tang Ning, who was completely plunged into darkness, had no idea that the original owner of this body had such severe night blindness. Almost as soon as she stepped into the forest path, she felt as if she had gone blind instantly. After stumbling a few steps, she almost fell.
Just as she was wondering whether to ask the home and travel expert 54088 for some guidance, a hand with a slightly cool feel suddenly grabbed her fingers that were groping around randomly. With a slight pull, the owner of the fingers led her forward.
"Why didn't you tell me you couldn't see me? What if you had fallen somewhere? Be careful, there's a hole here, take bigger steps."
Because she couldn't see, Helan Ruo's already gentle voice became even more pronounced for Tang Ning at this moment.
"I...I thought I could..."
After Tang Ning stammered out that reply, she listened to He Lanruo's reminder and subconsciously took a larger step, crossing the pit under her feet.
Upon hearing this, Helan Ruo sighed helplessly and resignedly began to give Tang Ning directions.
The two of them, one guiding the other, stretched what was originally a 15-minute journey to twice its original length.
Then, as Helan Ruo gently lifted the clump of bushes that was blocking their view, Tang Ning, who was suddenly able to see light from the darkness, subconsciously closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw a breathtakingly beautiful scene before her.
Even at night, the small yellow flowers covering the hillside bloom profusely, and fireflies carrying tiny lanterns flit among them. But this is not the most breathtaking sight. The most stunning thing is the full moon hanging on the mountain, round, large, and bright, like a silver plate, so close that it seems as if you could reach out and touch it.
Upon seeing these beautiful natural landscapes, Tang Ning was immediately stunned and opened her mouth wide, but He Lanruo led her to a smooth bluestone slab at the edge of the cliff.
She had just sat down on the bluestone slab, gazing at the moon so close to her with a sense of peace and joy. Just as she was about to reach out to try and feel the cool, watery moonlight, a dark object fell from the sky. She instinctively reached out and caught it, only to find that it was a small wine jar.
Looking in the direction from which the wine jar had just flown, Tang Ning saw that He Lanruo had taken out another wine jar exactly like the one in her hand from the other side of the bluestone slab, and directly reached out and opened the seal of the wine jar.
Soon, the aroma of wine, mixed with a faint scent of pear blossoms, filled the air.
"Here, please have some of my homemade pear blossom wine. No one else has the chance to enjoy this."
As he spoke, he tilted his head back and raised the wine jar. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he swallowed a mouthful of wine.
After finishing her drink, Helan Ruo glanced at Tang Ning beside her. "What are you standing there for? Drink up! This pear blossom wine is something many people in the capital would pay a fortune for. Why don't you try it? What? Are you afraid that if you get drunk, this playboy might do something to you?"
"I...I'm not afraid at all!"
Provoked by Helan Ruo's words, Tang Ning immediately and boldly broke the seal on the wine jar and took a swig.
In an instant, the spicy and sweet taste of the wine spread throughout her throat and mouth.
Because this body had never drunk alcohol like this before, the sudden stimulation caused Tang Ning to cough violently.
After coughing, Tang Ning took a deep breath and praised the wine.
After praising her, Helan Ruo didn't even need to say anything more before she started drinking from the wine jar.
She's human too, with flesh and blood, not a god without feelings. She says she doesn't mind, but how could she not mind after Wei Jing and Qin Qianqian reconciled? But she's already done all the work of pushing things along, so what's the use of her minding and feeling bad?
So Helanruo's wine arrived at just the right time.
That's why Helan Ruo specially gave Tang Ning a jar of her treasured possessions.
Tang Ning's face was already flushed after drinking less than half a jar of wine.
Sitting on the bluestone slab, holding a wine jar in one hand and hugging her knees with the other, Tang Ning, her cheeks flushed, rested her head on her knees and turned to look at He Lanruo beside her. "I feel... I feel that He Lanruo, you don't seem to be like what others say..."
"Which kind? A spoiled brat? A spendthrift? Or someone utterly hopeless?"
He Lanruo belittled herself without a care in the world.
"No...no..."
Tang Ning was in a hurry to explain.
Helan Ruo had already turned to look at her, and smiled slightly, "So, would you like to hear a story?"
"Hmm... um?"
Perhaps because she had been drinking, Tang Ning was a little confused as she couldn't keep up with Helan Ruo's train of thought.
She blinked and saw that Helan Ruo had already turned her gaze back.
Whether it was because they shared a similar plight, or because the night was too alluring and the wine too delicious, Helan Ruo suddenly felt a strong urge to confide in someone.
He didn't delete or edit anything; he simply changed the name and identity of his story with Ji Muqing and told it all to Tang Ning in one go.
"...So, like you, seeing you is like seeing my past self. But I have no chance anymore. You're different from me; you still have a chance to make amends and change your mind. Your generosity now will only lead to regret and pain later. You'll live in endless regret, just like me now, regretting why you didn't try harder or put in more effort to make amends..."
"Have you ever imagined living like this? And what do you think you called when you agreed to Wei Shizi's request to break off the engagement? You called it stupid! The kind of stupid that's beyond redemption!"
Hearing this, Tang Ning stared blankly at He Lanruo, whose eyes were cold but whose words were full of seduction.
"If I were you, I would try again. After all, are you really willing to just give it up like this?"
"But they've already made up..."
"Is that so? I feel that the rift between the two of them is getting wider and wider. Now is a good opportunity for you to work hard, after all, that Qin Qianqian... huh."
Upon hearing Helan Ruo say this, Tang Ning's eyes were filled with confusion and helplessness.
But a smile instantly crept onto his face. He thought to himself, "How about I encourage her to steal someone else's boyfriend?"
"Touch your heart. Do you really not want to be with Prince Wei anymore? If you really didn't want to be together, you wouldn't be here in front of me tonight. You should follow your heart."
I touched my heart, and I didn't want to.
Tang Ning replied with a smile to herself.
"Think it over carefully, and figure it out..."
Just then, a whistle came from Helan Ruo's mouth, and soon, a blue-green bird suddenly flew down and landed on his shoulder.
He reached out and handed the bird, Chaotang Ning, to him.
“You can contact me via QQ.”
He Lanruo's current favorability rating: 38.
Chirp?
Pfft... Pfft!
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