Minister Zheng has finally seen through who is truly sincere and who is merely feigning affection!
[Seriously, the gifts delivered by that wicked woman were so thoughtful—a nine-linked ring and a mimosa flower; the details are absolutely perfect.]
Compared to Zheng Yutang, our villainous supporting actress is practically a caring little angel!
He Yi chatted with her father for a long time, but worried that talking to him for too long would drain his energy. The doctor had also warned her not to let Minister Zheng exhaust himself, so He Yi left early.
Just as I came out of the study, I saw Zheng Yu striding towards me carrying a birdcage.
He Yi looked on in surprise and pointed to the birdcage. "What is brother doing?"
Zheng Yu couldn't hide his excitement: "He Yi! You're finally back!" Without saying a word, he grabbed He Yi and led her to his room, placing the birdcage on the table.
Inside the cage were a pair of macaws, their colors vibrant and dazzling. The one on the left was flapping its wings, and upon seeing a stranger, it tilted its head and exclaimed, "Beautiful! Beautiful!"
There was also an exquisite cricket cage nearby, with the emerald green crickets chirping loudly. Zheng Yu looked at He Yi, "Actually, when we went to the flower and bird market, you kept staring at the crickets, so I remembered it."
At this point, Zheng Yu seemed worried that He Yi would refuse him, so he scratched his head, took out a stack of silver notes and stuffed them into He Yi's hand, "This is what I earned, you can use it to buy rouge and face powder."
He Yi declined, saying, "My brother started earning money ten years ago. It's not easy to make money in the capital these days, how can I accept this?"
"If you don't, it means you look down on me!"
Zheng Yu pretended to be angry, "Besides, you are now a little princess. You are beautiful and adorned, and as your older brother, I feel radiant!"
Looking into her brother's sincere eyes, He Yi felt a warm glow in her heart, as comforting as drinking fine wine. In this deep mansion, apart from her father, who was on his deathbed, only Zheng Yu offered He Yi a sliver of warmth.
He Yi stared at the macaws for a moment, then smiled and took the birdcage, saying softly, "Thank you, brother. With these two parrots to keep me company, I'll have something to do in the future, and I won't be so bored in the princess's mansion."
Suddenly remembering something, He Yi asked Zheng Yu, "Father has already given you the shop?" Zheng Yu smiled but did not answer. In fact, even if Zheng Yu did not answer, He Yi already knew.
Previously, Zheng Yu often went to the shop, but the shop still belonged to Minister Zheng. Now, times have changed and everything is very different.
[Zheng Yu is so sweet! This is how they should be!]
[A talking macaw! He Yi would definitely love it; Zheng Yu understands the villainous female supporting character so well!]
Zheng Yu truly lives up to his reputation as a doting brother!
The two chatted for a while and then prepared to go to the front yard.
The birthday banquet had already begun. Madam Lin pulled Zheng Yutang along, and the two of them sat in the main seats. At this moment, Madam Lin frequently gave Zheng Yutang meaningful glances.
Zheng Yutang immediately took the wine glass and walked up to He Yi with a smile, presenting the wine cup to her with a radiant smile: "Sister, today is my birthday, thank you for coming. This glass of wine is for you!"
He Yi stood up and took the wine glass.
"Happy birthday, little sister." After saying that, she drank it all in one gulp without any hesitation. Immediately afterwards, Madam Lin and several other women came forward to toast He Yi, offering nothing more than a bunch of auspicious and effusive blessings.
He Yi accepted all the drinks offered, finishing each one completely. Soon, a flush of intoxication rose on her cheeks, and her eyes gradually became hazy.
Qingju watched anxiously from the side, wringing her hands in frustration. She quickly approached and quietly but forcefully tugged at Heyi's sleeve, but was stopped by Zheng Heyi's eyes.
[Why is that vicious female supporting character actually drinking it?! Stop drinking it!]
[There's something wrong with the villainous female supporting character, didn't she notice?]
[Lin and Zheng Yutang's smiles are so sinister!]
[Qingju, think of something quickly! We can't let the princess continue drinking.]
Zheng Yutang stared at He Yi not far away and saw that He Yi was not in good condition. After a few drinks, she was already swaying and staggering. She hurriedly pretended to be concerned and went over to her, carefully supporting He Yi.
With a beaming smile, she leaned closer to He Yi. "Sister, look how flushed you are. Why don't I have the maid take you to rest?"
Madam Lin immediately chimed in, "Yes, Heyi, Qingju! Go to the kitchen and make some hangover soup. We'll take care of things here." She gave a wink, and the nanny next to her stepped forward to stop Qingju.
Qingju was extremely anxious, naturally worried that Lin and Zheng Yutang had ill intentions, but just as she was about to say something, she heard Heyi mutter incoherently.
"Qingju, go ahead and make me some plum juice. I'm fine..." Then he instructed Qingju, "Also, go and see if Father has woken up yet."
Although Qingju nodded repeatedly, she was in no hurry to leave. However, when she looked at Heyi, she clearly saw a fleeting glint of light in Heyi's eyes.
In that instant, Qingju seemed to understand Heyi's meaning and nodded loudly: "Yes, Princess." Qingju quickly walked away.
Two old women carried the drunken and unconscious He Yi towards the backyard. Zheng Yutang watched their departing figures and quickly exchanged a knowing glance with her mother.
A sinister smile appeared on her lips. The two old women had already taken He Yi to the backyard. The woodshed was very quiet, and the only sound in the backyard seemed to be the dense sound of the wind blowing through the leaves.
The old woman finally managed to get Heyi to the woodshed in the backyard and put her on the couch. At that moment, Madam Lin slipped in from outside the door, glanced at the two old women, and said, "Thank you for today. Now you two go outside and keep watch. Don't let anyone in!"
He Yi, her eyes blurry with drunkenness, was still mumbling things like "the spring water is fragrant and the wine is strong" and "one more cup." Judging from her appearance, she seemed extremely intoxicated.
Lin observed this and felt smug. A fierce glint appeared in her eyes. She then walked to Zheng Heyi's side, leaned close to her ear and said, "Zheng Heyi, don't blame me. Now that the tree is about to fall and the monkeys are about to scatter, I, as her mother, have to find a way out for my daughter."
Zheng Heyi remained motionless, as if dead. After finishing her story, Madam Lin strode to the door and quickly made a gesture towards the shadows outside.
In an instant, a dark figure darted in; it was Wang Er. A bewildered smile played on his lips as he stealthily slipped into the woodshed…
Just as Wang Er's hand was about to touch He Yi's clothes, Zheng He Yi suddenly opened her eyes and stared intently at Wang Er.
During this time, she learned a lot of grappling techniques from her female tutor, Liu Yun, in the manor. While in the princess's manor, Liu Yun devoted herself to teaching, and Zheng Heyi studied diligently.
She also knew that if the Lin family had any schemes or tricks today, she should "play along," but she was determined to defeat them in one fell swoop.
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