Xie Lingyu was in turmoil and had no way to respond, but Xie Lingqin spoke up again.
"Sister, don't worry. You don't need to be shy in front of me. Now that I am no longer engaged to the Prince Xian, we are sisters, and I will certainly not blame you." Xie Lingqin said, each word showing her magnanimity.
However, these words once again put Xie Lingyu in the spotlight and dragged her into the storm.
"Alright, I get it. Xie Lingyu, you're trying to use us to humiliate Xie Lingqin to get revenge for you and show off your power, right?" Princess Guyang, as expected of a master of pranks, was the first to react.
Xie Lingyu's face immediately turned panicked, "No..."
"Then tell me, there's no mutual affection between you and the Prince Xian, speak!" Princess Qingyang raised her voice, naturally supporting her sister.
Faced with the two princesses' accusations, Xie Lingyu was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. She couldn't explain herself, nor should she. When she glanced at Xie Lingqin, she saw that the other girl was simply standing there quietly, her eyes clear and calm, devoid of any emotion.
However, Xie Lingqin was definitely doing it on purpose; she was certain of that.
"Xie Lingyu, you're really something." Upon seeing this, Princess Guyang and Princess Qingyang angrily flicked their sleeves and walked away one after the other. After the two princesses left, the other young ladies naturally left as well, leaving Xie Lingyu standing there, not knowing what to do even though she was gritting her teeth.
“Sister, it seems that Princess Guyang also has feelings for Prince Xian. You need to work even harder and not let someone else snatch Prince Xian away.” Xie Lingqin smiled innocently and, seeing Xie Lingyu’s frustrated and depressed expression, pulled An Shangning up from the side. “Sister Shangning, let’s go over there.”
An Shangning suppressed a laugh and quickly nodded, "Okay."
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Xie Lingyu's anger flared even more.
Despite the venomous light emanating from her, Xie Lingqin managed a barely perceptible smile.
She was just playing the victim and acting weak; she was simply giving him a taste of his own medicine.
Back then, Xie Lingyu used this trick to inflict so much grievance and pain on the original owner. This is just the beginning; the surprises are yet to come.
"Sister Lingqin, I really have to look at you in a new light today." After walking a distance, An Shangning glanced around quietly and chuckled softly.
Xie Lingqin didn't seem to care. "I've suffered too much in the past, and now my mind is clear."
"Now I can finally rest assured. We can't just tolerate these people all the time."
"Hmm." Xie Lingqin nodded meaningfully, then her eyes widened in surprise, and she pulled An Shangning to hide behind a rockery.
"spirit……"
"Shhh."
"Today is Miss Jiu's birthday. Wasn't the Marquis already busy greeting guests at the front? Why are you calling us to the study now?"
"I don't know. It seems that the Marquis was discussing something with several accountants in the study for a long time. Later, I saw the Prince Xian come out of the study discreetly."
"Could it be that the Emperor is also arriving today?"
"Stop guessing, let's hurry up and go. There will be a lot of customers soon, and we'll be very busy. Let's go quickly."
Xie Lingqin and An Shangning only emerged from behind the artificial hill after the group of people they were talking with had walked away.
“I recognize those three men; they are my father’s followers,” An Shangning said casually, stepping out from behind the artificial hill and patting his sleeves.
Upon hearing this, Xie Lingqin looked ahead again before turning to her, "Has anything major happened at the Marquis of Anping's residence recently?"
"A big event?" An Shangning frowned and thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, if I had to name a big event, it would be today, Ninth Sister's birthday."
"Is that so?" Xie Lingqin withdrew her gaze, not taking it to heart.
An Shangning then tugged at her sleeve, "Luckily, you stopped me just now. If Father had found out we came here, we probably wouldn't be having a good day. But, I didn't expect Prince Xian to have arrived so early. I think..." An Shangning paused, then secretly glanced at Xie Lingqin, "Sister Lingqin, what do you think of that Prince Xian..."
“That’s a scumbag, and I don’t like scumbags.” Xie Lingqin was truly decisive, completely ignoring Zihe’s slightly twitching lips beside her.
After all, Prince Xian is a handsome and talented man, charming and modest. He is the object of desire for countless young ladies in the capital. That night, he even tried to play hard to get. If he knew that he would be rejected by the young lady like this, he would probably be depressed to death.
An Shangning genuinely cared about Xie Lingqin, and seeing that she didn't seem to mind, he nodded, "Well, that's good."
The two continued talking as they walked, and before they had gone far, a maidservant came hurrying by.
"Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. Everyone has gone to greet him. Madam wants you to go quickly too."
An Shangning looked at the maid and nodded, "I understand." After speaking, she looked at Xie Lingqin, but unexpectedly Xie Lingqin waved her hand directly, "No, anyway, no one cares whether I'm here or not, so I might as well enjoy my freedom and not be idle."
“…Alright then, Sister Lingqin, wait for me. I’ll come find you in a bit.” After saying that, An Shangning led her maid toward the front courtyard.
"Miss, the Crown Prince is coming. Is it really alright for you not to go?" Zihe whispered from behind.
Xie Lingqin waved her hand, "Don't worry, the Crown Prince might not even want to see me."
Zihe's lips twitched, but she remained silent.
"Let's go, the Marquis of Anping's mansion is very big, I'll take you around." Xie Lingqin was genuinely relaxed.
He didn't want to see the Crown Prince's cold face.
"Ling Qin." The two had just entered a spacious courtyard when they heard a man's voice from not far away.
Xie Lingqin stopped and turned around. She saw Yuwen Xian walking slowly towards her among the colorful branches.
Wearing a purple jade crown and a purple brocade robe with dark patterns, she had a smiling expression and a gentle, modest demeanor.
However, what flows in their eyes is naked hypocrisy.
"Lingqin greets Your Highness." Xie Lingqin gave a slight curtsy.
"There's no need for such formality upon seeing me." Prince Xian stepped forward, making a gesture to help her up, but Xie Lingqin had already subtly risen, looking at Prince Xian with a serene expression. "I wonder what business Your Highness has with me?"
The wise prince looked Xie Lingqin up and down. He had only been casually observing her before, but now that he was closer, a hint of amazement appeared in his eyes.
I hadn't noticed it before, but looking closely today, Xie Lingqin's appearance is no less than Xie Lingyu's. Not only that, her gentle temperament, calm eyes, and those starry eyes that seem to hold the pure, clear water of dawn are so captivating that it's hard to look away.
After a short while, the Prince Xian regained his composure and said gently, "Why don't we go sit in the cool area in front?"
This is ridiculous. Not only should men and women not touch each other, but given their awkward relationship, why did they invite her to sit in the pavilion?
Last time it was helping, and this time it's all tenderness and affection?
This wise king is truly a master at seducing innocent young girls.
Unfortunately, she wasn't.
---Aside---
Xinzhi made a significant decision, which was—
(Tomorrow we'll talk about the answer, off-topic)
This book was first published by Xiaoxiang Academy; please do not reproduce it!
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