The little girl opened the door, "Sister, come in, sister, sit down for a while, I'll find someone to call you back," and then ran off in a flash.
As soon as Nan entered, he looked around Xiao Xi's house. It was a cozy little courtyard, clean and tidy, with three main rooms, two side rooms on the left and right, and two rows of small houses on both sides of the courtyard, probably kitchens or something similar. There was a courtyard on the left and a trellis on the right side of the courtyard, with an old grapevine wrapped around it.
Even the servants' quarters in the prince's residence are better than this, but Nan Yi prefers this place. The deep and secluded courtyard makes her feel lonely if she stays here for too long, and even surrounded by servants, her heart remains desolate.
The little girl had been picking vegetables, and some unfinished vegetables were scattered on the ground. Nan Yi went over to help her pick the vegetables, and as she was considering whether to cook dinner, she heard the door open.
"Xiao Xi?" Nan Yi called out to the two people in the courtyard, one big and one small.
"Who are you?" Xiao Xi asked, puzzled.
Nan looked at herself, chuckled, and pointed at herself, saying, "Can't recognize me, can you?"
Today she wore a blue cloth dress and skirt, painted her face yellow, drew thick eyebrows, and added a black scar to her face, so she couldn't recognize herself.
Xiao Xi leaned closer to look, and a figure flashed through his mind...
"...Nan Yi, it really is Nan Yi, why did you make her face look so ugly?" Xiao Xi excitedly rushed to Nan Yi. When her sister described her, she didn't believe it. Nan Yi was indeed very beautiful, how could she be ugly? It was clearly made ugly on purpose.
"This is safe."
"Indeed, but... you're not a good friend, Nan Yi," Xiao Xi complained softly. She thought she would finally find a like-minded friend, but after their first meeting, she heard nothing from him, which made her quite depressed.
Look, here comes the reckoning. "—Hehe, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I won't do it again next time." Nan Yi, the sycophant, apologized profusely.
Xiao Xi was speechless. She must be from a well-to-do family, right? He continued to glare at her.
"Okay, I admit my mistake. Look what I brought for you," Nan Yi reached out and took out two boxes, handing them to her sister and winking at her.
The little girl ran over with the box and shook Xiao Xi's hand. Xiao Xi tapped his sister's forehead and said with a doting laugh, "You little money-grubber." The little girl smiled shyly towards Nan Yi.
"Open it and see if you like it. I've been looking for it for a long time."
Xiao Xi chuckled, "Let's go inside first and talk."
Nan Yi sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), curiously touching and looking around. "Your house is very nice, Xi Xi," Nan Yi exclaimed.
“Of course, but I don’t think we can compare to your family,” Xiao Xi asked cautiously, guessing that she was probably not from an ordinary family.
Nan Yi smiled gently, "Each has its advantages."
"By the way, what's your little sister's name?" Nan Yi didn't want to go into details, so he quickly changed the subject, looking at the well-behaved Xiao sister.
Helping her younger sister open the box, Xiao Xi exclaimed, "Her surname is Xiao and her given name is Qiao. Wow, so beautiful!" Inside the box was a jade hairpin and a gold bracelet. She then opened another box and exclaimed, "Wow, Nan Yi, this is too precious!"
I picked them up carefully. They were exquisite white jade earrings, a green jade pendant, and a piece of top-quality chicken-blood jade rough. This guy really spared no expense.
Thinking it over, she felt it wasn't right and wanted to push the things back to Nan Yi, but she couldn't bear to look away, her face still shifting uncertainly.
As if knowing what she was thinking, Nan Yi said, "Keep it. You can tell I don't need this. Is it really pretty? I originally wanted to pick something else for you, but gold, silver and jade ornaments are more practical for you. You can save them up for your dowry in the future."
Xiao Xi chuckled, "You've thought of everything so thoroughly," then picked up the jade rough and asked, "What's this for?"
Nan Yi glanced at it and chuckled, "Aren't you working in the yamen? You must need a seal, right? Take this and have one made."
"What a waste," Xiao Xi clicked her tongue. Such a good thing, even Lord Gu probably didn't have it.
Nan Yi was quite pleased with herself and said with a smile, "I'm good to you, so this is nothing." She had an even bigger piece that she couldn't bear to take out.
Her generosity was unaware that this small piece of chicken-blood jade would cause a great upheaval. One was physically injured, and the other was heartbroken. Looking back on today, they only felt the impermanence of life.
“If you’re free, have Qiaoqiao come visit me,” Nan Yi whispered his identity and address into Xiao Xi’s ear, then looked at Xiao Xi’s stunned expression. “What, are you scared of my identity? You’re afraid to be friends with me?”
"Ah, you're really bold," Xiao Xi exclaimed. A prince's wife leaving the palace without permission is a serious crime! It's too crazy! She felt a little scared.
Nan Yi curled her lip and said, "Are you a coward? -- Tch, remember, go to the west gate of the mansion and find Granny Zhao. I will tell her what to do."
Xiao Xi chuckled and replied, "I know, I still have to keep your identity a secret, right?" Identity couldn't stop them from becoming good friends.
“Smart,” Nan Yi praised.
Xiao Xi rolled his eyes. "That goes without saying," he said, urging, "You should leave now. I don't dare keep you here for too long."
Nan Yi glanced at her, then nimbly got off the kang and went out. Before she could even pull out the bolt, a knock sounded at the door.
The two exchanged a glance, and Xiao Xi asked, "Who is it?"
The other person didn't speak, they just knocked on the door.
"Should we leave?" Xiao Xi whispered. Nan shook her head; with her ghostly appearance, who could recognize her?
Xiao Xi opened the door and paused for a moment. Standing before him were two young men. The one in white was gentle and handsome, while the one in purple was elegant and refined. Both were tall and graceful, and very handsome.
The two people looked somewhat familiar. After a moment, Xiao Xi suddenly remembered the two people she had met once before.
"This humble servant, Xiao Xi, greets the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince. May both princes be blessed," Xiao Xi bowed.
The Eighth Prince looked slightly excited, his eyes softening. He had seen the woman before, but hadn't seen her clearly. Now, she appeared quite spirited and pretty, her demeanor neither humble nor arrogant. No wonder he could be friends with her.
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