Day 5.
As dawn broke, the carriage from the Prince of Ding's residence was already parked at the gate of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.
The old nanny got off the carriage and went to Ningcui Pavilion to invite Ye Yabing. It was more of an invitation than an invitation, but it was actually an urging and pressure, not giving Ye Yabing a chance to avoid it.
When Ye Cunjin went out early in the morning, he happened to see this carriage. He took a deep breath and ultimately went directly to the palace to apologize, ignoring Ye Yabing's matter.
About an hour later, Ye Yabing finally got dressed, went out, boarded the carriage of the Prince Ding's mansion, and headed to the lake.
Her face was still covered with a veil, and she still wore a veiled hat, completely obscuring her face so that no one could see it.
The sun was shining brightly today, and there were many people boating on the lake, but none of them were as luxurious and spacious as the boats at the Prince Ding's Mansion.
Early on, Prince Ding sat in the cabin, holding a cup of tea, but did not move for a long time.
He looked out of the cabin and saw newly sprouted willow branches reflected on the clear lake surface, swaying in the wind. The lake water shimmered with light, and spring was in full bloom.
However, his mind was still preoccupied with the words the Sixth Prince had spoken yesterday, preventing him from smiling.
The Sixth Prince said that the Second Daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion was likely disfigured. His trusted servant had seen it from afar, but could not confirm whether it was true or not.
At that time, Prince Ding denied it, saying that Ye Yabing only had some scars on her face, but it was nothing serious and would heal in a while.
The sixth prince didn't say anything more, but the seed of doubt was still planted in Prince Ding's heart.
He remembered that when Ye Yabing came to see him before, she covered her face completely, and when he asked her to lift her veil, she kept refusing.
If she wasn't truly severely disfigured, if she really only had a few shallow scars, why would she do this?
The more Prince Ding thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He had always disliked being ridiculed, pitied, or sympathized with, which was why he was determined to break off his engagement with Ye Qingxue and instead seek to marry Ye Yabing, a famous beauty and young lady in the capital.
Yes, he really liked Ye Yabing. He liked her outstanding appearance, her background, her understanding nature, and her gentle and charming personality...
But what if Ye Yabing really gets disfigured...?
His queen cannot be a disfigured woman. He will become the crown prince and eventually the emperor. How can the mother of the nation be a disfigured woman?
Absolutely not!
Lost in thought, Minzhi's voice rang out: "Your Highness, the Second Miss has arrived."
Prince Ding looked up and saw that the Prince Ding's carriage was parked by the lake. The old woman helped Ye Yabing down from the carriage.
She wore a light pink dress with a bow-tied belt that accentuated her slender waist, making her figure appear even more graceful and curvaceous.
She walked slowly toward the boat with the old woman, her every move exuding elegance, and she retained the beauty and innocence that one would expect at her age.
But that face... was still covered, and the Prince of Ding couldn't see it, which made him feel even worse. An unnamed fire raged in his chest—he felt like he had been deceived.
Subconsciously, he still believed the Sixth Prince's words; he just pretended not to believe him yesterday to save face.
Ye Yabing boarded the ship, walked up to Prince Ding, and gracefully bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Ding."
A faint fragrance wafted from her.
Something seemed to enter Ding Wang's nasal cavity, and then into his heart, causing his heart to flutter.
The inexplicable anger he felt earlier had inexplicably dissipated, and he didn't even notice it. He simply stepped forward and helped Ye Yabing up.
"This is the tea that Father Emperor has just bestowed upon you. Minzhi's tea-making skills are quite good. You should try it." Prince Ding took her hand and led her into the cabin. They sat down together, and he handed her the tea that Minzhi had just brewed.
Then, my gaze remained fixed on her face.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Ye Yabing took the tea, turned around, faced away from Prince Ding, and used her sleeve to cover her mouth before drinking the tea.
This scene was witnessed by Prince Ding, who felt a tightness in his chest and ordered Minzhi and the others to leave.
As if he couldn't wait a moment longer, Prince Ding asked, "After I was flogged by you, I can now walk around. Has the injury on your face not fully healed yet?"
Ye Yabing put down the teacup with gentle and elegant movements, revealing her fair, slender, and delicate pink fingertips, which were very beautiful.
She said, "It's almost healed, but there's still a slight scar. It should be completely healed in a few days. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Prince Ding's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
But in the end, he still gently took Ye Yabing's hand and said affectionately, "It's a rare treat to come out for a boat trip on the lake today, so please take off your veil. I haven't seen you in a long time and I miss you dearly."
"Besides, we are already engaged, and the Ministry of Rites is preparing for our wedding. These two shallow scars will not affect your status in my heart."
As he spoke, he reached out to remove Ye Yabing's veil.
"Your Highness, please don't!" Ye Yabing hurriedly dodged away, her voice filled with uncontrollable terror.
"Ya Ya doesn't want Your Highness to be frightened. Ya Ya said before that she wanted to leave a perfect impression on Your Highness. Has Your Highness forgotten all of that?"
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Your Highness has already promised Ya Ya, and you cannot go back on your word now!"
When Prince Ding saw her in such a terrified state, his heart sank to the bottom. But he still refused to believe that his beloved woman, his fiancée whom he had finally won over, was truly disfigured.
He grabbed Ye Yabing's wrist with great force, preparing to forcibly remove her veil.
Ye Yabing trembled all over, her voice trembling with tears, "Is Your Highness going to make things difficult for Ya Ya? Does Your Highness truly love Ya Ya?"
Prince Ding paused slightly, then heard footsteps as someone boarded the boat, followed by the voice of a young maid: "Second Miss, your cloak was left behind, so I brought it to you."
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