The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess - Chapter 13

“Who’s there?” The Eighth Prince’s slightly childish voice called toward the spot where Wen Ying had landed. He remained kneeling, not standing up, yet his wariness seemed innate.

Wen Ying knew she had been heard and had no choice but to timidly step out, looking at Wen Yuan.

Wen Yuan had imagined countless possibilities, but he never expected the person emerging from behind the rockery to be his elder sister, the very one he had been thinking about day and night since last night.

Wen Yuan was about to speak when his gaze quickly shifted to the woman beside her, exuding an icy aura. The palace maid from last night? For some reason, with her present, Wen Yuan found himself unable to say anything.

Wen Ying watched him hesitate, puzzled, but unsure of what to say herself. She could only tug at Fu Qingyin’s sleeve, urging her to walk forward with her.

Fu Qingyin reluctantly complied. As they approached Wen Yuan, she guided Wen Ying to sit on a nearby stone bench while eyeing the kneeling prince.

The Eighth Prince hadn’t thought much of his mother’s punishment earlier, but now, under the gaze of Wen Ying and Fu Qingyin, his face burned with embarrassment.

To make matters worse, Wen Ying asked guiltily, “Is it because of what I said to you yesterday? Did you speak to Father about it, and that’s why Mother punished you like this?”

Wen Yuan stubbornly insisted he was fine, no matter how Wen Ying pressed. Her guilt only grew deeper. Unfortunately, she hadn’t brought anything with her. Though it was spring, the chill lingered, yet the sun beat down harshly.

Helpless, Wen Ying stepped down from the stone bench and stretched out her small hands, straining to shield Wen Yuan from the sunlight.

Fu Qingyin watched this display of sibling affection with cold detachment, clicking her tongue inwardly. Little Wen Ying really was kind to everyone.

Weren’t you supposed to only keep me company, little liar? And now you’re shading someone else from the sun.

Fu Qingyin gritted her teeth in frustration but could do nothing. Meanwhile, Wen Ying, still shielding Wen Yuan, turned to smile sweetly at her.

“You, don’t have to.” Wen Ying heard the Eighth Prince’s stiff voice and looked down at him in confusion. “But aren’t you hot? Why don’t you stand and move somewhere else? Then the sun won’t reach you.”

Her smile deepened, revealing faint dimples that made her utterly endearing. Just as she was about to suggest another idea, a pair of hands suddenly covered her mouth.

“Mmph!” Startled, Wen Ying widened her eyes at Fu Qingyin. The hands were slightly cool, like the morning breeze of early spring.

She didn’t understand why Fu Qingyin had been acting so strangely since seeing the Eighth Prince, but after some thought, she decided it was best to coax her beloved elder sister first.

Now pulled back to the stone bench by Fu Qingyin, Wen Ying leaned in close, studying her face. “Elder Sister~ why do you look unhappy?”

She blinked innocently, genuinely baffled by Fu Qingyin’s sudden shift in mood.

Fu Qingyin felt as though she had punched cotton her frustration met with soft resistance. Still, she feigned indifference, insisting she was fine.

Wen Ying reached up and tugged at the corners of Fu Qingyin’s lips, manually lifting them into a smile. The hem of her dress swayed slightly as she rose onto her tiptoes.

The scenery behind the imperial garden’s artificial hill was breathtakingly beautiful. Fu Qingyin, feeling the warmth of Wen Ying’s little fingers, couldn’t help but entertain a rather improper thought. She immediately suppressed it, ignoring the burning tips of her ears, and coaxed Wen Ying, assuring her that she was fine.

How could Wen Ying not notice the faint blush on Fu Qingyin’s cheeks? Tilting her head, she felt utterly perplexed by this beautiful elder sister.

The Eighth Prince remained kneeling there, observing the two of them. No matter how he looked at it, their interaction didn’t seem to fit the usual dynamic between a princess and a palace maid. Yet, seeing how plainly dressed his imperial sister was without even any jewelry, he concluded that she probably wasn’t particularly favored and might just be on friendly terms with the maids.

The Eighth Prince had only glanced at Wen Ying a few times when, unexpectedly, Fu Qingyin’s sharp glare nearly pierced right through him.

Lowering his head, the prince resigned himself to continuing his punishment. Suddenly remembering something, he looked up again. “Three days from now is the Empress’s Spring Banquet at Chonghua Palace. Will you be attending?”

Hearing this, Fu Qingyin stepped in front of Wen Ying. “Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. This servant has already informed Her Highness the Princess. Naturally, we will attend as scheduled.”

As for the Spring Banquet, Fu Qingyin had heard about it from the guards during her confinement.

Wen Ying, however, knew nothing of it yet, but she nodded obediently in agreement with Fu Qingyin.

As they were speaking, the sound of swaying tassels came from behind the artificial hill. Wen Ying tensed, hiding behind Fu Qingyin as she watched the approaching figure.

Noble Consort Xin emerged from behind the hill, surrounded by her attendants. She scrutinized Fu Qingyin from head to toe before scoffing. “I wondered who it was. So it’s you who bewitched my good son, making him spout nonsense to His Majesty.”

Fu Qingyin met Noble Consort Xin’s mocking gaze without flinching. Then, pulling Wen Ying to sit beside her, she maintained her imposing presence even while seated. “It’s truly a testament to Your Grace’s parenting skills, raising such an upright and courageous child. How dreadful it would be if he turned out like those consorts in the rear palace who only know how to scheme out of jealousy.”

Though Wen Ying found Fu Qingyin’s blunt retort satisfying, she still feared angering Noble Consort Xin.

Now that the Emperor had already slighted Noble Consort Xin by lifting Fu Qingyin’s confinement, if the consort decided to retaliate, the Emperor would likely turn a blind eye. But that would only mean Fu Qingyin would suffer the consequences.

Sure enough, Noble Consort Xin caught the veiled insult in Fu Qingyin’s words. Her hair ornaments trembled with rage. Seeing this, Wen Ying gritted her teeth and stepped forward. “Wen Ying pays her respects to Noble Consort Xin.”

Wen Ying’s sudden appearance diverted much of the consort’s attention. Earlier, she had only noticed a petite maid trailing behind Fu Qingyin. Who would have thought she’d be such a stunning beauty?

A sense of unease rose in Noble Consort Xin’s heart. That face, it looked all too familiar, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the very person she despised.

“Wen Ying?”

To Fu Qingyin’s alarm, Noble Consort Xin even called out Wen Ying’s name correctly. Immediately shielding Wen Ying, Fu Qingyin realized she could no longer remain calm when it came to her.

The sight of Wen Ying filled Noble Consort Xin with an uncontrollable sense of dread. Without another word, she hastily departed with the Eighth Prince in tow.

“What’s going on?” Wen Ying was taken aback. She had been fully prepared to face Noble Consort Xin’s scolding or sarcastic remarks. But the current scene was somewhat perplexing.

Fu Qingyin sighed. Facing the breeze-swept lake, she decided not to dwell on the matter for now. Earlier, she had simply wanted to sit by the lake with Wen Ying.

Fu Qingyin’s hair was loosely tied up with a jade-green hairpin. She took Wen Ying’s hand and led her toward the lakeside. The spring-thawed lake still carried a chill, and last night’s heavy rain had raised the water level even higher.

Pulled along, Wen Ying sat by the lake, her pale yellow skirt spreading neatly around her. She lowered her head to adjust her skirt and hair, and when she looked up again, the clear expanse of the lake instantly brightened her mood.

Seizing the moment, Fu Qingyin told Wen Ying about the upcoming Spring Banquet while gently smoothing her hair and tucking it neatly behind her back.

Wen Ying nodded, though she felt a pang of unease. “It’s been a long time since I last attended a palace banquet. But now that I’ve come of age, I must attend the Spring Banquet. I’ve heard that noble ladies from prominent families will also be there.”

She lacked confidence, she didn’t even have a decent outfit. The modest savings Yun Chu had managed to set aside could barely cover daily food expenses, let alone spare any for fine clothes or jewelry.

Likewise, Wen Ying

Noble Consort Xin entered the palace hall and took a seat by the table. Sipping her tea lightly, she chuckled, “What is there to fear from Fu Qingyin? He’s merely a hostage. In due time, this consort can deal with him as she pleases.”

“Your Highness is most wise,” the elderly matron replied, unable to tolerate any disrespect toward her mistress. Now she had gotten her wish.

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