Honestly speaking, Qin Yining wouldn’t have doubted Pang Xiao even if he hadn’t explained himself. Since she knew what Li Qitian was after, how could she not see the oddities of this situation from beginning to end?
It was just mystifying what exactly Li Helan had been thinking this time, to do all this. Did she really not care what her husband thought anymore?
Or was she already tired of her marriage?
It was mind-boggling for Qin Yining to fathom a woman who would go hunting for an affair so quickly after the wedding. She clung to one man while having another hang off her arm. Doesn’t that woman get tired from pursuing two at once?
“Miss?” Bingtang started fretting again when she saw Qin Yining fall into deep thought while clenching the note.
Coming back to herself, the fourth miss smiled. “No worries, it’s nothing.” She turned to Jingzhe. “Thank you for your troubles.”
The guard quickly raised a cupped fist salute. “This is just what this subordinate should be doing. If you have no further orders, miss, I will take my leave.”
When the former Silver Mask left, Bingtang pressed on, “Is it a letter from His Highness?”
“Mmhmm. With how the rumors are outside, he purposefully wrote a note to explain.”
Qin Yining put the letter back into the envelope and was about to burn it, but then thought of how her father had already tacitly approved of their relationship. It’d be a pity to not keep such a funny letter as a souvenir.
So instead, she handed the letter to Bingtang. “Put it away for me. Let’s keep it with the jewelry we just stored.”
The maid found it funny. “Miss, aren’t you afraid of people saying that you have scandalous, secret relations with the prince if they found out?”
The Qin fourth miss arched an innocent brow. “There are even uglier whispers outside. Perhaps someone’s even written a book out of what happened when I was carried off. What do I care about secret relations?”
“The miss is saying to heck with it all.”
“No, the miss is being dashingly carefree.” Some of the other maids piped in, their jokes teasing laughter out of their mistress.
Seeing that Qin Yining thought nothing of the happenings, both Jiyun and Xianyun relaxed inwardly. Their thoughts veered to distaste when they thought of Li Helan.
That one was a right and proper princess, the purest of royalty and peak of nobility. Married to such an outstanding character, she still didn’t know to be satisfied! She spent her days making eyes at others and now coveted even the prince! She was just looking to make trouble!
Having been cultivated by Pang Xiao, Jiyun and Xianyun naturally hoped for a happy ending between their miss and former master. Both of them were equally irate at the appearance of someone like Li Helan.
Jiyun even fantasized several ways of teaching Li Helan a good lesson.
……
Currently in front of Prince Consort Ji’s manor, Li Helan was locked in a staring contest with the doorkeeper who stood in her way. Outfitted in a magenta, padded jacket with flaring sleeves and buttons down the front, she’d paired it with a downy-yellow eight panel skirt. A scarlet brocade cape with a white fur collar rounded out the look.
“Open your eyes and see who this seat is! This seat is the eldest princess! How dare you block my way! Do you want to keep on living?!”
“Please quell your anger, Your Highness.” The doorkeeper was a tall and burly man. Standing ramrod straight, his short robes didn’t give off the air of someone keeping an eye on the door. He rather looked like a soldier, and his words were equally blunt. “The marquis gave orders for no visitors today. Why don’t you go back first, Your Highness. His Grace will naturally come find you when he’s free.”
Li Helan’s eyes reddened with fury. The hell is this?! What the hell is this??
“This seat is THE ELDEST PRINCESS. Am I to be refused entrance to my own prince consort’s manor and need to wait until he’s free?! Have your brains been stomped by a donkey?! HAS THERE EVER BEEN A RULE LIKE THIS!?”
Li Helan reached out a hand to push open the door.
The man deftly skipped backwards and remained firmly in her way. He looked down. “Please don’t fault us, Your Highness. This humble one is the marquis’ servant and naturally needs to listen to his orders. His Grace said that he’s not seeing anyone, so he won't be seeing anyone. Please go home, Your Highness.”
Li Helan finally heard things properly at this junction.
The servant called Ji Zeyu ‘marquis’ and not ‘prince consort’, which meant that he really was Ji Zeyu’s trusted subordinate. He might even be from the barracks!
Ji Zeyu had set a soldier at the door just to refuse her entry?
Tears welled in the princess’ eyes and she burst out sobbing.
The doorkeeper kept his head down, oblivious to the crying woman in front of him. He was a wooden dummy, motionless where he stood.
The doors to the manor flung open at this time.
Adorned in a white, tightly-cuffed sleeve brocade robe, Ji Zeyu looked back over the gray, squirrel-fur collar of his cloak with a faint smile. He was responding to something with upturned lips.
Behind him followed a flawless Pang Xiao, sporting a purple python-patterned robe and a small jade crown in this hair.
Not anticipating that Li Helan would be lying in wait for them, the prince’s steps paused before he walked up to make his bow.
“Greetings to the eldest princess.”
Ji Zeyu’s faint smile from moments ago had vanished. Twin pools wholly without emotion looked at the princess. His exquisite face was likewise scrubbed of all emotion and he made the same bow as Pang Xiao.
“Greetings to the eldest princess.”
Li Helan had hastened here to explain herself to her husband, concerned as she was that Ji Zeyu would think wild thoughts because the flurry of rumors outside. But Pang Xiao had been faster than her!