"We have the hunting competition tomorrow; we should head back first to prepare. And here..." Ye Qichi smiled profoundly, her smile extraordinarily beautiful.
At this moment, the winter sun shone on her fair cheeks, as if casting a halo around her.
All eyes were on her.
Even Bai Mowan and Xie Ruiyao had to admit at that moment that Ye Qichi was so strikingly beautiful that it was almost too much.
In terms of looks, she truly outshone them all.
The three of them bore some resemblance to each other.
Yet, Ye Qichi was still, just a bit prettier.
"We’ll leave this matter to the three of them to sort out themselves. It’s not quite appropriate for us to interfere," said Ye Qichi, seeming very kind-hearted.
Xiao Jinxing turned his head to glance at Bai Mowan.
At this moment, Bai Mowan still had her gaze fixed on Ye Qichi.
There was, just a bit, of an indescribable feeling in her heart.
Two months had passed.
Back in Yuzhou City, Ye Qichi had been the center of attention, her fame sensational; as Bai Mowan made her way back from the border, she often heard passersby repeatedly praise Ye Qichi. Even the storytellers in Yuzhou City had incorporated Ye Qichi’s deeds into their tales to wide acclaim, whereas the mention of her and Xiao Jinxing’s deeds in Yuzhou City was minimal, mostly overshadowed by the accounts of Princess Ye Qichi.
Now, seeing Ye Qichi, this woman seemed to have gained even more grace than when in Yuzhou City.
When she had seen Ye Qichi in Yuzhou City, Ye Qichi had a disheveled appearance. Although she later cleaned herself up and dressed simply and modestly to treat the sick, possibly due to exhaustion in Yuzhou, she didn’t look well. However, seeing her now, Ye Qichi was radiant and thriving, a peerless beauty, exceptional and unique.
She had to admit that she felt a tinge of envy in her heart at this moment.
What made her somewhat uncomfortable was that this scheme had been orchestrated by Ye Qichi herself.
She had always thought that Ye Qichi would be eager for her to marry Xiao Jinsen, considering Ye Qichi liked Xiao Jinxing, Xiao Jinxing liked her, and Ye Qichi’s position as Princess might be usurped by her. If it were anyone else, Ye Qichi probably wouldn’t act this way.
Not to mention, since the beginning in Yuzhou City, she genuinely hadn’t felt any hostility from Ye Qichi. Now, knowing full well that doing this was matchmaking her with Xiao Jinxing, Ye Qichi was still helping them with sincere and heartfelt advice. She genuinely admired this woman’s magnanimity.
Even if it were her, she didn’t think she could go to such lengths.
If Ye Qichi had her own ulterior motives, she could still look down on her with justification and not take Ye Qichi seriously. But because Ye Qichi was arranging this match for her and Xiao Jinxing, she found she had no reason to dislike her.
Yet still, there was something about her that was irritating.
This made her feel conflicted.
Even a bit displeased with herself.
She had always been generous and forgiving, repaying evil with kindness.
If it weren’t for Xiao Jinsen bringing destruction to her family, she wouldn’t have gone after him .
However, now that Ye Qichi had shown her kindness, she found herself harboring hostility towards Ye Qichi.
It was as if Ye Qichi had stolen all the limelight from her, leaving her with a bad taste in her mouth.
She had always thought she wouldn’t be envious of anyone.
She would admire the good in others.
She wouldn’t look down on those who weren’t good.
But now, because of Ye Qichi, she saw a dark side of herself.
It turns out she wasn’t so carefree and generous after all; it was just that before Ye Qichi, she hadn’t encountered anyone better or more outstanding than herself.
Bai Mowan was silently adjusting her mood.
And working hard to suppress her emotions.
She didn’t want to become the kind of person she herself would despise.
She shouldn’t be envious of Ye Qichi, let alone hostile towards her.
"Wan’er, I shall take my leave first," said Xiao Jinxing.
Bai Mowan snapped back to reality.
At that moment, she slowly nodded her head, "Okay."
Xiao Jinxing and Ye Qichi walked away hand in hand.
Watching the two figures from behind, Bai Mowan withdrew her gaze.
Xiao Jinxing had said he would not let her down.
She chose to believe that he would keep his word.
About Ye Qichi, Xiao Jinxing also said that he harbored no feelings for her.
The current Ye Qichi would be hard for any man to resist.
But Xiao Jinxing was different from other men.
He was willing to disregard his own life and even forsake kingdoms for her; his feelings for her were no ordinary affection.
Having understood this, Bai Mowan felt somewhat more at peace.