For the first time, Duan Mingxi found herself looking favorably upon Duan Wang—he certainly knew how to orchestrate a spectacle.
Xiao Muchen observed Duan Mingxi’s quick, eager steps with a small smile before following her leisurely.
As they left Wangyun Tower, the scenery grew more serene: willows hanging low, stone paths winding through the garden, and a rose trellis climbing over an artificial mountain.
Following the roses, they passed between pavilions and along a meandering pond that disappeared into the distance.
Duan Mingxi suddenly paused, slipping behind a flower wall.
Xiao Muchen hadn’t anticipated her abrupt stop and nearly collided with her.
Duan Mingxi caught his arm and whispered, “Be careful, Wangye.”
Xiao Muchen’s expression turned blank. “An accident.”
Her wary demeanor, as if he had ulterior motives, amused him.
Mingxi tilted her head, listening carefully to the sounds beyond the flower wall. She unconsciously kept holding Xiao Muchen’s hand, her grip firm as she focused on the commotion.
Xiao Muchen’s gaze fell on Mingxi’s fair hand. Her fingers were slender and strong, with slightly prominent joints when gripping, and there seemed to be a faint layer of calluses on her palm.
It reminded him of her agile figure drawing a bow during the hunt at Yuguan Mountain. A calloused palm suited someone with such skill.
“…Jiejie, are you regretting it now? Seeing me appointed as the Crown Princess, are you jealous and deliberately plotting to ruin my reputation?”
The voice was somewhat unfamiliar, but from the context, Duan Mingxi discerned that it belonged to Bai Shixi.
“Shixi, we are full-blooded sisters. How could you suspect me of such a thing? You being named Crown Princess makes me happy beyond measure. Why would I harm you?”
Bai Zhiwei’s voice was laced with sorrow, her tone deeply aggrieved, as if utterly heartbroken.
Peeking through the flower wall, Mingxi saw Bai Shixi’s face tinged with a pale green hue. Her stubborn expression was fixed on her older sister.
“Happy for me? Being happy for me means luring me here today, deliberately provoking me to slap you so others could see?”
Duan Mingxi found the words rather amusing. Bai Shixi seemed fully aware of what was happening—so why was she still playing along with Bai Zhiwei’s scheme?
“If that’s how you insist on interpreting it, then so be it.” Bai Zhiwei turned her head away, choking with emotion.
“Second Miss Bai, if you’ve done something, you should own up to it. Just because you’re about to become the Crown Princess doesn’t give you the right to bully your older sister.”
Gao Zhan stepped forward, shielding Bai Zhiwei behind him.
Duan Mingxi’s face turned cold as she observed the two of them, a fleeting trace of mockery flashing across her expression.
Xiao Muchen kept his eyes on Mingxi’s face. The moment Gao Zhan spoke, her entire demeanor shifted. Her dark eyes seemed to brew with something unfathomable, like a storm about to break.
Xiao Muchen’s eyes flickered slightly. He neither moved nor spoke, his gaze lowered. Duan Mingxi’s grip on his fingers turned pale from the pressure.
The wrist ached slightly.
He had thoroughly investigated—Duan Mingxi and Gao Zhan had only crossed paths a few times. So where did Duan Mingxi’s unusual attitude toward Gao Zhan stem from?
“Gao Shizi, others may not know, but don’t you? How could I bully my older sister? All these years, she has always been the priority in the household. How could I ever dare to mistreat her?
But speaking of this, if not for you, Gao Shizi, insisting on secretly meeting my sister at Jinrui Garden last time, then deliberately framing Duan Mingxi, your affair would never have been exposed.
Had it not been revealed, the position of Crown Princess would never have fallen to me. Gao Shizi, instead of accusing me here, why don’t you think about who my sister truly resents the most!”
Duan Mingxi nearly clapped her hands in admiration. It seemed Bai Shixi wasn’t as weak and incompetent as she appeared. Today’s drama was entirely a result of the two sisters scheming against each other, creating this spectacle.
“Well said!”
Everyone was startled and turned their heads, only to see a woman step out from behind the flower wall. Dressed in a spirited riding outfit, her eyes were bright, sharp as stars fallen to earth.
Following her came Xiao Muchen, his posture elegant and tall, exuding a noble, refined aura like the soft glow of snow.
The two standing together seemed like a match made in heaven, a perfect pairing of beauty and talent.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping,” Duan Mingxi began with a slight bow, her voice steady. “I just happened to pass by and overheard Second Miss Bai’s words. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of resonance. If my actions were impolite, I beg the Crown Prince’s forgiveness.”
The Crown Prince gave Duan Mingxi a long, penetrating look before withdrawing his gaze. With an air of indifference, he remarked, “Since it was unintentional, I naturally won’t hold it against you.”
“The Crown Prince is truly magnanimous,” Duan Mingxi replied with a faint smile. If one looked closely, her eyes held a cold sharpness.
The current scene was profoundly amusing. In her previous life, Gao Zhan had staunchly supported the Crown Prince.
But now, Bai Shixi was about to marry the Crown Prince, while Bai Zhiwei was to wed Gao Zhan. With the two sisters at odds, who knew if Gao Zhan would still give his all for the Crown Prince in the future?
Bai Shixi’s gaze landed on Duan Mingxi, and she spoke with apparent guilt. “Just now, I spoke of Miss Duan in a moment of urgency. Please forgive my careless words.”
Duan Mingxi smiled lightly at Bai Shixi. “Second Miss Bai is too polite. If it’s the truth, there’s no harm in mentioning it. Why take offense?”
Bai Shixi looked at Duan Mingxi with gratitude. “Miss Duan is indeed as straightforward and kind as the rumors say.”
Duan Mingxi thought to herself that Bai Shixi was truly skilled. To compliment her virtue in front of Gao Zhan and Bai Zhiwei was akin to slapping both of them in the face.
Brilliant move!
As Duan Mingxi and Bai Shixi seamlessly exchanged words, Gao Zhan’s face darkened, his lips tightly pressed in silence.
Bai Zhiwei, on the other hand, lowered her gaze slightly, struggling to maintain composure. She hadn’t anticipated Bai Shixi’s ruthlessness—her words were designed to pierce Gao Zhan’s heart. How would he view her in the future?
And now, with Duan Mingxi stepping in to add fuel to the fire, Bai Shixi was elevated, leaving Bai Zhiwei embarrassed and cornered.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her hands twisting her handkerchief tightly in frustration.
Why was heaven so unfair to her?
Meanwhile, Qi Wang, observing the exchanges with growing interest, finally let his gaze settle on his fourth brother.
Who would have thought his stoic, reserved sibling would secretly arrange to meet his fiancée at Jinrui Garden?
No wonder Consort Shu was so eager to secure Duan Mingxi for him. Now, it all made sense.
However, Qi Wang found his fourth brother’s taste peculiar. No matter how beautiful Duan Mingxi was, she grew up in a merchant’s household. With the rigorous rules and decorum of the royal family, any misstep would make her a laughingstock.
Ah, beauty was a dangerous thing.
“Third Brother, Fourth Brother, since we’ve all gathered here, why not enjoy some tea together?” Qi Wang suggested, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
The Crown Prince turned slightly, glancing at Duan Wang.
Xiao Muchen, in turn, looked to the Crown Prince, quietly indicating his deference.
Qi Wang felt a twinge of annoyance. Why the pretense?
