Chapter 23

The leaves were lush green, and the crystal-clear rainwater slid down from them, falling onto the moist and soft soil. Sang Yao, holding her skirt, jumped down from the carriage and politely thanked the servant who had escorted her.

Her embroidered shoes were stained with mud, and her clothes were damp and then dried, making her feel uncomfortable all over.

As the carriage moved away from the Sang residence, Sang Yao pinched the damp hem of her skirt and turned around, seeing Sang Yinyue leaning against the door at that moment.

She was wearing a dark blue jacket and exquisite makeup, lifting her chin to look at her.

Sang Yao’s already heavy heart was cast with another shadow when she saw her. She looked away, feeling annoyed.

Just as Sang Yao stepped over the threshold and walked past Sang Yinyue, the girl’s melodious voice came over, “Why are you walking so fast? Are you afraid of me?”

Sang Yao slowed her pace and turned around, saying, “Who’s afraid of you.”

Thinking of the new word she had learned today from personal experience, she added harshly, “Don’t be presumptuous.”

Sang Yinyue caught up with Sang Yao and said, “Little fool, why are you suddenly talking today?”

Sang Yao silently quickened her pace, feeling increasingly unhappy with her words. “I’m not mute.”

Sang Yinyue asked, “Who brought you back just now?”

When Sang Yinyue came over, the carriage had already turned around, so she hadn’t seen the Xie family’s emblem on it.

Sang Yao usually kept to herself and liked to play alone, so she didn’t have many friends. Since the carriage wasn’t from the Yan family, there was only one choice left.

“Did you go to find Fifth Prince?” Sang Yinyue asked.

Sang Yao climbed the steps and walked toward her small courtyard. When she was in a good mood, she would exchange a few words with Sang Yinyue, although this person always made her mood worse in the end. Now that she was in a bad mood, she didn’t want to see her at all, let alone listen to her sarcastic remarks.

“Hey, speak up.”

Why was she ordering her around? Sang Yao pursed her lips and remained silent.

Sang Yinyue laughed and said, “I know, Fifth Prince didn’t help you, did he?”

It was true that he didn’t help, but it wasn’t Lu Ting; it was another rotten man.

This hit a nerve with Sang Yao, and she couldn’t help but say, “It’s none of your business. Stop following me.”

Seeing Sang Yao’s reaction, Sang Yinyue’s smile deepened, and she said cheerfully, “I didn’t expect this. Even at this point, Fifth Prince still won’t help you. I thought he was deliberately waiting for you to beg him.”

Sang Yinyue always knew how to say things that grated on Sang Yao’s nerves.

She pushed open the door to her courtyard, feeling so angry that smoke seemed to be coming out of her head. She said, “Could you please stop talking.” Pausing for a moment, she threatened, “Don’t call me ‘little fool’ again, you big mouth!”

Because Sang Yinyue had no filter, people in the mansion liked to call her ‘big mouth’. Sang Yao had heard it so often that she had learned it too.

What was she so happy about, this foolish woman?

Even she understood that when her father was demoted, the entire Sang family suffered. Over the years, her father’s promotions might not have been as exaggerated as “rising to the heavens with a chicken and a dog,” but her uncles had indeed benefited a lot.

Especially her eldest uncle, who was currently the Chief Imperial Censor. He had helped her father a lot when he was first appointed. Now that her father had encountered an accident, her eldest uncle had asked her several times. But Sang Yinyue, she could still laugh.

She walked into her courtyard, intending to keep Sang Yinyue outside, but this person quickly squeezed in. She said, “Do you dare to curse at me? I have something to tell you today.”

Sang Yao didn’t believe this person could have anything important to say. She pursed her lips and thought she couldn’t avoid her today.

She looked at Sang Yinyue and tried to speak calmly, “I’m feeling upset today, can you please not talk to me.”

Sang Yinyue looked relaxed and said, “Isn’t it just being rejected by Fifth Prince? What’s the big deal?”

“Your father is so powerful. Since he was able to rise from a book scribe to where he is today, coming out of Danzhou, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

When her sister said this, Sang Yao felt that her sister was really nice, but when Sang Yinyue said it, Sang Yao felt that it was nonsense. How could she have such a cousin, so annoying.

Sang Yinyue followed Sang Yao all the way into her room. After scanning the room and seeing that Sang Yao was ignoring her, perhaps finding it boring, she said, “Forget it, I came to borrow that plate flower hairpin from you.”

This plate flower hairpin was originally something her grandfather had found in Jiangnan. It was quite a rare treasure even in the entire capital.

Later, under her father’s repeated hints, her grandfather gave the hairpin to Sang Yao, while the other sisters received insignificant little trinkets.

Sang Yinyue always liked to borrow this hairpin from her. Since she didn’t use it herself, most of the time she would give it to her as she wished.

Today, Sang Yinyue had upset Sang Yao, and she didn’t want to lend it to her. But if she didn’t, this person might start pestering her again.

Sang Yao could only say, “Then you have to leave once you take it, don’t bother me.”

Sang Yinyue said, “Do you think I want to stay with you?”

Ignoring her, Sang Yao, dragging her sticky and damp clothes, went to the dressing table and searched for a while before finding the plate flower hairpin. She held it in her palm and then turned around to find

Top of Form

She walked quickly, but as soon as she went out, she saw a scene that made her feel suffocated.

At this moment, Sang Yinyue was sitting recklessly on her couch, the embroidered pillow thrown aside, and the manual that Sang Yao had hidden day and night was now spread out on Sang Yinyue’s legs.

For the first time in her life, Sang Yao felt her heart stop. She paused for a moment, then shouted, “Sang Yinyue!”

She rushed forward and snatched the manual back, clutching it tightly in her hand.

Silence fell around them.

Sang Yao could hardly imagine the consequences if this manual were seen by others.

First, there was the content, which was too obscene and scandalous, mainly about her and Xie Yun. If this were to get out, forget about getting married, she wouldn’t even be able to face anyone.

Secondly, Xie Yun’s reputation would be ruined. Although she didn’t care about Xie Yun’s reputation.

Sang Yao trembled with anger. She pointed at Sang Yinyue, furious, “Who… who gave you the right to touch my things?”

Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed the manual. Because she was so angry, her emotions fluctuated greatly, and she started to feel the familiar sensation of a stuffy nose, tears welled up in her eyes, making her sound nasal when she spoke in her anger.

Sang Yinyue was still in a daze. She slowly shifted her gaze to Sang Yao, looking extremely incredulous.

Sang Yao’s heart sank to the bottom. She was so angry that she couldn’t speak, and could only stomp her foot in frustration, tears streaming down her face, “Get out, I won’t lend it to you!”

As if she hadn’t heard, Sang Yinyue looked her up and down and said, “Little fool, I really didn’t expect…”

So Sang Yao didn’t want her to continue.

“So you also like Xie Yun, I didn’t expect that.” “I thought you didn’t like anyone at all.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Sang Yinyue stood up, confident, “This is written by you, right? You secretly admire Xie Yun, but you’re too shy to express it in reality, so you wrote this in secret to console yourself.”

“Little fool, I didn’t expect you to be so good at deceiving yourself.”

Who would like Xie Yun! No, why did she think so?

The truth was so obvious, why did she have to twist and turn it into such an absurd direction?

In Sang Yinyue’s eyes, was it so unrealistic for Xie Yun to be infatuated with her? She hadn’t even thought about it in that way.

Sang Yao felt insulted again. She wanted to speak up in defense, but the words were swallowed back down. What was the point of saying so much to her? Everything she said to this big mouth would only be twisted and misunderstood. Forget it, it was better for Sang Yinyue to think this way than to discover the truth.

Sang Yao silently let out a sigh and pointed to the door, “Get out.”

Sang Yinyue said, “What, feeling embarrassed and angry?”

At times like this, Sang Yao hated her own mouth so much. It was never useful at critical moments.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally said, “It’s none of your business. Can you please mind your own business? If you keep this up, I’ll tell my father.”

Once upon a time, what she said had some use, but today, Sang Yinyue not only did not restrain herself because of this, but instead laughed and said, “Where’s your father?”

She reached out to Sang Yao and muttered, “Without your father, do you think this hairpin would have fallen into your hands?”

Sang Yinyue’s words made Sang Yao momentarily lost in thought.

She thought back to before.

Before her father had been promoted, the signs of favoritism in this household were very obvious, so much so that even she could feel it, not to mention Sang Yinle.

Being accustomed to being favored would subtly influence people’s views on things over time. And her father was also someone who desperately wanted to be recognized, so under long-term suppression, Sang Yinle was particularly persistent about the rank of officials.

Including her older sister back then.

Entering the palace was her own idea, no one forced her, and her father even advised her for a long time, but her sister insisted on doing so.

She didn’t want to choose a husband from a similar level in the upper ranks of the capital and then be trapped in that level for the rest of her life. So, even though the road ahead was full of dangers, she still wanted to enter the palace for a chance to cross levels.

But things never go so smoothly. Father was demoted, and her sister’s glory was fading.

It’s not hard to guess that after this incident, her uncle and cousin would probably be the same as before.

So, Sang Yao probably also understood why Sang Yinyue could laugh like this.

After all, if we just focus on the Sang family, after this incident, Sang Yinyue would become the one who is favorably treated, such as this hairpin in her hand, which would undoubtedly fall into Sang Yinyue’s hands from the beginning.

In fact, Sang Yao herself didn’t care about this. Her desires were very low, never craving others’ recognition, and not caring about how much advantage or disadvantage she gained in the squabble of tongues.

Just like with the cousin in front of her whom she didn’t like, she was angry at the time, but after the matter passed, she wouldn’t hold it against her too much. Compared to the back-and-forth provocations and insults, she just wanted her to leave quickly.

But Sang Yinyue’s words still made the previously dissolved mental preparation firm up again at this moment. She had to go find Lu Ting.

Sang Yinyue gestured with her finger, “Little fool, give it to me.”

Sang Yao clenched her palm, determined, and said, “I won’t give it to you. You big mouth, I won’t give it to you ever again!”

With that, she went straight ahead, grabbed Sang Yinyue’s arm, and forcefully pushed her out of the door. In this environment where the strong preyed on the weak, her “meat” finally came in handy, and Sang Yinyue couldn’t resist her, so she easily pushed Sang Yinyue out of the door.

Sang Yao scolded her, “Stay away from me, I’m annoyed just by seeing you!”

Outside, Sang Yinyue was still angrily shouting, “Sang Yao! Do you want me to tell everyone about you liking Xie Yun?”

Leaning against the door, Sang Yao thought with a blank face. With such a loud voice, I’m afraid the whole mansion already knows. Is it still important whether she says it or not?

No wonder the other young ladies in the mansion don’t like Sang Yinyue. Such a person is not likable at all.

After Sang Yinyue left, Sang Yao lowered her head again and looked at the book in her hand.

It lay quietly in her palm, a bit wrinkled on the surface because of the fierce struggle just now.

Sang Yao looked at it for a long time.

Just as she was about to think about where to throw away this annoying book, her mind uncontrollably recalled the intense kiss from today.

At least in her eyes, it was intense.

She remembered Xie Yun’s lips were slightly dry, yet warm and cool. When they touched, she inexplicably felt a tingling sensation in her heart, a feeling completely different from touching a relative’s cheek.

But actually, what impressed her more than the touch of lips was the distance between her and Xie Yun. She only remembered it being very close, close enough to smell the cold fragrance on him, close enough to intertwine their breaths.

She had read about kissing in novels before, but they were all serious novels. When it came to describing something difficult to describe, most of them were replaced with flowery phrases.

The only less serious one was this annoying book in her hand.

There was a description in it using “lip guns and tongue battles,” which Sang Yao never quite understood.

Kissing with your lips is kissing, what’s with the tongue?

And what’s this about legs going soft, head spinning? She carefully recalled, even more puzzled.

Her legs weren’t soft.

And the kiss she had with Xie Yun today was a quiet one, but the kiss in the book had sound.

She imagined that if she pouted, there would indeed be a smack sound, but the kiss in the book lasted for half an incense stick. Her mouth wouldn’t keep pouting like that, it would get numb.

Sang Yao snorted softly. The book always described things vividly, and she had originally thought it was something profound.

It seems Xie Yun is also clueless, just writing nonsense. It wasn’t until she tried it herself that she realized it was all just empty talk.

After thinking for a while, Sang Yao habitually hid the book and then called for water to bathe.

After bathing, she began to feel her legs go weak and her head spinning, but she thought it was because of the steam from the hot water and didn’t pay much attention to it.

She slept until noon the next day.

When she woke up, she called for Randong and asked, “Has anyone come looking for me?”

What if Mrs. Xie had some news?

Randong shook his head, “Is something wrong?”

Sang Yao’s hope was dashed, and she silently shook her head.

She looked out the window. It seemed to be a sunny day today.

She still felt unwell when she got up, sitting in front of the dressing table in a daze while being groomed.

She knew she couldn’t hesitate anymore.

After lunch, Sang Yao went out.

She still didn’t bring a maid. For such a shameful matter, she just wanted to go quietly and then come back quietly.

This time, she asked in advance where she was going, and then told the coachman, and she sat alone in the carriage. She didn’t prepare anything, and her heart was still uneasy about whether Lu Ting would back out.

She clenched her fists, thinking that if he dared to back out… she seemed to be powerless against him.

The place Lu Ting gave was a villa on the south street of the capital, probably Lu Ting’s private residence outside the palace.

The journey was very smooth. After knocking on the door, the gatekeeper seemed to recognize her and let her in without checking.

Shortly after, a young eunuch hurried over. When he saw her, he smiled knowingly and said, “It’s Miss Sang, please come with me.”

Sang Yao followed the young eunuch, who walked in front of her, probably out of habit, and exchanged pleasantries: “His Highness has been waiting for you for a long time. You have finally come.”

Sang Yao kept her head down and said nothing.

She couldn’t be happy, she couldn’t even respond. Her head was tingling with a dull pain, which made her a little scared.

Seeing Sang Yao not responding, the young eunuch stopped talking. After about half an incense stick of time, he brought her to a secluded room.

The wooden door was open, and the young eunuch said, “Please come in, Miss. Please prepare first, His Highness will be here shortly.”

Sang Yao was stunned for a moment, “Prepare for what?”

The young eunuch used a

The young eunuch gave Sang Yao a strange look and then smiled suggestively, “If you don’t want to prepare, that’s fine too, it’s up to you.”

He stood by the door and continued, “Please, Miss Sang.”