On the tenth day of June, the weather was fine, the breeze was gentle, and the sun was shining brightly.

Ling Jingyan, who was carefully dressed up, looked like a spring hibiscus, with a sweet smile on her face, which was particularly charming and bright.

In contrast, Jiang Shi was much more low-key. Dressed modestly, not eye-catching.

Before she came out of the boudoir, she was also a well-known lady who was famous for her talent and beauty. Every time she went out for a visit or a trip, she dressed up carefully to steal the show. After she got married, her desire to be strong gradually faded away.

When Ling Jingshu appeared in front of them, both Ling Jingyan and Jiang were a little surprised.

Ling Jingyan blurted out: “Ah Shu, why are you going out without even wearing any new clothes?”

It was a rare time to go out, even the maids were wearing new clothes. Ling Jingshu was wearing a sky-blue skirt and was about to go out… Ling Jingyan had seen Ling Jingshu wear this dress at least twice.

It was not only that!

Ling Jingshu had no makeup on her face, her long hair was styled in the simplest style, and she didn’t even wear a silk flower, let alone any good hairpin.

Simple and plain, almost shabby.

Ling Jingshu smiled nonchalantly: “Today I am going out to the Huichun Hall, not to attend a boudoir party, nor to be a guest at a house. It doesn’t hurt to dress simply.”

“You are too simple!” Ling Jingyan muttered: “Even the maids next to me are better dressed than you. If I meet someone I know when I go out like this, won’t I feel ashamed to introduce you as my tángmèi?”

Jiang Shi was much more careful and sensitive than Ling Jingyan, and she probingly asked: “Ah Shu, are you worried that wearing something too eye-catching will attract the attention of bad people?”

Ling Jingshu smiled and said nothing, acquiescing.

Once bitten, twice shy! If she hadn’t shown her face in front of the gangsters last time, how could the gangsters have targeted her?

If you dress so plainly and simply, and if you put on a curtain to cover your face, you won’t attract any more attention!

Ling Jingyan was still trying to persuade Ling Jingshu to go back to the house and change into new clothes before going out: “…it’s still early, you can go change into new clothes before going out. You don’t have to worry about meeting any more gangsters, Luoyang City is under the Emperor’s foot. It’s very peaceful…”

Ling Jingshu’s face suddenly straightened, and she said seriously to Ling Jingyan: ” Yan tangjie I did this all for you. Why don’t you understand my painstaking efforts?”

Ling Jingyan was stunned when she heard it: “For me?”

Ling Jingshu didn’t wear new clothes or dress up carefully, so why did she have anything to do with her again?

“Yes. It’s just for you.” Ling Jingshu continued with a serious face: “If I put on new clothes and dress up carefully, everyone will stare at me, and no one will look at you.”

Ling Jingyan: “…”

Jiang Shi burst into laughter.

Ling Xiao couldn’t help but raise the corners of his lips.

Ling Jingyan gritted her teeth and pounced on her: “Okay, you turned the corner and disliked me for not being as good-looking as you! Don’t hide, I’m going to kill you now!”

…

After a playful moment, Ling Jing had still not changed into new clothes, and she just got on the carriage like that.

Ling Jingshu sat by the car window, carefully paying attention to the street outside the car window through the fine bamboo curtains.

Jiang Shi was sitting diagonally across from Ling Jingshu. From her angle, she could just see Ling Jingshu’s side face.

The fair and delicate skin was like the fine texture of suet jade, soft and smooth. Combined with beautiful thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, a slightly raised nose, and bright red lips. The small and gracefully curved chin…

Everything about her was beautiful.

Pure water produces lotus flowers, naturally free from embellishments.

How can such beauty be compared to the meticulous carvings made of vulgar powder?

Jiang Shi sighed secretly in her heart.

Women all want to be born beautiful, but being beautiful to such a thrilling level may not be a blessing. If it aroused the covetous attention of interested people, she wondered if the Ling family could protect this peerless pearl.

No wonder Ling Jingshu didn’t want to dress up carefully and came out dressed so plainly.

Ling Jingshu seemed to have noticed that Jiang Shi had been looking at her, and looked at her with a smile: “Tángsǎo, why are you always looking at me?”

Jiang Shi said with a half-serious smile: “I’m thinking, I don’t know who will be so lucky in the future to marry a beauty like you. If it was me, I would definitely treat you like a treasure and take good care of you.”

Ling Jingshu’s eyes flashed with a trace of complexity and a sigh, and she twitched her lips: “The feelings won by beauty will eventually be lost. It won’t last long. No matter how beautiful your face is, there will be a day when you get old and lose your beauty. When that time comes, life will be even more miserable.”

The tone was indifferent and cold, as if she was not talking about herself, but an irrelevant person.

Jiang Shi, taken aback, instinctively countered, “Your thoughts seem a bit extreme. In this world, some men are led astray by their desire for beauty, and some good men are loyal and devoted. You can’t paint everyone with the same brush.”

Ling Jingshu smiled slightly: “My tángsǎo is right. My tángxiōng is a good man who values ​​love and righteousness. It is really good luck for my tángsǎo to marry him and live in harmony.”

When Ling Ji was mentioned, a blush crept onto Jiang Shi’s cheeks, and a glimmer of happiness shone in her eyes.

Apart from the anxiety of being unable to conceive, she had almost no regrets in her life.

Normally quite talkative, Ling Jingyan, after getting on the carriage, fell unusually silent. Her gaze wandered aimlessly, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

After hearing Ling Jingshu’s words, Ling Jingyan suddenly opened her mouth and said: “Ah Shu, if you have someone you like in your heart, but the other person has a noble status and cannot marry you as his wife. Will you be willing to marry him as your concubine?”

Ling Jing felt a stir in her heart.

Ling Jingyan clearly felt this “person she likes” must be King Yan.

King Yan was the legitimate son of Empress Xu and the Emperor’s favorite youngest son. Among all the princes, he was even more popular than the prince who was resting in the Eastern Palace^[1]that is the Crown Prince.

King Yan was fifteen years old and had not yet been married.

However, the daughter of a mere fourth-grade official was obviously not qualified to be a prince’s consort.

A prince’s side consort could be recorded in the imperial family genealogy, making her a legitimate member of the royal family and allowing her to raise her own children. Her status was only below that of the prince’s main consort, but fundamentally, she held a higher-ranking concubine position.

Ling Jingyan’s obsession with King Yan did not end well in her previous life. If Ling Jingyan could get rid of this idea earlier in this life, it would be a good thing for her…

“No.”

“I don’t want to settle for a compromised love! I won’t share my husband with other women! A man who truly loves me wouldn’t bear to see me suffer.”

Ling Jingshu looked at Ling Jingyan steadily, her words were concise, powerful, and firm: “If I really like someone, no matter whether he is high or low, I will treat him the same. He must also treat me like this. In this life, you will only marry me and give me your whole heart. Otherwise, I would rather not have it!”

...(To be continued.)