Mo Ziqian smiled faintly. "Bring your manuscript to Xichun Tower another day."
Yue Yao nodded eagerly. "Thank you so much!"
She had assumed it would likely be impossible and hadn’t held much hope, never expecting him to agree so readily!
"I still have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first," Mo Ziqian said.
"Of course. Take care, Young Master Mo."
Yue Yao watched happily as Mo Ziqian walked away, only turning back toward the octagonal pavilion once he was out of sight.
Yet the moment she turned, she found herself staring into a pair of unfathomably dark eyes.
A figure clad in black stood amidst the endless peach blossoms, untouched by the brightness of spring.
Her smile stiffened slightly, an inexplicable tension prickling at her back.
She approached cautiously, her steps measured. "My Lord, what brings you here? Is something the matter?"
His expression was stormy, though she couldn’t fathom what she had done to provoke him this time.
"Who was that?" His voice was icy.
Yue Yao hesitated before answering. "You mean Mo Ziqian? He owns Xichun Tower. I sought his cooperation for my spice shop before. We merely happened to cross paths today."
"Spice shop?"
"I opened one a few days ago," Yue Yao added. "I informed the Dowager about it."
So this was what had kept her busy lately.
"Do you even realize where you are? The palace is full of prying eyes. How dare you openly associate with a man you’ve only met a few times? Have you even considered whether he sought you out deliberately? Or have you already forgotten the lesson from the hunting grounds?" he snapped.
Yue Yao clenched her fingers, pressing her lips together. "I was the one who approached him for business. He doesn’t even know who I am."
Seeing her defend the man, the fire in his chest flared uncontrollably. "And you believe him? If you’re attending banquets at the Eastern Palace, how could he not guess your status?"
He scoffed coldly. "You act so meek and cautious around me, yet you’re perfectly at ease with others."
Yue Yao’s face paled. Was he implying she had improper relations with Mo Ziqian?
The restraint in her eyes fractured, her patience wearing thin. "I’ve only met Mo Ziqian twice, and never once crossed any boundaries! Today, we merely exchanged greetings—nothing more. With so many palace servants coming and going, I’ve done nothing to be ashamed of!"
His gaze flickered. How dare she raise her voice at him?
"I know you despise me. Nothing I do pleases you, so I’ve kept my distance. There’s no need for you to repeatedly warn me—I know my place!"
Yue Yao bit her lip, meeting his gaze word for word. "I may owe Ling Chen, but I owe you nothing."
Without another moment’s pause, she turned and walked away.
Ling Xiao stood frozen, his furious expression shifting through a storm of emotions.
Jian Shuang, trailing behind him, stole a wary glance at his master’s face, not daring to breathe. This was bad—he had never seen anyone dare speak to the Marquis like this. He couldn’t even imagine the consequences.
Ling Xiao’s fists clenched inside his sleeves, his jaw tight. "She’s truly grown bold!"
Yue Yao no longer had the heart to stay. Returning to Yuehua Hall, she intended to request leave.
But the moment she stepped outside, a palace attendant spotted her like a lifeline. "Madam Ling! I was just about to look for you!"
"What’s wrong?"
"Oh, it’s terrible! Princess Huaining quarreled with Miss Chen and was scolded by His Highness the Crown Prince. Now she’s crying and throwing a fit—no one can calm her."
Yue Yao paused. No wonder Huaining hadn’t returned.
"I’ll go see her."
"Please, Madam, hurry!"
The eunuch swiftly led her to a side chamber. The moment the door opened, Huaining’s furious voice rang out: "Get out! I don’t want to see anyone!"
"Your Highness, Madam Ling is here," the eunuch said hastily.
Huaining, who had been weeping facedown on the divan, lifted her head at once. Tears streaked her face as she stared at Yue Yao, then burst into fresh sobs.
Yue Yao rushed to her side. "Your Highness, what happened?"
Huaining threw her arms around Yue Yao’s waist and wailed. "No one believes me! Chen Shiyun provoked me first—I only scolded her out of anger, but then she threw herself to the ground! I never pushed her! Yet even my Imperial Brother reprimanded me, saying I was causing a scene!"
Yue Yao frowned. "Miss Chen?"
"Yes, her!" Huaining seethed.
"I had just returned from seeing Mother Empress when she accosted me, flaunting her status as the future Marchioness, bragging about how special Ling Xiao treats her! I couldn’t stand her smug face, so I lashed out. She must have planned this—she wanted to frame me and make Ling Xiao hate me!"
Yue Yao’s heart sank. "Miss Chen is more cunning than I thought."
"You believe me?" Huaining looked up at her with hopeful eyes.
Yue Yao wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "Though we haven’t known each other long, I can see that you may be willful, but you’re honest. If you had harmed her, you wouldn’t deny it."
Huaining’s eyes welled up again, and she burst into another loud cry. "You’re the only one who believes me! Even Imperial Brother doesn’t!"
"His Highness likely acted for the sake of propriety. With so many guests at the banquet, any disturbance would reflect poorly, regardless of fault," Yue Yao soothed.
"I don’t care! I’m never speaking to him again!"
Yue Yao hesitated before asking, "Did… the Marquis also not believe you?"
Huaining paused, lifting her tear-streaked face in confusion. "I didn’t even see him."
Outside Yuehua Hall, by the lakeside pavilion, the Crown Prince sighed in resignation. "Huaining is far too spoiled! Throwing tantrums at such an occasion—she’s already of age, yet she still behaves like a child!"
Ling Xiao sat rigidly on the stone bench, his cold gaze fixed on Yuehua Hall, his fingers whitening around his teacup. "Indeed, she’s unruly."
The Crown Prince waved a hand. "Well, no matter. Fortunately, Miss Chen only suffered minor scrapes. A squabble between girls isn’t worth fussing over."
Ling Xiao’s lips thinned, his eyes still dark. Let it go? Wouldn’t that only encourage her audacity?
Just then, the doors of Yuehua Hall opened, and Yue Yao emerged with Princess Huaining.
Though Huaining’s eyes were still red and swollen, she had stopped crying. Yue Yao had changed into a fresh gown and was speaking to the princess with a gentle smile.
The Crown Prince arched a brow. "Your sister-in-law is quite capable—she actually managed to placate Huaining."
Ling Xiao looked up, his cold gaze lingering on that graceful figure.
Suddenly, Madam Lin’s words echoed in his mind:
"Yue is sensible and likable."
She excelled at pleasing others, adapting to whoever she faced. Outwardly obedient, yet inwardly cunning.
She knew how to win anyone’s favor—so why had she never tried to win his?
