Wei Dongling thought that by spreading such rumors, Young Master Yun would take a second look at Miss Qi, while His Highness the Crown Prince would reconsider his proposal for marriage due to Miss Qi's "indecent" behavior.
However, things didn't turn out as she expected. Her plan to kill two birds with one stone backfired!
Upon hearing the servant's report, the old couple Kong rushed over to welcome the Crown Prince into the house. The Crown Prince gave Shangguan Yun a half - smiling look and said, "This prince came to ask Elder Kong for a painting. I won't disturb cousin and his beauty in their tender moments." Then, supported by a servant, he limped into the main hall of the Kongs' house.
Qi Jinxuan bid farewell to the Crown Prince and Elder Kong and left with Wei Dongling in a carriage.
Inside the carriage, the two sat facing each other in silence.
The longer Qi Jinxuan kept silent, the more anxious and desperate Wei Dongling became.
After a long while, Qi Jinxuan, with a gloomy face, finally asked softly, "When did it happen?"
Wei Dongling's heart was pounding. She lowered her head uneasily and said, "When I was injured, Young Master Yun helped me apply the medicine..."
Qi Jinxuan's face turned even uglier. She clenched her fists until they turned white and trembled, "He even helped you apply the medicine?"
Qi Jinxuan had seen the wound on Wei Dongling's back. It was hideous and terrifying, which made her feel heart - ache. Every night after bathing, she would ask Lvkou to hold the lamp and help Wei Dongling apply the ointment bit by bit.
She never knew that the cold and aloof Young Master Yun she had been pining for had seen Wei Dongling's wound and carefully applied medicine to her. Thinking of the affectionate look in Young Master Yun's eyes when he held Wei Dongling in his arms, it was obvious that he was deeply in love.
Qi Jinxuan's heart ached faintly. Had she missed something?
Wei Dongling knelt down in front of Qi Jinxuan with a thud and cried like a pear blossom in the rain, "Miss! I never thought of competing with you for the young master!"
Qi Jinxuan's eyes were red, and her tears dropped one by one. She said softly, "But he has feelings for you."
Wei Dongling shook her head like a rattle - drum and exclaimed urgently, "I'll stay in the mansion from now on and won't go out! I promise I'll never have any contact with Young Master Yun again!"
Qi Jinxuan's tears fell like broken pearls, wetting the front of her dress. She raised her eyes and looked at Wei Dongling quietly, asking, "Let me ask you, when you spread the rumors to force him, did you deliberately try to make him hate me?"
Wei Dongling was struck like by lightning! How could Miss think of her like this!
She exclaimed in a hurry, "Miss, I didn't! Miss, please believe me! I definitely didn't have such thoughts!"
Just then, the carriage stopped at the gate of the General's Mansion. Qi Jinxuan ignored Wei Dongling, lifted the curtain, and got off the carriage.
Wei Dongling knelt there numbly in the carriage, longing to burst into tears.
On the second floor of the Yunzhu Courtyard, Yu Zixi was looking down at a pile of documents in his hand when Tian Qi quietly climbed in and bowed his head.
Yu Zixi raised his eyes and looked at him, "What's the matter?"
Tian Qi forced himself to speak, "As ordered by the young master, this subordinate has been secretly protecting the young mistress... Today..."
Hearing about Wei Dongling, Yu Zixi frowned slightly and smiled, "Why can't you even speak properly?"
Tian Qi trembled and said, "This subordinate doesn't know if I should say it or not."
Yu Zixi said, "Just say it. I won't blame you."
Tian Qi stammered, "Today, Miss Qi took the young mistress to celebrate a birthday and ran into Young Master Yun."
"That's normal. They are both disciples of Elder Kong."
Tian Qi's forehead was sweating. He shivered and said, "But Young Master Yun... Young Master Yun hugged the young mistress!"
Yu Zixi raised his eyebrows and gave him a cold look. Tian Qi was so scared that he quickly knelt down. Sweating, he exclaimed in a hurry, "Young Master Yun's face was slightly red. Maybe he had drunk some wine and was a bit drunk. He pestered the young mistress and wouldn't let go."
Yu Zixi's expression became more and more unfathomable. Tian Qi secretly regretted his words. He didn't dare to get up after kneeling for a long time. Then he heard Yu Zixi's displeased voice, "This guy can hold his liquor. What does he want? What did the young mistress say?"
Tian Qi considered his words and said, "The young mistress seemed to struggle but couldn't break free. With Young Master Yun there, this subordinate didn't dare to get too close. I didn't hear what the young mistress said."
Yu Zixi's face changed constantly. He touched the brocade bag in his sleeve and said, "Got it. You can go."
Tian Qi was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and said, "Later, His Highness the Crown Prince also went there."
Yu Zixi sighed and said, "Has the Crown Prince's leg injury recovered so quickly? Maybe he went to ask for a painting again. The birthday of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is coming soon. Why doesn't the Crown Prince have any new ideas every year?"
Tian Qi said indifferently, "This subordinate saw that His Highness the Crown Prince was limping and needed someone to support him."
Yu Zixi stroked his chin and said, "Look, just as Lord Zhao's leg was disabled, the Crown Prince's leg is getting better. Shouldn't we slow down his recovery?"
Tian Qi kept silent.
Yu Zixi waved his hand to let him go.
Shangguan Yun sat in the carriage and lifted the curtain to look at the Luoyue Lake outside for a long time.
Pin Hao stopped the carriage and stood beside it waiting for a long time.
Shangguan Yun held the brocade bag in his hand and looked in the direction of the Baoqing Tower, talking to himself, "How did she, a woman, have the courage to jump into the lake to save me when I fell in?"
If it were an ordinary woman, when he was seriously injured and unsteady on his feet, not to mention blocking a knife for him, she would probably have screamed in fear. But Wei Dongling, with her injuries, still jumped into the lake to save him. She held on to him desperately and escorted him to a safe place before collapsing, just because she knew he couldn't swim.
Why was she so stupid?
Sometimes the things she did were really ridiculous; other times she made people so angry that they wanted to beat her. But that desperate jump made all her absurd deeds forgivable.
However, it was obvious that she already had Yu Zixi in her heart.
Even though he had held her soft and fragrant body and seen her beauty, he still couldn't shake her heart that belonged to Yu Zixi.
Unfortunately, Yu Zixi was the person Shangguan Yun had to protect with all his might in his life.
Pin Hao beside him said angrily, "Young master, you fought with the Zhao family to save her. Isn't it natural for her to jump into the lake to save you? If anything happened to you, even if she died ten thousand times, it wouldn't be enough to atone for her sins."
Bah! He knew that once one got involved with that woman, there would be no good thing!
"You're so noisy." Shangguan Yun glanced at Pin Hao, put down the curtain, and returned to the mansion.
After finishing her work, Wei Dongling rushed to Qi Jinxuan's boudoir and found that she had gone to bed early.
Wei Dongling stood in the room for a long time. She still thought she needed to talk things out with Qi Jinxuan. She lit the candle on the table and whispered, "Miss, are you asleep?"
"Yes." Qi Jinxuan's voice was cold and indifferent.
Wei Dongling was silent for a long time and then said again, "I have something to say to you."
"I'm sleepy. Let's talk about it tomorrow."
Wei Dongling lowered her head and said in a muffled voice, "Miss, you're angry with me."
Qi Jinxuan rustled and sat up, lifting the bed curtain.
Wei Dongling was overjoyed and quickly reached out her hand to climb onto the bed.
But when her hand touched the edge of the bed, Qi Jinxuan coughed softly. Wei Dongling was stunned and slowly withdrew her hand in embarrassment.