Caiyu stared at Song Yinghuai in disbelief.
Listen to what he was saying!
Why did he always suspect there was an improper relationship between her and Sheng Jiangli?
Couldn't she have other relationships with others besides a romantic one?
Couldn't she have relatives?
Couldn't she have family?
Was she just a servant girl belonging only to Song Yinghuai?
Caiyu was also enraged by Song Yinghuai's careless words. Without thinking, she angrily retorted loudly:
"What about the prince and Concubine Lü?
"Are they just master and disciple, or lovers?
"The relationship between you two is well - known in the capital. Don't tell this servant girl that you're innocent!"
"What was the promise between you two? Was it to elope with her after you entered the capital?"
Song Yinghuai was stunned by the scolding. As soon as he came to his senses, his first reaction was to get angry. Habitually, he showed his authority as a master and scolded:
"Presumptuous! A servant girl like you dares to meddle in the master's business!"
Servant girl!
Once again, the word "servant girl"!
Caiyu began to feel a dull pain in her stomach from anger. She sneered and, regardless of Song Yinghuai's fury, continued to retort:
"The prince knows I'm just a servant girl!
"Just a servant girl in the Prince Yan's Mansion. Why does the prince come specifically to keep an eye on which man this servant girl has an encounter with? The prince is really idle!"
"You... Lan Caiyu!"
Regret flashed in Song Yinghuai's eyes.
He regretted what he had just said as soon as he said it. He knew this girl clearly minded the identity of a servant girl.
Once a legitimate daughter of a marquis family, now demoted to a servant girl, the psychological gap was extremely large.
He always blurted it out unconsciously.
But Caiyu continued to sneer on her own. Her stomach and eyes both felt sour:
"This servant girl was just wondering why the prince was so determined to enter the capital. It turns out it's for Concubine Lü!"
Song Yinghuai frowned. "Nonsense. I have nothing to do with her..."
There was nothing between them in the past, nothing now, and there would never be in the future.
"The prince says there's nothing. Who would believe it? Everyone in the capital knows you were a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman.
"If Concubine Lü hadn't married the crown prince later, she would be the Princess Yan today, right?"
Song Yinghuai interrupted her. "Even if she hadn't married the crown princess, she would never be the Princess Yan!"
"Oh, so the prince has such high standards. The legitimate daughter of Master Lü is not worthy of the position of Princess Yan. No wonder this servant girl only deserves to be a concubine in the prince's eyes."
When it came to arguing and changing the subject, Lan Caiyu was never afraid of anyone.
Song Yinghuai: ...
He was a bit dazed from the scolding.
What was this all about?
It was clearly that she and Sheng Jiangli had rented a room and stayed together privately. How did the argument turn into an in - depth criticism of him?
He was the one who was supposed to be the wronged one!
Song Yinghuai just felt his teeth itch.
After Caiyu had artfully changed the concept in a barrage of words, the nameless anger that had clouded his mind was somewhat defused, making him a bit more sober.
He gritted his teeth for a long time before finally saying, "You women are all so unreasonable."
He was really at a loss with her.
He couldn't beat her, and he couldn't win in an argument.
In the past, he could use his authority as a master to suppress her arrogance. But now, he was neither willing nor able to use his status to suppress Miss Lan.
He could only sum it up with such a weak conclusion, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally.
Actually, he also knew in his heart that even if the two of them had been in the same room under his nose, nothing could have happened.
But Sheng Jiangli's feelings for Caiyu were obvious, and Caiyu didn't avoid it at all.
He was just blinded by jealousy.
Caiyu coolly goaded him. "We women? The prince is really a man who has been through the flowers without a petal sticking to him. He knows so much about us women!"
Song Yinghuai: ...
His palms itched. How could he resist the urge to spank her?
Song Yinghuai stood up, his face cold. "Believe it or not, I'll only say this once. I've never had that kind of relationship with Lü Baiwei. She's just the daughter of my master and my junior sister."
He thought Caiyu should understand.
After all, she used to be the daughter of a marquis.
She knew that when he was young, he was favored by the emperor and was sent to Queen Ma's palace to be raised. So he studied literature and arithmetic with the crown prince under the same teacher -
The Junior Tutor of the Crown Prince, Master Lü, who was also Lü Baiwei's father.
So it was natural for Lü Baiwei to become their junior sister.
Caiyu squatted on the ground, covering her stomach, and mumbled:
"Yeah, this servant girl knows. Childhood sweethearts, right?"
After arguing for so long, he still refused to tell the truth. What promise had there been between them?
Since he wouldn't say, why should she?
She couldn't reveal the secrets of the Lan family either!
Song Yinghuai's eyebrows twitched violently.
It was never - ending.
After arguing for a long time, she still refused to tell him what agreement she had with Sheng Jiangli.
This girl had a really tight mouth.
Song Yinghuai got up, holding back his anger. "Aren't you coming?"
Caiyu squatted there listlessly. "This servant girl has a stomachache. I can't walk."
Song Yinghuai frowned slightly and gritted his teeth in warning. "Lan Caiyu, are you still acting?"
"How am I acting?" Caiyu's stomach really hurt, and her temper flared up. She suddenly stood up and cried angrily. "Can't this servant girl have a stomachache because of my period?"
It was really a coincidence.
She had pretended to have a stomachache, but unexpectedly, her period came during the argument.
What was false became true.
As soon as she stood up, Song Yinghuai immediately saw a faint red stain on the folds of her skirt and was instantly stunned.
He thought this girl was just pretending to have a stomachache to let Sheng Jiangli go.
He didn't expect that she really had a stomachache.
Song Yinghuai had never felt so guilty before. All the irritation caused by Caiyu and Sheng Jiangli was swept away, leaving only a stuttering voice:
"Aren't you supposed to have it on the ninth...?"
Caiyu looked at him in surprise and twitched the corner of her mouth.
How could a prince remember her menstrual cycle?
"I came early because of the prince's anger." Caiyu said coolly.
Song Yinghuai was choked. He silently took off his outer robe, wrapped it around her, and picked her up horizontally.
He kicked open the closed door and walked out.
Han Fen and the others rushed forward quickly. They saw Caiyu wrapped in the prince's outer robe, only showing her head and shyly hiding in his chest.
Han Fen was completely confused.
What... what had they done inside?
The time wasn't long enough!
Could it be that the prince was so angry with Caiyu that he...?
How could Song Yinghuai know that his simple - minded subordinate had already fabricated a big drama in his mind?
He put Caiyu on the horse and then rode back to the mansion with a gloomy face.
As the sun was setting, Xiao Rencheng finally walked out of the Grand Tutor's Mansion and returned to his own Xiao Mansion.
He was really exhausted physically and mentally because of dealing with the matter that the son of Grand Tutor Qu was disabled by an unknown servant from the Prince Yan's Mansion!
Xiao Rencheng took out the eight - thousand - tael silver note he had just withdrawn from the bank under the Prince Yan's Mansion. A smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
Money was hard to earn.
Originally, he hadn't thought about what reward he wanted for helping Song Yinghuai swap the file of Lan Caiyu from the Yangzhou Escort Bureau.
Then he met Lan Caiqin who asked for a fortune, so he just took eight thousand taels.
As for why he took a little more.
He was worried that when he saw Lan Caiqin again, this money - loving lady would extort him again.
Just as Xiao Rencheng's hand touched the door, a figure flashed out from the side of the road. The person's voice was gentle. "My Lord Xiao!"
Xiao Rencheng suddenly turned around.
Lan Jinqin's picture - like face came into his sight, making his heart tremble slightly.
"Madam Wen." Xiao Rencheng put down his hand and said with a warm smile. "Madam, you come here because...?"
Lan Jinqin took a step forward.
She stood at the bottom of the steps and looked up at Xiao Rencheng. Her smile was faint but charming:
"This humble woman wants to ask if My Lord Xiao can give me the silver in advance?"
When Lan Jinqin smiled, there were two shallow dimples on her cheeks, like the fragrance of spring flowers, shy and charming.
Xiao Rencheng felt a bit dizzy.
It was like he had drunk a pot of old wine.
His eyes were deep as he stared at Lan Jinqin, then nodded. "Yes. Madam, please come in."