She chatted with Zhuque perfunctorily, but somehow her mind wandered to Helian Duo and the events of the afternoon.
If what Su Yunxiu said was true, then the two of them should be deeply in love. So why was he able to remain so calm after such a major incident? Either their love was fake, or this Helian Duo was truly extraordinary.
Then she reached out and gently tapped her own head, muttering to herself, "Why on earth did I suddenly think of him? Why him and no one else?"
Obsessed with this question, Cheng Xiran pondered for a full half an hour.
When Zhuque returned from outside, it was already quite late. Hearing that Gu Yuanqing had left, she slipped out of the courtyard, hoping to catch a breath of cool air and clear her mind.
But before she could even sit down, a strong smell of perfume assailed her nostrils, making her involuntarily reach up to cover her nose.
Zhuque greeted, "This servant pays respects to the Second Miss."
Just by the smell, Cheng Xiran knew it was Cheng Zhiyue. She didn't get up but remained seated, not even bothering to look at her until Cheng Zhiyue sat down haughtily across from her.
"Father thinks highly of Young Master Gu. What's your opinion?"
"He suits you well," Cheng Xiran replied expressionlessly.
In response, Cheng Zhiyue let out a soft laugh. "Yes, he said he's been in love with me for quite some time. I never knew..."
Before she could finish, Cheng Xiran interrupted bluntly, "How long has he loved you? How many years, months, and days? Not a single second more or less counts."
Seeing Cheng Zhiyue's discomfort, Cheng Xiran couldn't help but smile. "If he didn't even tell you this, it just goes to show that he doesn't like you as much as he claims."
Cheng Zhiyue stamped her foot in anger. "Cheng Xiran, you're just being unreasonable!"
Seeing her so flustered, Cheng Xiran laughed even more heartily.
As if struck by an idea, a sly look flashed across Cheng Xiran's eyes. Then, changing the subject, she pretended to be shy and said, "Lately, I've felt myself getting closer to the prince. These past two days, I've noticed that his gaze on me is different from before."
She told this lie just to get back at Cheng Zhiyue. So what if someone liked her?
She herself had a close connection with Helian Duo!
"Cheng Xiran, don't you know that Xiao Qi and the prince are childhood sweethearts? How dare you act so presumptuously! If Xiao Qi finds out, I'm sure you'll be in big trouble!" Cheng Zhiyue threatened maliciously.
But Cheng Xiran ignored her, scoffing, "So what if they're childhood sweethearts? They haven't made a private pledge of marriage. As long as they haven't, it means I still have a chance."
Unable to argue with her, Cheng Zhiyue had no choice but to give up. But of course, she was not willing to let it go. She already had a plan in mind.
If she told Xiao Qi what Cheng Xiran had said today, then without her lifting a finger, Cheng Xiran was bound to face disaster.
That would be convenient. Using someone else's hand to get rid of a big problem was a win - win deal.
Seeing the sinister smile on her face, Cheng Xiran could already guess what she was up to. But she was ready to face any challenge. Moreover, she was certain that Cheng Zhiyue couldn't cause much trouble.
Maybe she should even thank Cheng Zhiyue. Seeing her angry actually piqued her interest a bit, and her mood was no longer as down as before.
"You'd better remember what Father said. Don't let your small desires ruin our whole family!" Cheng Zhiyue said sternly.