She gradually felt a chill on her body, and her head was inexplicably heavy. Thinking for a moment, she got up and said, "I'm not feeling well. I'll go back first. You can enjoy yourselves slowly."
"We're about to go fishing. You'll have grilled fish soon. Why not wait a bit..." Xue Lianyu called her back.
Chu Liyin, who loved to stir up trouble, also joined in persuading Cheng Xiran. Finally, even Xiao Qi started to persuade. Xue Lianyu thought it wouldn't be fun without her. Chu Liyin just wanted her to stay. Xiao Qi thought she wanted to leave because she couldn't stand seeing her with Helian Duo, so she wanted to make her stay even more, aiming to embarrass her.
Moreover, Cheng Xiran's face was rosy and shiny. She didn't look like someone who was unwell at all.
Cheng Xiran was a bit speechless, but since they all said so, she felt it inappropriate to leave. She had to sit down. She took the hot tea that Xiao Qi had just brewed. After drinking it, she felt much more comfortable. No wonder it was made with snow water. It even tasted a bit sweet.
"Then we'll go fishing. You two take a rest. You'll have grilled fish soon."
Xue Lianyu and Helian Duo left. Chu Liyin originally wanted to join in the fun, but was afraid that Xiao Qi would bully Cheng Xiran, so she sat down with her. But after sitting for a while, she still wanted to go out. Cheng Xiran noticed her eager look and said, "Go and have fun. Take some food with you. I'll be fine here."
"Then sister, eat something and drink some tea. I'll go gather some firewood. We'll have grilled fish later."
Chu Liyin skipped away. Before she was out of sight, Xiao Qi showed her true colors. She sneered, "Chu Liyin is really pitiful. She can only act stupid to gain others' sympathy, make others like her, and cater to them. She's really stupid."
"Do you think you're qualified to talk about her..." Cheng Xiran snorted and continued, "Anyway, she was brought up by the empress dowager. Her elder sister is a concubine of the current emperor. Her status should be no lower than yours, right?"
"So what? She's not from the royal family after all. She just has an empty title."
Xiao Qi played with the plum in her hand while Cheng Xiran ignored her. "So what if it's an empty title? If her title is empty, then isn't yours the same? Do you think you're much better than her?"
Xiao Qi threw the plum in her hand. Already annoyed, she wanted to get up and slap Cheng Xiran. But then she noticed Helian Duo's gaze from not far away. Thinking he was looking at her, she calmly sat down again, and her tone became much gentler. "Forget it. I won't argue with you. I'll be the princess of the regent in the future anyway. Why should I waste my breath on someone like you?"
"But in my opinion, the regent doesn't have you in his eyes."
Cheng Xiran didn't hold back at all. Maybe because she was gradually regaining her senses, she had the confidence to confront her.
Xiao Qi's face was unusually calm. "So what? As long as I'm his wife. Even if it's just an outward title, I'll be a thousand times better than you."
Cheng Xiran picked up a plum and took a bite. It was extremely sour. She had to drink all the tea in her cup to feel better.
She slightly turned her eyes, which were glistening with a little light. With a solemn expression, she said, "I never thought of competing with you for anything. You might be overthinking."
"Don't you want to be the princess of the regent and enjoy people's support?"