The two of them half - ran all the way to the prince's mansion and happened to see Helian Duo standing at the mansion gate.
He was dressed in a goose - yellow robe with gold trim today. Standing there with his tall and straight figure, he exuded an air of nobility and refinement. Perhaps because he was holding a jade - bone folding fan, it softened the hint of fierceness on him. The gentle and warm jade added a touch of softness to his demeanor.
Cheng Xiran was a bit stunned...
This time it was Chu Liyin who grabbed her and ran towards Helian Duo. While running, she waved at him and shouted, "Your Highness, don't leave yet. Wait for me and my sister!"
Helian Duo glanced at Cheng Xiran several times before slowly asking, "What's going on?"
Her face blushed all of a sudden. Well, it was because of the running.
"That bad woman, Cheng Zhiyue, sent someone to damage my sister's carriage. She couldn't find another one in a short time... I wonder if Your Highness could let us ride with you?"
"Get in. It might be late today."
As soon as Helian Duo finished speaking, Chu Liyin obediently got into the carriage first and took up one side of it all by herself.
As a result, Cheng Xiran and Helian Duo had to squeeze together.
Helian Duo didn't seem to mind.
On the contrary, for Cheng Xiran, even though there was a layer of clothing between them, being so close to him was like a kind of skin - to - skin contact. She gradually dared not move, and her body slowly got warmer... She hated herself for being so useless.
Finally, Helian Duo broke the silence. "I heard you're also going to the palace today. The Hundred - Flower Banquet is really boring."
A sly look flashed across Chu Liyin's eyes. She pretended to be serious and said, "I'm just accompanying my sister. Besides, there are quite a few outstanding young masters at the Hundred - Flower Banquet. As my sister's good younger sister, I must pick one for her. Maybe we'll find a suitable one today?"
"Oh, really?" There was no telling whether Helian Duo's words were cold or warm.
Cheng Xiran gently bit her lower lip and didn't dare to look at him sideways. She just sat upright.
"You're attending the Hundred - Flower Banquet today. The Empress Dowager will surely test you. Everyone is waiting to see you make a fool of yourself. The more such a moment, the more you should stay calm. Don't put your mind in the wrong place, or you'll delay the important thing."
Helian Duo seemed to be giving instructions, but in the eyes of an outsider like Chu Liyin, it was simply a disguised expression of love.
She carefully observed Cheng Xiran's face. Her good sister didn't seem to notice Helian Duo's concern for her.
She was even more anxious than Cheng Xiran, but she didn't know what to say to help her for the moment. So she could only be anxious on her own.
Cheng Xiran gradually calmed down. Helian Duo was right. She was quite well - known after all. The Empress Dowager might ask her to perform on the spot. Besides, Xiao Qi and Cheng Zhiyue were not good people. They would surely try every means to make her look bad. She had to prepare in advance.
So she kept thinking and naturally didn't notice the looks that Chu Liyin kept giving her from time to time or the secret glances from Helian Duo.
She could handle poetry and essay writing, but if she was asked to play musical instruments or sing, it would really be difficult for her.
She was a music idiot...
As for dancing... She said she didn't even know how to do square - dance, let alone those amazing ancient dances.
So she began to get nervous and couldn't help whispering, "If I make a fool of myself in public, won't I be able to stay in the capital in the future?"
Helian Duo was a bit puzzled. "Huh?"
That gentle murmur actually soothed the uneasiness in Cheng Xiran's heart.
But Chu Liyin immediately reacted. She pointed at Helian Duo and said, "Sister, you don't have to worry. Isn't there still His Highness? I've already thought of a way for you. If there's really someone who has bad intentions towards you then, let His Highness stand up and say you're his. Then no one will dare to bully you casually."
Cheng Xiran quickly shook her head and refused. "Absolutely not!"
She only felt a chill coming from beside her. And she heard Helian Duo say coldly, "Cheng Xiran, I haven't even disliked you yet, but you're disliking me first?"
Cheng Xiran couldn't help moving half a seat to the side. She said with a smiling face, "Of course not. I'm just like all the other women in the capital. I'm eager to be with Your Highness. But I've always known my own place. I won't touch what doesn't belong to me. So I dare not have any connection with Your Highness, for fear of causing misunderstandings."
"We've already been misunderstood for so long." Helian Duo continued her words. There was a hint of resentment in his tone.
Seeing that they were ignoring each other again, Chu Liyin knew she had meant well but done something wrong. She wanted to make up for it but didn't know how. So she could only keep silent.
The three of them had their own concerns until the carriage stopped at the gate of the Forbidden City.