The originally somewhat annoyed look in Wei Ying's eyes instantly turned serious, while the blush on Chu Qing's face gradually faded, and she slightly frowned.
The third princess of Xiliang was missing?
Hu Yan Zhuoyi went missing at this critical moment?
Although the two countries were not on friendly terms, when the guests from the other country were visiting and a princess went missing, one couldn't help but be on high alert.
Wei Ying stood up, tidied his somewhat messy robe, and then said to Chu Qing, "You rest first. I'll go and find out what's going on."
Although this situation made Chu Qing's heart very complicated, she didn't know whether she should be glad about the sudden incident or complain...
But after all, she wasn't a woman who liked to throw tantrums. Even though she felt a bit uncomfortable, she knew the seriousness of this matter.
"Go ahead. Don't worry about me."
Only after Wei Ying saw that there was nothing wrong with Chu Qing's complexion did he leave.
...
After Wei Ying left, Chu Qing was wide awake. It wasn't until dawn was approaching that she fell into a drowsy sleep.
Therefore, by the time Lvluo woke her up, it was already noon.
However... when she woke up, Lvluo was actually pouting.
"What's wrong?" Chu Qing asked.
Lvluo lowered her eyes and whispered, "This servant doesn't know if I should say it or not."
Chu Qing gave her a sidelong glance and gently tapped her with her fingertip. "Just say it. When have I ever punished you?"
"Milady! The prince... just brought back that third princess of Xiliang!"
"Brought her back?" Chu Qing sat up straight and slightly frowned.
"Yes. I heard that when the prince found her, she was already unconscious. Originally, he wanted to send her to the Honglu Temple, but..." At this point, Lvluo's tone became even worse.
Chu Qing lazily propped her chin up, signaling her to continue.
"She's a princess of Xiliang after all, but she has no sense of propriety at all. She grabbed the prince's sleeve and refused to let go when she was in a daze!"
"Um..." Chu Qing was a bit stunned, and then hooked the corner of her lips.
Well, just after seeing off Xu Xin, here came another Hu Yan Zhuoyi coveting her position.
No, it should be said that she was coveting her Prince of Ning.
She could even grab Wei Ying's sleeve and refuse to let go even when she was unconscious.
Seeing that Chu Qing wasn't angry but smiling instead, Lvluo was a bit anxious and said, "Milady, aren't you worried at all?"
Chu Qing raised her eyebrows and said indifferently, "Worried about what? Worried that the prince will be snatched away?"
Lvluo continued to pout and nodded.
Chu Qing smiled gently, and then said calmly, "What's mine will always be mine, and no one can take it away. If it's not mine, no matter how hard I try to hold on, someone else can easily lure that person away with just a fluttering look."
"The principle is right, but..." Just as Lvluo was about to say something else, Wei Ying walked in at this moment.
Chu Qing looked up and just saw the weariness in his eyes. He must have been busy all night.
"How is it? How's the third princess?" Chu Qing asked with a beaming smile, and there was even a hint of teasing in her eyes.
When Wei Ying just reached the door, he heard Chu Qing's words. Although he felt a bit relieved in his heart, there was still a hint of awkwardness. He suddenly inexplicably wanted to see her jealous.
Therefore, on a whim, Wei Ying replied, "I saw how pitiful she looked, and my heart softened, so I kept her."
Chu Qing was stunned for a moment, and then raised her eyebrows without saying a word.
Seeing Chu Qing's expression, Wei Ying knew he couldn't deceive her, so he had to explain again, "I heard that she had a fight with the favorite concubine of the second prince of Xiliang and ran away in a fit of anger. As a result, she was targeted by a group of hooligans. Fortunately, I went out in time and saved her. By the time I saved her, she had fainted from fear. It's just that... she kept holding onto my sleeve. And when the second prince saw that she wouldn't let go of my sleeve, he begged me to take her back to my mansion first, saying that we'd talk about everything after she woke up."
"And then you agreed?" Chu Qing tilted her head.
Wei Ying continued, "Because he insisted on sending Hu Yan Zhuoyi to my mansion."
"Insisted?" The teasing look on Chu Qing's face finally disappeared, and her squinted eyes showed a hint of solemnity.
"You mean..." Chu Qing whispered.
At this moment, Wei Ying showed a cold smile. "He must have some ulterior motive. The fight... was just an excuse."
"But isn't this a bit too deliberate? What if you had insisted on refusing? What could he do?"
"So I agreed."
"Um..." Chu Qing was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter.
This would indeed catch the other party off guard. They thought they would have to go to some trouble, but unexpectedly, the other party agreed easily.
Wei Ying was going against the grain.
Chu Qing thought for a while and continued to ask, "So what are you going to do next? The second prince of Xiliang shouldn't be too stupid."
"Just wait and see." Wei Ying replied.
Chu Qing nodded.
...
In the evening, as usual, Chu Qing returned after practicing martial arts. Just as she pushed open the door, she saw two people sitting in the hall.
After giving Wei Ying a sidelong glance, Chu Qing looked straight at the charming figure sitting next to him.
Hu Yan Zhuoyi.
Even though Chu Qing was too lazy to argue with these petty girls, the way the other girl was acting still made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Princess of Ning, Zhuoyi has bothered you today." Hu Yan Zhuoyi raised her chin and forced a smile when she saw Chu Qing come in.
"Your Highness, you're welcome." Chu Qing also forced a smile in return.
At this moment, Hu Yan Zhuoyi's eyes flashed, and she pursed her lips and said, "Princess of Ning, you should still pay more attention even when practicing martial arts... right? After all, you're the mistress of the Prince of Ning's mansion."
Hearing the sarcasm in the other girl's tone, Chu Qing subconsciously glanced at herself out of the corner of her eye.
She really hadn't paid much attention to her appearance recently while practicing martial arts. There was already a bit of dust on the hem of her clothes.
But...
Who did Hu Yan Zhuoyi think she was to mock her?
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. But the prince has always liked this concubine's unrestrained manner. And in this mansion, no one has the audacity to criticize this concubine. So Your Highness doesn't need to worry." At this point, Chu Qing hooked a smile and continued,
"When are you planning to return to the Honglu Temple, Your Highness?" After saying that, Chu Qing sat down on her own and casually picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
It was almost like issuing an order to leave.
"This..." Hu Yan Zhuoyi was stunned for a moment, and then lowered her eyes and said, "I had a fight with my elder brother's favorite concubine and don't want to go back. I hope the princess... can understand."