Chu Qing had been rather languid before, but now she sat up straight and calmly looked at the person who had just entered.
It was the handsome young master they had seen earlier.
Before, Chu Qing had only caught a few glimpses of him from afar and hadn't observed him closely. Now that he was closer, she could see him more clearly. The young man looked to be in his early twenties. He had a refined appearance and a smiling pair of eyes.
"I've come uninvited. Please forgive me, Prince Ning and Princess Ning," the handsome young master said as he approached and bowed to Chu Qing and Wei Ying.
Both Chu Qing and Wei Ying frowned slightly.
Well, it seemed that those with ulterior motives in Dongyi already knew their identities.
Wei Ying still wore a poker - face, while Chu Qing waved her hand gently and said with a beaming smile, "What brings you here, young master?"
The handsome young master was momentarily stunned by her elder - like demeanor. Then he squinted his eyes and replied with a smile, "I've come to express my gratitude. Oh, right! I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Nangong Jin."
Nangong?
Chu Qing's heart skipped a beat. Could this be related to Wei Ying's...maternal grandfather's family?
Wei Ying sipped his tea nonchalantly, then looked up and drawled, "The young master of the Nangong family?"
"Exactly~" Nangong Jin bowed again with a beaming smile.
"May I ask who your father is?"
"My father is Nangong Siqi, the head of the Nangong family." When speaking of his father, Nangong Jin answered with admiration on his face.
His father had always been his idol. His grandmother always said that thanks to his father, the Nangong family had managed to maintain its position as the top of the three major families in Dongyi.
After all, the three major families were now in harmony, but their strength still made the emperor a bit wary. However, his father had easily managed to make the emperor let down his guard against the Nangong family.
But he couldn't let his aunt hear this. Otherwise, she would surely complain, saying that if it weren't for her in the palace, the Nangong family wouldn't be as prosperous as it was now. His grandmother and father didn't like to argue with her, so they just let it go.
Moreover, over the years...even the emperor no longer favored his aunt as much as before.
"So...about this Flower - Insertion Festival..." Wei Ying noticed that Nangong Jin seemed to be lost in thought, so he asked directly.
"Huh?" Nangong Jin suddenly looked up. Then he blushed slightly and said slowly, "The emperor sent me here. He said that if any person of bad character showed a tendency to win, I should step in and outperform him."
He actually revealed the truth without any reservation.
Chu Qing continued with a smile, "You're quite capable, young master."
Nangong Jin waved his hand modestly and replied, "No, no. I also owe it to the princess for her cooperation just now. Oh!!! I'm sorry for calling you 'Miss' just now. I thought that since Prince Ning and Princess Ning came here, you might want to keep a low profile, so I was impolite. Please don't blame me, princess."
Being called "Miss" by such a handsome young man, Chu Qing actually felt quite happy.
So she said amiably with a big smile, "You're so considerate, young master. How could I blame you?"
Seeing the two of them chatting merrily, the coldness in Wei Ying's eyes intensified.
This brat was so oblivious.
Maybe he didn't try to hide his emotions, and Nangong Jin finally felt that Prince Ning seemed a bit unhappy.
Well...
Nangong Jin forced a smile awkwardly, scratched his head and said, "Then...if that's the case, I won't disturb you anymore. I'll take my leave?"
"Have a good journey, Young Master Nangong," Wei Ying's expression finally softened.
"..." Nangong Jin glanced at the table full of delicious dishes and swallowed his saliva silently.
Really...
Wouldn't they even invite him to have something to eat?
He had gone to the competition on an empty stomach today!
"Young Master Nangong~" Chu Qing suddenly said softly.
"Hey!" Nangong Jin replied with a beaming smile.
The princess was so understanding!
Was she going to invite him to have something to eat?
Hehe! How embarrassing!
Just as Nangong Jin was silently thinking about how to decline politely and then stay without losing face, Chu Qing said slowly:
"Remember to convey our greetings to your father and the old lady on behalf of the prince and me, young master."
"???" The smile on Nangong Jin's face finally froze.
He had thought too much!
It would be really embarrassing if he stayed any longer. So Nangong Jin quickly bid farewell and left.
After he left, Wei Ying looked at Chu Qing and said unhurriedly, "Won't you invite him to have something to eat?"
Chu Qing raised her eyebrows, a hint of playfulness flashing in her eyes. "Oh! How about I go and call him back?"
With that, Chu Qing pretended to stand up.
Wei Ying helplessly grabbed her and said, "Qingqing~"
"Tsk! My lord, can't you smell something sour?" Chu Qing leaned closer to Wei Ying with a smile in her eyes.
Wei Ying pursed his lips and didn't say a word.
Seeing that Wei Ying was really a bit unhappy, Chu Qing chuckled softly and said, "Do you think I'm a flirtatious woman?"
"No."
"If not, what are you worried about?"
"You seem to admire him very much."
"...He's just a kid. What ideas could I possibly have for him? Besides, my husband is the best in the world. Who else could catch my eye except you?" Chu Qing propped her chin up and said to Wei Ying very seriously.
Wei Ying lowered his eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
Lüluo silently retreated to the door, minding her own business.
Seeing Wei Ying's reaction, a hint of mischief flashed in Chu Qing's eyes.
Hey!
She finally managed to turn the tables!
At this moment, Wei Er came back. The information he had found out was no different from what Nangong Jin had said himself.
The emperor had publicly sent Wen Yi to supervise the festival, while Nangong Jin had been secretly dispatched to prevent any accidents.
This showed that the emperor attached great importance to the Flower - Insertion Festival.
"My lord, Nangong Jin is that person's nephew," Wei Er seemed to remember something and suddenly added in a low voice.
Wei Ying gave him a cold look and said, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"I'm stupid, my lord!" Wei Er, who had been pulled by Wei Yi, quickly lowered his head to admit his mistake.
Wei Ying had no intention of talking about this anymore. After thinking for a while, he continued, "Since they all know I'm here, I'll just go and pay a visit to the emperor of Dongyi."
Chu Qing felt a bit complicated. Wei Ying knew his relationship with the emperor, but the emperor didn't know Wei Ying's true identity.
Judging from Rong He's character, he might even be on guard against Wei Ying.
After all, for no particular reason, a powerful prince from another country suddenly came to visit. It was inevitable for people to have second thoughts.
Wei Ying's action this time was indeed a bit inappropriate. But she didn't want to interfere too much.
Let him do as he wished. No matter how uncomfortable Wei Ying felt, he could still tell the difference between right and wrong when it came to important matters.
So the two of them stayed in Beijin City for one night. After waking up naturally the next day, they set off for the capital city of Dongyi.