Li Xinrong didn't ask any more questions. She beamed at Murong Jia sitting in the back seat, as if Murong Jia were her real older sister.
Li Xinyue wasn't surprised. After all, Li Xinrong had always been closest to Murong Jia since childhood.
As for Li Xinyue and Li Xinrong, one was the emperor's favorite princess and the other was the queen's favorite. Naturally, they had to compete in every aspect.
She rubbed her itchy nose and was about to find a seat. If Murong Jia hadn't been there, that seat would have been hers. But it didn't really matter where she sat. She didn't care.
Li Xinrong looked over gloatingly.
Li Xinyue glanced at the distinct dividing line and simply sat behind Xia Chengjie. Anyway, she couldn't get along well with those people on the other side, and she just needed to get closer to Xia Chengjie. This was the perfect seat.
Of course, she could guess why Murong Jia was here.
Wasn't it because the queen wanted Li Xinrong to marry Murong Xiu? So she arranged for Murong Jia to come in and build a good relationship. In the future, Li Xinrong could use Murong Jia to enter the Murong Mansion and meet Murong Xiu.
Humph!
A man she couldn't catch, did Li Xinrong think she could?
If that were the case, she'd eat the table!
Humph!
"Cousin, you're so heartless!" Xia Chengjie complained. "You actually sent the IOU with my signature to my father."
If it hadn't been for the people from the Supreme Court who came to ask him to assist in the case last night, he would have been beaten to death by his father!
This morning, before his father left for the northwest, the look in his eyes was still somewhat unsatisfied. It scared him so much that he grabbed Lu'er and ran.
The young Marquis Xia turned around, looking at Li Xinyue with grievance and resentment. His words were rather unconvincing.
Li Xinyue was looking ahead absent - mindedly. Hearing this, she lowered her eyes and stared at Xia Chengjie.
Xia Chengjie fell silent.
Li Xinyue paused for a moment and then realized that she might have made a wrong move last night. She had gone to great lengths to send someone to follow Xia Chengjie just to create an encounter and marry into the Marquis of Changping's Mansion.
But she scared the man. How could she marry him then?
After thinking for a while, she said, "Well, how about I treat you to a meal as compensation?"
Xia Chengjie, "..." He didn't dare.
"Forget about the meal. Just be more careful next time. Cousin, anyway, you and Mr. Chu saved me. As a thank - you, I have some gifts for you. There are quite a few and they're a bit heavy. You'd better bring some people."
Li Xinyue:???
"The way of great learning lies in illuminating illustrious virtue, in loving the people, and in stopping at the highest good." The clear and mellow voice was like the gentle rain, falling into her heart continuously. She shifted her gaze and pretended to look at him casually, but just happened to meet Chu Junyi's eyes, who had been looking at her.
She awkwardly lowered her head and pretended to listen to the lecture seriously.
The young Marquis Xia stared at her intently. Seeing that she suddenly stopped talking, he impatiently patted her textbook and whispered, "Say something. Do you want them? I need to make arrangements in advance."
But the next moment, he was called up by Chu Junyi to answer a question.
The young Marquis Xia straightened his body.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Murong Jia and Li Xinrong looked over gloatingly.
Li Xinyue pretended to be looking through the book seriously.
Considering that he had saved her twice last night, she decided to give him some face. As long as this guy didn't pick on her anymore, they could still get along peacefully.
So, for the rest of the time.
Li Xinyue really behaved quietly and obediently. Although she was absent - minded, she still pretended on the surface.
Chu Junyi's gaze always swept over her inadvertently and then quickly slid away. Then he seriously called Xia Chengjie's name.
Xia Chengjie, who was forced to answer the question, couldn't even smile.
He suspected that Mr. Chu was targeting him. Otherwise, why did he only call on him among the four students!
When school was over, a pair of fair hands landed on Li Xinyue's desk. The fingertips tapped twice on her desk.
She looked up. Chu Junyi lowered his eyes and coughed lightly, then took out a prescription.
"As a teacher, I should care about my students. This is a good prescription for treating colds. You can try it."
Li Xinrong, Murong Jia, and Xia Chengjie, who were originally in a hurry to go back, all looked over eagerly.
Li Xinyue was stunned.
Chu Junyi had been standing upright, but being stared at by so many pairs of eyes, he inevitably felt pressured.
Right. She was a princess after all. She had plenty of elixirs. How could she care about his folk prescription? He must have been out of his mind just now to think about getting along peacefully with her.
So, he coughed again and calmly took it back.
Li Xinyue's actions were faster than her thoughts. Without thinking, she snatched it back. Her fingertips accidentally touched the back of his hand.
Both of them trembled slightly, and their hearts were pounding.
"Thanks." Li Xinyue folded the prescription and put it into her sleeve.
The corner of Chu Junyi's mouth lifted slightly. He turned around and left happily, but the next moment he stopped and stared blankly at the approaching person.
The approaching person was as elegant as a jade tree and exuded an air of nobility. It was Murong Xiu, the heir of the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion.
Murong Xiu was looking for Murong Jia. Sensing a gaze, he turned his eyes and nodded slightly at Chu Junyi.
Chu Junyi returned the salute.
Then the two passed by each other. There seemed to be an undercurrent surging in the air.
Everyone watched with great interest.
"Mother was worried that you'd be late and miss the banquet, so she sent me to pick you up. Let's go."
Murong Xiu took the book bag from Murong Jia's hand and naturally carried it on his back.
Murong Jia asked if she could take Li Xinrong with them because they had made an appointment to do their schoolwork together.
Murong Xiu then looked at Li Xinrong seriously. After a pause, he said, "Okay."
"Princess Yuanyang, would you like to come too? It's my grandmother's birthday today. You might as well come and have some fun."
Murong Xiu thought that since he had invited one princess, it would be inappropriate to leave out the other. It was better to invite both or neither.
Li Xinyue looked up blankly, her eyes full of confusion.
Because she had been absent - minded and didn't hear clearly.
But Murong Xiu felt as if his heart had been stabbed. This look in her eyes was as if they had never known each other. Then who was the girl who had stopped him and insisted on confessing her love to him that night?
"Sister Six probably doesn't want to go. I'll accept Mr. Murong's kind invitation on behalf of Sister Six."
"Oh, then forget it. Let's go."
Hearing this, Li Xinyue's eyebrows twitched violently.
What did that mean!
It sounded as if she was being ungrateful and refusing to go! How could it be her fault!
"Who said I won't go?"
Li Xinrong was stunned. She looked at Li Xinyue in disbelief and then angrily turned around.
Li Xinyue curled the corner of her mouth, showing a bright and flamboyant smile.
Murong Xiu made a fist and coughed lightly against his lips. "It's an honor for the princess to come."
"Yeah." Li Xinyue subconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked out of the window. Her heart was still a bit restless.
Chu Junyi lowered his eyes, his fists clenched tightly.
At this moment, he felt a kind of indescribable sense of being out of place.
The princess's carriage was moving on the street. The slight jolts made the curtains flutter, and the light coming in became flickering.
Li Xinyue leaned against the carriage wall and let out a long breath.
She really wasn't suited for school.