Ye Qingcheng knew she should leave at this moment, or give them a private room, but her mind was blank, unable to do anything, her body frozen, just watching them gaze at each other affectionately.
It was only when Bi Xi tugged at her sleeve that she snapped back to reality. She let out a breath, left without a word, and turned to go.
The two also noticed the commotion Ye Qingcheng caused, and Murong Yun felt annoyed.
Xiao Wangye lowered his eyes, suppressing his unusual emotions.
Ye Qingcheng walked aimlessly through the streets, with Bi Xi following her, unsure where the Princess would wander off to.
However, she knew that at this moment, someone needed to be with the Princess, to offer her comfort.
Xiao Wangye had a private room opened, and the two sat facing each other.
Murong Yun poured him a glass of water. "Brother Xiao, please don't take to heart what I said when I left!"
Xiao Wangye looked at her without speaking, recalling her words as she left.
"Brother Xiao, will you marry me? If you're willing, then I'll marry you."
But now, Murong Yun regretted saying that.
"If you marry Miss Ye, then let's not speak of this again."
If it were in the past, Xiao Wangye would have retorted, but now, he hesitated.
"Regarding our situation, even if the best outcome is divorce, we cannot deny that we are both hurting an innocent person."
Ye Qingcheng didn't know how she got back to the prince's mansion. She looked around the room she had grown accustomed to, suddenly realizing it didn't feel like her home. She had unexpectedly come to this world, and it never truly belonged to her. But why was she only realizing this now? Had she truly been treating him as a substitute all along?
In the small courtyard outside, the medicinal herbs she had sun-dried were still laid out. Ye Qingcheng absentmindedly turned them over.
She wondered how they were doing.
Suddenly, a knock on the door startled Ye Qingcheng.
She turned to see Sheng Yiran and Li Mo'er.
Li Mo'er was as cheerful as ever, calling out, "Sister Princess!" as soon as she entered.
Sheng Yiran was much more composed, sitting on the stone bench and smiling at her.
Ye Qingcheng asked, confused, "Why have you come?"
Li Mo'er took her hand and pulled her to sit. "We came to see you!"
Ye Qingcheng looked at them, bewildered. "Why are you looking at me? I'm fine!"
Li Mo'er pouted. "That's not true! We stood at the door watching you tend to the herbs for a long time, and you weren't paying any attention to us."
Bi Xi went to make tea when they entered.
As soon as Li Mo'er finished speaking, Bi Xi brought the tea. Li Mo'er took the tea, smiled, and thanked her.
Sheng Yiran took her tea and continued their earlier conversation. "It's no wonder, after all, Murong Yun is back!"
Ye Qingcheng looked up at them. "How did you know?"
Sheng Yiran put down her teacup and smiled. "Murong Yun is the most talented woman in the capital. Her return has caused a stir throughout the entire city; everyone knows."
Ye Qingcheng looked at her. "Isn't that title yours?"
"Heh!" Sheng Yiran chuckled. "That was after she left. That title was mine, but now that she's back, it naturally belongs to its rightful owner."
Ye Qingcheng gave a distracted chuckle. "Thank you for coming to tell me."
Sheng Yiran smiled slightly. "We came to advise you. After all, someone has been distracted."
Ye Qingcheng would never admit to this.
"Not at all. I was just thinking about how well the restaurant's dishes are selling. Should we add more to the menu? I was just thinking about the ingredients."
Li Mo'er didn't think much of it, and as soon as she thought about the dishes to come, she became happy.
But Sheng Yiran understood her meaning. "Oh~" she said, indicating comprehension.
"Then we watched you for a long time without speaking. You don't usually ponder dishes like this!"
Ye Qingcheng felt a bit flustered, but she maintained a calm exterior, babbling incoherently.
"I was just thinking about how well the restaurant business is doing, and whether I should take over the two shops next door to do something else, but I don't want to do another restaurant. So, I was thinking, should I make rouge and powder? Oh, you haven't seen me make rouge yet! I'll make some for you, okay?"
Li Mo'er naturally agreed. "Okay! Okay!"
Sheng Yiran helplessly tugged at Li Mo'er's sleeve, signaling with her eyes for her to stop talking.
Li Mo'er immediately remembered why she was here.
She then sat up straight.
Sheng Yiran looked at her. "Why do you have to deceive yourself?"
Ye Qingcheng understood their concerns, but they truly didn't need to worry.
"I'm really fine. I've really let go of Xiao Wangye. Even if he wants a divorce for Murong Yun, I won't complain."
She just felt foolish. She knew that the heroine would return someday, yet she had continued to live in the prince's mansion. After all, this title of princess would eventually change hands.
Now that the heroine was back, it meant the main storyline had reached its turning point.
Did that scumbag from her past life who hurt the heroine also return?
Li Mo'er couldn't help but sigh.
"I never thought Murong Yun would actually return. It feels like just yesterday she left!"
Ye Qingcheng lowered her eyes. She understood that Murong Yun, in order to follow the scumbag, was willing to give up her identity as the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter to follow him, only to discover her sincere feelings were misplaced.
She was reborn to a time before she married the scumbag. With some effort, she managed to break free from him.
To escape the scumbag, she had left the capital for half a year, only to have the scumbag pursue her. Now, they had finally returned.
Murong Yun said goodbye to Xiao Wangye and got into the carriage to return.
In the carriage, the maidservant kept chattering about Ye Qingcheng's faults.
However, Murong Yun rebuked her.
"Be quiet."
The maidservant looked at her fearfully.
"She is the Princess, how can you speak of her like that?"
The maidservant was still unconvinced. "But, but the Prince likes you!"
How could Murong Yun not know this?
"I only know that Brother Xiao likes me. It's just that we are fated but not meant to be. If I marry him now, he will definitely divorce his wife, which would be unfair to another woman. But if he doesn't divorce his wife, then I will be a concubine, and I am unwilling to be a concubine. This can only be fate; we are fated but not meant to be."
"Moreover, I am the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion, with a noble status, and I will naturally find a better husband. There is no need to worry about marriage. Do not speak of the Princess anymore. We are both women, why trouble another woman?"
After all, she had gone through it herself. She had been schemed against all her life, and her sincere feelings were trampled upon. That feeling was unpleasant. The Princess was also a pitiable person, always a pawn to be manipulated.