Madam Qin welcomed Prince Ning back to her residence and entertained him with great care.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, my husband is unwell today and was unable to personally greet you. Please excuse our rudeness,” Madam Qin said with a smile.
“Madam Qin, it’s alright. Since Prime Minister Qin is unwell, he should rest well. I am here to see the eldest daughter of the Qin family.”
As he spoke, a faint smile played on Prince Ning’s lips.
“Oh, so Your Highness Prince Ning is here to see Xue’er!”
Madam Qin exclaimed with a sudden realization, smiling.
“Yes, Madam Qin, I am here to see Miss Qin.”
Prince Ning nodded slightly, his smile still lingering.
“Then, Prince Ning, please wait a moment. This humble woman will have someone call Xue’er out now.”
Madam Qin said with a beaming smile, already eagerly instructing her personal maid to call Qin Xixue to meet Prince Ning.
Thus, Madam Qin accompanied Prince Ning in the living room for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and in the interim, she had servants urge Qin Xixue to come out three times.
At this moment, Qin Xixue appeared, dressed in a light cyan cloud brocade shirt and a white palace satin skirt with snow-white cloud patterns in thousands of layers. Her hair was styled in a Han Yan Hibiscus bun, her eyebrows lightly penciled, and her forehead dusted with light powder. A white veil covered her face, lending her an air of mystery and making her appear stunningly beautiful.
Prince Ning was momentarily stunned upon seeing the woman enter, but he quickly regained his composure.
In fact, Qin Xixue’s original appearance was not unattractive, but now that her face was disfigured, it would be difficult for her to get married.
His condescension as a prince in personally visiting her was already a great honor to the Qin household.
Madam Qin, standing beside them, had already captured Prince Ning’s momentarily stunned expression and was extremely pleased.
“Xue’er, why aren’t you coming forward quickly to pay your respects to Your Highness Prince Ning?” Madam Qin urged, looking at Qin Xixue.
Subsequently, Qin Xixue, with a shy expression, walked up to Prince Ning and respectfully performed a deep bow.
“This humble daughter greets Your Highness Prince Ning!”
“Miss Qin, please rise quickly!”
Prince Ning hastily stood up and helped Qin Xixue up. As he did, he deliberately touched a sensitive part of her body.
As if struck by electricity, Qin Xixue’s face flushed crimson, and she awkwardly dodged him.
Seeing this scene, Madam Qin’s heart was already bursting with joy.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, this humble woman needs to attend to Prime Minister Qin shortly. I will have Xue’er accompany Your Highness for a stroll in the mansion’s garden,” Madam Qin said with a chuckle.
“Very well, Madam Qin. Miss Qin will suffice here. You may attend to your duties,”
Prince Ning continued to speak to Madam Qin with a smile. His demeanor was gentle and refined, easily making women develop a fondness for him.
Following that, Madam Qin, with a smiling demeanor, led the servants out of the living room.
Leaving behind a somewhat embarrassed Qin Xixue.
“Miss Qin, shall we take a stroll in your esteemed residence’s garden?”
Seeing the awkward atmosphere in the room, Prince Ning suggested it to ease the tension.
Upon hearing this, Qin Xixue looked up. His features were well-defined, a faint smile curved his lips, his posture was upright, and he was slightly slender. He wore a dark robe embroidered with dark patterns of mythical pythons, giving him a clean and gentle appearance, yet he was not lacking in nobility.
Qin Xixue thought to herself that if she couldn’t marry the man of her heart (Prince Leng), marrying this Prince Ning wouldn’t be bad either.
“Alright, Your Highness Prince Ning, please follow me,” Qin Xixue replied softly, then took the lead and walked towards the Qin household garden.
Thus, the two walked towards the garden, one after the other.
Later, seeing that Prince Ning remained silent, Qin Xixue initiated the conversation, “May I ask why Your Highness Prince Ning is looking for this humble daughter?”
“Oh, actually, there’s nothing particularly important that I need from Miss Qin. It’s just, just… I wanted to find Miss Qin…”
Prince Ning was rendered somewhat awkward by Qin Xixue’s question.
Hearing Prince Ning’s stammering, Qin Xixue suddenly found him rather endearing.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, aren’t you here to seek my advice on a matter?” Qin Xixue asked him in return.
“Yes, yes, yes. Look at my memory,”
As Prince Ning spoke, he playfully smacked his own forehead.
“Then, Your Highness Prince Ning, what question do you wish to ask me?” Qin Xixue deliberately probed.
“Uh…”
Prince Ning was once again rendered awkward by Qin Xixue’s question.
However, at this moment, his pupils brightened, and he reached out to embrace Qin Xixue’s waist.
Qin Xixue was startled, initially feeling awkward and struggling a few times. However, realizing Prince Ning harbored no ill intentions, she relaxed her guard.
“Xue’er, don’t be afraid! I like you, I’ve liked you for a long time, but you’ve always liked my second brother,” Prince Ning lied with saccharine words.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, please don’t be like this,” Qin Xixue feigned a push against Prince Ning.
“Xue’er, don’t reject me, I’ve liked you for a very long time,” Prince Ning said with deep affection.
His words made Qin Xixue’s face turn completely red.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, do you truly like me?” Qin Xixue asked him seriously.
“Mhm mhm~”
Upon hearing this, Prince Ning nodded vigorously.
Subsequently, Qin Xixue pushed Prince Ning’s hands away and stood face to face with him, lifting her hand to remove the veil from her face.
Although Prince Ning had prepared himself mentally, he still flinched slightly when he saw Qin Xixue’s disfigured face.
Qin Xixue’s face was truly hideous, even more so than Leng Ruoli’s disfigurement before. The most crucial part was the two large black characters on her face that ruined her entire visage.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, do you still like me like this?” Qin Xixue asked him, a cold smile gracing her lips.
Upon hearing this, Prince Ning chuckled.
“Xue’er, I like you regardless of whether your face is disfigured or not. I genuinely like you as a person.”
After uttering these insincere words, Prince Ning felt disgusted with himself.
“Are you telling the truth?” Qin Xixue did not believe his words.
“Truly. If you don’t believe me, I can…”
With that, Prince Ning made a gesture as if to demonstrate, but he was stopped by Qin Xixue.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, there’s no need. I believe you.”
Qin Xixue pursed her lips and smiled faintly.
“Xue’er, don’t worry. I have a way to help you recover your appearance,” Prince Ning said earnestly.
“Prince Ning, are you serious?” Qin Xixue asked him excitedly upon hearing this.
“Indeed. Have you heard of the Beauty Gu?”
As the words fell, Qin Xixue nodded.
“The Beauty Gu can restore your appearance and even make your face more beautiful.”
“Really? But there are very few people who can raise the Beauty Gu in this world, and it’s not easy for us to obtain it.”
Qin Xixue was initially happy, but then her expression turned disappointed.
Prince Ning: “We can search for it slowly. As far as I know, there are still people in the mysterious Flower Tribe who can raise the Beauty Gu.”
Qin Xixue: “However, very few people from the Flower Tribe venture into the Three Kingdoms. It won’t be easy for us to find them.”
Prince Ning: “Xue’er, leave the matter of finding the Beauty Gu to me. No matter how arduous the journey, I will find the Beauty Gu for you.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Xixue was deeply moved, and the two quickly became affectionate.