Meng Jiangming’s body trembled. He looked at Jiang Xiu Yi, and she looked back at him, her eyes quivering slightly, a picture of pitiful vulnerability.
Jiang Xiu Yi withdrew her hand from Meng Jiangming’s and turned away. She spoke word by word, “Cousin, please leave. Act as if Xiu Yi has never met you, and you have never met Xiu Yi.”
Meng Jiangming shook his head. He grabbed Jiang Xiu Yi’s shoulders and said angrily, “Never met? In this situation, how can you expect me to have never met you? Xiu Yi.”
“Then what should I do? What can I do? Cousin, tell me, what am I supposed to do?” Jiang Xiu Yi cried out, her voice choked with tears. She collapsed onto the ground, weeping helplessly.
Meng Jiangming froze. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do. But he knew one thing for sure: he absolutely could not leave his cousin here to suffer such torment.
“Cousin, I’ll take you home.” Meng Jiangming made up his mind. He wouldn’t complain, even if it meant facing his cousin’s plight.
Hearing this, Jiang Xiu Yi looked up at Meng Jiangming, her eyes brimming with tears. “Cousin, thank you. But if you take me away, how will you explain it to Aunt? How will you explain it to Noble Consort Jia?”
Meng Jiangming looked at her, squatted down, and took her hand. “Don’t be afraid. Cousin is here. I will speak to Mother and Aunt. You can stay in the Duke of Ning’s mansion with peace of mind. No one will dare to disrespect you again. I won’t allow it.”
“And then?” Jiang Xiu Yi asked, looking at him word by word.
Meng Jiangming paused, “Cousin, you…”
“Cousin, you are going to marry Princess Xing Yue. In what capacity would I remain in the Duke of Ning’s mansion? Would Princess Xing Yue agree?”
Meng Jiangming trembled. He truly hadn’t considered this. But to him, it wasn’t a significant issue. “Cousin, don’t be afraid. The princess is not a petty woman. If you are worried, I will explain it to her.”
“Cousin, are you saying I should stay in the mansion for the rest of my life? A lifelong maiden?”
“Xiu Yi, whoever you wish to marry, Cousin will help you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Xiu Yi looked up at him, her gaze shifting slightly. She spoke word by word, “But I love Cousin. I want to marry Cousin. Cousin, can you help me?”
Meng Jiangming’s body trembled. “Cousin, you…”
Suddenly, Jiang Xiu Yi threw herself into his arms. He instinctively tried to break free, but Jiang Xiu Yi clutched his collar and sobbed, “Cousin, please take me. Can I be your woman?”
“Xiu Yi, what are you saying?” Meng Jiangming’s body stiffened, and his tone turned cold.
“Cousin, you’ve already done everything you should have with me before. Do you think I have anywhere else to go besides you? Or Cousin, do you want me to spend my life with cold lamps?” Jiang Xiu Yi lifted her head from Meng Jiangming’s embrace and looked at him.
Meng Jiangming’s gaze faltered. Seeing this, Jiang Xiu Yi continued, “Cousin, I adore you. And you said Princess Xing Yue is not a petty person. Even if you take me as your concubine, I am willing. I only beg you not to push me away.”
Meng Jiangming’s mind was in turmoil. The person in his arms was soft and yielding. He lowered his head, looking at the pitifully vulnerable Jiang Xiu Yi. For a moment, he felt a surge of blood rush to his head.
Jiang Xiu Yi wiped Meng Jiangming’s forehead with her sleeve and said tenderly, “Cousin…”
Meng Jiangming felt desire coursing through him. He looked at his delicate and vulnerable cousin and, for the moment, could no longer push her away.
“Your Highness, the Heir has gone out,” Feng Wu said, seeing that Meng Jiangming was no longer in sight, and quickly reported to Xue Xing Yue.
Xue Xing Yue glanced at the empty seat and frowned slightly.
“Feng Wu, go see…”
“Princess Xing Yue…”
Xue Xing Yue looked up. Qi Yu Ming stood before her. She rose and said, “Does Your Highness the Second Prince have any instructions?”
Qi Yu Ming said, “This Prince feels a bit dizzy and wishes to take a walk. If Princess Xing Yue doesn’t mind, would you accompany me?”
“Your Highness the Second Prince, please,” Xue Xing Yue replied.
After leaving the palace banquet, Qi Yu Ming breathed a slight sigh of relief. “I detest attending such banquets.”
Xue Xing Yue was startled. She glanced at Qi Yu Ming and said, “It seemed to this Princess that Your Highness the Second Prince handled it with ease. It didn’t seem like you detested it.”
Qi Yu Ming smiled upon hearing this. “I attend them often, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily like them.”
Xue Xing Yue remained silent.
Qi Yu Ming continued, “My Father Emperor favors my seventh brother. As a prince who is not favored by my Father Emperor, I do whatever it takes to gain my Father Emperor’s attention, anything that offers hope of his notice, I will do.”
“To endure what ordinary people cannot, Your Highness the Second Prince is no ordinary person.”
Qi Yu Ming chuckled softly. “Do you know why I am willing to be with Your Highness the Princess?”
“I do not know.” She also had no desire to know.
Qi Yu Ming smiled. “Because Your Highness the Princess speaks the truth, while others are full of flattery.”
“If Your Highness the Second Prince wishes to hear the truth, you can seek it from someone of higher standing. If you seek those who bow and scrape to you, then if they don’t flatter you, are they just waiting to be put to death by your hand?” Xue Xing Yue said coldly.
Qi Yu Ming burst into laughter upon hearing this. “As I said, when chatting with Princess Xing Yue, there’s truly no need for reservations.”
“That is because you cannot touch me, and I cannot touch you. We are evenly matched.”
“Your Highness, this is bad,” someone said, rushing over.
Xue Xing Yue recognized the person at a glance as a young servant by Meng Jiangming’s side.
She glanced at Feng Wu beside her. Feng Wu understood immediately and pulled Wu Yi, intending to leave.
Who would have thought that Wu Yi would suddenly kneel on the ground and exclaim, “Your Highness, please go and see the Heir, the Heir he…”
“What happened to him?” Xue Xing Yue asked.
Wu Yi hesitated to speak, merely saying, “Your Highness, please go and see him?”
“What happened to the Heir? Wu Yi, how did you care for the Heir?” Madam Jiang’s voice came from not far away.
Xue Xing Yue frowned slightly and said to Qi Yu Ming, “Your Highness the Second Prince, I will send someone to escort you back to the palace banquet. I need to attend to some private matters.”
Qi Yu Ming heard this and said, “Princess, there is no need to be polite. This Prince has no other engagements; I shall accompany you!”
As Xue Xing Yue was about to retort, she saw Madam Jiang walking over. Madam Jiang took her hand and said, “Your Highness, the Heir has fainted. Let us go and see the Heir quickly!”
Xue Xing Yue comforted Madam Jiang and then said to Feng Wu, “Feng Wu, escort Your Highness the Second Prince back to the palace banquet.”
“Yes…” Feng Wu turned to Xue Xing Yue and said, “Your Highness, please.”
Qi Yu Ming smiled. “Very well!”
Madam Jiang was sweating profusely with anxiety. Xue Xing Yue comforted her by her side. “Madam, do not fear. The Heir will not be in any danger.”
Wu Yi led Madam Jiang and Xue Xing Yue to the front of a room. Wu Yi stopped and said, “The Heir is inside.”
“Then why are you stopping here? Open the door!” Madam Jiang said angrily.
Wu Yi stepped back. “I… I dare not.”
“What is there to fear? I’ll do it…” Madam Jiang spoke, then forcefully pushed open the door.
As she stepped inside, Xue Xing Yue looked at Wu Yi and said coldly, “You deliberately led this Princess and Madam here, didn’t you?”
Wu Yi trembled all over, stammering, “Your… Your Highness, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”
“Ah…” Madam Jiang’s scream suddenly echoed from the room.
Xue Xing Yue’s brows furrowed. She looked at Wu Yi and said coldly, “You had better not play any tricks, or this Princess will never forgive you.”
“I… How could I dare?” Wu Yi said timidly.
Xue Xing Yue quickly entered the room. The first thing she saw was Madam Jiang, her entire body stiffened, unmoving.