I'm in trouble again! My best friend, the princess in the group, please save me!

"Are you dirty?" Jiang Xingkuo stood up with a head full of sago.

Seeing this, Song Yan, who was standing by, hurriedly took a handkerchief and wiped her face, and urged curiously, "Miss, I will help you wipe it, you continue talking."

Jiang Xingkuo was furious. He snatched the handkerchief from her hand and wiped it himself.

"I'm afraid it would be better for her to ask Hai Yanqing herself. After all, it's first-hand information, and there's no middleman to make a profit..."

"You can't go! It's less than a month before the beginning of spring. Princess, please be patient!" Song Yan interrupted.

"I'm not going." Huanyan rolled her eyes at Songyan, her heart beating wildly but her face remained expressionless.

Seeing her awkward look, Jiang Xingkuo angrily repeated the gossip that had spread all over the streets and alleys with exaggeration and fanning the flames.

Huanyan was so engrossed in listening that she didn't even bother to wipe the coconut milk off the corners of her mouth. "What? You're taking her into the room right now?"

"Yeah. I heard that Old Man Hai was serious and strict all his life. I didn't expect that when he was old, his wisdom would fall on Wei Chuchu. Everyone is laughing at them! What they say is that a pear tree overshadows a crabapple tree..."

Jiang Xingkuo finished his vivid description, then sighed and shook his head.

"...Then how did Lady Hai agree to let her marry into the family?" Song Yan at the side couldn't help but ask.

Jiang Xingkuo hesitated for a moment before saying, "I heard that she was given a bowl of safflower soup. She was in pain all night and cried all night. Only after she recovered did she nod and drink the concubine's tea..."

The whole room was silent and dead still.

Everyone remained silent, with expressions of confusion and puzzlement on their faces.

They couldn't understand why Wei Chuchu would do such a thing, and they really couldn't figure out what drove Wei Chuchu to take such action?

"Is it because we didn't find a way to save her that we harmed her?" Huanyan suddenly said.

Jiang Xingkuo's expression changed and he remained silent for a long time.

"Ayan, we didn't hold her responsible for Yutai's death. Let her go. How do you know this wasn't her own choice? Otherwise, why would you go to such great lengths to force your future mother-in-law to drink her concubine's tea!"

"...Yes. I think too much." An Huanyan sighed helplessly.

Song Yan saw that the atmosphere was not right, so she quickly came out to interrupt: "Princess, girl, why do you think Lord Hai likes her? It seems that these two people are not compatible..."

"Well... maybe my future mother-in-law is usually very strict in running the household, and she's domineering and aggressive..." Huanyan explained weakly.

"I never thought that such a powerful figure in the court would fall at the feet of a beautiful woman..." Jiang Xingkuo sighed.

Song Yan tried to recall: "I heard that... Lady Hai was originally the only daughter of Duke Yan. When she married Lord Hai as a concubine, Lord Hai was only a fifth-rank Dali Temple official. Since then, Lord Hai has risen rapidly and was appointed prime minister..."

"Tsk tsk tsk... It turns out your father-in-law relies on... Ouch! Why are you pinching me!" Jiang Xingkuo rubbed his arm.

"We haven't even gotten married yet! Stop yelling! Are you ashamed?" An Huanyan pretended to frown.

"Tsk. It's only a matter of time! If you didn't want to get married, you would have dragged me away long ago." Jiang Xingkuo twisted her face.

An Huanyan knocked her hand away and suddenly said seriously: "Xingxing, I want to try a new lifestyle now. Will you blame me?"

Jiang Xingkuo was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Don't worry. I am your backup plan. When you want to leave, you can always find me."

An Huanyan smiled with relief. "Xingxing, thank you."

Song Yan looked at An Huanyan, then at Jiang Xingkuo, and finally scratched his head and sighed.

I don't know what they are talking about anymore.

"Where is Tengxi?" Huanyan called out to Songyan who was about to go out.

"Tengxi went out. He said he was going to buy something. I forgot."

"Why did she go out again? I haven't seen her recently! I wanted her to help me sort out the betrothal gifts from the Hai family and the dowry sent from the palace!" Huanyan said casually.

Hearing her say this, Song Yan suddenly said mysteriously: "Princess, I'm afraid Teng Xi has a lover!"

"Hmm? Whatever you say." The two became interested again after hearing it.

"Once I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and found her writing a letter! Her parents and brothers were all gone, so I asked her which lover the letter was for, but she refused to tell me. I guessed it must be an official in the court!" Songyan said excitedly.

"How do you know it's not a letter to friends in the palace?" Jiang Xingkuo asked doubtfully.

"Oh, girl! Palace maids are not allowed to communicate with the outside world! If we are discovered, we will be beheaded!"

"Oh oh." Jiang Xingkuo nodded repeatedly.

"Then how do you know he is not a guard or something? Just like your brother Wuye." Huanyan reminded.

Songyan blushed, "Princess, stop talking nonsense. He has already rejected me. Let's go back to Tengxi. Palace maids like us who have left the palace are not allowed to communicate with the palace guards. It can only be court officials or princes and nobles."

"Didn't you say that she doesn't like love and other things?" Jiang Xingkuo asked curiously again.

"My girl! People change! Look at our princess and her husband. They used to have no contact with each other, but they wanted to strangle each other when they met. But now..."

Before Songyan could finish her words, Huanyan pushed her out. "You should go back to work."

"Hey, hey, hey, Princess! I haven't finished yet--"

Jiang Xingkuo couldn't help laughing and started to laugh out loud.

"You shut up too!" Huanyan was embarrassed and annoyed, and quickly covered her mouth. "Brother, why don't you call you back!"

Jiang Xingkuo's eyes, which were originally full of starlight while smiling, suddenly dimmed.

An Huanyan put down her hand awkwardly.

Since she returned to the princess's mansion, An Zhaoyan has never looked for Jiang Xingkuo once.

"Xingxing, don't mind it." She pulled Jiang Xingkuo's hand.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. I've been mentally prepared for this. It's just that I can't adapt to it for a while." Jiang Xingkuo comforted her. "When you get married, I'll give you a wedding gift."

Huanyan knew that she was trying to change the subject, but she followed her lead and asked, "What is it?"

"You'll know on your wedding day." Looking at her expectant eyes, Jiang Xingkuo pinched her face again proudly. This time he didn't push her hand away.

"After you get married, I want to go to the South."

"Okay. What about Runxuetang?"

"I specially hired two big shopkeepers. They are very experienced and are helping me keep an eye on it."

"Okay. So why the South?"

"I don't know either. Let's just take a walk. Maybe there are more rainy seasons in the south. Do you think it will happen..." Jiang Xingkuo turned the black bracelet on his wrist.

"You want to go back alone?" An Huanyan grabbed her nervously.