You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

Lin Qing stepped forward with a shy smile on his face: "You must be Wanwan's senior brother? I am Lin Qing. I've heard Wanwan mention me before."

She looked just like a young girl in the throes of first love, completely different from her usual self.

Xu Ning smiled slightly and said, "So you are Miss Lin. It's a pleasure to meet you. My junior sister is still resting. If you're bored, you can wander around the manor."

Lin Qing nodded, but her gaze couldn't help but fall on Xu Ning again, and her heart was filled with ripples.

Xie Wanru finally woke up when the sun was high in the sky.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked Dongzhulin where Qingren was.

"When Miss Lin arrived, her senior brother was practicing his martial arts. She watched for a while and then started chatting with him."

Xie Wanru quickly got up to do her hair and makeup.

The eldest brother has never liked interacting with women. When she first came to the mountain, he didn't even bother to give her a glance.

She was just being lazy. Her senior brother must be annoyed with Lin Qing right now, since Lin Qing talks even more than she does.

Xie Wanru quickly had someone comb her hair, while muttering to herself, afraid that Lin Qing would disturb her senior brother who always preferred quiet.

She casually picked out a dress to wear, ate a simple breakfast, and hurried off to the garden.

As soon as she stepped into the garden, she heard Lin Qing's silvery laughter. Xie Wanru's heart tightened, and she quickened her pace to walk over.

She wondered if she had been overthinking things, or if Lin Qing was no longer with her senior brother.

As she approached, she saw Lin Qing and her senior brother Xu Ning standing under a blooming peach tree. The two seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation. Lin Qing's face was beaming with a happy smile, while her senior brother's expression had softened considerably, unlike his usual cold demeanor.

Is she seeing things?

"Senior Brother, Lin Qing."

Xie Wanru was filled with mixed feelings, but she still broke the harmonious atmosphere between the two.

Xu Ning turned her head and saw that Xie Wanru had already tidied up. She smiled slightly and said, "Junior Sister, you're awake."

Lin Qing also turned around and looked at Xie Wanru: "Wanwan, you're finally awake. I've been waiting for you for so long."

Xie Wanru walked over to the two of them and looked at Lin Qing apologetically: "I'm sorry, Lin Qing, I drank a bit too much last night and couldn't get up this morning."

Lin Qing waved her hand: "It's nothing. I just happened to run into Senior Brother practicing, so I watched for a while."

Xie Wanru looked at Xu Ning with a questioning look in her eyes. The two seemed to be having a good chat.

Xu Ning simply nodded slightly: "Miss Lin has a straightforward personality, quite interesting."

Lin Qing had just been telling his senior brother about Shen Yanzhi, and he happened to mention the part where Shen Yanzhi paraded through the streets with a gong, becoming the laughingstock of Xuancheng, to the point that he was too ashamed to go out now.

The eldest brother was naturally delighted to see the scandal involving the Shen family.

Xie Wanru sensed something was subtly wrong, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Xie Wanru wasn't hungry at lunchtime, so she just ate a few bites. Then news came from her third senior brother that Xiao Yan had led his troops out of the city.

He planned to use his own money to achieve some small results first, and then figure out a way. After all, if he didn't do anything, his father and the officials wouldn't know how to view him.

Upon receiving the news, Shen Cong'an went to find Xie Wanru.

He came in through the back door, and Dongzhu went to meet him.

"Lord Shen, please go to the study and have a cup of tea. The princess will be here shortly."

Dongzhu led Shen Cong'an into the study set up next to the back door. This was specially arranged by Xie Wanru, and ordinary people could not enter.

"Ah."

Shen Cong'an nodded. He thought Xie Wanru had something else to do and couldn't come over immediately, so he didn't mind waiting a while. After Dongzhu left, he took out a bag of peach blossom pastries from his pocket.

I bought it because I came across it on the way here.

In the dining hall of the Princess's residence, Xie Wanru was accompanying Prince Rui, who had suddenly arrived at her residence.

She looked disgusted, and Lin Qing had a similar expression. Only Xu Ning, while not exactly disgusted, didn't show any particular expression.

But Prince Rui, who was at the source of it all, didn't care and ate heartily, especially the sticky rice chicken that he had asked for again, which he ate most of.

“Your Highness, why don’t I give this cook to you? That way you won’t have to make this trip. You can eat here first and then, without all this trouble.”

Xie Wanru said.

This person was shameless when he came to eat, but when he ran into her in the palace, he clearly acted like he didn't know her at all.

"Does Princess Yongchang look down on me?"

Prince Rui put down his chopsticks and looked at Xie Wanru with a half-smile.

Xie Wanru rolled her eyes: "Your Highness, you are overthinking it. I just think that your status is too noble, and it would be too troublesome for you to run around like this, and it would also be easy for people to misunderstand. Otherwise, you could send a chef to learn, after all, your residence should not lack good chefs."

Prince Rui chuckled lightly, not angry at all, "My palace naturally has excellent chefs, but I just prefer the taste of your food."

Lin Qing couldn't help but chuckle from the side: "Your Highness, that's quite a novel reason. Does Wanwan's glutinous rice chicken somehow grant immortality?"

Prince Rui remained unperturbed, instead smiling as he looked at Lin Qing, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes: "Miss Lin is right. Otherwise, why would Miss Lin be running around here all the time? Do you want to become a fairy?"

Xu Ning quietly sipped his tea, seemingly not intending to intervene in this sudden "confrontation."

Xie Wanru sighed helplessly; she knew this meal wouldn't be peaceful.

She looked towards the door, feeling anxious. Shen Cong'an had come to see her in broad daylight; could it be that Xiao Yan or Lou Li had made some unusual move?

It seems she needs to get rid of Prince Rui as soon as possible.

“Your Highness, your visit today is not just for a meal, is it? Please feel free to speak your mind. I believe there is no prior connection between us.”

Xie Wanru decided to take the initiative and try to find out more about Prince Rui. Otherwise, if he kept coming to her place to eat sticky rice chicken every day, she would soon get sick of it.

We can't let a delicious dish be disliked and unfairly burdened with a bad reputation.

Perhaps the glutinous rice chicken was a bit too rich, because Prince Rui drank two cups of tea in a row. After putting down his teacup, his gaze became deep: "Princess Yongchang is indeed clever."

Xie Wanru's heart tightened, but she remained calm on the surface. However, she never expected that this man, who had no connection with her in her previous life, would have such a reason for contacting her in this life.

"What brings Your Highness Prince Rui here?"

Xie Wanru asked, feigning calmness, and Lin Qing also suppressed her smile.

Prince Rui slowly spoke: "I've heard that you and Shen Cong'an are both the Crown Prince's men. Is that true?"

Xie Wanru's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected that Prince Rui was after this. So, whether Prince Rui was an ally or an enemy, the answer should be revealed today.