After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

After Xie Yuhe died, Xie Tongchen succeeded him, followed by the entire Xie family.

Xie Jiaojiao's back stiffened after hearing so much.

Xie Mingzhu is a princess from the previous dynasty, and she might even kill Xie Yuhe?!

Is this real or fake?

She subconsciously looked towards Xie Yuhe's position, only to see him merely pursing his lips, a terrifyingly cold light flashing in his eyes, which disappeared in an instant. If Xie Jiaojiao hadn't subconsciously looked at him, she might not have noticed the change in Xie Yuhe.

He could also hear Xing'er's inner thoughts.

At that moment, Xie Jiaojiao confirmed it in her heart.

The carriage arrived at the Crown Prince's residence quickly.

The gate was surrounded by carriages of many ministers. When Xie Xing and his entourage got off the carriages, they saw a group of beautifully dressed women, a scene comparable to the emperor's selection of concubines.

A variety of beautiful young women stood outside the Crown Prince's residence, some charming and alluring, others with expectant eyes, all vying for the position of the Crown Prince's concubine.

Madam Xie pulled Xie Mingzhu and the other two aside and whispered, "I'm afraid Her Majesty the Empress's real intention in visiting the garden today is not what it seems, but rather to select a concubine for the Crown Prince."

"I, a daughter of the Xie family, will not become a concubine."

"Once you're inside, don't steal the spotlight from others. Avoid them if you can, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Mingzhu bit her lip and lowered her eyes.

She grew up with the Crown Prince, who was already her possession. Perhaps it was because she was instilled with the idea that she would become the Crown Princess in the future, or perhaps it was because of the Crown Prince's doting on her, but she never thought that the Crown Prince would marry someone else.

Now that she had to witness the Crown Prince choosing his concubine, Xie Mingzhu felt extremely distressed.

Normally, she would have thrown herself into Madam Xie's arms and thrown a tantrum.

But at this moment, it was the change in the attitude of Xie Mingzhu and her father that made Xie Mingzhu realize clearly that even more than ten years of nurturing could not compare to the closeness of blood ties.

Xie Mingzhu had indeed become estranged from the Xie family.

Xie Mingzhu lowered her head and said softly, "Mother, I understand."

Xie Xing wasn't worried.

The Crown Prince loathed her so much that there was no way he would marry her as his concubine.

Moreover, her identity is sensitive; she cannot be a concubine, nor can she marry the crown prince.

The emperor would not allow it.

At least not now.

He would not allow someone who might be considered rebellious to marry the Crown Prince.

Madam Xie patted Xie Mingzhu's hand tenderly and said, "Mingzhu, I'm sorry you had to go through this."

Xie Mingzhu didn't say anything; she just smiled and shook her head.

Xie Yuhe hadn't yet reacted to Xie Xing's thoughts. He kept a straight face, his expression somewhat cold.

Seeing this, Xie Yuze walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xie Yuhe shook his head. "We'll talk about it when we get back."

They entered the Crown Prince's residence.

Today, the Crown Prince was dressed in a handsome and dashing manner, with a gentle smile on his face, politely greeting the guests who entered the mansion.

Just then, Madam Xie led Xie Mingzhu and the others over. Their attire stood out among the group of elegantly dressed young ladies.

Walking beside Madam Xie, Xie Mingzhu wore a plain white dress, her hairpins simple yet exquisite, and she exuded an extraordinary aura, like a fairy descended to earth.

Standing next to Xie Mingzhu, Xie Xing was not overshadowed in any way. She wore a pale yellow dress, looking playful and cute. The pale yellow ribbon in her hair fluttered in the wind, and her almond-shaped eyes were bright and kind, instantly capturing the attention of many men.

A few gasps came from the crowd.

"The Xie family's daughters are truly a sight to behold."

"As expected of the number one talented woman, she outshines the other young ladies from noble families just by wearing this casual outfit."

"Is that Xie Xing next to her?"

"I heard that she made a name for herself at the palace banquet, creating a painting that is unique in the world, and even the court painters are vying to imitate it."

"I thought the real young lady of the Xie family was a woman of no virtue, but I didn't expect her chess and painting skills to be so amazing."

"..."

The sound of murmurs from the crowd could be heard.

Aside from a few isolated mentions of Xie Mingzhu, everyone's attention was completely drawn to Xie Xing.

Xie Mingzhu felt even more distressed.

A hint of embarrassment appeared on her face.

Outwardly, she was an imposter who had usurped the throne and should have been condemned by the world. However, because of her kindness and talent, everyone stood by her side. But when they discovered that Xie Xing was only good at chess and painting, they praised her without reservation.

How could Xie Mingzhu not feel upset?

Xie Xing ignored the gossip; she was in a very bad mood because, unsurprisingly, she had spotted Luo Hanfeng.

It had been a while since they last met, and Luo Hanfeng's attire had become much more refined. He stood beside Wen Yan, meeting her gaze. His gentle and harmless eyes fell upon her, and then a smile bloomed on his lips.

Xie Xing's face darkened. She ground her back teeth, then gave Luo Hanfeng a sneer. She then imitated the disdainful look she had been practicing in the mirror these past few days, looked him up and down, and then looked away with disgust.

It was as if they had seen something dirty.

Luo Hanfeng: "..."

"Pfft." Wen Yan, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He chuckled, "It seems that the Xie family's young lady truly does despise you as the rumors say."

"Look at those eyes, like they're looking at a dog."

Luo Hanfeng's smile carried a hint of coldness: "What, does Prince Wen have some feelings for her?"

"Unfortunately, they only care about the number one on the handsome men list, and can't see the number two."

Wen Yan: "..."

He stopped talking.

"Host, host, our chance has come." The system's voice carried a hint of excitement, its wicked cackling echoing as it said, "In the plot, the female supporting character drugged the male lead with an aphrodisiac, then found an ugly, shameless woman, locked them both in the same room, and then brought people to catch them in the act, causing Luo Hanfeng to be killed on the spot and utterly humiliated."

Even though Luo Hanfeng and that ugly woman didn't do anything, from then on, all the noble young masters and princes mocked Luo Hanfeng, saying he was only fit to marry that ugly woman.

However, the female supporting character said something to Luo Hanfeng that, in just one sentence, made Luo Hanfeng hate her completely.

The female supporting character said at the time: "You, a prince born of a lowly palace maid, are only fit to marry someone as ugly and shameless as you."

Xie Xing gasped.

Is this something Xie Xing did in the story?

That's incredibly malicious!

Xie Xing couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart.

The system said: [That's how a villainous female supporting character is. How can she be called a villainous female supporting character if she doesn't attract hatred? Host, you were just playing house before, which is why he's starting to like you.]

See? When their interests are truly threatened, their hatred level immediately rises, doesn't it?

Xie Xing thought the system made sense.

These thoughts reached Xie Yuze and Xie Yuhe, who were closest to her.

Just then, Xie Yuze picked up his wine glass, intending to put it to his lips, when he heard this thought, and with a "pfft," he spat out the wine.

He stared wide-eyed at Xie Xing in astonishment.

No, you bastard, what are you teaching?!