cold clothes

"What do you mean by that?" Leng Yi asked blankly, then her tone rose, her expression gradually becoming shocked. "Successfully infiltrating Hanyan Pavilion? What kind of place is Hanyan Pavilion?"

Xiaolian fell silent, realizing in an instant that she had made a mess of things by talking too much, and wished she could sew her mouth shut...

"That... Hanyan Pavilion is a martial arts school located in the southwest of Daqi that is skilled in making poisons. In recent years, it has been gaining popularity. Hanyan Pavilion sells poisons to others and also accepts assassination missions."

"Why would Nuandong and Hua Shaoxia go to such a dangerous place?" Leng Yi blurted out, then immediately thought of a possibility, her eyes clouding over.

"Did Zhao Yin send them? Through coercion and bribery?"

“Young master isn’t that heartless, it’s a deal, a deal,” Xiaolian said, sweating profusely, although this “deal” was based on saving their lives.

Leng Yi's face immediately darkened, as if she had suffered a great blow.

A moment later she scoffed, "Hmph, I knew I couldn't trust Zhao Yin's words. I've been completely fooled by him all this time."

"Well, young master certainly didn't mean to hide it from you."

"Xiaolian, you don't need to speak up for him anymore. I know what kind of person he is, and I have no illusions about him anymore."

"..."

Oh no, she's accidentally made the relationship between the young master and young lady even worse. What should she do?

New Year's Eve has arrived in the blink of an eye, and a new year has begun. Hmm? Is it too fast? Leng Yi arrived at the Prince's Mansion in the twelfth lunar month.

The Prince's Mansion was filled with joy and bustling with activity. Lanterns illuminated the night as if it were daytime, casting a warm glow on the snow. Fireworks and firecrackers began to be set off in the main courtyard not far away, their crackling sounds mingling with the laughter of adults and children.

Leng Yi listened intently to the commotion, finding it quite novel. Back at Fengxiang Tower, the inner courtyard wasn't nearly as crowded or lively, and the atmosphere was unusually cold; even major holidays passed by uneventfully.

Gradually, she became somewhat uncomfortable with the liveliness. In the past, when she looked at the joy in the distance from Fengxiang Tower, it was like looking at a mirage, and she was already very envious. But now that she was separated from the joy by a wall, this feeling of being able to touch it but not being able to join in was even more painful.

At this moment, Wang Yuqing sent someone to summon Lengyi to meet her in the flower hall. Lengyi walked through the brightly lit covered corridor and arrived at the flower hall to find that almost everyone in the main courtyard was there. Wang Yuqing and Madam Wang were talking about something. Seeing this, Lengyi found a corner to stand in.

"Sister Ningbi~" Suddenly, Lengyi's arm was grabbed, and a fragrant breeze wafted over. Lengyi turned around and saw the sweet-smiling Hong'e. "Let's take a stroll around the palace together in a bit." Hong'e invited her.

I really admire Hong'e's ability to greet people with a smile. Leng Yi thought to herself, she thought her cold face was attractive, so she didn't like to smile and coldly replied with a "okay".

Hong'e seemed unfazed by the cold shoulder, wrapping her arms even tighter around Lengyi's. Lengyi found Hong'e's behavior unusual and suspected she was about to receive a surprise.

When she was about to see that person, Leng Yi sighed inwardly, "Just as I thought."

On New Year's Eve, the entire royal family gathered in the main courtyard. Lengyi and Hong'e were also invited to the main courtyard; otherwise, as outsiders and women, they shouldn't have left the main courtyard.

Logically speaking, even to fulfill their duty as hosts, Leng Yi and Hong E should not have shown themselves in front of the Wang family. Firstly, their status was truly awkward, and secondly, Leng Yi's striking appearance would have attracted much discussion even if she had kept a low profile.

Especially in situations where you can meet men from other places.