Arrogant and domineering because of his good looks: His Majesty always pretends to be righteous

Xia Rongliu rested in bed for a few days, but the heavy sickness was still clearly visible on her face.

She leaned against the bed, trying hard to recall everything that had happened that day; it all had happened so suddenly.

Thinking back on everything that day still sends chills down my spine, but you can imagine what would have happened if the palace maids hadn't discovered it.

"My dear sister, what's wrong with you?"

"I was so scared! You've been perfectly fine the whole time, how could you suddenly fall into the water yesterday?"

Yang Wanqing arrived, looking travel-worn, her lively eyes darting back and forth over her.

Xia Rongliu smiled faintly, pretending to be indifferent.

"Don't worry, sister, I'm fine. There are a few people in this palace who don't like me. I'll just be more careful in the future."

With her sharp eyes, she immediately noticed the unusual thing on his hand.

The ring that Yang Wanqing always wore was gone, and there was a clear mark on her finger.

This could only have happened during a fierce fight, but how could such a fierce fight have occurred in the palace?

Yang Wanqing noticed something was wrong and quickly withdrew her hand.

"Don't worry about me, little sister. I lost this ring on my hand when I went fishing. I searched for it for a long time."

An awkward smile appeared on her face; she just wanted to get away with it as quickly as possible. If this matter came to light, it would be no joke.

Xia Rongliu's expression revealed a mixture of disbelief and skepticism. Where would such a fish come from in the palace?

Even if there really were fish, they couldn't possibly be that big, but I didn't think much of it at that moment.

The autumn night was slightly chilly. She dragged her tired body through the Imperial Garden, ostensibly for a stroll, but actually to search for evidence from the previous night.

The young maidservant stood by, serving him with a submissive and obedient demeanor.

They searched all night but found nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary.

Xia Rongliu felt a deep sense of loss. Undeterred, she continued to linger in the grass until a bright light suddenly caught her eye.

She carefully walked over and gently picked up the object from the ground with her fingers. It was a ring, emitting a faint glow.

The beautiful light shone even more brightly under the moonlight.

"This……"

She was immediately alarmed, remembering the scars on Yang Wanqing's hands.

She felt a chill run from her head to the soles of her feet. She dared not think any further and just wanted to erase this terrifying thought from her mind.

"How is that possible? Could it be that Yang Wanqing was the one who tried to kill me yesterday...?"

"How could it be possible for us to be like sisters?"

"Besides, I've already given up fighting and taking nothing, so why do you still want to kill me?"

Xia Rongliu was filled with fear and confusion, unable to understand why the two people who were like sisters were filled with murderous intent.

She hurriedly hid the ring in her sleeve...

"Your Majesty... I think we might be overthinking this."

"Perhaps many things aren't as bad as we think."

Xia Rongliu sat in front of the mirror, lost in thought, her mind a jumbled mess.

Looking at her beautiful face in the mirror, she felt a mix of emotions, an indescribable feeling lingering in her heart.

She couldn't face the fact that if all her guesses were true, what should she do?

In such a large palace, there are only two people who are relatively close to me, and now Xia Zhanxin harbors resentment towards me.

Now, this sister is the only one I can truly confide in...

"Yang Wanqing has one of these rings, but none of the other ladies have one."

"You don't need to say anything more. Call Sister Yang over. I have a few questions I'd like to ask her privately."

The little girl nodded meekly and then walked out of the room.

Xia Rongliu looked at the ring and already had the answer in her heart, but she still wanted to ask.

"Good sister, why did you call me over so late?"

"Do you want to have a heart-to-heart talk with your girlfriends?"

Yang Wanqing smiled brightly, like a flower blooming in spring. Her every move was gentle and elegant, exuding the unique charm of a lady from a prominent family.

Her gaze lingered on her for a long time without her saying a word.

Yang Wanqing felt extremely uncomfortable under that strange gaze, her whole body felt goosebumps, and she tried her best to avoid it.

"Xia Rongliu, what's wrong? You don't look very well."

"Are you recovering from a serious illness and still feeling a bit unwell?"

"I'll bring you some delicious food tomorrow..."

Xia Rongliu calmly took out a ring from her bosom.

"Wanqing...is this the ring you dropped? I found it today at the place where I had the accident yesterday. Isn't that a coincidence?"

"Didn't you say you lost your ring on the same day? And that you lost it while fishing? How come you were in the palace if you didn't have a ring?"

Yang Wanqing froze instantly, her blood freezing in her veins.

Faced with such a stern and assertive question, she was speechless.

I had expected this outcome and had prepared many excuses, but at this moment I didn't know what to say.

It was as if an evil spirit had locked my throat tightly.

"Are you doubting me?"

“We’re sisters, how could you doubt me?”

"We've been together for so many years, and I've treated you quite well. During our time in the palace, I've often sent you good things."

She pointed to the tip of her nose, looking aggrieved, as two streams of hot tears rolled down her pretty cheeks.

She knew she had been caught red-handed, but she had to stubbornly refuse to admit it.

Otherwise, if the emperor finds out about this, he will hold her accountable, and the man she loves will despise her and abandon her.

She knew this perfectly well, so she would never admit it, even if it meant just being with an empty shell, she was willing to stay by this man's side.

Xia Rongliu's keen eyes had long since caught the unnaturalness in her entire body.

Seeing her flustered state, I felt both sorry for her and amused, but at the same time, I felt particularly sorry for her. In the end, it was all just because of jealousy.

"Sister, I don't mean to blame you, nor do I intend to make an accusation."

"Perhaps you lost these things at some other time, or maybe I just wanted to give them to you today."

“I also know that this ring is very important to you.”

Yang Wanqing stared at her face in disbelief, lost in thought for a moment.

"You're going to give it back to me?"

Xia Rongliu nodded heavily, her eyes filled with unwavering determination and fervor.