The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

"What about my cousin?"

Jing Anle suddenly spoke up, "What does Cousin think of Aunt Cao?"

Qin Zhihua was probably surprised that Jing Anle would ask such a question. She was taken aback at first, and then said, "Aunt Cao is kind, polite, talented, beautiful, and knows her place." She listed many of her virtues without even realizing it herself.

This was exactly what Qin Anle was worried about: what exactly was Aunt Cao's purpose?

Halfway through her sentence, Qin Zhihua realized, "Why does the princess ask about Aunt Cao?"

"I was just curious. I knew Aunt Cao was a wonderful person when we met last time. No wonder my cousin likes her so much."

The two exchanged a smile, thus putting the matter behind them.

……

After leaving Qin Zhihua's courtyard, Jing Anle casually leaned against a pavilion chair by the lake. She didn't know if she would run into Aunt Cao, but there were only so many places to go in the backyard, so she still wanted to try her luck.

Afang stood quietly to the side, holding half a jar of bait in her hand.

The lake water was clear and green, and fish swam freely. Jing Anle was lost in thought. She had intended to wait for Aunt Cao here, but unexpectedly, she ran into Xie Bailing again.

"May the princess be well."

Including the time I just arrived, this is the second time I've seen this Young Master Xie today. If the first time was a coincidence, the second time was probably intentional.

"Young Master Xie finished his game of chess so quickly?"

Jing Anle simply tilted her head slightly, then tossed the fish food into the water. A group of goldfish scrambled for the food, creating ripples in the water.

"Is the princess also interested in chess?"

"Young Master Xie misunderstands. My chess skills are not good and cannot compare to yours."

Jing Anle spoke calmly, showing no sign of anger, only the innate arrogance of a princess, which was unbearable for most people.

"Your Highness is too kind to me," Xie Bailing said without changing his expression, even bowing slightly.

"I've heard that my cousin and Young Master Xie are kindred spirits, but I can't see it coming from them." Jing Anle stood up abruptly, staring intently at Xie Bailing, her eyes full of inquiry.

Her words implied that she suspected Xie Bailing's motives were impure.

Xie Bailing chuckled softly.

"Does Young Master Xie also find it laughable?" Jing Anle said calmly, his voice carrying a chill.

"I thought the princess was a person of strong emotions." After saying that, Xie Bailing met Jing Anle's eyes. "When people interact, in addition to status and position, there is also the concept of confidant."

There was a moment of silence in the air.

"Don't be so presumptuous!" Afang shouted from the side.

Jing Anle waved his hand and smiled, "Thank you for your kind words, Young Master."

"You're just the son of a fifth-rank official, how dare you speak to me like that? Putting aside whether you're even smart enough, my personality has been like this since childhood, and the whole palace knows it. What? You didn't know?"

Xie Bailing simply stood there quietly, a hint of a smile in his eyes, thinking to himself: This Princess Anle is rather adorable; she looks fierce and aggressive, but in reality…

"Young Master Xie, so you've been here all along."

Qin Xiuyuan searched for a long time before finally finding Xie Bailing. Wasn't he told to wait at the previous place? How did he end up here?

"The princess is here too?" He paused, then quickly bowed, "Greetings, Princess."

“Cousin, there’s no need for such formalities.” Jing Anle had originally intended to give Xie Bailing a warning, but now that Qin Xiuyuan had come out, she couldn’t say it directly. She always felt that Xie Bailing was not simple, as if he was wearing a mask.

"General Qin, you've come at the perfect time. I was just looking for you when I happened to run into the princess."

Qin Xiuyuan's eyes never left Jing Anle from the moment he first saw her. Although he tried his best to suppress it, Jing Anle still felt his burning gaze.

"Is this the 'Spring Day' painting?"

Seeing Qin Xiuyuan's attitude, Xie Bailing felt somewhat annoyed. Glancing at the scroll in Qin Xiuyuan's hand, he changed the subject to the painting.

"Oh~"

"It is precisely the posthumous work of the Hermit of Yaoshan..."

Jing Anle was unwilling to join in, and simply said, "In that case, I will not disturb my cousin and Young Master Xie's discussion of poetry and books."

"Farewell, Princess."

Xie Bailing bowed directly. He had wanted to find an opportunity to be alone with Jing Anle, but Qin Xiuyuan arrived so quickly. Qin Xiuyuan's gaze was so intense that, for some reason, he felt very irritated.

As soon as she left the garden, two maids carrying trays walked towards Jing Anle.

"See Princess."

Jing Anle had visited the General's Mansion many times, and the people in the mansion were already familiar with her identity.

"What is this?" Jing Anle's eyes were fixed on the soup on the tray.

The maid was already afraid of Jing Anle's status, so she naturally answered every question, "Your Highness, this is a tonic soup that the old lady ordered to be made for Concubine Cao."

Jing Anle walked over, gently lifted the lid, and sure enough, there was a large bowl of pure white soup, with a fragrant aroma.

Although the maid didn't understand what Jing Anle was going to do, she didn't dare to stop her.

"You go."

Watching the backs of the two maids, Jing Anle's eyes shifted repeatedly.

Afang, standing to the side, was equally bewildered. "Princess?"

"Go and have a look."

"Yes."

……

Before Jing Anle even reached Qingyi Pavilion, he heard some servants whispering among themselves.

"This Aunt Cao has really turned her luck around. She became pregnant and went from a sparrow to a phoenix."

"It wasn't because of her that the old lady moved all the peach trees in the garden that were decades old."

Now it seems that Aunt Cao's pregnancy is the biggest event in the General's Mansion.

"Princess, shall we go in?"

Looking at the three characters "Qingyixuan" written on the door, Jing Anle felt a strange feeling.

"Since we're here, let's go in and take a look."

Just now, there were two maids coming this way, but now they were nowhere to be seen. Afang stepped forward to knock on the door, but as soon as she touched it, the door opened straight up.

Just as Afang was about to step into the garden, Jing Anle suddenly exclaimed, "Afang!"

"Princess?"

Afang was somewhat puzzled and glanced at Jing Anle.

"Alright, it's getting late, let's go back to the palace."