“But A-Ye told me…”
Meng Jinyue pretended to be at a loss.
The Crown Prince’s voice grew even deeper. “I said, forget everything Xie Yunye told you. My leniency toward him does not extend to you.”
“Behave yourself. I dislike women like you, and I dislike you approaching me even more.”
The disdain in the Crown Prince’s words was too obvious. When had Meng Jinyue ever heard such harsh words? And where had she been misbehaving?
Tears immediately began to fall from her eyes.
But the person before her was the Crown Prince. How could she dare to question him?
Even when crying, Meng Jinyue dared not make a sound in front of the Crown Prince, so she could only lower her head even further.
Lin Shenghè sighed inwardly. His Highness was treating Miss Meng the Third as if she were a subordinate.
“Do you understand?”
Meng Jinyue sniffled, keeping her head down and not daring to look at him, nodding repeatedly like pounding garlic.
But even this did not satisfy the Crown Prince.
He also disliked how timid and weak Meng Jinyue appeared, finding her inability to speak up petty and unsophisticated.
“Look up! Although you are a concubine-born daughter of the Meng household, you are still a young lady from a noble family. How will you ever stand on your own in the future if you carry yourself like this?”
Meng Jinyue dared not disobey the Crown Prince’s command.
She raised her head, and the Crown Prince saw a face streaked with tears.
Meng Jinyue bit her lip tightly. Her exceptionally beautiful eyes were now brimming with tears, the corners red and damp from crying, presenting an utterly pitiful sight.
“Why are you crying?”
The Crown Prince asked, though this time his voice was not as cold and hard as before.
He had never expected that just a few words from him would make her cry.
Was this how she had managed to control Xie Yunye?
Meng Jinyue trembled again, the hem of her clothes crumpled and wrinkled from her clutching.
“This humble girl was wrong.”
The Crown Prince had very little contact with women and had almost never seen a woman’s tears.
He had originally intended to question her about what exactly she had done wrong, but facing those tearful, misty eyes, he ultimately refrained from asking.
“Stop crying.”
The Crown Prince wanted to stop her tears, but his expressionless face and icy tone only made Meng Jinyue cry even more.
For a moment, he felt inexplicably irritated.
“What are you crying for! I remember that in front of Meng Jinrong before, you were not this timid and fearful. Why are you so cowardly and weak now, only letting her bully you?”
The Crown Prince looked at her coldly, always harboring some suspicion that she was putting on an act, and thus instinctively felt even more displeasure toward her.
In this life, he detested most of all women who were hypocritical and scheming.
“Speak!”
The Crown Prince reprimanded sternly.
Meng Jinyue trembled in fright and quickly looked up, speaking through sobs, “I… this humble girl understands.”
Meng Jinyue guessed in her heart that the Crown Prince had seen her provoking Meng Jinrong that day.
At that time, she had indeed wanted to make Meng Jinrong upset and miserable.
Meng Jinyue had been waiting for the right moment to explain, and now she had finally found it.
With trembling hands, she wiped the tears from her face. “Before, A-Ye was there. A-Ye protected me, so I… I naturally dared to be a bit more arrogant.”
“Now that A-Ye is not by my side, and Your Highness dislikes this humble girl, I… I can only be more timid, lie low, and how would I dare to cause trouble?”
“So even if Second Sister still wants to ruin me like last time, I plan to endure it silently and wait until A-Ye returns.”
“When A-Ye is by my side again, I will find Second Sister and pay her back.”
After speaking, Meng Jinyue cautiously looked up to gauge the Crown Prince’s expression.
She thought her movements were subtle, but as soon as she looked up, she met the Crown Prince’s narrow, pitch-black eyes.
Meng Jinyue immediately shrank back like a rabbit.
Her appearance was somewhat comical and ridiculous.
“You certainly know how to take advantage of your position and assess the situation.”
“Before, Xie Yunye always said you were kind-hearted. I truly thought you were a living bodhisattva.”
But it was this version of Meng Jinyue that the Crown Prince found genuine.
The woman Xie Yunye spoke of was too perfect—how could the Crown Prince possibly believe it? He would only think it hypocritical.
“I… I like Xie Yunye, so naturally, I want to leave the best impression in his heart.”
“But I’m also human. I can’t just stand by when my second sister tries to harm me repeatedly. I hold grudges too. I remember everything others do to me.”
“When my second sister bullies me, I… I just want to provoke her, to let her know I’m not easy to mess with either!”
Her cheeks puffed out, and her words sounded fierce.
The Crown Prince scoffed. “Not easy to mess with? You?”
“Go back. Don’t come looking for me unless necessary in the future. If something happens, find Lin Shenghè. I’ll also send someone to warn your elder sister.”
By now, the Crown Prince’s tone was no longer as harsh as before.
“Oh, thank you, Your Highness.”
Meng Jinyue sniffled.
She knew that today’s incident had at least dispelled the Crown Prince’s dislike for her.
It was still somewhat of a gain.
In the following days, things remained relatively calm.
“Miss, the second young lady actually hasn’t come to trouble you again?”
Qiu Ning’s tone still held disbelief.
“His Highness must have warned them behind the scenes.”
“Should the young lady send something to thank His Highness?”
Qiu Ning’s eyes darted around. “With General Xie away, His Highness is now the young lady’s greatest support. Naturally, we should try to please him.”
Even the usually quiet Qiu Zhi spoke up: “The master previously suggested that the young lady could make some mung bean cakes and send them over.”
Qiu Ning was stunned. “His Highness likes mung bean cakes too? I thought he would prefer more expensive pastries?”
“I… I don’t dare send anything over. His Highness said before that I shouldn’t bother him.”
Qiu Ning and Qiu Zhi initially wanted to persuade her, but seeing Meng Jinyue’s resolute expression, they had no choice but to drop the matter.
Of course, Meng Jinyue wanted to win over the Crown Prince as soon as possible. Her time wasn’t exactly short, but it wasn’t long either.
Yet sometimes, doing nothing was better.
Meng Jinyue was waiting—waiting for news of Xie Yunye’s death in battle.
For now, she was still Xie Yunye’s fiancée.
Even with Xie Yunye’s entrustment, getting too close to the Crown Prince would seem too purposeful and might easily arouse his suspicion.
Moreover, no matter how attentive she was now, the Crown Prince would only see her as his good brother’s woman.
“How is she doing over there?”
The Crown Prince rubbed his temples as he asked.
Although the Crown Prince didn’t specify, Lin Shenghè knew whom His Highness was referring to.
Aside from matters at the border and in the court, the only person who could slightly distract His Highness now was this Third Young Lady Meng.
After all, she was Xie Yunye’s beloved.
“For now, it’s fine. Although Meng Jinrong occasionally causes trouble for her, she hasn’t tried to act as she did last time. The eldest young lady of the Meng family has also been persuading Meng Jinrong to behave.”
Lin Shenghè nodded. “Since she’s the woman Xie Yunye likes, and even though she’s been enduring grievances lately, she hasn’t come to complain. That’s enough to show she’s decent.”
The Crown Prince pinched his brow. “It’s good if nothing major happens.”
After saying this, the Crown Prince fell silent, focusing only on handling official matters.
But just as the two finished speaking, a eunuch came to report.
“Your Highness, the Third Miss Meng has sent some food—a bowl of noodles.”
Lin Shenghè was slightly taken aback.
He had just praised this Third Miss for being well-behaved and not disturbing His Highness excessively, so why was she sending something now?
The Crown Prince frowned. “Send it back!”
The eunuch bowed and nodded, about to leave when the Crown Prince called out to stop him.
“Wait!”
The Crown Prince suddenly remembered what Xie Yunye had instructed Meng Jinyue before leaving.
“Bring it up!”
The eunuch was stunned, and so was Lin Shenghè.
His Highness never accepted any favors from women. Even if Xie Yunye had entrusted Meng Jinyue to His Highness, would His Highness really go so far as to force himself?
Lin Shenghè was puzzled, his eyes fixed intently on the Crown Prince.
“Leave!”
The Crown Prince had no intention of explaining to Lin Shenghè.
When he was alone in the tent, he opened the food box.
Inside was a bowl of longevity noodles and a note.
“Your Highness, happy birthday.”
Birthday—ever since his mother’s death, no one had dared to celebrate or even mention his birthday.