Yun Qingge gritted her teeth but still managed a smile as she said, “I don’t know how to dance either.”
“You don’t know how to do anything! What good are you?” The little princess grew increasingly dissatisfied, especially as her gaze swept over the half of Yun Qingge’s face covered by scars, a look of disgust appearing on her features.
Yun Qingge’s smile remained in place, appearing simple and foolish to outsiders.
“How disappointing. This has spoiled our royal grandmother’s enjoyment,” the young girl added, her tone proud and somewhat sharp.
Yun Qingge felt her anger rising steadily within her.
This damned girl was only twelve years old and already this arrogant and unreasonable—who would dare marry her when she grew up!
In this extremely awkward atmosphere, Ye Feimo, who had been watching from the sidelines all along, suddenly spoke up: “Mother, your son and Qingge can perform together. Have a zither prepared for me.”
His words startled everyone, and they all looked over in shock.
Yun Qingge hastily tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “I don’t know how to dance!”
“Whatever,” he said coldly, as if he had no intention of caring whether she lived or died.
Yun Qingge’s mouth twitched violently, frustration building in her heart.
The Empress Dowager gave Ye Feimo a deep, sidelong glance and nodded. “Someone, prepare a zither for Jingwang.”
So the couple was going to perform in harmony—zither and dance?
Two palace maids immediately brought a zither table and set it down.
Yun Qingge looked at Ye Feimo, watching his elegantly boned hands rest upon the strings, his long fingers testing the notes. Setting aside the mask on his face, the man appeared remarkably handsome and refined.
She closed her eyes briefly, then steeled herself and walked to the center of the hall.
If she could have refused to dance before, now that Ye Feimo had already volunteered to play, there was no way to back out.
She stood in the center of the hall as the zither music drifted over, note by note.
Each note seemed to pull at her like an invisible thread, and gradually her hands and feet began to move in time with the melody, without the slightest awkwardness.
Before her transmigration, she had been a doctor, and during her university years she had learned some folk dance, so her movements wouldn’t be too unsightly.
The zither music was by turns gentle and impassioned, and Yun Qingge’s dance transformed into various graceful movements to match it.
Everyone was stunned.
Even Ye Tianjue, with his flawless handsome features, seemed taken aback, staring at the lithe figure dancing, feeling as though there was something he had overlooked.
Ye Feimo also narrowed his eyes slightly, observing Yun Qingge’s dance.
He had always felt that this princess of his… seemed to harbor many secrets.
The piece ended, the final note fading from the man’s fingertips.
Everyone remained lost in the captivating melody, no one speaking.
Yun Qingge bowed to the Empress Dowager above. “Qingge has made a poor showing.”
The Empress Dowager seemed to snap back to reality and smiled. “Not bad at all. You danced beautifully. Someone, present the peony.”
The little princess let out a light snort. “Hmph, this was planted by our royal grandmother’s own hands. You’re lucky to have it!”
Yun Qingge laughed inwardly, but on the surface she had to feign polite gratitude.
Even if the Empress Dowager had grown it herself, she still found it distasteful—the peony was gaudy and tacky. She’d rather have a little wildflower from the roadside!
Just as she took her seat, a palace attendant finally brought tea to the table.
The Empress Dowager said, “Everyone, have a taste. This is the flower tea that the third Miss Yun mentioned. I find the flavor quite pleasant and rather enjoy it.”
Seeing the flower tea set on the table, Yun Qingge’s spirits lifted immediately.
This was the plot point from the book…
The teacup was placed beside Ye Feimo’s hand. She whipped her head around to look at him, and just as he was about to lift the cup, she snatched it away.
“My lord, the tea is still a bit hot. Let your wife blow on it for you.”
Without waiting for Ye Feimo to respond, she raised the cup to her lips and blew across the surface, deliberately blowing with excessive force so that flecks of saliva flew into the cup as well.
Ye Feimo: “…”
He had no idea what scheme this woman was cooking up now.
Yun Qingge caught the scent of a medicinal ingredient in the flower tea, her gaze turning sharp.
According to the book, this tea contained a drug that would trigger the poison in Can Wang’s body. It didn’t smell like poison, and imperial physicians wouldn’t detect anything amiss. But once this drug came into contact with the poison in Can Wang’s body, it would drive a person mad…
After blowing on it, she handed it back to Ye Feimo. “My lord, drink up.”
Because she had deliberately blown saliva into it, she was confident he wouldn’t drink it.
Naturally, Ye Feimo had no intention of drinking it now. With a look of disgust, he set the cup aside, the mask concealing the bulging veins on his forehead.
Yun Qingge, meanwhile, picked up her own cup and sniffed it. This cup was fine—just ordinary flower tea.
So it had indeed been planned.
Thankfully, she had prevented him from drinking it.
Over on the other side, Yun Wanyue was watching them, keeping track of their every move. Seeing the couple’s interaction, her delicate brows furrowed deeply.
A coincidence?
It didn’t seem like it!
But why had it happened so conveniently that Ye Feimo hadn’t touched that cup of tea?
The Cui Mian Shu had failed last time, and now this offering of flower tea had been avoided by him as well—what was going on?
…
Halfway through the flower appreciation banquet, Ye Feimo excused himself on the grounds of feeling unwell.
Yun Qingge took the initiative to push his wheelchair away.
But when she reached the palace gates, she noticed that the Houfu party was also just preparing to leave.
The Marquis passed by Yun Qingge without so much as a glance, but Yun Wanyue walked up beside her and called out, “Fourth Sister, your dance at today’s flower-viewing banquet was truly wonderful.”
Yun Qingge smiled. “Third Sister, you flatter me. I was just dancing carelessly. If Third Sister hadn’t sat out today, it wouldn’t have been my turn at all.”
See, she still had to butter up Yun Wanyue.
Hearing this praise, Yun Wanyue’s smile grew even gentler.
From the sound of it, she seemed no different from the usual Yun Qingge.
At that moment, Yun Miaoyin also sidled over and said, “Fourth Sister, would you like to come play in my carriage?”
After speaking, she instinctively glanced at Yun Wanyue, as if hoping Yun Wanyue would also chime in to keep Yun Qingge there.
Yun Qingge found it secretly amusing. She remembered that in the book, Yun Miaoyin hated the original owner the most—she’d nearly ruined the original owner’s face. Today she was suddenly being friendly and trying to pull her into a carriage? No way.
“No need. My prince is waiting for me.” She gave Yun Miaoyin a deliberately simple-minded grin.
As she spoke, she glanced sidelong at the man seated in the wheelchair. He wasn’t looking at her; the silver mask gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight. Yet a bone-chilling cold emanated from him, so intense that even the blazing sun overhead couldn’t dispel his frost.
Yun Miaoyin and Yun Wanyue both looked toward Ye Feimo, and feeling a cold that surpassed even the chill of an ice cavern three feet deep, they both shuddered.
Yun Miaoyin turned back around, growing increasingly impatient, and reached out to grab Yun Qingge’s arm firmly.
“Fourth Sister, don’t dawdle. We’re family—no need to be so distant! I’ve got lots of fun things in my carriage!”
Yun Qingge’s pupils contracted. She could already foresee that Yun Miaoyin was deliberately trying to pull a prank on her.
She remembered what was written in the book—the original owner had been tormented by Yun Miaoyin her whole life: having her face disfigured, being kicked into a mud pond, having her bed stuffed full of rats. Such malicious deeds, and in the end, Yun Wanyue would always comfort the original owner.
That was why the original owner trusted Yun Wanyue so completely.
Without even needing to see it for herself, she could already guess what strange things were waiting in that carriage.
Yun Miaoyin was still yanking her toward the Houfu carriage. Just as they were about to reach it, Yun Qingge’s other arm was grabbed by Yun Wanyue.
“Sixth Sister, stop your nonsense! Fourth Sister is now Jing Wangfei. Are you plotting another prank?”
Yun Miaoyin pouted. “Third Sister, you’ve misunderstood. I was just—”
Before Yun Miaoyin could finish, Yun Wanyue caught sight of a pale blue figure now approaching the palace gates, and she immediately let out a cry of pain.
“Ah!” She gasped, suddenly lowering her head to look.