Not long after breakfast the next morning, Minghai respectfully presented an exquisitely embroidered invitation in front of Pei Qingmin.
Pei Qingmin casually took the invitation, glanced over it twice, then tossed it onto the table as he said indifferently to Leng Yue’er across from him.
“The date on the invitation is tomorrow. Are you going?”
“Mm.” Leng Yue’er did not even look up as she gave a low hum and continued refining medicine in her hands.
Princess Changyu had married the Marquis of Jingyang. Under normal circumstances, the couple and their children resided in the Grand Princess Residence. The princess had one son and one daughter. Her son was the heir of the Marquis of Jingyang, while her daughter had been granted a title in the palace as County Lady Xiangrong. Rumor had it she was an exceptionally outstanding woman.
As a shadow guard, Leng Yue’er wandered casually through the streets, already far beyond the effective range of Prince Wei’s carriage. Whenever something caught her interest, she would pause to take a look. After circling through several streets like this, she finally saw the Grand Princess Residence in the distance, with waiting servants and maids at the gate.
Pei Qingmin reclined inside the carriage, occasionally lifting the curtain at the back to glance outside, but there was no sign of Leng Yue’er anywhere. A faint irritation rose in him, and he let the curtain fall again with a dull mood.
The carriage of Prince Wei entered the residence without obstruction.
Not long after, Leng Yue’er leapt onto the rooftops and crouched down, waiting for the main characters of the excitement.
She did not have to wait long. The carriage of the Qu family entered through the side gate of the Grand Princess Residence. After turning a corner, it arrived at the area designated for carriages.
Yudong got down first. Hongmei followed, carrying a qin case, then two maidservants stepped down. Finally, Yudong assisted Qu Moying out of the carriage.
A guiding old maid walked ahead slowly, occasionally glancing back to observe them. When she noticed Qu Moying pause, she began smiling and introducing the scenery around them.
The Grand Princess Residence was indeed quiet and elegant. It was slightly larger than Prince Wei’s residence, with pavilions and towers arranged in a leisurely, composed manner.
Suddenly, Qu Moying stopped in her tracks. Leng Yue’er followed her gaze and saw a newly built pavilion-like structure, small but exquisitely crafted, with carved beasts on its octagonal corners.
The old maid spoke proudly.
“This was built from a design purchased at great expense by our heir. Even His Highness the Crown Prince praised it and said he would build one in the Eastern Palace.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Qu Moying turned and left without a word of praise, leaving the old maid somewhat disappointed as she quickly followed to continue guiding the way.
After passing through several winding corridors and a side gate, they arrived at a flower hall where several young ladies were already gathered.
County Lady Xiangrong greeted Qu Moying first with a gentle attitude. Leng Yue’er glanced at them, finding little interest, then turned to look for her own prince.
After searching around and failing to find him, she comforted herself that the residence was probably too large. She did not insist on searching further and returned to the flower hall instead.
Just then, County Lady Jingyu arrived. Xiangrong and the other young ladies went out to welcome her and introduced Qu Moying, whom she did not seem to know. After a few polite exchanges, someone brought up the fact that both Qu Moying and Liu Jingyu were wearing jade fan accessories.
Someone with ill intent remarked, “County Lady Jingyu and Fourth Miss Qu must have agreed on it beforehand, haven’t they?”
“I, with Fourth Miss Qu?” Liu Jingyu asked with a light laugh.
A young lady in pink silk looked up and sneered loudly. “If that is the case, then it is truly a joke. Fourth Miss Qu.”
She then added with a smile that did not reach her eyes, “My apologies, I did not mean to say you are unworthy. Please do not take offense.”
This young lady was unfamiliar to Qu Moying, but someone else spoke up for her.
“Miss He, it seems you have become quite close with County Lady Jingyu since arriving in the capital.”
The speaker was Zhu Yanchu, the niece of Consort Zhu Jing’s maternal family. Miss He was the cousin of Prince Jing.
The exchange quickly turned into a back-and-forth of sharp words.
In the end, the question was pushed back onto Qu Moying.
She looked slightly troubled and said slowly, “Why don’t we compare my fan and County Lady Jingyu’s? That should show whose design is truly more refined.”
The meaning of her words varied depending on who heard them. To neutral observers, it sounded like light amusement. To those with ill intent, it seemed like submission.
As expected, Liu Jingyu responded gracefully, acknowledging her own fault in having similar accessories, speaking with apparent magnanimity.
Qu Moying, however, continued calmly, offering another polite remark that further softened the atmosphere.
From the rooftop, Leng Yue’er could not understand what these people’s minds were made of. If they disliked each other, why not simply avoid one another?
After thinking for a moment, she concluded that in this novel, the heroine seemed to attract people she disliked wherever she went, as though they were deliberately seeking discomfort. If something was unpleasant, it would be far simpler to eliminate the source entirely.
She stood up, stretched lazily, and scanned the surroundings. Soon she spotted Minghai beside Prince Wei’s carriage. With a quick movement, she headed toward him.
When she arrived, she realized he was actually with the Crown Prince. Pei Luo’an was sitting idly on a soft couch, playing a chess puzzle while Zhao Qingxuan attempted to solve it.
Leng Yue’er lifted a tile on the roof and peered down. Just as she did, Pei Qingmin looked up and caught her gaze. She curved her lips slightly at him, and he immediately straightened.
So she had finally come. She must have been wandering off somewhere to watch more excitement. He wondered where she kept finding so many things worth watching.
“Brother Crown Prince, Young Master Zhao, I will step out for some air,” he said, coughing lightly as he stood.
“Are you alright?” Pei Luo’an asked with concern. “You have only just recovered. You should not go out into the wind.”
“I am fine. Thank you for your concern,” Pei Qingmin replied, already walking toward the door.
Seeing he could not be stopped, Pei Luo’an did not insist further and only instructed a servant to follow.
Pei Qingmin stepped outside. Minghai immediately came forward, and he placed his hand on Minghai’s arm, gesturing for the servant not to follow. The two of them walked slowly until they reached an empty area.
From behind a rockery, Leng Yue’er emerged.
“You finished watching?” Pei Qingmin asked in a low voice.
“Not yet. The best part is still ahead,” she replied casually. Then she reached out and checked his pulse without hesitation.
Minghai frowned deeply at this, finding her behavior far too improper. How could she act so freely without any regard for propriety?
“I’m leaving. I’ll give you a live broadcast later,” Leng Yue’er said, turning to go.
But Pei Qingmin grabbed her sleeve.
“Can this prince come and watch as well?” His eyes shone slightly.
“You walk too slowly. By the time you arrive, everything will be over. Watching excitement requires continuity,” she replied.
“But you are this prince’s shadow guard. You should remain by my side,” Pei Qingmin said through gritted teeth. Even if he could not control her, she was still his responsibility.
“Fine,” she agreed surprisingly quickly.
Before he could react, Leng Yue’er suddenly pulled him into her arms. In the next moment, both of them were lifted into the air.
She stepped lightly on the ground, used the force from a nearby tree trunk, and landed on the roof of a building. The entire movement was swift and fluid, startling Pei Qingmin into instinctively grabbing her belt from behind.
On the ground, Minghai stared up blankly until both figures disappeared from sight, still unable to process what had just happened.