Seeing Ye Min about to step into the courtyard, Qingge swiftly changed her tone, her face turning blank as she glanced toward the gate with puzzlement. “Your Highness, who is that?”
Ning Wang replied nonchalantly, “A subordinate.”
“Oh… then…” Qingge responded, putting on a somewhat helpless, embarrassed look, “In that case, Your Highness, this consort should not disturb your business. Shall I return to my room?”
Ning Wang was slightly puzzled but nodded nonetheless. “That’s fine.” Clearly, he did not wish to spend much effort dealing with his soon-to-be wife, as long as she remained obedient.
As he nodded, the gate was pushed open, and at the same time, Qingge had already turned around. The person stepping into the courtyard was none other than Ye Min, the Pavilion Master of Qianying Pavilion.
Ye Min was a man in his prime, dressed in dark robes, with jet-black hair draped over his shoulders. A serious injury in the past had left him with an impediment on his legs, so he always moved about with his signature silver cane.
Before he had even crossed the threshold, Ye Min noticed the woman in a light green dress next to Ning Wang, her back just turned away. The courtyard, enveloped in mist under the chilly spring night rain, was filled with the faint shadows of flowers swaying in the breeze.
As the woman in green turned, the fluttering of her garments sparked a strange sense of familiarity within him.
Without pausing to ponder, Ye Min approached Ning Wang and bowed, “Greetings to Your Highness.” Though his leg was impaired, it caused no serious issue; his lightness skills remained excellent, and the cane was merely an aid.
Ning Wang put his hands behind his back and nodded slightly, “How did it go?”
Ye Min replied, “Everything has been arranged, Your Highness. There will be no mishaps at tomorrow’s wedding.”
“Good.”
As he delivered his report, Ye Min’s gaze shifted to the direction of the room. The woman had already reached the door and was about to push it open.
Ning Wang naturally noticed Ye Min’s keen attention on his fiancée, his brows slightly raising with a questioning look in his eyes.
Ye Min tentatively asked, “Is that… the young lady of the Xiahou clan?”
“Yes,” Ning Wang replied. His expression was cold, tinged with displeasure. It was improper for any subordinate to stare so intently at the back of the future Wangfei, no matter the reason.
Ye Min realized this, his brow furrowing slightly as he explained, “I almost mistook her just now, thinking she was someone familiar. If she’s Miss Xiahou, I must have been mistaken.”
Ning Wang cast a sidelong glance at him. “You, mistaken?”
By then, Qingge had entered the room and closed the door behind her. The moment the door shut, she finally let out a breath of relief. She had been trained by Ye Min himself, revealing everything about her in the process. Ye Min knew her so well, perhaps even better than she knew herself, so he was the one person she had to avoid at all costs.
Even if the resemblance between the secret guard Qingge and Xiahou Jianxue could be attributed to coincidence, Qingge knew that once Ye Min saw her, she would not be able to maintain her disguise under his probing gaze. She would definitely be exposed.
Ye Min’s unwavering loyalty to Ning Wang meant that the moment he discovered the truth, death was her only end.
‘This job’s really not worth the risk!’ Leaning lightly against the closed wooden door, Qingge exhaled softly.
In the future, whenever she takes a job, she must thoroughly investigate the client down to their ancestors!
But would there even be a future for her?
A bitter feeling welled up inside Qingge.
…
In the evening, Qingge began contemplating how she should act. Her reverence toward her master Ning Wang was carved deep into her being, and she had to somehow overcome it in order to better play the role of a proud young lady of the Xiahou clan.
After a long, hard pondering, she finally made up various strategies for different situations, but Ning Wang did not see her again and left the post station that night. His departure was reported by a maidservant, which meant that Ning Wang had left without a word, skipping even the usual greetings to his fiancée.
Although he seemed captivated by his fiancée’s beauty and even spoke in such a gentle tone, deep down, he was still the same arrogant and indifferent man. To him, the daughter of the Xiahou clan was nothing more than a tool for political marriage, a decoration to bring into his manor.
This behavior was very much in line with Ning Wang’s usual demeanor. Born with peerless beauty into the most noble lineage, he had been the object of countless women’s admiration since he started to mature at the age of thirteen or fourteen, drawing them like moths to a flame. The persistent attention had caused him to develop a strong dislike, even contempt, for women. He didn’t even have a single maid attending to him because he did not want anyone eyeing his looks. The only exception was Cui Gugu, a court lady appointed by Noble Consort Tan, whose competence and professionalism enabled her to remain in Ning Wang’s service.
It was thus entirely in character for Ning Wang to treat his soon-to-be Wangfei with indifference. Qingge didn’t mind this neglect—she actually preferred it. They needed to consummate the marriage for her to collect the thirty thousand taels of payment, but afterward, the more distant he remained, the better. She had once looked forward to enjoying a handsome husband, but not someone like Ning Wang—unpredictable, ruthless, and cold.
To her, Ning Wang was not a man but a master, a lord. As far as she was concerned, they might as well belong to different species, and she could not feel affection for him.
In order to achieve this suitable estrangement, perhaps she could feign admiration for his appearance after the wedding night? This thought briefly crossed Qingge’s mind. Given Ning Wang’s disgust of women’s admiration, that would surely make him keep his distance, allowing her to breeze through the next five months while enjoying the lavish lifestyle of a Wangfei. The best ending, of course, was for her to safely secure sixty thousand taels, perhaps even accumulating some bonus items in the process.
Once everything was planned out, Qingge felt somewhat relieved. Unfortunately, just as she let out a sigh of relief and prepared to step outside for some fresh air, she caught sight of Ye Min standing outside the courtyard.
She immediately retreated, of course!
After questioning a maidservant, Qingge learned that Ye Min had stayed behind to protect her under Ning Wang’s order.
‘Come on, who needs his protection!?’
Qingge felt somewhat helpless. If she had to choose between Ye Min and Ning Wang, she would rather face Ning Wang. Ning Wang was the master she both respected and dreaded, but he knew nothing about her.
To be precise, Ning Wang had never taken any interest in the secret guards under his command. In his eyes, those secret guards were just chess pieces, not worth his attention at all, so it was impossible for him to recognize her as ‘Qingge.’
But Ye Min was different. He had trained the secret guards for years and possessed sharp eyes. She might be able to deceive the entire world, but not Ye Min.
But there was no alternative—she could only take things one step at a time.
The only comfort was that the bridal entourage left behind by Ning Wang had finally arrived at the post station. Luo Momo had come, as had Mo Jingxi, along with the rest of the Xiahou people.
Once inside the room, Luo Momo’s sharp gaze fixed on Qingge. “What did His Highness Ning Wang say to you?”
Hearing this, Qingge looked at Luo Momo, raising her brows slightly.
Taken aback by the aloof air of superiority in that indifferent gaze, Luo Momo paused. After a moment of surprise, she reined in her expression and said again, “This old servant was simply worried about your safety, Miss. Were you frightened?”
Qingge stood up, her expression cold. “Luo Momo, don’t think I don’t know. You’ve always been close to my second aunt. In the past, you used your authority to exert control over me. Now, even though you accompany me as part of my dowry, you dare act insolently and look down on me, your master. Do you think I will continue to tolerate this? Do you think Ning Wang Manor will tolerate such a servant?”
Luo Momo was initially confused when she heard this, but then realization dawned, and her expression changed significantly.
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Their chemistry – not romantic yet – makes me anticipate what will happen as the tenor of their relationship shifts! The drama b*tch in me wants the swap back to the OG to take place before he finds out. A little comeuppance will be a long time coming. Not that he isn’t justified in disliking being objectified…it’s everything else that’s the problem lol.
Was Luo Momo so caught up in thinking of the fake as an upstart she has to keep reins on that she also underestimated the prince’s household and forgot about spies lol….ma’am wake up those brain cells! This is not the time to be tunnel-visioning onto your bad attitude about working class girls lol