Lin Yi’s mind was a chaotic ss, as though seven or eight small drums were beating incessantly, leaving him restless and even causing the normally steady carriage he drove to jolt and sway.
"What’s wrong with Lin Yi? Did we leave too late today? Why is he driving the carriage so hurriedly?"
Lin Yuan’s body swayed repeatedly with the jolts of the carriage, the nurous accessories adorning her hairpiece shaking with the motion. She felt like her tightly secured hairstyle was about to unravel, and quickly reached up to steady it.
But as soon as she raised her hand, her balance was thrown off, and her entire fra toppled straight into Xia Zheng’s arms.
Xia Zheng smoothly wrapped his arms around her petite figure, a smug and self-satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"Indeed, we must have left late today. Just look at Lin Yi rushing like this! Shall I ask him to slow down?"
Though he spoke words of complaint, Xia Zheng was secretly delighted. Lin Yi clearly got the point after a re hint—what an astute young man!
After hearing Xia Zheng ntion the lateness, Lin Yuan dared not let Lin Yi slow down.
After all, this was a palace banquet, and arriving late might an not even getting through the palace gates. While she could afford to be nonchalant, wasn’t Xia Zheng seated beside her?
The entire General Mansion had co, and if Xia Zheng were the only one absent, General Xia would undoubtedly storm the streets wielding his saber, chasing Xia Zheng up and down!
Lin Yuan wasn’t sure if Lin Yi was driving the carriage too fast or what. No matter the cause, the journey was a bumpy one until they finally reached the palace gates.
The mont the carriage curtain was lifted, fresh air flooded her nostrils, and Lin Yuan felt as if her entire body reawakened, like her vitality had been restored.
Could the nausea and dizziness she’d just experienced actually be motion sickness?
How ironic that soone once known as a nace on horseback would now beco a delicate lady prone to motion sickness—such a twist of fate!
Once inside the palace gates, carriages could go no further, and from there the journey would be continued by sedan chairs.
Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng disembarked together, and sharp-eyed palace attendants quickly brought forward the sedan chairs prepared for the two of them.
Before they could step into the sedan chairs, a familiar voice sounded from behind them.
"Ah, isn’t that Cousin Zheng? Oh, and Princess Pingxi! My deepest apologies for not recognizing you sooner!"
Upon hearing this nauseating voice, Lin Yuan once again felt uncomfortable all over. She exchanged a glance with Xia Zheng before the two of them turned in unison.
Before them stood Second Prince Zhao Hongsheng, accompanied by a large group of people, mostly officials from the court who were close to him politically.
Lin Yuan didn’t recognize many of them, but there were a few faces she was quite familiar with.
Among them were Magistrate Tang Qing and his daughter Tang Ruyan from Yecheng, and of course, Yao Hanai, the eldest daughter of the Mansion of the Grand Scholar, who had recently grown close to Zhao Hongsheng.
As for Tang Ruyan and Tang Qing, Lin Yuan felt indifferent.
But Yao Hanai was a different matter. Lin Yuan didn’t even need to look directly at her to feel the venomous glare boring into her back.
Lin Yuan’s lips curved into a graceful smile.
Having not seen Yao Hanai in a while, Lin Yuan had almost forgotten about the despicable things she’d tried to do to Xia Zheng in the past. But eting her here today was surely a gift of fate.
Since the heavens had orchestrated this mont, how could she miss such an excellent opportunity to upset Yao Hanai?
Her lips curled further into a smile. Without waiting for Xia Zheng to react, she reached out and linked her arm with his, leaning intimately against him. Turning her head, she bead brightly at Xia Zheng and said, "Ah Zheng, isn’t today’s weather simply marvelous?"
Being so openly linked arm-in-arm with Lin Yuan in front of a crowd, Xia Zheng found himself both surprised and flattered.
But both of them had a natural flair for mischief, and with just one look, they instantly understood each other’s intentions.
Smiling, Xia Zheng raised his hand to gently pat Lin Yuan’s soft, fair hand resting on his arm and nodded. "The scenery certainly is beautiful. It’s just a sha Lin Yi didn’t park at the right spot, letting us stumble upon so unsightly folk and ruin our enjoynt of the view."
The "unsightly folk" imdiately displayed expressions of displeasure and awkwardness.
Especially Zhao Hongsheng, who had greeted Xia Zheng first, yet after so long, the pair before him paid him no mind and continued to talk amongst themselves—could they humiliate him any more thoroughly?
Feeling the aningful gazes of the officials behind him, Zhao Hongsheng’s expression beca even darker.
But no matter how bad it was, it couldn’t compare to the look on Yao Hanai’s face.
Yao Hanai had always imagined Xia Zheng as her future husband. How could she have anticipated this eting, where not only did he now have a publicly acknowledged fiancée, but she herself was stuck idly trailing behind Zhao Hongsheng, a man she thoroughly despised?
What was worse, she wasn’t the only one. She had to share his attention with Tang Ruyan, that harlot. The thought infuriated her to the extre!
"Cousin Zheng and Princess Pingxi truly make a loving couple. I hear your wedding is set for next June—let offer my congratulations in advance!"
Though Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng hadn’t intended to give Zhao Hongsheng the ti of day, Zhao Hongsheng was skilled at salvaging his own dignity.
As the saying goes, one doesn’t strike a smiling face. Since he had extended his congratulations, ignoring him further would be outright disrespectful.
Lin Yuan seized the mont to put on a shy expression, lowering her gaze slightly.
Xia Zheng, on the other hand, laughed heartily and responded, "Second Cousin, you’re far too kind. If anyone should be congratulated, it’s congratulating you! With two beauties by your side like Emperor E and Lady Ying, Second Cousin, your fortune with won is exceptional! Hahaha."
With that, he led Lin Yuan into the palace, even forsaking the sedan chairs, and unabashedly flaunted their closeness as they walked arm-in-arm.
Xia Zheng’s comnt left Zhao Hongsheng, Tang Ruyan, and Yao Hanai thoroughly mocked. The expressions on their faces were priceless.
Tang Ruyan was the fastest to react, attempting to calm the situation, "Your Highness, don’t be angry. Those two haven’t wed yet, and already they’re so openly affectionate. Surely people will gossip and criticize them for it!"
At that, it seed to make so sense.
Zhao Hongsheng’s expression improved slightly, but Yao Hanai rely scoffed coldly, mocking, "At least they’re betrothed. As for you and ? The ones truly inviting public scorn are probably us."
With that, she paid no further attention to Tang Ruyan or Zhao Hongsheng’s darkened expressions and entered the prepared sedan chair ahead of them.
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