Seeing Sun Shaozong lift the curtain and enter from outside with a half-smile on his face, Ruan Rong knew that he had overheard her sharp, cutting remarks.
She regretted it terribly. Though she usually liked to throw little tantrums and assert her position before Xiang Ling and You Erjie, she had never been so merciless before.
But just now, she truly had been unable to control her emotions. Had Sun Shaozong arrived a few steps later, those sharp words might well have turned into outright insults.
"Second Master."
Ruan Rong rose uncertainly, not knowing how to explain herself. Yet Sun Shaozong unexpectedly strode forward, wrapped an arm around her willow-slender waist, swept her into his embrace, and openly pecked her on the lips.
That inexplicable, shy touch, mingled with a trace of delight, still lingered on Ruan Rong's lips.
Sun Shaozong then turned to the bewildered Ping Er and explained, "Don't be angry with her either. The Southern Borderlands Five Kingdoms have gone to war with the court, and she spent all last night worrying herself sick. Whatever nonsense she said today certainly wasn't from her heart."
Only then did Ping Er understand. She hurriedly offered a few comforting words, and she and Ruan Rong made peace.
Seeing how considerate Sun Shaozong was, more than half the sour resentment in Ruan Rong's heart dissipated. She apologized several times, then pointed toward the inner room. "It was wrong of me to take my anger out on Sister Ping Er. I'll lend you this room now, as an apology."
As she spoke, she instructed Yuanyang, who was watching the spectacle from the side, "Go fetch a fresh set of bedding, then tell the two concubines to come over for dinner later."
This gesture was far more effective than her earlier sarcasm. Ping