[So she's Pei Yunluo, the peerless, invincible fool for love? For her so-called "true love," she defied her family and would rather sever ties with them than give up marrying him.]
[Born rich, fair, and beautiful, she had everything as the cherished jewel of the Chancellor's Residence and a Commandery Princess, yet she lowered herself to chase that true love of hers and become a peerless bootlicker doomed to a miserable end. There's seriously something wrong with her.]
[If I were her parents, I'd send her straight to the countryside to do farmwork for a year. Let her learn how hard life is and cure that peerless love-addled brain of hers.]
Hearing those words, Pei Yunluo's expression instantly darkened, and she looked toward the source of the voice.
What a juicy melon of gossip!
Subtle changes flickered across everyone's faces.
Commandery Princess Yunluo wanted to sever ties with her family for a pretty-boy lover, and she had even lowered herself to pursue him. She really had enjoyed too many good days. Everyone silently reached the same conclusion, then looked toward Pei Yunluo in unison.
Princess Yongle's brows knitted tightly when she heard those words. Her daughter had fallen for a man? She had even lowered herself to chase him, and wanted to sever ties with her family just to be with him?!
As she pondered this, the voice rang out again.
[I haven't offended Pei Yunluo, have I? Why is she glaring at me with fire shooting from her eyes?]
"You..." Pei Yunluo glared angrily at Ning Sang-sang. She opened her mouth to curse her out, but no sound came.
Ning Sang-sang looked at her in utter bewilderment. "Commandery Princess Yunluo, what did I do?"
"You..." Pei Yunluo wanted to curse her out in anger, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not make a sound. All she could do was glare at her.
Watching Pei Yunluo glare angrily at Ning Sang-sang, Su Miaoling wondered, Why is Pei Yunluo so hostile toward this girl? Do they know each other?
Before Pei Yunluo could speak, Princess Yongle said, "Enough, Yunluo. Stop making a fuss for no reason. Third Miss Ning hasn't offended you. Why are you glaring at her?"
"Mother, she..." Pei Yunluo wanted to tell Princess Yongle what Ning Sang-sang had said, but she could not get the words out.
Pei Yunluo grew frantic. Damn it, why can't I say it?!
And why does everyone look so calm? Can they not hear this wretched girl insulting me?
Everyone maintained a calm expression only because they did not want Ning Sang-sang to realize they could hear her thoughts. Inside, they were all squealing, Heavens, heavens! as they eagerly feasted on the gossip.
Before Pei Yunluo could make sense of it, Su Miaoling's concerned voice rang out again. "Commandery Princess Yunluo, what's wrong?"
Hearing Su Miaoling's concerned voice, Pei Yunluo came back to her senses. She looked at Su Miaoling and asked, "Miaoling, you..." But she could not voice the question she wanted to ask.
Pei Yunluo grew frantic. She glared angrily at Ning Sang-sang, convinced that she must have used some sinister trick to keep her from speaking.
Ning Sang-sang was utterly bewildered, with no idea what madness had come over her.
[Pei Yunluo, why are you glaring at me? And do you realize your eyes look like the two of dots on a mahjong tile right now? It's really ugly.]
Pei Yunluo's expression instantly turned ugly. She opened her mouth to curse, but before she could speak, Ning Sang-sang beat her to it.
[Pei Yunluo's face is like a chameleon. It's changed colors several times in just a few seconds. Honestly...]
"Ahem, ahem." Seeing how ugly Pei Yunluo's expression had become, Madam Jiang hastily coughed a few times to interrupt Ning Sang-sang's thoughts. Then she looked at her and parted her lips, about to say something, when Princess Yongle spoke. "Yunluo, this is Third Miss Ning's first visit to the Chancellor's Residence. Take her and Sixth Miss Su for a stroll in the garden. Be a good hostess."
Princess Yongle did not want everyone to hear unpleasant things about her daughter, so she found an excuse to have her daughter take Ning Sang-sang away.
Pei Yunluo wanted to hear Ning Sang-sang's thoughts, so she readily agreed.
Ning Sang-sang wanted to wander around and feast on gossip about the people attending the Flower-Viewing Banquet, so she followed Pei Yunluo and Su Miaoling out of the hall.
Madam Jiang watched her daughter's retreating figure with deep concern. Now that she was not at her daughter's side to remind her, who knew how much her daughter might say in her head?
Watching Ning Sang-sang leave, the gossip-hungry guests suddenly felt hollow inside. Alas, they really wanted to follow her and feast on more gossip.
Pei Yunluo walked in silence with her brows furrowed. By now, she was certain she could hear Ning Sang-sang's thoughts.
Seeing Pei Yunluo's furrowed brows and unhappy expression, Su Miaoling asked with concern, "Commandery Princess Yunluo, what's wrong?"
Before Pei Yunluo could speak, Ning Sang-sang cut in with her thoughts:
[What else could be wrong? She's probably thinking about that pretty boy Zhang Yu. She gave him her whole heart, without knowing that his feelings for her aren't genuine at all. He only set his sights on her title and status as a Commandery Princess, then schemed to get close to her.]
Pei Yunluo's expression turned ugly at those words. Utter nonsense. My Jade Darling isn't that sort of person. He's a noble-minded, upright man. Back then, when I went off alone to have fun on the mountain behind Cien Temple, I encountered a man with ill intentions toward me. My Jade Darling risked his own life to save me. How could a man like that possibly be such a villain?
As though she knew what Pei Yunluo was thinking, Ning Sang-sang continued:
[Speaking of why Pei Yunluo fell so hopelessly in love with Zhang Yu, it was because she once went off alone to have fun on the mountain behind Cien Temple and encountered a man with ill intentions toward her. Then Zhang Yu appeared and saved her. He had a handsome face, and Pei Yunluo, whose heart was just awakening to love, fell for him at first sight.]
[Then he took a step back to advance, crafting an image of himself as an upright man who sacrificed himself to save others and wanted nothing in return. He had Pei Yunluo spinning in circles, hopelessly in love with him. Little did she know that this supposed hero rescuing a beauty had all been planned by Zhang Yu. He had hired the man with ill intentions, all to capture her heart.]
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