Zhang Yu had planned that whole hero-rescues-the-damsel act...
Nonsense. That wasn't how it happened. Although her words had planted a seed of doubt in Pei Yunluo's heart, she soon dismissed it. Zhang Yu did not know she was a commandery princess, and throughout their time together, he had never asked her for anything. This girl must be talking nonsense.
Forget it. No more wild guesses. Once the Flower-Viewing Banquet ends, I'll ask my eldest brother to have someone investigate that incident when Zhang Yu rescued me.
Back then, she had feared that if her family learned her love of playing around had nearly gotten her into trouble, they would assign a whole crowd of people to protect her, leaving her no chance to go out alone. So she had never told them she had almost met with disaster on the hill behind Ci'en Temple.
Now, however, after hearing what this girl had said, she desperately wanted to know whether it was true. If it was a lie, she would have someone beat that mouth of hers to a pulp.
"Commandery Princess Yunluo, are you all right?" Seeing that Pei Yunluo remained silent, Su Miaoling asked again.
Pei Yunluo snapped out of her thoughts. Looking at Su Miaoling's concerned face, she said gently, "Miaoling, I'm fine. Besides, it's just us here now. Don't call me Commandery Princess Yunluo. Just call me Yunluo."
She liked Su Miaoling from the bottom of her heart and wanted her to become her eldest brother's wife.
Possessed by her inner drama queen, Ning Sang-sang shouted inwardly:
[What do you mean, just you? Don't I count as a person? Looks like I'm the third wheel intruding on you two. I'll leave. I'll leave, all right?]
Hearing Ning Sang-sang's thoughts, Pei Yunluo could not stop the corner of her mouth from twitching. When she saw Ning Sang-sang about to leave, she hurriedly stopped her. "Where are you going?"
Ning Sang-sang answered, "I'll wander around. Commandery Princess Yunluo, you can show Miss Su around. Don't worry about me."
"No. Mother told me to show both of you around together. You're coming with us," Pei Yunluo said sternly. She wanted to hear more of Ning Sang-sang's thoughts, so she certainly would not let her leave her side.
Before Ning Sang-sang could say anything, Su Miaoling spoke first. "Miss Ning, this is your first visit to the Chancellor's Residence, and you aren't familiar with the grounds. You should come with us."
Ning Sang-sang raised her eyebrows.
[Why are both of them so eager to keep me around? Could they be bottling up some big move to use against me?]
Hearing this, Pei Yunluo snorted. "If Mother hadn't told me to show you around the residence, I wouldn't let you come with us."
What did she mean, bottling up some big move to use against her? She, Pei Yunluo, was not some sinister, scheming person. If she wanted to deal with her, she would do it openly.
[You don't look like someone who listens to her mother that much. In the future, your mother will wear her lips raw talking, and she still won't be able to snap you out of that love-addled state.]
"You..." Pei Yunluo glared angrily at Ning Sang-sang. She wanted to tell her to stop thinking such nonsense, but she could not get the words out.
Watching Pei Yunluo's behavior, Su Miaoling was deeply curious about what had happened between her and Ning Sang-sang.
Ning Sang-sang looked at her in utter bewilderment. "Commandery Princess Yunluo, what did I do?"
Before Pei Yunluo could speak, she heard Ning Sang-sang's thoughts again.
[This Pei Yunluo has some inexplicable hostility toward me.]
Inexplicable hostility?
Hah. If she weren't spouting nonsense in her head, why would I be hostile toward her?
What made her even angrier was that this person had angered her without even realizing it, and she had no way to tell her to stop thinking such nonsense.
"Yunluo, did something unpleasant happen between you and Miss Ning?" Su Miaoling asked softly, looking at Pei Yunluo.
"Miaoling, she..." Pei Yunluo wanted to tell her that Ning Sang-sang was talking nonsense in her head and even insulting her, but she could not say it. The fury inside her shot higher and higher.
Damn it, does this wretched girl know some kind of magic? Why can't I get the words out whenever I try to mention her thoughts? It feels like some mysterious force is controlling me. And why can't Miaoling hear this girl's thoughts?
Ning Sang-sang's face was full of curiosity.
What did I do?
She was absolutely certain that this was her first time meeting Pei Yunluo, and she had never offended her before.
It had never occurred to Ning Sang-sang that Pei Yunluo could hear her thoughts. When Little Melon had bound itself to her, she had asked whether other people would be able to hear her thoughts, and Little Melon had told her that no one could.
"Yunluo, what did Miss Ning do?" Su Miaoling was also very curious about what had happened between Ning Sang-sang and her.
"She has an annoying face." Unable to say what she wanted to say, she simply expressed her dislike.
Ning Sang-sang grumbled inwardly:
[I have an annoying face? Are you kidding me? With looks like mine, people adore me, yet she calls me annoying. Sure enough, a love-addled fool's eyes don't work the same way as a normal person's.]
Hearing Ning Sang-sang's inward grumbling, Pei Yunluo badly wanted to snap back at her, but she could not be bothered to waste her breath. She held herself back and gave a cold snort. "Come with us."
"All right. I'll come with you."
Seeing Pei Yunluo insist that she accompany them, Ning Sang-sang gave in and agreed. She then strolled through the Chancellor's Residence with them, taking in her surroundings as she walked. The Chancellor's Residence was magnificent, its pavilions, terraces, and towers exquisitely crafted.
"Why aren't you talking?" Pei Yunluo's voice rang out as she surveyed the Chancellor's Residence.
"Silence is golden," Ning Sang-sang answered aloud, while thinking:
[You're already this hostile when I'm not saying anything. If I started chattering away at you, you'd probably bristle like an angry cat.]
Before you continue