The daughter of the Marquis is too delicate, the abstinent prince pinches her waist and loves her

Chapter 158 His Highness's Meaning

Ye Jinlan nodded and said, "I went to see my brother, and I heard from others that you had entered the palace. I wanted to tell you about the jade pendant. I heard that you went to Shou Kang Palace, and thinking about the birthday banquet... I decided to go and find you."

Sheng Yunqing nodded knowingly: "Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness."

“Miss Sheng helped Miss Xie protect the jade pendant, so I owe you a favor.”

Sheng Yunqing suddenly became curious and asked, "What kind of person is Miss Xie?"

What was it about the owner of this jade pendant that made Mu Jiyue willing to sacrifice so many lives to obtain it...?

Ye Jinlan shook his head and said, "We haven't met yet. The Imperial Censor only heard from my daughter that she lost a jade pendant in the capital. When I went to the Xie residence, I heard Miss Xie's voice by the wall."

He took out the Starry Jade Pendant and said with a smile, "I haven't received the pendant yet, so I dare not disturb you rashly."

Does a prince need to sneak around when he meets a girl?
Watching his nervously twirling the jade pendant tassel with his fingers, she looked up at his slightly reddened ears, his dazed eyes seemingly still captivated by the girl's enchanting voice from yesterday.

Sheng Yunqing sighed softly, "Zhiwan... must be heartbroken."

The pear blossoms in the backyard of the Xie family mansion have faded.

Zhi Xing leaned against the windowsill, raised her hand to catch the fallen petals, and her fingertips flashed with blue spiritual energy. The withered petals turned into flower buds, which then bloomed in an instant.

Her eyes darkened, and as her spiritual energy dissipated, the blooming flowers withered and fell to the ground helplessly.

Things have changed. She is no longer the maid who could stand openly beside Ye Jingnian.

"Miss, the master requests your presence in the study." The maid beside her interrupted her thoughts.

Zhi Xing straightened her sleeves, took a deep breath, and said, "I understand."

Inside the study, the Imperial Censor stood with his back to the door by the window, only turning around when he heard footsteps.

“Father.” Zhi Xing bowed respectfully.

The Imperial Censor gestured for her to sit down, his smile ingratiating: "Are you settling in comfortably at the manor? If you need anything, your father can arrange it for you."

Zhi Xing sat beside him with an icy expression, her head bowed, and said, "Everything is fine, we have everything we need."

The Imperial Censor nodded, then got straight to the point: "I just had someone make you a new outfit and some jewelry. They will be delivered this afternoon. Tomorrow morning, dress up nicely. Prince Xian is coming to the mansion and wants to see you. You need to make a good impression on him."

Zhi Xing's fingers clenched tightly around her sleeve: "Prince Xian? Why do you want to see me?"

The Imperial Censor smiled and said, "I only just learned that the Starry Jade Pendant that caused such a stir in the city for Prince Xian was yours."

Zhi Xing's eyes were cold as she asked, "How do you know this? Who told you?"

The Imperial Censor paused slightly and said, "You don't want people to know? But His Highness..."

Upon hearing Ye Jingnian's name, Zhi Xing's heart skipped a beat. She abruptly stood up, her brows furrowed, and asked nervously, "What did Your Highness say?!"

The Imperial Censor was stunned, then slowly said, "His Highness told me that you are the owner of the Starry Jade Pendant, and asked me to convey this to Prince Xian..."

Zhi Xing felt a wave of dizziness, as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her legs went weak, and she fell back into the chair.

Is Ye Jingnian... going to push her to the Prince Xian?

"This is... His Highness's intention?" Her voice trembled slightly as she asked incredulously.

"Yes." The Imperial Censor nodded seriously and said, "Even the money for your clothing and jewelry was given by His Highness."

The pear trees outside the window rustled in the wind, and a few petals drifted down onto the windowsill. "I understand," she uttered with difficulty, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

The Imperial Censor said softly, "Dress well tomorrow; Prince Xian is a good match."

Zhi Xing forced a smile: "Your daughter takes her leave."

She practically ran back to her room after leaving the study. Once the door was closed, the girl finally collapsed to the floor, tears streaming silently down her face.

She took out a long brocade box from her bosom, opened it, and took out a hairpin from inside.

She never wore the hairpin that was given to her during the Lantern Festival.

Her trembling fingertips carefully traced the translucent, moon-like hairpin, and tears blurred her vision once more.

The girl clutched the hairpin tightly, buried it in her bosom, and wept uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, inside the Prince Xian's residence.

Ye Jinlan was tidying his clothes in front of the bronze mirror. Tomorrow he would go to the Xie residence to formally pay his respects to Miss Xie, the woman who haunted his dreams.

"Your Highness, you've already changed three outfits." The personal guard said helplessly. Ever since hearing Miss Xie's voice at the Xie residence yesterday, the prince had been completely captivated. Did she really possess such great magic...?

Ye Jinlan's ears turned slightly red, and she frowned, saying, "You're too talkative."

He picked up the star-shaped jade pendant on the table and gently ran his fingertips along its patterns.

"Although we've never met, her voice is so refined that she must be a woman of great intelligence and wisdom." Ye Jinlan's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Moreover, to possess such a special jade pendant, she must be no ordinary young lady."

The guard chuckled and joked, "Your Highness has remained unmarried for so many years, but this time you've finally fallen for someone."

As dusk settled, the Xie residence was enveloped in a deep blue night sky.

Zhi Xing stood in front of the bronze mirror, looking at her reflection with red and swollen eyes.

Having cried countless times, her face was stiff and numb. She had changed into a plain white dress, with only the Moon Soul hairpin that Ye Jingnian had given her in her hair.

"Miss, where are you going so late?" The maid asked nervously as she followed her after she opened the door.

Zhi Xing didn't stop walking: "I'm going out for a walk, you don't need to follow me."

The maid bit her lip and said, "But we're meeting Prince Xian tomorrow. Master ordered that nothing can go wrong, so you can't go out..."

Zhi Xing's eyes were cold and icy. With a wave of her hand, a cloud of icy blue mist enveloped the maid, who then fainted on the ground.

The night breeze was cool, but it couldn't dispel the pent-up anger in her chest. She could walk to the Crown Prince's residence with her eyes closed.

Seeing the familiar guards, Zhi Xing hid in the shadows, made a hand seal, and a pale blue spiritual energy permeated the air. The guards at the gate immediately fainted and fell to the ground.

Just as Zhi Xing was about to step into the house, a dark figure loomed over her. She looked up and saw it was Yan Chuan.

Yan Chuan noticed her tense expression and warily glanced around before pulling her into a dark corner. He lowered his voice and said, "You really came..."

"Really?" Zhi Xing frowned in confusion, her voice trembling with a hint of tears. Suddenly realizing something, she reached out and grabbed Yan Chuan's collar, saying, "Your Highness knew I was coming, didn't you?"

Yan Chuan remained silent for a long time without saying a word.

With red eyes and gritted teeth, Zhi Xing walked past him and went inside.