In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

The moment Xie Yige stepped into the back garden of the princess's residence, she finally understood why Princess Yuzhen was so enthusiastic about butterfly headdresses.

In the back garden, flowers and trees were layered upon each other, and all kinds of famous flowers and rare varieties were in full bloom, competing for beauty in spring. Colorful butterflies fluttered among them, their wings shimmering in the sunlight, making it seem as if one was in a fairyland.

Xie Yige recalled the scene when she first met Princess Yuzhen and knew that she was a person who preferred splendor to elegance.

To show how much she valued the invitation, she specially wore the "Butterfly Dance in Gilded Colors" headdress bestowed upon her by Li Yuzhen, paired with a light blue strapless ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). The ruqun was embroidered with exquisite Suzhou-style gold-threaded begonias, with golden butterflies fluttering among the flowers, swaying gently with her steps, making her look extremely graceful.

Even so, compared to Princess Yuzhen's elegance, grace, and radiant beauty, she still appeared rather understated.

Princess Yuzhen sat casually on a large couch in the "Jade Fragrance Pavilion" in the center of the garden, one hand supporting her chin. Her posture was languid, yet she exuded an air of nobility. She saw Xie Yige approaching gracefully, and her gaze lingered on her for a moment.

Xie Yige walked to the pavilion and performed a proper curtsy: "Xie Yige greets Your Highness the Princess."

"Raise your head and let this princess take a good look." Li Yuzhen's voice carried a hint of weariness.

She gently raised her eyes and saw a girl with arched eyebrows and large, soft eyes, smiling gently at her. Those smiling eyes were like two crescent moons, adorned with long, curled eyelashes, bright and pure, like the most dazzling flower in a garden.

It really is a wonderful little thing.

Li Yuzhen's gaze swept over her hair—the "Butterfly Dance in Gilded Colors" headdress, worn on her head, actually appeared somewhat dull against her beautiful face. No matter how beautiful the jewelry, it was merely an embellishment.

"Cui Yutang has good taste." Li Yuzhen twitched the corner of her mouth, her expression unreadable.

Xie Yige didn't know how to respond, so she lowered her head and pretended not to hear.

"Sit down and try the Mengding stone flower, a new tribute from Sichuan." Li Yuzhen raised her chin, gesturing for her to sit down.

Xie Yige sat down as instructed, picked up the teacup, and gently inhaled its aroma. The tea had a delicate fragrance, carrying a unique floral and fruity scent, and a sweet aftertaste with a long-lasting aftertaste.

"Water from the Yangtze River, tea from Mengding Mountain." She put down her teacup and smiled sweetly at Li Yuzhen. "Truly the king of teas. Yige thanks Your Highness for the fine tea, and even more so for the 'Butterfly Dance in Gilded Jewelry' headdress you bestowed upon me yesterday. I love it very much."

As she spoke, a faint dimple appeared on her right cheek, which, combined with her smiling eyes, made her look exceptionally sincere and adorable.

Looking at her exceptionally attractive and adorable smiling face, Li Yuzhen's lips twitched, and the last bit of anger in her heart completely dissipated.

"You have good taste. When my imperial brother comes, he's reluctant to let him drink this tea."

"Then Yige is really lucky." Seeing that her expression relaxed, Xie Yige added cheerfully.

"So, Cui Yutang was lured away by your ingratiating act?" Li Yuzhen looked at her with a half-smile.

Xie Yige's heart skipped a beat, and she was just thinking about how to answer without displeasing the princess.

Suddenly a palace maid came to report.

"Your Highness, Princess Chaoyang has arrived and is waiting outside."

Li Yuzhen raised an eyebrow.

They came at just the right time.

"Announce."

Princess Chaoyang, Li Roujia, is the daughter of Prince An, the eleventh brother of the current emperor. Unlike Li Yuzhen's elegant and flamboyant demeanor, Li Roujia's every move exudes propriety and grace, making her a universally acknowledged perfect example among noble ladies.

She stepped into the pavilion and gave Li Yuzhen a standard, respectful bow, the movement graceful and clearly showing that she had undergone rigorous etiquette training.

Li Yuzhen stared coldly at the top of her head where her hair had fallen down.

Why does the Cui family like this kind of fake, dignified woman? This hypocritical woman, who has been compared to herself since childhood, disgusts her every time she sees her.

But she still forced a smile and said, "Sister Roujia, there's no need for such formality. We're not strangers." With that, she reached out and helped her up.

Xie Yige, who witnessed the entire transformation, felt a chill run down her spine.

"I heard you went to the Cui residence to see Cui Yutang again yesterday?" Li Yuzhen said, fiddling with her teacup, her smile not reaching her eyes. "What, didn't you see him again?"

Li Roujia's face stiffened slightly, but she quickly concealed it: "Your Highness is too kind. I am only going to visit my sister Cui Yuran, not to see my husband Cui."

"Wasn't Cui Yuran always at Chaohua Pavilion yesterday?" Li Yuzhen said slowly. "When Manager Hua came to deliver flowers this morning, she mentioned it to me."

Li Roujia's face froze completely.

"So," Li Yuzhen raised her left hand, gently resting her chin on it, looking at her with a half-smile, "you returned home quickly after discovering Cui Yuran wasn't there?"

"Yes." Li Roujia's voice was a little tense.

"Oh—" Li Yuzhen drawled, "We've been here for more than two hours, that's really fast."

Li Roujia's eyes were slightly red, but she still straightened her back, looking righteous and unapproachable: "Why should Your Highness humiliate this princess?"

"Oh dear, Sister Roujia is already angry?" Li Yuzhen feigned surprise. "You are a model of noblewomanhood. I was merely stating the facts. How could this be considered an insult?"

As she spoke, she suddenly turned to Xie Yige and asked, "Yige, what do you think?"

Xie Yige was holding a cup of tea, trying to minimize her presence, acting as if she were just observing the drama without any concern for her. When Li Yuzhen called her out, she was stunned for a moment, a blank and bewildered expression flashing across her face.

Good heavens, why did you call her that?! Why make her watch this hellish scene?!

She looked at Li Yuzhen's ambiguous smile, then at Li Roujia's forced composure, her mind racing for a few moments before she finally managed to squeeze out, "Perhaps...perhaps the tea at the Cui residence is just good?"

She looked at Li Yuzhen with an expression that said, "I don't know anything," her eyes looking extremely innocent.

Li Yuzhen was taken aback at first, then smiled brightly.

She was definitely more interesting than that fake, serious one.

The thought of Li Roujia desperately wanting to see Cui Yutang but never getting the chance, while the woman he was desperately protecting was sitting right here—Li Yuzhen had never felt so happy.

Only then did Li Roujia notice Xie Yige sitting beside her. She had been so focused on dealing with Li Yuzhen's difficult behavior that she hadn't really looked at the woman closely. Now, upon closer inspection, she realized that this was a completely unfamiliar and extremely beautiful young woman.

"And who is this?" she asked.

"This is Xie Yige," Li Yuzhen said with a smile, "my...best friend."