Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Ling Xi kept her eyes down, methodically straightening his clothes. Every movement was steady and composed, but her heart was in turmoil.

His tenderness towards her was genuine, his current attachment and reluctance to part were real, but the deception, the hurt, and the near-death experience of his brother were also real.

Ling Xi tightened her jade belt, withdrew her hand, and took a small step back. Xiao Ce suddenly raised his hand and tightly grasped hers, his grip gentle, unwilling to loosen it even slightly.

"Xi'er, come back soon."

Ling Xi's fingertips stiffened slightly, her heart turned cold, and she simply nodded without saying a word.

She will never come back. This farewell is our final goodbye.

After Xiao Ce left Jinling, Ling Xi sent someone to the Qin residence to inform Wushuang to return to Jicheng the next day.

She wanted to ensure everything went perfectly. Now that she was pregnant, she still insisted on traveling thousands of miles back to Jicheng. If Qin Qi found out beforehand, given his personality, he might ask Xiao Ce about it. And if Xiao Ce knew she was pregnant, how could she possibly leave?

And just as she expected, when Qin Qi learned that Wu Shuang was going to escort Ling Xi back to Ji City, he was full of doubts. The first question he asked Wu Shuang was why Xiao Ce would agree to let her travel such a long distance back to Ji City while she was pregnant.

Fortunately, Wushuang was quick-witted and calmly found an excuse to get away with it. Although Qin Qi still had some doubts, he was ultimately unable to find any flaws.

When Minister Qin and his wife learned that their daughter was going to travel to Jicheng with the Crown Prince's wife, they were naturally very reluctant to part with her, but in the end, they loved their daughter so much that they could not stop her.

Finally, Qin's father attributed the incident to Qin's mother's excessive haste in arranging marriages for her daughter, which led her to take the opportunity of traveling to catch her breath.

As a result, Qin's mother temporarily abandoned the idea of ​​arranging a marriage for Wushuang and instead focused all her attention on Qin Qi's lifelong happiness.

On the eve of leaving Jinling, Ling Xi went to Yunqi Courtyard. She dismissed all the servants and went straight into Mu Wanning's room without letting anyone announce her arrival.

Mu Wanning was preparing to go to bed when she was startled to see someone suddenly barge in. She turned around abruptly and saw that it was Ling Xi who had entered her room. She frowned in confusion.

"It's you? What are you doing here?!"

Seeing Mu Wanning's panicked appearance, Ling Xi smiled chillingly and walked closer step by step.

"What's wrong? Why are you so afraid of me, Consort Mu? Did you do something wrong in the past?"

She walked directly into the room, found a seat and sat down leisurely, her posture upright and relaxed, her expression calm and composed.

Mu Wanning still looked at her with a puzzled expression, his brows furrowed.

"Has the Crown Princess herself never done anything wrong?"

Ling Xi raised her eyes, glanced at her with a faint disdain, and her lips were still slightly raised.

"Is Consort Mu referring to the incident where An'er fell and injured herself in the garden last time?"

"Do you dare deny it?"

Why wouldn't I dare?

Ling Xi chuckled and crossed her arms, watching her quietly.

"Do you think I need to harm a young child?"

Mu Wanning was speechless for a moment, then a smug smile appeared on his face.

"Why do you think A-Ce requested an imperial decree to bestow upon An'er the title of heir apparent of the royal family?"

"I don't want to know, and I'm not interested."

Ling Xi leaned back casually in her seat, watching her quietly, a faint smile still playing on her lips.

"Because you are from Chu! You and A-Ce should never have been together. Even if you have won A-Ce's heart now, he will never fully trust you."

Ling Xi's smile finally turned cold. Mu Wanning hadn't said a word wrong; she and Xiao Ce shouldn't have been together in the first place. Even if she had won his heart, he would still hold back for a moment. She composed herself, gently clenched her fist, leaned forward slightly, and stared directly at Mu Wanning.

"Isn't it because An'er isn't his flesh and blood, but... your child with Xiao Mo?"

With a thunderous boom, Mu Wanning's pupils shrank, her face turned deathly pale, her legs went weak, and she staggered two steps, almost losing her balance.

She stared intently at Ling Xi, who remained calm and composed, her lips trembling slightly.

"How...how did you know?!"

"What do you think? How many people in Prince Rui's mansion could possibly know such a huge secret?"

"No! Impossible! A-Ce wouldn't tell, A-Ce would never tell you..."

Mu Wanning slowly shook his head, the glimmer of hope in his eyes crumbling inch by inch.

"So how do you think I found out? You see, he doesn't completely distrust me, right?"

"So what if you know? There's no evidence, you can't threaten me!"

Mu Wanning bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to maintain her fragile composure.

"Who said I was threatening you? It's just that... since An'er isn't Xiao Ce's biological child, if I have a child with him in the future, it will be a legitimate offspring. Do you think his favoritism towards An'er might change one day?"

Ling Xi gritted her teeth, feeling a silent irony in her heart. Clearly, in Xiao Ce's heart, Mu Wanning and her son were far more important than her and her family. But she was about to leave, and she couldn't swallow this anger. She had to take revenge before she left.

"No, no way..."

Ling Xi stopped looking at her, the coldness in her eyes completely vanished, and she turned and stepped out of the room.

……

To avoid arousing suspicion, Ling Xi deliberately traveled simply and modestly, not taking all her personal servants with her. The dowry she brought no longer belonged to her, and she had very few belongings left. She only picked out a small portion of her clothes and daily necessities. Her luggage was that of an ordinary trip, showing no signs of her running away.

The next morning, as she stepped into the carriage, she was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. She raised her hand to lift the curtain and quietly gazed at the vermilion gate of the mansion.

When she first entered Prince Rui's mansion, she was full of resistance. Later, she tried to calm her mind and integrate into the place. She naively thought that this place would be her final destination for the rest of her life.

In just over ten months, it felt like half a lifetime had been spent. She had experienced both sweetness and pain, truth and falsehood.

After a moment, all the distracting thoughts in his eyes disappeared, leaving only a resolute look, and he slowly lowered the carriage curtain.

"Let's go."

The wheels rolled slowly, gradually driving away from Prince Rui's Mansion.

In the Zhengyang Courtyard, Princess Rui sat serenely in the hall, holding a cup of warm tea, her expression calm and peaceful.

Granny Sun hurried across the courtyard, entered the hall, bowed, and whispered her reply:

"Your Highness, the Crown Princess has already departed and left the palace."

The teacup in her hand swayed slightly. Princess Rui showed no surprise, only letting out a soft sigh and nodding calmly.

Because of Mo'er, she initially disliked her and never expected that Ce'er would fall in love with her.

"That's enough."

Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of relief.

"Since Ce'er is in love with her, there's no need to keep an eye on Chuixing Courtyard anymore."

"Yes, this old servant has remembered."