Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Halfway through the banquet, Ling Xi simply made an excuse to leave the main hall, since no one in that room wanted her to stay anyway.

As the long summer draws to a close, waves of heat still occasionally sweep across the lakeside in the garden.

Later, she didn't visit the garden very often. Ling Xi hadn't expected that the summers in Daliang would be so hot and long. When the weather got hot, she was always listless.

Since Mu Wanning gave birth, Princess Rui no longer confined her to her quarters. Ling Xi knew, of course, that it wasn't because Princess Rui kept her word, but because Xiao Ce had investigated and found out the truth.

Naturally, Princess Rui, in her fury, did not slap her, nor did she ever receive an apology.

That was the first time Ling Xi had ever been hit in her life. Although it was just a minor scratch, from childhood to adulthood, let alone anyone hitting her, even her royal uncle would never say a harsh word to her.

The lake was shrouded in sweltering heat, and even the fish in the water seemed unable to bear the oppressive heat, rising to the surface one after another, opening their mouths to gasp for air, and gathering in clusters on the clear waves.

Ling Xi bent down, picked up a smooth pebble from beside the path, and with some effort, threw it towards the school of fish.

With a soft "plop," water splashed everywhere, startling the fish that had been gathered in one place. They scattered and swam away, diving into the deep water.

"Princess Consort, are you in a bad mood?"

A clear female voice rang out from behind her. Without even guessing, she knew it was Xiao Xiao. In the entire Daliang, she only knew Xiao Xiao.

Ling Xi turned around and saw her standing not far away, her eyes filled with genuine concern.

"Little sister Xiao Xiao, why do you think I'm in a bad mood?"

Perhaps because of her young age, Ling Xi felt quite at ease in front of her.

"If my sister-in-law wasn't in a bad mood, why would she come and bully those poor fish in the lake?"

Ling Xi curved her lips into a smile and looked at the lake, but could no longer find a single fish.

"I was just... teasing them."

Xiao Xiao smiled and thought that her sister-in-law from Chu was not only beautiful, but also very interesting.

"Today is An'er's one-month birthday, so it's understandable that you're not in a good mood, sister-in-law."

"Sister, have you forgotten what I said to your brother that day at the teahouse?"

Xiao Xiao thought about it carefully, then bit her lower lip, momentarily speechless.

"Even if you don't care about Brother Ce and Sister Mu, don't you care what others think of you?"

Ling Xi suddenly squinted, finding the young county princess in front of her quite interesting.

"Little sister Xiao Xiao, it seems... you want to see me unhappy?"

"Of course not! I already know that Sister Mu's poisoning has nothing to do with you. Besides, you came to our Great Liang alone for the marriage alliance, and I heard that you came voluntarily. I admire you very much, sister-in-law."

Of course, the main reason is that she is just too beautiful. Xiao Xiao is completely powerless against beautiful women.

Ling Xi looked at the ripples on the water caused by the night breeze. Being praised really does make one feel happy.

"Of course I care about what others think, but... the only people I care about are those I care about. In your Great Liang, who do you think is someone I care about?"

Ling Xi's eyes gleamed with a cunning glint, sparkling with a bright light that made it impossible to look away.

Xiao Xiao was speechless and simply shut her mouth. Now she knew just how eloquent her sister-in-law, the Crown Princess, was.

"Yongle".

Suddenly, Xiao Ce's deep and clear voice came from behind. Xiao Xiao and Ling Xi turned their heads at the same time and saw Xiao Ce standing a zhang away behind them with a deep gaze, making them unfathomable.

"Brother Ce! What brings you here?"

"Your mother is looking for you."

"oh."

Xiao Xiao turned to look at Ling Xi, opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't say anything more.

Even after Xiao Xiao had walked quite a distance, Xiao Ce remained standing in the same spot, neither approaching nor showing any intention of leaving.

Ling Xi frowned, feeling that Xiao Ce's presence was disrupting her peace of mind. She was already thinking that if he wasn't leaving, she would simply leave on her own.

"Since there is no one in Daliang that you care about, you should keep your distance from Wan Ning and An'er from now on."

Upon hearing this, Ling Xi was furious. When did she ever want to get close to Mu Wanning and her son?

Just as she was about to explode, she suddenly remembered that in the main hall, she had reached out to pinch the child's face, and she forcefully suppressed the anger that was about to erupt.

It turned out that he had heard everything she said to Xiao Xiao, and he had also seen everything she did in the hall.

At the time, she simply thought the child was cute and reached out without even touching him. Could Xiao Ce have thought, like the others, that she harbored any ill intentions towards the child?

"Whether you believe it or not, I have no ill intentions towards Mu Wanning and her child. From beginning to end, it is you who are hostile towards me. Why does it seem as if I am the one who did something wrong?"

The anger that rose clearly in Ling Xi's eyes made her beautiful features even more sharp. At this moment, she was like an angry hedgehog, her quills raised.

"Xiao Ce, let me tell you! You don't want to marry me, and I don't want to marry you either! Who cares about your worthless position as the Crown Prince's consort?"

Peilan and Wushuang, who were behind Ling Xi, widened their eyes at the same time. Since their princess came to Daliang for a marriage alliance, she had always been tolerant and humble. When had she ever yelled at Prince Xiao like this?

For a fleeting moment, Pei Lan felt as if she had returned to her days at the Huan Prince's residence. Their princess was meant to be this domineering!

Pei Lan still glanced furtively at Xiao Ce across from her, afraid that her princess might anger this cold-faced prince.

Seeing his slightly furrowed brows, Pei Lan felt a chill run down her spine and involuntarily held her breath. But upon closer inspection, the unfathomable emotions in his dark eyes were even more unfathomable.

Xiao Ce remained silent for a long time, frozen in place, the words that were about to come out of his throat completely blocked.

The person before him was not like the one who had first arrived at Prince Rui's mansion. Her demeanor always carried a perfect amount of quiet composure, and he had always thought she was reserved. He never expected her to have such an aggressive and unruly personality.

His thin lips moved slightly, but he ultimately remained silent, only gazing at her still angry face with a lingering melancholy. His original emotions had long since dissipated, leaving only a sense of novelty.

Ling Xi, who had just lost her temper, was still angry and her breathing remained sluggish.

"Don't worry, not only Mu Wanning and your child, but everyone in the Rui Prince's Mansion will stay far away from me from now on. We'll keep to ourselves and avoid each other!"

Xiao Ce's eyes held a bottomless abyss, and after a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out four words:

That would be best.

His voice was soft and flat, as calm as if they were just ordinary friends chatting.

Without another word, Xiao Ce turned and left, his back ramrod straight, his steps carrying the noble air unique to a prince.

It was as if her desperate words were nothing more than insignificant dust in his eyes, not worth his attention at all.