The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

Zhou Qing sat there blankly, her eyes filled with resentment. Suddenly, she stood up, rushed to Xiao Jingyan, and reached out to grab his sleeve:

"Your Highness! Please don't let Qing'er leave! Qing'er has lived in this manor for two years. This is Qing'er's home. Where do you want Qing'er to go?"

"Your Highness, I beg you, Qing'er doesn't ask for any title, she'd even be willing to be a maid..."

Xiao Jingyan suddenly swung his arm, sending her staggering back two steps.

Zhou Qing staggered a couple of steps, grabbing the corner of the table to steady herself. She looked up and saw Xiao Jingyan holding the willow-leaf knife on the table. With a flick of his wrist, the sleeve she had touched floated down.

Then, he hooked the sleeve corner with his toe, picked it up, lit it with the candle beside him, and threw it on the ground.

Zhou Qing stared at the burning fabric on the ground, her face full of hurt.

This man didn't even give her the slightest chance!

She turned around abruptly, covered her face, and rushed out of the main hall.

Xiao Jingyan withdrew his gaze without changing his expression and called out towards the door, "Jin Hu."

Jin Hu entered in response: "Your Highness."

Xiao Jingyan pointed to the chicken soup and pastries Zhou Qing had brought on the table and ordered, "Take them and throw them away! Remember this: never bring food made by others to me!"

Jin Hu immediately responded loudly, "Yes, Your Highness! I understand. Do not serve food prepared by others to Your Highness!"

This wasn't meant to embarrass Zhou Qing intentionally. Xiao Jingyan genuinely only eats food prepared by people he trusts. When dining out, he only dares to eat if someone he trusts is watching him.

This is a habit that I developed over many years of traveling the world with Princess Yi and her husband.

Zhou Qing hadn't gone far. She stood behind a pillar at the corner, having heard their conversation clearly; every word felt like a slap in the face.

Her maid, Qiutong, cautiously tugged at her sleeve and advised, "Miss, let's go back!"

Zhou Qing ignored her, turned around and quickly returned to her room. As soon as she entered, she swept all the teacups on the table onto the floor, roaring in frustration:

"Why? Qiu Tang, why does the Prince look down on me? What have I done wrong? I live a life of dependence in this mansion, trying to please everyone, so why can't he tolerate me? He actually wants to kick me out?"

Qiu Tang cautiously advised, "Miss, please calm down. You are very good. It's the prince... he has no taste!"

Zhou Qing asked her with a smile, but the smile was bitter: "Qiu Tang, you also think it's not my fault, right? He's blind! But I'm not reconciled. I've dedicated more than two years to this household, I can't just leave like this, I can't!"

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a murmur.

Qiu Tang felt a pang of heartache seeing her like this. She bit her lip and mustered her courage to advise, "Miss, why don't you... go and plead with the Old Princess? If the Old Princess is willing to speak up for you, surely the Prince won't even give her face..."

Zhou Qing remained silent for a long time. Just when Qiu Tang thought she wouldn't answer,

She suddenly gritted her teeth and said, "I'm not leaving. I'd rather die than leave!"

Her eyes were fierce and resolute. She paused for a moment, then her voice suddenly became calm, "You can leave now. I'll be alone for a while."

Qiu Tang dared not persuade her any further and quickly agreed, "Then...then Miss, please rest first. I'll be in the outer room. Please call me anytime if you need anything."

She crouched down, picked up the broken teacup pieces from the ground, and then quietly slipped out.

After she left, Zhou Qing stood up, walked to the window, opened it, put her finger to her lips, and whistled.

A moment later, a dark shadow landed silently on the windowsill.

Zhou Qing stepped aside to make way for the window and whispered, "Come in."

Hei Feng leaped into the room, looked at Zhou Qing's swollen eyelids, and frowned as he asked, "What happened?"

Zhou Qing closed the window, turned around and walked to the table to sit down, sniffed and said, "The prince wants to send me away."

Black Wind asked, puzzled, "Why should we send you away?"

Zhou Qing briefly recounted what had just happened, and then said angrily:

"He wouldn't even let me touch his sleeves. The soup I made for him, he wouldn't even glance at, and just had the guards take it away and throw it away."

After a moment of silence, Hei Feng asked, "Did he discover something?"

"Probably not." Zhou Qing shook her head. "If he really discovered my identity, he wouldn't just ask me to move out of the mansion."

Black Wind thought for a moment and asked, "Have you decided what to do?"

Zhou Qing narrowed her eyes and said firmly, "I can't leave! Tomorrow I will go and beg the old princess. As long as she is willing to say a word for me, the prince can't refuse to give face to his mother."

"What if the old princess also disagrees?"

Zhou Qing gritted her teeth and said, "Then I'll kneel down and beg him! I refuse to believe that his heart is made of stone!"

Black Wind remained silent for a while, then said with a sinister look in his eyes, "If all else fails, we'll have to resort to extreme measures."

Zhou Qing abruptly looked up at him, her tone carrying a warning: "No! He's no ordinary person. If it were easy, Master wouldn't have let me infiltrate for so long!"

Hei Feng sighed, his eyes filled with a hint of heartache as he looked at her: "Alright, I'll listen to you. Whatever you want to do, I'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Black Wind. I wouldn't have been able to hold on for so long without you by my side." Zhou Qing smiled at him, then changed the subject, "By the way, hasn't Master returned yet?"

Black Wind shook his head: "Not yet. It'll probably have to wait until after the New Year."

Zhou Qing nodded, then suddenly said, "Find out for me where Prince Yu went today, who he met, and why he suddenly wanted to send me away when he returned from outside."

Black Wind nodded in agreement. Seeing that she had nothing more to say, he opened the window, looked around, and then silently darted out, disappearing into the darkness.

……

Xiao Jingyan's courtyard.

After Jin Hu left, Xiao Jingyan walked to the window, opened it, and whispered to the outside, "Have you seen enough?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Princess Yi appeared in the light and shadow, and said with an awkward smile, "I didn't expect you to find out."

She braced herself against the windowsill and climbed in with a fluid motion, without even stirring a wisp of wind.

Xiao Jingyan looked at her and sighed helplessly, "Mother, there's a way. Why don't you leave?"

"It's convenient." Princess Yi straightened her skirt, looking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Xiao Jingyan closed the window, walked to the table, poured two cups of hot tea, and handed her one: "You heard everything?"

"I heard you." Princess Yi picked up her teacup, sat down, and said slowly, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just wanted to know who my future daughter-in-law is and what kind of person she is. You were interrupted halfway through your sentence just now, and I'm really curious about it."