Chapter 123: How About Ruining Her Face? (Part One)

The Old Madam was truly afraid that Xiao Yue would stir up more trouble in front of her, so she waved her hand as if shooing away flies: "Go, go, just all of you go!" Out of sight, out of mind.

Xiao Yue remained standing, his gaze fixed solely on Wu Tan.

Wu Tan did not want to go with him, but with a dozen or twenty pairs of eyes in the room staring at her, her face felt as if it were burning. Seeing that Xiao Yue had the posture of someone who would linger and wear her down if she did not budge, she finally glared at him in exasperation, turned on her heel, and rushed out.

Because Xiao Yue was planted there, no one else dared to move.

Sure enough, as soon as Wu Tan left, Xiao Yue moved. He offered a greeting to the Old Madam and his maternal grandmother, Old Madam Zhou, and then turned and walked out.

Zhou Changyin was so angry that her entire body could not help but tremble—

Just what kind of seductive, vixen-like tactics had this Wu Tan used? It had only been a few days; how had things between her and Xiao Yue progressed to this point?

As soon as Xiao Yue left, Wu Qingqiong hurriedly followed.

She was already betrothed, and quite satisfied with the match, so she wasn't jealous of Wu Tan. Rather—

This Prince Sheng was the uncle of the young Crown Prince, Xiao Yun! For Wu Tan to be flirting with him, what kind of situation was this?

Four or five other young ladies nearby, consumed by curiosity, also scrambled to follow.

Once the children left, the warm pavilion was instantly less crowded and no longer so chaotic and noisy.

The Old Madam picked up her teacup with some embarrassment, took a sip, and explained: "His Highness has visited our residence twice recently to borrow military books. Tan'er has always been close with her two elder brothers and has never known how to observe proper boundaries. Please forgive her lack of decorum."

Though she called it an explanation, she felt ashamed herself.

Tugging on a brother’s sleeve or hem was one thing, but Prince Sheng was, after all, an outsider; no matter what, it was improper.

However, the Old Madam had always been well-liked in her social circle, and with those who knew the inside story stepping in to smooth things over, everyone simply offered a few harmless, teasing remarks before changing the subject.

After all—

It was not appropriate to discuss the private affairs of a reigning prince as a joke in public.

Meanwhile, Wu Tan had rushed out of the Old Madam’s room in a huff, going quite a distance until she turned into the small garden in front, only to discover that Xiao Yue was following her step for step.

She had intended to return to Jingchun Study, but given Xiao Yue’s attitude, she knew that if she dared to go back, he would surely follow her directly...

Taking advantage of the fact that the others had been left behind and had not yet caught up, Wu Tan suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned back to glare at him ferociously, and demanded: "What exactly do you want?"

Xiao Yue smiled faintly, walked gracefully to her, and looked down at her face: "I have come to your estate, and you are responsible for hosting me. Is there a problem with that?"

Wu Tan was struck speechless with anger.

Xiao Yue reached out to a nearby branch, plucked a pink peony, and tucked it into her hair.

Wu Tan instinctively swung her hand to swat his away, but Xiao Yue blocked her with his other hand, saying, "Regarding what I told you last time, it seems you haven't thought it through yet. That’s fine; we have plenty of time. Take your time and keep thinking. As for your grandmother, I won't go scaring her again. This was the last time, just to give everyone a reminder in person. I imagine that after today, even if you wanted to marry just anyone, no one would dare to take you."

His tone was slow and methodical, and the gesture of tucking the flower into her hair was casual and natural.

Wu Tan was shaking with rage.

Behind them, Wu Qingqiong, Zhou Changyin, and their group caught up.

What met their eyes was this scene—

His Highness Prince Sheng was speaking softly and gently to the second daughter of the Wu family.

They had little contact with Xiao Yue and did not know his true temperament, but their elders had always said he had a rather poor temper...

Seeing this, it was clearly a lie!

At this moment, the young ladies could not help but feel envious, regretting that they hadn't found a way to approach the Prince first, wasting such a great opportunity and letting the Wu girl get there first.

However, Zhou Changyin knew Xiao Yue’s true temperament well—

Even with the elders of the Zhou family, he was only polite for the sake of appearances. When had he ever been this humble, gentle, and eager to please?

She gritted her teeth, trying her best to maintain a normal expression, and walked up: "With the second young master of the Wu family getting married, I didn't expect you to come, cousin. If I had known, I would have asked you to pick up Grandmother so we could have come together."

This time, he did not leave her ignored, though his gaze did not shift to her face. Instead, he scanned the garden scenery and asked casually, "His Majesty’s birthday has already passed. You have been staying in the capital for so long; does your husband's family have no objections?"

Zhou Changyin now hated the fact that she was already married more than anything, especially since it was being pointed out by Xiao Yue himself in front of everyone.

Her expression stiffened, and she explained with difficulty: "I haven't seen Grandmother or my parents in two years. Now that I’m finally back, I... I didn't want to leave so soon."

She said nothing about her husband's family.

"Oh!" Xiao Yue responded casually, seemingly without any intention of driving her away, but he stopped paying attention to her and looked back at Wu Tan: "Where did you say you were going to show me around?"

*Show you around? I want to kick you out of our house right now.*

At this point, Wu Qingqiong led the other girls forward. Seeing Wu Tan sulking and not answering, Wu Qingqiong seized the opportunity to interject: "The large garden in front is quite spacious. If His Highness is not in a rush to return to the front courtyard, would you like to take a stroll there?"

Xiao Yue ignored her attempt to start a conversation and kept his eyes on Wu Tan, appearing as though he was waiting for her to make the decision.

Wu Tan was fed up with his constant public performances of "we are very close, our relationship is quite extraordinary." So, for once, she forced a smile at Wu Qingqiong and said warmly: "Third Sister, it’s so sunny; why stroll in the garden? Why don't you take everyone to your place for tea? Didn't the Empress bestow quite a few treasures upon you recently? I haven't seen them yet!"

This remark played right into Wu Qingqiong’s hands—

She was very happy to show off her good betrothal in front of others.

"Okay!" She rarely went against Wu Tan, and she agreed happily.

Wu Tan’s lips curled—

She didn't believe Xiao Yue could be shameless enough to follow her into Wu Qingqiong’s private chambers!

She moved two steps closer to Wu Qingqiong, intending to shake off Xiao Yue...

Xiao Yue was indeed unwilling to go to Wu Qingqiong’s residence, and he naturally understood the little scheme in Wu Tan’s heart. He immediately raised a hand to block her: "If they are going for tea, you should not go. I am a guest, and if you, the host, leave me here alone, what kind of behavior is that? If you want to see treasures, you can either come to my residence later, or I can take you into the palace to see whatever you wish. There is no need to join in the fun here!"

Wu Tan opened her mouth to argue back.

But as he raised his hand, the back of his hand was exposed, and the girls’ sharp eyes immediately spotted two rows of tooth marks that had only recently scabbed over.

The marks were small, two neat rows, clearly bitten by a woman.

The group had a sudden epiphany, and one by one, they shifted their gazes to Wu Tan’s face, sizing her up with shocked and uncertain expressions.

Wu Tan instinctively wanted to pull his sleeve down to cover them, but fortunately, she retained some sanity and pretended to push his hand away nonchalantly.

Since he had spoken like that, Wu Qingqiong’s face had already fallen.

Zhou Changyin could not let Wu Tan and Xiao Yue stay together alone, so she suppressed her temper and interjected again: "I think we shouldn't disturb the Third Miss's room. The sun is bright; let's just find a pavilion in the garden to sit in. Later, when the wedding procession returns, it will be closer to walk to the ceremony from here."

The others naturally felt that staying here to watch His Highness Prince Sheng and the second Wu girl flirt was much more interesting than going to the Third Miss's room to look at imperial gifts. After all, no matter how good the imperial gifts were, they belonged to someone else, and watching them only stirred up envy and jealousy.

Well... although His Highness Prince Sheng was also destined to belong to someone else, watching the drama was good enough.

The girls exchanged glances with a unified consensus. They no longer asked for Wu Qingqiong’s opinion and just stared at Wu Tan: "What does the Second Miss think?"

*Wherever you are, we are going to be!*

Wu Tan had learned her lesson; Xiao Yue was like a piece of dog-skin plaster—she wouldn't be able to shake him off today. If she continued to struggle, he would speak without restraint and act without considering his strength, and in the end, she would be the one to suffer.

"As everyone pleases!" Finally, she took a deep breath and compromised.

Xiao Yue gave a look, and, having no choice, she led the way toward the large garden in front.

Wu Qingqiong had already lost her enthusiasm and was walking at the very back with a look of resentment, having lost all interest in stealing the spotlight.

Zhou Changyin was full of hate, but with Xiao Yue present, she had her reservations. After weighing her options, she deliberately slowed her pace to wait for Wu Qingqiong to catch up.

Wu Qingqiong didn't pay much attention to her and continued walking with a cold face.

Zhou Changyin asked: "Your second sister and my cousin, Prince Sheng, have good news coming soon, don't they?"

"What?" Wu Qingqiong was suddenly infuriated and whipped her head around to look at her.

Zhou Changyin pretended not to see the anger on her face, still keeping a smile at the corner of her mouth, and continued to add fuel to the fire: "Seeing them like this, if things go smoothly, they might even get ahead of you. Come to think of it, it’s quite interesting. If your second sister truly becomes Princess Sheng, when you marry the Crown Prince later, you will have to call her 'Aunt'!"

This sentence hit Wu Qingqiong right in her sore spot.

She had never been particularly cunning. Since she had already snatched the engagement away from Wu Tan and was getting her wish to marry the Crown Prince, she naturally didn't have any improper thoughts about this Prince Sheng she had only just met.

However, she was most sensitive about the seniority, and she could not bear to see Wu Tan climb above her again.

Wu Qingqiong reacted as if someone had stepped on her tail, scolding her in a panic: "What nonsense are you spouting? Did Prince Sheng say he was going to marry Wu Tan?"

Zhou Changyin knew she had succeeded and continued to pour oil on the flames: "If you wait until he says he wants to marry her, it will be too late!"

As she spoke, the smile on her lips slowly disappeared, and she gave her a deep, meaningful look.

Wu Qingqiong vaguely sensed a hint of suggestion in her words. Looking at the clearly malicious glint in her eyes, her heart sank, and she asked boldly: "What do you mean by that?"

Zhou Changyin locked eyes with her for a moment, then slowly turned her head.

Wu Qingqiong, as if spellbound, moved her gaze along with her, watching as the group of Wu Tan and Xiao Yue turned a corner and were about to disappear from sight.

Zhou Changyin said: "Destroy her face, what do you say?"

"What?" Wu Qingqiong’s voice went off-key, a startled cry that she quickly covered with her mouth.

Her maid, Mujin, who had been keeping her head down in a proper and dutiful manner, was shocked when she heard this seemingly delicate Zhou girl utter such vicious words. She looked at Zhou Changyin in astonishment.

Zhou Changyin said: "It doesn't matter to me; whoever my cousin marries, I’ll have to call her cousin-in-law. But for you, Third Miss, it’s different."

Wu Qingqiong had been competing with Wu Tan since childhood; her fixed way of thinking didn't consider much else at the moment.

She twisted her handkerchief in her hands, actually seriously considering the matter.

Mujin stood behind her, looking at her and then at Zhou Changyin, feeling extremely anxious—

This Zhou girl was clearly sowing discord, trying to use her own mistress as a tool. If she truly didn't care who Prince Sheng married, why would she say such things to a mistress she had no relation to and was meeting for the first time?

But with Zhou Changyin present, she couldn't speak up and could only fret.

"You should know your second sister better than I do, right? Why is she able to catch my cousin’s eye and gain his favor? It’s nothing more than relying on that face. Even if my cousin is infatuated with her now, as long as her face is destroyed—let alone my cousin, any man wouldn't want to marry a monster." Seeing that Wu Qingqiong was taking the bait, Zhou Changyin continued to incite her: "There is no better day than today; such an opportunity is rare. If you want to do it, I can help you. How about it?"

Wu Qingqiong’s heart was drumming, feeling very nervous and hesitant.

She didn't get along with Wu Tan and sometimes said things like she wished the other didn't exist or wished the other were dead... but if she really had to do it herself, to make Wu Tan bleed at her own hands...

She couldn't help but tremble.

However, at this moment, she couldn't distinguish whether this trembling was due to fear or excitement.

"Okay..." Her mind was a mess, so she stopped thinking about it and finally gritted her teeth, looked up, and asked Zhou Changyin, "How do I do it?"

Zhou Changyin’s lips curled into a cold, triumphant smirk: "In a moment, you suggest that everyone find a pavilion to boil tea. Once the water boils, I will find an excuse to call my cousin away temporarily. You find an opportunity to create a distraction and take the chance to splash the boiling water on her face. With so many people there, you can just say someone bumped into it accidentally; no one will be able to blame you."

Just splash hot water during the chaos...

Wu Qingqiong felt that this method was not very difficult to implement.

Zhou Changyin saw that the group of Xiao Yue and Wu Tan had already entered the large garden and were out of sight. She was not comfortable leaving the two alone and was in a hurry. Seeing that Wu Qingqiong was still hesitating, she stopped pushing her and said hurriedly: "Anyway, this is the only chance I will help you. Whether you do it or not, think about it yourself!"

With that, she chased after them into the large garden.

Wu Qingqiong seriously considered the strategy she had offered. She twisted her handkerchief, watched her back, and remained motionless for a long time.

Mujin, however, craned her neck, staring at Zhou Changyin’s back until she was far away. She then hurriedly pulled Wu Qingqiong to the side and advised: "Miss, you must not listen to this Zhou girl’s instigation. She absolutely has no good intentions!"

Wu Qingqiong was displeased by her commanding tone and couldn't help but darken her face: "What could she possibly do?"

"Do you really believe she would help you for no reason?" Mujin couldn't care less and just wanted to persuade her to abandon the thought as soon as possible. "If she didn't have a deep grudge against the Prince or the Second Miss, why would she suggest such a vicious way to harm someone? Miss, don't be used by her!"

"Her? What grudge could she have against Wu Tan?" Wu Qingqiong was startled, but upon reflection, it didn't make sense.

"Miss!" Seeing that Zhou Changyin had already disappeared, Wu Qingqiong wanted to catch up, but Mujin held onto her tightly. "Don't be foolish! At this time, your marriage cannot suffer any more accidents. Even if you can't stand the Second Miss being smug, and even if this Miss Zhou doesn't have ulterior motives, what is that Prince’s status? On an occasion like today, if you make the Second Miss look bad in front of him—who can guarantee what will happen later? Do you want to lose your dignity? Do you want to lose your marriage?"

Nothing could jeopardize her marriage! This was Wu Qingqiong’s bottom line now!

"But—" Wu Qingqiong was indeed frightened by her, but thinking about it again, she felt she would be infuriated to death if she just let Wu Tan hook up with Xiao Yue.

Mujin, fearing she would still be foolish, held onto her tightly and persuaded her earnestly: "You know the Second Miss. When has she ever suffered under your hand and swallowed her pride? Who knows if the Second Miss is waiting for you to make a mistake right now? She has someone backing her today. If you give her a handle, and that Prince says one bad word about you to the Emperor or the Empress, what good will come of it?"

It wasn't that Mujin wanted to take the lead, but if she really let Wu Qingqiong cause trouble, Madam Meng would truly skin her alive.

Mentioning Wu Tan, Wu Qingqiong felt a lingering sense of dread.

Wu Tan was too fierce and too sharp-tongued. Every time they clashed, she had truly never gotten the better of Wu Tan.

"But if I really let her hook up with that Prince Sheng, wouldn't she be even more arrogant and domineering over me in the future?" After thinking it over, Wu Qingqiong still couldn't get past this hurdle.

Seeing that she was wavering on the idea of harming someone, Mujin didn't push her too hard. Her eyes turned, and she suggested: "How about this: you have people move the things to the pavilion to boil tea, but you go and make it clear to that Miss Zhou that you won't do anything. If she really can't stand the Second Miss, let her do it herself. You absolutely cannot take this risk today. If she really takes action, you can just vent your anger along with her. If she doesn't dare—that just goes to show that doing this would cause a huge disaster, and you will have escaped it."

Wu Qingqiong was not a cruel person who could go all out; she always considered her own future first.

Hearing this, she felt it was the most appropriate course of action.

"Let's do that!" Having made up her mind, she nodded and took Mujin to catch up with Wu Tan’s group in the large garden.

Wu Tan did not want to pretend to be in a romantic stroll in the garden with Xiao Yue, so she found a pavilion and sat down.

Xiao Yue was truly tireless and, for the sake of keeping his eyes on her, followed her in and sat down as well. So, when Wu Qingqiong found them, she saw that the group of seven or eight people was huddled in the pavilion chatting.

Wu Tan was lying on the railing, bored, using a branch to chase butterflies in the flower bushes.

Xiao Yue sat by the round table. The other girls were not bold enough to approach him directly. Five of them were sitting on the railings like Wu Tan, divided into two groups. Three were whispering and laughing, and others, thinking the fresh flowers in Wu Tan’s hair were beautiful, picked some to play with.

Zhou Changyin was sitting at the same table as Xiao Yue, but the two just sat there in silence.

Wu Qingqiong entered the pavilion with a smile and said: "I’ve sent people to bring the tea set. My second brother should be back in a while. Since there’s nothing to do, let’s all boil tea and drink it!"

"Good!" Two girls chimed in.

Wu Qingqiong walked into the pavilion. She was actually a bit afraid of Xiao Yue’s expressionless and cold aura. After thinking, she found a spot on the railing, spread her handkerchief, and sat down.

Zhou Changyin glanced at her sideways, thinking Wu Qingqiong had listened to her and was ready to act against Wu Tan. Aside from disdain, she was also quite pleased with herself.

Wu Tan didn't care; as long as she didn't have to be alone with Xiao Yue, she didn't care about anything.

However, Zhou Changyin had plotted against her the first time they met, and later seemed to have targeted her during the opportunity when Li Xun'er and Jiang Pingzhi were going to take action against Lin Yanyao. This was too strange; she couldn't understand this woman’s hostility, so ever since Zhou Changyin entered the pavilion, she had been glancing at her from the corner of her eye.

And then—

When Wu Qingqiong said she wanted to boil tea here, she clearly saw a cold glint flash through Zhou Changyin’s eyes.

Although this woman didn't come with Wu Qingqiong, it was clear that the two had been lagging behind for a long time and must have been talking in private...

*Something’s fishy!*

A short while later, a maid brought the entire set of tools for boiling tea and placed them on the table.

Xiao Yue was self-aware and got up to move, sitting down next to Wu Tan.

Usually, Wu Tan would have dodged away, but this time, thinking that Zhou Changyin and Wu Qingqiong were likely up to no good—

Since Xiao Yue was shameless enough to crowd her, she would use him for safety. At critical moments, he was tall, strong, and skilled in martial arts; no matter what happened, she could at least pull him over as a human shield.

Wu Tan had noticed the fishiness between Zhou Changyin and Wu Qingqiong, and naturally, Xiao Yue hadn't missed it either. Seeing that Wu Tan didn't actively avoid him this time, he could more or less guess what she was planning.

Among these girls, several knew how to boil tea, and two were eager to show their skills.

Zhou Changyin didn't want to get involved in this trouble and immediately got up to move to the back railing: "My tea skills are average; you guys do it!"

After sitting down, seeing that Wu Qingqiong was also sitting still, she couldn't help but frown and smiled nonchalantly: "Are the two Wu misses not going to join in?"

Wu Tan immediately said: "I only know how to drink, not boil!"

Wu Qingqiong knew she was hinting at her, but after Mujin’s warning, she was also wary of Zhou Changyin and said with righteous indignation: "I accidentally bumped my hand this morning, and my fingers aren't very nimble right now. I’ll leave it to you sisters."

So—

*This idiot is suddenly getting cold feet?*

Zhou Changyin’s brows furrowed, but Wu Qingqiong raised her eyebrows provocatively at her.

Zhou Changyin didn't understand why this idiot had suddenly become sharp, but things had come to this point, and she couldn't give up. The sight of Xiao Yue and Wu Tan sitting together was constantly irritating her...

She looked aside, pretending to admire the scenery to hide her emotions.

The three girls around the table were very excited. Although His Highness Prince Sheng seemed to be taken, it didn't dampen their eagerness to show off their skills in front of him.

The charcoal in the small stove was lit, and the clear spring water in the cauldron soon began to boil.

The girls were all well-bred ladies who had studied tea ceremonies carefully. After a few steps, their movements were not only skilled but also aesthetically pleasing.

Soon, the scent of tea filled the pavilion.

Someone poured the boiled tea into cups. Wu Qingqiong had specifically asked for a larger set of tea cups. The maid had already started distributing the tea to everyone. Wu Qingqiong had indeed backed out and was not doing anything.

Zhou Changyin was getting anxious. By now, the girl who had boiled the tea had already had her maid serve a cup to Xiao Yue.

Xiao Yue took it, but turned and handed it to Wu Tan: "For you first?"

The girl’s expression instantly stiffened, and her smile withered.

Wu Tan kept a cold face and ignored Xiao Yue. The girl quickly handed another cup of tea to her personal maid: "Sui'er, give this to the Second Wu Miss!"

The maid walked over, holding the cup with both hands. Seeing that the opportunity could not be missed, Zhou Changyin no longer counted on Wu Qingqiong and signaled Su Ying, who was standing beside her.

Su Ying nodded slightly, took an imperceptible step forward, aimed at the right angle, and quietly extended her foot to trip Sui'er.

"Ah!" Sui'er cried out in alarm, lost her balance, and lunged forward.

A bowl of scalding hot tea splashed toward them.

Wu Tan had been on guard against Zhou Changyin and the brainless Wu Qingqiong. She had thought they were planning something earth-shattering; it turned out it was just this petty trick...

She could have easily dodged it, but instead, she grabbed Xiao Yue’s arm and pulled him in front of her as a shield...

***

*Author's Note:*

*Wu Qingqiong’s IQ is not even as good as a maid's. Writing this, I truly feel that no matter how much Madam Meng does for her, it’s not enough... She is just too stupid; I’m rubbing my forehead in frustration~*