For Liang Luo, the most important thing now was to capture the Ninth Prince's heart.
While she enjoyed pleasantries and mutual compliments among these women, it paled in comparison to the former.
So, she found an excuse to leave the flower hall, intending to speak with the Ninth Prince alone.
Coincidentally, she thought she'd have to go to the front hall, but halfway there, she spotted the Ninth Prince. Just as she was about to call out to him, she happened to see someone else with him.
The other person was dressed as a guard, and quite handsome. Though she was far away, she could see clearly.
The Ninth Prince was indeed exceptional, even those around him were so outstanding.
Thinking this, she couldn't help but adjust her clothes again, fearing she might leave a bad impression on the Ninth Prince.
She stepped forward, her breathing deliberately light, trying to appear as a lady from a respectable family, hoping to evoke the Ninth Prince's pity.
Who knew that just as she passed the rockery and was about to speak, she suddenly heard the Ninth Prince say.
"Longguang, compared to you, those vulgar women are truly far inferior."
"Your Highness..."
The guard's voice was like a bewitching siren, making the Ninth Prince's eyes begin to burn with desire.
However, the occasion today was not suitable for them to flirt, so their actions were still quite restrained.
But they didn't expect Liang Luo to be hiding behind them. At this moment, she felt as if she had stumbled upon a secret. She covered her mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound, fearing that if she were discovered, her end would be near.
Although the guard's voice was not very masculine, it was still discernible as a man's.
The Ninth Prince's gaze was almost drowning in him. Liang Luo suddenly remembered something her sister-in-law had mentioned some time ago.
Some sons of noble families did not care for women and preferred male companionship. To prevent him from indulging outside, their families would specifically select handsome young servants to attend to them.
Could this Ninth Prince also have such a preference?
Thinking this, cold sweat broke out.
No wonder he was this age and had no children. She had originally thought it was because he was constantly campaigning and had no interest in his inner chambers.
It turned out he had already arranged male companions to serve him. Looking at their intimate demeanor, they had probably been secretly involved for many years.
The royal family placed great importance on etiquette. If the Emperor knew that the Ninth Prince was so inclined towards men, perhaps the throne would be out of his reach in the future.
Liang Luo was so nervous she couldn't even speak.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside. It was a young servant from the front hall, looking for the Ninth Prince, saying the Duke of Wei needed to see him about something.
Longguang was his personal guard, so it wasn't strange for them to be standing close.
Since the servant hadn't heard what they were saying, the Ninth Prince put away his playful expression and headed towards the front hall.
Longguang behind him also returned to his usual demeanor, not giving anyone cause for misinterpretation.
After an unknown amount of time, Liang Luo finally emerged. She had been afraid of being discovered by the Ninth Prince, in which case her life would likely end there.
She forced herself to calm her mind, she couldn't let anyone see through her.
Otherwise, if this news leaked, let alone herself, the entire Liang family would probably bear the wrath of the Wei family and Noble Consort Wei.
She couldn't afford to provoke them, nor did she dare to.
It was a pity that even though she had tried her best to conceal her emotions, she was still discovered by Princess Huaran, who paid close attention to her.
"Sister, you went out for a break, why does your complexion look worse now?"
"Does it?"
Liang Luo was surprised. How could she have forgotten about Princess Huaran's presence?
Not to mention that the two of them had already quarreled before marrying the Ninth Prince. If she found out about what she had just witnessed, it would surely cause endless trouble.
She could only lower her voice somewhat awkwardly and say.
"I... I'm having my period."
"Oh, I see. Then sister, you should be careful. This dress looks very expensive. It won't look good if it gets stained."
Liang Luo glared at her and paused when she stood up, leaving with a displeased expression.
Princess Huaran was fooled by her acting and naturally didn't pursue the matter further.
For the next while, Liang Luo seemed to be sitting on pins and needles. After a while, Noble Consort Wei noticed her discomfort and sent a palace maid to inquire, only then learning of her "difficulty."
"There are many matters today, and it's inconvenient for you to be here. You should go back and rest. Taking care of your health is the most important thing."
Liang Luo's face was flushed with embarrassment, which made Noble Consort Wei not suspect anything further.
Arranging for a carriage and servants, Liang Luo left the banquet first.
Only when she returned to her own courtyard did the tension in her heart finally ease.
She sat there and wept bitterly, causing the maids serving her to be bewildered.
Their young lady had been happy when she left, so why was she crying so much upon her return?
Could it be that she had been wronged at Prince Li's mansion?
However, few dared to approach Liang Luo when she was in such a temper, so they could only guard outside, listening to her vent inside.
Wei Lanxuan had now arranged for people throughout the Liang mansion.
Therefore, Wei Lanxuan naturally knew about Liang Luo's weeping.
Mama Wei, who had come with the dowry, was very displeased with the matter and directly said.
"This young lady of the Liang family is truly impatient. If she shows her emotions so readily, how will she survive in Prince Li's mansion in the future?"
Mama Wei didn't have much of an opinion of Liang Luo herself, but she was afraid that her inability to keep her composure would eventually implicate her own young lady and the Wei family.
After all, it wasn't the first time her young lady had had to clean up after her.
Therefore, she had absolutely no good impression of Liang Luo.
"Mama, don't worry. That's just her personality. She's straightforward. With no one to restrain her in the mansion, she's naturally more overbearing. Once she gets married and suffers a few hardships, she'll understand. Don't worry, although she's impatient, she's not stupid. When it comes to matters concerning the family's honor, she wouldn't dare to act recklessly."
It had to be said that Wei Lanxuan's understanding of Liang Luo was quite accurate.
However, even she hadn't expected that Liang Luo would stumble upon such a thing.
In the following days, whether due to shock or a reversal of qi and blood, Liang Luo actually got her period in the middle of the night and was tormented by it, crying out in pain.
The small courtyard was brightly lit, with servants constantly fetching hot water and warming pans for her, or giving her warming medicines.
Despite this, she was still in so much pain that she rolled on the ground.
Then the mansion's physician came and gave her acupuncture, after which she felt a little better.
"Miss has caught a chill and is also very distressed, which is why she is suffering such pain. I will prescribe some medicine for her to recuperate properly."
Liang Luo had no strength to speak at this moment, so the maid beside her stepped forward to make the arrangements.