"By the way," Wang Qingyao said leisurely, "my memory isn't good. You've always called me second cousin. May I ask which branch of the Wang family you belong to?"
Bai Junzhu was stunned for a moment. She thought Wang Qingyao was deliberately distancing herself, but in reality, Wang Qingyao genuinely didn't know.
Wang Qingzhen seized the opportunity to show off, "Second Sister, they are the daughters of the First Madam's family..." She introduced them one by one to Wang Qingyao.
Wang Qingyao then smiled, "That doesn't have much to do with our second branch."
As she was about to leave, Bai Junzhu wouldn't let her. She no longer feared the lightning and grabbed Wang Qingyao's sleeve, "You can't go!"
Wang Qingyao turned back and looked at her coldly. Bai Junzhu gritted her teeth and whispered, "If you don't compensate me, I'll spread the ugly rumor of you trying to marry into power!"
Oh, she was being threatened!
Bai Junya saw that the situation was turning bad and quickly stepped forward, grabbing Bai Junzhu's arm. "Eldest Sister, you're being foolish. Let go of Second Cousin quickly."
Bai Junzhu pushed her away and said fiercely to Wang Qingyao, "To marry Prince Ding'an, you broke off your engagement with Young Master Tian. What do you think people outside, especially those from Prince Ding'an's mansion, will think of you when they find out? Do you think you'll have a good life in Prince Ding'an's mansion?"
Wang Qingyao's delicate eyebrows shot up. What bad luck, to be entangled with Tian Yu again. Was this going to be endless?
"Who told you that?" she asked, her gaze sweeping across Wang Qingzhen and Wang Qingzhu.
Wang Qingzhen quickly waved her hands, "Not me."
Wang Qingzhu also shook her head innocently.
Wang Qingyao knew it must be Wang Qinglin spreading rumors.
She looked up to find Wang Qinglin, but unexpectedly discovered that she had somehow sat cross-legged opposite Xiao Yun, speaking to him with a delicate and charming expression.
In fact, after Bai Junzhu went to trouble Wang Qingyao, Wang Qinglin went to Xiao Yun.
One had to seize every opportunity when trying to steal someone's love.
This was Wang Qinglin's motto.
"Young Master Xiao," she greeted him charmingly, her angle, posture, and facial expression precisely calculated to stir a man's heart. This was how Tian Yu had slowly fallen for her.
Xiao Yun merely nodded indifferently and waved her aside, "You're blocking my sunlight."
Wang Qinglin was taken aback, then hardened her heart and sat down directly. Only then did Xiao Yun look at her properly and remind her, "This is Second Young Lady's seat."
"I actually came specifically to apologize to Young Master Xiao," Wang Qinglin said.
Xiao Yun raised his eyebrows, a look of confusion on his face.
Wang Qinglin then said softly, "It's about what Madam Tian said at the restaurant last time... I'm truly sorry for causing trouble for Young Master Xiao. Madam Tian is just straightforward. She only thought that Second Sister and Young Master Tian had deep affection for each other and hoped she could help Young Master Tian. She didn't mean anything else."
Xiao Yun's brows furrowed, "Second Young Lady and Young Master Tian had deep affection?"
"Yes, Second Sister and Young Master Tian were originally engaged. It was arranged since childhood. They were childhood sweethearts, innocent and pure. Every time Young Master Tian visited our home, Second Sister would secretly go to see him, and we would tease her!"
Wang Qinglin then smiled indulgently, as if Wang Qingyao were her beloved but slightly mischievous younger sister, and she was merely sharing amusing anecdotes about her sister with a friend.
Xiao Yun said "Oh," and then, "The palace didn't know that Second Young Lady was originally engaged. Speaking of which, didn't I break up their marriage?"
The imperial decree of marriage was certainly not given without careful consideration. The Emperor had specifically asked Wang Da, and at that time, Wang Qingyao had no engagement.
"It wouldn't be considered that," Wang Qinglin said. "After the news of the imperial marriage decree spread, Second Sister cried and begged to break off the engagement with the Tian family. The elders in the family couldn't refuse her, so they agreed." She sighed, "Second Sister has been an orphan since childhood. The family doted on her, and there was some spoiling. I hope Young Master Xiao will be more understanding in the future and not blame her for her mistakes."
Well, it was a perfect self-justification.
She had subtly caused trouble while also enhancing her own image.
If Wang Qingyao hadn't incited Xiao Yun to beat up Tian Yu's mother earlier, Xiao Yun might have believed a few words of what she said. But now, he didn't believe a single word. Even so, his fiancée's name being linked with another man made him very unhappy.
He looked Wang Qinglin up and down with interest, secretly trying to guess her intention for suddenly coming to say this.
Logically, she had already snatched Wang Qingyao's former fiancé. She should be hiding this fact, hoping no one would know that Tian Yu and Wang Qingyao were once engaged. Yet here she was, deliberately revealing it and smearing Wang Qingyao's name. Was it just to provoke him and make him doubt Wang Qingyao?
What did it matter to her whether he doubted Wang Qingyao or not?
Xiao Yun knew there were people in the world who couldn't stand to see others live better than themselves and specialized in such self-defeating actions.
It seemed Wang Qinglin was one of those people.
Xiao Yun reached a conclusion, and at the same time, felt both sympathy and admiration for Wang Qingyao. It was truly not easy to grow up in such a scheming and heartless family as the Wang family and still maintain an optimistic and positive spirit!
Wang Qinglin saw Xiao Yun staring at her and felt a surge of joy. She lowered her head charmingly, revealing her soft, fair neck.
At this moment, her posture was in a subtle pose. Her black hair was being blown by the spring breeze, her pretty face slightly lowered, her eyes darting, and the golden lotus earrings by her ears swayed gently. It was truly a captivating scene.
Xiao Yun: "Did you wash your neck when you washed your face this morning? It's a bit dirty."
Wang Qinglin looked up in astonishment: "..."
Xiao Yun said earnestly, his gaze falling on the front of her neck, and added, "There's a bit on the front too."
Wang Qinglin's face instantly turned red, filled with shame and embarrassment. "I... I did."
Xiao Yun looked at her with a doubtful gaze. She was almost in tears, "I... I really did wash it."
As a young lady, to be told to her face that her neck wasn't clean was truly mortifying.
Why was Prince Ding'an's focus so strange?
Wang Qinglin felt restless and just wanted to call for a maid to check immediately. Just as she was about to find an excuse to leave, Wang Qingyao and her two sisters, Fang Yuan, and the young ladies of the Bai family arrived.
Wang Qingyao had come to demand an explanation. She wasn't afraid of escalating the situation and directly asked Wang Qinglin, "Eldest Sister, did you tell others that I insisted on breaking off the engagement with the Tian family just to climb into Prince Ding'an's mansion?"
Wang Qinglin hadn't expected Wang Qingyao to be so bold and was stunned for a moment, then immediately entered combat mode.
She stood up from the cushion, her face showing extreme surprise, "Second Sister, how could I say such a thing about you? Who has been gossiping to you?"
Wang Qingyao glanced at Bai Junzhu from the corner of her eye. Bai Junzhu was still holding her sleeve tightly. Hearing Wang Qinglin deny it, she immediately retorted, "First Cousin, you clearly..." She suddenly froze. Wang Qinglin hadn't explicitly said it, but her words and tone implied that Wang Qingyao was greedy for wealth and power?
Bai Junzhu's mouth was half-open, and she looked at Wang Qinglin with difficulty breathing, "Although you didn't say it outright, that's what you meant."