As he entered, he brought a gust of cold air with him. Qin Yining inhaled it unexpectedly, feeling an itch in her throat, and couldn’t help coughing twice.
Pang Xiao quickly lowered the curtain and said nervously, “Did you catch cold going back yesterday?” His large hand felt her forehead, and seeing she had no fever, he breathed a sigh of relief. “The capital’s weather is cold. How can you adapt when you’ve just arrived? Northern winters are so cold that water turns to ice. Living in the guest house isn’t as convenient as staying in the prince’s mansion.”
Pang Xiao shook his head with a vexed expression: “If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn’t have cooperated with your acting. What would it matter if I kept you confined in the mansion?”
While Pang Xiao was speaking, Bingtang had tactfully gotten off the carriage and walked some distance away with Ji Yun and the coachman.
Only then did Pang Xiao dare to pull Qin Yining into his arms without reservation, opening his cloak to wrap around her like a big kangaroo embracing a little kangaroo.
“Why don’t you come back with me, all right?”
Qin Yining nestled lovingly into his embrace and chided: “You’re talking nonsense again. How could I go back with you now? Everyone outside already knows I’m going to participate in the selection. This news will surely reach His Majesty’s ears soon. If he learned that you forcibly kept me despite knowing I was to participate in the selection, what would he think of you?”
Pang Xiao chuckled softly and said indifferently: “Even if I don’t keep you, would he easily let me off and never be wary of me again?”
“At least he couldn’t catch you in any wrongdoing.” Qin Yining said seriously. “I don’t want to become your weakness.”
In the dimly lit carriage, her eyes sparkled like black gemstones, so deep and captivating that one could lose themselves in them. Pang Xiao couldn’t help but lean forward and gently kiss her eyes.
When she suddenly closed her eyes, her long lashes brushed across his lips, tickling his heart unbearably.
Light kisses rained down, finally moving to her lips. Pang Xiao carefully traced her lip shape with his tongue tip, kissing her tenderly as his low voice became somewhat hoarse.
“You’re not my weakness—you’re my motivation.”
Because of her, he had more determination to persevere and greater fighting spirit to battle with fate.
Otherwise, when feeling weary while caught in the midst of the game, Pang Xiao truly didn’t know what he was persisting for or how much longer he could endure.
Qin Yining could feel his emotions. Her lotus-like arms wound around his neck, her fingertips gently combing through his hair, her nails scratching across his scalp like small combs. After just a few strokes, he felt a tingling sensation, his whole body becoming light and floating. He hummed softly in comfort, and his kiss transformed from gentle to passionate.
Only when Qin Yining couldn’t catch her breath and beat his shoulders with her small fists did Pang Xiao reluctantly let go, still reluctant as he lightly licked her rosy lips once more before saying: “Yining, once the situation stabilizes, I’ll go to your family to propose marriage.”
Qin Yining naturally knew this man was excited by passion, which made him speak such words without thinking.
She didn’t doubt Pang Xiao’s sincere feelings for her at all. But she also understood the court situation wouldn’t allow them to freely decide their own future. For now, they could only take things one step at a time.
“Talk of marriage proposals is still too early. Even if there were to be a proposal, it would have to wait until my father returns safely.” Worry colored Qin Yining’s features as she lowered her eyes. “I wonder if the kidnappers will harm my father and mother since I’ve caused such a commotion to refuse entering the palace.”
If she had misjudged this time, wouldn’t she be harming her father and mother?
She had indeed done this to prevent the Qin family from being caught in a difficult position in the struggle, but she was even more unwilling to put her father and mother in danger.
Pang Xiao held Qin Yining in his arms to comfort her with heartfelt sympathy. Since they had known each other, she hadn’t had a single day of peaceful, comfortable life. As a child, she lived alone on the mountain struggling to survive. After returning home, she had to scheme constantly for their livelihood, and then all the subsequent events. Thinking carefully, his beloved Yining had to put in several times or even ten times more effort than others to obtain what she wanted, yet she had never given up fighting and never complained about heaven or people.
Such a sensible and resilient person truly made his heart ache to the bone.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already sent people to investigate that day’s events. I’ll definitely find traces of father-in-law and mother-in-law as soon as possible. Don’t worry yourself too much—after all, your body’s foundation was damaged, and it needs proper care and recovery.
“I know that with you here, how could I not feel at ease.” Qin Yining obediently nestled against Pang Xiao’s shoulder, her voice soft and sweet: “Now that I’m on your territory, naturally everything depends on you, Young Master Yao.”
The last three playful words made Pang Xiao burst into laughter. Recalling their first meeting and looking at today, though not much time had passed, their feelings had already grown so deep that just thinking about it filled Pang Xiao’s heart with sweetness.
The two spoke in low voices for a while longer before Pang Xiao got off the carriage. He called Bingtang aside and, behind Qin Yining’s back, took out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve and pressed them into her hands. “Your young lady is with the Qin family people, which is inconvenient in many ways. Keep an extra eye out, take good care of her for me, and help her recover properly.”
Bingtang smiled as she helped Qin Yining accept the “household money,” laughing: “Your Highness can rest assured. If there’s anything we can’t handle, even if Miss refuses to speak, this servant will definitely tell Your Highness.”
Seeing Bingtang so understanding, Pang Xiao couldn’t help but smile and praise her several times.
After the two parted ways, Qin Yining sat in the carriage with Bingtang and Ji Yun, then asked in a low voice: “What did you just say to the Prince?”
Bingtang said: “What else could it be?” She pulled out the banknotes from her bosom, waved them, then tucked them back in: “The Prince gave this money, telling me to take good care of Miss’s health.”
Qin Yining was startled. “Don’t I have my own money? How can I use his money? You shouldn’t have accepted these.”
Bingtang rolled her eyes at Qin Yining: “Our relationship with the Prince is already so close—could it be that Miss is still thinking she won’t be with the Prince in the future? Since we’ll all be one family sooner or later, why must Miss calculate so clearly?
“If we’re talking about calculations, how could the Prince repay what he owes Miss in terms of reputation and maiden honor? This servant only helped Miss collect a little interest. Besides, when your body recovers, won’t you still need to continue the Pang family line in the future? No matter how you calculate it, the Pang family benefits. This money—we’d be fools not to use it.”
Qin Yining was both annoyed and amused by her twisted logic, but thinking carefully, she found no way to refute it.
Their feelings had already grown so close. If she couldn’t marry him, Qin Yining would feel regretful and disappointed, and perhaps could never consider another man for the rest of her life.
Seeing her silence, Bingtang and Ji Yun exchanged glances and couldn’t help but smile.
The carriage soon returned to the guest house. The master and two servants returned to the side courtyard where the Qin family stayed. Upon entering, they saw Qin Han and Qin Yu waiting eagerly under the corridor.
Both couldn’t adapt to the northern cold and were bundled up like two balls. Seeing Qin Yining return, Qin Han was first to smile: “Fourth Sister is back. How did things go?”
Qin Yining smiled and paid her respects to both Qin Yu and Qin Han.
“Things went as imagined—very smoothly. I believe this matter will soon be known by everyone. Not only will His Majesty dismiss his suspicions, but the matter of entering the palace probably won’t be mentioned again.”
Both Qin Yu and Qin Han nodded.
Qin Yu said: “Fourth Sister is meticulous in thought, brave and resourceful. These matters can’t stump you.”
Qin Yining was embarrassed by the praise and smiled: “Elder Brother must not say such things—you’ll make me die of shame.”
Looking toward the main room, Qin Yining asked in a low voice: “Is everything all right with Old Madam?”
“It’s fine.” Qin Han said. “My father and Third Uncle have already analyzed the situation’s pros and cons with Old Madam. She can understand, though she did cry twice just now.”
Qin Yining wondered silently whether Old Madam cried because she couldn’t enter the palace to achieve success and benefit the whole family, or because of the family assets the Qin family had given up, or perhaps for Qin Huaiyuan who was still missing.
The three exchanged information before entering one after another.
Qin Yining removed her cold outer robe behind the screen, feeling warmth envelop her entire body, then headed toward the side hall.
But just as she lifted her foot, she heard Han Second Madam’s voice.
“…That may be so, but being able to enter the palace to serve His Majesty is ultimately a great opportunity. Since Fourth Sister can’t be selected, the opportunity should be given to other sisters in the family. Making such a scene like this—won’t our family still lose this chance?”
Second Master and Third Master had finally managed to console Old Madam somewhat, but Han Second Madam’s words brought back Old Madam’s disappointment.
Old Madam cried again.
Qin Han, who had entered with Qin Yining, seeing Han Second Madam’s behavior, immediately flew into a rage and angrily rebuked: “What nonsense are you spouting! You’re pregnant—just take care of yourself and don’t interfere by pretending to understand things you don’t.”
Han Second Madam’s face turned red from the scolding, too embarrassed to raise her head.
Second Master felt much better seeing Qin Han willing to publicly put Han Second Madam in her place.
Second Master said: “Mother, don’t worry. Didn’t your son just explain all the reasoning to you? Our family has just arrived and only needs to live peacefully and gradually recuperate. We’ll soon be able to revitalize the family. But once we get involved in these matters, if things go wrong, we’ll be caught between His Majesty and the Prince in a difficult position. Our family hasn’t yet established firm footing in Great Zhou—how can we act rashly? Mother, we all know you’re thinking of the family’s good. We can think of other ways to earn money to support the family, but we can’t knowingly enter into the discord between His Majesty and Prince Zhongshun.”
Second Master was actually already parched and had lost patience from explaining so much.
As fellow legitimate sons, he too was flesh that fell from Old Madam’s body, but with Qin Huaiyuan as the outstanding comparison, Old Madam’s favoritism had long since gone beyond bounds. He even thought that if Qin Huaiyuan were here, persuading Old Madam would be much easier.
Thinking of the missing Qin Huaiyuan, Second Master also felt heavy-hearted and sighed deeply.
The entire room fell silent enough to hear a pin drop, the atmosphere truly oppressive.
Only after a long while did Old Madam shake her head: “Forget it. Let this matter pass. No one should think about it anymore. Since Yining can’t enter the palace, Eighth Girl and Hui Girl have the same reasons. Don’t any of you think about this matter anymore.”