"You're quite bold, secretly being the future crown princess, yet openly close to the second and ninth princes. Could it be that His Majesty's favor towards you is so great that he doesn't even consider the Crown Prince? " Guan shut the door curtain and had her maid kneel at the entrance, while Lan Xiao Fan didn't hold back, teasing Xia Tian Meng as soon as she saw her."

  She and Xia Tianmeng have been close friends for many years, naturally understanding what Xia Tianmeng means to Nan Li. In the past, she also liked to tease her with these things, and their relationship has long been close enough not to mind these things.

  Xia Tian Mo sat on the 'Mao' blanket, glanced at her sideways and asked: "You're laughing at me, I don't know how you are with the Regent King, but laughing at me is so casual."

  When mentioning the regent, Lan Xuanfan's face fell and she pouted, leaning against the carriage with a somewhat despondent look. She gazed at Xia Tianmeng with a bewildered expression: "Tianmeng, I'm really confused now, I don't know if my persistence over the years has been correct..." Her bright eyes were also filled with confusion and helplessness.

  "Xiatian Meng frowned: "What's wrong?" She remembered that just over two months ago when she met with Lan Xiangfan, she was still shyly telling herself and Ju Zhaoshao that they had already confessed their feelings to each other. It was rare for her to win the heart of someone she admired, and she was also happy for Lan Xiangfan. But how did she suddenly become like this in just a short time?"

  Lan Xiang's lips were bitten, and her face was filled with sorrow: "I just returned two days ago. After our last meeting, I personally went to Sangyuan Country because his birthday is approaching. I wanted to give him a surprise, not empty words, but myself. But unexpectedly, when I arrived, I saw him embracing the 'Female Emperor' and entering the palace... You won't understand my despair at that time. Even though I clearly knew it was always the 'Female Emperor's' one-sided love, I also felt afraid. He has been with the 'Female Emperor' from the age of nine to fourteen, five years have passed, and there are too many stories without me..."

  She worries that the distance between them is too far and love will be pulled apart by distance. But he and the 'queen' are so close, they can meet at any time...

  She had never escaped so weakly since she was a child, she didn't dare to question him, and she didn't want to see his indifference. She would rather leave like this, think carefully, is there still a possibility between them...

  In Xia Meng's impression, Lan Xiao Fan has always been a carefree and fearless person, smiling in the face of anything. However, when it comes to Ju Shi Zhao, she is different, having fallen deeply in love with him at first sight and chasing after him for three years just to get a single word of affection from him. Now, because of him, she has become weak and lost. Ju Shi Zhao has changed this young woman, making her unrecognizable as herself.

  "If you're tired, then take a break." Xia Tian Meng didn't know why there was a voice in her heart coldly saying "when it's broken, it's broken", but seeing Lan Xiao Fan looking so disheartened and listless, she couldn't help but comfort her, even though her own heart was calmly telling her not to be too attached to one man.

  Lan Xiao smiled wryly and saw the concern in Xia Tian's eyes, couldn't help but sigh: "You and I are alike, falling in love with a cold-blooded man."

  The unmarried 'girl' says that the word "love" is always a bit reckless, but Lan Xiao Fan's expression is extremely helpless, making it impossible for people to blame her.

  It's probably just fate. For her, the calamity was Nan Qi, who hadn't come to see her at Taishi Fu since his last visit over a month ago. It seemed as though their relationship was truly nothing more than ordinary. Although she still had him in her heart, she no longer acted rashly. Even when recalling past events, it felt like she was watching someone else's experiences. If she didn't know that she herself was Xia Tianmeng, she would probably think she was just a bystander.

  Lan Xiang's lips curled up slightly, and she murmured: "Yes, it's just that fate has this calamity..." If not for her being deeply attracted to him at first sight back then, how would there be today? Perhaps in her previous life, she owed him, and only in this life did she have to repay him with all the pain and hardship.

  Divider line

  It was the first time she sat at the same table as her master, and Qing Luan only drank a few sips of tea before stopping. Ye Ru Shuang understood her psychology and didn't force her, after all, she wasn't one of those "female" protagonists in those small white crossing texts who always spouted nonsense about equality, what she needed was simply someone who could be used by her, what difference did it make whether they were servants or subordinates?

  Put down the pastry in your hand, wipe off the greasy feeling, no matter how delicious the pastry outside is, it's just a novelty, how can it be compared to what's made in the royal palace?

  She propped her chin on her hand and gazed out at the increasingly crowded street, her mind racing with thoughts of how to attract more customers.

  Qing Luan saw the night as frost, and she began to look around. At this time, many people were sitting in the large hall on the second floor, mostly men, with a few women. Many of the men looked over here, and although she was shy, she still stared back at them with her eyes wide open. What made these people think they were worthy of looking at Miss?

  At this time, a young girl and an old man carrying an erhu came up. The girl looked like she was only 15 or 16 years old, and although she was wearing rough hemp clothing, her figure was still visible, and the men who were sitting drinking tea and eating immediately made various whistling sounds.

  The shop assistant hastily ran over, waving his hand to let them go: "Go, go, go! You always come to our store to sing songs, what business can our store do?"

  The girl's eyes were filled with tears as she begged the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper, please let us sing here, my grandfather is ill and if we don't have money to treat him, it will be too late! Please, shopkeeper!"

  The shopkeeper saw her pitiful appearance and looked at the blind old man behind her, who seemed to be out of breath. He frowned: "This is not up to me to decide, let's see if the guests here agree with you singing a song. If they don't, then you'd better leave quickly!" He knew that the people eating here wouldn't mind having a beautiful young girl sing a song, but as a shopkeeper, he couldn't take it upon himself to make decisions.

  Before the men who were about to eat could even open their mouths, they heard a loud "clatter" sound. They saw Ye Ruoxin slam the bowl in her hand onto the table and coldly say: "Why must you ask them? I'm paying, so just stay here and sing!" Although she didn't like to interfere with other people's business, seeing the shopkeeper humiliate a 'female' customer still made her feel indignant. Was this looking down on women?

  The girl heard this and hastily bowed her head in thanks: "Thank you miss, thank you miss! You're really a kind person!"

  At night, like frost, she nodded slightly and said faintly: "As a 'woman', one should know how to protect oneself. Weakness will only give others the opportunity to hurt oneself!"

  The girl nodded emotionally: "Miss said it! Thank you, miss!" The old man who came with her also nodded and bowed repeatedly: "Thank you, Miss, for your great kindness!"

  The people around also stopped 'interfering' and saying anything, after all, what's wrong with not spending money to listen to the song? Is this outspoken 'girl' a bit too arrogant?

  "Sir, you?" The two men sitting in the corner of the hall, one man was born handsome and elegant, staring tightly at Ye Ruoxue, while the man next to him was obviously his subordinate, seeing this couldn't help but feel some doubt, could it be that sir has taken a liking to that young lady?

  The man slightly hooked his lips, with a face full of interest: "Ah Jun, don't you think that woman is special, not like the others..." He had seen too many women who were all the same, either traditional beauties or delicate little ladies, but he had never seen one who looked so cold and determined!

  A'jun pursed her lips, and seeing him like this, she said in a low voice: "If you say so, then it is." Even if he didn't see that such a woman who dared to show off outside had anything special, how could he say no when his father was in a good mood?

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  I really need to get up early and start writing tomorrow...