In the crown prince’s mansion.

“Your Highness, the present is ready!” said a eunuch, holding a tray covered with a piece of red cloth.

Wu Jiming took off a corner of the cover and check the present inside it. He waved at the eunuch, asking him to pack it up before he got into his cart.

“Stop!” said the carter. Soon, they stopped in front of Princess Lingyue’s mansion.

No sooner had Wu Jiming got off the cart than he saw Dong Feixue kneeling in front of the main door. In confusion, he asked, “Feixue, what are you doing?”

“Your Highness, I…” Dong Feixue murmured. At her maid’s hint, she knew Wu Jiming came. When he asked, she shed tears sadly. Before she could finish her words, she turned around and wiped off her tears silently. Her shoulders trembled, too.

“Your Highness, Miss Feixue offended Princess Lingyue unintentionally. She was then punished to kneel in front of the door until the sun set. Your Highness. Miss Feixue has been brought up in clover. She’s too weak to suffer! Please show some mercy and plead with Princess Lingyue for her!” said Dong Feixue’s maid who moved forward on her knees and begged Wu Jiming in a tearful voice.

Wu Jiming looked at Dong Feixue, whose shoulders were still trembling, and took pity on her.

Just then, Dong Ling walked out to welcome him after she was told about his arrival. She said, “Welcome, Your Highness. Come in, please.”

“Lingyue, Feixue offended you unintentionally. She’s a weak girl and how can she kneel for such a long time?” Wu Jiming walked up to Dong Ling with a gentle smile and said, “Forgive her, will you? Just for my sake.”

Meanwhile, Dong Feixue looked up, with tears in her eyes. She said generously, “Your Highness. Don’t put my sister on the spot. I’m sorry that I offended her for my ignorance. I deserve to be punished.” “Feixue, what are you talking about?” replied Wu Jiming. He felt sorrier for Dong Feixue. He walked to the latter and tried to get her up.

He then said to Dong Ling, “You are her sister. Why must she punish you so seriously?”

“Humph! Sister?!” Dong Ling sneered as she gave a disdainful glance at Wu Jiming and Dong Feixue.

Dong Feixue was on her way to get up with the help of Wu Jiming. But what Dong Ling said froze her.

“Your Highness. Do you know how she offended me?” Dong Ling asked when she looked at Dong Feixue with a faint smile, “Let me tell you. She spoke rudely to me in front of my mansion and she said I shouldn’t have come here! And she had even planned to punch me! Do you think I should forgive her?”

Wu Jiming was shocked that Dong Ling declined him when he pleaded for Dong Feixue. He was quite embarrassed.

Dong Ling continued, “Besides, His Majesty made me princess. When she disrespected me, wasn’t she disrespecting His Majesty, too?”

Speaking of this, she paused and laughed. Then she switched the conversation, “Indeed, my sister looked poor. Well, get up! Hope you’ll keep your eyes open so that you understand who you can displease and who you can’t. Otherwise, you may not have such good luck next time.”

Well, this finally made Wu Jiming feel better. He laughed, “Haw-haw. Good point, Lingyue.”

“Thank you, sister. It’s so generous of you to let go of me.” said Dong Feixue.

She gnashed her teeth with anger! But she still had to force a smile with gratitude. Her fists, however, were clenched tightly with a handkerchief inside it.

Dong Ling totally ignored Dong Feixue. She turned around and said to Wu Jiming, “Your Highness, come in, please.”

Wu Jiming waved at Dong Feixue before he strode into Dong Ling’s mansion. Dong Feixue caught up with him immediately, in case Dong Ling might stop her.

Noticing that, Dong Ling rolled her eyes secretly. A eunuch, who served Wu Jiming, gave Dong Ling the gift. Dong Ling asked her guard to take the gift and went back to her mansion.

“Your Highness.” someone greeted Wu Jiming.

In fact, Dong Ling held a housewarming party in her mansion today.

Hardly had she entered the side hall when she saw women and men from noble families, who came to offer congratulations, crowd around Wu Jiming.

When they nearly finished the conventional greetings, Dong Ling stepped closer and said, “Guys, thank you for coming to my new home. I’ve prepared something for the party in the garden. Please come with me.”

Well, they all came to get on good terms with Dong Ling, so they gladly nodded.

In the garden, even before Dong Ling arranged their seats, everyone else had spontaneously chosen where to sit according to their ranks. Dong Feixue sat beside Wu Jiming. With Wu Jiming’s acquiescence, no one else complained about it.

“Your Highness. This looks good. Would you like to try?” asked Dong Feixue. She deliberately filled Wu Jiming’s bowl in front of others.

“It tastes good.” Wu Jiming had some of the vegetables and praised. He smiled to Dong Feixue and said, “Don’t only cares for me. Enjoy it yourselves.”

Dong Feixue gave a sweet smile, but shook her head. “Your Highness. Thank you for pleading for me. I really appreciate it! It’s my luck to serve you.”

Wu Jiming squinted at her with a smile and replied, “That was just a little favor. It was so hot out there. I don’t want a beautiful girl like you to suffer in the sun.”

“Your Highness. It’s so nice of you.” replied Dong Feixue. She was too shy to look up at Wu Jiming. She lowered her head and turned sideways.

A beautiful girl was the most attractive when she was shy. But surprisingly, Dong Feixue’s bashful face and sweet smile only reminded Wu Jiming of how Dong Ling argued heatedly with ministers in the morning court.

Thinking of this, he looked up at Dong Ling, only to find that she didn’t notice him at all. She was talking to someone sitting next to her.

Disaffection broke out! Wu Jiming thought, “Could anyone else in the party be more important than me?”

“Your Highness. Try some.” said Dong Feixue. When she noticed that Wu Jiming frowned at Dong Ling, she filled his bowl again, drawing back his attention. And she was proud to see Wu Jiming smiling back at her.

The party ended two hours later when everyone took his leave.

“Your Highness…” said Dong Feixue. When she saw Wu Jiming stay put in his seat, she had a plan. But before she finished her words, Wu Jitian replied directly, “Feixue. I’ve got something else to attend to. You may go home alone.”

“Oh…” Dong Feixue winced, but still replied before she stood up and left.

A few minutes later, Dong Ling saw out all the other guests and walked back to Wu Jiming. “Your Highness, do you have something to tell me?”

“Yes, I do.” replied Wu Jiming, nodding. He waved, asking the maids and servants to back off.

Dong Ling stared at him, waiting to see what he was going to put.

“Most girls in town are meek and graceful. But you, however, are different. You’re gentle, but manly as well. You’re better than all the others girls I’ve ever met,” Wu Jiming smiled and obviously he adored Dong Ling, “And you’re even better than some men. Since you showed up in the capital, I’ve felt my life more colorful in a different way.”

Dong Feixue’s face contorted when she was hiding secretly in the rockery nearby. “Why?! Why does Prince Jiming adore Dong Ling? What a bitch! I’m the one who is close to him!” thought she.

She was so angry that she didn’t realize that she crushed her nails into her palms!