Chapter 226 - 155
Xie Wanqing pursed her lips and suddenly turned her head to look at the male guests’ side, where the Xie family was. She saw her elder brother holding a wine cup, lowering his head to leisurely smell it, seemingly unaffected by the surrounding commotion.
But she couldn’t help but feel moved in her heart.
Perhaps because she watched for too long, Xie YanYu also raised his eyes and looked over. Seeing his younger sister, a soft expression appeared between his brows.
Xie Wanqing: "..."
Such a good brother, already twenty-one, yet still so naive.
Does he like the Commandery Princess?
She had already made up her mind to find an opportunity to ask him well what kind of Heavenly Fairy he really likes.
In the arena, two fierce beasts were fought to death in succession, which also celebrated two unions. The atmosphere grew extraordinarily lively, yet the next beast was delayed.
Beside the Beast Fighting Arena, the stage sounded the drums, and everyone looked over to see a famous opera troupe from the Capital taking the stage.
Several maidservants handed over the opera booklet, inviting everyone to choose a few performances they wanted to see, saying it was to relax, lively the atmosphere.
The beast performance was exciting to watch, but indeed too stimulating; watching some opera to relax, the guests naturally wouldn’t refuse such festivity.
The hall was filled with laughter and joyful voices.
But Xie Wanqing couldn’t sit still anymore.
She was truly worried sick about her elder brother.
Turning her head again to look at Pei Yuxuan beside her, this girl who had just accepted the flower branch wore an expression with no sign of shyness. Resting her chin, her eyes looked at the stage, appearing relaxed.
...yet there was no hint of joy.
Xie Wanqing’s head ached even more, she rubbed her temples, feeling very annoyed, so she simply found an excuse to leave the table.
This manor is the private property of Princess Duan Yang, expansive, and absolutely worth a visit for its scenery.
And now, with spring in full bloom, the scenery is even more beautiful, beyond description.
The long garden paths lined with fresh pink blossoms imbue a faint fragrance that is utterly refreshing.
Compared to the sulk earlier, Xie Wanqing felt much more relieved inside.
She strolled through the garden, seeing the courtyard filled with blooming peach trees, she liked this place even more, already planning in her heart when to come here to stay for a while.
She would brew a few barrels of wine, bury them under the peach trees, wait a few years...
Thinking so, her smile deepened, she raised her hand intending to pick a branch of peach blossoms, but suddenly heard some slight sounds not far away.
Thinking it was passing servants, the next instant a familiar voice entered her ears.
Xie Wanqing’s figure paused slightly, walked a few steps in the direction of the sound, and focused her gaze.
She saw under the heavy shadows of the trees, a tall man holding the arm of a woman, quickly walking this way.
The Second Prince, whom she had met once, and Cao Yingying, who also attended the banquet today. Cao Yingying was even still struggling.
Thinking about the letter Pei Yuqing showed her...
Xie Wanqing’s heart jumped suddenly, instinctively hiding behind a tree, not daring to expose such scandalous affairs.
The footsteps soon drew close, and Xie Wanqing saw the Second Prince impatiently drag Cao Yingying to the side of the rockery, a secluded spot away from the sunlight, even if someone walked by, they wouldn’t glance there.
Only she had come here ahead of time, and her hiding spot was such that she inadvertently faced that direction.
And now in this situation, she was caught in a dilemma, for the moment forced to witness this clandestine scene.
Cao Yingying was still struggling, but the Second Prince had already pinned her against the rockery stone, with one hand tearing her neckline impatiently, probing in, murmuring indecent flirtations.
Though his voice was not loud, the nearby Xie Wanqing heard every word clearly, feeling both disgusted and vexed, she wished she could escape instantly.
Yet the scandal did not cease, Cao Yingying avoided the Second Prince’s advancing lips, speaking as if both angry and not: "Lady Shufei sent the word over some days ago, I am soon to be your elder brother’s wife, how dare you be rude to me?"
Xie Wanqing was somewhat startled.
At the end of last year, Mr. Chen was thrown into jail, confirmed guilty after three court trials. This spring, the Chen family was confiscated entirely, trees fell and monkeys scattered, their daughter’s marriage with the Crown Prince naturally canceled.
After this event, the Crown Prince’s influence in the court suffered a serious setback. Moreover, the sudden emergence of Lu Ziyuan, the legitimate prince, made it difficult for Consort Shufei to choose among numerous noble maidens in the Capital for her son.
But she had not known, her aunt unexpectedly valued Cao Yingying, a daughter of the Minister’s Mansion.
However, speaking of it, regard her background, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Minister’s Mansion matching the Prince’s main wife was suitable, if not for...
Xie Wanqing suddenly recalled, did the Holy Emperor not know of the Second Prince’s defiling of numerous noblewomen, including Cao Yingying?
How could he allow his eldest son to marry her as the main wife?
Or is it that currently this is only Lady Shufei’s thought, and hasn’t yet told the Holy Emperor.
She was thinking here, while over there, the Second Prince laughed after hearing, "Miss Cao anxious to marry, this Prince won’t disturb your future."
Speaking thus, he forcefully grasped Cao Yingying’s chin and lowered his head to kiss her, their lips entwined for a while, laughingly teased, "If you truly can marry him, then when we meet again, you’ll be my elder sister-in-law."
Compared to clandestine affairs, playing with his brother’s woman seemed to excite him even more, he hurriedly rolled up Cao Yingying’s skirt, groping randomly.
"You truly are a shameless scoundrel!" Cao Yingying punched him, chuckling, "Let me go, someone can come here at any time..."
Towards the end, her voice quivered suddenly.
The Second Prince laughed, "If I’m a shameless scoundrel, then what are you?"
He pulled her hand further down, "Now can’t let you leave, dear sister-in-law, help your brother a bit."
Cao Yingying blushed yet still tried to refuse, "Not here..."
The Second Prince wouldn’t listen, "Everyone’s listening to the opera, it’s secluded here, as long as sister-in-law keeps quiet, no one will come."
Speaking thus, he suddenly lifted his hem and took down his trousers.
Seeing the movements of the two over there growing more indecent, Xie Wanqing was both ashamed and furious, quickly turning her eyes away, deeply embedding her grip on the tree trunk, not daring to make a sound, only waiting for them to quickly finish and leave.
But just as she turned her eyes, she heard the Second Prince’s eager voice, "Sweetheart... hurry..."
Before she could ponder what this meant, soon, indescribable sounds echoed from over there, echoing in her ears.
"No wonder... the daughter of Lord Cao is truly clever..." The man’s voice was husky, with some encouragement, "Yes... just like that..."
Xie Wanqing furrowed her brows abruptly, turning her gaze back.
The Second Prince stood, clothed, by the rockery stone, only his trousers hung on his feet...
And Cao Yingying’s clothing had somehow become loose, her collar widely opened.