Wang Qingyao felt it was disgusting to discuss who Prince Qi liked and disliked with Wang Qingzhen here.
In her opinion, Prince Qi liked no one; he was simply a man who thought with his lower body.
And Wang Qingzhen might not have genuinely liked Prince Qi either. If Prince Rong's leg hadn't been瘸 (crippled), she might have liked Prince Rong instead.
Wang Qingzhen was quite unconvinced by Wang Qingyao's words.
"That's because... because..."
Wang Qingzhen said "because" several times but couldn't come up with a reason.
Although she had the courage to climb into the bed, she was too embarrassed to discuss such matters with others. She could only pout, her eyes and cheeks red, tugging at the quilt, sulking.
"Because of what? Because Prince Qi slept with Han Suqin, that's why you like her?" Wang Qingyao had no such reservations and spoke of it as casually as saying 'the weather is nice today.' "You still want to hide it from me? I know everything."
Wang Qingzhen looked at her in astonishment, unsure if it was because she knew about the matter or because she spoke the word "slept" so casually.
"Even if Han Suqin hadn't knocked you out, my people would have."
Wang Qingyao looked at Wang Qingzhen, whose face had turned from red to pale, and said slowly, "Although I don't like the Wang family, I was born into it, and I have no choice. So I won't stand by and watch you ruin the Wang family's reputation. You'd best remember this. Whenever you get hot-headed and want to do something in the future, think about what I've told you today."
Wang Qingzhen stared at her blankly.
All along, she hadn't considered Wang Qingyao a sister. Even after she became the Princess of Ding'an, she had only tried to please and obey with the intention of latching onto her. She had never truly thought that Wang Qingyao was her cousin.
These words were spoken from the position of a sister, carrying both weight and lightness, and yet they held a sense of intimacy. They were the kind of words only family would say.
"Prince Qi slept with so many women, why didn't he like them, but only Han Suqin?" Wang Qingyao circled back to the topic. "It's because two people in love are extraordinary in each other's eyes..."
In love! Wang Qingyao almost gagged herself with her own words.
"Even if Prince Qi slept with you, he wouldn't like you, because you are you, and Han Suqin is Han Suqin. At most, he would bring you into his mansion as a concubine, like the many other concubines in his household, lost in the inner courtyard, and he wouldn't think of you for half a year."
Wang Qingyao fabricated these lies with great seriousness.
Wang Qingzhen, at this point, didn't seem to care as much about Han Suqin taking her place. Her face flushed again and again, and after much restraint, she whispered in protest, "Second Sister, even though you're married, you can't always talk like this!"
Wang Qingyao looked confused. "Hmm?"
Wang Qingzhen's voice became even softer. "Don't always talk about sleeping. It will affect your image, and it's not good if outsiders hear it."
Wang Qingyao froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. She ruffled Wang Qingzhen's hair and said, "I know, I know. You should worry about yourself and get better quickly. Spring has arrived, the scenery is so beautiful, what's the point of lying in bed all the time? Aren't there so many beautiful clothes to wear and show off?"
Wang Qingzhen chuckled, then gently tugged at Wang Qingyao's sleeve. "Second Sister, thank you."
Wang Qingyao smiled, then heard her softly say, "I'm sorry about what happened before."
"Mm." Wang Qingyao generously accepted her apology.
This girl had followed Wang Qinglin all along, taking her lead. Although she had spoken harsh words and made sarcastic remarks to her, in the end, she had never truly harmed her.
"It is never too late to mend one's ways once one knows they have erred."
Wang Qingyao, in her magnanimity, did not hold it against her.
Wang Qingyao had spent a long time in the Starlight Pavilion. When she returned to the tea party, the tea competition was nearing its end.
She didn't understand these things, so she stood by and watched silently. The fragrance was indeed pleasant, with the rising steam mingling with various tea aromas that wafted towards her.
The second round of competition was underway – tea art, which involved drawing on the surface of the tea with the foam.
Wang Qingyao walked around with interest and found that the other girls were all painting landscapes. Only Han Suqin painted a picture of mandarin ducks playing in the water. In such a small cup of tea, the two mandarin ducks were painted vividly and lifelike, showing considerable skill.
She thought, Han Suqin does have some real talent.
Without any suspense, Han Suqin won today's tea competition and stole the show.
Even the proud young lady Wei Yu praised her tea as delicious.
Han Suqin brought the cup with the mandarin ducks playing in the water to Wang Qingyao for a taste. Wang Qingyao sipped from the rim, "It's really delicious."
In reality, she hadn't drunk a drop.
She was pregnant now and dared not consume anything from outside.
Who knew if someone had added something to it.
Han Suqin saw through her little trick clearly but did not expose it. She smiled and took a sip of her tea, saying, "If Princess Wang likes it, I can come to the Ding'an Prince's mansion often to brew tea for you."
Wang Qingyao: "Hehehe..." She did not respond directly.
Han Suqin stood up. "I have prepared some..."
Her voice suddenly stopped, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground with a "bang."