Shuangxi, arriving later and unaware of the scar on her arm, was immediately taken aback.
"Miss, what are you talking about? Isn't it the Princess Consort who has a scar on her face? Your skin is so fair and smooth, where is any scar..."
Unwittingly, a question from Wuxin caused Qin Rulian's expression to change as if a sore spot had been touched. She shot a fierce glare at Wuxin.
"Slap yourself!"
Not knowing what she had done to provoke her, Shuangxi dared not argue. She pursed her lips and began to slap her own cheeks.
Qin Rulian watched intently. Shuangxi did not dare to hold back, and within moments, her mouth was red and swollen, yet Qin Rulian still refused to call a stop.
"Wuwu..."
A faint sob was heard, and Qin Rulian's brows furrowed, her expression becoming even more severe.
"Inauspicious thing, why are you crying! If you cry again, I'll have your mouth sewn shut!"
Vaguely, Shuangxi seemed to see again the scene from that night when Qin Rulian looked possessed. She gritted her teeth tightly, daring not to make another sound.
Giving her an annoyed glance, Qin Rulian's eyes flashed and she immediately gave another order.
"Go fetch my short-sleeved emerald green light blouse. I want to change."
Shuangxi did not dare to delay. She nodded and quickly ran off.
Qin Rulian had always worn few short-sleeved clothes. Now, with this light blouse on, the scar on her arm, neither large nor small, was immediately revealed.
It was evident that the scar was old, but its dark purplish hue, contrasted against the fair skin beside it, made it undeniably conspicuous.
Shuangxi then realized she had spoken incorrectly and felt a pang of remorse. After a pause, she found it strange.
Qin Rulian was known for her meticulousness and love of beauty. She usually kept this scar strictly hidden, so why would she suddenly want to reveal it now?
While she was contemplating, Qin Rulian's command came.
"What are you still standing there for? Help me get ready."
Since she could not escape it, she might as well make good use of it.
This time, that vixen's unauthorized escape from the Prince's manor had already angered Ye Tinglan. This was her golden opportunity!
The study.
The people sent out last night had still not returned with any news. Ye Tinglan's handsome face was cold and his aura was filled with a chilling rage that was almost terrifying.
Just as he was about to summon Qi Xuan to inquire, the bead curtain was lifted by a pair of hands. The next moment, a dazzling emerald green caught his eye.
"Tinglan Gege."
Qin Rulian approached weakly, coughing twice with each step, as if on the verge of expiring.
It was evident that she had taken great care in her appearance. The green jade ornaments adorning her hair tinkled with her movements, which should have been pleasing to the eye, but Ye Tinglan only found it irritating.
Considering her injuries, his expression darkened, but he did not directly chase her out.
"Why have you come? Your injuries are not yet healed. Listen to the imperial physician and recuperate in your courtyard. Do not move around freely if there is nothing important."
His words were nothing but cold and harsh. Qin Rulian's face turned pale at his words, and she bit her lip, subtly moving her arm forward a few inches.
This way, the dark purplish-red scar fell unimpeded into Ye Tinglan's sight.
Seeing his expression change slightly, Qin Rulian's eyes flickered, and she spoke in a deliberately weak tone.
"Tinglan Gege, I have thought carefully. Yesterday's events are not the fault of the Princess Consort. Yuping was the Princess Consort's dowry maid, and they had been close since childhood. If she was suddenly injured, it is understandable that the Princess Consort could not accept it immediately."
Her eyelashes drooped, and she added, "It is only my misfortune to have gone at the wrong time. I originally wanted to visit, but unexpectedly, I ran into..."
Bringing up Feng Yinwan at this moment was no different from challenging Ye Tinglan's patience.
She had expected him to comfort her after she said this, but to her surprise, Ye Tinglan suddenly looked up and glanced at her. In his ink-black eyes, there was a sharp, probing look.
"Rulian, there is a question that has been bothering me. The fire at Yuming Hall that year was so intense, how did you manage to rescue me?"
He had been investigating that fire and was almost certain that the events of that year were no accident.
Unexpectedly, he started by asking this. Qin Rulian's face stiffened, and she froze for a moment.
Qi Xuan, upon entering, saw her standing there dressed like a green turtle, and he too froze for a moment.
Damn, the Princess Consort had just been eloped with by Song Qing'an last night, and the Prince was currently feeling cuckolded. How dare she come dressed like this...
She was so brave!
Before he could speak, he met Ye Tinglan's displeased gaze. Qi Xuan awkwardly lowered his head and obediently stepped aside.
This gave Qin Rulian time to recover.
"Tinglan Gege, it has been so long. I can barely remember the situation back then. Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
Ye Tinglan's handsome face sank imperceptibly at her words. The fragmented dream murmurs of Feng Yinwan flashed in his mind again. He frowned and looked away.
"It's nothing. It's just that there have been frequent fires in the manor these past two days, which made me recall the events of that year."
Hearing this, Qin Rulian's heart settled only halfway.
"So that's how it is..."
His tone just now, and the way he looked at her, had been off!
She had even thought something had gone wrong, but then she dismissed it as being overly suspicious. That vixen had already left the Prince's manor, what else could go wrong!
Therefore, her eyes darted, and she seized the opportunity to press her advantage.
"Tinglan Gege is right. Thinking back to that situation, I still feel a bit palpitating. The feeling of being burned by the fire was too terrifying, as if it were yesterday..."
As she said this, Qin Rulian's fingertips inadvertently pressed lightly on the scar on her forearm, a clear hint.
Qi Xuan, standing behind her, happened to catch sight of the scar on the back of her neck, his expression quite telling.
That feeling was indeed like yesterday. Yesterday morning, in Runyu Pavilion, the Princess Consort personally used a candle to burn you, remember?
If Qin Rulian could hear his thoughts, she would have been furious. However, even without hearing them, it did not matter.
She had been hinting delicately and pitifully for a long time, and when she finally looked up, she realized Ye Tinglan wasn't even looking at her!
Biting her lip, her face turned even more unsightly.
"Tinglan Gege..."
She was about to say more, but Ye Tinglan interrupted her.
"Rulian is still injured. You take her back to rest, and then go to the storeroom to fetch some medicine for burns and deliver it to her."
This order was directed at Qi Xuan.
Qin Rulian's face stiffened upon hearing this, and a look of disbelief immediately surfaced.
Ye Tinglan was actually trying to placate her with medicine from the storeroom!
What kind of shoddy goods were kept in the storeroom? They were for servants, and not even half as good as those from the Imperial Academy, let alone the elixirs purchased at great expense!
He was too perfunctory!
Qi Xuan nodded slightly stiffly, his mood not much better than hers.
Why was he always the one getting hurt? The Princess Consort and Yuping were one thing, but he was sensitive to green and also to "tea" (cheating), his head was really hurting!