119: Jiang Ying Yue (26)

Jiang Ying Yue (26)

"Greetings, Your Highness." Suddenly, a gentle and mellow voice came from behind. It was from a girl. Jiang Ying Yue turned around and through her see-through veil, saw a woman of unmatchable beauty and gracefulness elegantly walking towards the man standing next to her. 2

'Isn't she the prime minister's daughter?'

'Why is someone like her in a bustling crowd like this, unprotected?'

After that flash of recognition, she carefully studied the woman's face and saw that her way of looking at Chen Wang was different. Even though Sheng Lingxin was trying her best to hide it, Jiang Ying Yue recognized that it was like herself towards Rui Wang before a week ago.

Curiously, she stared at Jiang Li to gauge his expression and noticed that the man didn't seem pleased by the prime minister's daughter's presence.

Jiang Li nodded at the woman. After that... There's no more after that.

He ordered Jiang Ying Yue to stand up and follow him. The latter did not protest. However, there was reluctance in her eyes when she gave the floating glow a last look, part of the reason was that she knew after this, once they changed spots, it would be hard for her to locate her own lanterns amidst the thousands in the river.

"Wait, Your Highness." The beautiful female lead walked fast to tail the two of them, acting like she didn't see the dainty veiled woman walking closely behind the man.

No change occurred in his expression. But deep inside him, he was swearing to heavens, if the woman remains after them, he'd brought her to a secluded area and give her soon-to-be kidnappers a better spot for their operation.

Right. This Sheng Lingxin, together with her maid, should only be following him for safety, because in the original timeline, in this lantern festival event, the female lead was ordered to be kidnapped by someone who liked Hai Wang. However, because she was next to Chen Wang the whole time, she remained safe and had even managed to stage a love drama with the male lead who confronted her for being together with Chen Wang.

'I'm in no mood to deal with this female lead today,' he thought, his strides turning longer after grabbing Jiang Ying Yue's hand and pulling her into the sea of people.

"Your Highness, please wait. This one would only want to know how Your Highness guessed my plan last time at the dragon boat race. Your Highness. Your Highness!" Sheng Lingxin was madly shouting in the place but this time her voice got drowned by the crowd. She panicked when she found out she could no longer see that man's back.

Why did he ignore her again? He was the one she liked and she was doing her best to play by the game's cut scenes so she could get together with him. But why was everything not working in her favor? Instead of getting peaceful days waiting for his appearance, a damn schemer tied her to him and made her his fiancee.

Sheng Lingxin wondered if that was the reason why Chen Wang was being aloof to her.

'Should I break our engagement?' The thought crossed her mind. Despair, shame, and anger clouding her reason after confirming that her dream lover was nowhere in sight anymore.

She stood there in the middle of the crowd with a lost expression on her pretty face before her lips started trembling from mixed emotions. Her maid caught up with her and begged not to do that again. The maid meant chasing after any other man, reminding her that Chen Wang was really aloof, cold, and observant of rules.

"So it's really because I'm already engaged..." she murmured when she confirmed the man was nowhere in sight.

The maid next to her gave her a complicated stare. Hesitation flickered in her eyes before she said, "Miss, this servant thinks you should stop having thoughts about His Highness. It's been rumored he is badly enamored with the first miss of the Grand Marshal's household. For her, His Highness even forced the Ministry of Justice to open the case again since he believed she was not capable of doing what she had been accused."

Hearing her maid's warning, Sheng Lingxin finally remembered that there was someone by His Highness Chen Wang's side, a veiled woman giving off a dainty and fairy-like vibe. Was that Jiang Ying Yue? The protagonist of the game?

Her face crumpled. Lately, she had been hearing a lot of stuff about that woman but one thing she never believed was that Jiang Ying Yue and Chen Wang were together. How could that happen? The first time those two saw each other was at that disastrous banquet which happened not more than a week ago.

"Chen Wang must be just pitying Miss Jiang. There should be no way people could fall in love at first sight, right?" she asked her attendant, her expression hoping for an affirmation.

Looking uncomfortable with the crowd around them, the maid leaned to Sheng Lingxin's ears so she would not have to speak loudly and worry being heard by other people. "Miss, I think Chen Wang has indeed fallen for Miss Jiang. After all, it is rumored that he not only immediately came to her rescue when bad people tried to kidnap her, he also bought the house next to his residence and gave it to her. The servants and guards are also bestowed by him. He's so romantic and seems to be so in love with her. So  many ladies in the capital are in awe."

Coldness enveloped her heart after what her personal attendant said. She sharply glared at her. The maid who was feeling a bit dreamy about Chen Wang's love story froze and shut up. As for Sheng Lingxin, she started walking around again, and then got annoyed when she bumped into her fiance.

Without a choice, she roamed the lively and boisterous place together with Hai Wang. There was a barely concealed frown on her face. Her heart felt heavy from the failed encounter with the general. Hai Wang following her also made her feel frustrated.

Three minutes later, she caught sight of Jiang Ying Yue and Chen Wang joining the crowd by the opposite bank. She suddenly stopped walking, almost turning into a statue in the middle of the bridge.

'Why... Just why is he looking so gently at her? Is it because she's the protagonist?' She started gnashing her teeth in indignation. 'But I have already stolen most of her cheats and lucky encounters. Moreover, I already have become more distinguished than her. I'm celebrated as a business genius in the whole empire. Why is he still looking at her? Why?'

'I don't believe this...!' The female lead was too preoccupied with her thoughts and the pain her chest to notice that Hai Wang was quietly looking at her with frost in his eyes.

Sheng Lingxin was grabbing her skirt too tightly and the gaze she was giving the marshal's abandoned daughter had turned into a malicious glare.

Without doing much, Jiang Li had caused the female lead to blacken. He had no clue because he was by the villainess' side passing the newly bought lanterns on to her while scolding Mao Hong for being slow. The girl next to her had a wide smile on her lips, already looking more than contented to have more stuff to light up and send down the brightly-lit river.

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