As they were pondering their strategies, Lihua brought in some food. As soon as she left, Qingqing’s face darkened, and she indignantly said to the bewildered Fourth Prince, “My stomach isn’t as big as a pig’s belly; if I had thought of it then, I definitely wouldn’t have drunk the soup.”
Chapter 144: The Last Person to Disappoint Qingqing
The Fourth Prince was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, “Looks like I shouldn’t care about you so much.” Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed Qingqing’s mind but vanished just as quickly. The bowl in her hand fell to the ground in shock. The Fourth Prince slightly furrowed his brows and asked what was wrong. After a long silence, she said, “I think I’ve figured out who revealed my identity.” The Fourth Prince shot her a sharp glance and then said lightly, “Think? This isn’t something to play around with; it can’t be ‘think.'” After a long while, Qingqing sighed, “I was still hesitant about our ‘great plan,’ but now it seems there’s no one in this world I can trust. Since that’s the case, I’ve made up my mind.” The Fourth Prince wasn’t in a hurry to ask her, his smile catching the coldness in Qingqing’s eyes, “So, should I thank the person who finally disappointed you?” Qingqing said word by word, “Even I should thank her.” “Do you have a plan?” The Fourth Prince toyed with the jade pendant at his waist, lazily asking. “A very good plan.”
In the following days, Qingqing did nothing but recuperate well. She drank the tonics sent by the Fourth Prince like tea, her complexion gradually returning to a healthy glow, her skin becoming delicate as if it could be broken by a breath. However, the clarity in her eyes was gone.
“You’re here?” Qingqing asked with a smile as someone entered. She had only asked Yafu through a messenger, “Do you want to be the empress?” “I’m here to see why you haven’t died yet,” Yafu said with a cold laugh, sitting casually on a chair that was old, dirty, and messy, yet she sat as if on the most comfortable silk couch. “It seems that after spending so much time with Li Qin, you’ve picked up many of his habits.” Qingqing remembered how Li Qin always seemed to be enjoying himself no matter where he sat. “Did you invite me here just to say these trivial things?” Yafu didn’t seem to share Qingqing’s refined taste nor cared about Qingqing directly addressing Li Qin by name. “Of course not,” Qingqing also sat leisurely, as if they were sisters chatting, “Now that you’re the Noble Consort, as your elder sister, I want to bask in your glory.” Yafu didn’t even glance at her, wiping her butterfly tortoiseshell ring with a cloth, and said indifferently, “Why should I do that?”
Chapter 145: Love When Confronted with Power
