Yao Ling was relieved when Xiao Fang actually took in her advice into consideration. It seemed like she still had a hope to be taught. It was lucky for Xiao Fang to meet them because they weren't going to use her. If she met bad people, they would certainly use her relations.h.i.+p with Han Xiang to wreak havoc without care.

"Does Han Xiang know that you will come for her?" Yao Ling asked.

"I don't think so..." Xiao Fang answered.

Yao Ling saw than Han Yi wanted to say something but then closed her mouth once again. Yao Ling decided to ask her, "Do you have something to say, Han Yi?"

Han Yi looked at her young miss and when she saw no objection from her, she nodded her head. It seemed like her young miss already trusted Yao Ling Gu Niang.

Xiao Fang asked her, "What do you want to tell us?"

"Truth is... Young Miss... don't you remember? The Princess always met with you and talked about the wedding... she told you about her scared, fear, and dissatisfaction almost every day. It was unlike her unusual behavior." Han Yi said that while biting her lips and feeling worried. Her young miss was always protective over Han Xiang and that was the reason she didn't dare to say her real view about the matter.

She hoped that Yao Ling would be able to persuade Xiao Fang. She had felt that something was fishy a long time ago. Han Xiang used to be a cheerful girl despite the hardness that she had experienced and she felt that she had suddenly changed out of the blue.

Xiao Fang asked in confusion, "En... it was unlike her usual calm behavior. Probably she was too agitated because she didn't want to get married to the Qin Emperor. Getting married to a foreign kingdom isn't exactly a good thing."

Yao Ling seemed to catch up something from what Xiao Fang had just said. Yao Ling would put this knowledge inside her mind, it seemed like the princess wasn't as innocent as it seemed. She knew how to play the part and her act was in order to ask for Xiao Fang's help. But why? They were best friends, right?

Han Yi hesitantly asked, "Doesn't it mean that she was actually asking for Young Miss' help?" She wanted to say this for so long! If she needed help from her best friend, she should ask directly for Xiao Fang's help. If she didn't want any help, then she shouldn't have mentioned how sad and unreconciled she was.

Was there really a need to put on an act like that?

Han Yi was very clever and smart hence she was given by Xiao Fang's mother as her first rank maid. She was the daughter of Madam's old Mo Mo and had been taught early how to serve her young miss. Her loyalty was always given to Xiao Fang. Even though Xiao Fang was innocent, Han Yi was always there beside her and would be the one who would guide her. Only regarding Han Xiang's matter that her young miss was very stubborn.

Han Yi was able to see how clever Yao Ling was and she believed that Yao Ling could be a good influence toward Xiao Fang. Han Yi could see the sincerity in Yao Ling's eyes. If Han Yi was the one who told Xiao Fang directly about her suspicion toward Han Xiang, she knew that her young miss wouldn't believe her. She hoped that Yao Ling could be the one who gave a piece of sound advice to Xiao Fang.

"Why? Is there something wrong for a friend to seek for her friend for help?" Xiao Fang asked in annoyance. Somehow, she could perceive that Han Yi didn't really like Han Xiang but it started for the past one to two years. She couldn't understand why.

Han Yi didn't dare to say anything and she was only looking down.

Yao Ling decided to step in and said, "Indeed there's nothing wrong about that. Xiao Fang, I need to ask you a question. Do you think of me as your friend?" Yao Ling asked.

Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes..."

"If you need my help, will you directly say it or not?" Yao Ling asked.

"I already think of you as my good sister too! Of course, I will ask you directly. Just like this matter of saving Han Xiang, didn't I already directly ask you?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion.

"Then, what about Han Xiang?" Yao Ling asked. "Did she think of you as her best friend?"

Xiao Fang nodded without any hesitation. "Of course!"

"Then why didn't she ask you directly for your help?" Yao Ling asked.

"Probably she was too embarra.s.sed to ask..." Xiao Fang trailed off.

Yao Ling shook her head. "I think Han Yi is just worried about you... If I were Han Xiang, I would never ask for something that would endanger my best friend. I would smile at her and try to appear as calm as possible, even though I'm crying inside," Yao Ling said bluntly without beating around the bush.

Xiao Fang didn't say anything, pondering over this matter.

Yao Ling talked once again, "It's not that I try to sow discord between you and Han Xiang. I don't even know the woman and there's no benefit for me if I do that. I just want to become the neutral party and see this matter from another point of view. How long has Han Yi been following you?"

"Since I was a little girl..." Xiao Fang answered.

"Do you believe in her?"

Xiao Fang nodded. "Of course!"

"Then you should listen to her explanation about Han Xiang... from her point of view!" Yao Ling gave her a piece of advice.

Xiao Fang nodded, listening to Yao Ling's advice. She turned to Han Yi and asked softly, "Tell me! I have a gut feeling that you don't like Han Xiang lately."

Xiao Fang finally admitted, "It's not that I don't like her. Young Miss, you are the closest person to her. Don't you feel that the current princess is somehow different from the past?"

Yao Ling, Yao Ying, and Lin Jian were quite surprised by Han Yi's bold question. They only thought that there was a probability that Han Xiang was using Xiao Fang, even though they didn't know why and it was just a wild guess. But listening from Han Yi's tone, it seemed like there was something more to it.

Xiao Fang admitted. "En... somehow I feel that she has changed. She's rarely smiling even with my presence and she somehow always complains about something that made her feel displeased."

"It started less than two years ago and I already kept trying to give Young Miss a reminder. However, it seems like Young Miss didn't feel that something was amiss, so I didn't dare to continue talking about it..." Han Yi trailed off.

"And then?" Xiao Fang asked.

"I also didn't know the reason. I tried to find a way to find her weirdness but I couldn't perceive it clearly. If we want to talk about her unique smell that attracts b.u.t.terfly, it's still there. Can an impostor do that? I'm not so sure..."

Yao Ling was more surprised because there was a probability of impostor. She glanced at Lin Jian and could see the abnormality on his expression. She asked, "Impostor? Is it that serious? Did she really change that much?"

Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes... she indeed changed that much," Xiao Fang finally admitted it.

Yao Ling held their thought at that. As the neutral party, she decided to say, "We can't directly say that she's an impostor. I think we can find a way to tell whether she's an impostor or not. If she's not, we could try to find out the reason for her change and at the same time, finding out... whether she's trying to trap Xiao Fang or not."

Xiao Fang was taken aback. "Trapping me? That serious?"

Yao Ling tried to appease her, "It's just a guess. If you believe in her, is there a need for you to be nervous?"

Xiao Fang nodded confidently. "I believe her."