Song Yixiao didn't go back to the Hanxia Villa with complex feelings until dusk.

Now Wei Chan was advised by Ms. Zhao to have supper, took a shower and returned to her room.

“Today she has been occupied for the whole day. No need to disturb her!” Song Yixiao heard the report and said, “Let my cousin rest well!”

She had had supper in Wei Mengying's place. Now that she was back to her own place, she sat for a while and then was going to have a bath.

Ms. Zhao sent Jinxun away and followed Song Yixiao into the room for offering service. When Song Yixiao took off her upper garment, her thickly wrapped left arm was exposed. Upon seeing that, Ms. Zhao couldn't help asking in shock, “Your Ladys.h.i.+p, were you troubled after returning to the feast?”

“No.” Song Yixiao heaved a sigh and hinted at her to unwrap the bandage, saying in a low voice, “Mother asked me about the ins and outs of the matter. Besides, she has heard that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will summon me to meet her in two days, so she has my arm bound up.”

“She will send for a reliable doctor to sneakingly check on me… By then please make sure the people in the villa should mind what they say and do!”

“It's an easy job to restrain those people.” Ms. Zhao felt in a daze, “But what if Her Majesty the Empress Dowager finds it out…”

“I've claimed that I was tripped over and made myself injured when I returned to the feast.” Song Yixiao pursed her lips and said, “Mother says that I'll give such an answer if someone asks when meeting the Empress Dowager. After all, we will not speak ill of Her Highness Princess Changxing. We even don't dare to let others know that we send for a doctor. How can the n.o.ble people in the imperial palace try to blame anyone for it? They cannot stop me from seeking for treatment, right?”

Why did Princess Changxing insist on venting her anger on Song Yixiao? It stood to reason that Song Yixiao beat her at her own game!

Wei Mengying once said, “Even if the Empress Dowager doesn't ask you to go into the imperial palace and meet her, I must take you into the palace and apologize to the Empress Dowager and the Empress! Wife of a duke is a first-ranking royal lady. How n.o.ble you will be! Even the Empress Dowager and Empress won't disgrace you at will unless you make a big mistake. How dare a princess hurt you? These daughters of royal families are so bad-mannered!”

Princess Changxing was Emperor Xianjia's only legitimate daughter, but so what?

“The Crown Prince was not born by the same mother as hers! n.o.ble Consort Cui is still alive. Even if Empress Su becomes the empress dowager, with the emperor's birth mother, it won't be easy for her to restrain the new emperor in the guise of filial piety! The relation between Jian Xubai and the Crown Prince is really close! If she wants to bluff and bl.u.s.ter like her two aunties, she must think it over!”

Song Yixiao told the most important part of her mother's teachings to her foster nurse. After hearing her out, Ms. Zhao took a tumble and said with non-stop nod, “Her Highness the Princess Consort is most thoughtful!”

Finis.h.i.+ng the topic about Song Yixiao, Ms. Zhao thought for a while and then said, “Did Lady Chan seem to suffer wrong at the feast today?”

“Did she tell you just now?” Song Yixiao, who was resting with her eyes closed while leaning against the bathtub, immediately opened her eyes, “What happened?”

“She didn't point it out.” Ms. Zhao said, “You know, Lady Chan is always considerate and she never complains. However, before you came back, I had a chat with her in the side hall and asked her about the feast. She talked of the cuisine, the songs and dances but she didn't mention anyone at the feast… I tried to fly her kite and yet she just walked through with a smile.”

“I just feel that something must be wrong!”

Song Yixiao said with a nod, “You are right. Chan always holds back unpleasant information. Even the other guests at the feast only exchanged some pleasantries with her, she would only mention the nice part. Now that she mentioned no one at the feast, it seems that she must have suffered great wrong.”

“It's too late today and you are tired. How about talking to her tomorrow?” Ms. Zhao thought that Wei Chan was a sensible girl, so after sensing that she suffered wrong at the birthday feast, she revealed her suffering to Song Yixiao out of concern. However, who she cared about most was Song Yixiao. Now as she found Song Yixiao was worried, in a hurry she said, “You just told me not to disturb Her Ladys.h.i.+p?”

“Yeah, I'll ask her tomorrow.” Song Yixiao was really tired. She yawned and rose from the water, “No more bathing. Help me put on clothes. I must go to sleep now!”

Ms. Zhao fetched the towel hastily, wiped her body and put the underclothes on her. Because Jian Xubai had left and no man was in the Hanxia Villa, given that it was too late, Song Yixiao only put on one more rope besides the underclothes, holding the inner garment and skirt on her hands and walking through the pa.s.sage upstairs in clogs.

“Jinxun, you are tired today. Go to rest now. I can make the bed myself.” Song Yixiao walked halfway and heard some noise. She found that Jinxun was about to catch up with her while rubbing her eyes, so she stopped and ordered, “Have a good sleep tonight. You have to work tomorrow!”

Jinxun wanted to hold on but she was extremely tired indeed. She climbed up for two stairs and almost fell down. Hence, she apologized vaguely and went downstairs staggeringly. Upon touching the edge of her bed, she couldn't wait to lie in bed and fell asleep very soon. She should have accompanied Song Yixiao through the night in her bedroom and slept on the ottoman.

However, Song Yixiao's padauk ottoman with gilded feet before her bed was luxurious but it was too hard. Especially in spring and summer, it was still too hard with one more mattress put on it. Sleeping on the ottoman, one couldn't feel relieved and even had a pain in the back after one night.

Hence, Song Yixiao arranged a bamboo bed downstairs so that the maid could sleep well.

Of course before sleeping, Jinxun was supposed to go upstairs, make her bed, check the door and windows, make sure that the tea and dessert was properly prepared, put down the curtain for Song Yixiao and execute all of Song Yixiao's orders before she went downstairs and slept.

Tonight Song Yixiao waived Jinxun's work and could only do herself.

She lit up the lamp and closed the half-open window. Then she got herself a bowl of rose syrup, a habit pa.s.sed down by Wei Mengying, which she said could nourish skin. Afterwards, she fetched a napkin and rolled up the curtain to walk inside, wiping her half-dry long hair.

Now the curtain on her bed was left down, which should be rolled up as usual.

However, Song Yixiao didn't find it strange and only thought that Jian Xubai must haven't cleaned up before leaving.

She walked inside off guard. In light of the dim light through the curtain, she sat on bed like a cork.

Terribly, she didn't feel the soft and cold silk quilt but the warm and firm human body!

She felt horrified beyond description!

Not even noticing when her towel dropped, Song Yixiao jumped up like getting an electric shock and was about to scream!

However, before she made any noise, a hand came from behind her back and covered her mouth in time!

Song Yixiao almost went mad!

She was struggling hysterically and yet only found in despair that the person behind her pressed on the bed with a bit of strength. Yet, due to the prominent gap between their strengths, the man covered her mouth with one hand and grabbed her both arms with the other hand. Regardless of Song Yixiao's resistance, she couldn't let go of him!

The man didn't whisper to her slowly until Song Yixiao used up her strength and felt depressed, “What are you afraid of? It's me!”

It was Jian Xubai.

Recognizing the voice, Song Yixiao was dazed for a while and then fell down as if losing all her strength.

Noticing that she was relaxed, Jian Xubai felt relieved, let go of her and sat up, saying, “I was…”

However, before he finished his sentence, Song Yixiao, who couldn't move at all, suddenly got up and gave him two slaps in the face upon recognizing his face!

Her action was so accurate and neat that Jian Xubai was stunned and shouted in shock, “What are you doing?”

Song Yixiao still didn't work off her anger after giving him the slaps. Instead, she also gave him a kick, “Jacka.s.s! Go to h.e.l.l!”

Kicked by Song Yixiao, Jian Xubai also came to his senses and was about to explain when he was unexpectedly kicked again. As a descendant of royal families, he even scolded Princess Changxing at will. Even if he was in the wrong, how could he take the beating?

However, he couldn't beat his fiancée anyway. Under desperation, he grabbed Song Yixiao by her arm again and pressed her back on the bed, saying impatiently, “I was going to leave through the side door in the guise of a servant. Unexpectedly, I met Madam Jin in the halfway and almost was found by her. Luckily, I escaped in time, but I also lost the chance to leave the mansion. Therefore, I have to find a place to make do for one night!”

Song Yixiao was s.h.i.+vering with anger, “The mansion is so big that you can rest anywhere. Why do you have to stay in my place? It is fine that you return to my place. Why did you stay in my room? Now that you stay in my room, why didn't you let me know you were here in advance when I came back? Worse still, when I came in, you even… even… Do you know I have intended to kill myself by biting my tongue just because you didn't make any noise in time?”

Jian Xubai stayed silent for a while and then apologized to Song Yixiao, “Sorry!” Yet, he felt wronged, “I did tell you. After I covered your mouth, I told you that it was me, but you still struggled as if having not heard me… Of course I had to wait until you calmed down and talked.”

Song Yixiao said through teeth, “I was almost scared to death! Of course I was too terrified to hear you! Couldn't you repeat for several times? Why did you have to wait until I calmed down? Why didn't you explain to me after I was dead?”

“The inner yard of the prince's mansion is well guarded. I am not confident enough to leave quietly. How can evil people get in here?” Jian Xubai said unhappily, “You should have thought that it was me!”

How could she loathe that he was stupid?

“So what?” Song Yixiao was madly furious now, so she didn't think of the disparate gap between their ident.i.ties. Without much thinking, she said, “Now that we are not married, on what grounds you think you are qualified to lie in my bed?”

If the fiancé was the same as husband, did they have to get married after being engaged?

Jian Xubai didn't know how to reply and then said in a low voice, “I cannot leave tonight but to find a chance tomorrow to… I must find a place to rest, right? However, for one thing, I am not familiar with this place; for another, I cannot get used to living in an ordinary place.”

The only place he felt familiar with and could be used to was Song Yixiao's bedroom!

Song Yixiao sneered and said through her teeth, “So you think I should let you take up my bedroom? Moreover, putting aside what you have done to me, if I let you sleep in my bed, where do I sleep?”

Seeing that Jian Xubai turned around to look at the ottoman, she felt anxious to press him into the lake, “In your dreams!”

Even Jinxun couldn't stand sleeping on the ottoman, let alone a lady like her?

Besides, this was her bedroom. Anyhow, she shouldn't be the one who suffered!

“Your bed is big enough for two people. I should be able to sleep if I put up with it.” Unexpectedly, Jian Xubai heard her words and said after a while, “After all, no one knows about this. Let's just sleep together!”

Song Yixiao was startled by his shamelessness!

More shamefully, after Jian Xubai said that, he directly lay beside her, “Deal! Okay, let's sleep! I must leave early tomorrow. We shall not spend more time arguing about this.”

Noticing Song Yixiao's angry face, he added leisurely, “If you make a fuss now and attract others to see us like this, who do you think will suffer more?”

Song Yixiao was greatly shocked.

He was more than shameless!

He was literally pain in the neck!

“Your hair is still wet?” Jian Xubai was taking a carrot-and-stick approach. He acted as if he had just found out about that and touched his spread hair. Even though his face couldn't be seen clearly in the bed net, judging from his tone, his proud countenance was imaginable. “In order to thank you for sharing the bed with me, I will help you dry your hair in return. Okay?”

Song Yixiao didn't want to share her bed with him at all!

Song Yixiao was forced by him to sit on the bed and he helped her dry the hair then. After failing to struggle again, she only had one thought. When she got the poison from her mother that could kill people silently, she would make him have it all!