Chapter 337: Not Just Any Dog or Cat Can Trifle with Us

Chapter 337: Not Just Any Dog or Cat Can Trifle with Us

Xiao Yuzhen's opinion of the Princess of Jia Ning did not diminish because of the Duke's behavior; on the contrary, knowing she and her brother had such a father, his sympathy for them deepened.

After a brief chat in the hall, Li Jinghao invited Xiao Yuzhen to his courtyard. Xiao Yuzhen accepted without hesitation, and to his delight, upon entering the courtyard, he saw the Princess of Jia Ning herself.

"My lord." The Princess of Jia Ning greeted Xiao Yuzhen with a smile and a forthright bow, to which Xiao Yuzhen hurriedly responded, "Your Highness."

Li Jinghao, unable to contain his laughter at the pair's predicament, was promptly glared at by Princess Jianing, prompting him to quickly say, "I... I just remembered there’s something I haven’t finished yet, sister you chat with the heir for a while, I'll be back soon."

With that, he strode away, leaving Xiao Yuchen and Princess Jianing in an awkward silence. Aside from that initial encounter with robbers when they were confined in the same room, this was the first time they were alone together.

Now that their statuses had changed, both of their faces were tinged with red.

"Please take a seat, heir," Princess Jianing said, suppressing the shyness in her heart.

"Alright," Xiao Yuchen responded, walking to the chair beside Princess Jianing to sit down.

"Has the princess been well recently?" Xiao Yuchen broached the most universally safe topic.

Princess Jianing replied with a smile, "I have been very well, and you?"

"I... I’m also fine," Xiao Yuchen said, taking out an exquisite little box and handing it to Princess Jianing, "I saw this hairpin and thought it would suit the princess perfectly."

Princess Jianing opened the box to find a lush, jadeite hairpin inside. Its color and style were indeed to her liking, and she couldn’t resist taking it into her hands to admire.

Her fair, slender fingers clutching the verdant hairpin looked exceptionally pleasing. Xiao Yuchen couldn't help but remark, "The princess's skin is as soft and flawless as white jade, a perfect match with this jadeite. I shall find a matching jadeite bracelet for you later."

After he spoke, he felt his words were too presumptuous and hurriedly added, "I... I mean no offense, it's just that... I just thought..."

What exactly he thought, he himself wasn't quite sure how to articulate.

"Could the heir help me put it on?"

Princess Jianing looked at him, her eyes curved like the tender blossoms of early spring, fresh and dewy. Xiao Yuchen's heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. He had never felt like this in his nearly twenty years of life.

He rose and approached Princess Jianing, taking the hairpin from her hand. He carefully considered her hairstyle before lifting his hand to place the hairpin. When one hand seemed insufficient, he used the other to gently hold back her hair, then deftly inserted the pin.

Their proximity was so close, their body heat seemed to merge, carrying a mysteriously fresh sweetness.

As their eyes met, their blush deepened. Xiao Yuchen took a step back, stuttering, "It looks... very beautiful."

Princess Jianing, touching the hairpin atop her head, said with a smile, "I like it very much, thank you, heir."

"There’s no need for such formality with me," Xiao Yuchen said, "From now on, the princess may address me simply as Yuchen."

Princess Jianing nodded, "And you may call me Jianing from now on."

"Alright," Xiao Yuchen agreed.

Princess Jianing rose to her feet, fetched an exquisite parcel from nearby, and handed it to Xiao Yuchen, "Here are some needleworks I crafted for you."

Surprise flickered across Xiao Yuchen's face as he hastily took it, saying, "Thank you, I like it very much."

Princess Jianing chuckled, "You say you like it without even looking."

"Anything from Jianing is naturally to my liking," Xiao Yuchen said with heartfelt sincerity.

Princess Jianing's laughter rang out merrily, and Xiao Yuchen joined in. The two of them finally warmed up to each other and began to talk about topics of mutual interest. When Li Jinghao returned, they were deeply engaged in conversation, much to his delight.

It was natural for Xiao Yuchen to stay for the midday meal, and this time Duke Duan took the initiative to dine with him. After eating and sitting together for a while, Xiao Yuchen departed.

Given the propriety between men and women, even betrothed couples should not be too close, so Princess Jianing did not see him out. Hearing the footsteps fade, she turned to Chunxi, her senior maid, and said, "Call Ma Jin over."

Ma Jin was a longtime servant of Duke Duan, and upon hearing this, Chunxi knew the princess must have an urgent matter, so she quickly left. No sooner had she gone than Li Jinghao arrived. Once he was seated, Princess Jianing said, "I've sent Chunxi to fetch Ma Jin."

"What foolishness has father done this time?" Li Jinghao's first thought was that Duke Duan had done something foolish again.

"Today, Heir Xiao came to offer New Year's greetings, yet father had a prior engagement. I suspect it was orchestrated," Princess Jianing remarked.

Li Jinghao's face grew somber, "That's indeed possible. But who could it be?"

Princess Jianing snorted, "If we ask, we'll know."

Li Jinghao nodded, feeling a profound sense of weariness. With such a father, he and his sister constantly feared he would cause a great disaster.

After a short while, Duke Duan's attendant Ma Jin arrived, bowing respectfully to the siblings, "My respects to the young master and princess."

But neither Princess Jianing nor Li Jinghao indicated for him to rise, leaving Ma Jin bent over and terribly anxious, wondering how he had offended the young masters.

"You may rise," Princess Jianing finally said after a lengthy pause.

As Ma Jin stood up, Princess Jianing looked at him and stated, "You are my father's close attendant; you must be aware of his affairs."

Hearing this, Ma Jin became even more nervous and stuttered, "Not... not everything."

"You certainly know who arranged to meet my father today," Princess Jianing asserted.

Ma Jin kept his head down, saying nothing. Seeing his reluctance, Princess Jia Ning added, "You are a close attendant of my royal father. If something happens to him, you surely won't survive."

Ma Jin clenched his fists tightly but still remained silent. Princess Jia Ning's eyes deepened as she continued, "You should be clear about who will take over the Duke's mansion. Consider carefully whether supporting Jinghao or my father is more beneficial for you."

Still silent and head bowed, Ma Jin didn't respond. This time, Princess Jia Ning didn’t press further; she gave him time to think. After a long while, Ma Jin seemed to come to a realization. He said, "Yes... it was Lady Cao who made an appointment with the lord yesterday, saying she would pay a New Year’s visit this morning."

Upon hearing this, Princess Jia Ning’s face turned pale with anger, while Li Jinghao slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "What does she think she is?"

Princess Jia Ning took a deep breath, gestured for Ma Jin to leave, and said to Li Jinghao, "In my father’s heart, anything is more important than you and me. We've known this for a long time; there's no need to get angry."

She spoke with a cold smile, "Our father may not care for us, but that doesn't mean every Tom, Dick, and Harry can trample over us."