Jin Jingxiu returned to the Jin household. He had already made a clean break with Jiang Mengyue and vowed that they would have nothing more to do with each other from this day forward.
Jiang Mengyue's appearance had cast a shadow over his mood, but he quickly put the thought out of his mind and refused to dwell on it any longer.
He felt the box tucked inside his robes.
Since Jiang Mengyue was wearing a veil, no one recognized her, nor did anyone have the idle curiosity to stare fixedly at her.
Once inside, Jiang Mengyue swept her gaze across the room, searching for Jin Jingxiu.
He was located in no time.
Jin Jingxiu was busy selecting a women's hairpin, examining them with exceptional care and focus.
With that, Yan Ruoxi was about to crash toward the carriage.
Feeling helpless, Yuanfeng hurriedly grabbed her. "Miss Yan, you've had too much to drink!"
"I'm not drunk, I haven't had too much to drink..." Tears streaming down her face and her eyes burning red, Yan Ruoxi stared fixedly at the carriage. "Brother Chu, why do you have to be so cruel? I just wanted to see you—is even that too much to ask?"
Withdrawing his gaze and suppressing his irritation, Li Hexuan said, "I had a bit too much to drink and came out for some air. What about Lord Chu and Miss Jiang? What might you two be doing out here?"
One didn't even need to ask to know—with the two of them holding hands so tightly, what else could they possibly be doing out here?
The corners of Chu Yunli's lips curved into a faint smile. "This official and Miss Jiang are merely out for a stroll ourselves," he replied smoothly.
Whoever knew that the Plum Blossom Palace was a restricted imperial area must either frequently enter and exit the palace or have been warned by their family; their status and social standing certainly wouldn't be low.
Jiang Ning's gaze swept over the group of noble ladies, finally coming to rest on a single figure standing in an inconspicuous corner...
Yan Ruoxi
The Empress frowned deeply. The Plum Blossom Palace was a forbidden area of the imperial palace where His Majesty strictly forbade anyone from setting foot; what on earth could be the intention of this maid, who had meticulously plotted and disguised herself as a palace servant just to lead Jiang Ning there?
The Empress looked over at Li Hexuan and asked, "Are all of these things true?"
"Yes," Li Hexuan replied.
Elsewhere, inside the palace where the noble ladies were gathered.
Princess Hualian seemed absent-minded and clearly showed no interest in her surroundings, her mind entirely occupied by something else.
She clutched her wine cup tightly, a look of tension on her face.
