Chapter 399: What Would Xu Jingxi Look Like in a Skirt?
Chapter 399: Chapter 399: What Would Xu Jingxi Look Like in a Skirt?
"General Fang!" Second Master Xie called out to stop her.
Fang Qingdai turned her head, her gaze icy as she looked at him. "What is it, Second Master Xie?"
Her tone was indifferent, the look in her eyes dark and profoundly cold.
The way she looked at him was so much like that day, all those years ago, when she’d seen him and Second Madam Xie in the same room—filled with the same disgust and impatience.
Second Master Xie felt he had no right to speak to her any longer and swallowed the words of concern he was about to say.
His narrow eyes darkened slightly. "My condolences for General Liang."
Fang Qingdai said nothing. She turned away coolly, hurried into the curtain of rain, and rode off on her horse.
Just then, Xie Mingxu finally arrived in a rush, holding a rain cloak he had found.
But all he could see was Fang Qingdai’s retreating figure as she spurred her horse onward.
"General Fang!" Xie Mingxu took two steps after her, but Fang Qingdai cracked her whip and galloped away, eventually becoming just a black dot in the downpour.
Second Master Xie heaved a heavy sigh.
When Fang Qingdai had left the capital all those years ago, she had left him with a single sentence—
"May we never meet again in this life."
He never imagined that fate, in its cruel way, would make them meet again.
But the chasm between them was too deep. How could they ever reconcile and be as they once were?
A few days later, at the National Academy, Shen Ningning met Fang Qingdai’s daughter—Liang Yici.
"Princess Rongshu will be joining our Huangzi Class from now on." Mr. Han announced as he led the newcomer in, introducing her to the students.
Shen Ningning looked up and saw a girl who looked to be about eight or nine years old.
She had long since lost her childish baby fat, possessing an oval face and a heroic air in her features that resembled Fang Qingdai’s.
The classmates sitting behind Shen Ningning began to whisper amongst themselves—
"This Princess Rongshu really looks like Xu Jingxi."
"Haha, you don’t think they’re related, do you?"
"No way! Xu Jingxi comes from a poor family. And look at Princess Rongshu’s status. The same family? Maybe in their next life!"
They covered their mouths and snickered.
Xu Jingxi’s fractured hand had not yet healed, so he couldn’t come to the academy today.
These students were usually jealous of him for being able to learn better than everyone else without even trying.
Shen Ningning listened to them quietly discussing Xu Jingxi’s background.
She couldn’t help but turn around and glare at them with her dark, luminous eyes.
Seeing her warning look, the few classmates immediately fell silent in discontent.
’Who would dare to provoke Princess Funing these days?’
When Shen Ningning turned her attention back, she heard Mr. Han ask, "Ningning, I’m entrusting Princess Rongshu to you. She has a few things she hasn’t learned yet. Would you be willing to tutor her after class?"
Shen Ningning stood up, but before the little girl could speak, Liang Yici took the initiative to refuse.
"Mr. Han, my mother has already hired three tutors for me. I will have them help me catch up on any missed lessons when I get home. There is no need to trouble the Princess."
Mr. Han was taken aback. "That’s fine too."
’He had been thinking that since Princess Rongshu had just returned to the capital, she didn’t have any friends here.’
’And his treasured student, Shen Ningning, was very popular. It would be a good opportunity for them to get to know each other.’
’Too bad the girl refused so decisively.’
Shen Ningning keenly sensed that Liang Yici did not like her.
After class, many students from other classes gathered around, all wanting to talk to the new Commandery Princess.
This was mainly because Liang Yici’s mother, General Fang Qingdai, was the only female general in Cangyun Country.
Shen Ningning, Ye Shangyi, and Lu Shaoyuan sat in a small pavilion by the pond.
They nibbled on pastries while watching Liang Yici, who was completely surrounded by people not far away.
Ye Shangyi tutted. "Look at them all fawning over her. She’s just a Commandery Princess. What’s so special about that?"
Shen Ningning’s pink cheeks were puffed out with food. "You can’t say that. Her parents are both meritorious heroes of Cangyun Country and heroes in the hearts of the people. It’s only right that everyone admires her."
The two girls chattered on for a while, but Lu Shaoyuan remained silent.
Ye Shangyi looked over at him and saw Lu Shaoyuan squinting, studying Liang Yici with an intriguing expression.
"Hey!" Ye Shangyi slapped him on the shoulder. "Are you mesmerized? Never seen a little beauty from the border before?"
Shen Ningning, holding a bowl of glistening fruit jelly, blinked her long lashes and looked at him.
Lu Shaoyuan snapped out of it. "Don’t talk nonsense! It’s just that when I saw this Liang Yici, something inexplicably came to mind."
"What is it?"
"If Xu Jingxi wore a dress, he’d probably look just like her."
"PFFT—!" Shen Ningning sprayed out the mouthful of fruit jelly she had just taken.
Some of it even landed on Lu Shaoyuan’s sleeve.
Ye Shangyi shrieked, "Lu Shaoyuan, you’re so dirty! I thought you just had unique tastes, but I didn’t realize you were such a pervert! Does Xu Jingxi know you have these kinds of thoughts about him?"
Hearing Ye Shangyi’s words, Shen Ningning choked and started coughing uncontrollably, her small, milky-white face turning bright red.
Ye Shangyi quickly reached out to pat her on the back.
She glared at Lu Shaoyuan and scolded, "Look what you did! You scared Ningning!"
Wiping his sleeve, Lu Shaoyuan’s face was dark with exasperation. "Your minds are in the gutter! I just meant that their expressions are very similar!"
"Especially that icy, keep-your-distance look in Liang Yici’s eyes. It’s exactly the same as Xu Jingxi’s!"
Shen Ningning finally caught her breath, patting her chest with her small hand.
"Lu Shaoyuan, if you say something so ridiculous again, the next time I see Xu Jingxi, I’ll tell him you fantasize about him in a dress!"
Lu Shaoyuan’s face went pale. "You can’t do that! Don’t cause a misunderstanding! He’ll think I really have improper designs on him!"
Ye Shangyi and Shen Ningning couldn’t help but clutch their stomachs and roar with laughter.
In the evening, when class was dismissed.
Shen Ningning said goodbye to Ye Shangyi and Lu Shaoyuan.
The little girl had just started pulling the book cart Xie Mingxu had made for her, toddling toward the gate, when she saw Xie Yuanjiu talking to Liang Yici.
She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Liang Yici was frowning slightly, while Xie Yuanjiu had a mournful expression.
Just then, Xie Yuanjiu’s gaze shifted, and she spotted Shen Ningning.
She immediately walked over. "Princess, I came here specially to apologize to you. Last time was all my fault. I caused a misunderstanding with you over Xu Jingxi’s matter."
"Please rest assured, my illness has healed. I will never again harbor thoughts that you would leave me to die. I understand you were only punishing me so I would realize my mistake. In the future, if there’s any misunderstanding, I will be sure to explain it to the Princess immediately."
Shen Ningning felt annoyed just looking at her.
’Why is Xie Yuanjiu like a fly that you just can’t swat away!’
’Xu Jingxi’s hand isn’t even better, but her illness is completely cured.’
"You don’t have to play the victim. It’s so hypocritical. I didn’t give you the medicine because you deliberately set up Xu Jingxi. You’re the reason his writing hand was fractured, and it’s still not healed!"
"If you’re so malicious toward others, then I have even less reason to save you. So, you don’t need to say these things to me anymore. Just stay out of my sight from now on!" With that, Shen Ningning tugged her cart and hurried away with a RATTLE.
Liang Yici watched Shen Ningning’s retreating back, frowning slightly.
’Is this how the legendary Princess Funing—the one who saves people and possesses a heart full of compassion—treats her own relative?’
Fortunately, Liang Yici had no intention of standing up for Xie Yuanjiu.
In her eyes, the Xie Mansion had bullied her mother all those years ago, which made them all bad people. She wouldn’t pay any of them any mind.
After Liang Yici left, Xie Yuanjiu’s pink lips curved into an inscrutable smile.
Shen Ningning was returning to Wolf Mountain to stay the night.
As soon as she entered Xiangyun Village, Wolf Three bounded down from the mountain and circled the little girl, sniffing her all over.
The little girl smiled sweetly. "Wolf Three, what are you sniffing for?"
Nearby, the Black Wolf King paced, slowly making its way down the mountain.
It let out a low A-WOO, its cold wolf eyes glancing at Wolf Three with utter disdain.
The Black Wolf King told Shen Ningning that ever since she took the lynx out last time and came back praising how smart it was,
Wolf Three had become terrified that she would secretly take the lynx with her every time she left!
So now he had to sniff her first to check for any "enemy presence."
Shen Ningning giggled and poked Wolf Three’s big head.
She followed the Black Wolf King and the others back to the residence on Wolf Mountain first, planning to drag two bags of rice to deliver to Xiangyun Village.
However, just as the little girl entered the Immortal Realm as usual, a torrent of water rushed straight at her head!
"WAAH! GLUG GLUG GLUG..." She cried out, swallowing a mouthful of water and spitting out several bubbles.
Shen Ningning tumbled several times in the water before landing on the ground and rolling twice more.
The little girl scrambled to her feet. Drenched from head to toe, she ignored her sopping state and eagerly looked to see what on earth had happened to her Immortal Realm!
But one look, and she got a huge shock!