After Mistakenly Provoking The Soft, Unhinged Princess O - Chapter 7

Two quarters of an hour later, the carriage arrived at the Linyuan Marquis Estate.

Yu Qingci got out first. She stood beside the carriage and helped Yan Lingshu down.

The two of them wore matching splendid blue brocade robes. Standing in the bright spring sunlight, they looked like a perfectly matched pair.

From time to time, probing gazes came from around them, as if everyone was curious about the relationship between this newly married couple.

After all, when His Majesty had first granted the marriage, Yu Qingci had caused a huge scene at the Linyuan Marquis Estate. In the end, she had forced Marquis Linyuan to confine her, and she had only been released the day before the wedding.

But looking at them now, their relationship seemed… not bad?

“Your Highness, mind the steps.” Yu Qingci placed all her attention on Yan Lingshu, afraid that she might accidentally fall.

Yan Lingshu paused as she stepped onto the stairs, and Yu Qingci subconsciously held her arm.

Yan Lingshu lifted her eyes to look at her, her tone gentle. “Qingci need not be so nervous.”

Yu Qingci heard a hint of threat in those words. After hesitating for a moment, she let go of Yan Lingshu’s arm. But in the next instant, she moved downward instead and took Yan Lingshu’s hand. Under the dazzling sunlight, she revealed a brilliant smile. “I’m just worried about Your Highness.”

The girl’s clear, bright eyes shone gorgeously in the sunlight.

Yan Lingshu was slightly dazed. Unexpectedly, she did not feel any disgust toward those words that sounded almost like spoiled coaxing.

Seeing that Yan Lingshu silently allowed it, Yu Qingci held her hand all the way inside.

There were already many rumors in the capital. What she had to do today was use her actions and the facts to break those rumors, letting outsiders clearly see that she and Yan Lingshu were one married pair, harmonious and affectionate.

However… Yan Lingshu’s hand was so soft.

Yu Qingci did not know when her thoughts had gone astray. Unconsciously, she began kneading Yan Lingshu’s jade-soft fingers, stroking from the roots of her fingers to the tips, then turning back to rub her palm. The more she kneaded, the more she felt that the other woman’s hand was truly soft and pleasant to touch.

Halfway through, the other person used a little strength, as if trying to pull her hand back.

Yu Qingci subconsciously tightened her grip. Her dazed mind was called back by this little interruption. She turned to look at Yan Lingshu, unsurprisingly meeting a pair of cold, emotionless doe eyes.

Yu Qingci abruptly coughed. Using the motion of covering her lips, she withdrew her cursed hand.

Why had she never noticed before that she was this lustful?

Why was she touching? Was the great boss’s hand something she could touch just because she wanted to?

Yu Qingci looked calm on the surface, but inside, tears were streaming down her face—she was finished. Sooner or later, she would lose these hands of hers. Everything she should not do and could not do, she had done all of it.

Someone save her, wuwuwu…

The two walked side by side, maintaining a subtle distance.

It was only when they were about to step into the hall that Yu Qingci subconsciously reached out again to support Yan Lingshu. This time, she had learned her lesson. She did not even look at Yan Lingshu’s expression, and the moment they crossed the threshold, she let go. The main point was knowing when to advance and when to retreat.

Inside the hall, Marquis Linyuan, Yu Xiao, and the marquis’s wife, Cui Yao, sat in the seats of honor.

Sitting below them on the right was a woman dressed in moon-white robes. The woman had a clear and lovely face, her temperament elegant and refined. The gaze she directed at Yu Qingci was very indifferent.

Yu Qingci recognized her at once—Yu Qingli, the female lead of the original book.

However coldly Yu Qingli looked at her, and however much Yu Qingli disliked her in her heart, she still had to rise together with Yu Xiao and the others and bow to Yan Lingshu.

A royal princess, even if she had come here to serve tea to you, was still someone you had to salute first.

Yu Qingci stood straight at the side, feeling a strange sense of pride as if sharing in the honor.

Who told them her wife was a princess? Hmph.

“This humble official greets the princess. May Your Highness be blessed with lasting peace and good fortune.”

“Marquis, there is no need for so much courtesy. Today, I am the junior here. I should be the one serving tea first.” Yan Lingshu stepped forward and lightly helped Yu Xiao rise.

Yu Xiao raised her head, only to see Yu Qingci wearing an expression as if none of this had anything to do with her, as though she was quite happy to watch her own mother bow to the princess.

A nameless fire rose in her heart. Before she could release it, Yu Qingci bowed to her first. “Qingci greets Mother.”

This bow of hers was fairly proper.

The anger in Yu Xiao’s heart had just settled when, in the next moment, she saw Yu Qingci bow very perfunctorily toward Cui Yao. “And greetings to Aunt Cui.”

Yu Xiao’s brows immediately furrowed.

Even if Cui Yao was her stepmother, she was still her mother. How could Yu Qingci be so disrespectful in front of the Fifth Princess?

“All right.” Cui Yao spoke first, cutting in ahead of her. “There is no need for so many complicated formalities between family. This is the greeting gift I prepared for Your Highness. I do not know whether Your Highness will like it.”

Logically speaking, they should have served tea first before receiving greeting gifts. Cui Yao had clearly changed the order to remind Yu Xiao of the proper business.

Since the Fifth Princess was still here, there was no need to cause trouble in front of her and make the mother-daughter discord obvious.

Yu Xiao pressed her anger back down and sat again in the main seat with Cui Yao.

A maidservant brought over the tea cups. Yan Lingshu lifted two cups one after another and served tea separately to Yu Xiao and Cui Yao.

Yu Xiao and Cui Yao had both prepared greeting gifts. After Yan Lingshu accepted them, she also took out the greeting gifts she had prepared.

Qinhe handed one of them to Yu Qingli’s maidservant.

Yan Lingshu said, “This is the greeting gift I prepared for Younger Sister Qingli. I hope you like it.”

When Yu Qingci heard that “Younger Sister Qingli,” her heart tightened. As the female lead of the original book, Yu Qingli might have the female lead halo. If Yan Lingshu spent more time with her, could she end up becoming friends with her?

Then wouldn’t she, the vicious legitimate elder sister who had targeted Yu Qingli since childhood and wanted Yu Qingli dead at every moment, die sooner or later?

The radar in Yu Qingci’s mind went off with a buzz. With a wave of her hand, she immediately had the servants bring forward her own greeting gifts as well, interrupting the two people beside her.

“Mother, this is our token of regard. Please take a look.”

Although she said that, this portion had clearly been prepared by herself.

Yu Xiao had originally been full of anger, but when she saw the gift list presented to her, she suddenly felt a little confused—when had her daughter become this sensible?

She had originally thought that Yu Qingci would cause a scene when she returned today. At the very least, she would put on a cold face for them. Who would have thought she had even prepared gifts?

Yu Xiao calmed herself and looked carefully at Yu Qingci—the hostility between the girl’s brows and eyes had completely vanished, and her expression was much calmer than usual. She no longer looked filled with resentment and unwillingness like before.

It was as if she had become a different person.

The anger in Yu Xiao’s heart slowly faded, and her expression softened. “There is nothing more needed here. If Your Highness is interested, have Qingci take you around. Her courtyard has also been cleaned and prepared, so you may go rest there at any time.”

After hearing this, Yu Qingci did not delay. She took Yan Lingshu and headed outside.

In front of Yu Xiao and the others, she needed to act appropriately. After acting for a long time, it became rather annoying.

Instead, being with Yan Lingshu was more comfortable.

At the very least, they both knew the other was acting. It did not matter if they occasionally revealed a flaw or did not act seriously enough.

“Does Your Highness want to go rest in my courtyard?” Yu Qingci looked at Yan Lingshu.

Yan Lingshu was walking slower and slower, and even her brows had furrowed.

Seeing her like this, Yu Qingci felt guilty. But the Yu Estate was not like the princess’s residence. There was no sedan chair to sit in.

And there was still quite a stretch from here to her courtyard.

Yan Lingshu gave a low “Mm” and slowly walked forward.

Yu Qingci slowed her steps and walked with her for a while. The longer they walked, the worse she felt inside.

She was truly afraid that if Yan Lingshu kept walking like this, her desire to kill Yu Qingci would grow heavier and heavier.

No. She had to take action.

Yu Qingci cheered herself on in her heart. With a burst of courage, she turned and directly scooped Yan Lingshu up in her arms.

Her movement was too sudden. Yan Lingshu did not even have time to refuse before she was already held in Yu Qingci’s arms. She looped her arms around Yu Qingci’s neck to balance herself, and a ripple finally appeared in her normally calm expression. “Yu Qingci, what are you doing?”

Oh-ho. She seemed even angrier. She was even calling her by her full name now.

Yu Qingci braced herself and answered, “I’m carrying you over. I’m very strong, and I walk very fast too. Just think of me as a sedan chair.”

Yan Lingshu: “…???”

She was such a large, living person, with her body scent so close and her body temperature so warm. How was Yan Lingshu supposed to treat her as a cold, lifeless sedan chair?