Rebirth of the Duke's Daughter and the Little Imperial Uncle

Chapter 44, Ying's Eight Trigrams (2)

Qin Yaoyao looked at Cheng Ying and said softly, "Of course it's your business." Cheng Ying looked blank and replied in confusion, "My business? What business of mine?"

Qin Yaoyao stared intently at Cheng Ying, as if trying to see through her thoughts, and said, "Stop playing dumb. Of course, it's about what happened these past few days. If something's on your mind, just tell me." Cheng Ying quickly shook her head and replied, "What could possibly be wrong with me? Don't overthink it."

Qin Yaoyao clearly didn't believe Cheng Ying's words and pressed, "You're alright? Then why haven't you come to see me these past few days?" Cheng Ying smiled slightly and explained, "I just wanted to create an opportunity for you two to be alone." Qin Yaoyao immediately retorted, "Yeah, right! You didn't bother us the day we went horseback riding either."

Cheng Ying pondered for a moment and replied, "That's because He Mingfeng is there." Hearing the name "He Mingfeng," Qin Yaoyao suddenly became curious. She teased Cheng Ying, "He Mingfeng? Didn't you used to call him 'lecher'? Why are you calling him by his name now? Tell me, what's going on between you two? Hurry up and tell the truth! Otherwise..." Qin Yaoyao narrowed her eyes, her expression full of threat.

Cheng Ying found Qin Yaoyao's gossipy expression amusing and deliberately provoked her, "What if I don't tell you? What are you going to do?" Qin Yaoyao's lips curled up into a sly smile, and she replied, "Then I'll have to punish you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Yaoyao reached out to tickle Cheng Ying. Cheng Ying was extremely ticklish, and seeing Qin Yaoyao's stance, she turned and ran without a word. However, Qin Yaoyao had been watching her closely and wasn't about to let her escape so easily. Just as Cheng Ying made her move, Qin Yaoyao lunged forward and grabbed her firmly. Instantly, the room was filled with laughter and Cheng Ying's pleas for mercy. Cheng Ying couldn't take it anymore and cried out, "Yaoyao, I'll talk, I'll talk, let me go first!" Qin Yaoyao snorted triumphantly and said, "How about that? Now you know how powerful I am! Hurry up and tell me, hurry up!" Qin Yaoyao pulled Cheng Ying back to her seat, and before she had even settled in, she heard Cheng Ying say, "What do you want to hear? I don't even know where to begin, what should I say!" Qin Yaoyao thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "How about this, I'll ask, and you answer, okay?" Cheng Ying nodded in agreement. Qin Yaoyao revealed a sly smile.

Qin Yaoyao asked Cheng Ying curiously, "Sister Ying, why don't you call the Fifth Prince 'lecher' anymore?" Cheng Ying smiled and replied, "Because he has already apologized to me, and I myself have realized that I made some mistakes. After all, he didn't actually touch me, so calling him 'lecher' was indeed inappropriate, so I changed my way of addressing him."

Qin Yaoyao pressed on, "So, you changed your form of address, why are you calling me by my name now?" Cheng Ying explained, "He said we're friends now, and we don't need to use those respectful titles; it would seem too formal. So he changed it to calling me by my name. Is there a problem?" Qin Yaoyao smiled slightly but didn't respond. Instead, she continued, "So, the Fifth Prince also calls you by your name, right?" Cheng Ying nodded, then asked疑惑地问道, "Yes, why? Is there something inappropriate about it?"

Qin Yaoyao smiled and said, "No, I just think it's wonderful that you two were able to resolve your misunderstanding and make up. And the Fifth Prince is really good to you! You know, he and my Fifth Brother are good friends, but he has never called me by my name directly, he has always called me 'Miss Qin'."

Cheng Ying retorted, "That only means he's not familiar with you." Qin Yaoyao found Cheng Ying's words somewhat amusing. She secretly thought to herself that if that person dared to call her by her name, her brother Yanxi would probably give him a good beating. Qin Yaoyao continued, "Sister Ying, I heard you weren't in the capital these past two days. How did you know I was betrothed the day after my horseback riding trip?" Cheng Ying smiled slightly and replied, "He Mingfeng told me."

Qin Yaoyao narrowed her eyes and said with a slightly teasing tone, "He told you... You two haven't been together these past few days, have you? You're moving pretty fast! How far have things progressed?" Cheng Ying looked at Qin Yaoyao's expression and immediately realized she had misunderstood. So she reached out and gently tapped Qin Yaoyao's forehead, saying in an annoyed tone, "You little rascal, what are you thinking! We're just friends, it's not as complicated as you think! I've noticed that since you've realized your feelings, you've become increasingly bold, saying whatever comes to mind without any restraint!"

Cheng Ying continued, "If I had stayed with him the whole time, how would he have known about your arranged marriage?" Qin Yaoyao deliberately teased Cheng Ying, saying, "Sister Ying, am I wrong? You and the Fifth Prince have already reconciled, and haven't you been playing together these past few days? Am I wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ying immediately realized that she had been overthinking things. She blushed deeply with embarrassment and said coquettishly, "You little rascal, Yao Yao, you were just teasing me on purpose, weren't you! Let's see how I deal with you!" Before she finished speaking, she pounced on Qin Yao Yao with her claws outstretched.

Qin Yaoyao was extremely ticklish, and upon seeing this, she hurriedly begged for mercy, saying, "Sister, I was wrong! Please forgive me, haha..." Cheng Ying persisted, continuing to tickle Qin Yaoyao's ticklish spots until she was breathless with laughter.

After a long while, Cheng Ying stopped and looked at Qin Yaoyao with a half-smile, asking, "Do you dare to do it again?" Qin Yaoyao shook her head repeatedly, panting, and said, "I don't dare, I don't dare..."

Cheng Ying nodded in satisfaction, withdrew her hand, and the two sat back down in their chairs. Qin Yaoyao, having caught her breath, began to speak again, "Sister Ying, you and the Fifth Prince..." However, before she could finish, Cheng Ying interrupted her rudely once more: "You still dare to speak!"

Qin Yaoyao hugged Cheng Ying and said coquettishly, "Oh, Sister Ying, I'm not teasing you! When exactly did the Fifth Prince tell you about my betrothal? Did he tell you on the very day? You weren't even in the capital then!" Cheng Ying smiled gently and replied, "Hmm... it should have been the day after the betrothal. I remember I had just returned from the White Horse Temple." Qin Yaoyao paused slightly, then asked, "Did he go to your residence to look for you?" Cheng Ying nodded slightly in agreement. Cheng Ying then asked, "Is there a problem?"

Qin Yaoyao giggled, her voice as melodious as a silver bell. She teased, "My dear sister, you two are such good friends, how could there be any problems? I was just curious. Do you remember the day we went horseback riding together? How did you treat each other afterwards? I tried to advise you before, but you firmly believed he only wanted to take advantage. Now, how come you've let it go so easily?" Cheng Ying blushed and whispered, "Actually, there's nothing special about it. After you two left, we searched for you but couldn't find any trace of you. Could it be that you two had another argument?" Cheng Ying gently shook her head and replied, "No, but it's not far off."

He said sarcastically, "You really have no sense of propriety! You know perfectly well they're on a date, yet you still insist on meddling." Hearing this, I suddenly remembered what you told me the day before: to stay away from them. At that moment, I realized he was right, but how could I easily give him the chance to mock me? So, I retorted without hesitation, "What's it to you!"

To my surprise, he immediately apologized and explained in detail why he had acted that way that day. After hearing his explanation, I recalled what you had said to me before and immediately realized that I had been prejudiced and misunderstood his intentions.

Who am I? I'm the kind of person who admits and corrects their mistakes! Since he's already recognized his error, I can't just make him apologize, can I? So, I sincerely apologized to him as well. Then, we naturally made up.

Qin Yaoyao eagerly pressed, "And then what happened? Did anything else happen between you two?" Cheng Ying asked in surprise, "How did you know something else happened between us?"

Qin Yaoyao rolled her eyes and replied dismissively, "Because I'm smart! How could simply apologizing to each other make your relationship so good? There must be something else going on!" Cheng Ying's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile: "Yes, after the misunderstanding was cleared up, our communication has indeed become much smoother. At least we're not as sarcastic as before. We talked a lot about things from our childhood and discovered that we have many similarities, but also some differences. Perhaps it's these similarities and differences that have made us good friends."

Qin Yaoyao's curiosity was piqued, and she excitedly asked, "So what did you two talk about? Tell me quickly!" Cheng Ying smiled and began to recount their conversation. Qin Yaoyao listened attentively, occasionally offering her own opinions. When she heard Cheng Ying suggest that the other person go to her elder brother's military camp for training, Qin Yaoyao suddenly realized and said, "I see, so you sent him to your elder brother's camp for training." Cheng Ying nodded, then asked suspiciously, "Is there a problem with that?" Qin Yaoyao smiled mischievously and explained, "No problem, it's fine. I guessed that you arranged for him to go there specifically after you came back from Baima Temple." Cheng Ying looked at Qin Yaoyao in surprise and asked curiously, "How did you know?"

Qin Yaoyao said, "I also know that he came to visit you when you came back from Baima Temple. On one hand, he wanted to tell you about my arranged marriage; on the other hand, he probably wanted to ask you about his entry into the army."

Cheng Ying replied, "That's right. Since you're so clever and quick-witted, can you guess what will happen next?"

Qin Yaoyao smiled slightly and said confidently, "You two must have shared what you've seen and heard these past two days."

Cheng Ying gave Qin Yaoyao a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Wow, amazing! Did you secretly learn fortune-telling from someone while I was away these past few days?"

Qin Yaoyao smiled mischievously and replied, "That's right, I'm a fortune teller now, so you have to be honest with me from now on, or I'll find out the truth."

Cheng Ying obediently replied, "Yes, my diviner queen."

The two exchanged a smile, then burst into laughter. Qin Yaoyao continued, "So, these past few days, Sister Ying has been staying in the military camp for the sake of the Fifth Prince?"

Cheng Ying explained with a smile, "It's not entirely for him. After all, I used to serve in the military, so this is just a return visit."

Qin Yaoyao pressed on, "What does Sister Na Ying think of the Fifth Prince?" Cheng Ying thought for a moment before replying, "Well... I personally think the Fifth Prince is an extremely intelligent person, and quite reliable in his actions. Although he's somewhat of a playboy, he's nothing like other spoiled brats who only bully the weak and fear the strong. Moreover, he has great ambitions and a sharp mind, possessing profound and unique insights into many things, even offering distinctive perspectives on many topics in books. In short, he is indeed..." He was truly unlike any ordinary spoiled brat. Logically speaking, given his background—his father was the current emperor, his mother the empress, his elder brother the crown prince, and his maternal grandparents the powerful and influential General of the Nation—he could easily smooth things over no matter what mistakes he made. However, many people, precisely because of their noble birth, become arrogant and disdainful of others. But the Fifth Prince was not like that; therefore, in my opinion, he remained a kind-hearted and innocent person.” Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao nodded repeatedly, expressing her complete agreement.

Qin Yaoyao covered her mouth and chuckled, teasing, "Sister Ying, you speak so highly of him! If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't know so much. Could it be that you have feelings for the Fifth Prince?" Cheng Ying, seeing Qin Yaoyao's smile, blushed instantly and stammered, "What feelings could I possibly have? I only know this because he told me himself recently. Besides, isn't that what friends do—understand each other? Like, I know a lot about you, so what's the big deal?" Seeing Cheng Ying's reaction, Qin Yaoyao knew that Cheng Ying probably already liked the Fifth Prince, but she was too caught up in it to realize her own feelings. So, she, as an observer, would remind her. Therefore, Qin Yaoyao said to Cheng Ying, "Sister, you really don't have any feelings? That's a real pity. I think you and the Fifth Prince are a match made in heaven."