Ning Si was stunned, her small face extremely pale, with a burst of tears brimming in her eyes in an instant.
"Woo woo, Gu Ying..."
Ning Si turned back and hugged Gu Ying, feeling wronged and scared in her heart. Her small hands were wrapped tightly around Gu Ying's waist, not daring to let go at all, afraid that Prince Duan's people would take her back to the prince's manor if she let go.
"Ah Si, what exactly is going on with you?"
Ning Si's lips trembled slightly. She pulled Gu Ying to another place, "This is not the place to talk...let's find a place with no one around."
Today there were many people in the palace. Everywhere were noble ladies leisurely strolling in the Imperial Garden. Naturally some looked down on the Ning Family, and some gossiped about Ning Si.
"Did you hear? The young miss from the Nings was taken into the prince's manor by Prince Duan. I wonder what's going on. They're not married yet, so why are they living together?"
"After all, Ning Si was raised by the Nings. Even if Prince Duan is not favored by His Majesty, her doing this is just too shameless!"
"Have you guys heard about Zhou Yan being beaten half to death by Prince Duan?"
"I did hear about that. The Prince is usually very good-tempered and rarely conflicts with his subordinates. I wonder what happened this time? Could it be because of Ning Si?"
"Ning Si couldn't be secretly involved with Zhou Yan, right?"
The voices of discussion gradually faded away.
When they reached a remote place without people, Gu Ying realized Ning Si didn't have her personal maid with her. She was alone, appearing solitary and helpless, as pitiful as she could be.
"Ah Si, where is Qing Yun?"
"Huh?"
Ning Si's memory had not been good recently. She couldn't eat or sleep well, and her spirit was increasingly worse. She still had to pretend everything was fine in front of Li Hao. She felt more and more exhausted physically and mentally.
Her eyes were blank for a while. "I remember now...I left Qing Yun at home. Cai Xiu is serving me now...that maid Cai Xiu..."
She remembered Cai Xiu threatening her with the child and bit her lip. "She is ambitious. I can't order her around..."
Moreover, she didn't need a maid in Prince Duan's manor at all.
Prince Duan took care of everything himself. He watched her personally...
Only when he was not around would she have some time to sleep.
Even though Cai Xiu was still by her side, she couldn't get close most of the time.
Gu Ying had long seen that Cai Xiu was not good to get along with, so she advised solemnly, "Ah Si, keeping someone like her by your side is always troublesome. It's better to find a way to send her away."
Ning Si smiled bitterly. "Gu Ying, I don't even have the heart to deal with Cai Xiu now. My marriage with the Prince... If he insists on not calling it off, if he doesn't compromise, and even hurt Zhou Yan, what should I do..." She grabbed Gu Ying's hand eagerly, "Today after much persuasion he finally agreed to let me out. As soon as the banquet in the palace ends, he's going to come get me... I don't want to go back to the manor...the Prince is so fierce..."
After Li Hao found out she was pregnant with Zhou Yan's child, he had become exceptionally terrifying. A prince who had always followed rules and protocols broke norms by taking a young lady to his manor. This made her utterly confused about what to do.
The first night she was taken to the manor, he pinched her chin and forced her to drink medicine to cause a miscarriage.
She desperately struggled to keep the child, but he was still not satisfied, smiling as if he was a death god.
She was extremely frightened, trembling as she fell onto the couch. She saw his eyes turn icy cold, looking condescendingly at her lower abdomen. Her body kept shrinking towards the corner.
In all her years, though she had admired him for so long, she had never felt this man was so terrifying before.
Fortunately in the end under her threat to die, he spared the child.
But afterwards, from time to time... he would take liberties with her.
He clearly knew she was pregnant, yet he recklessly... did some crazy things to her.
Especially last night, when she asked to participate in the palace banquet, his eyes turned cold. He pressed her directly onto the bed...and tormented her all night.
Previously, she had always resented that he was not intimate enough with her. But now, remembering last night, she still felt terrified as she stroked her belly, extremely anxious for her child.
Her eyes slightly reddened, tears swirling nonstop in her eye sockets. She cried, "He wants to kill my child, and also wants to kill Zhou Yan!"
Gu Ying's brows furrowed. She comforted, "Ah Si, calm down first."
Ning Si breathed rapidly before she finally settled down, tears streaming down her face.
She leaned against a corridor pillar, exuding despair and powerlessness all over.
"Gu Ying, I heard Zhou Yan was beaten until he was covered in blood... I've let him down... Can you help me think of something?"
Ning Si eagerly pulled her hand. Gu Ying's brows knotted. "Ah Si, what exactly does the Prince think? Have you talked it over with him? He still refuses to call off the engagement?"
Ning Si's face paled. Flustered, she said, "After returning to the capital, I talked with him... At that time after hearing about my relationship with Zhou Yan, he was still calm with a gentle smile on his face. Staring at my belly, he told me to go home and rest at ease, not to worry. I thought he had agreed to call off the engagement, but soon after I returned, he sent people to bring me away... No matter what I said, he insists on not calling off the marriage. I can't figure out what he's thinking...and my belly is getting bigger and bigger... Soon it'll be hard to hide. What will I tell the Empress and His Majesty about the Ning Family then?"
Gu Ying was silent for a while. Ning Si's matter involved the imperial family's reputation, which was rather tricky.
But now was not the time to oppose the imperial clan either.
She thought for a bit. "Since Prince Duan refuses to call off the marriage, and doesn't dare hurt your child, Ah Si, you might as well hold your position."
Ning Si was stunned. "Hold my position?"
"Yes." Gu Ying's mouth curved up slyly. "If you behave yourself, the Prince will naturally not do anything more to Zhou Yan. As for your marriage, if he insists on not calling it off, then bite the bullet and marry him."
Ning Si was confused, her long eyelashes blinking at Gu Ying. Her gaze was somewhat bewildered.
The smile at Gu Ying's lips deepened. She continued, "You don't know that when it comes to men, they all have a common failing. That is looking down on women who actively throw themselves at them. If you give him the cold shoulder and reject him, he'll immediately become interested in you, eager to think of ways to conquer you. But if you really cater to his every need, care for him considerately, show concern gentle and warm, he'll quickly find you annoying."
"So--" Ning Si felt the tight string in her mind suddenly relax. Staring at Gu Ying with her red eyes blinking, she said, "Gu Ying means for me to not confront the Prince, go along with him, and let him take the initiative to loathe me?"
Gu Ying nodded. "That's right."
Ning Si thought about her years of fawning over Prince Duan. It seemed Gu Ying was correct. The more she fawned over him, the more indifferent he would be towards her.
And now that she was going to marry Zhou Yan, he became displeased.
No matter how gentle the Prince's disposition, he was still the Crown Prince of Dong Li. After all he had his dignity. How could he allow her to casually marry another.
