Gluttonous Crown Princess

catching a glimpse of her fighting back a smile, he found it amusing for some reason.

“Shall we go?” he said.

“Mm-hmm.” Tao Ti became obedient in one second.

With his arm still around her shoulder, they left the back garden intimately.

Only after they were far away did the group of ladies raise their heads.
Their pretty and delicate little faces were red and white; they were resentful, gloomy, indignant, but most of all, utterly and entirely ashamed!

They had actually been compared to long-tongued shrews by the crown prince! If news of this got out, how could they ever show their faces!

No one knew who started it—everyone started to say their piece, and in the end, they all turned their accusations towards Fourth Lady Tao in unison, “It’s all your fault, why did you have to talk about who’s worthy or not, now you’ve made the crown princess angry and offended the crown prince, and even dragged us down in disgrace!”

“That’s right, it’s all your fault, why did you have to talk back at her for! If Crown Princess really tells Eldest Uncle about this, we’re doomed…”

In the face of everyone’s accusations, Fourth Lady Tao now had real tears in her eyes.
She glared back angrily, “Didn’t all of you speak ill of her just now too? How do you have the cheek to blame me now!”

But she alone was no match for so many mouths, and could only run away gloomily amidst the grumble of complaints in the end.

The figure was very much like that of Tao Ti’s in the past when she left in humiliation from others’ ridicule and taunts.

*****

On the other side, after they had gone some distance, Pei Yan let go of Tao Ti’s shoulder.

Thinking about how he had just stood up for her, Tao Ti raised her little head; her eyes formed crescents and the corners of her lips lifted as she looked at him gratefully with her dark, bright eyes, “Your Highness, thank you for helping me just now.”

Pei Yan smiled lightly, “You don’t have to be so polite, I said I’d protect you outside.”

In the midday sun, the dappled light and shadows spilled across his fair and handsome face; this picturesque scene made Tao Ti’s heart suddenly beat a little faster.

He could clearly kill with his face, but was still so gentle, who could stand it!

She hurriedly averted her gaze, cutting off the nonsensical thoughts in her head.
She looked fixedly at the pebbled path in front of her and asked in a small voice, “Your Highness, weren’t you in the front hall? Why are you here?”

“We’re almost done talking in the front hall, and seeing that it’s almost lunchtime, I thought I’d come to find you.
Actually, I already saw you at the front section of the corridor, but you seemed to be thinking about something and didn’t see me, and so I followed you to that back garden.”

Tao Ti was stunned; so, they had just been one step apart.

“Then, you heard everything I said to them?”

“Mm, pretty much.”

“……”
Oh, no, her persona has collapsed.