Mo Lian was still standing, her sharp gaze fixed on Roulan who was walking closer with Dayang Han.
"Sister? Why are you here?" Roulan asked in a hesitant tone.
Mo Lian smirked. "Do I need to report to you every time I take a step or do something?" she replied coldly.
Roulan was shocked. Mo Lian rarely spoke so harshly. She squinted her eyes at her sister.
"Something is strange, but what is it?" she thought, confused.
Meanwhile, Mo Lian was busy observing the surroundings of the Prime Minister Mo's residence. The scent of flowers filled the air with a sweet smell.
Her jaw tightened. "So I'm back one year ago. I remember this was the day Father arranged my engagement with the Crown Prince," she thought. Her hand clenched tightly. "Not this time. I will not act foolishly. Zhao Tiangseng, this time I will stay by your side."
"Sister?" Roulan called, waving her palm in front of Mo Lian's face.
"What is it?"
"I'm happy to hear about your engagement with the Crown Prince. Even though I…" She stopped talking halfway, but Mo Lian noticed Roulan secretly glancing to the side nervously.
Mo Lian quickly realized someone was behind them. She noticed Roulan's suspicious movement.
"Fine, little sister. You want to play a game? I'll play along."
Just as Roulan was about to do something, Mo Lian suddenly dropped to the ground. She held her cheek as if she had just been slapped. "Roulan… why did you do this to me?" she said sadly.
Roulan panicked. "Sister? What do you mean?"
Soon, the sound of heavy footsteps approached.
Dayang Mei hurriedly came and helped Mo Lian who was still kneeling on the ground. "Miss, please stand," she said while helping her up.
"What is going on here?" The Crown Prince's voice came from behind, instantly making the atmosphere tense.
Mo Lian and Roulan bowed at the same time. "Greetings to the Crown Prince. We wish you a long life," they said almost in unison.
Crown Prince Fengyan waved his hand lightly. "Stand up. I did not expect my visit to the Prime Minister's residence would be greeted with such an interesting scene."
"Your Highness, it is not what you think. I…" Roulan tried to explain.
But Mo Lian quickly cut her stepsister's words and bowed deeper. "Forgive me, Crown Prince Fengyan, if this has made you uncomfortable. My sister and I only had a small misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding like Miss Roulan daring to slap the Prime Minister's eldest daughter?" Zhao Tiangseng finally spoke, his voice cold and firm.
Roulan's face turned pale. She immediately knelt. "Please forgive me, sir. I never did such a thing."
"So you are saying that the Crown Prince and I are blind?" Zhao looked at her with a sharp smirk.
"Your Highness! Sir Zhao!" Dayang Han suddenly stepped forward and raised her voice. "What Miss Roulan said is true! She never slapped Miss Mo! Please be fair to Miss Lan!"
Zhao was shocked and furious. He swung his arm sharply forward and lifted his chin. "I did not expect Miss Lan's maid would dare to cut me off!"
Roulan became even more panicked. Cold sweat dripped down her temples. She glanced at Dayang Han who was now kneeling with her body trembling hard. "Please forgive this servant, sir!!" the maid begged as she kowtowed.
The Crown Prince looked at Mo Lian with a cold expression. "What exactly happened, Miss Mo? I feel Roulan wouldn't be so rude without a reason."
Hearing the Crown Prince defend her made Roulan unable to hide her smile.
"Hah! They really are a perfect pair. Even the Crown Prince is fooled by Roulan's acting," Mo Lian muttered in her heart, holding back the anger filling her chest.
"Thank you, Crown Prince, for believing me. I really don't know what mistake made Sister accuse me like this," Roulan said while covering her face with her arm. Her voice sounded hoarse.
Seeing that fake act made Mo Lian smile faintly. She glanced at Zhao Tiangseng who was standing not far away. She then ran straight toward him without hesitation, her body crashing into his chest as she clutched his clothes tightly as if seeking protection.
"Sir… forgive me. I really don't want to cause trouble…" Mo Lian said with a trembling voice. Fake tears started to fall down her cheeks.
Zhao Tiangseng froze for a moment. He looked down at Mo Lian's tear-streaked face. He could feel the girl's body shaking in his arms.
"I… I don't know why Roulan accused me of accepting the engagement with the Crown Prince on purpose," Mo Lian continued. She took a deep breath and looked at Zhao with teary eyes. "I haven't even given Father an answer yet. I only said… until now I am still with Sir Zhao. But… but…"
Mo Lian lowered her head. Her sobs became louder, making the atmosphere in the courtyard tense. Several maids and guards around them could only look at each other, not daring to speak.
"What is it? Say it quickly!" Zhao Tiangseng snapped. His voice was low but sharp, showing he was losing patience.
Mo Lian bit her lip and continued in a soft voice, "But Sister said I was a hypocrite… and that I wanted to ruin the relationship between the Crown Prince and you…"
"No!" Roulan, who had been standing nearby, immediately stepped forward. She ran toward Crown Prince Fengyan who was standing on the other side. Roulan clutched the man's arm tightly. Her face turned pale as she shook her head slowly.
"Your Highness Feng, I swear I never did that. You believe me, don't you?" Roulan looked at the Crown Prince with pleading eyes. Her face looked so fragile, as if she was afraid of losing everything, especially the Crown Prince's trust and protection.
Crown Prince Fengyan let out a long sigh. His eyes moved back and forth between Mo Lian and Roulan several times. His expression was cold when he finally said, "Enough! This matter is still unclear. We'd better meet Prime Minister Mo right now."
He turned around quickly, his long robe fluttering. Roulan immediately followed behind him while occasionally glancing nervously at Zhao and Mo Lian.
Meanwhile, Mo Lian also followed them together with Zhao Tiangseng, who was still holding her from the side as if to protect her steps from falling. Mo Lian could feel Zhao's grip on her shoulder tighten, though she knew deep inside he was full of suspicion toward her.
"What exactly are you planning, Miss Lian?" Zhao whispered right by her ear. His voice was low but sharp. "I know you want the position of Empress. Then what is this? You refuse the engagement?? Tch!"
Mo Lian turned to him with a faint smile, almost invisible. "What do you mean, Sir Zhao?"
"Don't pretend. Or… are you just playing hard to get to win my brother's attention?"
Mo Lian looked up slightly and smiled mischievously, as if unbothered by his accusation. "You can think whatever you want. What matters is…" She paused for a moment, then looked at Roulan walking ahead with the Crown Prince. "…I enjoy seeing my little sister's sweet expression." she added as she clenched her fists tightly at her sides.
Zhao Tiangseng clicked his tongue softly. He released his grip from Mo Lian's shoulder and quickened his steps, leaving her behind. "Stupid woman!" he muttered.
Mo Lian stopped for a moment, then wiped the remaining fake tears from her face with the back of her hand. She walked slowly behind them with a faint smile.
"You're right, Sir. I do want the position of Empress. But that doesn't mean I want to marry the Crown Prince."
The woman smiled sweetly and stared straight at Roulan who was walking further ahead. "Sister, just wait. Soon there will be an even better show…"
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