Chapter 187: You Know Who You Invited, Don’t You?

Ao Mingyu, with a gloomy face, turned the bend and, without bringing anyone, strode towards the direction of the artificial hill.

Unexpectedly, someone suddenly bumped into him in front, immediately stopping his footsteps, and looked over with a cold face, but what he saw was a smile as elegant as jade, Ning Xueyan.

“Third Highness, I am sorry. I was arguing with my maidservant just now and accidentally bumped into you.” Ning Xueyan stopped and apologized, her beautiful eyes seemed to be covered with a faint mist, and after being slightly dressed up, she was even more gentle, with a little less of her usual aloof coldness.

The path she came from was precisely the exit of the women’s seats in the Plum Garden. Looking at the maidservant standing behind her in fear, it seemed that she was really frightened just now.

“Why did you run here? Aren’t you resting over there?” Ao Mingyu’s face softened, and a slight smile appeared.

“I came to the Imperial Palace for the first time and wanted to see the scenery of the Imperial Palace. I was just about to go over there.” Ning Xueyan smiled and pointed forward. She was standing in an excellent position. Looking from this position, the man on the Elegant Moon Pavilion was being blocked, and she could see clearly after taking a few more steps.

Ao Mingyu looked up at the direction of the Elegant Moon Pavilion with doubt, but he didn’t see the man above. After thinking for a moment, he understood that Ning Xueyan hadn’t seen anyone above, and immediately asked in a gentle voice, “Why do you want to go there? You can see it in other places as well.”

He had a feeling in his heart that he didn’t want Ning Xueyan to see the scandal on the Elegant Moon Pavilion!

“That place is high, and it’s the closest. Although other places can also see the Imperial Palace clearly, they are too far away. It’s my first time entering the Palace, and if I bump into a Noble Person…” Ning Xueyan smiled, and perhaps because of the quarrel with the maidservant just now, a faint blush appeared on her pale and cold face, adding a few points of charm to her beauty.

As if a fairy had fallen into the mortal world, Ao Mingyu’s gaze fell deeply on Ning Xueyan’s face, carefully observing the expression on her face. Seeing nothing abnormal, he nodded, “Then let’s go over!”

“Your Highness is also going over there?” Ning Xueyan asked curiously.

“Mmh, I’m going over there.” Ao Mingyu nodded and smiled.

“Then I’ll go later, after Your Highness returns, I’ll go over.” Ning Xueyan stopped her footsteps, looked around, hesitated for a moment, as if to avoid suspicion.

“Why?” Ao Mingyu asked. She had just shown that she wanted to go over there, so why did she stop now?

“It’s not very good to be with Your Highness there all the time!” Ning Xueyan refused softly, but looked at the corner of the Elegant Moon Pavilion not far away, with a few points of reluctance.

It’s not good to be with Your Highness? She is telling him men and women should be separate!

A gentle smile appeared on Ao Mingwan’s face. There had never been a Noble Lady who would say such words to him. Wherever he went, those Noble Ladies would all come over shyly and shyly, and no one would ever say such words of aloofness like men and women should be separate. Unexpectedly, Ning Xueyan would say so to him. His heart couldn’t help but sway, and his gaze fell on her exquisite face with a bit of childishness, and for a moment, he couldn’t leave.

There had never been a woman who would be so direct and say that she was not interested in him!

He also knew something about Ning Xueyan’s situation in the Duke’s Mansion, and the matter of Ning Yuling had happened before. If she could get his protection, it would be of great benefit to her. But, unfortunately, such a weak young girl who made people feel heartbroken, actually expressed so straightforwardly that she didn’t want to get involved with him.

He seemed to be able to see the resilience on that Hibiscus flower face, and his heart inexplicably became a few points more gentle.

“Let’s go up together. I’ll just take a look and come down immediately. No one will gossip, and they won’t take advantage of you.” Ao Mingyu guaranteed with a solemn face, but his lips revealed some mockery. Many Young Ladies from Aristocratic Families had spoken to him privately and walked with him, but no one would gossip about anyone.

Because they all knew that once such gossip spread, it would only make the matter a fact, and that one might really marry the Third Prince.

So there were more people who couldn’t wait to gossip with Ao Mingyu.

Those eyes, which seemed gentle but were actually cold-hearted, truly showed some warmth for the first time.

“Your Highness, can you go behind me and then come up? Not too long, just for a moment. I just want to see the Imperial Palace, or Your Highness can follow me not far behind.” Ning Xueyan thought for a moment, looked at the Elegant Moon Pavilion, and finally, she was reluctant and suggested.

“Alright!” Ao Mingyu reluctantly agreed to her persistence.

Ning Xueyan led Lan Ning in front, and Ao Mingyu stepped back. After Ning Xueyan walked about twenty steps, he followed.

“Young Miss, this servant will go over there first, and I’ll come back and tell you later.” Lan Ning said excitedly to Ning Xueyan, obviously also full of curiosity about the Imperial Palace.

“Alright, you go up first, I walk slowly.” Ning Xueyan nodded and walked up the steps of the artificial hill.

Her body was not very good, and she was already panting after walking a few steps, smiling and agreeing.

Hearing her agree, Lan Ning couldn’t wait to rush forward. Ao Mingyu, who was following Ning Xueyan, shook his head. Her personal maidservant was always unsteady. It was like this when the two of them quarreled and almost bumped into him, and it was even more like this now, leaving her master to go and see the scenery first.

Should he remind her to change to a more steady maidservant later!

Lan Ning’s footsteps were very fast. Before long, she arrived at the Elegant Moon Pavilion, and watched the man standing there turn his head, hearing the commotion.

He was a young Young Master from an Aristocratic Family. He was quite presentable, but his eyes were very frivolous, and it was obvious that he was not a decent person. Seeing Lan Ning coming over, he was first delighted, and then he was speechless. Wasn’t the Fifth Miss from the Duke’s Mansion supposed to be coming? Why was it a maidservant?

“Excuse me, are you the Young Master who is meeting our Young Miss?” Lan Ning didn’t wait for him to think too much, and she had already stepped forward and asked in a graceful manner. However, her gaze fell on the other side of the courtyard wall, and she saw a few Young Masters sitting or standing on the other side, talking and laughing, and someone had already noticed her, and their smiling eyes turned over.

As the Young Miss said, this is a trap set for the Young Miss.

“Exactly. Why hasn’t your Young Miss come?” The man was excited in his heart. He heard that the Fifth Miss from the Duke’s Mansion was a true Exquisite Beauty. The reason why she was not famous in the Capital City was that the Duke’s Mansion had hidden her. Thinking of such a beauty, being able to meet him privately, how could his heart not race?

“Young Master, what is your proof?” Lan Ning stretched out a hand, and she deliberately faced the courtyard wall, causing the man to turn his back.

“Evidence?” The man was taken aback at first, but then he realized that Lan Ning thought he was not the person, and immediately took out a piece of paper from his arms and handed it to Lan Ning, “Here, let your Young Miss rest assured, I am the one she is meeting, and there will be absolutely no mistake.”

Lan Ning quickly took the note, and specially lowered her body and made a curtsy. Looking over from the courtyard wall, it was just a maidservant specially performing a courtesy.

Quickly opened the note, and saw that the signature on it was indeed “Ning Xueyan” in three words. That Third Young Lady, who had always been called righteous filial piety, was actually so vicious. Her thumb quickly stroked those three words, and those three words gradually faded away at a visible speed.

“Young Master, who did you make an appointment with, don’t you know?” Lan Ning looked up and said with a solemn face.

“Didn’t your Young Miss make an appointment with me!” The man said displeasedly. He received the note from a palace maid, and the palace maid also said that it was given by a beauty, so he immediately went to the Elegant Moon Pavilion. Of course, seeing Xia Yuhang there, he didn’t come up, because the palace maid kept telling him that if there was someone, he must not come up, and let people discover it.

Xia Yuhang had been standing there before, and he was as anxious as ants on a hot pot. Fortunately, Xia Yuhang left in the end, and he immediately came up. He was waiting here, and he didn’t come, and he had already become a little impatient. If it wasn’t for the palace maid’s repeated assurance that it was a beauty, he would have left long ago.

“Young Master, you are mistaken. Our Young Miss is the true Direct Daughter of the Duke’s Mansion. With such an identity, even becoming a Princess Consort is worthwhile. How could she do such a despicable thing? It is clearly someone framing our Young Miss. We will go back to the residence later and see the Duke, and let the Duke investigate this matter. We will definitely pull out the person who harmed our Young Miss, and cut them into a thousand pieces.”

Lan Ning’s face turned cold, and she angrily said, even though she was a maidservant, the coldness between her expressions was actually not much different.

Especially when she mentioned Ning Zu’an, at the last few words, killing intent appeared in her eyes. Ning Zu’an was a Great General, and he was also a Great General with strength. If this matter was really found to be related to herself, it might even cause her own mansion to become unlucky.

Although he didn’t believe that the note was framed by others, but seeing Lan Ning’s sharpness, his heart had already begun to waver. Could it be that it was really not the Fifth Miss from the Duke’s Mansion? If this matter of stealing fragrance and jade was really brought out, not only would everyone lose face, but it would also anger Ning Zu’an. It was said that the reason why this Fifth Miss was not so prominent in front of others was because she was well protected by the Duke’s Mansion.

Thinking about it this way, it really felt impossible to make an appointment with him. That Fifth Miss might not have seen him yet!

Lan Ning used Ning Zu’an’s prestige to put pressure on him, and this person immediately sobered up, and secretly said it was unlucky.

Why did he come here after hearing that she was a great beauty for no reason? He shook his head and wanted to leave.

“Young Master, please wait. Our Young Miss will arrive immediately. Please ask the Young Master to clarify with our Young Miss who asked the Young Master to come, so that our Young Miss can go back and investigate.” Lan Ning stretched out her hand and stopped him, and said righteously. The note in her hand had already quietly fallen to the man’s feet.

While speaking, Ning Xueyan had already turned around, panting, and supported the path at the intersection, took a breath, turned her head, smiled slightly at the Ao Mingyu behind, and then stepped again towards the Elegant Moon Pavilion.

The man standing there also saw Ning Xueyan at this time. However, he couldn’t see the Third Prince twenty steps away from Ning Xueyan at the bend. Seeing that small face, although still childish, but already exquisite in the extreme, he immediately looked stunned. Although he knew she was a beauty, he had never imagined that this beauty would make him so stunning.

A fairy is nothing more than that! The raised footsteps immediately couldn’t move, and he stared blankly at Ning Xueyan coming over, and for a moment, he had no action.

That appearance was as if he was waiting for Ning Xueyan to come over.

Watching such a beauty come over step by step, the Young Masters under the wall immediately became excited, with envy, jealousy, and hate, and all kinds of…