OBS Chapter 45 Cheng Ying's Gossip
Chapter 45 Cheng Ying's Gossip
No sooner had Qin Yaoyao finished speaking than Cheng Ying impatiently denied it, saying, "You silly girl, you're talking nonsense again. He's a prince, what kind of woman can't he have? How could he possibly be interested in me? Besides, we've only recently reconciled and become friends, how can you think we're a good match? I think there's something wrong with your eyes. Alright, I've finished my story, now it's your turn to tell me your story with He Yanxi!"
Qin Yaoyao quickly said, "What can we say? You already know."
Cheng Ying shook her head and said, "No, no, no, I don't know. I only know that you like each other, and you expressed your feelings to each other and received a response. But after you rode horses together that day, where did you go? What did you do? You have to tell me honestly, otherwise..." Halfway through her sentence, Cheng Ying suddenly reached out and made a gesture as if to tickle her. Qin Yaoyao immediately backed down and had no choice but to obediently tell Cheng Ying everything about her and He Yanxi.
Qin Yaoyao recalled the scene that day with a smile, saying, "At first, we went to the other side of the horse farm to ride horses. Brother Yanxi's riding and archery skills are excellent. I was a little scared at first, so Brother Yanxi led the horse around the field a few times to help me get used to it. Later, the horse's speed increased a little. Of course, this was actually a little trick I played, deliberately making the horse speed up. In the end, to ensure my safety, Brother Yanxi had to jump onto the horse to protect me. Then, he took me around the horse farm. When we felt tired, we found a big tree to sit down and chatted for a while."
Cheng Ying pressed on curiously, "And then? Is that all?"
Qin Yaoyao nodded gently and replied, "Yes, that's all."
Cheng Ying clearly didn't believe it and questioned, "How is that possible? I heard He Mingfeng say that you returned an hour later than us, and that the Prince of Zhenbei immediately went to the palace to request an imperial edict after you returned."
Qin Yaoyao giggled and praised, "The Fifth Prince's information network is truly impressive! Yes, we did discuss this matter that afternoon. It was Brother Yanxi who asked for my opinion, and I agreed. But I really didn't expect him to act so quickly." A happy smile graced her face, seemingly filled with anticipation for the future. Qin Yaoyao continued, "I originally thought he wouldn't mention it until the morning court session the next day, but unexpectedly, he arrived here very early this morning, bringing many gifts and claiming they were bestowed by the Emperor. Next up is the betrothal gift presentation today, as you already know, right?"
After listening, Cheng Ying didn't speak, seemingly deep in thought. A moment later, she slyly raised the corners of her mouth and asked, "So, how far have things progressed between you two? Tell me quickly!" Qin Yaoyao looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean, how far?" Cheng Ying narrowed her eyes and smiled, saying, "Don't tell me you two haven't done anything besides chatting. Is it just pure idle chatter?" Qin Yaoyao quickly replied, "If I said we really just chatted, would you believe me, Sister Ying?" Cheng Ying looked at Qin Yaoyao with an expression as if she were an idiot and responded, "Do you think I'd believe that?" Qin Yaoyao was momentarily speechless. After a brief pause, she said, "Actually, nothing special. We just held hands and hugged." Cheng Ying pressed on, "Have you kissed?" She then winked at Qin Yaoyao, giving her a knowing look that threatened to punish her if she didn't tell the truth. Qin Yaoyao sighed helplessly and nodded slightly, indicating that they had. Upon hearing this, Cheng Ying immediately perked up. Her already bright eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly asked, "Wow! When did this happen? Tell me quickly, I want to hear the details!"
Qin Yaoyao looked at Cheng Ying's incredibly curious expression, feeling both annoyed and amused. How could she possibly go into details about something like this? Was she supposed to describe every single word spoken and every single action performed? That would be too embarrassing! This was a sweet little secret that belonged only to her and her brother Yanxi. So, Qin Yaoyao's face flushed bright red, and she shyly lowered her head, whispering, "Oh, there aren't really any details..." Her voice trailed off, almost inaudible.
Qin Yaoyao recalled, "I remember we were resting under a big tree, chatting about the past. I mustered up the courage to ask him why he always bullied me, either scaring me with bugs, suddenly popping up to startle me, or even making sarcastic remarks. In short, he was just constantly making trouble for me. However, he honestly told me that he had secretly fallen for me since then, but didn't know how to express it, so he tried to attract my attention through these pranks, but unfortunately, it didn't work out."
Changing the subject, Qin Yaoyao smiled shyly, "As we talked, everything just happened so naturally, and we kissed each other without even realizing it." Cheng Ying pressed on with curiosity, "Didn't you need to prepare?" Qin Yaoyao replied blankly, "What preparation? How do I prepare?" Cheng Ying persisted, asking, "Did you feel anything special when you kissed her?" Qin Yaoyao couldn't help but chuckle, softly replying, "Oh, it's hard to describe in words. In short, it was wonderful, intoxicating, and even irresistible." A happy smile radiated from her face, as if she were immersed in that beautiful memory.
Qin Yaoyao continued, "If Sister Ying wants to know what kissing feels like, why don't you find someone to try it yourself? You won't feel anything just listening to me." Cheng Ying pretended to be angry and replied, "I don't have a fiancé, who am I supposed to try it with!" Qin Yaoyao deliberately said ambiguously, "Who else could it be? Don't you have someone right next to you?" Cheng Ying retorted angrily, "You're talking nonsense again! I'm just curious, I don't necessarily need to know, why do I have to find him to try it with!" At this moment, Cheng Ying's cheeks were flushed, like a ripe apple.
Seeing that Cheng Ying had fallen for it, Qin Yaoyao teased, "Oh, Sister Cheng, who are you thinking about? Why is your face so red?" Cheng Ying blushed even more after hearing Qin Yaoyao's words and said seriously, "Yaoyao, don't talk nonsense. It's fine if you joke with me, but there are some things you can't say carelessly." Her eyes revealed a hint of shyness and nervousness, as if Qin Yaoyao's words had struck a chord with some deep-seated emotion within her.
Cheng Ying quickly explained, "That's not it! Don't overthink it. I just feel that He Mingfeng's identity is special, and if any bad rumors spread, it will affect his reputation. Besides, several girls did express their interest in him at the last poetry gathering, and I don't want to be a stumbling block for them."
Qin Yaoyao laughed mischievously: "Oh? So that's what Sister Ying thinks. But it does sound like it makes some sense."
Cheng Ying's face turned bright red instantly. She shook her head in a panic, "Don't make wild guesses! I don't like him at all! If you keep talking nonsense like this, I'll stop talking to you!"
Qin Yaoyao persisted, asking, "Really? Sister Ying, don't you like the Fifth Prince at all? Then why was the Fifth Prince the first person you thought of when I mentioned 'sister has someone readily available by her side'? Isn't it because you care about him?"
Cheng Ying clenched her fists tightly, trying to remain calm: "You...you're just making excuses! I was just saying it casually. Qin Yaoyao said, 'But my sister's first thought was of the Fifth Prince. My cousin is with me too, why doesn't my sister talk about him?'"
Qin Yaoyao blinked, teasing her deliberately, "Oh dear, you still won't admit it, sister. If you didn't like the Fifth Prince, why would you immediately think of him when I said 'someone readily available'? It seems you already have the answer in your heart~"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Ying's face instantly turned even more crimson, like a ripe apple. She herself was quite puzzled as to why He Mingfeng's face had flashed into her mind without warning when Qin Yaoyao mentioned that there were ready-made candidates by her side. Despite her inner doubts, she still firmly retorted on the surface, "Those are my brothers, how could they possibly have other ideas!"
Qin Yaoyao didn't stop there and continued to press, "Then what about the others in the military camp? Apart from your eldest brother, they are not related to you by blood. Can't they be the people you admire?" Cheng Ying pondered to herself. Indeed, she had spent more time with the people in the military camp, but why hadn't she thought of any of them, but instead thought of this new friend, He Mingfeng? Why was that?
Perhaps it was because she was so familiar with the people in the military camp that she regarded them as brothers; and because Yao Yao kept mentioning He Mingfeng in her ear, she subconsciously distinguished him from the others. That must be it! After thinking it over, Cheng Ying relaxed a little and said to Qin Yao Yao, "If you hadn't kept mentioning him to me, how would I have thought of him!"
Qin Yaoyao looked at her questioningly and asked softly, "Do you really think that's the only reason? Are you sure?" Cheng Ying raised her chin slightly, a hint of arrogance on her face, and answered decisively, "Of course I'm sure!"
Qin Yaoyao shook her head helplessly, sighing inwardly, "What a silly girl. When will she ever truly understand her own heart?" She couldn't help but worry whether the Fifth Prince liked Cheng Ying. If he did, that would be fine, but if not, when Cheng Ying realized her true feelings, she would probably only suffer alone. After much consideration, Qin Yaoyao decided not to reveal her feelings for now, but to ask her brother Yanxi about the Fifth Prince's intentions before making a decision. Fortunately, Cheng Ying hadn't thought it through too much; otherwise, if she had realized it, and things hadn't gone as planned, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Seeing Qin Yaoyao's unusually expressive face, Cheng Ying asked curiously, "Yaoyao, what's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Qin Yaoyao snapped out of her reverie and quickly replied, "Nothing, my story is finished."
Qin Yaoyao blinked her big eyes, looked up at Cheng Ying, and asked softly, "Sister Ying, you won't be leaving the capital again these next few days, right?" Cheng Ying smiled and replied, "No, why? Is something wrong?"
Qin Yaoyao smiled sweetly and said, "It's nothing, it's just that I was thinking it would be nice if you could come and play with me." Cheng Ying couldn't help but tease, "Oh my, you still have me to play with? Your brother Yanxi can't wait to be with you every moment, how could I possibly get a chance! If I monopolized you all day, your brother Yanxi would probably beat me up. To ensure my personal safety, I'd better not go to play with you too often, after all, I still want to live a few more years!" Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao hurriedly defended herself, "It's not that exaggerated! Brother Yanxi isn't that violent or scary!" Cheng Ying disagreed and retorted, "How could he not be! He's just especially gentle with you, but he's very fierce with others! I wouldn't dare to provoke him easily."
Qin Yaoyao then asked, "What about tomorrow? Can you play with me tomorrow?" Cheng Ying replied apologetically, "I'm sorry, Yaoyao, I have plans for tomorrow, so I really can't play with you."
Qin Yaoyao was unwilling to give up and continued to ask, "What about the day after tomorrow? Do you have time?" Cheng Ying did not speak, but the expression on her face said it all.
Looking at Cheng Ying's expression, Qin Yaoyao already had a guess in her mind, so she pretended to be angry and said, "You didn't make plans with someone else again, did you!"
Sure enough, Cheng Ying nodded slightly. Qin Yaoyao immediately straightened her face and said with some dissatisfaction, "Who exactly did you meet up with? Why do you have to go out with him every day?"
Cheng Ying quickly explained, "I've made plans to go horseback riding with He Mingfeng for three days. I'll come find you after that. Wherever you want to go shopping or have fun, I'll go with you, okay?"
Qin Yaoyao pretended to be angry, turned her body to the side, and softly hummed, muttering, "Sigh, my old friend can't compare to a new friend's influence..."
Cheng Ying immediately saw that the little girl was being temperamental! She quickly coaxed her, "Oh dear, how can he be compared to our Yao Yao? It's just because we made a promise beforehand. The military camp only gives three days off, and it wouldn't be good to stand someone up. Besides, he's here to teach me how to ride a horse, I can't go back on my word, would that be terrible? You don't want to see me become an untrustworthy person, right? Besides, aren't you still embroidering He Yanxi's wedding dress? You can definitely finish it in three days. Then I'll play with you to your heart's content, okay?"
Qin Yaoyao, still with a stern face, said, "Really? I can have anything I want?" Cheng Ying hurriedly replied, "Of course it's true!" Qin Yaoyao then asked, "Only three days?" Cheng Ying responded, "Yes, just three days." Qin Yaoyao then pretended to reluctantly agree, saying, "Okay, then I'll wait for you for three days." Cheng Ying happily smiled and said, "Then you'd better wait for me to come back!"