I turned around and met a pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling. Wearing a white dress, Zhong Cui appeared right in front of my eyes. She stood amidst a cluster of blooming peonies, which made her white clothes appear even whiter against the bright red flowers. She casually used her fingers to play with a few strands of her loose black hair, exuding an air of dust and charm, yet devoid of any frivolity.

The guard also stopped in his tracks upon hearing Zhong Cui's words. He glanced at me and then looked towards Zhong Cui in the midst of the flowers. With a completely different attitude towards me, he spoke, "Miss Zhong, do you know her?"

Zhong Cui paid no attention to the guard, casually folding a peony flower and inserting it into her hair. Then, she took out a copper mirror from her bosom and gazed at herself for a moment before slowly saying, "Brother Wang, do you think I am beautiful, or is she beautiful?" As she spoke, she raised her eyebrows at me, her voice as alluring as ever. Her posture resembled that night at the dimly lit pavilion when she entertained guests on my behalf. Although I knew that Zhong Cui had always been like this, seeing her smile and flirt with a guard like this made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Miss Zhong is recognized as the belle of Yan City, I have clear eyes, there's no need to ask, Miss Zhong is undoubtedly beautiful." The guard put on what he believed to be a charming smile, his gaze filled with greed as he looked at Zhong Cui. Watching Zhong Cui chatting and laughing with the guard, there was an indescribable and deepening emotion growing within me.

Zhong Cui's lips curled into a faint smile as she lifted her dress and walked towards me. Even when she reached my side, I didn't hear the tinkling sound of the bell that used to accompany her. I lowered my head and only then did I notice that Zhong Cui, who had always preferred going barefoot, was wearing embroidered shoes today.

During the moment I lowered my head, Zhong Cui had already walked up to me. Her slender fingers lifted my chin up, just like the first time we met. There was a hint of sarcasm in her eyes as she spoke, "Yu Ying, did you see? Everyone knows that I am more beautiful than you. What use is your envy? Compared to me, you are nothing more than someone with a good status. If I also had a father in a high position, would there be any reason for you to mock me? All you know how to do is to bully others by relying on your authority. Now that your father is gone, you can't even enter the entrance of the princess's mansion."

After she finished speaking, she brought her mouth close to my ear and whispered, "Aying, don't get angry. Because of my hidden identity, if I don't act this way, I won't be able to help you." The hot breath she exhaled sprayed onto my ear, tickling and burning it. Though invisible, I imagined my ear must have turned red. I had many things I wanted to say to Zhong Cui, but with the guards standing beside us, I had to suppress my impulsive thoughts and pretend to be angered by Zhong Cui's words.

After finishing talking with me, Zhong Cui's gaze once again fell on that guard. She spoke with a voice tinged with sympathy, saying, "Brother Wang, how foolish are you? The person in front of you is none other than the arrogant and domineering legitimate daughter of the Shangshu Manor, Yu Ying. How could you block her from entering? If she holds a grudge against you, even if you had ten lives, it wouldn't be enough. Do you remember when the Shangshu Manor invited me to dance at their banquet? It was all because her older brother praised me that she brought people to deliberately scratch my face. It was fortunate that I escaped quickly, and she didn't dare to publicize it during the banquet, so I managed to preserve this face of mine." As Zhong Cui spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and she shrugged her shoulders, looking pitiful.