NOVEL WEB Chapter 21: No More Entanglement
Chapter 21: No More Entanglement
Perhaps the coldness in that voice was too familiar. Qiao Nian’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly stepped back. However, she was too flustered and her feet gave way, causing her to almost fall to the ground.
Fortunately, Prince Ming was quick to react and pulled her back. This pull, however, brought them closer together, and from afar, it looked as if Prince Ming was embracing Qiao Nian.
Xiao Heng’s already sharp gaze fell on Prince Ming’s hand, which was tightly gripping Qiao Nian’s arm. His dark eyes deepened even further.
“Are you alright?” Prince Ming asked softly, concerned.
Qiao Nian shook her head, feeling inexplicably guilty. But what was there to feel guilty about? Not only did she no longer have any relationship with Xiao Heng, even if she did, it would only be a nominal ‘relative’ relationship. Who she was with and what she did had nothing to do with Xiao Heng. In fact, Xiao Heng probably didn’t care.
She was just confused in her own mind!
Taking a deep breath, Qiao Nian suppressed the jumbled emotions in her heart and bowed slightly to Xiao Heng in the distance, “Greetings, General Xiao.”
Prince Ming also looked towards Xiao Heng, “General Xiao is reporting to the palace again?”
The word ‘again’ carried a hint of sarcasm.
Xiao Heng finally shifted his gaze from that hand to Prince Ming, approaching slowly, “Recently, bandits have been rampant in Yongbei River’s Hezhou County. The local authorities have failed in several attempts to suppress them. The Emperor has summoned me to discuss countermeasures.”
Even Qiao Nian had heard about this matter, let alone Prince Ming.
She had previously heard the palace maids in the laundry talking about it. They said that the bandits in Hezhou County were not ordinary bandits, but a group formed by soldiers who had retired from the battlefield years ago. They were well-trained and exceptionally skilled. Not only were ordinary troops unable to handle them, but even if a proper army was sent, they might not be easily defeated.
Thinking of this, Qiao Nian’s expression unconsciously became a bit heavy.
But from beside her came Prince Ming’s extremely gentle whisper, “Don’t worry, Guchen has simple folk customs, and every household is well-fed and clothed. There are no bandits.”
Qiao Nian opened her mouth, not knowing how to explain to Prince Ming that she wasn’t worried about this matter.
But Xiao Heng heard something odd.
“Is Miss Qiao going to Guchen?” He remembered that a while ago, the Emperor had granted Guchen to Prince Ming as his fief.
Before Qiao Nian could speak, Prince Ming answered first, “Nian Nian will become this prince’s princess consort and go to Guchen with me.”
The latter half of the sentence, Prince Ming said while looking at Qiao Nian.
Qiao Nian was really uncomfortable with this and lowered her eyes, pretending not to have seen it.
Naturally, she also didn’t see the intense gloom in Xiao Heng’s eyes.
Xiao Heng glanced at Qiao Nian, who was looking down, and his tone became even colder, “I haven’t heard of this matter.”
Prince Ming, however, saw Xiao Heng’s discomfort clearly.
He raised an eyebrow slightly, with a somewhat provocative tone, “It was just decided moments ago. Although this prince has had this intention for a while, it ultimately required Nian Nian’s agreement.”
The implication was that Qiao Nian had already agreed to this matter.
But Qiao Nian knew she hadn’t.
However… Prince Ming was indeed a good choice.
He would leave the capital in three months, and although the time was a bit rushed, it meant that she would regularly reside in Guchen with Prince Ming in the future, naturally cutting off all contact with people in the capital.
It wasn’t a bad thing, only she would miss her grandmother.
If only Prince Ming could wait until she had accompanied her grandmother through her final days before going to Guchen, that would be ideal.
Qiao Nian thought this in her heart but didn’t say it aloud, which to Xiao Heng seemed like tacit agreement.
His hand behind his back clenched into a fist. He looked at Qiao Nian, his gaze slightly cold, “Guchen is far away in Jiangnan, with customs and climate very different from the capital. Has Miss Qiao truly thought it through?”
Qiao Nian thought Xiao Heng was warning her that she might not adapt to Guchen’s weather. She spoke with a very serious expression, “The prince says that winters in Jiangnan are not as cold as in the capital. I think as long as it’s not too cold, I can adapt.”
She really was too afraid of the cold.
Whether it was the bone-chilling sensation of hands immersed in water or the icy coldness of being locked outside on a winter night, she didn’t want to experience either again.
Xiao Heng was rendered speechless by Qiao Nian’s words.
He stared hard at Qiao Nian, the coldness in his eyes surging wave after wave.
So much so that even though Qiao Nian wasn’t looking at Xiao Heng, she could feel that strong anger.
Xiao Heng was angry.
Why was he angry?
Because she was going to marry Prince Ming?
But there was no reason for that!
Wasn’t he hoping for her to get married?
Wasn’t her getting married necessary for him to marry Lin Yuan?
Oh, she understood now. He was angry that she was marrying too well.
Who could have imagined that someone like her, who had been a servant in the laundry for three years, would one day marry a prince and become a princess consort!
Qiao Nian didn’t really want to think of Xiao Heng in such a lowly manner, but his current anger was so inexplicable.
So much so that she couldn’t help but think that way.
As she thought about it, anger also rose in her heart. She looked up and smiled slightly at Xiao Heng, “No matter what, I’m no longer in General Xiao’s way. General Xiao should be happy.”
Instead of standing here, giving her attitude!
Xiao Heng’s fist was clenched tightly. If he had been holding something in his hand at that moment, it would have surely turned to ash.
Prince Ming, however, seemed to remember something and had a look of sudden realization, “Oh, right, Nian Nian used to have an engagement with General Xiao, you two…”
“General Xiao and I have no more entanglement,” Qiao Nian interrupted Prince Ming’s words.
About how she was once the pearl of the Lin family, Lin Ye’s most beloved sister, and Xiao Heng’s fiancée.
She really didn’t want to hear another word about it.
No more entanglement.
These simple four words successfully stirred up all the anger in Xiao Heng’s body.
Anger turned to laughter.
He raised his lips in a sneer, “Indeed. This humble official is about to marry the Lin family’s legitimate daughter, Lin Yuan. When the time comes, I hope Prince Ming and the Princess Consort will honor us with your presence.”
He deliberately emphasized the words ‘Lin family’s legitimate daughter’, while the words ‘Princess Consort’ were spoken with extreme sarcasm.
Qiao Nian took a deep breath, suppressing the anger churning in her heart, and also smiled lightly, “Of course.”
Of course?
Xiao Heng stared hard at Qiao Nian, the smile on his lips growing colder and colder.
But Qiao Nian no longer looked at him. Instead, she turned to Prince Ming and bowed, “This commoner will take her leave first.” With that, she turned and left, not sparing Xiao Heng another glance.
Prince Ming suddenly spoke, his melodious voice carrying a hint of observation and probing, “It seems Nian Nian truly has no feelings for General Xiao anymore. What do you think, General Xiao?”
Xiao Heng’s gaze finally returned from Qiao Nian’s retreating figure. He looked at Prince Ming, his eyes showing a hint of coldness, “Does Miss Qiao know about Prince Ming’s situation?”