As Princess Qing Luan left Xie Zhao's king quarters, she heard a clear and sweet voice calling out to her.

“Sister Qing Luan, long time no see~” The melodious voice said sweetly.

She turned her head around and saw a lady walking towards her. This lady, Countess Ping Ting, was the grand-daughter of the Queen Mother, she was also the woman that the Queen Mother tried to force onto her brother. But luckily her brother was persistent on taking Mo Li Li as his queen and only wife, hence the dispute with the Queen Mother.

Princess Qing Luan was not familiar with Countess Ping Ting, for they had only met a few times during royal parties. She had no idea why the countess would even speak to her now.

“Sister Ping Ting, long time no see.” She nodded politely.

Countess PingTing skipped towards her like a little girl, and Princess QingLuan frowned as her arm was grabbed intimately by the Countess, but she did not speak.

“Sister QingLuan, you had been looking lovelier and lovelier recently, even I, as a woman, could not keep my eyes away from you.”

She could hear the words of praise coming out of the countess's lips, but somehow the Countess seemed hostile?

“Sister Ping Ting, quit teasing me,” She answered blandly, unwilling to continue on with the formalities after she was shown hostility to, “It couldn't be like Sister Ping Ting likes women?”

Countess Ping Ting raised her eyebrows at her words, angry that the Princess would taunt her in her face. But she calmed herself down just in time, it would not do to piss off the Princess now, for she had prepared a wonderful gift for the Princess.

“Aiya, Sister Qing Luan, you're the one teasing me now. You know that I like Xie Zhao, and you two looked so alike, it's no surprise that I would be attracted to your looks~” Countess PingTing said, tearing up on purpose, as if she was bullied by the Princess.

“But then again, I am not Xie Zhao. If you miss him so much you should enter his royal quarters just right behind me.” Princess Qing Luan answered coldly, refusing to entertain this woman any longer as she turned away, trying to leave.

Countess Ping Ting, seeing that the Princess is leaving, panicked as she blocked her path. She squeezed out more tears as she complained sadly, “You might not know this, but Xie Zhao avoids me like as if I'm a plague…”

“Then this is indeed my brother's fault, I will do you a favor and talk to him about this the next time I meet him,” She sighed at the disturbance of the Countess and she turned another direction to leave.

To her deep annoyance, Countess Ping Ting went ahead and blocked her path once again, “Sister Qing Luan, I knew you were a kind-hearted woman, you must remember to praise me more in front of your brother~” The Countess smiled broadly as she wiped away her tears.

Countess PingTing and Princess QingLuan walked together through the royal garden, the Princess's headache came like a wave as the Countess chatted as if there's no end to it. She was unaware that they had reached a pond.

Suddenly, Countess Ping Ting stopped as she stared into the pond, “Sister QingLuan, look! There are pretty koi fishes in this pond~” She cried out naively and excitedly as she pulled softly at the princess's sleeves.

Princess Qing Luan, unable to refuse, leaned forward as gaze into the pond. There was indeed koi fishes, they were really huge.

As she was watched the fishes, she had not noticed the countess moving away from her. The countess pretended to slip and fall towards Princess Qing Luan's direction, intending to knock her into the deep pond.

Before Princess Qing Luan could react, a gust of wind blew past her face as she felt someone grabbing her waist, pulling her away from the danger.

Countess Ping Ting, who had fell towards her, fell into the pond instead as she was no longer there to be knocked.

Unfortunately, the countess could not swim. She struggled with all her strength, screaming for help, but the men around the pond looked at each other, each and every one of them unwilling.

Princess Qing Luan stared at the struggling Countess and shook her head, Such a disgusting woman, she thought to herself, but why is no one saving her?

And the reason suddenly occurred to her. Countess Ping Ting was the granddaughter of the Queen Mother, anyone who intended to save her would had to have body contact with the countess. The man would then be held responsible and would be forced to marry this woman, but what man would take a woman of such background into their home? No man would be willing to be a slave to her.

(TNote: My understanding on this is that the countess has a strong background – the Queen Mother, and hence if the man she marries does not listen to her, the Queen Mother would then punish the man's family in revenge. Normally in novels like these, women with strong backgrounds would not allow their husbands to take mistresses ._.)

And the Countess is also famous for looking down on other people, what would happen if she decided to take revenge on the man who saved her because she would be forced to marry a lowly man?!

Suddenly, a man jumped into the pond.

Royal Uncle Xie Lang? Why would he save her? For the Queen Mother? Is he planning to stand against my brother? Princess Qing Luan thought agitatedly as she watched him swim towards the Countess and pulled her towards the shore.

Countess PingTing, who was filled with excitement as she stared at the man, who had appeared like an angel in her desperate moments and saved her from doom.

But she was thrown onto the ground as soon as Xie Lang reached the sh.o.r.e, “Which bastard kicked me in just now!?” He glared at the surrounding men angrily, like as if he was forced to touch something dirty.

Countess Ping Ting's face turned black immediately and she glanced towards Princess Qing Luan, who was still standing nearby watching him shaming her.

She felt hatred for the princess like never before.