10 Chapter 9: Meeting the Prince

Ying Yue got up from her bed, and called out to Zhu Xinya, completely ignoring the maid before her.

"Zhu-Zhu, come and help me get dressed and do my hair. I think it's been a while since I've visited my fiancee. Since he has taken the time to visit, it would be rude to not go and receive him."

Hearing her mistress and seeing that she paid no attention to the maid, Zhu Xinya decided to disregard her as well, and started to go about helping her mistress get ready. She didn't understand why Ying Yue wanted to see the crown prince, since she was under the impression that yesterday they had decided he was a bigjerky bastard. However, she trusted her mistress, and so decided she wouldn't question it.

Watching the master-servant pair completely ignore her, the maid felt enraged. Since when had she been treated like this? Even though she was just a maid, she was still Yao Xiuying's maid, and as such people had always treated her with at least a certain level of respect. However, these two seemed to act as though she completely didn't exist!

Knowing that she was no match for Ying Yue, she left in a huff, intending to go tell her mistress what happened and have Yao Xiuying use her relationship with the prince to get revenge.

Once the maid left, Ying Yue turned to Zhu Xinya

"Zhu-Zhu, I want you to help me look as good as possible. I want to make that stupid prince realize he's made a mistake." Of course, this would not be enough to satisfy Ying Yue, but seeing as how she couldn't cultivate until she broke Jiu Niu's bracelet, this was the most she could do for the moment. What she really wanted was to torture the prince slowly, both physically and psychologically. At the moment, however, she was no match for the prince, and so could only flaunt that she was better looking than her sister.

Hearing this, Zhu Xinya shook her head in agreement. This was how her mistress should be. Let's make that jackass regret his decision!

In Yao Xiuying's part of the residence, the crown prince and Yao Xiuying were sitting at a table, listeningng to the maid's report. When Fu Longwei heard that Ying Yue was coming to see him, he smiled. It seemed that he wouldn't have to worry about her saying anything about what happened. That moron was still in love with him, and probably didn't blame him at all for what happened. Thinking about how she was probably coming here to fight with her sister for him, a smile broke out on the prince's face. Even if she was a waste, what man wouldn't like it when two girls fought over him?

Yao Xiuying, on the other hand was seething with rage. It was good that she decided to come, as that means they could put their plans into action, but the fact that she was coming also infuriated her. Wasn't her coming here to see the prince the same as saying that she was a match for Yao Xiuying! Who did that whore think she was, as if she was someone worthy of having the prince's attention!

While the two were both absorbed in the respective thoughts, Ying Yue arrived.

When the two looked up and saw her, they were stunned. Even though her body was covered in wounds and she was clearly malnourished, this couldn't hide the fact that she was drop-dead gorgeous.

Zhu Xinya had certainly done a good job in dressing up her mistress. She had done her hair half-up half-down, with an intricate braid. There was a simple wooden hairpin in her hair, it was one that her father had carved for her mother when they were courting. Her robe was long and light green, with white flowers sewn on in places, covering up the tears in the old clothe. Even though the dress did not hang as low to the ground as it should, since it was meant for a much younger girl, it still fit her well, as her body was as slender as a rail. And while the pains of hunger were evident on her body, this could not hide the signs of the budding of womanhood. She looked as though the goddess of spring had descended down into the mortal realm.

The thing that was most shocking, however, was her eyes. Those eyes that seemed as though they could see right through you and into your soul. It was as though nothing and no one could escape her vision, and even if you could you wouldn't want to. When Fu Longwei looked into those eyes, a sense of panic rose up in his heart. For some explicable reason, he felt as though he'd made a mistake. He quickly shook off this feeling, however, as he thought to himself that no matter how she looked, she was still was waste with no cultivation.

When Ying Yue saw the two of them sitting so close, she scoffed internally. Truly, these two were meant for each other. One was an arrogant prick and the other a self-absorbed dimwit. She couldn't have made a better match if she tried.

Ying Yue quickly swallowed down her disgust at the sight of the prince, and sat down in the seat beside him. Not a word passed between the three of them, and yet the animosity in the air could be cut with a knife.

Finally, Yao Xiuying could take the silence no longer, and seeing that her sister seemed to have no intention to speak, she spoke up.

"Ying Yue, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be too injured to leave your courtyard? You really should head back, as we wouldn't want the prince to have to see you when you aren't at your best."

To any outsiders, these words would sound like those of concern, however Yao Xiuying had chosen these words carefully. She wanted to point out that Ying Yue was not worthy of the prince, and that she should go hide herself away somewhere. What she really wanted most was to rile Ying Yue up, that way she would attack, and Yao Xiuying would have an excuse to beat her up. Yao Xiuying firmly believed that yesterday's defeat was a fluke because she wasn't expecting it. This time, however, she was ready, and would surely show this bitch what's what.

Much to Yao Xiuying's dismay, however, Ying Yue didn't even bother looking at her, and instead turned to Fu Longwei.

"It has been some time since we last met. I wonder, how has the prince been? Anything worrying you?"

Hearing her question, sweat rolled down Fu Longwei's back. It was like Ying Yue could read his thoughts, and see that he wanted nothing more than for her to have died in that forest. Now, he was worried about how to get rid of her.

Fu Longwei decided he must be overthinking things, and surely Ying Yue was just concerned for him, after all, she was his fiancee.