"Bai Qingqing."

  Someone called her from behind. Bai Qingqing stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Mo Kexin chasing out from inside.

  She quickened her steps and came right in front of Bai Qingqing, the tassels of the hairpin on her head swaying continuously.

  "You weren't in the mood to have a match with me today. Then when will you be available? I'll be ready anytime."

  Bai Qingqing was at a loss for words. "I don't like competing with others."

  "Are you looking down on me? I know that the Princess Consort of Prince Ping has taken a fancy to you. I can tell. But so what? I don't think I'm in any way inferior to you. What you can do, I'm not necessarily worse at it than you!"

  Bai Qingqing realized that she couldn't even muster the slightest bit of anger, and she even felt a trace of pity for Mo Kexin.

  She let out a soft sigh, and her voice was as gentle as water. "You're naturally not worse than me. I think so too." She lowered her head and caught sight of the sachet sold by Suiyun Pavilion around Mo Kexin's waist. "I've always thought that those who love fragrances are delicate and brave. It's just... your taste is not as good as mine."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Haven't you heard about the matter between the son of the Princess Consort of Prince Ping and his cousin? I have no intention of stealing what others cherish. You don't have to regard me as an enemy either. I actually quite like you."

  Mo Kexin: "!"

  The shock on her face couldn't be hidden. But with Bai Qingqing in front of her looking so candid, she was uncharacteristically at a loss.

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  "What... what are you talking about!"

  "I'm serious. You're so beautiful, come from a good family, and are capable. You deserve to be treated as unique and cherished. I just think it's a pity."

  Seeing that Bai Qingqing was saying more and more outrageous things, Mo Kexin forgot that she had come out to challenge her. She left in a hurry with a strange expression on her face.

  Bai Qingqing was in an extremely good mood. She felt that she had done a good deed. Although it had nothing to do with her, she didn't want any woman to follow in her old footsteps!

  ...

  After wandering around the garden for a while, her feet were getting tired. Bai Qingqing thought she had stayed long enough. Just as she had the thought, she heard Zidai give a soft cry behind her.

  She turned around and saw that Zidai had been bumped into by a maid carrying a tea tray. Half of her skirt was wet, and there were tea leaves on it.

  The maid was almost in tears. She squatted on the ground and kept wiping with a handkerchief. "I didn't look carefully. I made you suffer, elder sister. It's all my fault..."

  The maid looked only eleven or twelve years old. Since Bai Qingqing could see that she didn't do it on purpose, she told Zidai to go and change into another skirt first, and she herself would find a place to rest and wait for her.

  After Zidai left, a servant led Bai Qingqing to the warm pavilion where people could rest.

  "Miss, you can take a rest here for a while."

  The servant left respectfully. Bai Qingqing was really tired, so she pushed the door and went in.

  There was a faint fragrance burning inside. But she didn't know if it was because she had smelled too much in the fragrance appreciation pavilion just now. For a moment, Bai Qingqing couldn't tell what kind of fragrance it was in the room. She just thought it didn't smell good, but she could still bear it.

  But soon, she felt something was wrong. Especially when she heard a sound coming from the inner room. She was so startled that she jumped up from the stool and, without thinking, quickly walked towards the door.

  However, the door was locked.

  Bai Qingqing was terrified. She called out several times but got no response. She suddenly bit her lip hard, using the pain to force herself to calm down.

  The blood in her body turned cold, but she quickly walked into the inner room. On the bed, she saw a person. It was actually Fu Yi!

  But Fu Yi looked rather strange. His eyes were tightly closed, and the color on his face was very abnormal. It was an unnatural red. In a flash, Bai Qingqing remembered that she had seen a similar state on Ning Yan before!