Yes, I Do(n't)

Chapter 2: Where is she?!?!?!

Concubine Li1 Xiyin2 is sitting at the waiting hall to wait for both of her husband and her son while sipping on a cup of chrysanthemums tea. She smiles as she gracefully puts the cup down on a nearby table.

"Moli3, how is the eldest miss? What is she doing right now?"

"The eldest miss is taking her nap now, madame. Seems like she is quite happy when I left her, she even smiles in her sleep."

Concubine Li Xiyin softly laughs when she heard what the maidservant has just told her, "That girl really gave the whole family a big scare. Luckily, she is fine now and she looks quite lively as well. Maybe this is for the better... What do you think, Rouran?"

"Mother-in-law, I think it is good as in the past, Baiyu has always been somewhat reserved and never ever voices out her disagreement and/or discontentment. I believe that everything will be alright."

"True. Though I may not be her real mother, that child captures my heart when I first saw her. I want nothing but the best for her. I hope that she will find someone who will love her wholeheartedly."

From the distance, both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair can hear the sound of someone running towards the waiting hall. They acted as usual as they both know that only one person will run like that, Shen Lianhua4.

"Mother! Mother! That man is here!"

"Which man?"

"That damnable crown prince of course! He has just arrived together with father and older brother. Father seems to be quite pissed with him being here so both he and older brother immediately left for the military headquarter. Oopsss... Sorry, sister-in-law..."

First Princess Nangong Rouran softly laughs before she looks at her mother-in-law rather questioningly. What is her third royal brother doing here? This is the first time...

"He wanted to meet up with older sister!"

First Princess Nangong Rouran suddenly says, "What is he doing here? First sister-in-law nearly dies because of him. Why should he even be here in the first place? Baiyu will be upset with him here."

Concubine Li Xiyin then says calmly, "Let him in. Moli, do wake her up and tells her that the crown prince is here to meet her. Ah... Tell her there is no rush for her to show up."

First Princess Nangong Rouran, though she is one of the members of the royal family, is on her in-laws' side. She has seen how disappointed her first sister-in-law has been 2 years ago when her third royal brother suddenly joined the war mission on the same day as his supposed wedding day. Still, her first sister-in-law just silently sat on her bed in her red wedding dress. She just sat there and say nothing. She waited for him but what did she get? Nothing but more humiliation. When she knew that her first sister-in-law wanted to break her engagement as well, she is happy for her as she deserves better. Seems like the near-death experience affected her first sister-in-law in a positive way. These days, she has been quite lively unlike in the past.

Concubine Li Xiyin, First Princess Nangong Rouran and Shen Lianhua stand in front of the waiting hall to welcome the crown prince. All three of them are smiling though their hearts are unwilling, they can only hope that both the master and young master of the family will come home soon.

Moli walks faster to go back to Shen Baiyu's courtyard. The other maidservant is still standing in front of the room as the eldest miss is still sound asleep. She instructed the other maidservant to prepare warm water for the eldest miss to wash her face together with herbal fragrant tea for their eldest miss to clean her mouth as well. As that incorrigible man is here, their eldest miss should look at her very best. She even prepared a new outfit for her before proceeding to wake her up.

"Eldest miss... Time for you to wake up now. Madame has instructed for you to come to the waiting hall as the crown prince asked for your presence."

Just like that, Shen Baiyu is no longer sleeping... She gracefully puts one of her hand to support her head and lazily yawn, "En... Let us prepare to meet that demon... I mean... Crown Prince... Hehehe..."

Moli smiles but continued to stand in front of her. A maidservant comes into the room with a basin of warm water and put it on a table in the washing area. Another maidservant brings a cup of herbal fragrant tea for rinsing purposes and put it on the same table too. The same then put an empty basin below the table as well.

Moli then says, "Eldest miss, please wash your face and rinse your mouth. Another outfit has been prepared as well, please change into it."

"En..." Shen Baiyu calmly goes into the washing area, she washes her face with the warm water before gently patting it with a cotton towel. She then rinses her mouth with the tea before spitting out inside the empty basin that has now been held by Moli.

Moli instructed the maidservants to take everything away before assisting her to undress then change into the new outfit. The experienced maidservant expertly styled her hair before securing a beautiful golden buyao5 to secure her hair top hair knot before putting on some make-up on her face just so. Her eldest miss is such a beautiful lady with soft and fair skin. With a new attitude, she is no longer a weak beauty, but this eldest miss has become such an alluring beauty, once people look at her, they cannot look away.

Shen Baiyu smiles as she looks into the mirror, "Not bad... You did an excellent job, Moli. Bring the veil too. I am still undecided whether that man is worthy to look at my face. My main aim is for him to end our engagement not otherwise."

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Moli nearly stumbles when she heard what the eldest miss has just said. This eldest miss's mouth has become so 'poisonous' ever since she had woken up from her 'sleep'. She takes out a white veil from the drawer and gently pins the veil at the back of the eldest miss's top knot so that the eldest miss can easily cover and/or her face whenever she wanted too.

Once she is done, the eldest miss calmly stands up from her seat before proceeding to go to the waiting hall after Moli has put on a cape for her. She goes to the garden facing the waiting hall first so that she can look at that so-called fiancé of hers. As she peeks from behind the garden wall, she has to admit that man is definitely a handsome man. With that face, she even willing to pay him to be her 'gigolo'.

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She calmly goes into the garden but stops momentarily as she continued to glare at that man. Concubine Li Xiyin sitting on a chair facing the garden saw her standing there but pretended not to notice as she continued to listen to what the crown prince is saying.

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"Moli, that man is not worthy to look at this face..." She then covers her face with the pinned white veil before calmly walking towards the waiting hall.

Crown Prince Nangong Yingjun calmly sits on the side chair with a smile on his face, "This prince never thought that the eldest miss is that bold to write such letter. All these times, this prince thought that the eldest miss is someone who is shy and gentle."

Concubine Li Xiyin softly laughs and replies, "Baiyu has always been quite reserved but since she woke up days ago, she decided that it will be best for the engagement to be ended for good. As for the compensation that she is demanding, it is right and just. After all, once the engagement has been broken, the losing party is always the female. Her marriage prospect can be considered bleak in this Kingdom. She is only asking what she deserves, nothing more and nothing less."

Crown Prince Nangong Yingjun continue to smile as he looks at Concubine Li Xiyin. This madame is formidable indeed. Even with the glaring fact that he is the heir of the Kingdom, she sits on the middle bench while he is sitting on one of the side chairs. Even his older royal sister, First Princess Nangong Rouran, seems to not notice this very fact. The Shen family members are bold. Even his royal guard stands uncomfortably behind him due to the glaring stare given by the youngest miss of the family who has grown into a beautiful young lady. If only his soon-to-be ex-fiancée is as beautiful as her. But she is said to be ugly. Hence, she rarely goes out to the public and when she does, she always wears a veil.

Shen Lianhua suddenly turns her head to look at the garden and waves at someone, "Older sister is here."

Crown Prince Nangong Yingjun too look at the incoming figure not far from them. She walks rather calmly and gracefully as if she has all the time in the world. She is wearing her trademark white veil to cover her face. She is considered quite tall but with a slim yet womanly body. Too bad for her face though.

"Baiyu greets mother and older sister-in-law. Greeting to His Royal Highness too. This commoner has been told that her presence is needed here by His Royal Highness. Is there anything that this commoner needs to do or listen to?"

She has indeed changed. There is no longer any trace of the shy eldest miss that he has last met a few years ago. Standing in the middle of the waiting hall is a confident young miss. Even with her face covered by the white veil, he can feel that she is glaring at him with a mocking smile on her lips.

"Baiyu... Take your sit first. Come sit next to me. Your body is still weak. Come... Come..." Concubine Li Xiyin smiles gently while softly patting on the empty space next to her.

Shen Baiyu proceeds and gently sits with a straight back on the bench with both her hands on her lap. She then looks at the man that insisted to meet her.

"This prince wanted to ask the eldest miss is she serious on what has been written on the letter written by her?"

"Of course. There is no necessity for the engagement to be withheld right? After all, His Royal Highness has found the right person to be the crown princess of the Kingdom. This commoner knows her place and she is willing. And... As for the compensation, his royal highness should know that it cannot be too much nor too little. Just enough for this commoner to mend her 'broken heart'... Isn't that right?"

He has to take a deep breath to calm himself down. She is truly bold. She has said everything to his very face without caring that he has the power to end her insignificant life.

"This commoner think that the letter written by her had stated her thoughts loud and clear. This commoner will also attend the welcoming banquet with the agreement letter. The compensation should be ready by then right... This commoner believes that His Royal Highness will be magnanimous towards her 'sufferings' ever since she has been left during her supposed wedding day."

Concubine Li Xiyin and the others are trying their best not to laugh as the facial expression on the crown prince face getting darker by the minute. Shen Baiyu has just crushed the crown prince to pieces with her ‘venomous’ mouth.

"Mother, I have to go back to my courtyard now. I need to take my rest."

She respectfully curtsied before she walks out of the waiting hall. Shen Lianhua immediately follows her after she curtsied too.

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