Rebirth of the Duke's Daughter and the Little Imperial Uncle

Chapter 68 The Empress's Birthday (1)

Qin Yaoyao suddenly had a thought and remembered Cheng Ying's matter, so she asked He Yanxi, "By the way, Brother Yanxi, do you know who the girl next to He Mingfeng is?"

He Yanxi paused for a moment after hearing this, then shook his head and replied, "Hasn't he always liked Cheng Ying? How could he have other girls? Besides, he's not the kind of person who plays with other people's feelings."

Qin Yaoyao frowned and shook her head, saying with some doubt, "I don't know what happened either. I only heard from Sister Cheng that she has seen He Mingfeng and that girl together several times, and they were behaving very intimately. Yesterday, Sister Ying saw them again at the Third Prince's residence."

He Yanxi narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to press, "So, she left early because of this?"

Qin Yaoyao nodded, a hint of worry on her face.

He Yanxi said to Qin Yaoyao with a serious expression, "I really don't know about this. I'll ask him for you when we get back. Let's eat first." Qin Yaoyao nodded obediently and replied with a smile, "Okay, thank you, brother." Then, she picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth. After chewing it carefully, she exclaimed, "This fish is so delicious!"

Looking at the adorable Qin Yaoyao before him, He Yanxi suddenly had an idea to tease her. So, a mischievous smile played on his lips as he deliberately teased, "Then how do you want to thank me?" Qin Yaoyao blinked, innocently replying, "How do you want me to thank you, brother? Anything I can do is fine." As she finished speaking, she lightly drew circles on He Yanxi's chest with her finger, a hint of playfulness in her eyes.

However, at that moment, He Yanxi suddenly tensed up. He grabbed Qin Yaoyao's mischievous little hand tightly and warned through gritted teeth, "Don't mess with me! The consequences will be severe." Qin Yaoyao seemed unaware of the approaching danger and instead retorted defiantly, "I don't believe you."

Before he could finish speaking, He Yanxi abruptly scooped Qin Yaoyao up from the chair and strode towards the bedroom. Qin Yaoyao panicked instantly, a sense of foreboding washing over her. She tried to struggle, but it was too late. He Yanxi placed her on the bed, then leaned down and pressed himself against her, his eyes burning with desire.

Qin Yaoyao's face turned pale; she began to regret her provocative actions. She knew she had angered this man and was likely to face a storm of punishment. But regardless, she tried to remain calm and communicate with He Yanxi, hoping to avert this crisis.

He Yanxi gently placed Qin Yaoyao on the bed, a hint of ambiguity in his eyes. He leaned close to Qin Yaoyao's ear and whispered, "You started this fire, you have to put it out yourself." Qin Yaoyao's heart raced instantly. She began to realize that she might have really gone too far this time, and He Yanxi seemed to be really going to take action.

Qin Yaoyao's nervousness intensified. She had never experienced anything like this before, and her heart was filled with unease and helplessness. Before she could react, He Yanxi's kiss came like a storm. Qin Yaoyao's mind went blank for a moment; she couldn't think at all, and her body could only move involuntarily with He Yanxi's actions.

"You started this fire, so you have to put it out yourself." He Yanxi's voice rang in her ear, carrying an irresistible charm. After saying that, he began his next move.

Half an hour later, Qin Yaoyao finally felt relieved. She felt like her hands were about to be ruined, and her body felt like it had been swept by a scorching storm.

He Yanxi's eyes held a hint of mockery as he looked at her and said softly, "Let's see if you dare to mess with me again." Qin Yaoyao's cheeks flushed instantly upon hearing this, her heart filled with shame as she recalled what had just happened. He Yanxi, however, remained calm. He took out a handkerchief, went to the basin, wet it, and then carefully wiped Qin Yaoyao's hands, saying, "It's getting late. Let's rest a little longer before heading back." Qin Yaoyao nodded slightly, and soon the two left together.

Back home, Qin Yaoyao's complexion still hadn't returned to normal. She thought to herself, "I can never mess with Brother Yanxi again. He's too scary."

Meanwhile, after returning to the Prince's residence, He Yanxi immediately sent someone to summon He Mingfeng, asking him to come to the residence. When He Mingfeng arrived, it was almost dinnertime. As soon as he entered, he anxiously asked, "Uncle, what brings you here? Why are you in such a hurry? I have things to attend to." He Yanxi replied seemingly casually, "Are you busy looking for Cheng Ying?" He Mingfeng, who had just taken a sip of tea, almost spat it out. He said in surprise, "You know?" He Yanxi nodded slightly, then asked, "What exactly is going on between you two?" He Mingfeng replied helplessly, "I don't know either. Today I went to look for her, but the people in her residence said she wasn't home, that she went to her maternal grandparents' house. But I've already inquired, and she didn't leave the residence at all today. Uncle, I think she's deliberately avoiding me." He Yanxi said "Oh," seemingly deep in thought.

He Mingfeng asked in surprise, "That's it?" He Yanxi replied, "What else?" He Mingfeng continued, "Shouldn't you give me some advice?" He Yanxi replied calmly, "You're overthinking it. I didn't have that idea." He Mingfeng muttered, "Then why did you ask me? I thought you were going to help me. You made me happy for nothing." Looking at He Mingfeng's pitiful appearance, He Yanxi couldn't help but ask, "I heard you've been getting quite close to someone else lately. Since you've found someone new, you shouldn't provoke Cheng Ying anymore. It's not good."

He Mingfeng was stunned by these words and said anxiously, "What? I have someone with me? Who is it! Uncle, others may not know me, but don't you know me? I like Cheng Ying, I would never go and bother with other girls! Who told you that? This is slander!" He Yanxi replied, "Of course I know, but someone saw you with a woman recently, and they were behaving intimately." He Mingfeng thought for a moment and explained, "No! It's just that Xiao Ran came back from Yangzhou, and I was with her. There was no other woman!" He Yanxi pressed, "Were you with her at He Mingwen's residence yesterday?" He Mingfeng nodded and said, "Yes." He Yanxi asked again, "Was there no one else?" He Mingfeng answered firmly, "No one else. Uncle, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

He Yanxi said softly, "It seems this is a misunderstanding." Then, He Yanxi told He Mingfeng everything Cheng Ying had seen. After listening, He Mingfeng said to He Yanxi, "So, Uncle, you mean Cheng Ying saw me with Xiao Ran and misunderstood our relationship, so she's deliberately avoiding me and keeping her distance?" He Yanxi nodded in agreement. He Mingfeng gave a helpless wry smile and said, "She really wants to distance herself from me!" He Yanxi raised an eyebrow and said, "Why do you say 'distance herself' instead of 'jealous'?"

He Mingfeng replied with a wry smile, "Because she doesn't like me. Now that I know why, I know what to do." He Yanxi asked, "What do you plan to do?" He Mingfeng said, "I'll talk to her and explain things clearly, and then I'll do as she wishes and stop bothering her." Without waiting for He Yanxi's reply, He Mingfeng turned and left. Watching He Mingfeng's dejected figure, He Yanxi shook her head and then went to the Duke's mansion to tell Qin Yaoyao about it.

Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao exclaimed in surprise, "Cousin? So the woman Ying-jie saw behaving intimately with He Mingfeng is He Mingfeng's cousin?" He Yanxi nodded. Then, He Yanxi told Qin Yaoyao why Miss Shen was looking for He Mingfeng, "Miss Shen is looking for He Mingfeng because she wants to find someone and needs his help." Only then did Qin Yaoyao understand the whole story.

Qin Yaoyao said anxiously, "Sister Ying has misunderstood. What exactly does He Mingfeng intend to do?" He Yanxi replied helplessly, "Xiao Wu thinks Cheng Ying doesn't like him. She's avoiding him because she wants to sever ties and has no further contact with him. So Xiao Wu plans to talk to Cheng Ying and then stop bothering her." Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao hurriedly said, "That won't do! Sister Ying finally realized her own feelings and hasn't even had a chance to tell him yet. How can he just back down like this? She cried all night yesterday, and it was all for nothing! Besides, they clearly like each other, but they can't be together. It's such a pity! We must think of a way to make them talk things out."

Qin Yaoyao frowned, saying worriedly, "But I'm worried that Sister Ying will go out for a walk, giving them a chance to meet. What if they say those things again?" He Yanxi pondered for a moment and said, "Seven days later is the Empress's birthday. We'll let them talk then. In the next few days, try to keep Cheng Ying from going out. I'll also arrange some things for Xiao Wu to do so they won't have time to meet." Qin Yaoyao nodded in agreement, saying, "Okay, let's do it that way!"

The next day, Qin Yaoyao eagerly went to the General's Mansion, hoping to see Cheng Ying. However, she learned that Cheng Ying had gone with her brother to a country estate in the suburbs to relax. Qin Yaoyao hurriedly told He Yanxi this news, and to avoid the two of them meeting, He Yanxi arranged for He Mingfeng to go to the Ministry of Rites to help out. Therefore, they really had no chance to meet these past few days.

Time flies, and before she knew it, it was the Empress's birthday banquet. Her cousin had told her that the Crown Princess was personally organizing the banquet, so Qin Yaoyao got up early to dress up carefully. Today, Qin Yaoyao wore a light blue, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), made of gauze that was cool, opaque, and soft and comfortable. After dressing, she walked lightly towards the entrance. Upon reaching the entrance, she saw eight magnificent carriages waiting there.

After greeting everyone, Qin Yaoyao boarded her carriage. Seeing that everyone had arrived, her father ordered the carriage to proceed towards the palace. The Duke's mansion wasn't far from the palace, and they soon arrived at the palace gates. Upon alighting from the carriage, Qin Yaoyao saw her maternal grandparents' family in the distance and happily greeted them. Her gaze then drifted to Cheng Ying and the others. After chatting for a while, they lined up and walked towards the palace.

After entering the palace, the father went to the Emperor's residence, while the brothers were led to the Moon Gazing Pavilion by Lan Feng. The grandmothers were taken to the Cining Palace, and the grandfathers also went there. The remaining Qin Yaoyao and the others were taken to the Phoenix Palace. Surprisingly, Cheng Ying and her mother were also on their way to the Phoenix Palace.

Qin Yaoyao leaned closer to Cheng Ying and asked in a low voice, "Sister Ying, how have you been lately? Are you feeling better?" Cheng Ying replied softly, "I'm fine." Hearing Cheng Ying's answer, Qin Yaoyao added reassuredly, "That's good."

Cheng Ying asked Qin Yaoyao with a puzzled look, "Yaoyao, why do you think the Empress summoned my mother and me to the Phoenix Palace? We haven't done anything wrong lately!" Qin Yaoyao smiled and retorted, "Why do you think it's because we've done something wrong? Could it be something good?" Cheng Ying was still full of doubts: "But my mother and the Empress don't have any relationship. Why would she summon us for no reason?" Qin Yaoyao thought to herself, "Brother Yanxi just told me yesterday that the Empress has noticed the Fifth Prince and Sister Ying's affair, and today she's summoning Sister Ying. It seems the Empress wants to see her daughter-in-law in advance!" So she comforted her, "Sister Ying, don't overthink it. You'll know when we get to the Phoenix Palace. Maybe there are other people who have been summoned as well." Cheng Ying thought Qin Yaoyao's words made sense and nodded.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Fifth Prince stood quietly atop the Moon Gazing Tower, his gaze following Cheng Ying as she walked further and further away towards the Phoenix Palace. The Fourth Prince, He Minglin, seeing this, asked in confusion, "Why didn't you go to find Miss Cheng when you saw her?" He Mingfeng gave a helpless bitter smile and replied, "She doesn't want to see me, so why should I bother her and annoy her?" His second brother, He Mingshu, interjected, "What's going on? Did something unpleasant happen between you two?" He Mingfeng gently shook his head and said softly, "Nothing happened. It's just that she doesn't like me. I don't want her to dislike me even more, so it's best not to disturb her."

Just then, Lan Feng arrived with his brothers. They overheard the conversation, and after paying their respects, the fifth brother, Qin Yunji, looked at He Mingfeng with a puzzled expression and asked, "What exactly happened between you and Cheng Ying? Why does she dislike you? Is it because of what happened last time?" He Mingshu interjected, "What happened?" Qin Yunji replied, "It was during Grandmother's birthday celebration last time, Your Highness, you were being affectionate, weren't you?" He Minglin continued, "Is that why she dislikes you?" He Mingfeng's mood sank further, and he said softly, "Perhaps." He Mingshu and He Minglin exchanged a glance, neither quite believing that the girl would dislike He Mingfeng for such a reason alone, especially since she seemed quite happy at the time.

They all seemed thoughtful, pondering the reasons behind the situation and trying to understand the real problem between He Mingfeng and Cheng Ying. Perhaps only by gaining a deeper understanding could they find a solution and improve their relationship.