Chapter 186: Clash of Sharp Points

Car Maid was so angry that her eyes instantly turned red.

Listen, listen!

Prince says this is called human speech?

That out‑of‑touch girl could ever be more precious than me?

Car Maid let out a coquettish hum in anger, turned her back, and didn't intend to deal with Prince Qi any longer.

Ren Ce Fei covered her mouth, almost laughing out loud.

As for Prince's inhuman words, Ren Ce Fei and the others were not surprised.

Sometimes, after hearing it enough, you get used to it and become immune.

Such a fragile heart, already depressed to death!

The atmosphere turned awkward because of Car Maid's coquettish hum.

Prince Qi, as if he didn't grasp the situation, smiled and said, "But, Princess Consort, this child's reading companion really must be chosen carefully. A child without a playmate—how can that work?"

When Prince Qi said that, Car Maid's ears perked up, her eyes darted, pondering how to follow up and force Che Lingzhi into the spot.

However, before she could think it through, Princess Consort of Qi laughed and replied, "For now I've picked Mengmeng from Liu Dafu's family and the Second Mistress from Master Shen's household, but the Second Mistress has been unwell these past few days and hasn't come over yet; Mengmeng has visited before."

Mengmeng's voice is loud and she's a lively child; Prince Qi has seen her before and quite likes her.

The granddaughter of Master Shen, gentle in tone and easy‑going.

Thinking carefully, they really are suitable companions for a child.

One active, one calm—simply a perfect match!

After understanding, Prince Qi nodded, "Princess Consort, your careful selection puts my mind at ease."

Upon hearing that, Car Maid seemed ready to confirm it, hurriedly setting aside her anger and tugging Prince's sleeve again, "Prince, two children are never enough, right? How about letting Lingzhi come instead? Lingzhi, you've seen her—she's a clever child and can keep me company, so I won't be bored."

Prince Qi's wife has indeed seen what Che Lingzhi is like.

But the Princess Consort didn't mention her, clearly not favoring her.

So Prince Qi gave no reply, merely waved his hand, "With so many attendants around, you still feel bored? I'll give you two more later."

Car Maid:???

Is a servant what I'm after?

I'm after my natal family's benefit!

Car Maid, who was already angry, now got even more upset; tears finally burst out, streaming down.

She's practiced for a long time, knowing how to cry pitifully yet look pretty.

So, leaning to the side, she sobbed in a ragged rhythm, "Prince, you don't care for me."

That voice made Ren Ce Fei almost spit out her tea.

Even if she tried to recover, a bit of tea still slipped from the corner of her mouth.

After quietly wiping it away, Ren Ce Fei glared fiercely at Car Maid, thinking to herself: "Speak when you speak, but you're squeezing your voice like a goose with its throat twisted—what are you trying to do?"

Prince Qi originally intended to look at Sui Sui more; he thought the child's eyes were truly beautiful, like those of the Lao Feng family.

Such eyes might be a destiny ordained for the Qi Wang Fu.

Look more…

Perhaps, in the future, he'll have many more ladies.

Yet before she could speak with Sui Sui, Car Maid started acting petulant again.

He wasn't very patient to coax, so he brushed off, "Fine, fine, fine, what do you want? Just say it; this pretentious act just makes people sick."

Car Maid:???

When pleading for me to bear children, they call me "little good girl".

Now they flip their face and start not recognizing me?

I haven't even started bearing children yet!

Thinking of that, Car Maid almost exploded with anger.

Originally she just wanted to casually ask for something, but now she was indignant; her eyes flicked, and she quickly turned tears to a smile: "I heard the Princess Consort has a gemstone cassia tree; I'm from a small household and have never seen one, I'd like to borrow it to look at for a couple of days."

Princess Consort of Qi was holding Sui Sui, pondering what to eat at noon.

The child has been fussing all day; the breakfast this morning was a light vegetarian meal, so perhaps they're already hungry now.

She quietly felt the child's belly; indeed it was already flat.

The child is sensible, so she says little.

But as a mother‑consort, she must keep watch at all times.

Impatient with these matters, Princess Consort of Qi originally intended to leave holding Sui Sui.

Prince returned, she had already seen him; after the formalities, it was almost done.

Even a dog can tell the fragrant little lady, let alone a person.

So Princess Consort of Qi felt her choice was fine!

Yet before she could speak to leave, someone started thinking of her belongings.

If the setting weren't wrong, Princess Consort of Qi would truly want to roll her eyes.

At this moment she actually agreed with what Xiao Liu whispered, "Prince's concubines in recent years are like field chives, each batch worse than the last."

The gemstone cassia tree was a gift from the Empress Dowager on Princess Consort of Qi's birthday last year.

It's unknown where the newly‑arrived Car Maid heard the news, and she seized the opportunity.

Princess Consort of Qi knows that Car Maid is shallow‑eyed and greedy.

However, since someone is willing to bear the Prince a daughter, Princess Consort of Qi is happy to be easy‑going and doesn't bother to ask or interfere.

As a result, others actually took her relaxed attitude as a sign she's easy to bully.

She kept her eyes from rolling, gently soothing Sui Sui in her arms with her hand; the Princess Consort of Qi was about to speak when she heard Ren Ce Fei, seated to her left, burst out laughing.

Ren Ce Fei is the type who, if she dislikes something, she retorts, regardless of who the other person is.

Seeing Car Maid still going on and on, she naturally wasn't willing to indulge her.

She spoke, her voice habitually laced with a smile: "I say, Car Maid, you know you come from a humble background, know little of propriety; after being in the manor this long, you ought to have learned a bit by now, right? Even if you don't want to learn, you should at least consider the daughter in your belly; don't let people think the girls of our Wangfu are shallow-eyed, always eyeing others' measly plot of land, inviting ridicule for no reason."

These words not only stabbed into Car Maid's lungs, they also stabbed into Prince Qi's face.

After all, Prince Qi greatly valued his yet-unborn daughter, who existed only in his fantasy.

Just thinking that in the future, when people mention the Wangfu's eldest daughter, they'd say: shallow-eyed, scheming, greedy-faced — Prince Qi's defenses crumbled instantly.

He furrowed his brows and glared at Car Maid, then gestured to her maidservant: "Hurry and take her back to the courtyard to rest; didn't you sleep well yesterday, or have you been spouting nonsense here all day?"

Thinking that Car Maid's lack of propriety wouldn't do, Prince Qi turned to the Princess Consort of Qi and asked: "Is Chi Gugu still at the Zhuangzi lately?"

The Princess Consort of Qi pointed toward the eastern courtyard: "Concubine Su recently lapsed in propriety; I feared inviting ridicule, so I had Chi Gugu go over to instruct her for a few days, and she's still there in the eastern courtyard."

The second watch is at 19:00.