Chapter 365: How Could It Be Her

Chapter 365: How Could It Be Her
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Prince Ma was already mentally prepared for Xiao Jin to reject him again.
To his surprise, Xiao Jin actually invited him into the manor.
Prince Ma and Sima Chen were invited to the main hall of Prince Qi’s Manor, but Prince Ma did not see Su Ying. The only person waiting in the main hall was Xiao Jin.
Prince Ma went up to greet him without any change in his expression.
Xiao Jin also received him in accordance with official protocol.
“I have long heard that Prince Qi’s Manor is different from other residences. I wonder if Prince Qi can bring me to tour your residence?”
Xiao Jin did not refuse and led the father and son out of the hall.
After Prince Ma entered the manor, the items he had brought were immediately delivered to Su Ying.
Among them, the thing that attracted her attention the most was the jar that was half the height of a person in front of her.
The jar was sealed with yellow mud. “This is the spicy fish?”
“The people from Prince Ma’s Residence said this is it.”
Su Ying reached out with her hand and carefully patted the edge of the jar. Very quickly, the yellow mud on top was patted off.
After the yellow mud was removed, there was a lid made of dry cloth inside. When the lid was removed, one could smell a pungent, eye-stinging stench.
“Cough! Cough! Cough… What the hell is this? Cough! Cough! Cough…” Su Ying choked on the fumes until her tears almost flowed out.
Hea Shouyi rushed over and leaned close to check it out. He then took out a pair of chopsticks and picked up a fish from the jar.
Su Ying could smell the spicy, choking, and slightly sour, pungent stench. She couldn’t believe that this thing could taste good.
“Uncle Hea, can this thing be eaten?”
Hea Shouyi sized up the fish in his hand and smiled. “Yes, Your Highness. This is good stuff. 1 haven’t seen such a well-marinated spicy fish in a long time, especially since this fish is the Amur carp. This type of fish meat is particularly sweet. 1 will cook it for Your Highness to try at noon. I guarantee that Your Highness will still want to eat more after tasting it.”
To be honest, Su Ying wasn’t really looking forward that much to eating this fish.
However, she still hoped that Hea Shouyi could make a miracle out of something foul. “Alright.”
While waiting, Su Ying brought the two little ones to the training hall.
“Today, we will focus on practicing our reaction speed.” Su Ying asked the guards to bring over many small balls made of straw. “You two will stand in that circle later. Mother will throw the ball and see if you can dodge it.”
The two little ones looked at the ball in Su Ying’s hand with curious eyes. Ji was the first to express that he wanted to try first in order to show his younger sister the way.
“Alright. Go stand in the circle.”
Ji ran into the circle with an earnest expression and looked at Su Ying. “Mother, let’s begin.”
Su Ying tossed the ball in her hand at Ji.
She didn’t aim too accurately. Instead, she threw the ball to the side of the child. She wanted to see the child’s reaction ability and whether he could predict the direction of the ball in a short time and immediately decide on the correct direction to dodge.
In the beginning, Ji wasn’t quite able to dodge the balls, but he soon discovered a pattern and gradually dodged Su Ying’s attacks.
Su Ying saw his change and changed her attack method as well. She began to aim directly at him with the balls.
Ji couldn’t dodge that well at first and was hit many times.
Su Ying saw that his reaction had slowed down, so she asked him to come over and rest for a while.
“Ling, did you see how your big brother dodged just now?”
Ling nodded. “I saw it, Mother. 1 know what to do.”
“Mm-hmm. It’s your turn to go later.”
“Alright.”
Ling ran to the circle on her short legs to await Su Ying’s attack.
To Su Ying’s surprise, Ling’s dodging was actually more agile than Ji’s.
Her prediction was more accurate than Ji’s.
After one round, the two little fellows were tired. Su Ying asked Bai Shuang to bring them to the side room to change their clothes and wipe their sweat. Later, she would teach them some more dodging techniques.
While waiting, Su Ying made a trip to the outhouse.
When she came out of the outhouse, she saw an unfamiliar figure passing through the moon gate archway.
Su Ying frowned slightly and followed him. The other party seemed to sense that there was someone behind him. He turned around abruptly and faced Su Ying, but instantly, he was shocked that he became frozen on the spot. Immediately after that, a great sense of pleasant surprise burst out from his eyes.
When Su Ying saw Sima Chen, she was also stunned for a moment. She thought he looked somewhat familiar.
“Miss Su…”
Miss Su…
Su Ying then recalled that this person was Sima Chen, the Young Prince and son of Prince Ma.
Today, Prince Ma paid them a visit, but she did not expect Sima Chen to tag along.
However, Su Ying did not intend to admit that she had treated Princess Consort Ma’s illness. “Young Master, do you know me?”
Sima Chen saw the bafflement in Su Ying’s eyes and a look of disappointment flashed across his face. “Miss Su, have you forgotten? Back then, you treated Princess Consort Ma’s illness in Prince Ma City.”
Su Ying shook her head. “Young Master must have remembered wrongly. I have never been to Prince Ma City.”
Sima Chen frowned. He was sure that the person in front of him was the one who treated his Consort Mother’s illness, but he did not know why she was unwilling to admit it.
“Miss Su, you don’t have to worry. 1 have no ill intentions toward you. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me.”
“Yingying, why are you here?” Just as Sima Chen finished speaking, a deep, icy voice rang out from behind Su Ying.
Su Ying felt a powerful aura quickly surround her from behind.
Xiao Jin walked to her side and held her hand. His body almost completely blocked Sima Chen’s gaze which was focused on her.
Sima Chen was stunned and looked at Xiao Jin in astonishment. A very bad premonition rose in his heart. Could it be… Miss Su was Xiao Jin’s concubine?
This realization made Sima Chen feel like he had fallen into an ice cellar.
“I just came out of the outhouse,” Su Ying answered concisely.
Xiao Jin gently squeezed Su Ying’s hand, his voice oozing with affection. “Where are the children?”
“They are still waiting for me at the training hall. I’ll go over first.”
Su Ying slapped his hand away and was about to leave, but Xiao Jin grabbed her hand again. “Just now, Prince Ma told his Young Prince that he wanted to go to the martial arts training hall to take a look. I’ll go with you.”
Su Ying glanced at Xiao Jin and felt that he was acting a little strange. “Up to you.”
Prince Ma looked at Su Ying with a gaze that was blazing like torches, and his eyes narrowed. “Your Highness, this lady is…”
Xiao Jin wrapped his arms around Su Ying’s waist at once. “She’s my Consort.”
An ominous look flashed across Prince Ma’s eyes, whereas Sima Chen stood frozen in the same spot in shock.
The Princess Consort Qi who was said to disdain the ways of the world was actually the woman who treated Princess Consort Ma back then!
Prince Ma recognized Su Ying at a glance, but he didn’t ask anything.
Xiao Jin held Su Ying as they walked towards the training hall. Just as Prince Ma was about to follow, he noticed Sima Chen standing in the same spot, looking very lost and dejected.
Prince Ma frowned. “Chen’er, what are you thinking about?”
Sima Chen snapped back to his senses and did not manage to hide the shock and desolation in his eyes. “Father, Princess Consort Qi… she… is not her, right?”
Prince Ma knew what he was talking about. “It is her. Let’s go. Let’s see what tricks Xiao Jin is up to.”
Su Ying was Princess Consort Qi, so he couldn’t help but overthink more. Back then, Su Ying’s original intention of going to Prince Ma’s Residence to treat her illness couldn’t be as simple as earning money, could it?
Sima Chen followed absentmindedly. As he looked at Su Ying’s figure, which was almost enveloped in Xiao Jin’s embrace, his heart still couldn’t calm down for a long time.
How could she be Princess Consort Qi? How could this be!