The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 144 This matter is quite long.

Xu Jiaojiao remained calm and composed: "I have been frail since childhood and need to recuperate quietly. The capital is noisy, so I have been living in a remote country village for many years until recently when I returned to the capital."

Seeing Xu Qingran's astonished expression, Xu Jiaojiao knew that Master Xu did not intend to tell his daughter the truth, so she unreservedly gave Xu Qingran the exact same response he had just given her.

Even if she keeps her mouth shut now, Xu Qingran will still find out when it's added to the family genealogy later. It's better to speak frankly now to avoid unnecessary trouble in the Xu family.

"Weak?" Xu Qingran was taken aback, then noticed that Xu Jiaojiao's face was indeed a little pale, and asked with concern, "Why is that?"

Xu Jiaojiao pursed her lips slightly: "I don't know, it's probably a congenital condition..."

A hint of sympathy appeared in Xu Qingran's eyes.

Judging from Xu Jiaojiao's young age and stunning beauty, if it weren't for her frail health, she would surely have shone brightly in the capital...

Despite her sympathy, Xu Qingran was still filled with doubts. She felt that Xu Jiaojiao's appearance was somewhat abrupt, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

Never mind, I'll ask Father later.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Xu Qingran, seeing that she couldn't get any useful information, got up to say goodbye.

After Xu Qingran left, Jin Gang stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Miss, this Xu Qingran... seems a little wary of you. Should I tell the Prince about this?"

Xu Jiaojiao shook her head: "Not for now. Xu Qingran grew up in the Xu family since she was a child. It's only natural that she would be puzzled if she suddenly had an older sister. I believe... Lord Xu will handle this matter himself."

The person whom Prince Chen values ​​should be able to handle this small matter properly. If he can't, it will allow Prince Chen to see whether this person is capable or not as soon as possible.

King Kong nodded and said nothing more.

Xu Jiaojiao stood up, walked to the window, looked up at the distant sky, and a complicated expression flashed in her eyes.

"I hope... everything will go smoothly..." she murmured softly.

……

After leaving the bamboo courtyard, Xu Qingran strolled leisurely along the bluestone path, her mind replaying her conversation with Xu Jiaojiao.

Something is wrong, very wrong!

"No, I have to go ask Father." She muttered to herself, then quickly walked towards Xu Guanghe's study.

Before long, Xu Qingran arrived outside her father's study.

She pursed her lips, raised her hand, and gently knocked on the door: "Father, it's me, Qingran. I need to speak with you!"

Inside the room, Xu Guanghe, who was talking with his confidant, was slightly taken aback.

The two stopped talking abruptly, exchanged glances, and the confidant silently stepped aside.

Xu Guanghe picked up a book from the desk and held it in his hand, then cleared his throat: "Come in."

Xu Qingran pushed open the door and entered, seeing her father sitting at his desk, holding a book in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were thinking about something.

"Father," she couldn't help but call out softly.

Xu Guanghe looked up, a gentle smile on his face: "Why are you here so early? Do you want to go out and play again?"

Xu Qingran blushed and stomped her foot reproachfully, "No, Qingran came to see you on important business!"

Xu Guanghe smiled indulgently: "Alright, alright, then tell me, what brings you here to see your father?"

Seeing her father's disbelief, Xu Qingran felt a pang of sadness.

She walked up to her father, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly said, "Father, I just went to see... Xu Jiaojiao..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Guanghe's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

He put down the book in his hand and said slowly, "Oh? You saw her?"

Xu Qingran nodded, looking directly at her father: "Father, is she really my sister? Why have I never heard you mention her before?"

Xu Guanghe was silent for a moment, seemingly considering his words. After a while, he sighed: "Qingran, this matter... is a long story..."

Jiaojiao...she is indeed your sister, but she has been frail since childhood and has always lived in the countryside to recuperate, so she has never mentioned it to you..."

Father's explanation was exactly the same as Xu Jiaojiao's.

But the more she did this, the more Xu Qingran felt that it was done on purpose.

“But…” Xu Qingran frowned, unwilling to give up, and continued to press, “Father, her appearance was too sudden, and every item in her room is priceless. I feel… her identity isn’t as simple as it seems…”

Xu Guanghe's expression was complicated, somewhat surprised by his daughter's keenness and intelligence.

It seems that Xu Jiaojiao's identity needs to be arranged as soon as possible.

After a moment's hesitation, he stood up, walked to the window, and with his back to Xu Qingran, slowly said, "Qingran, Jiaojiao is indeed your sister, but she encountered some things while recuperating away from home. I cannot tell you about these things right now, but I will tell you when the time is right..."

He paused, then added, "Qingran, Jiaojiao is frail. As a member of the Xu family, please take care of her for me when you have time."

Xu Qingran remained silent.

Her father was unwilling to talk about it, and her continued questioning would yield no results.

Well then, since Father says so, she'll just visit the Bamboo Courtyard more often in the future. Anyway, she's free anyway, and Xu Jiaojiao doesn't seem to have any ill intentions. If she visits her more often, she might be able to discover some unknown secrets.

Thus, Xu Qingran would occasionally appear in Xu Jiaojiao's peaceful life at the Xu residence.

For six days in a row, Prince Chen found an opportunity to visit the Xu residence under the guise of official business. On one hand, he wanted to discuss with Xu Guanghe the matter of Xu Jiaojiao being included in the family genealogy, and on the other hand, he wanted to see the sweetheart he had been missing for several days.

Although the two chatted through letters every day, it could never compare to seeing each other in person.

Knowing that Prince Chen was coming, Xu Jiaojiao cooked pastries for him early in the morning and ordered Cailian to prepare his favorite tea.

"Jiaojiao!"

Xu Jiaojiao, who was sitting in the room eagerly waiting, heard the familiar voice and her raven feathers trembled. She immediately stood up and went out to greet him: "Your Highness!"

Seeing her come out, Zhao Yunzheng strode forward and helped her up: "Jiaojiao... how have you been these days? Does your wound still hurt?"

Xu Jiaojiao reached out and hugged Prince Chen's slender waist, her eyes crinkling with laughter, full of joy: "It doesn't hurt anymore, it hasn't hurt for a long time..."

This affectionate look made Zhao Yunzheng feel as sweet as if he had eaten honey.

He gently stroked Xu Jiaojiao's soft, dark hair: "It's windy outside, let's go inside and talk."

Upon entering the room and seeing the prepared pastries and tea on the table, Zhao Yunzheng's heart skipped a beat.

His darling is always so considerate…

The two sat down, chatting and eating pastries, enjoying their conversation when suddenly faint footsteps sounded outside the door.

Zhao Yunzheng's words stopped abruptly, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. He glanced sideways at the door and asked sharply, "Who goes there?"