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Of the two women, one was wearing a crimson red cape topped with a white fur collar. She was tall, slender, and tenderly inviting. The other was wearing a leather vest made from silver fox fur that was paired with a pale-green cotton skirt. She was holding an exquisite hand warmer the size of an apple, which further highlighted her adorable cuteness.
Both were about eighteen years old and flanked by various servant girls and granny servants. It was quite an entourage.
Qin Yining paused and looked at the group. She didn’t even need to think to know that these must be the beautiful concubines that the emperor had bestowed onto the prince.
She didn’t want to have anything to do with them. Even if they might live under the same roof in the future, that was something to consider later. There was no rush to get to know each other now, so she only nodded slightly at the two and steered Xiaozhou around them.
The tall, slender girl had been glaring at Qin Yining all the while. Her eyes narrowed, unbridled hostility shone out of them.
The Qin fourth miss could tell that they were purposefully here to cause trouble. Just as she brushed past them, the tall girl spat on Qin Yining.
“Pah! What a bitch! Shameless hussy trying to seduce the prince!”
Qin Yining looked at the wad of spittle on her skirt and looked askance at the gentle-looking girl.
The development seemed a surprise to the cute one in pale-green clothing. She quickly spoke up, “Lady Rou, don’t start trouble!”
“What do you know.” Lady Rou sneered. “If you don’t dare, then scurry back with your tail between your legs. No one asked you to come with me.”
A maid off to the side reached out to support the girl clad in green. “Miss Xinche, let’s go back.”
Lady Rou cast a sideways glance at the other, contempt plain in her gaze.
Qin Yining pulled on Lian Xiaozhou’s hand so the little girl wouldn’t take impulsive action. She sniffed disdainfully in response. “Lady Rou, is it?”
“That’s me, and what about it?”
“Lick that clean.” Qin Yining pointed down at the spit on her skirt.
Taken-aback, Lady Rou studied the Qin fourth miss for a moment. She smiled scornfully. “If I’d spit on your face, would you have me lick your face clean?”
“If that was the case, do you think you’d still be alive?”
“Bullshit!” Lady Rou furiously raged. “What the hell are you? You’re just a stray bitch that the prince took in off the streets! He’ll slaughter your entire family in the future, including you! You’ll only be able to use your looks to beg the prince not to kill you. How dare you be so arrogant in front of us!”
Xinche hastily pulled on Lady Rou’s arm when she saw the latter was being so loud. “Let’s go. We’re the prince’s concubines, after all. We shouldn’t lose our temper to such a degree with a girl of unknown identity. You’ll make things awkward for His Highness and insult His Majesty’s favor.”
Xinche’s words sounded sweet-tempered, but every bit of them was emphasizing that they were imperially bestowed concubines to the prince. They were good matches with a noble status. They were naturally different from a low-born girl kidnapped into the manor, and Qin Yining would do well to remember her place.
It looks like Miss Xinche’s more than a degree sharper than Lady Rou.
The situation was rather laughable to Qin Yining. She hadn’t even officially crossed the Pang doorstep, but here the concubines were, completely exploded in irrational fury. They’d laid in wait to take her down a peg! But it was all thanks to Pang Xiao’s masterful acting outside that this was happening.