Chapter 10

Qin Zi'er glanced at Prince Su. In truth, Prince Su was quite handsome; if not for the comparison with Prince Ding, he would certainly be considered an outstanding man. Dressed in a black brocade robe embroidered with red, his skin appeared as fair as snow and his features as refined as jade. His ink-black hair was secured with a high-quality jasper hairpin, lending him an air of elegant nobility. At this moment, he seemed caught off guard by Prince Ding’s question, appearing momentarily stunned. However, it lasted only an instant before he regained his composure—had Qin Zi'er not been watching him closely, she would never have noticed.

“Eldest Miss Qin is the Prime Minister’s own daughter. Blood is thicker than water; naturally, a father dotes on his own child.”

Prince Su’s expression was indifferent and his voice gentle, but his words made Qin Guangze’s face darken further. Madam Zhang and Qin Mingzhu’s expressions were equally poor; their exquisite makeup could not hide the anxiety and annoyance in their eyes.

Doting on one’s own child—would that lead to letting her live in a place even the servants’ quarters surpassed?

The crowd was also somewhat surprised. Prince Su’s words seemed to carry a hint of reproach toward the Prime Minister. Could it be that Prince Su truly intended to take Qin Zi'er as his consort? Was he displeased to see his fiancée living in such a place?

Qin Zi'er was also somewhat taken aback. She had assumed Prince Su was certainly unwilling to marry her and desperate to annul the engagement, given her poor reputation. She was considered talentless, virtuous-less, and unattractive, and she lacked her father’s love. Marrying her would be far less advantageous than marrying Qin Mingzhu, who was, after all, a well-known young lady in the capital, celebrated for both her talent and beauty.

Watching Prince Su’s indifferent expression, Qin Zi'er could not fathom his thoughts. Yet, this Prince Su was definitely not simple; the more unfathomable a person was, the more dangerous they became.

The guards searching for the assassin returned one after another, all empty-handed. Not only had they failed to find the assassin, but they hadn't even uncovered any useful clues.

Qin Guangze’s face was incredibly grim. He had just confidently told Prince Ding that even if the assassin had wings, they wouldn't be able to fly out of the Prime Minister’s estate. Now, with not a single clue to be found, had he not just slapped his own face?

Madam Zhang and Qin Mingzhu slowly let out a sigh of relief, the panic in their eyes gradually fading. However, they soon revealed looks of confusion and bewilderment, their gazes fixed on Qin Zi'er, then shifting toward her bedchamber.

Madam Zhang and Qin Mingzhu thought they had masked their emotions well, unaware that their reactions had already been observed by both Prince Ding and Qin Zi'er.

Prince Ding’s expression remained detached. No one knew if he was dissatisfied with the result; his face and eyes were so profound that one could not discern a single thought.

Prince Su, on the other hand, seemed to have remained an outsider throughout. From the moment the assassin was discovered until now, he appeared to be nothing more than a spectator.

Qin Zi'er didn't actually care whether the assassin was found or not, but judging by the reactions of Madam Zhang and Qin Mingzhu, it was certainly this mother and daughter who had drugged her with aphrodisiacs, intending to ruin her purity.

“Have you searched under the Eldest Sister’s bed thoroughly?”

After the guards reported their findings, the courtyard had fallen into silence, with everyone waiting for Prince Ding to speak. But Prince Ding remained silent with a dark expression, so it was Qin Mingyue’s words that shattered the stillness.

“Third Sister, what do you mean by that?” Qin Zi'er narrowed her eyes slightly, a flash of murderous intent crossing them. Yet, when everyone looked at her, the expression on her face was only one of resentment and unease, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Not just under the bed, but search the bed itself! The assassin clearly ran here; how could they have vanished? They must be hiding in some secret place.”

Qin Mingyue completely ignored Qin Zi'er’s question. She knew Qin Zi'er had been drugged and that there had been a man in her room. Since they couldn't find him now, she assumed he must still be hiding in Qin Zi'er’s room. She didn't care about the assassin; she only wanted to find a man in Qin Zi'er’s room to ruin her reputation.

Madam Zhang and Qin Mingzhu, however, hated Qin Mingyue for this. They certainly wanted Qin Zi'er to be disgraced, but they did not want these matters exposed in front of Prince Ding—he was not so easily fooled.

As for luring Prince Su here, it was merely to have him witness Qin Zi'er’s lack of virtue so that the engagement could be annulled, which would then give Qin Mingzhu a chance.

Unfortunately, everything had been disrupted by Prince Ding’s arrival. Madam Zhang and Qin Mingzhu only hoped that nothing would come of this and that Prince Ding would leave quickly.

In truth, Madam Zhang and Qin Mingzhu were also puzzled: where had that man gone? They had seen him enter Qin Zi'er’s room with their own eyes.

“Father.”

Qin Zi'er looked directly at Qin Guangze, her lips trembling slightly. Her dark pupils were now rimmed with red, and tears slid down her cheeks one by one. The suppressed grievance and despair on her face were so sorrowful that those watching could not help but feel a sense of pity.

Qin Zi'er had practiced such expressions countless times; in order to get close to her targets during missions, feigning fragility was the most basic of performances.

Qin Guangze’s brows were tightly furrowed as he cast a cold, stern gaze at Qin Mingyue. Did she not realize that if Qin Zi'er’s reputation were damaged, she, as a daughter of the Prime Minister’s estate, would suffer as well?

Moreover, with Prince Ding and Prince Su present, how would they view the Prime Minister’s estate? How would they view him?

If he couldn't even discipline his own daughter and his inner courtyard was in such chaos, wouldn't the entire estate become a laughingstock to the world?

“Someone, take the Third Miss back. Without my orders, she is not to step outside her door for even half a step.” No matter how much Qin Guangze resented Qin Mingyue, this was the only way he could handle it.

“Prince Ding, Prince Su, this official has failed to discipline his daughter well. I have let you both see a joke.”