Chapter 179: Left Alone

Lin Hao supported Qi Qiong.

"Did you drink too much?"

Qi Qiong’s moist eyes gazed at Lin Hao. "A little too much. Ah Hao, I didn't expect your tolerance for alcohol to be so high."

"My tolerance is just average," Lin Hao said truthfully.

Qi Qiong tilted her head slightly. "You seem much stronger than me."

Lin Hao lifted her sleeve and pointed inside. "I have this."

The attire for banquets was mostly magnificent, consisting mainly of long dresses with wide sleeves, and Lin Hao was no exception.

As Qi Qiong followed the gesture and looked into Lin Hao's sleeve, her pupils suddenly dilated.

What was that?

She reached out a finger as slender as a spring onion and poked the bulging pouch; the pouch dented slightly.

Her thoughts, somewhat dulled by the alcohol, took a moment to catch up: This was actually a waterskin!

"This, this is—"

Lin Hao lowered her voice. "A specially made fish-skin pouch. It can be hidden in a sleeve, and if you pour water into it, it will swell up."

"So, all that wine is in this fish-skin pouch?" Qi Qiong was greatly shocked.

They had both been forced to drink; why did Ah Hao have this?

"Only a small portion; I still drank quite a lot..." Lin Hao held her left hand across her front, letting the wide sleeve hang down to conceal the waterskin completely, but holding it this way was somewhat tiring. "Let's go to the lakeside so I can deal with the waterskin."

Qi Qiong nodded in a daze, only regaining a sense of reality once they reached the man-made lakeside.

"Ah Hao—"

"Wait until I've poured out the wine."

As Lin Hao moved, Qi Qiong instinctively blocked the view from the other side.

The amber-colored fruit wine merged with the emerald lake water, spreading with the ripples before quickly vanishing without a trace.

Only then did Qi Qiong breathe a sigh of relief. Looking at Lin Hao's calm and indifferent expression, she felt a bit of disdain for herself.

Even Ah Hao wasn't nervous; what was she being nervous about?

"Ah Hao, why would you bring that?" Qi Qiong pointed to Lin Hao's sleeve, her emotions extremely complex.

"Better to be prepared than to be caught off guard. It's quite useful. If the Princess needs one, I'll get you one later."

"No need," Qi Qiong hurriedly refused.

If she used this while drinking, she would be exposed on the spot. She couldn't afford to lose face like that!

"Alright." Lin Hao felt somewhat regretful. "Let's go over there. The lakeside is slippery; it wouldn't be good if someone fell."

It was best to stay away from places where trouble could easily arise.

Qi Qiong nodded, glancing at Lin Hao from time to time as they left the lakeside.

She still couldn't understand how one would think of bringing a waterskin to a banquet.

"What is it?" Lin Hao tilted her head.

"I'm just surprised you thought of bringing such a strange thing."

Lin Hao laughed. "There are even stranger things; Baozhu carries them for me."

When accompanying Lin Hao out, Baozhu would carry a cloth bag containing many practical items, such as that pair of bamboo tubes used specifically for eavesdropping.

Just as Qi Qiong was about to press further, she saw Kou Wan not far away through Lin Hao's gaze, noticing a strange expression on Lin Hao's face.

Unlike Princess Yi'an, who was surrounded by admirers like stars orbiting the moon, Kou Wan, dressed in pink, was walking alone. Compared to the noble ladies gathered in small groups chatting and playing, she inevitably appeared somewhat lonely.

"Ah Hao, are you acquainted with Second Miss Kou?" Qi Qiong asked in a low voice.

"Not well. I only know she is Princess Yi'an's younger sister."

A flash of mockery crossed Qi Qiong's eyes, and her voice dropped even lower. "Princess Yi'an is not happy about people mentioning that, especially in front of a foreign princess."

Lin Hao realized.

No wonder Second Miss Kou had been standing in a corner earlier and was now alone. Princess Yi'an disliked Kou Wan's presence because it reminded others that she was not a true imperial princess, yet she could not avoid their sibling relationship. In occasions where both appeared, the safest attitude for noble ladies toward Kou Wan was to keep their distance.

Thinking of how the young girl likely disliked her because of her sister, Lin Hao's heart suddenly softened.

Forget it, she would find an opportunity to give her a warning; whether the girl listened would depend on her luck.

Just as she thought this, the opportunity delivered itself.

Kou Wan suddenly walked toward them, lifting the hem of her skirt. She stopped about ten feet away, nodded to Qi Qiong in greeting, and said to Lin Hao, "Second Miss Lin, could we speak privately?"

"Princess, wait for me a moment." Lin Hao walked over.

The two stopped beside a cluster of flowers.

The peonies, in full bloom, appeared unremarkable amidst the garden of exotic flowers and plants. No noble ladies were there to admire them, making it a convenient place to talk.

"May I ask what Second Miss Kou is looking for me for?"

After staring at Lin Hao's face—which was even more delicate than the peonies—for a moment, Kou Wan got straight to the point. "Why does Second Miss Lin always stare at me?"

Lin Hao hadn't expected the girl to be so direct and immediately put on an inscrutable expression.

Kou Wan frowned.

Here we go again, here we go again!

"Does Second Miss Lin have an issue with me?"

Hearing the anger in the young girl's tone, Lin Hao looked sincere. "No, it's just that if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

Kou Wan couldn't help but roll her eyes again. "If you don't say it, how would I know if I don't believe you?"

"Then I'll say it."

Kou Wan: "..." *Then say it!*

Lin Hao scrutinized Kou Wan carefully. "The reason I noticed Second Miss Kou is that I accidentally discovered your *yintang* (glabella) is dark, and when you roll your eyes, there is too much white showing with crisscrossing blood vessels. This is a sign of impending bloodshed. It would be best to avoid rocky areas today..."

Kou Wan was first shocked, then infuriated. "I didn't expect Second Miss Lin to be stealing the livelihood of fortune tellers."

To think a noble lady of a high house could engage in such swindling!

Lin Hao said helplessly, "I told you Second Miss Kou wouldn't believe me."

"Only a fool would believe that." Kou Wan threw down those words and swept her sleeves as she walked away.

Qi Qiong walked over, glancing at Kou Wan's retreating figure, and asked curiously, "What did you two say? Why is she so angry?"

"I told her her *yintang* is dark and she has too much white in her eyes, fearing bloodshed."

Qi Qiong opened her mouth, but ultimately trusting her friend's character, she asked with a spirit of inquiry, "How did you see that her *yintang* was dark and she had too much white?"

Lin Hao explained solemnly, "Mainly by seeing if the *yintang* is dull. As for the excessive white in the eyes... everyone has a lot of white when they roll their eyes."

Qi Qiong fell silent.

No wonder Second Miss Kou was so angry.

"Then if Second Miss Kou has impending bloodshed—"

"I was just talking nonsense. Regardless, there's no harm in being extra careful."

Qi Qiong: "..."

On this side, Kou Wan walked faster and faster, unknowingly arriving at the place where Princess Yi'an was staying.

Princess Yi'an was standing before a peony bush with Princess Lingque. The peony was as tall as a person, and what was remarkable was that a single plant had three colors of flowers—red, pink, and white—each the size of a bowl, in various shapes.

Even though Princess Lingque was intent on being provocative, she couldn't help but be attracted by this rare peony.

In her pride, Princess Yi'an's tone became even more enthusiastic as she spoke of this peony.

Kou Wan stopped unconsciously, staring blankly at her sister who was smiling and chatting with others, and a strong sense of resentment suddenly rose within her.

This was her biological sister, the existence she had looked up to and envied since childhood, yet whenever such occasions occurred, she was ignored by her sister as if they were strangers.

Alcohol can bring courage and impulse; by the time Kou Wan reacted, she was already standing in front of Princess Yi'an.

(End of Chapter)