The girl finally arrived at their front and shoved herself between Li Ru and Lei Xing, still with an excited expression and hugged Lei Xing's other arm, "Xing Jie, I've missed you so much."
Lei Xing and Li Ru looked at her wide-eyed, while Xiao Ting was frowning at the new arrival.
{...Isn't this that Lady Baihe or whatever it was?... I don't remember us being anything, much less this -_-)...what the hell is this now?... If anything, shouldn't she be glaring at me thinking I cursed her to fail and forgot to include myself...}
Lei Xing frowned and tried to pull her arm away from her hands, then she looked at Lei Xing's expression and pouted, "Xing Jie, don't tell me you have forgotten me?"
Xiao Ting narrowed her eyes and excitedly said, "Jiejie, you don't know who she is, right?" and then went on to mumble, "I knew she was lying."
Lady Baihe scoffed and glared at Xiao Ting, "Oy brat, mind your business."
Xiao Ting frowned and retorted, "She is my sister, she is my business. Outsiders are the ones who should mind their business."
Lady Baihe sneered, "Stop pretending like you're close. Isn't it just you clinging on by yourself...like a pest."
Xiao Ting, on hearing that, her face turned red and she looked at Lei Xing teary-eyed, "Jiejie, she..."
Lady Baihe scoffed and whispered, "Stupid crybaby." Which caused Xiao Ting to turn to glare at her again and was about to open her mouth to retort, when Lei Xing, who was standing in the middle of this spat, finally recovered from her bewilderment.
"That's enough." Lei Xing sternly said, then tried to pull her arm out of Lady Baihe's grasp but couldn't, and so made to move her other arm to peel her off, but Xiao Ting was also holding onto it tightly, "Xiao Ting, let go."
"No, tell her to let go." Xiao Ting indignantly replied.
Lei Xing then turned to Lady Baihe and flatly said, "Can you let go?... Please?" She added for politeness.
Lady Baihe frowned and mumbled, "Why should I be the one to let go? She's clearly the one who's in the way."
Xiao Ting, on the other side, stated, "She's my sister."
"And she's my - "
"That's enough, both of you let me go right now!" Lei Xing ordered, and the two of them instantly released her.
Xiao Ting then quietly said, "Jiejie, don't be angry..."
Lady Baihe on the side mumbled, "This is your fault, my Xing jie never gets angry at me..."
Lei Xing sighed and then turned to look at Lady Baihe with a frown, "Um, I do remember you from the concubine selection...but I don't think -"
Lady Baihe instantly grabbed onto Lei Xing's arm again, "Ah, jiejie you shouldn't hold that time against me, I...um, you know...I was muddle-headed at that time, and...and it was a competition too so...just don't hold it against me." She finished with a beseeching smile.
Xiao Ting, on the other side, also grabbed onto Lei Xing's arm when Lady Baihe did, and Lei Xing immediately glared at her so she reluctantly let go.
Lei Xing skeptically looked at Lady Baihe and then peeled her hands off her arm.
Lady Baihe frowned, "Xing jie, you really don't remember me? It can be said that we've known each other for years, we're just like sisters...even though we haven't met for a while."
Xiao Ting on the side scoffed, "Sisters? How come she has never mentioned you before. You're probably just some stalker who has been following her around."
"The stalker in this situation is YOU, also it's not like she tells you anything anyway. So how would you know?"
"I've told you, it's not stalking if she's my own sister in our own home." Xiao Ting defended.
"I'm pretty sure this isn't your home." Lady Baihe dismissively said and then turned to Lei Xing, "If you don't remember, you can ask Ah Jin, I'm sure she remembers."
And so, their attention turned to look Ah Jin, who was behind them.
Ah Jin froze and looked back at them wide-eyed for a moment, before stepping forward as she stared at Lady Baihe, who was squinting back at her. Then Ah Jin seemed to knit her eyebrows slightly and then she looked at Lei Xing.
Lei Xing was looking between the two of them, observed this little interaction, and thought it a little weird, and was even more curious.
"Your highness, it seems you met this Miss a few years ago -"
Xiao Ting interjected, "How come no one in the family knows about it?"
Ah Jin hesitated briefly and finally said, "You met her during that period when you were...away and became sworn sisters."
Xiao Ting, on the side, dejectedly said, "Oh..."
Lei Xing raised an eyebrow.
{...Away?... What does that mean? A vacation?...Away where?...}
Before Lei Xing could open her mouth to ask for more details, Lady Baihe latched on to her arm again, "That's right, it was an instant connection, we spent some time traveling around together and ended up becoming sworn sisters." Lady Baihe finished with a smile.
Then went, "Ah, it's okay that you don't remember...I'll reintroduce myself, my name is Tung Mei, but jiejie can continue calling me Xiao Ying, I like that better..."
Xiao Ting on the side frowned at the "Xiao Ying" part but didn't say anything.
Tung Mei continued, "My father is the governor of Xia Zhou, I am currently living with some relatives in the capital, I had initially come over for the concubine selection...but I have chosen to stay to...to get married." She finished, with her head bowing and eyes shyly peeking at Lei Xing with a smile.
Lei Xing looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
{...I don't believe your getting married has anything to do with me...does it? O_O)...}
Tung Mei seeing Lei Xing's face, quickly added, "Ah, I know I shouldn't get married before Jiejie, but if I were waiting for you...who knows how long that'll take, plus there's no one compatible around..." She mumbled the last part under her breath.
Then she perked up and said, "Ah, but you are technically married now, so it shouldn't matter...even though I don't approve, but he'll have to do, I guess..." She mumbled again.
Lei Xing raised her eyebrows, "Weren't you trying to "marry" him too?"
Tung Mei immediately frowned, "That-...that was my parents' will...it can also be counted as a folly on my part so...so let's just pretend that never happened. He's really not my type, far from it actually!" She strongly insisted.
Lei Xing looked at her skeptically and wanted to say more when Lei Yong arrived at their side, " Xing er', you should head back to the Emperor now, the lantern release is about to start..."
Then he realized Li Ru was there as well and bowed towards her, "Noble consort Li, you should head over as well..."
Tung Mei scoffed and mumbled, "Why should Xing jie have to go over there? He's fine by himself..."
Lei Yong then quietly admonished, "I've told you to mind your words...you'll get in trouble saying things like that."
Tung Mei pursed her lips and then suddenly frowned as she looked in Lei Yong's direction and instantly released Lei Xing and flew in between Lei Yong and Li Ru and latched onto his arm instead and smiled at him, "Yes, yes, I know...I'll be more careful."
Lei Yong was flustered and tried to pry her off, but she wasn't budging, "Hey, get off...you'll give people the wrong idea...seriously..."
"No, I think this will be sending the right idea." Tung Mei said and then held on more tightly with a bright smile.
Then she turned and squinted at Li Ru at her side, "You're called Noble consort Li? Ah, you're that Li Ru? No wonder I thought you looked familiar, you've done really well for yourself."
"Tung Mei, be respectful!" Lei Yong immediately admonished again and then turned to Li Ru, "Your highness, please don't hold it against her, she didn't mean any disrespect by that."
Li Ru looked down and quietly said, "It's...it's okay..."
Lei Xing, on the side watched the exchange and was enlightened.
{...Ah I see, she failed as a concubine and somehow fell in "love" with Lei Yong, and so now that she is aspiring to be "family", so she remembers that we're close "sisters"?...Well, at least it's entertaining to watch...}
Lei Xing turned to Xiao Ting, who was also watching the scene play out while pouting and quietly asked, "Hey, what's the story there?"
Xiao Ting immediately brightened up and smiled at Lei Xing when she spoke to her, which made Lei Xing choke on a laugh.
{...Well, it seems someone doesn't like being upstaged...I can imagine this Tung Mei has been sidelining her a lot recently...}
Xiao Ting happily enlightened her, "She showed up at the manor about two weeks ago claiming that older brother saved her life, and so she was looking to "repay" him for it, although he said it wasn't necessary and for her to let it go, she insisted on paying her debt...Then she also added that she is close "sisters" with you to cheat her way into getting on our parents' good side..." She finished with a frown and mumbled, "..Jiejie, it's your fault for not having any friends..."
"What?" Lei Xing asked, amused.
"Yes...because it didn't seem like you had any friends or even interacted with any outsiders, I mean there's You jiejie - but she can't exactly be counted as a friend, she's a relative...but anyway, that is why father and mother were so happy to receive her, and since then she has been coming over almost every day...Really jobless." She mumbled the last bit with a frown.
Then she continued, "I, of course, did not believe her...You've never been close to anyone, it was clear to everyone that you were simply tolerating her presence to be polite...even with me, you...now for you to have become "close sisters" with an outsider?...but I guess anything's possible...father and mother are probably just too eager for grandchildren, you should hurry up...ah but then it's not the same..." Xiao Ting begrudgingly mumbled the last few sentences, looking dejected again.
Lei Xing still amused, looked at Xiao Ting, who was pouting while glaring at Tung Mei, who was still latching onto Lei Yong, who was desperately "politely" trying to peel her off.
{...Well, things definitely look interesting on this side...}
"Yong, it looks like you have finally made some progress." The Emperor's amused voice suddenly chimed into the situation, and the group turned in his direction to find he had arrived on the scene with the other noble consorts, concubines, and some guests in tow.
"We will be making even swifter progress soon." Tung Mei said, nodding in agreement.
Lei Yong frowned, "Your majesty, this is a misunderstanding." and then looked at Tung Mei and said under his breath through gritted teeth, "Stop saying things that make people misunderstand."
Tung Mei just smiled back at him in response.
The Emperor laughed, "Misunderstanding? I think the picture is quite clear. Be sure to report the wedding date, I will be sure to send congratulatory gifts."
"No, it rea-"
"Thank your majesty for your grace. We will be sure to inform you of the date once we have set it." Tung Mei swiftly interjected, releasing Lei Yong and cupping her hands, and bowing towards the emperor.
"Very well." The Emperor said as he walked forward and patted Lei Yong on the shoulder with a smile, "I will be sure to prepare adequately." Lei Yong's face at this point was very dark with a deep frown.
{...You're not helping -_-)'...Honestly, how did I incur this kind of trouble?... All I did was save someone from being robbed on the street, it's really not something that needs to be "repaid"!...Why doesn't anyone understand this?!...}