Wang Jingyuan did not emerge from the back room until she heard Xiao Moxian say, "Jing-Jing, they have left; you can come out now."
"Thanks for covering for me, Moxian," she said gratefully. "I'm sorry for the trouble."
"You do not have to thank me; it was no effort at all." Xiao Moxian returned to his seat. "Jing-Jing, considering how close you are with the crown princess, I thought the crown prince would know of our friendship."
Wang Jingyuan could not meet his gaze. "It never came up, and I never had a reason to mention it. The crown princess doesn't know either."
"I hope that being friends with me does not cause problems for you." Xiao Moxian's voice came out a little harsher than usual.
