The banquet quickly came to an end amidst the chatter and laughter of the ladies. With the conclusion of the banquet, Princess Qingyang invited the ladies to the back garden of the princess's residence to admire the peonies under the pretext of taking a walk. There were many imperial relatives and nobles who attended the feast at the princess's residence, and as someone of my status, I naturally couldn't stand beside the princess. I had initially planned to let the other ladies go ahead and follow behind, but before I could put my thoughts into action, I heard Princess Qingyang, who had reached the doorway, say, "Yu Ying, why haven't you caught up? Come to this princess's side."

In my daily life, I had no close relationship with Princess Qingyang. We had barely seen each other a few times, and even when we did, it was from a distance, separated by a sea of people, a high platform, and a curtain. If I were to be more precise, today was probably the first time I laid eyes on Princess Qingyang's appearance. I couldn't understand why Princess Qingyang would help me out of my predicament, and even more so, why she kept me by her side.

I walked towards the direction of Princess Qingyang without showing any confusion on my face. I followed behind Princess Qingyang, keeping a distance one step slower than hers, heading towards the back garden of the princess's residence. After greeting all the ladies from different families, Princess Qingyang finally turned her gaze towards me and said, "Yuying, would you mind accompanying this princess for a walk?"

Although I was puzzled, seeing Princess Qingyang's lack of explanation, I had no choice but to suppress my doubts and respectfully said, "It is an honor for a humble servant like me to accompany the princess for a walk. If the princess doesn't mind, that would be great." An unusual smile appeared on Princess Qingyang's face, and she observed me before saying, "Stop referring to yourself as a servant. It sounds strange to me. Besides, there's no one else here. I am a few months older than you, so just call me sister."

I don't understand why the princess is so close to me, and I feel even more anxious and uneasy in my heart. I hurriedly knelt down on the ground and said, "Princess, you're killing me. I know my lowly position, I shouldn't have accompanied the princess, and especially..." Before I could finish my words, the princess interrupted, "What are you doing? Get up quickly. You may be young, but you have quite a lot of rules. Yu Ying, is everyone in your family like this? I remember when your eldest brother first saw me, he was exactly like you, even his nervousness was exactly the same. What's the matter? Am I that scary?" As she spoke, she reached out and helped me up from the ground, continuing, "You don't need to be nervous. I have known your eldest brother for a long time. He used to be my younger brother's study partner. We even attended school together. This time, your eldest brother asked me to take care of you. At first, I didn't believe what your eldest brother said about your Shangshu Mansion, but after meeting that Madam of your mansion and your half-sister, I believe it now. Yu Ying, I'll say something I shouldn't say. You are the legitimate daughter. You should show the dignity of a legitimate daughter in your daily life. Your brother is, after all, a man and can't protect you every moment. The matters in the backyard still have to rely on you."

I don't understand what Big Brother said to Princess Qingyang, nor do I know how much she knows about the affairs of our Shangshu Mansion. I understand the reasoning that Princess Qingyang spoke of, and I know that I should act like a legitimate daughter. But I've been spoiled and have never learned how to scheme. I don't have a mother to protect me, nor do I win Father's favor like Yuzhu does. I know that if I cause trouble, it will only make Father unhappy and I won't gain any benefits from it. Over time, I have learned to endure, tossing aside the so-called pride and dignity.