Mama's Princess Is Daddy's Beloved

Shen Bingling's brows wrinkled in a frown as she got a bit skeptical of whatever she was hearing.

Li Xue saw her like that and it was not tough for her to read her expressions. So, she added her words from before more firmly. "On the day we had fencing trial, my shoes were tampered. I realized the wrong only when the coordination of my leg movement got wrong and your weapon slashed me near my neck. I won't say you weren't wrong to bring the sharp-edged weapon inside the arena. But more than that I would say that you might have a snake on your side, who wanted to make you take her blame without coming in your knowledge."

She said and her words came out like a mystery for the girl. Her frown deepened as not believing it for a moment, she asked gesturing at Du Fan to say, "You say someone else was involved in all this. And you already knew that I wasn't the one who wanted to harm you, yet you brought a bodyguard along? Li Xue, don't you think the two scenarios are quite not matching?"

Li Xue slightly tilted her head to look at Du Fan over her shoulders. She knew this would be coming sooner or later. And that was one of the reasons why she was asking Du Fan to wait outside for her. But since they were already here like this, she couldn't change it but make amends to it.

Her lips curled up on the corners as staring back at the face of Bingling she said, "Bodyguard? Please don't raise my standards of living lavish life to that extent, Princess Shen. Also, see how handsome this person looks? How can I waste his looks making him my bodyguard? Today, I have brought him to show you that not just your Prince Su is handsome. Even a common person can be far better than him." She said with a face that contained the balance of both seriousness and playfulness.

For a moment, Du Fan who was standing behind was stiffened at those words. His expression changed but just as it changed, he remembered Li Xue's words that she has said before coming here. Though he was confused at them at that time, now he understood it all well. He felt scared thinking that he might get sold off today, but then consoled himself for having faith in the lady.

Shen Bingling understood Li Xue's context of saying and wanted to snap back at her but before that, she wanted to cause a scene to laugh at. So, looking at Du Fan she commented, with a curl of mockery on her lips, "Haha … young man, I must say that your lady is not completely wrong with the exaggeration of your looks. Although I still believe you can't match the charms a prince holds, I still won't deny that your beauty does raise the standards for the common people. But I still feel pity for you."

She said as she gazed down to look back at Li Xue with a clear intention written in her eyes. "I pity you that even with that high look of yours, your job is nothing better. Your Madam is out with you just to show off your looks to others. Are you happy with it? Don't you feel you are wasting yourself like that?"

Li Xue's expression changed. But not making it too obvious of herself, she turned to look at Du Fan, letting him know that what she said wasn't something she said out of the blue. But she has already warned him before.

Du Fan doesn't need that look to know it. Nor did he need someone else to tell him if he was worthy of pity or admiration. He had a duty to serve for which he was here.  So, turning up to the woman, he said, "If it's for Madam, I am willing to find the happiness in wasting myself. Still being polite to your concern, Thank you." He said and Li Xue was all dumbfounded for a moment.

She didn't know how she should react. Around Feng Shufen, she had heard everyone getting savage, but this was the first time she had heard Du Fan being one. It was not like she underestimated him, but it was more like it was very much unexpected that she could hardly see it coming.

But if it was her response, she was also willing to see what Shen Bingling's face held at the moment. Maintaining her composure, she turned to look at the princess and she was not disappointed with the look she was giving to Du Fan.

"Princess Shen …" She was about to ask but before she could, the princess was ready to accept her defeat. That was very different from what her personality was like.

"Ehh … Li Xue, I must say your people consider you with high respect. What did you do to own them like that?" Shen Bingling asked and Li Xue didn't know how to answer it. She, herself, has never noticed this coming but over time, she has realized it to be like that.

Maybe it was for the way Feng Shufen treats her. That's why his people have also gotten accustomed to treating her the same. But this was not something she could just say to anyone. So, shrugging her shoulders, she kept all the credit. "You can say I believe to be around real people, unlike you, who is all used to live with superficial people, who are ready to bait you out for their own benefits."

At those words, Shen Bingling felt insulted. But there was nothing she could say. Although she doesn't want to believe the words of Li Xue, she can't bring herself to do it since, in the fencing arena, she has herself felt that something wasn't right. "Who was it?" she asked, feeling both embarrassed and agitated.

Li Xue looked at her and felt her aggression. Not just on the surface but also in her heart. Betrayal was not something she had seen for the first time. Especially when it comes to a confidant, whom you believe more than anyone else. She has experienced the worst part of it. "It's not too hard to guess, Princess Shen. It's the immediate person getting benefited in this whole scenario."

She said and thinking for a moment, it was really not hard for the woman to guess. "Li Na!"