The villainous female supporting character becomes a heartthrob, and the powerful man successfully r

After getting Xia Ying's permission, Ao Congxun seemed to have a switch flipped, becoming even more clingy and proactive.

As soon as it was time to eat, he took over all of Chunhe's work and served Xia Ying food and tea.

"Ah Xun, eat your food, don't keep staring at me."

Xia Ying pushed away the handsome face in front of her, but soon those bright eyes looked at her again, leaving her unsure whether to eat or not.

"Ao Congxun—"

Xia Ying called his name in a serious tone, which made Ao Congxun even more energetic.

"I am here!"

As soon as he opened his mouth, a chicken leg was stuffed into it.

"Hahahaha!" Xia Ying laughed until tears streamed down her face. Ao Congxun was naturally happy to see her so cheerful. The room was filled with laughter and joy, creating a relaxed and warm atmosphere.

Chunhe, who had been secretly watching from the side, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had been marveling at Ao Congxun's boldness, fearing that he might be discovered and implicate the princess.

But then she thought about the reason why Consort Xian had gotten into trouble, and she found Ao Congxun more and more pleasing to the eye.

Protect the princess and make her the center of your world; only then can you be worthy of the princess!

Unfortunately, her princess was to marry into the grasslands, and they were destined to be apart. Chunhe silently apologized to Ao Congxun: I'm sorry, Young Master Ao, but for the sake of the princess's happiness, I cannot tell you the truth.

After finishing their meal, the two put on a disguise before daring to go for a walk in the yard. They breathed in the air together, looking up at the sky above.

"Ah Xun, you must have never seen a sky like this before. It's so square, it feels like it's trapping you."

Having grown up on the grasslands, Ao Congxun was naturally unaccustomed to such a cramped environment. But the first thing he thought of was Xia Ying's past ten years.

"Yingying, if I told you I'd take you to live on the grasslands, would you?"

This was his most urgent wish, but due to his status, he never dared to say it aloud.

Now, he doesn't want to wait any longer.

"Going to the grasslands? That's a great option, I really like it. But..."

Hearing Xia Ying's answer, Ao Congxun was both surprised and delighted. Just as he was about to ask more questions, Chunhe, who had arrived, interrupted him.

"Princess, General Xie has arrived."

After she finished reporting, she looked at Ao Congxun first, thinking about how to hide him.

Xia Ying remained calm and reassured the two, "Chunhe, close the palace gates. We can still talk through the gates."

"Your Highness is right, I'll do it right away!"

Ao Congxun stayed close to Xia Ying, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes fixed on the palace gate, like a cheetah poised to pounce.

Xie Chi'an had just met Xia Jiaojiao, who was ill, and learned the reason for her illness. He was furious and blamed everything on Xia Ying.

"Brother Chi'an, please don't blame my elder sister. I shouldn't have gone out with you. I'll never dare to do it again. You belong to my elder sister; it was just wishful thinking on my part... Waaah..."

Xia Jiaojiao lay on the bed, her face pale, which made Xie Chi'an feel heartbroken.

He held her in his arms and comforted her for a long time before leaving after she fell asleep.

"What ghosts and gods? The late Empress has been dead for many years, yet Xia Ying still uses this to make a fuss. I am utterly disappointed in her!"

So he went straight to Xia Ying's palace. He had walked this road countless times before, but hadn't set foot on it for some time, and a secret, indescribable emotion rose in his heart.

It seems like things shouldn't be like this.

But the next moment, the news of Xia Jiaojiao's tragic death in his previous life came to mind, and his steps became even more determined.

However, when they arrived at Xia Ying's palace, they were blocked at the door.

Through the heavy palace gates, he said impatiently, "Xia Ying, it's me. What tricks are you up to now?"

"Pray for the well-being of Consort Xian and my younger sister; they must not be seen by anyone."

Xie Chi'an sneered, "This whole mess started because of you, no need for your pretense. If it weren't for you, Jiao Jiao wouldn't have been married off to the grasslands, and now you want to harm her! If the late Empress knew how vicious you are now, she would definitely regret giving birth to you. You deserve to be unloved, you deserve to be rejected by the late Empress!"

He was furious and had spoken recklessly. He regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. But as the eldest son of the Xie family, a distinguished young general, his pride wouldn't allow him to apologize.

Moreover, he believed that Xia Ying had no right to be angry.

Inside the door, Ao Congxun erupted in anger at Xie Chi'an's words. His eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins on his hands were bulging. The muscles in his back and shoulders bulged, as if he could kill Xie Chi'an with a single punch at any moment.

"Ah Xun, no. Be good, watch me."

Xia Ying hugged him from behind and whispered comforting words.

"Xie Chi'an, are you finished?"

Her voice was calm and serene. This took Xie Chi'an completely by surprise; he was momentarily speechless, and then another voice came from inside the door.

"If you want to marry Xia Jiaojiao, go to Father Emperor. If you want her to get better, go to the imperial physician. Coming to me is the easiest way. You know yourself that the only person you can bully is me, right?"

"You really are a coward."

Before Xie Chi'an could argue further, Xia Ying had already left; she didn't want to hear his voice again. Besides, calming a furious little dog was more important right now.

"Ah Xun, look me in the eyes, don't go looking for trouble with him, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Ao Congxun could no longer contain himself. His voice rose, filled with both anxiety and grievance.

"Yingying, he said such disgusting things, and you still defended him?"

Xia Ying first grasped his hand, but he dodged it.

She chased after him again, but Ao Congxun simply turned his back and ignored her.

"Ah Xun, you're so stingy, you won't even let me touch you?"

Xia Ying circled around him until Ao Congxun gave in.

His eyes were bloodshot, filled with anger and heartache. The thought of Xie Chi'an treating the person he cherished like a treasure in this way filled him with murderous intent.

"Yingying, Xie Chi'an is not a good match for you."

"We are engaged, but..." Xia Ying paused, pressed Ao Congxun down on the couch, stood in front of him, and looked him straight in the eye.

"However, I'll tell you a secret. My name is on the marriage contract, but Xia Jiaojiao is the one who's marrying him. He'll be in trouble later."

When Ao Congxun heard this news, his mind went blank for a moment. He asked in astonishment, "You guys are... exchanging brides? Xia Jiaojiao is marrying Xie Chi'an, and you're marrying into the grasslands?!"

"Yeah, why are you so happy?"

Ao Congxun wasn't just happy, he was ecstatic!

He had originally planned to wait for the envoys to arrive before explaining his marriage proposal to the emperor. Otherwise, without any official status, he wouldn't even have the right to be jealous.

He was prepared to be a mistress, but now, Yingying says she's going to marry someone from the grasslands—isn't that the same as marrying him?!

"Yingying, are you happy that you're going to be married off to the grasslands?"

"I'm not happy."

Xia Ying answered truthfully, extinguishing half of Ao Congxun's excited flame. He immediately followed up with, "Why? Didn't Yingying just say she liked the grasslands?"

"Because—" Xia Ying suddenly cupped Ao Congxun's face and said, "I'm not happy because I'm not with you."