Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

Seeing so many eyes staring at her, Xueyue knew that she could not delay receiving the award any longer.

She took a breath and said, "Chen Yang, I'm fine. I'll go up by myself. It won't look good if you accompany me. Others might say bad things about you."

Xueyue knew that women always surrounded him. If she dragged him onto the platform, they would think she was deliberately showing off her close relationship with him.

“They know you’re from Lee, they don’t dare say anything bad about me or you,” he said.

He noticed the worry in her eyes. He frowned. "Why is she so worried about me?" he thought to himself.

She was clearly not in the best of mental states, but she worried about him more than she worried about herself.

Li Chenyang clenched his fingers into fists. He would destroy anyone who wanted to hurt her.

"It's really okay." Xueyue comforted him. She suppressed her fear and gave him her usual smile.

Looking at her smile and the fear in her eyes, Li Chenyang nodded slowly.

Xueyue closed her eyes and took a deep breath again. When she opened them, the fear was no longer obvious.

She raised her chin and prepared to walk directly onto the golden platform, but when she took the first step, her wrist was firmly grasped.

She was startled by the strong grip, and turned around to see Wen Jinkai. In an instant, Xueyue pulled her hand back as if she had been burned by him.

There was a hint of surprise in the man's eyes. He had never been rejected by a woman, but then again, he rarely interacted with them.

"Be careful, the first step is slippery," he told her, even though she was staring at him like he was a lunatic.

"I see, thank you," she said softly, and turned away. She was wary of him. "He could attract any woman, so why would he approach me?" If he wasn't interested in the princess, why would he be interested in me?

Now that I think about it, it's strange that he rushed to save her. Did he owe her anything? He didn't have to do that.

Clearing her mind of him, she decided to walk up the grand staircase. With every step she took, she could feel hundreds of eyes on her. It was unsettling, but she knew it was best for her to remain calm.

"Li Xueyue pays homage to the benevolent Emperor Wuyi and the gracious Empress Wuyi." Xueyue bent down and bowed deeply to the emperor.

"Child, look up," the emperor said with a smile. He would always remember the polite child who was the first to bow to him in his peasant clothes.

Li Xueyue slowly raised her head.

"I have heard a lot about you." The emperor stroked his beard gently and said thoughtfully.

Li Xueyue bit her tongue. She hoped her expression didn't reveal anything.

"My sister likes you very much." The emperor noticed that her anxiety was gradually subsiding.

"She said you are an expert in archery, horse riding, and swordsmanship. I never believe women who brag, but it seems she didn't lie to me this time." The emperor pondered, amused by her profound expression.

The young woman's expression was easy to read, her face like an open book. Now, up close, she was indeed a beauty.

No wonder Prince Li Chenyang sternly rejected every request to bring Xueyue into the palace to meet the prince...

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid my kung fu is not as good as you praise." Xueyue said modestly without admitting her own kung fu.

The emperor smiled at her polite behavior. It seemed that years of being spoiled had not ruined her.

"Xueyue, how old are you this year?" he asked her. She looked very young, and he had two princes in his heart.

"I'll be eighteen this year," she said, confused by his question. She swallowed as she felt a heavy gaze leave a hole in the side and back of her head. She didn't know who was staring at her from behind, but she knew who was staring at her side.

The fourth prince, Wang Longhe, never took his eyes off her. He watched her as she competed, and continued to watch her as she gracefully climbed the stairs. When he saw Xueyue steal a glance at him, he smiled and winked at her.

Xueyue's body stiffened and she immediately turned her eyes away from him. She didn't know that her quick reaction had aroused the interest of the Fourth Prince.

His smirk turned into a smile. "How cute, she's so shy around me." Well, she must like me. That's why she looked away so quickly.

"Eighteen is already the age for marriage, and the fourth prince will be twenty this year." The emperor said, with a gleam in his eyes. He heard that his favorite concubine Gu Feiying went to the Li family to inquire about a certain Li Xueyue.

After hearing the emperor's words, Xueyue's face turned pale. Her eyes were no longer calm and composed. Marry the fourth prince? She would rather jump off the cliff.

The Queen was the first to notice her uneasy expression. She smiled inwardly.

Doesn’t this girl want to marry the Fourth Prince?

Marrying into the royal family would be considered the highest honor. Why is Xue Yue so unwilling?

"Your Majesty, you scared the child." The Queen rushed to save Xueyue. The enemy of her enemy was her friend.

"Oh, I didn't mean to." He laughed, his voice warm and hearty. "Eighteen is a ripe age to get married, don't you think?"

The Queen knew it would be unwise to disobey him. He was deliberately testing her, challenging her to tread on eggshells.

She smiled at him. "It's true that eighteen is an ideal age to get married, but Li Xueyue is a girl with great potential. Getting married so young will hinder her growth."

The women looked at the Queen in awe. She had deftly evaded his traps, neither saying he was wrong nor completely right.

The emperor smiled at his clever wife. "Well, you are right, eighteen is only suitable for a lady who manages a household."

"Besides, we are here to discuss rewards, not marriage, so please don't tease this poor girl too much." Seeing that her husband finally softened towards her, even if it was just a little bit, the queen breathed a sigh of relief.

Xueyue was grateful to the beautiful and noble woman in front of her. She would never forget this kind act.

"Well, dear, I think we shouldn't delay the other games any longer." The emperor snorted and waved his hand to the eunuchs.

Two men came forward, each holding one end of a long table covered with various prizes. They were individually wrapped in cloth and placed in boxes, so it was difficult to tell what gifts were inside. It could be a jeweled sword, a set of priceless accessories, a decree granting a distinguished title, anything a man would die for.