Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 76 Miss 2, Long Time No See

"So Miss Wen knew all along that I was being punished because of this?"

Jiang Mian spoke with a forced smile.

But Wen Yin seemed to have changed her personality. She abandoned her usual cleverness and lowered her head to say softly, "If Miss Jiang is feeling uncomfortable, why not take it out on me and make me feel better?"

She lowered her head and covered her face, looking wronged and pitiful. If someone didn't know better, they would think that Jiang Mian was bullying her.

Just as Jiang Mian was about to retort a few more times, the Empress Dowager interrupted her.

"Alright, alright, it's a wonderful day today, let's not talk about these unpleasant things."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, looking at Jiang Mian with loving eyes: "Good child, I heard from Commander Jiang that you like to eat snacks. I don't know if what I have prepared today will suit your taste. If there is anything else you want to eat, just say so, and I will have the kitchen make some for you."

She asked this question to Jiang Mian, and anyone with eyes could tell that she was receiving extra care.

Jiang Wan was puzzled. In this life, it was clearly the first time she had met the Empress Dowager, so why was she being treated so well?

She composed herself and replied with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This is already a very lavish meal."

Seeing the Empress Dowager's concern, Wen Yin felt jealous and quickly interjected, "The snacks prepared by the Empress Dowager are naturally of the highest quality."

After she finished speaking, she stood up, bowed respectfully, and said, "To be honest, the reason I came here today is not only to congratulate the Empress Dowager on finding her grandson, but also to apologize. Previously, the Empress Dowager felt sorry for me being unmarried and took back the marriage. I was very upset and felt guilty, and I couldn't sleep day and night. Today, I specially prepared a small gift."

She waved her hand, ordering someone to present the gift box, her words always perfectly appropriate.

"This gift is firstly to celebrate the Empress Dowager's wish being fulfilled, and secondly, it is because I have always considered myself the Empress Dowager's granddaughter-in-law since childhood. Although the marriage has been postponed, the proper etiquette cannot be neglected. I hope the Empress Dowager will accept it."

Her words were well-reasoned, and the Empress Dowager was quite pleased, praising her: "You have always been thorough in your actions, and you have waited for him for more than ten years. Now that he has returned, this fate is naturally still there."

She always thought Wen Yin was a sensible child, and often went to the palace to keep her company. Zhuoyue Villa was far away, so she often went there to keep her company while she chanted scriptures.

She would be a good candidate to be a granddaughter-in-law.

Wen Yin said so much just to say this one sentence: "Fate will surely bring us together."

Upon hearing this, a weight seemed to have been lifted from my heart, and my chest heaved slightly with excitement.

"Yin'er will certainly do her best..."

However, the next moment, it was silenced by a voice from the doorway—

"Grandmother, your grandson is late."

Everyone looked towards the doorway in the direction of the sound, and saw a person stride in, stand in the hall, and bow respectfully.

He wore a long, dark robe, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His features were sharp and aloof, and he wore only a faint smile.

Jiang Mian froze, her fingers trembling slightly.

The reason was simple: the person before her was someone she knew all too well—the one she had recently driven out of the Jiang residence.

Xiao Hengzhi!

"My dear grandson, come to your grandmother's side quickly."

When the Empress Dowager saw him, her eyes were filled with love and excitement. She even disregarded the palace servants beside her and quickly stepped forward to pull him to sit down beside her, talking to the old nanny who was serving her.

"How about it? He really is a carbon copy of his father."

The Empress Dowager kept staring at his eyebrows and gesturing, talking endlessly about the past.

Before Jiang Wan could calm down, she glanced at Jiang Xun. No wonder her father had suddenly mentioned Xiao Hengzhi at home earlier!

Presumably, the fact that the banquet was specially hosted for the Jiang family today, and the Empress Dowager's kindness to her just now, is all out of gratitude for the Jiang family's adoption.

She never expected that Xiao Hengzhi, who showed no signs of anything amiss in her previous life, was actually the Empress Dowager's grandson!

But the Prince of Beiqin was indeed surnamed Xiao, so Xiao Hengzhi was really the son of the Prince of Beiqin.

Then she thought again that the Prince of Beiqin only had this one son, and given how much the Empress Dowager doted on him, she would definitely want Xiao Hengzhi to continue the royal family line.

If Xiao Hengzhi inherits the title, will he also be a prince?!

Your Highness...

Jiang Mian unconsciously clenched her fists, her heart pounded, her breathing became rapid, and her palms were covered in cold sweat. For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of fear.

At this moment, Wen Yin could no longer contain herself and raised her cup to Xiao Hengzhi, smiling as she said, "Young Master is actually the Empress Dowager's grandson. I was unaware of this before, which was truly impolite."

She then looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty may not know, but I heard that the young master and I got along quite well at the banquet held at your residence some time ago."

She spoke in a very ambiguous way, revealing a coy and shy demeanor, deliberately making people think too much.

The Empress Dowager asked Xiao Hengzhi with a smile, "Is it really true? If that's the case, then the two of you are truly destined for each other."

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was so certain of her, and considering that Xiao Hengzhi had also expressed his feelings for her at the Wen family, Wen Yin felt that the marriage was practically a done deal.

Her smile grew even brighter, and her gaze toward Xiao Hengzhi was full of eager anticipation.

However, Xiao Hengzhi then spoke up: "When did I meet Miss Wen San?"

His tone was indifferent, yet cold, pouring cold water on her feelings.

Wen Yin's smile froze instantly, and she stammered, "That day we met in the backyard and talked about going to see the collection pavilion another day, don't you remember?"

Xiao Hengzhi pretended to ponder for a moment, then shook his head: "I have no recollection of it. Miss Wen may have mistaken me for someone else."

"How could this be..." Wen Yin said anxiously.

The Empress Dowager then asked, "Yin'er, you said you saw him at the Wen residence. Were there any other people with him that day?"

Wen Yin recalled that there was no one in the backyard that day except for her and Xiao Hengzhi; there was no one to testify.

Seeing that she didn't speak, the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Alright, alright, it's just that you've met once. There will be many more days for you two to meet in the future, just waiting for an auspicious day."

Wen Yin breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw that the Empress Dowager was still on her side, but before she could calm down...

Xiao Hengzhi stood up solemnly and said in a calm but serious tone, "Grandmother, I have something else to tell you."

"What's the matter?"

"To be honest, my grandson is already engaged to the second young lady of the Jiang family."

As soon as she said this, everyone turned their attention to Jiang Mian.

Jiang Xun was overjoyed. He really hadn't expected that Xiao Hengzhi would agree to this marriage!

The Empress Dowager asked, "Commander Jiang, is this matter true?"

Jiang Xun quickly admitted, "Your Majesty, my daughter is indeed engaged to him."

Wen Yin looked unwilling and anxiously asked, "When was the promise made? Have you received the blessing and performed the ceremony?"

“This…” Jiang Xun explained, “At the time, the family was busy preparing for the eldest daughter’s wedding ceremony, so we didn’t have time to do these things.”

Wen Yin wanted to speak, but Xiao Hengzhi interrupted her, saying, "Although it's just a verbal promise, it's a gentleman's agreement. The Jiang family has raised me for many years, and I don't want to be an ungrateful person."

He spoke calmly, and the Empress Dowager nodded approvingly.

She's an old woman, and finding her grandson is already a great joy. As for marriage, she'll let him choose as long as he's happy.

The Jiang family saved him and raised him; they were both fortunate and grateful. She had no objection to a marriage alliance. As for Wen Yin, she had waited for him for over ten years; arranging an excellent marriage for her then would surely appease the Wen family.

"Grandmother," Xiao Hengzhi asked, "what do you think?"

"Your grandmother naturally supports you. You've lived in the Jiang family for many years; you must have developed feelings for them..."

The Empress Dowager laughed as she rambled on.

Jiang Wan didn't hear a single word; her heart was filled with turbulent waves.

The Xiao Hengzhi before me, with his demeanor and wearing magnificent robes, standing in this imperial palace, looks exactly like the regent from my previous life!

The disgusting images from her past life flooded her mind uncontrollably. She seemed to remember whether those absurd things had also happened in Yunxi Palace.

Her heart was racing, and she instinctively resisted, retreated, and wanted to get away from him.

But Xiao Hengzhi was already walking towards her step by step.

His gaze remained fixed, his steps were calm and resolute, and that familiar yet powerful aura shattered her forced composure.

Just as she was about to stand up and run away in terror.

Xiao Hengzhi suddenly squatted down and gave her a light smile: "Second Miss, it's been a long time."

It's terrifying...

This was Jiang's first impression.

She felt her back was soaked with cold sweat, clinging to her body as if she were sinking into water.

"Wan'er, why aren't you saying anything?" Jiang Xun nudged her arm from the side.

Jiang Wan felt short of breath and, after a long while, managed to utter, "Long time...not...see you..."