Xiao Li was perplexed when she heard Zhao Ming's words. Her reaction made her startled because now Zhao Ming also has powers and she started threatening her with her powers already.

Xiao Li looked at Zhao Ming with shocked expressions. She frowned and said, " Sister, what are you saying? You will punish me if such rumors spread in the future? Aren't you being too unreasonable?"

Xiao Li couldn't control her frustration and raised her voice without even realizing it. She forgot about her manners and the white lotus kind of image that she had created with time.

' This Zhao Ming is increasing my blood pressure. How I wish I could strangle her at this moment.' she gritted her teeth as she glared at Zhao Ming.

She felt that Zhao Ming was getting ahead of herself. Now she started to talk back to her in front of everyone just because she has Ji Cheng's support so she can do anything?.

Just because Empress Dowager is not in the palace, she can do anything?

Zhao Ming looked at Xiao Li and snickered. She said a few words and she couldn't control her anger?

Did she forget that elegant ladies shouldn't raise their voices like this?

Before she could reply to Xiao Li for her annoying words, she heard Ji Cheng's voice.

Ji Cheng, who was looking at the scene unfolding in front of him from afar, could not take it anymore.

" Consort Xiao Li, why are you shouting like a shrew? Is this kind of behavior suits the head consort? Shouldn't you look after your image in public? All the servants are watching your drama, is this how you should behave?" he reprimanded Xiao Li as he stood beside Zhao Ming.

Zhao Ming was surprised to see Ji Cheng coming as he casually stood beside her. She looked at him and his handsome face which was looking more charming as he reprimanded Xiao Li.

He was standing so close that their shoulders brushed against each other.

She pursed her lips as she looked at Ji Cheng with slight worry in her eyes.

' Did he hear everything? Does he think that I have something going on with Wen Ru as well?'

Xiao Li pursed her lips as she looked at Ji Cheng with wronged expressions. Her eyes welled up as she felt angry and wronged at the same time.

It was Zhao Ming who was in the wrong and was seducing Wen Ru. He heard everything but rather than shouting at Zhao Ming, he was yelling at her.

' Why can't he see how characterless this Zhao Ming is? Why is he supporting her even if she is wrong?' she bit her lower lip as she felt that Ji Cheng is being too biased towards Zhao Ming.

" I apologize for my rude behavior. But I got agitated when I heard Sister making allegations about me. I was just joking but she said that I am spreading rumors and spoiling her reputation. I didn't say anything wrong." she bit her lips as she tried to look vulnerable.

Zhao Ming exhaled lightly as she got used to her drama. Ji Cheng looked at her from the side when he heard her sigh.

" I just said that brother Wen is sacrificing his rest because Sister wants to go out. There is nothing wrong with what I said. But Sister was blaming me for creating rumors about her and brother Wen and said that she will punish me if something happened in the future." her lips quivered as she said her words.

Zhao Ming looked at Xiao Li who was about to cry. Her head started hurting seeing her getting started again.

' Don't she feel tired by all this crying? My eyes get swollen when I cry for one time and she can start crying anytime.'

Wen Ru was getting annoyed seeing the drama that Xiao Li was creating. She has made an issue out of nothing.

This time he has seen how Xiao Li manipulates the situation. Her words were indeed confusing and easy to misunderstand.

But she is denying that she didn't do anything and was blaming Zhao Ming that she was threatening to punish her if she said anything.

He glanced at Ji Cheng who was standing beside Zhao Ming with a blank face.

" Empress is right. Consort Xiao Li, you should speak after thinking first. If you speak without thinking, then your words will get you into trouble one day." he said firmly.

Zhao Ming raises her brows when she hears his words. She felt her heartwarming up when he supported her words and asked Xiao Li to behave herself.

She felt touched with his kind gesture. But this gesture made Xiao Li's blood burn in anger.

She lightly pursed her lips, " But your highness, I didn't..." before Xiao Li could complete her words and say that she didn't say anything wrong, Ji Cheng interrupted her.

" That's enough. Now go to your chamber and rest. I don't want anyone to talk about this topic." he chided Xiao Li to go to her room before she could complain about Zhao Ming.

He then turned to Wen Ru and said, " You also go and rest. You must be tired and we also need to go out tomorrow, so you should use this time to take a rest. " Ji Cheng said plainly as he looked at Wen Ru with a face devoid of any expressions.

Wen Ru didn't say anything and just nodded when he heard his words. He glanced at Zhao Ming before leaving and nodded at her lightly.

Zhao Ming smiled at him as she responded to him with a nod.

Xiao Li gritted her teeth as she glared at Zhao Ming. She slightly bowed to Ji Cheng and turned to go back to her room.

She clenched her dress tightly with her hands as she walked towards her chamber. She didn't look at the back as she doesn't want to glance at Zhao Ming.

She was afraid that she would scratch her face if she looked at her ugly face at this moment.

The anger was boiling inside her because Ji Cheng watched everything but didn't even doubt Zhao Ming even for a moment.

How can he do this to her? Shouldn't he yell at Zhao Ming but he didn't do that. Instead, he told her to think before speaking.

When Wen Ru and Xiao Li left, Ji Cheng and Zhao Ming were standing alone outside the palace.

Zhao Ming hesitantly glanced at Ji Cheng and pursed her lips.

She was waiting for him to say something but rather than asking her about the matter he held her hand and intertwined their fingers together.

" Let's go. We need to sleep early to get up early tomorrow, otherwise, we will be late tomorrow." he plainly said as he tightly held onto her hand.

Zhao Ming was caught off guard when he suddenly held her hand and started walking forward.

She had no choice but to follow his lead but she was confused about why he didn't ask her anything.

She heard that the relationship between Zhao Ming and him was not good. The little bit of memories that she had of Zhao Ming were only the fragments of incidents that were very blurry to her.

She couldn't figure out anything from these memories. Only his name and few arguments she can all remember.

There was nothing conclusive that she could figure out from those bits of memories of her.

She looked at the hand that he was holding. She smiled and followed his lead silently. She was happy that Ji Cheng supported her in front of Xiao Li and didn't let her get embarrassed in front of her.

##

"If you're not reading this novel on webnovel.com, then this work has been stolen. To support the author and fight against the theft please read this novel on webnovel.com. Regards, kamlyn."