An Guifei shot her a look, "You silly girl, what nonsense are you spouting? How did mother teach you? You can't judge a person solely by their looks. Besides, what's wrong with Zhenzhen? At first glance, she might not be a peerless beauty, but don't you think? Her features become more captivating the more you look!"
Qi Zhenzhen felt a bit speechless. These two were judging her appearance right in front of her. Did they not consider her an outsider?
"Mother, what nonsense did I say? I'm just speaking the truth. Besides, I didn't say she was ugly, nor did I say I wouldn't acknowledge her if she looked like this. I can't force myself to praise Sister Zhenzhen as a celestial being, can I? If I said that, Sister Zhenzhen might not even want to hear it. Right?"
Jin Rong familiarly took Qi Zhenzhen's hand and gently shook it, speaking with a touch of spoiled affection.
Qi Zhenzhen's lips curved slightly, and she nodded, "Princess is right, I really like your personality."
Frank and sincere, she felt more like a girl next door than a high and mighty princess.
Hearing Qi Zhenzhen say this, An Guifei became even more pleased. Her own daughter had always spoken without restraint. While her words earlier were not malicious, they might still make others uncomfortable. Qi Zhenzhen smiled genuinely, her eyes clear, indicating she truly didn't mind Jin Rong's words and genuinely liked Jin Rong's personality.
Up to this point, everything An Guifei had heard about Qi Zhenzhen and everything she had seen herself made her feel that this girl was good and worthy of A Nian. She didn't quite understand why her mother disliked this girl, even going so far as to come to the palace to speak ill of Qi Zhenzhen. An Guifei's thought at the time was that if the person was truly bad, she would never wrong her nephew.
Now it seemed, she wasn't bad, but for some reason, her mother hadn't taken a liking to her.
Of course, An Guifei trusted her own observations and experiences more. It was precisely because of this that she hadn't made things difficult for Qi Zhenzhen.
"You silly girl, if you could learn half of Sister Zhenzhen's way of handling things, mother would be very satisfied," An Guifei said with a look of helplessness.
Jin Rong made a funny face, "Father said he doesn't want to restrict my personality with those rules and regulations. I'm fine like this. I am a princess of the royal family, and I have enough confidence. As long as I'm not arrogant, overbearing, or bullying others, anything goes. Mother, I'm not a foolish person, so please don't worry. Do you have anything else to say to Sister Zhenzhen? If not, I'd like to invite Sister Zhenzhen to my place."
Jin Rong was very enthusiastic, and Qi Zhenzhen couldn't refuse. After receiving An Guifei's approval, she followed Jin Rong.
Jin Rong's residence, the Hibiscus Pavilion, was not far from An Guifei's Huaqing Palace. After walking along a covered walkway and crossing an arched bridge, they arrived.
"Sister Zhenzhen, you are the first person to ever visit the Hibiscus Pavilion! I moved out of Mother's palace last year. Father specifically allocated the Hibiscus Pavilion, which is closest to Huaqing Palace, for me to live in, so I could easily visit Mother's palace. Although it's a bit small, the scenery is excellent, and it's warm in winter and cool in summer," Jin Rong said with unconcealed pride. "My Hibiscus Pavilion isn't just open to anyone who wants to come!"
"Then this humble subject thanks the Princess for her favor," Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile.
Jin Rong pouted, "I'm calling myself 'I,' so isn't it awkward for you to call yourself 'humble subject'? There's no one else here, and no one will pick on your etiquette. If you say 'humble subject' again, I'll get angry."
Qi Zhenzhen hesitated slightly, then nodded, "I didn't know I would meet the Princess when I came to the palace, and I didn't prepare a gift. This little thing is something I made myself, for you."
What Qi Zhenzhen handed to Jin Rong was a delicate fabric doll rabbit, stuffed with jasmine scent beads, which was originally kept in a sachet.
The fabric doll rabbit was very small, occupying less than half of a palm when held in the hand.
"Is it really for me? It's so beautiful, and it even has a faint scent. But I don't really like floral scents; it would be even better if it smelled like fruit." Jin Rong's eyes and brows were filled with smiles, showing that she genuinely liked the fabric doll rabbit.