Hua Qingqing grew anxious at the sight and hurriedly said,
"That's my pouch!"
Li Ying gripped the pouch tightly, his gaze fixed on Hua Qingqing.
His stare was so intense it felt tangible, as if it could see right through her.
Hua Qingqing felt very uncomfortable under his gaze, but she still extended her hand and said earnestly,
"That's the pouch I accidentally dropped just now. It's very important to me. I hope the Fourth Prince can return it to me. I would be eternally grateful."
Li Ying asked, enunciating each word, "This pouch... is it really yours?"
Hua Qingqing was confused. "Of course, it is. It was hand-sewn by my mother. I could never mistake it."
The "mother" she spoke of was Madam He.
Madam He had first made a small pouch for Hua Manman. Later, feeling it wasn't right to only make one for her own daughter—making it seem like she was deliberately slighting Hua Qingqing—she made another small pouch with the same pattern but a different color and gave it to her.
