The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 167 - 165: Shen Zhaozhao, Let’s Go Home

Chapter 167: Chapter 165: Shen Zhaozhao, Let’s Go Home

Shen Yinning was afraid she might laugh out loud, so she quietly slipped away from the bridal chamber without a sound.

She walked to the front courtyard, where most of the guests still hadn’t left.

Feigning panic, she shouted, "Something terrible has happened! There’s a fight in the bridal chamber—Shen Xinglei is going to beat the Princess to death!"

Like a stone cast into water, her words caused a thousand ripples of shock among the crowd.

Mrs. Qin clutched her chest, nearly fainting from fear. "How could this happen?! Could it be that the Princess said something inappropriate and provoked Erlang? Erlang’s fists are so strong—what if something happens..."

No matter how unloved Lu Qianqian was by the Emperor, she was still a Princess.

If she died under Shen Xinglei’s fists, how could the Shen Family hope for a good outcome?

"Mother, we must go check on them quickly!" Shen Yunxi said, visibly alarmed.

The mother and daughter rushed to the courtyard first, followed hastily by the other guests.

Shen Yinning stood in the corridor.

Her gaze cut through the crowd and landed on Cui Ji.

Their eyes met, and Cui Ji nodded slightly before quietly leaving the Duke Mansion.

By the time Shen Yinning returned to the backyard, the guests had already flooded in completely, leaving no room for the Shen Family to cover up Shen Xinglei’s disgraceful conduct.

Through the crowd, Shen Yinning saw Lu Qianqian, covered in blood, her face swollen and bruised, her nose bridge broken, with a rib piercing through her chest and grotesquely exposed—a horrifying sight. Attendants had arrived and were carefully placing her onto a stretcher.

Shen Xinglei had been restrained. His muscles were bulging, his nostrils flared wide with heavy breathing, and his bloodshot eyes gleamed like brass bells, resembling an enraged and uncontrollable bull.

He roared, "That wretch hit me first! Why couldn’t I strike back?! She even shouted that she would kill my concubine and my son. Why was I wrong to beat her? Women need to be disciplined—Princess or not! Have none of you hit women before?!"

"My son!" Mrs. Qin wailed, collapsing in sorrow. "Why can’t you keep your mouth shut at a time like this?! Eldest son, what should we do now?!"

Shen Xinghan’s expression remained cold and detached. "Second Brother has always had a bad temper. I’ve told him countless times to change, but Mother, you kept interfering, saying that a soldier’s temperament should be like this. Well, now he’s caused trouble—are you satisfied?"

Mrs. Qin was too ashamed to respond and could only sob uncontrollably.

As Shen Xinglei and Lu Qianqian were taken to the Imperial Palace, the guests couldn’t help but whisper among themselves. The once prestigious Duke Mansion was now a chaotic mess.

Although Shen Xinghan resented Shen Xinglei for his reckless behavior, he had no choice but to step up and handle the fallout.

He cupped his hands to the crowd and addressed them, "My younger brother had too much to drink and had a brief argument with the Princess, which led to this incident. It’s normal for married couples to quarrel occasionally. I’m sorry for causing such a spectacle. Please forgive our poor hospitality today. I’ll invite everyone for a more pleasant gathering in the future. Servants, escort the guests out."

Despite being merely twenty-five or twenty-six years old, Shen Xinghan had already entered the Cabinet, married the Commandery Princess of Qinghe, and was a likely candidate to become the next Grand Secretary soon enough.

The guests were willing to show him respect and left one after another.

Just as Shen Yinning was about to leave, Shen Xinghan suddenly called out to her.

Under the cover of night, he coldly scrutinized the cousin who had reappeared in the Capital three years later.

He said, "This year, the Duke Mansion has been through many events. I suspect quite a few were orchestrated by you, weren’t they?"

Shen Yinning curved her lips into a knowing smile. "What is Cousin talking about? I don’t understand. I am merely a humble wife confined to domestic affairs, and know nothing beyond that."

She curtly bowed and left without looking back.

"Elder Brother!" Shen Yunxi hurried to find Shen Xinghan. Glancing at Shen Yinning’s retreating figure, she couldn’t help but say, "At a time like this, why are you still tangled up with that wretched Shen Yinning? She’s just the wife of a low-ranking official—poor, insignificant, and beneath us. She poses no threat at all. Why are you bothering with her? The pressing matter right now is Second Brother’s predicament! Hurry to the palace and do something to save him!"

Shen Xinghan frowned imperceptibly.

The wife of a low-ranking official. Poor, insignificant, and beneath them...

A cunning, shrewd, and ruthless woman like Shen Yinning—was she really just the wife of a low-ranking official?

It felt like he had overlooked something crucial...

When Shen Yinning left the Duke Mansion, Sun Miaoniang chased after her from behind. "Cousin Shen!"

Shen Yinning smiled. "What does Little Sister-in-law want?"

"Shen Lang was taken to the palace..." Sun Miaoniang gasped for breath as tears streamed down her face, her words trembling. "He beat the Princess so badly... The Emperor won’t hold him accountable, will he? If anything bad happens to him, how will I and our child survive..."

At first, she had thought Shen Xinglei was justified in his actions.

But as time went on, she realized that Lu Qianqian might actually be beaten to death.

She had tried to lock the door to shield Shen Xinglei, but then so many guests arrived unexpectedly that any effort to cover up became futile.

Shen Yinning admired her panic-stricken face and saw no need to continue pretending to be agreeable. "Don’t worry. Tonight, His Majesty won’t just hold him accountable for attacking the Princess; he’ll also pursue his other crimes. As for what happens to you and your child—it’s none of my concern."

Sun Miaoniang froze in shock, as if she were seeing Shen Yinning for the first time. "You...you..."

Suddenly, she realized that whether it was her miscarriage or Lu Qianqian’s beating, this cousin Shen Yinning had been involved all along.

With seemingly effortless words, Shen Yinning had stoked the fire of conflict between her and Lu Qianqian, leading to the disastrous predicament they found themselves in today...

Shen Yinning was nowhere near the kind-hearted person Sun Miaoniang had believed her to be.

She harbored the ambitions of a wolf. She intended for Shen Lang to die!

Shen Yinning couldn’t care less what Sun Miaoniang thought, and she certainly didn’t care about her life or death.

She boarded her carriage and returned to Shen Garden. Snow was falling quietly from the night sky, and the pavilions and towers of the Shen estate were adorned with glowing lanterns.

"It’s snowing..."

She walked briskly through the snow, her embroidered shoes slipping off without her noticing, like a jubilant young girl full of glee.

She tilted her head back to marvel at the blankets of thick, swirling snow, reaching out her hands to catch the drifting flakes.

The wind blew her golden hairpin loose.

Her dark, lush hair trailed across the snow, framed against her radiant, youthful face and the regal, deep-red silk sleeves of her gown. The slight curve at the corner of her eyes carried a blend of wicked allure and innocent charm—a little fox spirit come to life.

Snow gathered on her wide sleeves, shadows and faint scents danced in the dim light.

When Lu Ying returned from the palace, he saw Shen Yinning spinning in circles amidst the swirling snow.

He’d heard about the commotion at the Shen Guogong Mansion’s wedding banquet today.

He knew Cui Ji had submitted evidence of Shen Xinglei’s other crimes.

If nothing else went awry, Shen Xinglei’s life was effectively over.

This little fox spirit...

Was she celebrating?

He quietly watched Shen Yinning.

For some reason, when her high-pitched, sharp laughter reached his ears, a dull ache seemed to creep over his heart.

"Shen Zhaozhao."

He called her name, his tone laden with emotion, before walking forward to embrace her.

In a soft voice, he said, "It’s cold out here. Let’s go home."