The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 182 - 180 The Crown Prince Was Enchanted by a Wild Fox for a Year

Chapter 182: Chapter 180 The Crown Prince Was Enchanted by a Wild Fox for a Year

Lu Ying furrowed his brows and said solemnly, "You and I are not ordinary husband and wife. On our shoulders lies the responsibility of the kingdom and the people. How can we dream of ’one lifetime, one couple’?"

Shen Yunxi pouted.

What kingdom, what people—what did any of that have to do with her?

She choked, saying, "I can’t fit so many things in my heart. In my heart, there’s only you, Your Highness! Whenever I see other women getting close to you, I feel bitter and jealous, wishing I could kill them all! That way, they wouldn’t pester you or offend my eyes!"

"Shen Yunxi, you are destined to become my Empress. As the mother of the nation, you must protect the women of the harem, not plot against them."

Shen Yunxi rolled her eyes.

Protect the other women in the harem?!

What wishful thinking!

She wished they were all dead so she could have the Crown Prince to herself!

Seeing her utter disregard, Lu Ying grew more irritated and said coldly, "Think it over yourself."

"Your Highness!"

Shen Yunxi called out weakly, her voice soft and vulnerable, but it couldn’t stir the man’s heart. All she could do was helplessly watch him leave.

That night, Lu Ying slept in the study.

Lying on the golden sandalwood bed in the inner chamber, illuminated by a lone candle, he found himself envisioning Shen Yinning’s face again.

Lu Shiyan was soon arriving in the Capital.

At this moment, was she looking forward to it, feeling happy?

If the two met, would their old affections rekindle?

The more he thought about it, the more desolate his narrowed eyes became.

He couldn’t figure out where he had lost to him.

Feeling irritated, he sat up and pulled out an illustrated book from beneath his pillow.

It was the book Shen Yinning had intended to give to Xue Mianmian, but later he had taken it back from Xue Ling.

He knew this book was originally meant for him, but her illiterate maid had purchased the wrong one.

Even though it was an unpresentable Fireproof Map, he had kept it hidden under his pillow all this time.

He flipped through it page by page, unable to calm his mind. Instead, he grew even more restless.

"Shen Zhaozhao..."

He stared at the book, murmuring her name softly.

The seductive women in the book seemed to transform into Shen Yinning’s visage, repeatedly tempting and entangling him, their coquettish allure maddeningly captivating.

Lu Ying’s muscles tensed, and his entire body felt a few degrees hotter.

The long nights he had spent with Shen Yinning played like lantern shadows before his eyes—more vivid and enticing than anything in the book.

Suppressing his desire, he closed his eyes. But eventually, as if unable to resist the urge any longer, his hand slid beneath the embroidered quilt.

Shen Zhaozhao...

Shen Zhaozhao...

He felt as though he had been poisoned by this woman.

Who knows how much time passed before he let out a low, muffled groan. He cleaned himself with a handkerchief and tossed it onto the tiled floor.

The next morning.

Before dawn, Lu Ying had already risen to practice swordsmanship.

Shen Yunxi came personally to deliver his breakfast, but she didn’t find him. Instead, she stumbled across the handkerchief on the floor.

Picking it up, she caught a scent and immediately wrinkled her face in disgust.

Clutching the handkerchief, she returned to her chamber and threw herself onto the bed, wailing.

Lianxin quickly dismissed the other maids and asked with concern, "My lady, weren’t you in such good spirits when you went to serve His Highness last night? Why are you crying now? Did something happen?"

Sitting up in tears, Shen Yunxi thrust the handkerchief at her. "The Crown Prince doesn’t like me. He’d rather handle things himself than share a bed with me! I guarded against the concubines in the Eastern Palace, but I couldn’t guard against his own hands!"

Lianxin was stunned. "How could this happen!? My lady, did you offend His Highness in some way?"

"How is that possible?! Last night, I first discussed the *Analects* with him, showing off my exceptional understanding and insights. Then, I played a game of chess with him by the window and even beat him with ease! Perhaps he felt I overshadowed him with my intelligence and found it unpleasant? Perhaps he prefers foolish beauties... Lianxin, do you think I should pretend to be a little dim-witted?"

Lianxin fell silent.

Her mistress, foolish and overconfident, had likely botched any discussion of the *Analects* and, if anything, played a childishly simple game of Go. His Highness, finding no common ground for communication, had chosen to sleep separately instead.

Careful not to voice this, she quietly replied, "That handkerchief might not be entirely useless."

"What use could it have?"

Lianxin leaned closer and whispered a few words into Shen Yunxi’s ear.

Shen Yunxi’s expression changed dramatically. "You want me to use this handkerchief... Will it work? Could I really conceive a child this way?"

"His Highness won’t bed you, and you’re in urgent need of a child. This is the only solution at the moment. Judging by how much is on that handkerchief, it might be possible. Besides, didn’t Lady Shen say it herself? Whether or not there’s actually a child doesn’t matter; what matters is gaining His Highness’s attention, keeping him in the Eastern Palace, and breaking his ties with those vixens outside..."

Shen Yunxi’s expression wavered, as though weighing the feasibility of the plan.

After a long while, a resolute look surfaced on her face. "Then let’s try. If I conceive, it’s my good fortune. If I don’t... I’ll still tell everyone I’m expecting!"

The Crown Prince had been bewitched by a wild fox outside the palace for a whole year.

In the new year, she absolutely wouldn’t allow him to keep meeting that vixen!

And she would take this opportunity, claiming pregnancy, to unearth the identity of the one who had repeatedly humiliated her!

Snow blanketed the Capital.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

At the Gao Mansion in Lotus Lane, the household bustled with warmth and excitement thanks to the visiting Gao Yun and her husband.

Naturally, such merriment excluded Shen Yinning.

She was more than happy to enjoy some peace and quiet, instructing the small kitchen to prepare a lavish feast and inviting the maids and matrons who had served her throughout the year for a meal. She even handed each one a generous silver note, to the point that even the strict Nanny Chen couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.

Shen Yinning set up her own small banquet in her room, placing three extra sets of tableware alongside her own.

They were for her father, brother, and mother.

The sound of firecrackers outside mingled with the lively cries of children in the alley, their joyful energy seemingly unending.

Listening to it, she slowly finished her cup of wine, imagining her father, brother, and mother accompanying her. The moment felt almost devoid of loneliness.

Though the reflection of her furrowed brows in the wine betrayed a faint chill of solitude.

After finishing her meal, Lu Jiazhe unexpectedly sent over a carriage, inviting her to the Prince of Su’s Mansion to spend the evening.

With the Prince of Su and his wife far away in the Northwest, Lu Jiazhe was left alone in the Capital. Perhaps he had just returned from attending the palace banquet.

Shen Yinning did not decline. After freshening up, she departed.

Upon arriving at the mansion, a maid led her through corridors and courtyards until they reached a quiet warm pavilion in the rear courtyard.

The atmosphere was tranquil.

Shen Yinning sharply noticed that the scent of incense in the pavilion was not the usual one Lu Jiazhe used.

She lifted the beaded curtain.

A wheelchair slowly turned beyond the screen.

The man seated in the wheelchair had sword-like brows and starry eyes, his looks refined and handsome. He wore a white robe as clean as freshly fallen snow, his demeanor exuding gentle grace. Draped across his knees was a blanket embroidered with Ruyi patterns.

He spoke in a tender voice, "Zhaozhao, it’s been a long time."

Elsewhere.

After leaving the palace banquet, Lu Ying ventured into Shen Garden under cover of darkness.

Touching the bed, he found the pillow cold.

That little vixen hadn’t returned even once these past few days.

Standing in the dimly lit room, he listened to the distant sounds of New Year’s Eve celebrations, thinking that Shen Yinning was likely alone and suffering grievances at the Gao Mansion.

After hesitating for a long time, he resolved to make a trip to the Gao Mansion himself.

After all, it was New Year’s Eve.

With no parents or siblings, it was only right for him to spend it by her side.