The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 214 - 212: She Couldn’t Fathom Lu Ying’s Heart

Chapter 214: Chapter 212: She Couldn’t Fathom Lu Ying’s Heart

Shen Yunxi couldn’t believe it—Shen Yinning actually dared to defy her!

She tried to shake off Shen Yinning, but found the other’s grip was strong, like iron clamps locking onto her wrist. She couldn’t break free no matter what!

She raised her half-charred, scorched eyebrows, and snapped sharply, "As the dignified Crown Princess Consort, how dare you—a lowly wench—go against me?!"

Shen Yinning retorted tit-for-tat, "The Crown Prince, Minister Cui, and Princess Wu have already examined everything. Yet you, your ladyship, claim they are favoring me unjustly and insist on conducting your own inspection. What is it, your ladyship? Are you accusing all three of them of shielding me, of abusing their power for personal gain?!"

Lu Ying and the others entered the inner chamber, just in time to hear these words.

Lu Jiazhe was the first to shout, "Crown Princess Consort, abusing power for personal gain is no small matter—it will land you in prison! Are you really planning to accuse the Crown Prince and Minister Cui of this crime?"

Shen Yunxi panicked.

She simply wanted to see for herself whether Shen Yinning had burns on her body; she never intended to implicate the Crown Prince!

She looked toward Lu Ying and saw his cold, detached demeanor; he didn’t even spare her a glance, which made her heart claw with anxiety.

The Crown Prince wasn’t close to her to begin with, and if she caused trouble by accusing him of abuse, then their estrangement would surely deepen forever!

Maybe...

Maybe she was being overly suspicious?

At the Xue Mansion, she had ordered Shen Yinning to kneel as punishment, and the Crown Prince had remained silent. Clearly, the Crown Prince felt nothing toward a woman who had already married.

She had no choice but to abandon any further attempts to re-inspect. Carefully, with a tone of appeasement, she said, "I was merely worried that the Crown Prince and Minister Cui may have overlooked something in their examination. I absolutely did not mean to accuse you of abuse. I know very well that you are the most upright person—I understand that the assassin who caused such chaos tonight, from the fire at the tavern and the Lamp Sea Bodhisattva incident to the attempted attack on the Crown Prince, each and every one of his crimes are worthy of death. I trust you won’t let him go; it was my own unnecessary concern."

Lu Ying responded indifferently, "The Ministry of Justice will uncover who the assassin is. Everyone, disperse—"

"Hold on."

Shen Xinghan suddenly spoke with an eerie calm.

He revealed the jade pendant in his hand to the crowd. "Tonight, everyone came to ’Golden Jade Hall’ because they received invitation cards. However, the invitation my Shen Family received was different—it involved my second brother, Shen Xinglei. Inside the envelope, there was even a jade pendant—an object that my second brother has carried with him since childhood."

Lu Jiazhe shouted, "What does that have to do with Sister Shen?!"

"Years ago, my second brother was exiled to the border. While pausing at a relay station, a sudden fire broke out. When I rushed over after hearing the news, everyone had perished in the blaze. I didn’t find my second brother, only a charred skeleton resembling his physique. At the time, I assumed he had died and that those remains were his. But the sudden appearance of this jade pendant and letter give me reason to suspect—my second brother did not die. He was swapped for someone else and hidden away."

As he spoke, Shen Xinghan stared intently into Shen Yinning’s eyes, not missing a single subtle change in her expression.

However, Shen Yinning raised her sleeve to cover her lips, displaying an expression of shock that was identical to everyone else’s.

Lu Jiazhe laughed dryly and shouted hoarsely, "So what? Whether Shen Xinglei is alive or dead, what does that have to do with Sister Shen?! Shen Xinghan, you’re not going to suggest that Sister Shen hid Shen Xinglei, are you? Why would she do that—what’s in it for her?!"

Shen Xinghan pressed his lips tightly together.

Why else—revenge, obviously.

He was absolutely certain that Shen Yinning harbored resentment toward their entire family!

Steadying himself, he continued, "Furthermore, I ask everyone to take note—the handwriting on the invitation letters may differ, but the paper and ink used are rare and expensive Chengxin Hall Paper and Huizhou Ink, indicating that all these invitations came from the same person. And let us not forget that Shen Yinning was personally named by the Empress Dowager as an exceptional talent in calligraphy and painting. Her mastery of calligraphy is unparalleled—as is her ability to mimic different handwriting styles with ease. Given all this, who else could tonight’s assassin be but her?!"

His voice was confident—like a hammer striking into the ground.

All suspicious gazes immediately fell back on Shen Yinning.

He decisively cupped his hands toward Lu Ying. "Your Highness, Crown Prince, I believe this woman cannot be let off so easily. She must be detained and interrogated thoroughly. We should also have someone carefully search her residence to examine the paper and ink she uses. This matter concerns my brother’s whereabouts, Crown Prince—I cannot afford to be careless!"

Shen Yinning stood silently in place, the shadow of her long eyelashes cast over her pupils.

She had never expected tonight to fail.

She thought all the invitations and letters, along with their recipients, would be engulfed by flames, leaving no trace in this world.

Thus, the Chengxin Hall Paper and Huizhou Ink in her study were still left brazenly on her desk—they hadn’t been cleaned up in time.

If a search were conducted now...

Her hands, hidden within her sleeves, subconsciously clenched her palms tightly.

"If Minister Shen wishes to search, I have no reason to stop him," Lu Ying suddenly spoke. "Men, search the Gao Family."

Shen Yinning quietly raised her gaze and stole a glance at him.

The man’s demeanor was cold and upright, betraying no emotion.

She thought, since he had protected her, he likely wouldn’t send her into harm’s way again.

Could it be that he had already sent someone to clear out her study in advance, destroying any remaining Chengxin Hall Paper and Huizhou Ink?

He had foreseen Shen Xinghan’s accusations, planning every step carefully.

Such depth of scheming—it was no pity she couldn’t decipher his thoughts...

An hour later, the Imperial Guard hurried in to make their report: "Your Highness, Crown Prince, Your Highness, Prince Wu, Shen Hanlin—reporting back. Shen Madam’s study contains only ordinary Xuan paper and Xuan ink commonly found in the marketplace. There is no sign of Chengxin Hall Paper or Huizhou Ink."

Shen Yinning’s held breath was finally released.

She suppressed the curve of her lips, her phoenix-like eyes carrying a trace of tears as she gazed pitifully at Shen Xinghan. "Now, can my cousin rest assured?"

Shen Xinghan’s expression grew darker.

Among the Imperial Guard, there were men loyal to him. He had wanted to search not only Shen Yinning’s study but also the entire Gao Family estate.

He suspected Shen Yinning was hiding his second brother within the Gao Family.

But his men reported back that there was no place within the Gao Family suitable for hiding anyone.

His second brother wasn’t in the Gao Family...

He cast a deep look at Shen Yinning, then silently flicked his sleeves and departed.

Shen Yunxi snorted coldly, reluctantly following behind.

One by one, everyone present gradually dispersed.

Shen Yinning bowed to Lu Ying with a respectful salute. "Your Highness, I humbly see you off."

Lu Ying stared at her—the girl’s brow and eyes were brimming with joy, as if delighting in having toyed with Shen Xinghan and Shen Yunxi. She clearly wasn’t bothered by the events of the evening.

She showed no fear, nor did she seem to have taken any lessons from it.

No shame, no face, no heart.

He mused wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose before silently stepping away.

The night deepened.

Shen Yinning bid farewell to Lu Jiazhe and boarded her carriage to return to the Gao Family residence on Water Lotus Alley. At the back door, however, she encountered an unexpected guest.

Shen Xinghan stood with a crane cloak and jade hairpin, his hair neatly tied. It was unclear how long he had been waiting.

Shen Yinning stepped off the carriage with the help of Haitang’s hand, smiling gently. "Cousin, why couldn’t you say what was on your mind at the Prince Mansion? Why come here instead? The night is cold and damp; be careful not to catch a chill."

"Here, it’s just you and me—no need to maintain the charade of family ties with me," Shen Xinghan said, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "I’ll ask you straightforwardly—where have you hidden my second brother?"