The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 146 - 145: Imitating Shen Chuwei to gain favor, so angry that she ran away from home

Chapter 146: Chapter 145: Imitating Shen Chuwei to gain favor, so angry that she ran away from home

Lady Chang looked at the three of them with red paper stuck on their faces as if she were seeing monsters. She shook her head, "I won’t play, you all go ahead."

Concubine Xu found it boring; she had wanted to stick red paper on Lady Chang’s cheeks as well.

She turned her head away, "Then we will continue playing."

Lady Chang ignored Concubine Xu and turned her gaze to Shen Chuwei, who was sitting by the window. Among the four, she was the only one without red paper on her face, which was truly strange.

"Lady Shen, are you feeling any better?"

Shen Chuwei replied indifferently, "Thank you for your concern, Lady Chang. I am much better."

Lady Chang gave a slight smile, "As sisters in the palace, it is right for us to care for each other."

As she spoke, she assessed Shen Chuwei’s complexion and taste in clothing. Unlike the others, Shen Chuwei wore a light makeup, her cheeks glowy and rosy without any applied rouge.

Her coiffure was also very simple, adorned only with two peach blossom hairpins.

The lotus-pink cotton clothes made her cheeks look even more tender.

So this is what His Highness likes. Which woman in the palace would dress like this?

Concubine Xu reminded, "Lady Shen, it’s your turn to play the cards."

Shen Chuwei looked at the cards in her hand, "I’m coming, I’m coming."

Lady Chang sat and watched for a while, but finding it dull, she found an excuse to leave.

After returning, Lady Chang instructed her maid to dress her up like Shen Chuwei.

The maid, who had accompanied her to Xiyun Pavilion, knew exactly what Shen Chuwei’s attire looked like. She was adept with her hands, and in no time, she arranged her hair in the same style, adorned with only two pink pearl flowers.

She washed off the makeup on her cheeks, revealing her bare face.

She changed from a green dress to a pink one.

The maid looked her over a few times and said, "Young mistress, this attire has made you look much more unadorned."

Lady Chang gazed at her reflection in the mirror several times and was quite satisfied, "This is precisely the effect I wanted."

"Young mistress is naturally beautiful. Even without makeup, you are very lovely. No one in the East Palace can compare to you," the maid complimented softly.

Lady Chang instructed, "Prepare some pastries, I will deliver them personally for His Highness to taste."

"This servant will go prepare them right away."

Once ready, Lady Chang left with the pastries for the Crown Prince’s sleeping chambers.

It was only upon arrival that she learned the Crown Prince had not yet returned.

Lady Chang then stood to the side and waited.

"Meow."

Suddenly, a cat’s meow drew Lady Chang’s attention, and she looked down to see Xuetuan lying on a fluffy blanket, his deep blue eyes staring unwaveringly at her.

Lady Chang thought of Shen Chuwei holding Xuetuan, of his docile appearance, and wanted to try again.

The Crown Prince liked Shen Chuwei; perhaps Xuetuan had something to do with it.

Lady Chang lifted her skirt to squat in front of Xuetuan.

Xuetuan immediately widened his eyes, with both his front paws suddenly bracing himself.

Lady Chang shuddered in fear, but thinking of how pleasing Xuetuan could raise her standing in the eyes of the Crown Prince, she mustered her courage to get closer.

"Xuetuan, be good, I’ll give you some fish."

She had made a point of preparing a fish when she came.

The maid took out the whole fish and handed it to Lady Chang, "Young mistress, the fish."

Lady Liu Xi carefully placed the fish in front of Xuetuan, afraid that Xuetuan would suddenly stretch out a paw and scratch her.

Actually, she was still somewhat afraid of Xuetuan; when Xuetuan got aggressive, it could be hair-raising.

Xiao Jinyan came back from outside and saw a figure crouching on the ground, somewhat familiar. Since the figure’s back was turned, he couldn’t see the face.

"Xiao Jiu?"

When Lady Liu Xi heard the familiar voice, she knew His Highness had returned. She felt a secret joy inside, thinking that His Highness would surely see her being so close with Xuetuan and view her with newfound respect.

Overjoyed, Lady Liu Xi ignored the unfamiliar nickname and did not stand up, feigning a very serious and dedicated demeanor.

Xiao Jinyan, seeing that she didn’t respond to him, walked over curiously and saw her feeding Xuetuan with a fish.

"Xiao Jiu, stop feeding Xuetuan. It’s already fattened up like a ball."

Xuetuan, displeased, stood up, tucked in its tail, bared its teeth and hissed at Xiao Jinyan, looking extremely ferocious, "Meow!"

All of a sudden, it kicked over the fish in front of it, splashing soup all over Lady Liu Xi, staining her pink skirt with quite a few grease marks.

"Ah!!" Lady Liu Xi screamed, falling onto her bottom on the ground.

It was the first time Xiao Jinyan had seen Xuetuan act viciously in Shen Chuwei’s presence. He frowned and rebuked sternly, "Xuetuan!"

Xuetuan, paws covered in fish soup, pounced toward Lady Liu Xi.

Her pink clothes were now covered in fish soup-stained cat paw prints.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, too quickly for anyone to stop.

After rubbing against her, Xuetuan even scratched open her clothes with its claws then dashed away, its white figure disappearing at the doorway.

Out of urgency, Xiao Jinyan stepped forward to help Shen Chuwei, "Xiao Jiu, are you hurt?"

Lady Liu Xi was quite frightened at the time. Her clothes and hair were a bit disheveled. Hearing His Highness care about her calmed her injured spirit.

She lifted her head, with disheveled hair looking up at His Highness, somewhat agitated, "Your Highness."

When Xiao Jinyan saw the face he immediately withdrew his hand, stood up straight, and called out to the door, "Liu Xi."

Liu Xi was standing right at the doorway and rushed in immediately upon hearing the call.

Seeing Lady Liu Xi on the ground, without waiting for Master’s orders, she stepped forward, "Lady Liu Xi, let me help you up."

Xiao Jinyan stood there, straight as a rod, watching Lady Liu Xi with a cold gaze, noting that her attire and appearance were exactly like Shen Chuwei’s—a style Lady Liu Xi wouldn’t normally wear.

Young as Shen Chuwei was, such attire made her look more playful and cute.

As for Lady Liu Xi, a few years older, it was not her nature to be playful or cute, and this attire made her seem overly deliberate and uncomfortable to behold.

After helping Lady Liu Xi rise, Liu Xi retreated to the side and stood by.

Lady Liu Xi gazed at her filthy, disheveled clothes, now ruined, all because of Xuetuan. Why had it suddenly gone mad?

She raised her eyes to look at Xiao Jinyan, her voice full of panic, "Your Highness, your Concubine only wanted to feed Xuetuan some fish, never expecting it would suddenly go crazy."

Xiao Jinyan had just been puzzled by Xuetuan’s sudden aggression toward Shen Chuwei, whom it had always been docile with, but now he understood. It was because Lady Liu Xi, even dressed to look very much like Shen Chuwei, was not Shen Chuwei.

And he, initially fooled by the familiar attire, had mistaken Lady Liu Xi for Shen Chuwei. Seeing her under attack by Xuetuan, he reacted out of urgency and overlooked the details.

"You know full well that Xuetuan does not like you, nor will it eat the food you offer. If Xuetuan injures you, how am I to explain to the Empress Dowager?"

Lady Liu Xi cast her eyes down, filled with grievance, "Your Highness, your Concubine thought that Xuetuan disliked the smell of rouge and powder, so I intentionally didn’t apply any makeup to come here, never expecting this to happen."

However, in her heart, she felt resentful. Why was it that when Shen Chuwei held Xuetuan, there was no issue, but the moment she got close, Xuetuan would attack her?

She couldn’t fathom what sly tactics Shen Chuwei had used.

Xiao Jinyan, hearing her internal complaints, grew colder in his eyes, "Do not approach Xuetuan again. It is wild by nature, and if it scratches you, you will regret it immensely."