The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 154 - 153: So that’s how it is? Intentionally scaring her

Chapter 154: Chapter 153: So that’s how it is? Intentionally scaring her

Shen Chuwei’s eyes were filled with surprise.

Could Xiao Jinyan’s eyes be so perceptive that he actually guessed her thoughts?

She uttered a sound of surprise, wondering if her interest in the gossip had been too obvious.

Xiao Jinyan: "..." What does ’eating melon’ mean?

Although he was curious, to avoid exposing his ability to read minds, he held back and didn’t ask.

The aloof and arrogant Crown Prince like Xiao Jinyan would not easily open up to others, unless he couldn’t help it!

"Your Highness, what was that about?" Shen Chuwei felt that gossiping occasionally was harmless.

Xiao Jinyan said, "It’s unrequited love."

"Oh," Shen Chuwei exclaimed with sudden understanding, "I see now."

No wonder Xiao Jinyan seemed so entangled with Lady Chang Liangdi, out of his usual character. Even the proudest person shouldn’t be like this.

It turned out to be unrequited love, which made much more sense.

Xiao Jinyan also let out a sigh of relief, having finally explained himself.

"As long as you understand."

Shen Chuwei nodded firmly.

Xiao Jinyan lowered his gaze to her leg and asked, "Is your leg feeling better?"

"This concubine is much better, all thanks to Your Highness applying the ointment, which worked remarkably fast," Shen Chuwei said with a curve in her brows, lavishing him with flattery.

Xiao Jinyan huffed, "Such nonsense."

Shen Chuwei just smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Before the evening meal, Shen Chuwei strolled around the courtyard, looking to see if there was anything tasty to snack on.

As she passed by the rockery, she overheard a conversation and her name mentioned, which made her stop in her tracks subconsciously.

"I originally thought Shen Chuwei was just an empty-headed girl and didn’t take her seriously, but it turns out she’s also a cunning woman. Even after a punishment, she managed to recover her position. Now even my aunt, the Empress, praises her. Truly, her tactics are impressive."

Just now, Lady Chang heard the Empress praising Shen Chuwei more than once, which set off alarm bells and made her realize she had to be on guard.

"Young mistress, His Highness is merely dazzled by Shen Liangdi’s beauty temporarily. Once His Highness comes to his senses, he will realize that you are a thousand times better than her," Maid Huai Xiang soothed in a gentle voice.

Lady Chang lifted her chin with an arrogant air, "I am the Empress’s own niece, and Shen Chuwei is nothing more than an uncouth country girl who doesn’t deserve to be compared with me."

Huai Xiang nodded in agreement, "You’re right, my mistress. Shen Liangdi isn’t even worthy of carrying your shoes."

"Whether His Highness likes me or not isn’t important. The crucial thing is to secure the position of Crown Princess, then the future Empress will be me."

Lady Chang indeed had taken a liking to Xiao Jinyan and had tried to earn his affection, but he had always been cold towards her.

Her mother was right, a man’s affection is not as important as power and influence. The title of Crown Princess was tangible and real.

That’s why she was specially pleasing Xiao Jinyan, to get the title of Crown Princess sooner.

Hearing Lady Chang speak about her behind her back, Shen Chuwei pouted. She wasn’t from the countryside; she was from the modern era!

Suddenly thinking of a TV show’s plot, she bent down to pick up a stone from the ground, weighed it in her hand, then cast her gaze toward the lotus pond and threw it with a flick of her wrist, making it splash into the water.

A "plop" sound was heard.

Lady Chang was startled and stood up, scanning her surroundings, "Who’s there?"

After Shen Chuwei threw the stone, she clapped her hands and scurried away, her footsteps echoing on the stone pavement.

Hearing the footsteps, Lady Chang quickly followed, but Shen Chuwei was already out of sight.

Not seeing anyone, Lady Chang felt uneasy. If her words had been overheard by His Highness and her aunt, she would have been ruined.

She had just been momentarily careless because she was irritated.

Huai Xiang found a handkerchief on the ground and handed it to Lady Chang, "Mistress, there is a handkerchief here."

Lady Chang turned her gaze from searching around to the handkerchief in Huai Xiang’s hand, took it, and examined it carefully. Noticing the embroidered phoenix feathers, her face turned ashen.

Only the Empress had the right to use the phoenix feathers. Lady Chang went pale at the thought that it might have been the Empress who overheard.

What to do now?

In the East Palace, her only reliance was the Empress. Without the Empress’s support, she could forget about the position of Crown Princess.

Shen Chuwei retrieved a piece of chocolate from the Space, tore off the wrapper, and bit into it, thinking that Lady Chang must be scared out of her wits by now.

She couldn’t help but burst into laughter and walked back to her quarters with a spring in her step.

Seeing her return with a bounce in her step and a smile in her eyes, Xiao Jinyan asked, "What’s got you in such high spirits?"

Shen Chuwei suppressed her smile, "Your Highness, on my way back I saw a balding oriole chirping away, and I couldn’t help but laugh."

Xiao Jinyan’s gaze fell on her rosy lips, with a hint of something black on them, "What did you eat on the sly again?"

"This concubine didn’t sneak any food," Shen Chuwei defended with dignity, thinking to herself that eating a piece of chocolate wasn’t sneaking, it was entirely above board!

Xiao Jinyan took out a clean handkerchief from his clothes and stepped up to her, gently wiping away the black substance at the corner of her mouth.

Shen Chuwei paused, taken aback by his gentle touch. She could even smell the handkerchief’s cool fragrance, which was quite pleasant.

After Xiao Jinyan finished wiping, he showed her the soiled handkerchief, "Still claiming you didn’t?"

Shen Chuwei lowered her gaze to the pristine handkerchief now stained with black, realizing it was from the chocolate she had eaten, probably spread while she was laughing too enthusiastically.

"That’s chocolate, not meat. I was eating openly, so there’s no need for sneakiness," she claimed with righteous vigor.

Xiao Jinyan asked, "So you walked around with that on your face?"

Shen Chuwei hesitated for a moment, recalling her path from the lotus pond to her quarters and indeed having made a round, then nodded, "What’s the matter, Your Highness?"

Xiao Jinyan said, "You are a lady of this palace. Be mindful of your image."

Shen Chuwei obediently nodded, "I understand, Your Highness."

*

When the Empress reached for her handkerchief after drinking tea, she found that it was missing.

She stood up and searched the room, but it was nowhere to be found.

Qing Ying came in carrying refreshments and saw the Empress looking for something, "Your Majesty, what are you looking for?"

"My handkerchief is missing; it was just here," said the Empress, who had even checked under the table without success.

Qing Ying placed the refreshments on a round table and softly suggested, "Your Majesty, please sit and have some snacks. I will look for it."

"Alright," the Empress replied, sitting down at the round table. It had been two hours since lunch, and she had barely touched her vegetarian meal, feeling hungry now like her stomach was glued to her back. She picked up a refreshment and took a bite to fill her stomach.

After searching for a while with no success, Qing Ying informed the Empress and then went out to continue the search.

Lady Chang had intended to join the Empress for dinner that night. Remembering the potentially damaging words she uttered in the afternoon, she didn’t dare to go.

She had a restless sleep; worry kept her awake in the first half of the night, and nightmares startled her in the second half.

The following day, Lady Chang approached breakfast with huge circles under her eyes, still terrified inside.