Having transmigrated into a book, who would still want to be a secondary wife?

Seeing that Shen Huai'an was going too far, Chu Muyao felt more ashamed than angry.

She was so ashamed to face her sister-in-law and Song Jingshen!

"Shut up!" Chu Muyao's chest heaved with anger as she shouted, "Guards! Shen Huai'an is deliberately ruining my reputation. Drag him out and give him twenty strokes of the cane!"

"Yes, princess."

The guards waiting outside quickly stepped forward and dragged Shen Huai'an outside without saying a word.

Seeing that Chu Muyao's words didn't seem to be meant to scare him, Shen Huai'an's expression changed, and he said with heartbreaking sorrow:

"Princess, I was wrong. I only said that because I love you. I am truly sincere towards you, but you doubted me just because of a few words from them. I am really heartbroken!"

Seeing that Shen Huai'an still wouldn't shut up and was determined to ruin her reputation, Chu Muyao shouted, "Drag him out right now!"

It wasn't until the screams outside the door reached Song Biyun's eyes that panic flashed in her eyes. "Princess, if you give him twenty strokes of the cane, Young Master Shen won't be able to withstand it!"

"If you feel sorry for him, why don't you take the beating for him?"

Chu Muyao had a cold face. Just thinking about how these two had been keeping her in the dark like a fool made her furious.

Since they were of the same mind, they could have been together, and she would have given her her blessing. But the two of them had been scheming against her, trying to manipulate her at will.

If she really gets together with Shen Huai'an, who knows what will happen to her when she finds out the truth!

Song Biyun paused, feeling a lump in her throat. She couldn't believe that Chu Muyao, who had been so easy to control before, had suddenly become a completely different person.

“Princess, after all, Young Master Shen saved your life. Even if he made a mistake today, you shouldn’t be so heartless, right?” Song Biyun said anxiously.

Looking at Song Biyun pleading for mercy, Song Ruozhen's eyes flashed with amusement. "Cousin, I've never seen you care about others like this before. Why are you so concerned about Shen Huai'an?"

I've seen you two running this shop together before, and I heard you picked out all the staff. But today, it doesn't seem like you're just here to help out; you seem more like the shop's owner's wife!"

"No, no," Song Biyun quickly denied, but her eyes betrayed her panic.

"Mu Yao is in the palace and may not be aware of these situations, but I am in the capital and can see everything clearly."

As she spoke, Song Ruozhen looked at the people around her, "I suppose it's not just my brother and I who saw it clearly, everyone else noticed it too, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. "That's right, I've seen Song Biyun quite often these past few days, and I thought she was the restaurant owner!"

"Isn't Song Biyun Song Ruozhen's cousin? I thought this shop would have the Song family's sign, but it turns out it has the Shen family's sign. Isn't that siding with outsiders?"

“The two Song families haven’t done business together since they separated. They’ve kept their business separate and can’t be confused.”

"If you ask me, Shen Huai'an is a scoundrel. He took advantage of his good luck in saving the princess and wanted to become the prince consort."

Not to mention that the princess doesn't like him at all, even if she did have feelings for him, he's still seen with Song Biyun all the time. What does he think he is?

I've seen people dream, but I've seen people dream like this. To win the favor of a princess is already a stroke of good luck, but this guy wants to enjoy the blessings of having multiple wives. Isn't that a joke?

Seeing that everyone else knew about this, while she had been kept in the dark, and even brought it up with her mother after being persuaded by Shen Huai'an's sweet talk, Chu Muyao felt even more ashamed.

If she had known earlier, she would never have told her mother no matter what. Now that everyone knows, she is too ashamed to face anyone.

"Cousin, although we have separated our family, we were originally one family. You are just unhappy that Young Master Shen opened a barbecue shop. You wouldn't go so far as to speak ill of us in front of the princess, would you?"

Seeing that everyone had revealed her affair with Shen Huai'an, Song Biyun couldn't help but feel anxious.

Chu Muyao had already ordered someone to beat him, which showed that she really didn't care about their relationship. So, this matter couldn't be allowed to escalate further, otherwise it would damage her reputation.

"Why should we be unhappy that you opened a barbecue restaurant?" Song Jingshen suddenly retorted.

Song Biyun's expression stiffened. She naturally knew that Song Jingshen's words were deliberately leading her to use the word "imitation." However, given the current situation, between the two charges of imitation and deliberately ruining the princess's reputation, she would naturally choose the former.

They're not the only ones imitating Song Family Shop. Nobody says only Song Family can sell barbecue; they can sell it too!

"I know your Song family's barbecue shop is doing well, so you must be unhappy to see that Young Master Shen is trying to open one like you."

"But the Song family's business is so booming; in the entire capital, I'm afraid no one else can compare. Are you really going to cut off everyone's livelihood?"

Song Biyun's eyes were full of dissatisfaction. She saw that Song Ruozhen and the others were living better and better lives. A girl who had broken off her engagement still had an extraordinary relationship with the Prince of Chu, while what about her?

If she wants to live a good life, she still needs to rely on Shen Huai'an to please the princess and one day become the prince consort's concubine.

It's not that she doesn't want to marry into a higher social class, it's just that given the Song family's current situation, they simply can't reach that level!

"Cut off your livelihood? If we really had that intention, you wouldn't have been able to open it at all. We were the ones who gave it to you, and we didn't even complain. And now you're turning around and blaming us?"

Song Jingshen scoffed, "You guys are really shameless. But I'd like to ask, didn't you keep saying that your relationship with Shen Huai'an was just so-so?"

This shop belongs to the Shen family, and has nothing to do with you. What are you doing here, so indignant?

"This is like trying to hide something obvious—what a joke!"

The man's casual teasing, laced with sarcasm, shattered Song Biyun's facade.

Seeing her fourth brother's abilities, Song Ruozhen knew that most of the guys who came to the shop to cause trouble usually didn't have a good ending.

Song Biyun's roundabout methods were almost instantly exposed in front of Song Jingshen.

By this time, the twenty strokes of the cane outside the door had been completed. Shen Huai'an's loud screams had turned into weak groans, his face pale with pain.

Song Biyun rushed out and helped Shen Huai'an inside.

"Princess, are you satisfied now?"

Shen Huai'an's eyes were red and his forehead was covered in sweat as he looked at Chu Muyao with resentment.

He couldn't believe that Chu Muyao would abandon him so easily, since they had clearly already shared feelings for each other.

A complex look flashed in Chu Muyao's eyes, but her attitude was very firm. "Watch your words from now on. If you dare to talk nonsense again and ruin my reputation, it won't be as simple as twenty strokes of the cane!"