After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

After regaining his senses, Luo Hanfeng's desire to kill Xie Xing reached its peak at that moment.

Yesterday, that foolish woman saw that he was badly injured and took the opportunity to bully and humiliate him…

Recalling the foolish woman who stepped on his private parts yesterday, Luo Hanfeng felt both ashamed and angry. The tips of his ears, hidden in his hair, turned red. But after realizing where he was, Luo Hanfeng's eyes turned cold, and his hands on the side of the bed clenched tightly.

He had clearly begged that woman yesterday, but when he opened his eyes this morning, he still found himself in Xie Mingzhu's boudoir.

Damn.

Is that woman really not afraid of death?

"Squeak." The door was pushed open from the outside.

A deep darkness surged in Luo Hanfeng's eyes, but when he looked up again, his eyes had regained their clarity. He looked towards the door and saw Xie Mingzhu carrying a bowl of medicine.

Xie Mingzhu was slightly taken aback when she saw him wake up.

The boy on the bed was wearing a white undergarment, his long hair disheveled and hanging down his back. Perhaps because he had just woken up, his clothes were slightly open, and strands of hair clung to the skin of his chest, making him look as if he had been bullied.

Xie Mingzhu's eyes stung, her fair face flushed slightly, and she pursed her lips as she brought in the medicine: "Seventh Prince...you're awake?"

Luo Hanfeng's throat felt a little dry.

He had already donned his disguise, looking at Xie Mingzhu with a blank and confused expression: "You...where is this?"

Luo Hanfeng looked around.

This is Xie Mingzhu's boudoir, filled with the sweet fragrance of a young woman, a scent different from that in Xie Xing's room.

He acted very well. If Xie Xing were here, he would definitely be impressed by his acting skills, saying that he could act even better than the top actors of the 21st century.

Xie Mingzhu was taken aback for a moment, then asked in confusion, "I saw the Seventh Prince in my backyard. Seeing that he was seriously injured, I knew that saving his life was the priority, so I..."

Towards the end, Xie Mingzhu's voice became somewhat embarrassed, "That's why we moved the Seventh Prince into his boudoir."

Xie Mingzhu walked to the bedside and handed the medicine to Luo Hanfeng.

Luo Hanfeng smiled at Xie Mingzhu and said, "Thank you, Fourth Miss."

Xie Mingzhu paused for a moment, then asked, "I see the Seventh Prince's injuries... has something happened?"

Luo Hanfeng lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the medicinal soup, his voice indifferent: "In this palace, if you want to stand out, you will attract the dissatisfaction of some people. Perhaps they think I am in their way, so they specially sent someone to assassinate me."

"I was seriously injured and accidentally fell into the backyard. Thank you for taking me in, Miss Fourth."

As he spoke, he raised his head and looked up at Xie Mingzhu.

Her eyes were shimmering with tears, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her pale, fragile face evoked pity. "Please keep this matter to yourself, Fourth Miss."

Xie Mingzhu was stunned. She couldn't deny that every time she saw Luo Hanfeng, he looked so disheveled and vulnerable, as if he would wither away at any moment. Whenever this happened, Xie Mingzhu would feel a surge of desire to save him and help him.

She grew up surrounded by love, and everyone, from her father and brother to the crown prince and other nobles, treated her with boundless tolerance.

Never before had a man in her life been so broken. Everyone looked at her with doting eyes, except for Luo Hanfeng, who looked at her with a cold, stagnant gaze.

This made Xie Mingzhu pay a little attention to him.

Xie Mingzhu smiled gently and reassured him, "Seventh Prince, you can rest assured."

"After all, bringing the Seventh Prince back to her private quarters without permission would be bad for a young lady's reputation if word got out."

Luo Hanfeng lowered her eyelashes and softly said thank you: "Thank you, Fourth Miss."

Xie Mingzhu gave him a sweet smile.

After Luo Hanfeng finished drinking the medicine, Xie Mingzhu did not rush to leave. Instead, she looked at Luo Hanfeng curiously and said, "When I was young, I was also a tutor to the Second Princess in the palace, but I never saw the Seventh Prince."

Luo Hanfeng blinked and said, "I am just an unfavored prince in the palace and have never been to a school."

Xie Mingzhu pursed her lips, somewhat indignant: "They've gone too far!"

Luo Hanfeng just smiled.

He ran his fingertips along the edge of the bed, a thoughtful look flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He could sense Xie Mingzhu's affection for him.

Having spent so long in the cold palace, Luo Hanfeng was able to easily win a woman's heart.

But when he thought of Xie Xingdu's purpose, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Is she really trying to match him up with Xie Mingzhu?

Luo Hanfeng found it utterly ridiculous to hear them say that they were destined to be together.

Xie Mingzhu appears gentle, but in reality, her feelings for him are nothing more than pity and sympathy for the weak.

Thinking of this, a hint of mockery flashed in Luo Hanfeng's eyes.

According to that so-called plot, everything was a prelude to his ascension to the throne and becoming emperor, and his tragic childhood and the humiliation he suffered were paving the way for his descent into darkness.

His being saved by Xie Mingzhu was a carefully planned scheme.

In the script Xie Xing and the so-called system told him, everything about him was pre-arranged.

Luo Hanfeng's eyes were filled with dark clouds.

It's ridiculous.

Why should he be the one being arranged for?

"The Seventh Prince?" Xie Mingzhu asked in confusion.

Luo Hanfeng snapped out of his daze, raised his clear eyes, and smiled faintly at Xie Mingzhu: "Fourth Miss, don't worry, I'm fine."

After saying that, he paused for a moment and said, "Thank you for saving my life, Miss Fourth. I will repay you."

Xie Mingzhu blushed slightly and said shyly, "No need to repay me. I would have done the same for anyone else."

Luo Hanfeng remained noncommittal.

is it?

If that person were Xie Xing, things might be different.

How could Luo Hanfeng not see Xie Mingzhu's malice towards Xie Xing?

...

In Madam Xie's courtyard.

Xie Jiaojiao sat down in front of Madam Xie and told her about everything that had happened that day.

"That Princess De'an insists that Xie Wu seduced Prince Jin." Xie Jiaojiao said, "Princess De'an's status is extraordinary. What if we offend her?"

Madam Xie fiddled with the beaded string in her hand and said calmly upon hearing this, "It's alright. Mingzhu has a good relationship with Princess De'an. It's probably because of Mingzhu that she has so many opinions about Xie Xing."

As she spoke, Madam Xie looked at Xie Jiaojiao beside her and said, "You are different from Xie Xing. Spending more time with Mingzhu will help you get along better with the young ladies from other families."

"The young ladies from noble families are all proud and unwilling to associate with Xie Xing, who was raised in the countryside, for fear of picking up his vulgarity."

Xie Jiaojiao frowned, "But after spending time with Fifth Sister, Jiaojiao feels that Fifth Sister is in no way inferior to the young ladies carefully cultivated by noble families."

Madam Xie glanced sideways.

Xie Jiaojiao said, "Today, when I was looking at the accounts at Yunyan Pavilion, Fifth Sister calculated the details of the whole day in just a short time. Even I couldn't do that."

Madam Xie sighed.

"Xie Xing is indeed a smart child. At least with proper guidance, he is a good kid."

"But compared to her, Mingzhu is more popular among the young ladies of noble families."

Madam Xie looked at Xie Jiaojiao: "Jiaojiao, you are different from Xie Xing. She was able to gain the favor of Prince Jin."

"And you, if you want to gain a foothold in the circle of noble ladies in the capital, your best way is to associate with Mingzhu."

Xie Jiaojiao pursed her lips.

Xie Xing had said the same thing to her.