Best friends dressed up in ancient times to become mistresses? You run, I run too!

Shen Ningzhu almost blurted out, "Don't you have a childhood sweetheart?" But the man said to himself, "That's true, this kind of thing should be done by a man."

Shen Ningzhu: ? ? ?

Jiang Xuan Yan lowered his head, mimicking how Shen Ning Zhu had just kissed him, gently and devoutly cupping Shen Ning Zhu's small face and carefully kissing her.

As he continued kissing, his breathing gradually became heavy and he lost control, nuzzling against her neck like a dog.

Shen Ningzhu frowned deeply.

The images that flashed through my mind were all of Jiang Xuan Yan and Jiang Qing Yi being affectionate.

"vomit--"

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she desperately pushed the man off her, scrambled to the head of the bed, and began to retch uncontrollably.

I don't know how long I vomited before I could finally suppress the nausea in my chest.

Just then, a faint voice came from behind, "Are you disgusted by me?"

Is it because his technique is so poor that she's so unwilling to let him touch her?

Shen Ningzhu froze, unsure how to salvage the situation, and simply remained rooted to the spot.

"Ah--"

The man's icy voice, as if drawn from hell, was mechanical and hard: "Shen Ningzhu, you really are—good for you."

After saying that, he left without looking back, leaving behind only a cold, distant figure.

Shen Ningzhu got what she wanted, but for some reason, she felt a bit depressed and sour, and quite uncomfortable.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the strange feeling, pulled the quilt over herself and wrapped herself tightly. After a while, she finally fell asleep.

The night was cool and still, just like last autumn.

The next morning, Shen Ningzhu woke up very early for the first time ever.

The bed beside him was ice-cold, without a trace of warmth; clearly, the person hadn't returned all night.

Shen Ningzhu stared quietly at the empty space beside her, feeling a mix of emotions.

"Someone, prepare toiletries."

"Yes."

Several maids worked efficiently and quickly got everything ready.

Breakfast was also prepared, with more than a dozen dishes, each one exquisite, and appealing in color, aroma, and taste.

Shen Ningzhu's mood brightened a bit, and she sat down and began to eat slowly and deliberately.

From childhood, Shen Ningzhu was raised as a socialite, with extremely strict requirements, almost to the point of being obsessive, regarding her figure and appearance.

Fortunately, Shen Ningzhu herself is a person who loves beauty very much, so she can accept it without any obstacles.

As before, I took a bite of everything, but even when I encountered something I really liked, I didn't finish the whole plate.

When she was about 70% full, she reached out and took the tea, rinsed her mouth, and then took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid, carefully wiping each of her fingers clean.

At this moment, another maid entered from outside.

"My lord, the steward has personally brought His Highness's gifts."

"Okay, clear the food off the table, tidy up a bit, and then let them in."

A moment later, Steward Zhang Bo entered respectfully, carrying a box in his hands. "Young Master, this is what His Highness instructed this old servant to deliver. Please take a look."

Shen Ningzhu suppressed her excitement, took the book, opened it, and her eyes gradually dimmed.

"Are you sure this jade pendant is the same one that was presented as tribute last year? Are you sure there's no mistake?"

The butler took a look, and after seeing clearly, he hurriedly knelt down to apologize, saying that it was probably a mistake made by the people below.

They left in a hurry.

Not long after, he returned, covered in sweat, this time carrying another brocade box.

When Shen Ningzhu saw the jade pendant inside, her pupils widened involuntarily, and her heartstrings trembled.

Same, exactly the same.

The style, texture, and even the feel are exactly the same. This is definitely not a simple coincidence; there must be some connection.

Shen Ningzhu suppressed her slightly trembling body from excitement, thanked the steward, and dismissed all the servants.

I looked at it carefully again and again.

After confirming that it was his own jade pendant, he hurriedly went to Plum Garden to find Liu Zhiyi.

Unbeknownst to them, the steward was in the Crown Prince's study at that moment, reporting everything that had just happened to Jiang Xuan Yan.

"You said that the first time she heard that I gave her the jade pendant, her eyes lit up, but after seeing the design of the pendant, the light in her eyes dimmed again?"

"Your Highness, it is absolutely true."

"When she received the jade pendant later, she was overjoyed?"

"Your Highness, although Your Highness tried your best to suppress it, this old servant can still see that Your Highness is very excited."

Jiang Xuan Yan gave a cold smirk.

"So, she knows what the jade pendant looks like, right?"

But on the very day that jade pendant was presented to the Jiang Kingdom, I took it back and put it in the treasury. Even my father, the Emperor, didn't know the design of that jade pendant, so how could she have known?"

"This……"

The housekeeper couldn't explain it either.

"Okay, you go down."

"Yes, I am resigning."

Jiang Xuan Yan held a teacup in one hand, slowly walked to the window, looked up and gazed into the distance, his eyes swirling with emotion.

click-

The cup shattered in his hands.

A shard of broken porcelain pierced the flesh of his palm, and blood trickled down his slender, pale fingers, dripping onto his luxurious new robes and the clean floor.

He seemed oblivious, and the tattoo remained untouched.

His eyes gradually turned sinister and twisted, and his voice was like that of a demon from hell, "Shen Ningzhu, all of this is because you forced me to do it."

Meanwhile, Shen Ningzhu and Liu Zhiyi were trying various ways to travel back in time.

Holding the jade pendant, the two held hands, closed their eyes, and opened them again; they were still in the same place.

A drop of blood was dripped onto the jade pendant, but the pendant did not react.

They ran into the yard and held the jade pendant up to the sun, but there was still no reaction. The weather was hot and humid, and after struggling for a while, they were both covered in sweat.

"It's useless, useless, still useless. Why?"

Liu Zhiyi sighed.

"Alright, these things can't be rushed; they may require the right timing, location, and people."

What can Shen Ningzhu do?

"Well, let's leave it to fate. By the way, Xiao Yi, the Crown Prince is leaving the capital the day after tomorrow, so let's get ready quickly."

And what about Jiang Yanche? How's that bastard doing now? We can't let him ruin things again this time.”

Not every time can you be so lucky and get away with it.

How arrogant and conceited is Jiang Xuan Yan?

If they find out she's trying to escape, they'll probably kill her without hesitation. She can't afford to gamble, so she has to be extra careful.

"I heard that Prince Chen's influence has been significantly reduced, and he has also been implicated in a case of embezzling disaster relief grain. He has been detained by the Emperor in the Dali Temple to await trial."

Shen Ningzhu breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems like the heavens are on our side; this time, things shouldn't go wrong."

Just then, Granny Chen walked in.

She was assigned to Jiang Xuan Yan a few days after entering the manor and has been staying in Plum Blossom Garden ever since.

"This old servant greets Your Highness. Your Highness has sent word that His Highness will depart for Jiangnan in three days. He requests that you also hurry up and prepare, as Mo Yan has been delayed."

puff--

Is that jerk serious?

No, Jiang Xuan Yan is incredibly intelligent, almost demonic, and also suspicious by nature. It's unrealistic to try to escape with him halfway, so she must find a way to stay in the capital.

"Okay, I get it now."

In order not to alert the enemy, Shen Ningzhu had no choice but to agree first and then make a more careful plan.