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

But when it came to the man in front of her, she had to be more cautious.

She even had a premonition that this man's identity was definitely not simple, and that he was not as gentle and refined as he appeared on the surface.

"May I ask what brings you here today, young master?"

Jiang Yanche smiled faintly and changed his seat in the blink of an eye, coming to Shen Ningzhu's left side. His tall figure suddenly moved closer, and his pair of amorous and charming peach blossom eyes curved into a smile as he stared straight at her.

A faint sandalwood scent, mixed with his unique masculine aroma, wafted from him, seeping into Shen Ningzhu's nostrils.

The two are very close.

They were so close that their noses almost touched.

The distance and posture were a bit too ambiguous, but Shen Ningzhu kept her back straight and her eyes were calm as water, remaining unmoved even as he approached.

A hint of admiration flashed in Jiang Yanche's eyes.

His thin lips curved into a smile, and his warm breath brushed against Shen Ningzhu's face. His eyes were clear and bright, filled with tears.

There was a hint of grievance in his voice as he spoke.

"Young lady, your words are a bit too distant. Do I only need to contact you when I need something, and not when I don't?"

Shen Ningzhu glanced at him and gave a calm, cold laugh.

"Young master, be careful with your words; men and women should not touch each other."

Jiang Yanche was stunned for a moment, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

He was a handsome young man from Jiangnan, extremely popular with women. When he rode his horse through the streets, he was sure to be surrounded by beautiful women.

In all his life, this was the first time he had ever seen a woman remain unmoved by his handsome and gentle advances.

It's the kind of feeling that really doesn't touch me at all.

This made him seriously doubt whether he had been disfigured, otherwise how could his charm have decreased so much?

Feeling bored, she sat up straight and changed the subject, "I remember you don't like the Crown Prince, so why are you agreeing to let him into the Crown Prince's residence? If you want to escape, I can help you."

Thank you.

Compared to him, Jiang Xuan Yan at least knew her background and was only responsible for her, without any other ulterior motives. Jiang Yan Che, on the other hand, was completely unknown.

When we first met, I thought he was a rather reserved and shy man, but now...

Ha, what a refined scoundrel.

What she wanted was freedom, not jumping from one cage to another.

"I appreciate your kindness, young master, but I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Who said I didn't want to enter the Crown Prince's residence? What you heard at the villa before was just me deceiving the maids at home; it wasn't my true feeling at all."

Jiang Yanche: ……

"Young master, please go back. Don't let anyone see us and tarnish our reputations."

Are you sure you won't regret it?

Shen Ningzhu smiled and said, "If I regret it someday, I'll talk to you then."

Leave room for maneuver in your actions, and don't speak too definitively.

Jiang Yanche then smiled with satisfaction.

"Alright, I'll wait for the day you come to me. By the way, I should repay your life-saving grace with my body. If you ever no longer want the crown prince, how about I marry you?"

Shen Ningzhu gave a forced smile: "Hehe."

"I'll take your words as a yes, my beauty. We'll meet again soon."

After saying that, he quickly got out of the carriage. Shen Ningzhu listened for a while, and when she saw that there was no other noise, she relaxed and muttered "crazy person".

He then closed his eyes again to rest.

The Crown Prince's residence was soon reached.

They must have received the news early on, because when the carriage stopped, Zhang Bo, the steward of the Crown Prince's residence, came to the carriage window and respectfully bowed to the carriage.

"Is this Miss Shen? You must be tired from your journey. His Highness the Crown Prince specially instructed this old servant to greet you here."

Shen Ningzhu was somewhat surprised.

This man seems to take her quite seriously, not bad, I'll give him a slight thumbs up.

Shen Ningzhu leaned out of the carriage and glanced at Uncle Zhang, who was bowing respectfully. He was a tall, refined-looking middle-aged man with a kind face.

She glanced again at the little eunuch kneeling on the ground beside the carriage, serving as her human footstool, and her brows furrowed unconsciously.

"Yes, the housekeeper is very kind. You can get up too, I don't need a footstool."

Without waiting for the other party's reaction, he lightly jumped off the carriage from the other side.

A hint of surprise flashed in everyone's eyes.

This Miss Shen seems to be quite different from what people say. Rumor has it that she is arrogant, extremely malicious, and very difficult to deal with, and that she always beats and scolds her servants.

That's why the housekeeper specially had a human-shaped footstool made for her, but she didn't actually use it.

This was beyond his expectations.

Could it be that she's new to the Crown Prince's residence and wants to make a good impression on His Highness and the servants?

Yes, possibly.

Everyone knows that Shen Ningzhu is deeply in love with His Highness the Crown Prince, and she is willing to do anything to please him.

"Please show me where I'll be staying from now on."

Shen Ningzhu spoke, and Butler Zhang finally came to his senses. "Oh, alright, young lady, please follow me. By the way, my surname is Zhang. In the future, you may call me Butler Zhang or Uncle Zhang."

As Shen Ningzhu walked, she readily greeted him, "Uncle Zhang, I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Uncle Zhang smiled kindly, "Not at all, young lady, you flatter this old servant. This way, please."

……

"Master, the person has already left."

At a corner not far from the Crown Prince's residence, a man dressed as a guard spoke to a handsome man in white robes.

Seeing that the other person was still staring at the side gate of the Crown Prince's residence, not moving an inch, he asked with some confusion:

"Has Master taken a fancy to that Miss Shen?"

Jiang Yanche finally turned around and glared at him coldly.

"Yuan Yi, I have reason to suspect that you've lost your mind. Which eye of yours saw me take a fancy to that woman?"

Yuan Yi: I saw it with both eyes.

If you don't like someone, why do you keep spying on them? You know, they returned to Beijing secretly before; if they were exposed, it would cause a lot of trouble.

He's quite something, doing nothing important, spending every night standing on the wall watching a woman. But what can you possibly see standing on a wall at night? I really can't understand it.

She's practically turned herself into a statue of a woman waiting for her husband, yet she still stubbornly insists she doesn't like him.

However, there's one thing he, as the subordinate, needs to remind him of.

“That’s good. Your Highness, as you know, Shen Ningzhu is in love with the Crown Prince. Everyone in the capital knows it. It’s been three years, which shows how deep her feelings are for him. Such a woman is not suitable for Your Highness.”

So what if she's the most beautiful woman in the capital?

Her behavior was so eccentric and vicious, and she cared about others. Moreover, she was just a peasant girl, so she was even less worthy of his wise and mighty Prince Chen.

Even being a foot-washing maid is an insult to His Highness.

As Yuan Yi was speaking enthusiastically, he suddenly felt the air turn cold. He thought the weather had suddenly changed, and when he looked up, he was met with Jiang Yanche's icy eyes.

"Have you said enough?"

Yuan Yi shuddered. "I know I was wrong. I was too talkative."

As he spoke, he slapped himself twice.