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

Jiang Xuan Yan walked over with a gloomy voice, followed by the nonchalant Pei Yun Chu.

Jiang Qingyi felt annoyed. How could she have forgotten the important matter? She wondered how much of what had just happened was witnessed by A-Yan.

"Ah Yan, listen to me, it's not what you think. It's her, it's...???? How could she... how could it be?"

Everyone followed her gaze and saw that Shen Ningzhu, who was kneeling on the ground, had her hair mostly disheveled and her lipstick was smeared everywhere.

The exquisite fox eyes were wet, filled with a large bag of tears.

Exhausted, she lay half-prone on the ground. Upon seeing Jiang Xuan Yan, she burst into tears and threw herself into his arms. (Image: Jiang Xuan Yan vs. Shen Ning Zhu) She clung tightly to his waist, her delicate body pressed against his chest, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Brother Yan, you're finally here! Waaaaah~~~"

Jiang Xuan Yan frowned deeply and ruthlessly pulled her away, saying, "Stand still for me."

Pulling and tugging in public, what kind of behavior is that?

Unexpectedly, Shen Ningzhu was like a leech, pulling him away and then covering her head again, suddenly crashing into his arms and quickly pulling him back. The force was so great that Jiang Xuan Yan couldn't help but take a step back to steady himself.

Instantly, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Pei Yun Chu was also taken aback, and glanced at Jiang Xuan Yan with a look of amusement: What trick is this woman playing now?

Jiang Xuanyan gave him a cold glare.

Pei Yun Chu: So you're protecting her now? You said you had no feelings for her, what a hypocrite. She twitched her lips, then straightened up and stopped talking, standing aside to watch the show.

"Ah Yan, don't listen to her nonsense."

Jiang Qingyi frowned and opened her mouth to say something more, but Shen Ningzhu interrupted her.

"Princess, waaaaah~~~ What did my sister do wrong that you have to humiliate me like this?"

"You said you were the future Crown Princess and told me not to be delusional and try to compete with you. I felt that my status was too low and I was not good enough for Brother Yan, so I agreed."

"I promised you that I only have eyes for Brother Yan, and I don't care about titles or anything like that as long as I can stay by his side. Why won't you let me go? Waaaaah..."

Jiang Qingyi: ...

"You vile woman, what nonsense are you spouting? When has this princess ever..."

Jiang Qingyi was momentarily speechless, her chest heaving with anger, almost fainting.

That despicable woman actually turned the tables and pretended to be pitiful in an attempt to gain Ah Yan's sympathy.

She was the one who slapped her, yet she's the one who falsely accused her; she's truly malicious.

“Ah Yan, don’t listen to her. She was the one who disobeyed me and slapped me a few times for no reason. I just wanted to teach her a lesson and show her manners so she wouldn’t cause trouble for you in the future. I didn’t mean anything by it. Don’t misunderstand.”

Jiang Xuanyan looked at Shen Ningzhu.

"Is what the princess said true?"

Shen Ningzhu nestled gently and obediently in his arms, shaking her head with a pitiful expression.

"Oh? Then tell me what exactly happened?"

Shen Ningzhu sniffed and blinked her innocent fox-like eyes. "Your Highness has probably misunderstood. How could you think of me like that? There was just a mosquito, and I was afraid it would bite you, so I swatted it away for you."

Jiang Qingyi was so angry upon hearing this that she trembled with rage.

"Swatting mosquitoes? Where did these mosquitoes come from? Do you think I'm a fool? Besides, do you need to swat mosquitoes so hard?"

Then, looking at Zhier, who was also covering her face, she angrily pointed at her and said, "You swatted mosquitoes at me, but what about at her? Does my maid have mosquitoes around her too?"

Shen Ningzhu nodded seriously.

"Of course, your maid is standing right next to you, so mosquitoes will naturally bite her too!"

Jiang Qingyi felt a surge of anger in her chest and sneered, "Miss Shen is truly lenient towards her servants."

These words sound innocuous, but when applied to Shen Ningzhu, they become incredibly ironic. Who in the capital doesn't know that the original owner was arrogant and vicious, never treating her servants as human beings and frequently beating and punishing them?

Jiang Xuan Yan frowned as expected.

He reached out again to try to push her away, but she was holding him too tightly. Her slender arms were now bursting with immense strength, almost choking him.

"release."

"Brother Yan, you don't believe me?"

Jiang Xuan Yan gave her a deep look, his dark, bright eyes flashing like lightning, each flash sharp as a knife, as if he could easily pierce through the secrets in her heart, his gaze warning her.

"Shen Ningzhu, this matter ends here."

He then turned to Jiang Qingyi and said, "Princess, please don't be offended. It was my person who was ignorant and offended you. I believe she didn't mean it, so I apologize to you on her behalf."

"I hope that Your Highness will be magnanimous and let this matter rest for my sake."

"It's the height of summer now, and the sun is scorching outside. If Your Highness has nothing else to do, please go back to your own courtyard and be careful not to catch a heatstroke. By the way, I've already sent people to repair the Princess's residence."

"It shouldn't be long before it's fixed. Then the princess can move back."

Shen Ningzhu's eyes flickered slightly.

He actually referred to himself as "I" instead of "I" in front of Jiang Qingyi? It seems that the two of them do indeed have a close relationship.

Jiang Qingyi's face was filled with disbelief and a hint of embarrassment; she could barely maintain her composure.

Is he trying to get rid of her?

He used to always protect her in front of outsiders, openly showing favoritism. She remembered laughing at him then, asking how a crown prince could be so unfair.

He said at the time that he would side with his relatives, not with what was right.

But today, he used the same method to wrong her for another woman?

And these words, seemingly considerate of her, are actually indifferent and distant, drawing a line between them.

Jiang Qingyi felt bitter and unbearable, but she also understood that this matter could not be rushed and could only be dealt with slowly.

"No, I only did it for you..."

"Your Highness is overthinking it. As the Crown Prince's woman, it's only natural for her to be a little arrogant. Even if things don't go well, I can still protect her."

"..."

Continuing to say anything would only embarrass her, so Jiang Qingyi forced a gentle smile, bowed to him, and left with her maid.

Pei Yunchu glanced at the situation, then, with a quick thought, she slipped away unnoticed to find Liu Zhiyi.

The maid in the pavilion also tactfully withdrew.

For a moment, only Jiang Xuan Yan and Shen Ning Zhu remained at the scene.

"Cough cough, aren't you going to let go?"

"okay."

Shen Ningzhu quickly stepped out of his embrace, creating distance between them. Jiang Xuanyan watched her practiced movements, his brows furrowing. He felt somewhat uncomfortable, but couldn't quite put his finger on why.

My gaze inadvertently fell on the sewing kit on the table. "What are you doing?"

He stepped forward, picked up the bracelet that Shen Ningzhu had braided earlier, and examined it closely. "This is... a bracelet? You braided it. Who are you planning to give it to?"