My stepsister tried to steal the prince's hand in marriage, but little did she know I had been

The atmosphere between Xie Jinghan and Wen Shuyao made Wen Yitong's eyes turn red.

She clenched her teeth tightly, her heart filled with hatred.

Wen Shuyao...

She silently repeated the name in her heart, the coldness in her eyes like a sharp sword.

Seeing Ruyi beside him, he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Miss, it's time to go."

Ruyi whispered a reminder.

She understood Wen Yitong and knew that at this moment, Wen Yitong was like a volcano on the verge of eruption. She dared not provoke Wen Yitong again and could only offer subtle reminders.

This is not a good time to erupt.

Sure enough, Wen Yitong's expression gradually calmed down.

She took a deep breath and shifted her gaze away from Wen Shuyao and Xie Jinghan.

"Find out what those two came here for."

……

Compared to Quanshui Manor, the Chen family's villa was much simpler.

Wen Shuyao strolled among them, her demeanor completely out of place.

"This must be Princess Jing, she is truly beautiful."

"I heard that she and our young mistress are sisters. How come they don't look alike? The young mistress is far inferior to Princess Jing."

"Keep your voice down, or you'll be in big trouble!"

These people were whispering behind each other's backs, thinking that no one could hear them.

Wen Yitong heard everything clearly. Her face turned ashen, but after thinking it over, she realized that now was not the right time to rectify the family's conduct. She couldn't afford to lose face in front of Wen Shuyao.

So she swallowed her resentment.

Seeing Wen Yitong's expression, Ruyi secretly groaned.

How did she end up meeting such a master?

She stayed by Wen Yitong's side, pondering countermeasures, unaware that her every move had already been observed by someone with ulterior motives.

Granny Qi quickly walked to Wen Shuyao's side and whispered, "This old servant saw that Ruyi's breathing was long and her steps were light. She is indeed a trained practitioner. Her lightness skill is probably no less than Si Qing's."

Yesterday, she hadn't noticed the inconspicuous maid beside Wen Yitong, but today Wen Shuyao reminded her to pay more attention to Ruyi.

Upon looking at it, she realized what she had missed yesterday.

I'm afraid of those wolves on the mountain...

Granny Qi looked solemn. After exchanging a glance with Wen Shuyao, she knew that she and Wen Shuyao had the same idea.

She said with a stern face, "Your Highness, why not arrest him..."

“No.” Wen Shuyao slowly shook her head. “That would only alert them.”

"Granny probably doesn't know yet, but Wen Yitong and the assassin that the prince is investigating are likely to have a close relationship."

Upon hearing this, Granny Qi was startled again: "It's actually related to those assassins?"

Wen Shuyao nodded: "Zhang's lover has intricate connections with these assassins. Since he is Zhang's lover, he will definitely help Zhang a lot."

“For example, the dowry that Zhang owed before, and for example… assigning a few of her servants to Zhang so she can do as she pleases.” Wen Shuyao asked in a low voice, “Based on what you know about the Zhang family, is it possible that the Zhang family could raise a maid like Ruyi?”

After a moment of silence, Granny Qi shook her head solemnly: "I'm afraid not. The Zhang family only improved after the emergence of Consort Zhang. Before that, they were just an insignificant, low-ranking family."

Wen Shuyao chuckled softly: "That's right."

“Ruyi is definitely that lover’s woman,” Wen Shuyao said in a low voice. “If we keep Ruyi, we might be able to find the clues that the prince is looking for by following the trail.”

Upon hearing this, Granny Qi nodded repeatedly in agreement, her gaze towards Wen Shuyao filled with admiration and appreciation.

This is the kind of princess who should be the mistress of Princess Jing.

"So, this time we've come to the Chen family villa..."

"I just wanted to see if I could find any clues from Wen Yitong."

Wen Shuyao smoothed her hair and said softly.

"Now it seems I've found a clue."

As soon as Wen Shuyao spoke, Granny Qi's eyes lit up with admiration.

She suppressed her excitement and looked at Wen Shuyao: "Does the Princess already have a plan in mind?"

Wen Shuyao nodded: "You'll know in a few days, Granny."

She has already grasped Wen Yitong's lifeline.

Madam Wen loved her daughter dearly. She would do anything for Wen Yitong, including begging her lover for her sake.

Moreover... Madam Wen's relationship with that man is far better than it appears on the surface.

Otherwise, how could such a relationship between the two have lasted for more than twenty years?

Wen Yitong cares about Xie Jinghan, and she can't control her emotions whenever she gets close to him.

If this is a provocation today, Madam Wen will probably go to find her lover tomorrow.

The man was extremely well hidden; even Xie Jinghan's men couldn't find out his true identity or even where he was staying, and they missed him every time.

The only way to find him is to follow the clues...

And Madam Wen became the best tool.

With that thought in mind, Wen Shuyao gently took Xie Jinghan's arm.

"Your Highness, please do me a favor."

Her eyes were as beautiful as stars, and when she stared intently at Xie Jinghan, even though Xie Jinghan's heart was as hard as iron, he couldn't utter a single word of refusal.

After a moment, Xie Jinghan said, "Okay."

He clearly felt the changes in his heart, but under Wen Shuyao's gaze, all his emotions were hidden. Even if he wanted to speak, he could only utter a few syllables.

Xie Jinghan always acted this way when he was out, and even Si Qing, who was closest to him, never noticed anything unusual about him.

Wen Shuyao held Xie Jinghan's hand, their fingers intertwined like two inseparable clay figures, and they walked hand in hand to the front hall.

Si Qing followed behind the two, her eyes wide with surprise.

How come their relationship progressed so rapidly after he was only gone for a short while?

Just as he was pondering this, he met Granny Qi's warning gaze.

After a moment, he lowered his head in resignation.

"Granny, I didn't do anything."

"Stop making that face." Granny Qi was an experienced woman who knew a lot about people and vaguely saw through Wen Shuyao's intentions.

Hearing Granny Qi's warning, Si Qing felt wronged: "I was just surprised..."

"What do you know?" Granny Qi glanced at him coldly. "The prince and princess have a deep affection for each other, so it's not surprising that they do anything. As the prince's personal guard, if you show such an expression, wouldn't people misunderstand?"

“Especially…” Granny Qi whispered a few words in Si Qing’s ear.

Upon hearing these words, Si Qing's eyes widened immediately.

"Is this really true?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "But if she truly cared about the Prince, why did she do this in the first place..."

"Shh!" Granny Qi said sternly, "Do you want everyone to hear this?"

Si Qing covered her mouth and continued to listen to Granny Qi's scolding: "I think the current princess is much better."