Transmigrating into a book to save her best friend, her sickly husband vies for her affections every

Ji Anzhi's eyes were bloodshot. "Back then, when we were fleeing for our lives, she was pregnant with my younger brother, so I didn't care about her life or death at all..."

Tingyao instinctively reached out and hugged her, gently patting her back. "I'm sorry, I was too late."

Ji Anzhi buried her head in her shoulder and sobbed, hugging her tightly. "It's not too late, thank you for coming to take me away, sister..."

Tingyao resolved her confusion.

Ji Anzhi was raped and forced into a relationship with Zhao Sicong, so she hated and loathed him. The only lifeline she could reach in the Eastern Palace was Zhang Zhan, which led to a series of side stories later on.

At that moment, Tingyao briefly set aside her concern for the plot and held the vibrant life in her arms tightly.

In the heavy rain, the two sisters huddled together.

Tingyao saw a figure moving in the distance and quickly hid Ji Anzhi behind her back.

As she drew closer, Tingyao recognized Zhang Zhan as the one rushing towards her through the rain.

Zhang Zhan glanced at the two women, then immediately turned away, pulled off his arrow-shaped cloak, and handed them over along with his oil-paper umbrella. "Miss Ji, Miss Ji, go and change into some clean clothes. Don't worry."

Tingyao shielded Ji Anzhi with her hands behind her back, watching Zhang Zhan warily.

"If Miss Ji doesn't believe me, does she not believe this person?" Zhang Zhan took out a jade pendant and handed it to Tingyao to see.

It was Meng**'s personal jade pendant.

Tingyao took the jade pendant and examined it closely, confirming that it was Meng**'s personal jade pendant. Only then did she lower her guard and accept his umbrella in the rain, saying, "Thank you, Prince Zhang."

"Miss Meng is waiting for you in the courtyard where she is resting. Go quickly. Don't worry, as long as you don't spread the word, no one will know that today's events happened."

The meaning is clear: Ji Anzhi's presence here is not within his scope of responsibility for handling the aftermath, making it very difficult for him to get the Crown Prince to back down voluntarily.

"Young Master Zhang," Ji Anzhi called out to the person who had taken a few steps away, "My sister accidentally injured the Crown Prince's arm while saving me. Please be considerate. We should help him to the end. If there is anything we sisters can do to help you in the future, please just let us know."

Zhang Zhan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he quickened his pace to disappear.

After watching Zhang Zhan leave to find Zhao Sicong, Ji Anzhi quickly put a cloak on her, thinking that leaving this place was the most important thing.

“We can’t stay here. We need to go home.” Ji Anzhi grabbed Tingyao’s arm, her expression serious. “It’s not safe here. If Zhang Zhan doesn’t persuade the Crown Prince, he will immediately turn around and accuse us of seducing him, or of you of assassinating him. Neither of us will have a good ending.”

Tingyao said no, if that were really the case, she couldn't let the Crown Prince talk nonsense, running away would be tantamount to admitting guilt.

"Would you trust me just this once?"

Ji Anzhi shook her head; in her eyes, Tingyao was just a simple-minded older sister.

Tingyao: ...

That's so hurtful, she really hurt people.

"Give me a chance to prove myself." Tingyao pulled her along. "Come on, would I ever hurt you?"

**

Meng** is the daughter of a high-ranking official of the second rank. She has a separate courtyard for resting, and the maids accompanying her are all domestic servants, so they can be trusted completely.

With just one glance, Meng** understood what Ji Anzhi had gone through. She pulled Tingyao, who had changed her clothes first, and whispered, "Should we get some contraceptive medicine? Who is that bastard? I'll have someone beat him to death!"

"No need, it didn't work." Tingyao shushed and poked Meng**'s nose. "You keep talking about taking lives. You may be the daughter of a high-ranking official, but there are officials above officials, and even members of the imperial family. Be careful what you say."

Meng didn't care at all.

Who in the capital wouldn't give her face because of her status?

Ruyi knocked on the door, "Miss, Young Master Zhong, who serves the Ninth Prince, has arrived."

Tingyao hurriedly said, "Let him come in quickly."

As Zhong Youling entered carrying his medicine box, he was immediately intimidated by Meng**'s icy gaze and straightened his back.

Meng** crossed his arms and looked him up and down. "The brothel has lost a little restaurant that looks just like Prince Zhang, and Zhao Siwei has gained a pretty boy strategist. Bah, what a filthy mind."

Zhong Youling knew what people were saying about him behind his back, but this was the only one who dared to criticize him directly.

Zhao Siwei also spoke frankly with him, specifically asking him to try to gain favor with Meng**. I couldn't understand what he meant, but I think it was probably just trying to curry favor.

However, firstly, he is not good at pleasing people, and secondly, Meng** doesn't seem like someone who can be easily pleased.

Meng** spat lightly, "A clumsy imitation."

Zhong Youling: "..."

"Please trouble Mr. Zhong to go in and treat my sister first." Tingyao pulled Meng** aside to talk, and patted the jade pendant on her chest. "This is something you've always carried with you since you were little. How can you give it to a man outside the family?"

“Zhang Zhan isn’t a bad person.” Meng** didn’t think there was anything wrong with it and argued, “Well, not really. After you left, Zhang Zhan finished playing ball and came to greet me. He actually remembered me and asked if I was feeling better. Then Shishi came over. Zhang Zhan is smart, I don’t know how he found the flaw in my words! He said he was coming to see you and even asked if I had anything as a token to make you believe him. Oh, see, he helped you!”

Tingyao suffocated.

It's easy to imagine how much Meng** and Zhang Zhan talked back and forth.

Sensing her best friend's anger, Meng quickly wrapped her arms around Tingyao's and pleaded, "I know, I'll never take the jade pendant off me again. I guess I helped out today!"

Tingyao didn't reply. Why would Zhang Zhan suddenly approach Meng** out of the blue? It was so strange, so eerie, and so unsettling.

“I know what’s right. Think about Ji Anzhi first.” Meng lowered his voice. “It’s not fair to her if she becomes the Crown Prince’s concubine like this. The Crown Prince is clearly a rapist and should be physically castrated.”

Even if they don't go all the way to the end, once the clothes are off, they've probably already started talking and touching. If things really get out of hand, the only outcome will be that Ji Anzhi goes to the East Palace, and the Crown Prince gets a reputation for being responsible.

Bah! This world has always been full of love for men.

Tingyao looked at Ji Anzhi, who was taking her pulse inside, and said, "Then we can't just stand by and watch her go down the wrong path."

For now, all we can do is wait, wait for Zhang Zhan to make the Crown Prince back down, or wait for the Crown Prince to come knocking on our door and cause trouble. We'll settle this matter today.

Meng asked hesitantly, "By the way, Zhang Zhan helped you. Do you think I should go and thank him?"

Tingyao could easily see through her little scheme; she simply wanted a legitimate excuse to approach him. She directly rejected the idea, saying, "Young Master Zhang is the Crown Prince's study companion, so it's only right that he helps the Crown Prince resolve his troubles. He should thank the Ji family on behalf of the Crown Prince for not pursuing the matter."

Meng pouted, "What a heartless statement." She always felt that Tingyao harbored a lot of malice towards Zhang Zhan.

"You called me heartless?" Tingyao glanced at her. "Have you forgotten our goal?"

Meng** quickly shook her head, "Baby, I remember everything. We'll survive to the end, complete our part in the story, and become rich women."

As she spoke, she pointed three fingers to the sky and swore an oath, followed by a series of three praises: "My precious son is the most understanding, the most considerate, and the most magnanimous!"

Tingyao: "..."