After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

Pei Heng slowly withdrew his hand, glancing at him indifferently, "You are quite late. If you had come any later, you would have been out of the picture."

Xu Yanqing looked at Shen Lingyi's slightly flushed cheeks from the man's hand. He had guessed before that she was special in Pei Heng's heart, but seeing her in person still made his face turn pale for a moment, and even his voice sounded a beat slow.

"Your Majesty was unaware that Your Majesty was also present..."

Pei Heng showed no mercy: "The Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the nation, has completely forgotten all the etiquette and manners he learned. Who should he apologize to?"

Xu Yanqing felt extremely humiliated. He didn't think he had done anything wrong at all, but under pressure, he could only say, "I'm sorry, Miss, it was my fault for not being able to refuse Jiaojiao."

He was surprised when Shen Tingjiao went to see him.

Xu Yanqing wanted to send her back, but she kept crying.

She said she didn't want to die, and that her grandfather already cared more about Shen Lingyi, and that he wouldn't care about her life or death if they fought, so he softened.

"I dare not accept this apology from the Crown Prince."

Shen Lingyi had just escaped death and was still fuming; she had no reason to accept such a flimsy apology.

"My maternal grandfather was indeed just a merchant. He belonged to the lowest class of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, and his status was not as high as yours. However, he never did anything bad and was often charitable. The people loved him, and even Zhao Qu did not dare to touch him easily."

But it was because of this incident they orchestrated.

She lived to be over seventy years old. Her maternal grandfather, who was just a few months shy of his eightieth birthday, almost died in this dark and gloomy prison. Even when he left, he was limping. Shen Lingyi was lucky that she didn't burst into tears on the spot.

"It was my fault." Only then did Xu Yanqing lower his proud head.

He really didn't have much to explain.

"If Old Master Jiang requires anything, I am willing to make any compensation, and I believe His Majesty will not have any complaints."

This was probably the first time in over a decade that Xu Yanqing had been so humble towards someone, but Shen Lingyi didn't even bother to acknowledge her. She was giving Xu Yanqing the cold shoulder, and Shen Tingjiao would deal with it when they returned to the capital.

She had had enough of the two of them and no longer wanted Shen Tingjiao to talk about sisterly affection. She thought that sending them to the manor while they were still young was already a great help to their family.

Pei Heng finally spoke: "Find someone to escort the Second Miss back to her residence."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yanqing couldn't hold back any longer. He had wanted to ask about the relationship between the two when he came in, but Shen Lingyi was clearly hiding her emotions because of what had happened before. He knew he was in the wrong and had no choice but to admit his mistake. Now that he felt the matter was over, Xu Yanqing no longer held back.

"It's rare to see Father Emperor so considerate of anyone. Or perhaps you and the Second Miss knew each other before?"

As soon as the words were spoken, two voices rang out simultaneously, one admitting to the statement and the other denying it.

Pei Heng raised his eyebrows slightly: "I thought I was already quite familiar with the Second Miss."

Shen Lingyi gave a forced smile. How could she possibly admit to having a relationship with him in this kind of setting?

However, even a fool could see something was amiss.

Xu Yanqing's face was faintly ashen, his fists clenched so tightly they ached, and a faint sense of panic lingered in his heart, as if he had missed something. Even when he learned that Shen Lingyi had climbed into the emperor's bed, he hadn't been that agitated, because he knew very well what kind of person Pei Heng was: cold-blooded, ruthless, and an absolute tyrant.

Even if Shen Lingyi really becomes his father's woman, it won't change anything.

The scene before him was like a resounding slap in the face.

Pei Heng glanced at Xu Yanqing sideways at this moment, and Xu Yanqing was instantly startled, as if all his shameful secrets were exposed under that gaze. "Your Highness, you are of marriageable age. It's time to settle down."

"The Empress Dowager has been selecting a Crown Princess for you recently. You should be more considerate of her and not let her worry about it."

Xu Yanqing froze. How could he not understand the man's unspoken meaning? It was simply telling him to stop provoking Shen Lingyi.

Whether it was for personal or official reasons remains unknown.

Shen Lingyi was surprised and pretended to squat down, but her manner of greeting seemed perfunctory no matter how you looked at it.

With a smile, she congratulated Xu Yanqing: "It seems that it won't be long before we can drink Your Highness's wedding wine. I would like to offer my congratulations in advance to Your Highness and my elder sister on your marriage. I'm sure Your Highness is overjoyed right now."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yanqing remained silent, feeling a tightness in his chest.

It wasn't until Pei Heng chuckled that he realized the girl wasn't taking it seriously: "It's too early to congratulate you now. The Crown Princess might not be your sister."

"How is that possible?"

Linlang covered her mouth in disbelief, then cautiously looked to her side and, sure enough, saw Shen Tingjiao's stunned expression. She gently comforted her, "Miss, don't listen to what they're saying. They're just trying to deceive us and make you back down."

Shen Tingjiao, however, did not recover.

At this moment, she remembered Xu Yanqing's repeated hesitations and why, despite saying he would marry her, he always stayed by Shen Lingyi's side.

She gripped Linlang's arm tightly, not caring if she hurt her, and kept saying, "Linlang, do you remember a few days ago when we went to visit the ailing Princess Su, but we were sent away by the servants before we could even see her?"

Linlang endured the pain and said, "Miss, didn't the steward say that the Princess needed to rest quietly?"

Shen Tingjiao sneered. She didn't believe this nonsense back then, and she believed it even less now. It was just an excuse the manager used to get rid of them.

She just couldn't understand why Princess Su, who wasn't particularly close to her, had suddenly changed her attitude. To be honest, Shen Tingjiao suspected that Shen Lingyi had pulled something behind the scenes.

Otherwise, no one else would wish for her to be in trouble.

Pei Heng's words confirmed her guess: "It was Princess Su who brought up this matter. The princess felt that the crown prince needed a man who could assist him, rather than a woman who would only depend on him. But if the crown prince insisted, it was not impossible to grant his wish."

Shen Tingjiao hoped that the person in her line of sight would say a word.

But she was destined to be disappointed...

Xu Yanqing did not bring it up.

Compared to Shen Tingjiao, whom he had previously identified as his love interest, he now actually wished that Shen Lingyi would speak, even if it was just to say that she didn't want them to be together...

However, Xu Yanqing overlooked why Shen Lingyi had to bring it up. Even he himself was soft-hearted and couldn't figure out whether he liked the older sister or the younger sister.

Shen Tingjiao's fragility and dependence aroused his protective instincts.

Shen Lingyi's charming beauty is equally irresistible.

Perhaps Xu Yanqing had already been moved when Shen Lingyi looked at him with fear and panic, half-undressed, like a frightened deer that had strayed into the wilderness that night. However, due to various reasons, he refused to admit that he had changed his mind.