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

"Nonsense!"

Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a sweet voice.

The group turned around and saw Shen Lingyi standing not far away, pouting slightly, looking quite unhappy.

She wore a red dress with a white fox fur coat over it. Her exquisitely beautiful face was carefully made up, with a floral decoration between her eyebrows, making her as delicate and beautiful as a plum blossom in winter.

She ran closer, gave Xu Yanqing a perfunctory bow, and then tugged at Shen Tingjiao's sleeve, complaining, "Is this how you let the nanny talk nonsense, sister? Mother just gave you a Suzhou-embroidered Shu brocade dress, which I haven't even worn myself. I thought you would look beautiful in it, so I came to see if you were wearing it, but instead I heard this. It's truly disheartening!"

Xu Yanqing was taken aback and gave Granny Feng a scrutinizing look.

Shen Tingjiao was somewhat surprised that she was not as spoiled as usual. She subconsciously looked at Xu Yanqing and saw that his expression was indifferent. Her heart was pounding.

Granny Feng quickly came to Shen Tingjiao's rescue: "It's all my fault. Madam did send someone to deliver the clothes, but I forgot about them for a moment because they were in the closet. I'll get them when I get back."

Xu Yanqing lowered his eyes and looked at Shen Tingjiao with an ambiguous expression.

This old woman is really quite unruly.

Shen Tingjiao nodded quickly, grasped Shen Lingyi's hand in return, and said apologetically, "Granny Feng is old and her memory isn't very good. Can I put it on when we get back? Thank you for your kindness, sister."

Shen Lingyi snorted lightly: "Fine, I knew it would turn out like this, so I had Shaoyao bring you a change of clothes beforehand. I'll go with you to change, so that others won't think your mother is mistreating you!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Tingjiao immediately felt guilty and wanted to explain, but Shen Lingyi had already pulled her away into the distance. Granny Feng gritted her teeth in anger and quickly chased after them.

Shen Lingyi took her hand and said in a soft voice, "Sister, stop pretending. You just want to play the victim so His Highness will pity you, right? I'm not a good person, but you're not exactly innocent either."

Shen Tingjiao bit her lower lip, her mind in turmoil. She wondered how much of what her words had been believed by His Highness. She would even intentionally or unintentionally coax such a charming beauty, and now she had become His Highness's savior. Would His Highness really be able to resist disliking her?

Granny Feng subtly pushed her aside, her eyes wide with anger: "Second Miss, don't go too far! My young lady is not like you!"

Shen Lingyi laughed, "Granny Feng, do you think that just because you're Grandmother's person, no one in the manor dares to touch you?"

Granny Feng clenched her fists, her breathing becoming uneven with anger.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Shen Lingyi deliberately slowed her pace and leisurely added fuel to the fire: "To be honest, I also want the position of Crown Princess. Since I was a child, no one has been able to take away what I've set my sights on, let alone an older sister who has never been close to me and always sides with outsiders. Anyone who blocks my path to success, I will cut off their way out!"

"You vile woman, go to hell!"

Enraged, Feng Mama's mind went blank, and she suddenly pushed her hard.

"what!"

Shen Lingyi cried out in surprise, slipped and fell into the pool, grabbing Feng Mama's hand in the process, and the two of them fell into the water.

"Granny!"

Shen Tingjiao was extremely anxious, but fortunately, Granny Feng was close to the shore, and she used all her strength to pull the person back.

Peony rolled her eyes at Shen Tingjiao, then feigned surprise and shouted, "Something terrible has happened! My young lady has been pushed into the water! Help! Someone, come quick!"

A figure rushed over, and Shen Tingjiao looked up and exclaimed, "Your Highness?"

Xu Yanqing gazed at the mirror-like surface of the lake, his brow furrowed.

The lake water was icy cold in the dead of winter, and Granny Feng shivered like a leaf. Suddenly, a wave of fear washed over her. If the second young lady really died, it would surely implicate the eldest young lady...

Shen Tingjiao hugged Granny Feng tightly, anxiously saying, "Your Highness, my sister is still in the lake! Quickly, send Yuanfeng to rescue her!"

The next moment, Xu Yanqing took off his cloak and jumped into the water.

"Your Highness!!!"

Shen Tingjiao stood there, stunned, unable to believe what she had just witnessed:

The Crown Prince actually jumped into the water to save someone?

Didn't he know that Shen Lingyi would be soaking wet by then, and that men and women shouldn't be in close contact?!

Peony tried her best to look like she was about to cry, desperately suppressing the laughter churning inside her.

These idiots! Her young lady is an excellent swimmer.

Shen Lingyi let herself sink to the bottom of the lake, watching as the sunlight refracted across the lake surface was broken, and Xu Yanqing's figure appeared in the water. A smug look flashed in her eyes.

She was determined to make him love her so much that he couldn't get enough of her, and then crush him under her feet.

Xu Yanqing stared intently at her, a strange emotion rising in his heart.

As bubbles rose from Shen Lingyi's mouth, her beautiful eyes slowly closed, and she sank towards the bottom of the lake.

Xu Yanqing's heart tightened, and he immediately swam faster towards her. He held her tightly, and the two of them swam to the surface.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

As soon as he got ashore, Shen Tingjiao ran to him. Seeing that he was soaking wet, she felt sorry for him and quickly took off her cloak and gave it to him.

Xu Yanqing ignored her, instead picking Shen Lingyi up in his arms and ordering, "Summon the imperial physician."

Half an hour later, Shen Lingyi slowly woke up.

Xu Yanqing stood not far away with his hands clasped behind his back. When he saw that she had woken up, he stepped forward.

She immediately grabbed the corner of the blanket and covered her face, quickly turning over so that he didn't even see the back of her head; she was clearly angry.

"Jiaojiao is your sister. Harmony in the family brings prosperity. I admit I was a bit biased earlier, but the banquet has already begun, and I'm here with you. Don't you know what's good for you?"

"..."

No one answered.

Peony, standing to the side, desperately suppressed the upward curve of her lips. If we're talking about skill, her young lady's methods are truly superior!

Xu Yanqing was not annoyed. He sat down in his chair and said, "I have sent people to invite you seven times in the past few days. I wanted to thank you properly, but you always claimed to be sick and refused to see me. Now that I have seen you, as long as you explain the matter of the witchcraft doll to me, I can grant you one wish."

After a long while, a muffled sound came from under the covers.

"It's all your fault. I helped you a lot despite past grievances, so shouldn't you help me back?"

Xu Yanqing raised an eyebrow.

Since he became the crown prince, he has been surrounded by sycophants, but this is the first time I've seen someone so audacious.

The girl on the bed slowly lifted the covers. Shen Lingyi murmured, her eyelashes fluttering, her eyes filled with a hint of hope: "Your Highness said he would grant me one wish, so could you... allow me to enter the palace at any time?"

"...What?"

Xu Yanqing frowned, thinking he had misheard.

Shen Lingyi pouted, pulled her slender white forearm back, and muttered softly, "I've already said I don't like you anymore, and you only want to be my future brother-in-law, so of course I'll look for someone else."

The current founding emperor, Pei Heng, is eight years older than Xu Yanqing, and his harem is empty.

Because he had no heir and suffered from multiple chronic illnesses, it was unknown when he would pass away, so the crown prince was chosen from among the sons of the nobility.

But she knew the whole plot: the emperor lived to be ninety years old, which meant that Xu Yanqing was the crown prince for his entire life, and the female lead, Shen Tingjiao, was the crown princess for her entire life.

If you want to climb a high branch, you should climb the highest branch. She knew that Pei Heng was childless because he was cursed. If she could get pregnant with Pei Heng's child, wouldn't she be able to live a carefree life for the rest of her life?

Outside the door, a pair of hands with distinct knuckles and tiny scars were about to knock when they heard the voice and their fingertips paused in mid-air, raising an eyebrow.

He silently asked the eunuch behind him: "Trying to climb the social ladder, is that what I'm doing?"