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

Shen Lingyi remained calm, with a faint smile.

"Princess Su is so dazzling and offensive."

Princess Su's expression immediately turned sour, and Xu Yanqing also frowned as he looked at the untimely servant.

The servant asked cautiously, "Should we call her in?"

Just as Xu Yanqing was about to speak, Shen Lingyi said, "Sister must have come here specifically to see His Highness. Why not let her in? It's freezing cold outside; her health might not be able to withstand it."

In fact, Xu Yanqing thought so too. As soon as he heard Shen Tingjiao waiting outside, he thought of her frail and delicate body.

Unlike Shen Lingyi, everyone knew that her elder sister had been frail since childhood.

However, after Shen Lingyi said that, he felt uncomfortable as if his thoughts had been exposed.

Princess Su glared at her good-for-nothing son: "We shouldn't have kept them waiting. Go and bring them in yourself."

After Xu Yanqing got up and left, Shen Lingyi seemed to be deep in thought.

What was Shen Tingjiao doing here at this time?

She tried to recall the contents of the storybook, but found that the originally clear words seemed to have been blurred by water, gradually becoming indistinct in her mind, and she could only remember the general outline.

Is this the chosen one? She's not even allowed to interfere with the heroine's fate, even though she's a minor character who's managed to awaken. Everything she knows has to be erased.

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."

Shen Tingjiao tripped and fell outside the corridor. Her head was covered in snow, and her nose, red from the cold, was catching her breath. She was so frail that she needed Xu Yanqing's support to walk.

Xu Yanqing held her icy hand, frowning repeatedly. "Why is it so cold? Doesn't your maid even know how to take care of her mistress?"

Linlang was so frightened that her face turned pale and she almost knelt down.

Shen Tingjiao shook her head and gave a bitter smile: "It's my own problem, not her fault. I was made to kneel for a long time by my grandmother before I came out, so my knees hurt and I couldn't stand up."

Linlang couldn't help but interject, "Eldest Miss, you're still speaking up for Second Miss at a time like this... It's clear that the Old Madam punished you because of Second Miss."

Xu Yanqing's gaze fell on Linlang, colder than the swirling snow outside: "People can't just say whatever they want just because they have a mouth."

Linlang was speechless.

Shen Tingjiao's face paled slightly, and she clenched her hands, changing the subject: "Hearing that the Princess Consort is not feeling well, I specially prepared a nourishing ginseng and black chicken soup, hoping it will suit the Princess Consort's taste."

"You're so thoughtful." Xu Yanqing's tone was warm.

Shen Ting blushed shyly and carefully handed over a sachet, "Your Highness, this is from my own hand..."

Xu Yanqing was slightly taken aback when he saw the exquisite sachet.

He knew that in the Great Wei Dynasty, men and women exchanged sachets to express their affection. Logically speaking, since he and Shen Tingjiao were in love and had already broken off their engagement, there was nothing wrong with them.

But why doesn't he want to take it?

Just as he was wondering how to respond, Shen Lingyi stepped out of the bedroom and immediately understood when she saw the sachet that Shen Tingjiao hadn't given her. "I was wondering why you didn't come in when you arrived, leaving me and the Princess waiting inside. So you were expressing your feelings to His Highness the Crown Prince. And what does His Highness think?"

The girl's eyebrows danced with delight. As the wind swept through, snowflakes swirled and danced in the air. She was like a rabbit hopping around in the snow, and there was no trace of worry in her gaze as she looked over.

Xu Yanqing's gaze softened, and the burning passion in her heart vanished without a trace.

"I cannot accept it."

Shen Tingjiao's eyelashes trembled twice, and she forced a smile. "It's alright. Perhaps my embroidery is not good enough... I will send Your Highness a better one next time. Please consider this one as a prayer for the Princess Consort."

Without a word, she stuffed the sachet into Xu Yanqing's palm. He was about to frown when he took it out and found a neatly folded peace charm and a few longans inside.

These are all derived from the meaning of peace and safety.

Shen Tingjiao really put her heart into it; it's not easy to ask for such a peace charm on such a cold day.

He softened and said, "In that case, I will thank you on behalf of my mother."

Shen Tingjiao burst into laughter again in the blink of an eye, while Shen Lingyi, who was watching from the side, felt nothing but sarcasm.

"Hmm, this sachet looks familiar," she said with a slight smile.

Shen Tingjiao froze, her face betraying her guilt. She tried to change the subject, "Perhaps my sister has misremembered. Let's hurry inside and check on the Princess, or the soup will get cold..."

Shen Lingyi then continued, "I remember now, Sister Linlang came to the academy a few days ago to ask you about the design of the sachet. So this is the one she chose."

She nodded as she spoke, "The love pendant looks quite unique. Does Your Highness like it?"

Xu Yanqing's face darkened.

Shen Lingyi didn't see the pattern on the sachet when she came over, but she pointed it out now, which means what she said is true.

Thinking of the deep emotion he had just felt, he forced himself to return the sachet: "My mother is not lacking in such things while she is ill. You should keep it for yourself."

Seeing Shen Tingjiao's trembling expression, Shen Lingyi almost burst out laughing.

Linlang wanted to help her young mistress, so she cried and said, "Second Miss, why do you have to target the eldest young lady like this? Do you know that the eldest young lady stayed up all night to make this tonic soup for the princess so that it could be delivered so early in the morning?"

"Linlang, stop talking." Shen Tingjiao turned to the side, wiping away her tears, looking heartbroken.

Shen Lingyi raised an eyebrow. "Well, I didn't stop you from going in. You can just send them in if you want."

Linlang glared at her fiercely, but in the end she couldn't bear to see all her hard work go to waste, so she thought of quickly taking the tonic soup out.

As soon as I reached the curtain, a hand lifted it open.

"No need to bother, I just woke up and can't eat such good food."

Princess Su, though looking ill, stood there, her frailty not diminishing her imposing presence in the slightest.

Shen Tingjiao could no longer maintain her composure. "Your Highness, I specifically consulted the imperial physician about this tonic soup."

"Thank you, Miss Shen." The princess expressed her gratitude verbally, but did not take any action.

Shen Tingjiao was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to proceed or retreat.

Xu Yanqing was about to speak when Princess Su interrupted her, "I am not yet fully recovered and do not want to make a fuss. I will be avoiding guests for the next few days. Yan'er, please see the guests back."

He turned and reached out to Shen Lingyi, beckoning her to come inside with him.

Princess Su's attitude towards her and Shen Tingjiao was quite distinctly different.

The snow was still falling. Shen Tingjiao stood at the entrance of the Prince's Mansion, and the maid beside her wanted to comfort her but couldn't find the words.

Shen Tingjiao handed her the bowl of soup and said coldly, "Go feed it to the dogs."

Linlang was stunned for a moment, then did as she was told.

Shen Tingjiao glanced at the tightly closed gates of the Prince's Mansion, and thinking that she hadn't been able to see Hongxiang even once from beginning to end, she couldn't help but feel extremely anxious.

Linlang poured the steaming soup into the alley, and the soup with meat bones quickly attracted stray dogs to share it.

She sighed regretfully and walked away, unaware that an exceptionally thin dog staggered a few steps.