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

Only after the carriage had gone far away did Shen Lingyi realize that her body was extremely weak.

They underestimated the "old emperor" who hadn't eaten meat for over twenty years. It must have been tough for her to maintain her composure the whole way.

All she wanted to do was go back and take a hot shower to wash away the stickiness.

"Look at our Miss Shen, so flustered! Where did she come from?"

Wei Chengrui emerged from the shadows of the wall, arms crossed, with a half-smile on his face.

Shen Lingyi glanced at the fallen leaves on his shoulder, then slowly moved her gaze to his unruly and flamboyant face, where she saw those familiar tiger teeth.

Remembering how he used to climb over the wall with a smile, holding a string of candied hawthorns to see her, she suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.

At that time, he called out "Miss Shen the Second" in a voice full of laughter.

Now he looks at me with hostility.

The story of childhood sweethearts turning into mortal enemies is something that many people in the capital talk about with great interest.

However, Shen Lingyi did not regret it, whether you call her vain or treacherous.

Everyone can climb up, so why can't she?

"I was just taking a stroll outside the manor, but you, Your Highness," Shen Lingyi said, plucking a fallen leaf from her hand. As she gracefully raised her hand, a subtle fragrance wafted through the air.

"You're here so early in the morning; have you been having people watch my movements, waiting for my return?"

dark place.

Upon hearing this, Qingyun stumbled and nearly fell flat on his back.

How did Shen Er find out about this?

Wei Chengrui's expression became unnatural for a moment, then he suddenly sniffed lightly, grabbed the girl's hand before she could pull it back, and strode to force her into a corner.

"Perhaps you should first explain where this ambergris on you came from. Tsk tsk, an unmarried woman who hasn't returned home all night, did you just get off some man's bed?"

"Snapped!"

Shen Lingyi's eyes reddened, and her outstretched hand trembled slightly: "Wei Chengrui, you're the only one I've ever thought about. I was touched to see you waiting for me just now, but now it seems all that sincerity of mine is better spent feeding dogs!"

"I'll accept whatever you say about me, but you shouldn't have joked about a woman's reputation! And you shouldn't have trampled on my feelings for you!"

Wei Chengrui was suddenly slapped, and anger was already rising to his eyebrows, but she took the initiative to attack first.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Wasn't it him who got hit? Why is Shen Lingyi crying like that?

But the girl's crying was so heartbreaking.

Not only were her curled eyelashes wet, but even her usually haughty and arrogant eyes were now glistening with tears.

He was stunned for a long time, as if he had suddenly become a mute.

Shen Lingyi... she actually cried?

Shen Lingyi threw a sachet at him with a vengeful force, "Here you go! Since I've offended the young master so much, we don't need to see each other again."

After saying this, she ran back to her residence crying, not giving him any chance to argue.

The sachet embroidered with mandarin ducks with intertwined necks rolled to the ground, covered in mud, and Wei Chengrui felt a pang in his heart.

He remembered that Shen Lingyi used to hate doing needlework the most. Every time she did it, she would prick her hand and then throw a tantrum and refuse to do it anymore.

"What's the point of doing all this needlework? I would have been better off being born a man, who could write literature and defend the country with a gun."

Wei Chengrui would then cheerfully help him pick it up, leaning against his ever-present spear, looking at the crookedly embroidered sachet, and laughing happily.

"It's alright, I don't mind."

She paused, then added, "If you can't do it, I'll do it for you. You just have to watch over me; you're not allowed to remarry even if I die."

"Hmph, I'll definitely remarry after you die!"

"..."

Qingyun approached silently, but stood aside without saying a word.

Wei Chengrui patted the mud off the sachet. The stitches on it were fine and dense, completely different from the ugly sachet he had received many years ago. He suddenly smiled.

"After all these years, there has been no progress at all."

Seeing that his master was about to be trapped again, Qingyun looked up at the sky speechlessly.

Well, after all that hard work, I've been slapped back to square one.

In fact, Shen Lingyi wiped away her tears as soon as she turned around.

She's not a crybaby, but sometimes she has to admit that men are susceptible to this. Shedding a couple of tears without saying anything is much better than trying to explain, because they'll fill in the blanks in their minds.

"Miss!"

Peony, who was dozing off inside the house, heard the noise, cried out, and rolled off the bed.

"Quickly prepare water, I want to take a bath." Shen Lingyi was exhausted from dealing with three men and didn't want to say another word.

Peony looked at her young mistress's disheveled appearance, with a few ambiguous red marks on her neck. Although she was inexperienced, she could guess what was going on.

Her hand holding the wooden spoon trembled slightly. She didn't know who the person was—the Crown Prince, or the young master who had once been engaged to Shen Lingyi…

If Shen Lingyi knew what this girl was thinking, she would definitely burst out laughing.

Peony probably never dreamed that the current majestic and powerful Emperor would become entangled with her, a complete stranger. Not to mention her, even Shen Lingyi herself never thought that such a day would come.

If she hadn't suddenly learned of her tragic fate, she would probably still be at the mercy of others.

But things are different now; she has taken control of her own destiny!

Amidst the rising steam, Shen Lingyi soaked in the warm water. The mottled marks on her body made Shaoyao's face flush. "Miss, you should also take care of your own health. This man is so reckless and doesn't know how to cherish himself; he's definitely not your true love!"

"Silly peony, there's no such thing as a true love." Shen Lingyi smiled, and since last night, something seemed to have changed without her realizing it. At this moment, there was a hint of allure in the corners of her eyes.

After saying that, he suddenly remembered something: "By the way, was there any commotion in the manor last night?"

"Just as Miss expected," Peony quickly replied, "The eldest young lady cried all night last night, saying that she dreamt that the Bodhisattva scolded her for not being sincere and insisted on going to Xiangguo Temple to pray for blessings. The old lady felt sorry for her and has already given her permission."

"Praying for blessings?"

Shen Lingyi recalled that in the storybook, Shen Tingjiao seemed to have encountered a bullied little beggar on her way to Xiangguo Temple.

This little beggar is no ordinary person. The old beggar who taught him was a legendary doctor who had long since disappeared from the martial arts world. As the doctor's disciple, he naturally inherited the doctor's mantle.

She's just not very bright; she was easily swayed by a single meal.

Later, he was falsely accused of curing the people of Liangzhou to death, and was hanged, torn to pieces.

...and her situation was even worse than hers.

Shen Lingyi didn't hesitate much. "Have the manor prepare a carriage for me. Let's get there before her."

"Yes, Miss." Peony didn't ask any further questions, as she didn't have any other skills; she just did whatever her mistress told her to do.

To Shen Lingyi's surprise, such a simple matter would encounter obstacles.

Jiang, who always obeyed her every word, looked troubled and said, "His Majesty has ordered a grand selection in the palace. All eligible daughters of officials must enter the palace for a banquet, where the Empress Dowager will personally inspect them. It would be inappropriate for you to leave your residence at this time."

What is Pei Heng trying to do?

Upon hearing this, Shen Lingyi immediately had this question in her mind.