With a wave of his hand, the Prince's Mansion's fortune exploded throughout the entire cap

Little Jingjing blinked her big, round eyes, her gaze fixed on the jade pendant. Her nose twitched slightly as she suddenly smelled a faint, almost imperceptible odor.

The smell wasn't like the sour, rotten smell of spoiled pastries, nor the sweet fragrance of osmanthus. Instead, it was a cold, gloomy, foul odor, like moldy old wood on a rainy day, or the smell of insects hiding in a dark corner. If you smelled it closely, it even had a chilling sensation.

【Huh? What's that awful smell? It's drifting so far, it seems... it seems to be coming from the jade pendant on the young prince's waist! It really is the jade pendant! But what should we do?】

She subconsciously frowned, her small hands secretly clenching the hem of her clothes, her fingertips trembling slightly, not from fear, but from anger—this murderous aura was too cold, and she instantly sensed that something was wrong.

She quietly circulated her spiritual energy, a faint red aura swirling around her fingertips, and cautiously reached for the jade pendant at Gao Jin's waist.

She dared not get too close, for fear of being discovered, nor did she dare let the people of the Prince Jing's mansion around her notice. But even from a distance, the icy, bone-chilling aura still rebounded back along with the spiritual energy.

She steadily withdrew her fingertips, her small body not trembling at all. Instead, a hint of determination appeared in her eyes. She remained sitting obediently, her expression calm, and no one noticed anything unusual about her.

[So cold! So menacing! This is definitely not an ordinary jade pendant! This malevolent aura is so strong, it seems somewhat similar to the poison in the young prince's body, yet also different. It's colder and more sinister than the poison, piercing like an ice knife!]

[It must be this jade pendant that harmed the young prince! I have to handle this myself; I can't tell anyone, otherwise I won't be able to destroy it successfully.]

Little Jingjing frowned and tilted her head, trying to recall what her patriarch grandfather had told her when they passed by the edge of the ghost realm: some evil things are covered with heavy malevolent energy.

If you carry it on your body for a long time, it will gradually drain your vital energy, making you physically weak and mentally exhausted. If the malevolent energy is strong, it can even cause you to slowly die.

She was young then, only vaguely understanding, and thought it was just a little story told by her clan chief. But now, looking at the jade pendant on her young uncle's waist, and remembering his recent sudden illness and persistent cough, and recalling the poisonous seed she had secretly discovered hidden in his lungs with her spiritual power, a certainty quietly emerged in her mind. She remained calm, but her eyes grew increasingly resolute.

[That's definitely it! The young prince's poor health and constant illness are all because of this jade pendant! It's the evil energy on this jade pendant that's secretly draining his life force and even poisoning him!]

No, I must destroy it immediately! I can't let it hurt my little uncle anymore! I absolutely cannot tell my mother, aunt, or brothers; if they try to stop me, it will be too late.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Xiao Jingjing quietly put down the osmanthus cake in her mouth, gently patted the crumbs off her clothes, and showed no panic. She just stared intently at the jade pendant with her bright eyes, silently devising a plan in her mind, while her face remained obedient and cute.

She fooled everyone present, and some even speculated that the Prince Jing's Mansion wanted her to curry favor with the Fifth Prince, so they made her take the initiative.

[I must find a way to get this jade pendant and smash it, so it will never harm my young uncle again! My young uncle is so good, so gentle to Jingjing, he can't be hurt, I must protect him!]

Lu Wenshu was talking to Xiao Mingzhu when she clearly heard Xiao Jingjing's thoughts. Her fingertips paused slightly, and a faint worry flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it, maintaining her gentle expression as if she hadn't heard or noticed anything.

She sensed that Xiao Jingjing beside her had stopped eating osmanthus cake, assuming she was just tired of it. She lowered her head and gently patted her head, saying in a tender tone, "Jingjing, aren't you going to eat anymore? If you're tired of it, Mother will get you another snack."

Xiao Mingzhu happened to hear Xiao Jingjing's thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat, but she maintained a faint smile on her face. She took a sip of tea without showing any emotion, pretending to be focused on her conversation with Lu Wenshu, without revealing anything unusual.

Little Jingjing shook her head, revealed a sweet smile, and whispered, "Mother, I don't want to eat anymore. I want to see my little royal uncle."

Lu Wenshu smiled and nodded without changing her expression, continuing her conversation with Xiao Mingzhu in a natural tone, as if it were just a casual chat.

The three older brothers sitting next to her also clearly heard Xiao Jingjing's thoughts. Their expressions changed slightly, but they all pretended not to notice.

Zhou Rui tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes, but his face remained gentle. His gaze occasionally fell on Xiao Jingjing, but he quickly looked away, as if it were just a casual glance.

Gu Feng's aura condensed slightly, then returned to normal. He gently placed his hands on his knees, his expression calm, but his eyes kept glancing at Xiao Jingjing and Gao Jin, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

Although Xiao Yu was young, he understood his sister's thoughts. He was secretly anxious, but he remembered that his sister did not want to be discovered, so he sat obediently.

Gao Jin, who was not far away, also happened to see Xiao Jingjing looking over. He assumed that she missed him and his eyes were full of doting. He immediately got up and walked towards Xiao Jingjing and Lu Wenshu. His steps were hurried, and he stopped a short distance away.

She asked softly, "Jingjing, do you miss your little prince? Do you want to come and play with him?"

[Here he comes! The young imperial uncle has come of his own accord! This is wonderful! Now I have a chance to get close to him and retrieve that broken jade pendant! I can't let the young imperial uncle see through my intentions, nor can I let anyone around me notice anything amiss. That's the best approach.]

Little Jingjing watched Gao Jin approach, a surge of joy welling up inside her, but her face remained adorned with a sweet smile. She nodded vigorously, her voice clear and charming, "Yes! Jingjing missed Little Imperial Uncle!"

As she spoke, she pretended to be impatient, gently freeing herself from Lu Wenshu's hand. With her short legs, she slowly walked towards Gao Jin. Her steps seemed light and innocent, but she had already planned everything in her heart, and her eyes held an unwavering determination that was not easily detected.

Lu Wenshu and Xiao Mingzhu exchanged a glance, nodded in tacit agreement, and continued to pretend to chat while secretly keeping a close eye on Xiao Jingjing's every move.

The three older brothers also glanced over quietly, their expressions remaining calm. They didn't get up or say anything, but they were all secretly on guard. Their auras quietly became steady, forming an invisible barrier that silently protected Xiao Jingjing from behind.

As Gao Jin watched Xiao Jingjing slowly walk towards him, his eyes filled with even more doting affection. He smiled, reached out his hand, and said softly, "Jingjing, walk slowly, don't fall."