Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Jiang Sese's first reaction was "Holy crap!" and she quickly looked around—luckily, Zhang Fumeng had already cleared out the maids before she stayed to talk.

Zhang Fumeng herself knew the seriousness of the situation. Her fingers twisted the handkerchief, her eyes were as red as a rabbit's, and tears were teetering on the edge of their sockets.

"Are you out of your mind?" Jiang Sese lowered her voice, feeling her temples throbbing.

Could it be that he wore himself out from reading too many storybooks?

But she didn't write any plot points like a rich heiress eloping for love!

Zhang Fumeng's shoulders shrugged slightly at what she was being told, but she didn't argue back. Instead, she twisted the handkerchief in her hand even tighter.

Jiang Sese found something was off. Normally, Zhang Fumeng would definitely talk back if she was criticized, but today she was as quiet as a quail.

"It's not about the storybook," Zhang Fumeng shook her head, her voice muffled and slightly nasal, "It's because I genuinely like him."

"Which 'him'?" Jiang Sese asked gossipy.

Zhang Fumeng hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Shen Ziyu."

Jiang Sese remembered that Zhang Fumeng had mentioned her relationship with Shen Ziyu before, and that she had a good impression of Shen Ziyu.

But Jiang Sese didn't expect that the two of them would have reached this point so quickly.

Elopement is a very shocking thing even in modern times.

Zhang Fumeng's eyes slowly reddened, her nose tingled, and tears hung on her eyelashes, threatening to fall: "I like Shen Ziyu."

"But he is upright and incorruptible, rigid and inflexible, and his family background and stance are completely opposite to those of our Zhang family. My father and my brother would never agree to my marriage to him."

Who wouldn't want to marry someone they love?

In Zhang Fumeng's view, no matter how powerful or influential someone is, they can't compare to someone with good character. And she had seen Shen Ziyu's character for herself.

Zhang Fumeng's tears finally fell, and she sobbed, "My father and the others only want me to marry someone powerful and influential, but how is the Princess Consort of a powerful and influential man like Chen Jinghuan doing?"

Jiang Sese paused for a moment upon hearing Chen Jinghuan's name.

The example was so realistic that she couldn't refute it.

Jiang Sese thought for a moment and said gently, "Chen Jinghuan is a minority. You can't generalize and condemn all people. There are always those who are powerful and have good character—look at Xie Jue, isn't he a good person? Isn't he powerful?"

Zhang Fumeng looked at her with tearful eyes and said softly, "Lord Xie only has one, and he's already yours."

Jiang Sese was taken aback by what she said, then thought for a moment and said, "What about my brother Fu Wenzhao? He's gentle, steady, and comes from a good family."

Zhang Fumeng shook her head, pursed her lips, and stubbornly said, "That's different, I just like Shen Ziyu!"

Seeing Zhang Fumeng's appearance, Jiang Sese frowned, her heart skipped a beat, and her mind was filled with outrageous doubts: "Did Shen Ziyu seduce you and instigate you to elope with him?"

Oh my god!

Is Shen Ziyu's image also falling apart?

Xie Yihua's image collapsed because she didn't die.

But she and Shen Ziyu had only met once from beginning to end! How come he was also affected by the butterfly effect and completely went astray?

There has to be a reason why someone's public image collapses!

Just as Jiang Sese was wildly imagining things, Zhang Fumeng hurriedly shook her head, her eyes reddening even more, and defended Shen Ziyu, saying, "No! No! Don't guess! It's just my own idea, I want to elope with him, it has nothing to do with him!"

Jiang Sese: ...

Jiang Sese took a deep breath before asking again, "Have you... told him about this?"

Zhang Fumeng glared at her, as if she had asked a stupid question: "Of course not! I just wanted to discuss it with you first, didn't I?"

Jiang Sese let out a long sigh of relief and wiped her forehead. "Fu Meng, you need to get this idea out of your head right now. It's absolutely not going to happen. If Shen Ziyu likes you too, he should come and propose openly and honestly. Even if he gets kicked out, he should find another way. If he doesn't even have that much sense of responsibility, he doesn't deserve you at all."

After Jiang Sese finished speaking, she suddenly remembered the plot of the original book.

In the original book, after the Second Prince ascended the throne, Zhang Fumeng, as the Second Prince's cousin, did not marry Chu Shaoyuan due to Xie Jue's manipulation, but she did marry a general.

However, the author didn't write a single word about how Zhang Fumeng fared after marrying that general.

Jiang Sese looked at Zhang Fumeng, whose eyes were red and who was crying her eyes out for Shen Ziyu, and suddenly felt conflicted. Should she help Zhang Fumeng get together with Shen Ziyu, or should she let her wait for her general?

Jiang Sese sighed. She had transmigrated into a book, but she was still completely clueless about things not written in the book.

But precisely because it's not written in the book, how this path unfolds depends entirely on Zhang Fumeng's own choices.

Jiang Sese held Zhang Fumeng's hand, her tone earnest yet gentle: "If you really can't let him go, I'll have Xie Jue ask him what he thinks for you another day."

A glint of light instantly lit up Zhang Fumeng's eyes, unable to hide her joy, and she repeatedly thanked Jiang Sese.

Jiang Sese kept her word and brought up the matter with Xie Jue when she met him that day.

Xie Jue pondered for a moment, then said in a calm tone, "Putting aside whether Shen Ziyu is willing or not, the Zhang family definitely doesn't think much of Shen Ziyu."

Jiang Sese knew perfectly well: "Ke Fumeng is sincere. Could you help me find out if he has feelings for Fumeng in the same way?"

Xie Jue looked at Jiang Sese, a slight smile playing on his lips: "You certainly know how to take on trouble. Zhang Fumeng's marriage is a matter for the Zhang family to handle. Aren't you afraid they'll say you're overstepping your bounds by sticking your neck out for her?"

Jiang Sese shook her head and said, "Fu Meng is sincere, and if Shen Ziyu is sincere too, why can't they be together? I just don't want her to do something irreversible in a moment of impulse. If there's a proper way to go, why take the long way?"

Jiang Sese ultimately didn't utter the words "elope."

Xie Jue looked at her for a moment, his eyes filled with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence.

When Xie Jue spoke again, his tone was still indifferent, but he was already planning ahead for her: "I understand. I'll ask him myself, and no one else will notice. Just don't let Zhang Fumeng know anything yet."

"I know." Jiang Sese's eyes lit up, and she readily agreed, "Then I'll thank you on her behalf!"

Xie Jue smiled leisurely at her: "What are you going to use to thank me this time? Crabs again?"

Jiang Sese wore her hair in a high bun today, with a red gold hairpin inserted diagonally and a flower ornament fixed at the back. Combined with her delicate face, as smooth as jade, her black hair accentuated her snow-white skin, and her red lips revealed her pearly teeth, the contrast between warm and cool colors was breathtaking, and her radiance pierced the eyes of those around her, making them lose their focus at first glance.

Jiang Sese felt a slight warmth on her ear tips, and quickly leaned in to kiss Xie Jue on the cheek.

Instantly separate.

Xie Jue sighed, "Is this what you call 'thank you'?"

Before Jiang Sese could object, Xie Jue took the initiative, pulled her close, and kissed her.

After the kiss.

Xie Jue smiled and said, "Now that's how you thank me."