Quick Transmigration: The Control Group in Sweet Novels

Cheng'an followed behind, a sense of unease creeping into his mind.

What's wrong with the Crown Prince today?

From childhood to adulthood, the crown prince had never asked these questions.

He carefully observed Shen Hengzhi's expression and guessed that the old lady had brought up the young master's marriage again, and he was in a bad mood at the moment.

He secretly glanced at Qi Yang, who also looked bewildered, her head bowed and cautious, completely lacking the liveliness she had shown outside the door earlier.

And so, the three of them returned to the courtyard in silence. Suddenly, Shen Hengzhi spoke up, "Cheng'an, go and clean the study."

Upon hearing this, Cheng'an knew that the young master was going to study again, so he quickly agreed. Just as he was about to turn around, he heard Shen Hengzhi add, "A-Yang, go and make a pot of tea."

"Yes."

The two went their separate ways.

When Qi Yang arrived at the tea room, she fetched tea and boiled water. Carrying the tea tray, she walked towards the study, just as Cheng An came out of the study.

The two exchanged glances, and Cheng'an winked at her, lowering his voice to say, "Young Master seems to be in a bad mood today, so please be careful in serving him."

Qi Yang was taken aback. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know either." Cheng'an scratched his head. "It was like this when I came out of the old lady's courtyard. Maybe the old lady is pressuring me too much about the young master's marriage."

Qi Yang nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

A voice suddenly came from inside the study, calm and gentle, "Ayang, come in."

Qi Yang responded through the door, carried the tea tray into the study, and placed the teacup beside Shen Hengzhi.

Shen Hengzhi never looked up, his brows furrowed as he stared at the object in his hand. Qi Yang couldn't help but be curious and secretly glanced at it, then paused.

What Shen Hengzhi was holding between his fingertips was clearly her homework.

Judging from his expression, he seemed to have a lot to say about this assignment.

Spending these past few days with Shen Hengzhi had emboldened Qi Yang, and she couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, is there a problem with my homework?"

Shen Hengzhi put the homework on the table and hummed in agreement.

It's not just a problem, it's a big one.

He gestured for Qi Yang to come closer, his long, slender, fair fingers landing on a spot on the paper. "This character isn't written like that."

Qi Yang bent over, her gaze following the direction.

Sensing the girl's body suddenly approaching, Shen Hengzhi lowered his long eyelashes, concealing the emotions in his eyes. He patted the seat beside him, "Sit down."

Qi Yang sat down as he suggested.

Shen Hengzhi cupped her small hand again and wrote on the paper, "Watch carefully."

The two of them almost blended together, and as Qi Yang wrote with his strength, she could clearly feel the warmth emanating from their skin as they touched.

She pursed her lips, forcibly suppressing the romantic feelings in her heart, and focused intently on the paper.

She was still clumsy at holding a pen; her fingers wouldn't cooperate, and sometimes she would dip the pen in too much ink, causing it to bleed onto the paper. But fortunately, Qi Yang was serious about her work, and every assignment she handed in was written stroke by stroke.

This time, however, Shen Hengzhi was not as open-minded as he had been the first time.

He was surrounded by a girl's fragrance, and his small, delicate hands were enveloped in his palms. His entire slender body was enveloped in his embrace, and if he were any closer, he could hug her from behind.

Shen Heng subconsciously held his breath, forced himself to look away, and focused all his attention on teaching.

Only after Qi Yang was able to finish writing on that sheet of paper on her own did she look up at Shen Hengzhi with bright, sparkling eyes. "Your Highness, is that so?"

Shen Hengzhi smiled and nodded. "Not bad."

The girl lowered her head, revealing her fair and slender neck, completely unaware of the gaze directed at her from behind.

After a moment, Shen Hengzhi withdrew his gaze and sighed silently.

What is he thinking?

A young maidservant, innocent and naive, with clear eyes, knows nothing.

It was his impure intentions that led him to this.

Could it be that he's really reached the age where he should be getting married?

No one knew the troubles in Shen Hengzhi's heart. On the other hand, Xie had been sending people to keep an eye on the situation in the Prince's courtyard these past few days, and now news had arrived.

The old woman recounted in detail, "These past few days, whenever the young master is in the manor, he has that girl A-Yang with him. I heard that the young master has even taught that girl to write. The two of them have been spending time alone in the study, but there has been no movement from them for a long time."

Madam Xie's expression changed repeatedly as she listened. "Really?"

The old woman nodded firmly, "It's true."

A wise child is better than his mother.

With her keen mind, Madam Xie had already noticed Shen Hengzhi's unusual behavior. The news she had just received brought her a slight sense of relief, as it seemed her son was still normal.

Heaven knows how worried she was that Shen Hengzhi was still unwilling to get married at this age.

The old nanny was an old woman whom Madam Xie had brought from the palace. Having served her for many years, she knew her mistress's thoughts better than anyone. She smiled and said, "Now Madam can rest assured."

Madam Xie sighed and said, "This child is the only thing that worries me."

The old woman thought for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, "How about we make A-Yang the young master's personal maid?"

Madam Xie had considered this possibility, but in the end she shook her head. "Never mind, Hengzhi is a man of his own mind, and it's not appropriate for me to interfere."

The old woman listened and agreed.

Given Shen Hengzhi's personality, he will definitely strive for the people and things he wants. If outsiders interfere, it might backfire.

*

After Shen Hengzhi returned to the capital, he was appointed by the emperor as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. The Court of Judicial Review was located in the southeast of the capital. With its gray walls and black tiles, and two majestic stone lions sitting in front of the gate, it already felt solemn and dignified even from the outside.

Qi Yang stood outside the gate with a food box in hand, looking up at the three large characters "Dali Temple" on the black plaque, her heart pounding.

The words of Granny Li still seemed to echo in my ears: Madam had specially instructed the kitchen to stew several large pots of chicken soup early this morning to nourish the old lady and the young master, but the young master was tied up with official business and sent a message back to the mansion.

Therefore, Qi Yang arrived at the gate of Dali Temple at this moment.

She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and explained her purpose to the gatekeeper. The burly guard standing watch outside, with a long sword at his waist, glanced at her and asked coldly, "Do you have a nameplate?"

Qi Yang had already prepared the doorplate that Li Mama would give her to prove the identity of the Marquis's mansion.

The guard took it, examined it carefully for a few moments, and noticed the maid's clothes she was wearing. He didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "Shen Shaoqing is currently being interrogated in the prison at the back. Just walk along this corridor, and turn left after the third door."

Qi Yang thanked her and lifted her skirt to go inside.

Upon entering, she discovered that the Dali Temple was far more expansive than she had imagined. Door after door led through the dark corridors, a chilling, eerie atmosphere permeating the air. Qi Yang rubbed her thin clothes and followed the directions given by the guards.

The further you go in, the dimmer the light becomes.

A damp, rotten smell, mixed with the stench of rust and mildew, filled the air and entered her nostrils without any obstruction.