Chapter Two

Chen Jialuo is a dreamy, lazy girl who hopes to become rich overnight and live a life of drinking, playing, and shopping.

Unfortunately, the burdens of life weighed her down, leaving her lying in bed scrolling through videos.

Ugh, I have to get up early for work again tomorrow. That damn boss made me stay up all night to revise the plan, and he won't pay me overtime.

Oh my god!!!

I just want to be a carefree, well-off person. Is that so hard to achieve?

After watching videos for a while, I was fully recharged and then... sat down at the computer to revise the plan for that heartless capitalist. However, at 3:30 a.m., my typing became slow, my head was spinning, and the next second, everything went black, and I collapsed in front of the computer.

Before losing consciousness, it let out a final howl. Oh no, it's really died suddenly this time!

In my semi-conscious state, I found myself having difficulty breathing, as if I were in water? My hands were flailing about constantly; could I be having a nightmare?

Luckily, she learned to swim. Look, now she's not afraid of drowning even in her dreams.

Someone was shouting for help in the lake area of ​​the Imperial Garden. At that moment, His Highness the Crown Prince was leading his eunuchs across the Imperial Garden on his way back to Yuqing Palace after paying his respects at Cining Palace.

Hearing the cry for help, he looked over, then turned to the eunuch beside him and said, "Xiao Shunzi, go and see."

The main reason is... he will be passing by that path, and Crown Prince Yinreng even suspects... whether someone knows he is going to Cining Palace to pay his respects to Mother Wuku today and deliberately sets up a trap for him here?

The Crown Prince also knew that this year's election, besides the Emperor selecting concubines, was most importantly about choosing a Crown Princess for him and assigning nannies to the four princesses. He had also heard about this.

However, he didn't know any of them. He had only heard about them from Suo'etu. It was unlikely that the Dong'e family was disliked by the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. The other three families were also prominent, but each princess had a different personality.

Princess Fucha is innocent and naive, and not suitable to be the Crown Princess, so it is very likely that the Crown Princess will be chosen from either Princess Guarjia or Princess Wanyan.

Crown Prince Yinreng didn't take it to heart at all. After all, he couldn't make the decision on who would choose the Crown Princess. He hadn't walked two steps when he saw a figure struggling in the water.

Chen Jialuo felt like she couldn't breathe and suddenly rushed towards the surface of the water, creating a splashing sound as she broke through the surface.

Grandpa Xiaoshunzi, who had originally planned to call for help, watched this scene and remained silent for two seconds. His expression... seemed to suggest that he didn't need any help?

The moment Chen Jialuo surfaced, she found herself seemingly in a lake. Soaking in the water was not very comfortable. Just as she was about to glide back to the shore, she saw the man standing on the shore dressed in crimson... ancient costume.

His crimson robe was perfectly tailored, adorned with a golden crown and jade belt, embroidered with ornate gold trim. His handsome and noble features were aloof, with long, slightly curled eyelashes and dark eyes that stared at her intently. From this angle, one could see a captivating aura emanating from him.

With fair skin, a high nose bridge, and thin, slightly pursed lips, he exuded an aura of noble elegance and aloofness—what a handsome young man!

When Chen Jialuo saw this handsome young man, she froze and stood there, completely stunned.

"Well, what a handsome young man. So cute, pretty, and delicate. Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Could this be... a dream?"

"But no matter what, I can't possibly dream about such a handsome young man, looking down at her from the shore. Is my XP system that weird and abnormal?"

"A refined, aloof, and noble air—is this handsome young man I admire bewitching me? How exciting!"

Crown Prince Yinreng stood on the shore, watching the young lady who had fallen into the water. He should have been unmoved, but he heard what she said and his eyes widened slightly as he looked at her in surprise. What was she saying?

But most importantly, he didn't even see her mouth move?

"Xiao Shunzi, what did you just hear?" Crown Prince Yinreng turned to Xiao Shunzi beside him and asked. He couldn't believe that someone was so bold as to say such a thing to him.

When Xiao Shunzi heard the Crown Prince's question, he was momentarily confused, but immediately replied, "Your Highness, this servant did not hear anything just now."

She was filled with doubt: What did she hear? She had just heard someone calling for help, but this princess didn't seem to need anyone to save her.

Just as he was thinking about this, the sound of bubbles came again from next to the princess in the lake.

Chen Jialu thought she was dreaming and naturally couldn't think of that much, but Grandpa Xiaoshunzi on the shore remembered that someone had shouted for help earlier, "In the lake, is there someone else in the lake? Help! Help! Someone save him!"

The Crown Prince, however, was slightly stunned. He had just realized that while he was staring at Xiao Shunzi, he hadn't seen Xiao Shunzi utter the last sentence, yet he had heard it...

No matter how composed, calm, aloof, and elegant he usually appears... he is still a boy who has not yet reached adulthood. It took him several seconds to suppress the strange expression on his face when he encountered this for the first time.

By the time Crown Prince Yinreng came to his senses, Chen Jialuo, who was soaking in the water, was too exhausted to swim and began to sink into the lake.

As she was about to lose consciousness again, Chen Jialuo was filled with regret. Such a handsome young man was just a step away from her, yet she hadn't been able to touch him. It was a pity that the dream had to end.

When Chen Jialuo woke up again, she found herself already lying in bed.

Huh? Where am I?

Looking at the antique-style room in front of her, she remembered that she was revising a plan for her boss, and then... after only a second of thinking, a series of sharp pains came from her mind.

After a few seconds of dazedness, she finally processed the memories that weren't her own. She...she...she...traveled to the Qing Dynasty??

"Princess, Princess, sob sob... You're awake??" A maidservant rushed over crying when she saw Chen Jialuo wake up, but she knew better than to throw herself directly at Chen Jialuo.

Hearing the crying, Chen Jialuo turned to look at the maid Xiaoqing, "Xiaoqing?"

Her voice was a little hoarse, so Xiaoqing immediately poured a glass of warm water, helped Gege up, and then fed her water to soothe her throat. Her quick thinking made her seem nothing like someone who had fallen into the water with Gege.

"Xiaoqing, are you alright?" Chen Jialuo, who had regained her memories, remembered that Xiaoqing seemed to have fainted because she was trying to save her, but she didn't seem to be very good at swimming? How come she looked so much healthier than herself? This doesn't make sense.

"Princess, I'm alright, you scared me to death." Xiaoqing's eyes welled up with tears as she spoke of this. If something had happened to the princess, she wouldn't want to live anymore... Waaah, the master and the princess wouldn't have let her and her family live either.

"Later, who saved me?" The original owner didn't know the Crown Prince, so naturally Chen Jialuo didn't know who he was either. At that age, he was wearing a crimson robe... Besides being a prince, he could also be the son of a member of the imperial family. However, she began to despise her previous thoughts.

It's not a dream!

She's so twisted. She must have been driven to madness by the cruelty of her heartless boss. No, no, I have to change my mind.

"Yes, it's His Highness the Crown Prince." Xiaoqing spoke of the 'Crown Prince' with gratitude. If it weren't for His Highness the Crown Prince, she and the princess might have died in that lake.

Oh...it's the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince?

Chen Jialu blinked twice. "Your Highness... saved me? I really have to thank Your Highness. As expected of the Crown Prince taught by the Emperor, you are upright, noble, and kind to others..."

Praise, praise as much as you can.

Xiaoqing listened to the princess praising the Crown Prince and stared at her silently for several seconds. Even Chen Jialuo, who was praising the Crown Prince, felt the atmosphere was a little awkward and stopped. What, what's wrong? Could it be that the Fucha family and the Crown Prince are not on good terms?

That shouldn't be the case. How come she's never heard anyone mention it?

As she paused, Xiaoqing leaned forward, a mysterious expression on her face, and lowered her voice, "Princess, you wouldn't happen to be... His Highness Crown Prince Xinyue, would you???"

It's no wonder Xiaoqing thought that way. As the saying goes, there are ancient examples of people repaying a life-saving debt with their bodies. So, after asking the question, she hesitated and advised the princess, "Princess, I understand that you love the Crown Prince, but, but, I'm afraid, this cannot fulfill your wish."

While at the manor, the Fujin had repeatedly reminded the princess that the emperor would not choose her as the crown princess, and given their Fucha family background, the possibility of her becoming the crown prince's concubine was also slim. No one could have imagined that things would turn out so coincidentally.

A woman from a secluded room, who had saved a life, was described by the ancients as: "A life-saving grace deserves a reward of one's own body."

It's not that strange that a princess would fall for the crown prince.

Besides, His Highness the Crown Prince is exceptionally talented and handsome. But, but, Princess, you can't like His Highness the Crown Prince! The Princess Consort and the Master have already repeatedly told him that the Emperor will not choose Princess as the Crown Princess.

"Why?" Jialuo swore she only asked the question subconsciously, but she knew the real reason from her memory.

But Jialuo's rhetorical question was heard by the maid as proof that the princess admired the crown prince.

Filled with anxiety, how could this happen? He tried his best to persuade the princess, "Princess, actually, there are many good men outside..."

Just as she was about to speak, she remembered that the princess had been given a tutor and was a candidate for the position of Crown Princess. If she spoke out of turn, she would be beaten to death.

"Hmm??" Her watery eyes looked at the maid beside her, as if she wanted to say something.

"Princess, it's good that you're alright. You don't know, while you were unconscious, something terrible happened outside."

Xiaoqing, as the princess's maid, was much stronger than the princess and had already woken up, but she was worried that the princess might really be gone.

Thankfully, thankfully Gege is alright, otherwise, she wouldn't want to live either.

Seeing that Gege had perked up, he changed the subject and told her the information he had gathered.

"What big news?" Upon hearing that there was gossip, Jialuo immediately perked up, her watery eyes sparkling as she stared intently at Xiaoqing.

"Princess, do you know? Princess Guarjia was admiring the flowers in the Imperial Garden when she was chased by wasps and ran headfirst into the Fourth Prince's arms."

Xiaoqing leaned closer mysteriously, lowering her voice. This was something she had gone to great lengths to find out.

"What?" Jialuo was shocked. Princess Guarjia? Wasn't she one of the candidates chosen by the Emperor to be the Crown Princess?

I heard she's one of the strongest contenders! Besides Princess Wanyan, she's the most likely candidate.

(End of this chapter)