Shen Mianmian finally experienced the tension of catching someone in the act of adultery... oh no, I mean being caught in the act of adultery. "Yes, but don't get emotional yet, let me explain! I know the importance of maintaining proper boundaries between men and women, so I not only brought Granny Li, but also more than a dozen stewards from the Marquis's mansion to watch the whole thing. Every word and action, even a single punctuation mark, was done in full view of everyone."

"I had no choice. The princess had already written a letter. You know what kind of person she is. I heard she even went to the palace and argued with the empress, making the empress so angry that she couldn't eat for two days. I was afraid of offending the princess, and that she would come and make a mess of our manor. So I had no choice but to meet her."

Bai Qingzhou chuckled and reached out to pinch the woman's cheek. "Don't be nervous, I'm not angry."

Chen Mianmian quickly moved her face forward to make it easier for others to pinch her cheeks.

After all, once you've pinched someone's cheek, you can't stay angry anymore.

Bai Qingzhou squeezed his hand a few times, then put it down—his body was still weak, and his arm would ache if he held it up for too long. "Continue," he said. "You must have something important to tell me by sending Mother away."

Chen Mianmian nodded obediently, "Yes, that King Jin is stubborn and determined to see you. I just tentatively asked him in a low voice if he had anything else to say to you besides apologizing, and he said yes."

I asked him if I could see him, and he said no, he could only talk to me. So… I've come to ask if you'd like to see him.

After hearing this, Bai Qingzhou fell into deep thought.

Chen Mianmian didn't dare to disturb him and could only sit obediently to his side, but she was curious about what he was thinking.

Before transmigrating into the book, Fengchu was seen as a weak and incompetent fool, but after transmigrating, she discovered that he was not weak at all, but rather very intelligent.

Also, he seems to have become even smarter since the imperial examinations.

Time passed by, and just when Shen Mianmian thought that Feng Chu would agree to meet, she heard him say, "Please tell him that I am unwell and unable to receive guests."

Shen Mianmian asked, puzzled, "Why? Aren't you curious about what secret Prince Jin was talking about? Or... do you know that secret too?"

After pondering for a moment, Bai Qingzhou decided to tell Mianmian, "The Emperor summoned Prince Jin back this time because he hopes to keep Prince Jin in the capital and send Prince Qin to Beixia to take Prince Jin's place."

Shen Mianmian was taken aback. "What? You're not letting Prince Jin go back, but sending Prince Qin instead?"

This won't do!

How can the King of Qin be with the female lead now that he's gone to the Northern Gorge? How can their relationship develop? How can the novel be finished? How can she go home?!

Why did it turn out like this?

Chen Mianmian gradually felt powerless, as if everything was spiraling out of control.

Her mood suddenly plummeted—she had transmigrated into the book once, but she neither criticized the feudal system, nor promoted social development, nor improved the level of science and technology, nor did she strive to become the first female emperor in history. Her requirements were very low; she just wanted to go home alive. Why was it so difficult?

Bai Qingzhou reached out and pulled Chen Mianmian back, looking at the woman's tearful face with concern, and asked softly, "Do you want me to see him? If you do, I will."

Just as Chen Mianmian was about to speak, she suddenly remembered what the Prince of Jin had said—she was manipulating the Phoenix Chick.

She looked at the man and saw his fair face with a pair of clear yet sharp eyes, gentle yet firm, like a mirror that revealed her cunning and treacherous thoughts, and like a gentle embrace that held her within.

Chen Mianmian asked, "Do you know... what I want?"

Bai Qingzhou slowly smiled and said, "I know, and I've said it many times: I hope you won't leave me."

"..." Yes, he always knew.

That clever yet despicable fellow!

Chen Mianmian sighed deeply.

Bai Qingzhou asked, "Why are you sighing?"

Chen Mianmian smiled at him, "I'm thinking about whether or not to accept my fate."

"?"

"Let's not talk about that anymore, let's get down to business! After all, Prince Jin is still waiting," Chen Mianmian said seriously. "Listen carefully, I don't know if I have ever subtly controlled you in the past, but I won't in the future. I hope that you will make your own decisions. You can consider me, but don't change anything because of me."

Bai Qingzhou also became serious. "I am not seeing Prince Jin because of your advice. The Emperor's decree has not yet been issued, but news of Prince Jin and Prince Qin exchanging positions has spread, which means that this exchange is not supported, and there must be something fishy going on."

The imperial court is now forming factions, and our Anning Marquis's mansion doesn't take sides to begin with. But if we meet Prince Jin and are forced to listen to his plans, we'll likely be forced to choose sides. And…”

Bai Qingzhou paused, then sighed, "I feel that my resemblance to the Prince of Jin is not a good thing. I've even been thinking recently about whether I should find a strange person and use some means to change my appearance."

Chenmian was startled. "Plastic surgery? Does the Southern Chu Kingdom have plastic surgery?"

Bai Qingzhou's eyes lit up. "What is cosmetic surgery? Changing your appearance? Do you know how?"

Shen Mianmian, knowing that the transmigrated woman had already told Bai Qingzhou about her transmigration, didn't hide it from her. "My world does exist, but I don't know how to do it, and I can't do it. That kind of surgery isn't as simple as making a sofa or a shower. If I really wanted to have surgery, I would have to consider purifying alcohol for disinfection, making penicillin for inflammation, and post-operative scar prevention medication. I'm not confident in that."

Seeing the woman's nervous expression, Bai Qingzhou chuckled, "Alright, let's not talk about this. Go and report back to Prince Jin."

Shen Mianmian bit her lip. Seeing that Fengchu insisted on not seeing the Prince of Jin, she could only go back to reply to the message.

A short while later.

Hall.

Prince Jin asked three times in astonishment, and only after confirming that Prince Bai was not looking for him did he sigh helplessly, then chuckle, "Perhaps, this is fate."

As Jin Wang smiled wryly, Chen Mianmian really wanted to ask him what the secret was.

But in the end, she held back—forget it, all the scheming and plotting she had done had only led to results that were further and further from her expectations, so now... she might as well just give up and let things take their course.

When Prince Jin left the Marquis's residence, Shen Mianmian did not personally see him off, but instead had the steward do so.

Before leaving, Prince Jin solemnly told Shen Mianmian that no matter what problems she encountered in the future, she should immediately go to Prince Jin's mansion to find him. He would instruct the gatekeeper to release anyone whose name was mentioned.

Shen Mianmian also politely declined.

The two then parted ways.

When Chen Mianmian returned to Qingfeng Courtyard, she saw that the madam had returned and was guarding the young master closely. She sat to the side, staring blankly out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

Night falls.

An unexpected event occurred—the prince was perfectly healthy, but Consort Shen inexplicably developed a high fever.

Liu Xiangning immediately ordered a news blackout, preventing the news from reaching either the main courtyard or the Peony Courtyard. She also issued a stern warning: if the news leaked and it was traced back to someone, no matter how long that person had been in the Marquis's residence, she would have a way to expel that person from the residence.

These days, Liu Xiangning has taken over the task of investigating the young mistress's spies. Her methods are cunning and ruthless, as everyone has witnessed, so no one dares to offend Xiangning.