I found a deserted place and planned to get some fresh air.

"How are your legs? Do they hurt? Sit here and I'll rub them for you."

Liu Zhiyi found an empty pavilion and walked in. He sat down first and spoke.

Shen Ningzhu didn't care whether the seat was dirty or not, and sat down directly. "Don't mention it, my legs are numb from standing. You must be tired too, sit here, let's rub each other."

Liu Zhiyi agreed with a smile, and just as he was about to take action, he heard a gasp coming from outside the pavilion.

"Oh my god, this is... His Royal Highness Prince Chen? Didn't he go to his fiefdom? Why is he in the palace?"

"I heard that several princes have reached adulthood but have yet to marry. The Emperor is anxious to have a grandson, so he wants to hold a spring banquet to allow the princes to choose concubines together."

"Prince Chen, as the Emperor's favorite prince, naturally has to return. Calculating the date, it should be today. Look at how tired and exhausted His Highness looks, he must have just returned."

The maid's voice gradually faded away, and at this moment, a man's low coughing sound was heard behind her.

The sound was very close.

It was so close that it seemed to be right next to Shen Ningzhu's ear.

When she realized this, Shen Ningzhu was horrified and hurriedly stood up, but because she moved too quickly, she tripped over the corner of her skirt and instantly fell forward.

"Zhuzhu, be careful—"

Liu Zhiyi on the opposite side screamed.

Just when Shen Ningzhu thought she was going to fall flat on her face, someone suddenly grabbed her neck.

The world was spinning, and I fell into a strong embrace. Before I could see who it was, I smelled a faint scent of sandalwood.

This smell is very familiar, it’s him, Jiang Yanche.

Shen Ningzhu raised her head in surprise, and sure enough, she saw an extremely handsome face.

Those peach blossom eyes curved in a smile, and he slowly approached her, his lips pressed against her ear, smiling ambiguously.

"Zhuzhu, I told you that we would meet soon. See, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

He is Prince Chen, the emperor's most beloved son and the current queen's biological son. It was Prince Chen who almost caused Jiang Xuanyan to be deposed from his position as crown prince upon his birth?

It was actually him? No way, why was she so unlucky? One prince was already enough for her, and now there was Prince Chen?

Shen Ningzhu felt her hands and feet go cold in an instant, and her heart couldn't stop falling.

Her eyebrows were furrowed, she was unwilling to give up.

"Are you King Chen?"

The other person looked up at her and raised his eyebrows noncommittally. The answer was self-evident.

Liu Zhiyi finally reacted. His eyes fell on the eye-catching arm on Shen Ningzhu's waist. He felt his scalp tingling and was about to step forward to separate the two. However, it was too late.

"What are you doing?"

An angry shout came from outside the pavilion. When they turned around, they saw Jiang Xuanyan standing coldly not far from the pavilion with a gloomy face.

Standing beside her were Princess Qingyi and her maid.

Seeing the situation inside, Jiang Qingyi pretended to be frightened, and couldn't help but widen her eyes and cover her mouth.

"This...sister, A Yan obviously treats you well, how could you...how could you..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuanyan's face turned even darker, almost as if ink was dripping from it.

"Chen Ningzhu, come here."

At this moment, Shen Ningzhu had already pushed Jiang Yanche aside and stood up. Facing the sinister and cruel look in those phoenix eyes, Shen Ningzhu's heart suddenly shrank, and a layer of coldness climbed up her spine.

This expression was even more sinister and terrifying than when he grabbed her, held her head down and dipped her into the water this morning.

Shen Ningzhu shuddered, realizing that he had misunderstood the relationship between her and Jiang Yanche.

He hurriedly explained, "It's not what you think, I..."

"I said, come here."

The other party had lost his patience, but Shen Ningzhu didn't dare to go forward. She felt inexplicably frightened and stepped back subconsciously, resisting going to him.

Unexpectedly, this action completely angered Jiang Xuanyan.

He strode forward to pull her, but before he took two steps, he was blocked by Liu Zhiyi who rushed over from the opposite direction.

"Your Highness, please understand. Madam..."

"Get out of here, you blind dog slave! Do you have the right to speak here?"

Before she could finish her words, Jiang Xuanyan kicked her in the chest.

Shen Ningzhu watched helplessly as her best friend was kicked away. Her frail body drew an arc in the sky like a kite with a broken string, and then fell to the ground with a "bang".

He vomited a large pool of blood and fainted.

"don't want--"

Shen Ningzhu screamed, rushed forward with bloodshot eyes, and hugged the person in her arms in panic.

"Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi, how are you? Xiaoyi, wuwuwu, don't scare me, Xiaoyi, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, I made you like this."

Seeing her crying like this, Jiang Xuanyan frowned tightly. He wanted to say something else, but he saw Shen Ningzhu with bloodshot eyes, looking at him suddenly.

Like an angry beast, his eyes seemed to want to eat him alive.

"Chen Ningzhu, how dare you glare at me? I see you don't intend to take my eyeballs anymore." Jiang Xuanyan's face was full of astonishment, and he felt a little uncomfortable.

Didn't she love him dearly? Why...

Jiang Qingyi was also adding fuel to the fire, but Chen Ningzhu could no longer listen to any of this.

Her head was buzzing like a million bees buzzing around. She only knew that her best friend was injured and needed medical attention.

"Hurry up and get a doctor. Someone, hurry up and get a doctor."

Jiang Qingyi smiled and said, "There are rumors outside that Miss Shen is arrogant and domineering, and she looks down on everyone. In my opinion, it must be a rumor. Look at her tears, she is crying so hard that it hurts me."

“A maidservant actually made Miss Shen care so much. Judging from the situation, I’m afraid even A Yan can’t compare to her.”

Jiang Xuanyan was already very dissatisfied with Shen Ningzhu's roar, and after hearing these words, his face became even darker.

“For a slave, you yelled at me, Shen Ningzhu, where did you learn all the rules?”

Shen Ningzhu didn't care about them at all, and turned to look at King Chen, "Jiang Yanche, please help me call a doctor, quickly."

The other person curved his lips and smiled brightly.

"Why should we ask for a word between you and me? Don't worry, as long as you say the word, I am willing to do anything for you."

Jiang Xuanyan was stunned.

"Shen... Ning... Pearl..."

The other party looked at him coldly, his eyes full of murderous intent, and said word by word, "If anything happens to Xiaoyi, I will never let go of anyone who hurt her."

Jiang Xuanyan was stunned for a long time before he came back to his senses. At this moment, he was extremely clear in his mind that Shen Ningzhu was threatening him. She wanted to kill him, just because of a maid?

Shen Ningzhu, how dare she?

"Come here, bring that maid back to my house."

As soon as the voice fell, a man in black appeared out of thin air. Shen Ningzhu was shocked, "What do you want to do? Don't touch Xiaoyi."

Jiang Xuanyan just looked at her coldly without saying anything. The man in black ignored her, stepped forward to snatch Liu Zhiyi away, and disappeared in a flash.

Shen Ningzhu was frightened out of her wits.

"Jiang Xuanyan, you...what are you doing? Give Xiaoyi back to me."