Xie Jingyan held Shen Wan's hand and subconsciously rubbed it with his fingertips. Shen Wan quickly withdrew her hand like a startled bird. To hide her reaction, she lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

They returned to the Ling Prince's residence in silence.

After returning to Moyuxuan, Xie Jingyan went to the study, while Shen Wan took Yinshuang back to the room. Inside, the maid Dong'er was wiping the tables and chairs. Yinshuang glanced around and, not seeing Haitang, asked Dong'er, "Where is Haitang?"

Dong'er hurriedly replied, "Sister Haitang went back to the Pingyang Marquis's residence to retrieve the things the Princess Consort left behind."

Shen Wan had no intention of staying at the Ling Prince's residence for long, believing that she would return to the Pingyang Marquis's residence sooner or later. She didn't want to bring things that she wouldn't need in the short term, and that it would be a hassle to carry them around. At the time, she thought that Shen Ying and Shen Rong would be getting married soon anyway, and no one would want to take advantage of her courtyard, so she didn't bring them.

While getting ready in the morning, she casually mentioned an old item, not taking it seriously at all. However, Haitang remembered it and even went back to visit it.

With nothing to do, Shen Wan drank a cup of tea, sat there in a daze for a while, and then picked up her embroidery hoop to continue her needlework.

She had only been embroidering for less than a quarter of an hour when Haitang's footsteps approached. Yinshuang glanced over and saw Haitang come in. She went over to take the bundle and said, "Why did it take you so long to go back to the Pingyang Marquis's residence to get something?"

Haitang grinned, "I watched the excitement for a while."

Yinshuang's face immediately lit up with gossip.

Haitang looked at Shen Wan and said, "When I went back to get my things, I happened to run into Third Aunt crying and sobbing as she went back..."

Haitang stopped there, which made Yinshuang impatient. "You're deliberately keeping us in suspense. Just tell us already!"

Haitang took two steps closer and whispered, "Third Aunt doesn't like Young Master Wu. She didn't even let him into her room on their wedding night. He spent the night in the study. He endured it for two days until he accompanied Third Aunt back to her parents' home. After leaving the Pingyang Marquis's mansion, he didn't accompany Third Aunt back to the Wu family. He went straight to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and didn't go back for several days. When Third Aunt found out, she was so angry that she cried and went back to complain to the old lady."

The two sisters, Shen Ying and Shen Rong, are indeed spoiled by the old lady. Whenever something happens, they think of complaining to the old lady without considering whether the old lady is suitable to interfere or even capable of interfering.

Shen Rong and Young Master Wu had already consummated their marriage and entered the Wu family's gate. They wouldn't let anyone into the room. Given Young Master Wu's hooligan nature, the fact that he could tolerate her for three days was only because Master Wu and Madam Wu were keeping him in check. But Shen Rong kept humiliating Young Master Wu, and Madam Wu couldn't tolerate her forever. Sooner or later, she would suffer the consequences.

But considering that Shen Rong and Young Master Wu are actually married, and Young Master Wu can sleep in the study, while she and Xie Jingyan are just a fake couple, yet they still sleep in the same room every day, she seems so useless.

Feeling frustrated, Shen Wan asked Yin Shuang, "How did the old lady stand up for Third Aunt?"

Haitang said, "The old lady didn't care. The third madam told the third young master to go to Baihua Tower to find the eldest young master Wu. If the eldest young master Wu refused to go back, she would tie him up and take him back."

This was expected. In the eyes of the third wife, it was already unfair enough that her daughter married her good-for-nothing nephew. It was like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung. But even if her daughter didn't like this pile of cow dung, she wouldn't allow it to nourish others.

...

The next day, the weather was fine.

After breakfast, Shen Wan sat there embroidering a koi fish fan. She embroidered for half an hour until her wrists ached. Yin Shuang saw this and said, "Your Highness, why don't you take a rest? The sun is nice today. How about we take a stroll in the garden?"

Yinshuang couldn't understand why the princess didn't want the beautiful fan that the prince had given her, but instead gave it to the Qinghe County Princess and embroidered the fan herself. Although the princess's embroidery skills were very good, they were still far inferior to those of the embroiderers in Jingzhou. And wasn't she just asking for trouble?

Shen Wan looked out the window, where sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the window frame.

Shen Wan said, "Let's go to the garden."

Shen Wan stepped out the door, and even after descending the steps, she thought for a moment and then turned back to walk towards the study.

Inside the study, Xie Jingyan was reading a book. The door was not closed, so Shen Wan knocked on the door before entering.

"Come in."

Shen Wan went inside, Xie Jingyan glanced at her, and continued flipping through his book.

Shen Wan said, "I'm going to take a walk in the garden, do you want to come?"

They even knew to ask him to go for a walk in the garden together...

Xie Jingyan shifted his gaze from the book to the window and said, "Did the sun rise in the west today?"

Shen Wan stomped her foot in anger. This bastard didn't upset her when she went for a walk in the garden, but when he came to invite her, he said these words. He's so hard to please.

Shen Wan glared at her with her beautiful eyes, "Are you going or not?"

Xie Jingyan said, "Since my wife has so kindly invited me, I will certainly do her the honor of accepting."

He took advantage of her again!

Who is the wife?!

Who is the husband?!

Was she out of her mind to come looking for him?

Shen Wan wished she could just turn around and leave, but she had to help push the wheelchair; she was really asking for trouble.

Shen Wan pushed Xie Jingyan to the garden, but before they could even stroll around for half a cup of tea, Chen Feng said, "Master, it's getting late, we should go to Wangyue Tower."

Shen Wan looked at Xie Jingyan, who was also turning his head to look at her. "Today I'm hosting a banquet at Wangyue Tower to thank your cousin and the Prince of Yanping. I won't be able to have lunch with you."

He doesn't need to tell her what he's doing, and she doesn't need him to have lunch with her.

A vague feeling welled up in Shen Wan's heart; she didn't feel disgusted, and even felt a little happy.

Then Xie Jingyan said, "Send me out of the mansion."

Shen Wan, “…???”

Chen Feng, "..."

The prince truly didn't want to be separated from the princess even for a moment. However, when he went to Wangyue Tower, the princess had to escort him. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was going on a long trip and wouldn't be back for at least ten days or half a month.

Shen Wan's lips twitched. She also felt that Xie Jingyan's request was a bit excessive, but considering that he rarely left the manor and seldom hosted guests, she did not refuse.

Shen Wan pushed the wheelchair all the way to the main gate of the Prince's Mansion and watched the carriage leave.

Just as Xie Jingyan's carriage had completely disappeared from sight, another luxurious carriage came into view.

The wooden sign hanging from the carriage had four characters written on it—

The Prince of Yanping's Mansion.

Could the person sitting in this carriage be Princess Qinghe?

Thinking this, the carriage stopped, the curtain was lifted, and the maidservant got off first, followed by Princess Qinghe.

Shen Wan looked at Princess Qinghe, and Princess Qinghe looked at her in return.

The two were both visibly surprised.

Shen Wan was surprised by the arrival of Princess Qinghe, and Princess Qinghe was surprised to see Shen Wan at the gate.

Shen Wan went to greet her. Princess Qinghe came down with the help of her maid. Shen Wan smiled and said, "Princess Qinghe, your timing is bad. The Prince has just left the manor."

It turned out she was seeing Prince Ling off. She thought Princess Ling was going out, which meant she would have made a wasted trip. Princess Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "It's a coincidence, but I didn't come to see Brother Jingyan."

Shen Wan asked in surprise, "You came to see me?"

That seems like a pointless statement.

The Lingwang Mansion has only two masters.

One is Xie Jingyan, and the other is her.

If they're not here to see Xie Jingyan, then they must be here to see her.