She wanted to tell him that the jade pendant wasn't a gift from her, but then she felt a chill run down her neck.

Shen Wan was afraid of death, and the words she wanted to say kept coming out of her mouth.

Xie Jingyan put on his brocade robe and went out. Shen Wan, with Yinshuang's help, put on her dress, went to wash up, and then sat in front of the dressing table, letting Yinshuang comb her hair.

Shen Wan wore a sky-blue dress, and to match the dress, she chose a gold headdress inlaid with sapphires.

Yinshuang said, "It's a pity that the princess's South Sea pearl headdress is missing an earring, otherwise she would look even more dignified and elegant wearing it."

The loss of just one earring from the entire headdress was painful for Yinshuang. Although South Sea pearls are small, they are much rarer than East Sea pearls. In the entire capital, apart from the royal princess, only her princess has a complete set of South Sea pearl headdresses. She had no idea where that South Sea pearl earring had gone. That one South Sea pearl earring alone was enough to buy her a whole new set.

Thinking of that earring, Shen Wan thought of the embarrassment she had caused. Today was the wedding of the Prince of Jin, and the Eighth Prince would definitely be attending the wedding banquet. The thought of running into him made Shen Wan extremely embarrassed.

The earring was in Xie Jingyan's hands. She didn't ask him for it back, and he didn't even know to return it.

Shen Wan said, "I'll wear that set of South Sea pearls."

Silver Frost wanted to point out that one earring was missing, but the princess knew that she didn't need to remind her.

Yinshuang took out the South Sea pearl headdress and helped Shenwan put it on. This South Sea pearl headdress was Shenwan's favorite. In her previous life, she was forced by Empress Song to be part of Princess Shouchun's dowry. In her previous life, almost everything she liked and cared about was taken away from her.

Yinshuang helped Shen Wan put on her headdress. There was only one earring left in the brocade box. At that moment, Xie Jingyan's footsteps came. Shen Wan turned around with the earring in her hand and said, "My earring, when are you going to return it to me?"

Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan for a few more seconds, and Shen Wan blushed and turned her face away.

Xie Jingyan's lips curled up, and he instructed Yinshuang, "Go get it from the drawer of the desk in the study."

Yinshuang quickly retrieved the earrings, intending to put them on Chen Wan, but Xie Jingyan looked over, and Yinshuang, being perceptive, handed the earrings over to him.

Xie Jingyan took it and looked at Shen Wan, saying, "Come here, let me put it on for you."

Shen Wan, "..."

Can I say that she's a little afraid to hear this now?

Her entire body, from her neck to her ears, turned red. Seeing Xie Jingyan walking towards her, Shen Wei quickly said, "I can put it on myself..."

Seeing that wary look in her eyes, coupled with her blushing face, Xie Jingyan's heart fluttered. He leaned close to Shen Wan's ear and said, "Why do I feel like you quite like it when I put it on you like that?"

Ahhh!

Who likes it?!

Shen Wan wanted to bite him.

Shen Wan snatched the earrings back from Xie Jingyan's hand, turned around and walked to the bronze mirror. She put them on in a few quick movements, and when she turned back, she didn't forget to glare at Xie Jingyan.

The two maids, Yinshuang and Haitang, sighed, feeling that their princess was too clueless about romance. If the prince wanted to put earrings on her, she should just let him wear them; why was she so insistent on not letting him? However, they were more curious as to why the princess's earrings were in the prince's study...

The kitchen brought breakfast, and Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan sat down to eat. After breakfast, they did not set off immediately. The Prince of Jin's residence was not far from the Prince of Ling's residence, so there was no need to go so early. They rested for a quarter of an hour before setting off.

Upon arriving at the main gate of the Prince's Mansion, Shen Wan saw only carriages and asked Xie Jingyan, "Aren't you going to ride a horse?"

Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan and asked, "Don't you want to ride in the same carriage as me?"

You already know, why ask?

Shen Wan inwardly scoffed, but dared not nod. Under the watchful eyes of the maids, servants, and Steward Zhou, Shen Wan shook her head and said, "No."

Xie Jingyan helped Shen Wan into the carriage, then climbed in himself. Shen Wan sat far away, which displeased Xie Jingyan. "Why are you sitting so far away? Come sit here."

Shen Wan shook her head, "If you hug me, you'll wrinkle my brocade robe."

Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan and said, "I'm afraid of wrinkling it. Should I take it off and have Chen Feng send it back to be kept as a keepsake?"

Shen Wan, "..."

There was no rebuttal.

"come over."

Shen Wan didn't move.

Xie Jingyan frowned slightly, clearly intending to come over and hug Shen Wan. Shen Wan didn't dare to disobey and obediently sat down next to him.

Before she could even sit properly, she was pulled into his lap and they sat facing each other.

It wasn't the first time she'd sat on it, so Shen Wan wasn't as resistant anymore. But don't forget, this jerk had a perverse hobby: he liked to bite her earrings. Almost as soon as his gaze swept over her earrings, Shen Wan would raise her hand and cover her earlobe. "You're not allowed to take off my earrings anymore!"

He hadn't originally intended to, but after hearing it, he started to think about it. Xie Jingyan said, "Fine, I won't remove your earring."

He pulled Shen Wan's hand down. At that moment, the carriage suddenly stopped, and Shen Wan fell backward. If Xie Jingyan hadn't caught her in time, Shen Wan would have fallen off him.

Once settled, Shen Wan glared at Xie Jingyan. Xie Jingyan frowned, about to ask how they got to the carriage, when a guard's voice suddenly came, "Master, a message has been sent back by carrier pigeon."

Xie Jingyan lifted the carriage curtain, and the guard handed him a message.

Shen Wan took the opportunity to sit down to the side, and Xie Jingyan took the letter and opened it.

The letter contained only four words—

The guess was correct.

Shen Wan glanced at it and recognized it as her older brother's handwriting. She said, "Is this a message sent back by my older brother?"

Xie Jingyan nodded, "There is no grain left in the Meizhou granary."

His gaze turned serious.

Shen Wan asked, "What's wrong?"

Xie Jingyan looked at the note in his hand and said, "The prefect of Meizhou alone shouldn't have the guts to embezzle the entire granary's grain reserves."

The prefect of Meizhou was a man of the eldest prince.

Shen Wan realized what was happening and said, "You suspect the First Prince..."

The struggle for the throne requires substantial financial support; otherwise, Xie Jingyin wouldn't have repeatedly targeted her and the Yun family. It's not impossible that the eldest prince might have moved grain reserves in order to seize the throne.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!