The guard took the knee pads and turned to leave.

As Shen Muyu watched him leave, she collapsed onto the chaise lounge as if her bones had been removed, staring blankly at the scenery outside the window.

As winter arrives, the trees turn yellow and withered. The remaining fallen leaves twirl down, landing on the ground, only to be swept away by the cold wind and carried off to who knows where.

She felt like that withered leaf, gradually fading away after leaving the Shen family, like a big tree, drifting in the cold wind, not knowing where it would eventually fall.

Dongqing pushed open the door and came in. Seeing what looked like tear tracks at the corners of her eyes, she called out softly with some concern, "Miss?"

Shen Muyu wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and murmured to Dong Qing, "Shen Youying advised me many times. If only I had listened to her back then."

Otherwise, it wouldn't be like this, where you can't go home.

Dongqing's eyes grew increasingly worried, but because he was tongue-tied and didn't know how to comfort her, he stammered.

Instead, Shen Muyu looked at her clumsy and anxious expression, dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and smiled faintly: "It's too late to regret it now. There's no medicine for regret in this world, but people still have to live, don't they?"

Dong Qing nodded hesitantly, then remembered the purpose of her visit and quickly said, "Princess Chen has arrived and is sitting in the hall."

"What brings the Princess here?" Shen Muyu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized that she was probably here to ask her for information.

She had Dongqing touch up her makeup and straighten her clothes before she leisurely went out.

"What wind has blown the princess to my doorstep?" Shen Muyu greeted her with a smile and gave a graceful bow.

Princess Chen looked her over and noticed that she was much thinner than before, but she seemed to be in good spirits. Her hair was lightly tied up and she was lightly made up, giving her a pitiful look of a sickly beauty.

"Sit down. Have you heard about what happened in the front yard?" Princess Chen was not one to beat around the bush, and she was too lazy to waste words and use veiled language when facing Shen Muyu.

Shen Muyu lowered her eyes slightly and said softly, "I've heard a little about it."

Princess Chen was pleased that she hadn't pretended to be ignorant and said frankly, "The Prince's temperament has suddenly changed drastically these past few days. I've calculated that it was probably after you left that the Prince changed his ways." She looked directly at Shen Muyu, not missing the slightest change in her expression: "Do you know anything?"

Shen Muyu raised her eyes to meet her gaze, smiled, and there was a hint of mockery in her eyes: "How can the Princess be sure that the Prince's temperament has changed drastically, and not... revealing his true nature?"

Princess Chen's expression changed slightly, and the hand she held gracefully in front of her abdomen tightened, but she did not reprimand Shen Muyu for his disrespect towards Prince Chen. She had considered this possibility in the past few days.

Do you have any proof?

"What evidence is there for such a thing?" Shen Muyu picked up her tea to moisten her throat, her voice as light as a breeze: "The princess is noble and has her family as her backing, so the prince will naturally respect and honor her. Some things will become clear once you try them yourself."

Princess Chen bit her lip, recalling the miserable state of those concubines; naturally, she couldn't risk trying it.

In fact, if her father hadn't told her to be patient for a while and observe the situation, she would have already asked for a divorce and gone home while Prince Chen was still under house arrest.

She loved and was willing to marry the noble and gentle Prince Chen, not a sinner who was imprisoned and had no future.

Princess Chen sat for a while longer, and seeing that she could not get anything more out of Shen Muyu, she got up and left.

Shen Muyu watched her retreating figure, then leaned back in her chair with a sigh, muttering to herself, "There's another one, but I don't know when he'll arrive."

*

"Did she really say that?" Shen Youying looked puzzled.

The guard relayed Shen Muyu's words, saying, "Yes, Madam Yu also asked me to pass this item on to the Princess."

Shen Youying looked at the knee pads with their fine stitches and didn't know what expression to make.

She knew Shen Muyu was stubborn, but she never knew she could be this stubborn. She would rather stay in the Chen Prince's Mansion than return to the Shen family.

She sighed softly and said, "There's nothing we can do if she doesn't want to come back. Once the Shen family's situation improves, Prince Chen probably won't torment her too much."

It's just a pity for Fang Shi and her father; they probably won't be able to sleep well at night these days.

Xue Shen dismissed the guards and said calmly, "Does Zhao Zhao still remember our bet?"

His reminder finally brought Shen Youying to her senses. She bit her lip slightly and feigned ignorance, asking, "What bet?"

Xue Shen stared at her, seeing her trying her best to feign innocence and renege on her debt. He couldn't help but slowly smile, pinched her cheek, and clicked his tongue: "Trying to renege on your debt?"

Shen Youying looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Xue Shen raised an eyebrow and smiled, speaking slowly and deliberately: "No one has ever been able to renege on their debts with me. However..." He drew out his words, then changed the subject: "Since it's Zhaozhao, it's not impossible..."

Shen Youying blinked and stared intently at him.

Xue Shen took her hand and slowly and solemnly wrote two words on her palm with his fingertips.

Can you recognize it?

Shen Youying asked, "Yuan Jin?"

"Hmm," Xue Shen responded, then added, "Say it again."

Shen Youying pursed her lips, her face slightly flushed.

This is his courtesy name, and only close relatives would call him that.

Xue Shen leaned back into the wheelchair, his gaze fixed intently on him: "Why don't you call me that? If you don't want to call me Yuan Jin, then you can call me husband."

Shen Youying raised her eyes and glanced at him.

She slowly opened her lips, but for some reason suddenly felt a little nervous, and finally called out in a barely audible voice: "Yuan Jin".

Xue Shen's heart skipped a beat. He pulled her closer and rested his chin against her neck, saying in a hoarse voice, "Call me that from now on, okay?"

Shen Youying's ears burned, and she gave a soft "hmm".

...

Xue Shen kept his word and didn't mention the bet again. Shen Youying breathed a sigh of relief and went out to call someone to bring dinner.

Xue Shen went to the study on business, where the guards were already waiting.

Xue Shen locked the door, pondered for a moment, then ground ink, picked up a brush, wrote a letter, and handed it to the guard: "Send this to Shen Muyu. If it works out, you will be in charge of communicating with her from now on."

The guard took the letter and then heard him instruct, "Go, but don't let the princess know about this."

The guards obeyed and left, while Xue Shen sat in his study, going over the subsequent plans in his mind again and again.

Adding Shen Muyu to the group was completely unexpected, but for him, it was entirely beneficial.

Although his queen was soft-hearted and couldn't bear to lay a hand on her sisters, he was no saint. He couldn't possibly refuse such a handy knife.

If Shen Muyu can make this knife well and survive, then the past will naturally be wiped clean; if she dies before she's old enough, it will save her from any future troubles that might implicate Zhaozhao.