The candlelight flickered in the silver lamp, illuminating Shen Yunjiao's restrained and forbearing appearance.

Qingling's almond-shaped eyes were filled with tears, but in order not to let Pei Zhixuan notice, she deliberately looked away.

Pei Zhixuan had never seen Shen Yunjiao look so aggrieved. His heart trembled violently, and he didn't know how to react for a moment.

The words of complaint remained stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter them.

Pei Zhixuan looked somewhat helpless and tired. He rubbed his temples hard and said softly, "Shen Yunjiao, be good, okay?"

"These days, the Censorate is busy with many affairs, and today the Crown Prince wants me to register the sacrificial records. I am really overwhelmed and do not want to be distracted by matters of the inner quarters."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunjiao finally raised her eyes, her gaze meeting Pei Zhixuan's in mid-air.

Is that scoundrel Pei Zhixuan really opening up to me now?

They're not close, are they?

However, why did Xiao Huaijin ask Pei Zhixuan for help? Isn't presiding over the sacrificial ceremony the Ministry of Rites' job?

Shen Yunjiao bit her lip, vaguely sensing that something was wrong, but she didn't want to ask Pei Zhixuan, since he wouldn't answer anyway.

"Shen Yunjiao, are you listening?" Pei Zhixuan emphasized his tone, and seeing that she was still in a daze, he couldn't help but poke her cheek.

It's as tender as tofu.

A call snapped Shen Yunjiao out of her reverie. She quickly covered half of her face and said, "Say what you want to say, but don't hit me."

Pei Zhixuan pursed his thin lips, but didn't argue with her.

After a moment, he asked in a calm tone, "I'm just discussing this with you. As the mistress of the house, you should do your job and stop causing me trouble, okay?"

When Pei Zhixuan said the final "Okay?", his tone was extremely soft, with a hint of negotiation.

Shen Yunjiao naturally didn't want to be aggressive.

In any case, in a few days, it will be Mrs. Xu who will be making a fuss, not her.

She just needed to wait quietly for the day when Madam Xu forced Pei Zhixuan to divorce her.

"As long as my mother and second aunt don't cause me trouble, I definitely won't argue with them," Shen Yunjiao replied perfunctorily.

Pei Zhixuan lowered his long eyes slightly and said, "Mother was wrong about what happened today, but you were also at fault. You should stay home and reflect on your mistakes for the next few days so that I can give Mother and Second Aunt an explanation."

Shen Yunjiao was dissatisfied and was about to retort when Pei Zhixuan interrupted her: "I promise you, after the ten-day confinement ends, I will let you go back to the Shen family for a while."

After thinking for a moment, Shen Yunjiao nodded in agreement, "You promised, so you can't go back on your word. I'll be back at the Shen family in ten days."

Pei Zhixuan gave a soft "hmm".

He had finished speaking, but he showed no sign of leaving.

The moon rises above the branches.

Pei Zhixuan's gaze fell on the several densely packed calligraphy sheets on the desk.

He took a few steps closer, wanting to see what Shen Yunjiao was copying.

Unexpectedly, Shen Yunjiao had already folded and put away all the papers before him, preventing him from even glancing at them.

Shen Yunjiao spread her hands and stood up, gesturing as if to see the guest off: "Your Highness, it's late, please go back."

He looked as if he was stubbornly insisting on staying there.

Pei Zhixuan twitched the corner of his mouth.

Does Shen Yunjiao really dislike me that much?

Or is it a new trick of retreating to advance that you've recently come up with?

Seeing that Shen Yunjiao's expression was indifferent, and that he had almost been brought to tears by what he had just said, Pei Zhixuan opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything and turned to leave.

Only after the Crown Prince left did Fu Xia dare to tiptoe in.

The young master and the young lady had been arguing so fiercely that she almost thought they were going to fight.

Unexpectedly, His Highness the Crown Prince was lenient and only punished the young lady lightly, confining her for a few days.

Moreover, the son-in-law actually granted the young lady's request to return to the Shen residence!

So it seems that His Highness actually has feelings for the girl, right?

Seeing Fu Xia's thoughtful expression, Shen Yunjiao knew that she must be overthinking things again.

Oh well, let her be.

Shen Yunjiao leaned quietly against the pillow, her mind preoccupied with what Pei Zhixuan had just said.

So, Xiao Huaijin got back to the palace without incident?

For some reason, Shen Yunjiao's face flushed slightly whenever she thought of that night.

Xiao Huaijin's gentle, warm breath seemed to still linger around her neck.

Can't!

Shen Yunjiao shook her head vigorously, trying to banish Xiao Huaijin from her mind.

You absolutely must not have any ulterior motives!

He was just a strong, powerful leg.

From now on, whenever Xiao Huaijin is mentioned, Shen Yunjiao will automatically replace his face with his muscular legs to prevent herself from suddenly losing her mind and having romantic feelings.

I'll think about men for now.

The most important thing now is to regain my freedom and protect the Shen family.

—

Inside a side room of the Jiang residence.

"What? You're saying my cousin's wife was punished by my cousin with confinement?"

Jiang Rong looked at her mother, who had come to visit her, with disbelief on her face.

Madam Xu beamed with joy, excitedly grabbing Jiang Rong's hand: "Yes, Rong'er, your Aunt Pei sent someone to tell you to take this opportunity to go and keep your cousin company."

"In your cousin's hands, Shen Yunjiao is practically useless."

Hearing this, Jiang Rong couldn't help but frown: "Mother, please don't talk about my cousin-in-law like that in the future, it's really awful."

"What cousin-in-law! Your cousin is your cousin, but she doesn't count as your sister-in-law." Little Xu looked disgusted after hearing this.

“Mother, she saved my life, so naturally I regard her as my sister-in-law,” Jiang Rong retorted earnestly, word by word.

When Jiang Rong was rescued by Shen Yunjiao after falling into the lake, she resolved to treat her cousin-in-law better from then on.

In her heart, her cousin-in-law was not only as beautiful as an angel, but also very kind-hearted.

After Jiang Rong truly got to know Shen Yunjiao, she quickly put that heartless cousin behind her back.

"That was just a lucky accident, oh my darling, don't be so naive. Think more about your cousin, think more about your marriage." Madam Xu pinched Jiang Rong's arm with exasperation.

Jiang Rong knew that her mother wouldn't understand anything she said now.

Well, I might as well take this opportunity to visit my cousin-in-law. I wonder if she's been bored these past few days of confinement.

Jiang Rong readily agreed: "Mother, since you've said so, I'll set off tomorrow to visit the Duke of Dingguo's mansion."