Shen Pingjin nodded, "In this life, no matter what regrets I may have, I will have no regrets about this matter!"

These words were spoken with such conviction that Luo Xi racked her brains but couldn't understand why Shen Pingjin would change her mind so completely.

Luo Xi shook her head. "The more you say that, the more confused I become. You really are..."

Shen Pingjin didn't give Luo Xi a chance to continue, "Now I am the Regent's lawfully wedded Queen, and my heart belongs only to the Regent. As for the Crown Prince... if you like him, you might as well go and compete with my sister again, but remember to call me then, so I can go watch the show."

Luo Xi had met Shen Ruixue before, and she looked at her with disdain, "Whether it is appearance or talent, your sister is not as good as you. Asking me to condescend to compete with a mediocre person is something I cannot do at the moment."

Chen Pingjin’s voice was slightly cold, “What does it matter to me if you can’t do it? I’m just here at Zuixianglou to fill my stomach. Miss Luo also knows that my reputation in the capital has been ruined. You’d better stay away from me as soon as possible.”

Luo Xi shook her head. "I can leave, but you must tell me the real reason why you want to leave the Crown Prince."

This made Shen Pingjin a little impatient. "So what if you know? So what if you don't? It has nothing to do with you."

Luo Xi genuinely loves the Crown Prince. One of the most important reasons she gave up competing with Shen Pingjin for the position of Crown Princess was that she felt her feelings for Su Xuanmao were not as deep as Shen Pingjin's.

She was unwilling to accept it. "Shen Pingjin, you're right. You are now the Regent's Consort and have nothing to do with His Highness the Crown Prince anymore. But one day, I will find out why you did this!"

Shen Pingjin waved her hand, "If you want to know, then go and investigate for yourself. I, Shen Pingjin, will not accompany you."

Luo Xi snorted coldly, "Even so, I don't want to make enemies with you right now. If you don't mind, we might still be able to be friends."

At this moment, the waiter had already brought up the dishes they had ordered. Chen Pingjin casually picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of pastry. "Miss Luo, the dishes have been served. If you say a few more words, the food might get cold."

Luo Yan was young, and after listening to the two women's eloquent conversation, she was already hungry. When she saw the waiter bring the dishes to the table, she couldn't help but tug at Luo Xi's sleeve, "Second sister, how about we ask again next time? Yan'er is a little hungry."

Seeing Chen Pingjin today made Luo Xi feel a little more at ease. She turned around, her voice still indifferent, "Let's go back."

Seeing that the two had finally left, Nian An and Nian Ning finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Nian'an looked at Chen Pingjin, who was happily eating, and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, why does this Miss Luo seem to be denouncing you?"

Nianning chimed in, "I think so too! Although I do feel that Miss is at a disadvantage following the Regent, it's still Miss's own choice! I really don't know what Miss Luo is up to, her words are implying that our Miss is infatuated with His Highness the Crown Prince..."

Nian Ning rolled her eyes. "Nian An, you've misspoke. Our Princess Consort was clearly infatuated with His Highness the Crown Prince before!"

As Shen Pingjin's personal maids, the two knew all about the things Shen Pingjin did when she was with Su Xuanmao...

Shen Pingjin didn't care, but when she heard a certain word, she seemed puzzled, "I was very infatuated with His Highness the Crown Prince before?"

Nian'an frowned slightly. "Your Highness, this is something everyone in the capital knows."

Chen Pingjin: ...

It seems that what she considered genuine affection in her past life was actually infatuation in the eyes of others.

However, upon careful reflection, she realized that she had indeed been too infatuated in her past life.

Shen Pingjin nodded. "You're right, that is indeed infatuation."

Seeing that the two of them were not touching the dishes on the table, she frowned and urged, "You two should try this osmanthus cake and sweet and sour lotus root. These are your favorite dishes."

Nian'an and Nian Ning clearly remembered that they had never eaten it before, but they couldn't resist Shen Pingjin's enthusiasm and tried to pick up a piece with their chopsticks and put it in their mouths.

As Shen Pingjin watched the two girls' calm faces gradually reveal expressions of shock, she couldn't help but feel a little smug.

Nian An and Nian Ning looked at each other, and then things got out of control.

At the same time, the group became puzzled again. How did their young lady suddenly discover that they liked these two dishes?

Shen Pingjin naturally wouldn't tell the truth. Seeing the two people's puzzled expressions, she turned her head away and said, "You two stay here and guard the place. I'm going to the outhouse."

After seeing Nian An and Nian Ning nod, Chen Pingjin got up and walked towards the outhouse.

As soon as Shen Pingjin entered the latrine, she heard footsteps, followed by the sounds of two delicate female voices merging together.

Ruan Ci and Yan Xue enjoyed the sweet and delicious chestnut pastries at Zui Xiang Lou today, and also heard a lot of gossip about the capital.

After they finished eating, they washed their hands, and inevitably had a conversation.

Ruan Ci looked at Yan Xue beside her and continued, "Xiao Xue, let me tell you something. The Miss Shen who was infatuated with His Highness the Crown Prince actually openly rejected the Emperor's offer in the Hall of Mental Cultivation yesterday and resolutely married the Regent!"

Yan Xue had heard a little about this matter and nodded. "And then? What happened next?"

Ruan Ci's voice was filled with laughter, "What else could have happened? Naturally, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, who should have risen to prominence, and the second daughter of the Shen family, who had fallen into obscurity, switched identities. One became a laughing stock, and the other became the envy of others."

Yan Xue was puzzled. "But I remember that when the eldest daughter of the Shen family became the Crown Princess, it was practically a done deal."

Ruan Ci said nonchalantly, "That's true, but who would have thought that Miss Shen would openly defy the Emperor? Don't you think she's gone mad?"

Yan Xue was just the daughter of a minor county magistrate, and she was hesitant to speak out about these matters. She shook her head and said, "We've only heard rumors about this. We don't know the truth yet. Besides, these things have nothing to do with us, so it's best if we don't talk about them."

Ruan Ci felt a little disdainful. "Yan Xue, you really are too cowardly!"

Yan Xue remained expressionless. "Hurry up and go out. Father is still waiting for me at home."

Ruan Ci looked a little impatient after being urged, "Alright, alright, am I not good enough? Honestly, going out to eat with you is not enjoyable at all!"

Yan Xue opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing and went out the door.

Ruan Ci followed them out arrogantly, unaware that the main person they were talking about had just come out of the latrine with a cold expression.