Shang Huai wasn't stupid; he didn't let Xiao Chengci attack him.

Shang Huai retorted, "What's it to you if I ask Zhizhi out?"

Shang Huai feigned confusion and asked, "What? Are you Zhizhi's husband? What right do you have to criticize me?"

Xiao Chengci was speechless after being rebuked by Shang Huai, "I'm worried about Zhizhi, but you're just a brute like me, you wouldn't understand."

"Me, a brute?" Shang Huai snorted. "Compared to a weakling like His Highness the Crown Prince, I am indeed a brute."

"Look at what you've done! You brought Zhizhi out here and even arranged for her to meet male prostitutes. Aren't you corrupting her?"

Xiao Chengci questioned Shang Huai, "Even if you don't like Zhizhi, you don't need to resort to such despicable means."

Pei Zhi propped her chin up with her hand and watched with great interest.

I had heard Pei Minxue mention it before; Shang Huai and Xiao Chengci had a huge argument over her.

Pei Zhi felt a little regretful that she didn't get to see the scene.

Sure enough, she saw it very quickly.

"I'm leading her astray?" Shang Huai lowered his eyes and sneered, "I'm showing Zhizhi the world so she won't be fooled by some idiot."

"The more you see, the less likely you are to be fooled by cunning people."

Shang Huai was practically pointing his finger at Xiao Chengci and cursing him outright.

"Heh." Xiao Chengci asked rudely, "You're just jealous of me, jealous that Zhizhi is close to me, aren't you?"

Xiao Chengci looked Shang Huai up and down, "And you, you're just a brute, simple-minded, and you won't win Zhizhi's favor."

Xiao Chengci continued to provoke Shang Huai, saying, "You're extremely jealous of me, but you can't do anything about it, so you gave Zhizhi some male prostitutes, right?"

"What utter bullshit!" Shang Huai was somewhat stung by Xiao Chengci's words.

"I'm jealous of you? Why would I be jealous of you? Who are you to Zhizhi?"

Shang Huai feigned doubt: "Could it be that my memory is faulty? Zhizhi's husband isn't His Highness the Crown Prince, is he?"

"To Zhizhi, you're nothing more than a male prostitute. I don't know what Your Highness is so proud of?"

Xiao Chengci had long since developed a thick skin, so he wasn't angry even when Shang Huai said that to him.

"Even if I am a male prostitute, I am Zhizhi's male prostitute. What are you?"

Xiao Chengci asked, "Zhizhi's closest friend? Or something else?"

Shang Huai was also impressed by Xiao Chengci's shamelessness.

"It's better than you doing this out of jealousy."

Xiao Chengci reprimanded Shang Huai, "When you found male prostitutes for Zhizhi, did you thoroughly investigate their backgrounds?"

"Who have you served before? Were you clean?"

Shang Huai retorted, "I'm not as despicable as you think. I just want Zhizhi to see that there are many good men in the world, and not to be easily fooled by you."

"You were fooled by me?" Xiao Chengci was displeased. "I am, after all, the Crown Prince. What do I need to fool Zhizhi about?"

"Wasn't it all for Zhizhi herself?"

"Besides, ask yourself honestly, compared to these male prostitutes, I am at least of noble birth and far cleaner than them, aren't I?"

Since Xiao Chengci had already compared himself to a male prostitute, Shang Huai couldn't go against his conscience and say something foolish.

"Who knows if you're clean or not? The Eastern Palace is so vast, you've probably already..."

"Shut up." Xiao Chengci quickly looked at Pei Zhi, afraid that Pei Zhi would misunderstand him.

"I swear that Zhizhi is the only woman in my life."

After Xiao Chengci proved his innocence, he said, "Stop trying to sow discord between Zhizhi and me."

"Me, sowing discord? What reason would I have to sow discord between you and Zhizhi?"

Pei Zhi got tired of it and said, "Alright, stop arguing."

"It's getting late, I need to go home and have dinner with Xiuyuan."

In short, a decisive victory.

Xiao Chengci and Shang Huai exchanged a glance, and both saw the absurdity in each other's eyes.

What's the point of them fighting tooth and nail here?

The only person who could make Zhizhi willingly go home to have dinner with her was Lu Xiuyuan.

Shang Huai immediately replied, "I brought you out, I'll take you back."

Xiao Chengci retorted, "I'll escort you myself, lest Shang Huai disappear halfway there and then we don't know where he is again."

Pei Zhi waved her hand, "You two don't need to bother. I'll just take the carriage back by myself."

Shang Huai still wanted to try, but Pei Zhi said, "So as not to cause Xiu Yuan to misunderstand or overthink."

One sentence silenced both Xiao Chengci and Shang Huai again.

After Pei Zhi left, Shang Huai and Xiao Chengci looked at each other, and finally, they both pulled out chairs and sat down at the same time.

"I am not reconciled."

Shang Huai originally wanted to say something sarcastic to Xiao Chengci, but after thinking about it, he kept quiet.

Xiao Chengci was unwilling to accept it, and Shang Huai was equally unwilling.

They were the ones who encountered Pei Zhi first, but Lu Xiuyuan, who appeared out of nowhere, managed to snatch her away.

"Then what do you plan to do? She's the legal wife."

Shang Huai scoffed, "Even if you ascend the throne in the future, can you issue an edict for them to divorce and separate them as husband and wife?"

Believe it or not, Xiao Chengci actually had that idea.

"No, that would take too long."

Xiao Chengci pondered that his father was in good health, and he didn't know when he would ascend the throne.

Moreover, Xiao Chengci could be considered a filial son to some extent.

Xiao Chengci simply couldn't bring himself to count the days until his father passed away.

Shang Huai couldn't help but add, "Wait and wait, Pei Zhi even gave birth to Lu Xiuyuan's child."

"You can't expect anything good to come out of your dog's mouth."

Shang Huai didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said.

"Zhizhi and Lu Xiuyuan have been married for a while now. In another year or two, won't the baby be born?"

Xiao Chengci proposed, "Let's get Zhizhi divorced first, and then the two of us can compete fairly."

Shang Huai refused without even thinking, "We're not on the same level right now."

"You're practically Zhizhi's lover, you're way ahead of me, where's the fair competition in that?"

Although Shang Huai was a bit reckless, he wasn't a fool.

Shang Huai said with righteous indignation, "Moreover, Lu Xiuyuan was the person Zhizhi chose herself. Even if I dislike Lu Xiuyuan, I don't want to break up Zhizhi's marriage."

Xiao Chengci exclaimed incredulously, "Shang Huai, I really have to call you a great philanthropist."

"Why have you never shown any kindness to your cousin me?"

Xiao Chengci tried to wake Shang Huai. The two of them were, after all, cousins, and related by blood.

Shang Huai was unconvinced: "You are the Crown Prince, I dare not presume to associate with you."

Xiao Chengci did indeed want to break up Lu Xiuyuan and Pei Zhi, and he had many ways to do so, but he dared not take action.

He was afraid that if Pei Zhi found out later, she would definitely not show him any mercy.

Therefore, Xiao Chengci thought of dragging Shang Huai into the mess.

"Let's work together to get Zhizhi and Lu Xiuyuan to divorce. I'll teach you how to win Zhizhi's heart, okay?"