Shen Yuewei felt a chill run from her feet to the top of her head. Xiao Chengjing! How could he be so domineering! So ruthless! Just because of that ridiculous, baseless jealousy, he ruined the livelihood and future of a loyal old servant! This wasn't just driving someone away; it was a blatant trampling on the independence and dignity she had worked so hard to build!

"Prepare brush and ink!" Shen Yuewei's voice was as cold as ice. "Summon 'Shadow Seven'!"

"Shadow Seven" was the leader of the secret guards left behind by her second brother, Shen Wenbai, who had always remained hidden to protect her safety. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's special status and his swift arrival last night, the Shadow Guards wouldn't have easily allowed him to approach the inner courtyard.

Soon, a silent man in black, as still as a shadow, appeared in the room and knelt on one knee: "What are your orders, Miss?"

Shen Yuewei quickly wrote a note, her handwriting sharp and incisive: "Find Crown Prince Xiao Chengjing as fast as you can and give him this. Tell him I'm waiting for him in the backyard of 'Jinwei Ji,' immediately!"

"Yes!" Yingqi took the note and disappeared like a ghost.

---

A light drizzle fell, and Crown Prince Xiao Chengjing had not gone far. He stayed at a more secluded hideout in the town, and did not sleep all night. The clear finger marks on his face had long since faded, but the regret, fear, and lingering warmth of the strange throbbing he felt when he touched her abdomen last night tormented him repeatedly.

When Ying Qi appeared before him like the wind, respectfully handing him the angry note, Xiao Chengjing's heart calmed down. He knew she would retaliate; this was the Shen Yuewei he knew.

Unfold the note; it contains only one line of text:

> Manager Wang will be reinstated, and the shop will remain as before. Otherwise, it will be a lose-lose situation.

"A fight to the death..." Xiao Chengjing repeated softly, his fingertips tracing the sharp edge of the paper, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. Very well, she had finally revealed her claws, no longer merely passively hiding or coldly distancing herself. This threatening anger, ironically, felt real to him, even... reassuring.

He got up, changed into a more understated dark blue casual outfit to conceal his menacing aura, and, accompanied only by two trusted bodyguards, stepped into the backyard of "Jinwei Ji" once again.

Raindrops fell on the bluestone slabs of the courtyard, splashing up tiny droplets. Shen Yuewei didn't wait for him inside; instead, she sat on a bamboo chair under the eaves, wrapped in a thick fox fur coat. Her face was still somewhat pale, but her eyes were sharp as knives, piercing directly at Xiao Chengjing as he entered the courtyard. Chuntao and Zhang Mama stood nervously by her side.

Xiao Chengjing's gaze first fell on her, and only after confirming that she was unharmed did he look into her cold eyes.

"You were looking for me?" His tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

"Your Highness, what a display of power!" Shen Yuewei cut to the chase, her voice filled with suppressed anger. "Overnight, you took charge of dismissing the manager of my shop? May I ask, Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?"

Xiao Chengjing walked to the corridor, the rain soaking the hem of his robe. He looked down at her: "What use is a servant who harbors ill intentions towards the mistress? I'm doing this for your own good."

"Holding ill intentions?" Shen Yuewei sneered. "Did Your Highness witness this with your own eyes, or is it just wishful thinking? Manager Wang is over forty years old, with a wife and children at home, and is an honest and upright man! Your Highness, based solely on your own selfish desires and a fabricated charge, ruined his future and destroyed his livelihood. Is this how Your Highness governs?!"

"Personal motives?" Xiao Chengjing narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, an invisible pressure spreading once again. "My personal motive is that I will not allow anyone to covet my women and children! Not even a glance!" His voice was not loud, but it was filled with a resolute and obsessive determination.

"I am not your possession!" Shen Yuewei met his gaze without backing down. "'Jinwei Ji' is my home and my livelihood! Manager Wang is my right-hand man in running this place! Is Your Highness trying to trap me in this tiny place and make me live at your mercy?"