She had argued with Xie Jingyan so much over that jade pendant, even drinking contraceptive medicine in front of him, which enraged him. Now he was telling her that all this time, the person she had envied and been jealous of was actually herself.
She couldn't accept this fact.
She was even more unwilling to accept that in his past life Xie Jingyan had died from being pierced by a thousand arrows while saving "her".
She was the one who ruined Xie Jingyan's life.
"If it weren't for the fact that Prince Ling was plotting a rebellion in the Northwest and there was still a use for her, Xie Jingyin would have sent her to the underworld long ago to reunite with her father and brothers..."
These were the words Shen Ying spoke to her before she died in her previous life.
She had always thought that Xie Jingyin spared her life to restrain the Yun family, but she never imagined that he would really use her to deal with Xie Jingyan...
Did Xie Jingyan and Shen Ying know in their past lives that Xie Jingyan liked her?
Is it because of those two paintings?
Shen Wan thought of the two paintings hidden in the secret compartment. Yin Shuang saw Xie Jingyan walking towards the main gate of the Prince's Mansion and told Shen Wan, "Your Highness, the Prince has left the mansion."
Shen Wan looked up and saw Xie Jingyan walking away into the distance, seemingly unaware that she was in the pavilion. He was dressed in a brocade robe, his posture upright, like a pine or cypress. The sunlight shone on him, creating a faint halo.
Shen Wan felt a pang of heartache. Knowing the truth about the jade pendant, she felt heartbroken just looking at his back. She didn't know how to face him anymore.
Suppressing her wandering thoughts, Shen Wan quickly got up. She hadn't been able to see the two paintings last time, but now that Xie Jingyan wasn't around, she could finally get a good look at them.
Shen Wan walked very fast, and Yin Shuang had to jog to keep up.
Shen Wan walked straight to the study and turned the porcelain vase. Soon the bookshelf moved aside, revealing the two paintings.
Yinshuang was startled and quickly stopped her, "Your Highness already angered the Prince yesterday by wanting to see the painting, Your Highness, you'd better not look at it."
Shen Wan wouldn't listen to Yin Shuang and directly took the painting out of the hidden compartment.
Yinshuang was extremely anxious and looked out the window. Why hadn't the prince's men come out to stop them yet?
Chen Feng left with Xie Jingyan, but Chen Yu was still guarding outside the study.
Chen Yu remained in the tree, hesitating whether to reveal himself and stop them. After thinking it over, he decided against it. The princess knew about the rebellion, which even the prince himself was unaware of. What did seeing the prince's two paintings matter? He was a secret guard, and his duty was to protect the prince and princess. These matters were outside his responsibilities, so it was best to mind his own business. Last time, he had been severely beaten by Chen Feng for talking about the contraceptive medicine. How could he not learn his lesson? Besides, there was no need to get involved.
Shen Wan picked up a painting, quickly unfolded it, and saw the woman in the portrait.
It wasn't her.
The portrait looked somewhat familiar, and Shen Wan quickly realized that it depicted Xie Jingyan's birth mother, Consort Chen.
Absolutely stunning.
In both her lifetimes, Shen Wan had never seen a woman more beautiful than Consort Chen, whose beauty was unparalleled. It was a pity that she died tragically in the dilapidated Cold Palace.
Shen Wan rolled up Consort Chen's portrait and put it back, then picked up another one. Just as she held it in her hand, Xie Jingyan's mellow voice came from behind her, "Are you that curious?"
Xie Jingyan's voice suddenly came from the quiet study, startling Shen Wan.
Yinshuang quickly made way for Chen Feng, who then pulled her out.
That maid really tricked him last night. He answered her question and then ran away, leaving him waiting outside for ages. He hasn't settled the score with her yet.
Xie Jingyan walked over, and Shen Wan's guilty voice was barely audible, "You, didn't you leave the manor?"
Hearing Shen Wan's trembling voice and her guilty look that dared not look at him, Xie Jingyan felt weak all over. How dare she take advantage of his absence to peek at his things?
Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan and said, "You sent your elder brother out of the manor and didn't return for half a day. I thought you had sent your elder brother back to the Pingyang Marquis's manor."
Xie Jingyan reached for the painting, but Shen Wan hid behind her back. This was the second time; if she still couldn't see it, there wouldn't be a next time.
Shen Wan said, "Can't I just take a look?"
Xie Jingyan smiled and said, "Haven't you heard that curiosity killed the cat?"
She didn't know if curiosity would kill the cat, but if she didn't see the painting today, she would surely be tormented to death by her curiosity.
She's determined to see it today no matter what.
Shen Wan was wary of Xie Jingyan trying to snatch it, her eyes filled with vigilance. Xie Jingyan felt a tickle in his heart at that sight, and with a swift movement, he trapped Shen Wan between himself and the bookshelf.
Shen Wan was already worried that he would snatch her away, and as he got closer, she felt a sense of oppression. She looked up at Xie Jingyan, but before she could speak, her mouth was blocked. He pried open her teeth, and their lips and tongues intertwined, gently yet forcefully taking away all her breath.
Shen Wan was no match for his onslaught. Her eyes were glazed over, and her body went limp, making it difficult for her to stand. If Xie Jingyan hadn't held her tightly, she would have slid to the ground.
Xie Jingyan nibbled on her rounded earlobe, his seductive voice swirling around her ear, "Let me move back in."
Her hot breath brushed against her neck, and Shen Wan instinctively shrank back, resisting, "You'd better stay away from me..."
If his beloved is truly her, then he could be considered to have been killed by her in his past life.
She doesn't deserve his affection.
Moreover, given Xie Jingyan's personality, if he knew that the jade pendant wasn't a gift from her and that she didn't even know it existed, he would probably want to strangle her to death.
Xie Jingyan sensed Shen Wan's resistance. He pressed his forehead against hers and said helplessly, "So many people have avoided the tragedy in your dream. Shouldn't you give me a chance too? Maybe I won't fall for someone else?"
Shen Wan looked up and saw her reflection in Xie Jingyan's eyes, which were even more beautiful than the stars in the sky, almost engulfing her.
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