Shen Yunjiao planned to leave the mansion first, and then come back to propose a divorce once they had consummated their relationship.
She could tell that Fang Ziyu also harbored ambitions to become the mistress of the house.
It would be better to wait until later and whisper more in Pei Zhixuan's ear.
What if Pei Zhixuan softens and agrees?
Anyway, I shouldn't be a third wheel in the Duke's mansion and interfere with their emotional exchange.
"You want to leave?"
Pei Zhixuan frowned. "She will not be living in Chunhe Hall from now on."
Fang Ziyu currently lives in Yongxi Hall of the Duke's Mansion, which is quite a distance from Chunhe Hall.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunjiao exclaimed: "How can this be?"
"I have no objection to her staying at Chunhetang; it's fine for her to stay there. I'll pack my things in the next few days—"
Shen Yunjiao's words came to an abrupt halt as she saw Pei Zhixuan take a large step forward, wrap his arm around her, and firmly grasp her slender waist.
"You want to leave here?"
Pei Zhixuan's eyes flashed with a hint of barely perceptible ferocity.
Shen Yunjiao was slightly surprised by Pei Zhixuan's actions.
She quickly placed her hands against his chest to prevent them from getting too close.
Pei Zhixuan's warm heartbeat traveled through the thin brocade robe and shirt to Shen Yunjiao's palm.
"Your Highness?"
Pei Zhixuan met her gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.
The woman in his arms was probably startled by his actions; her bright eyes were filled with unease, just like a pitiful little rabbit.
“You are the matriarch of the Pei family, how can you leave at will?” Pei Zhixuan said slowly.
The matriarch of the Pei family? Bah!
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunjiao's heart sank, and her fingers unconsciously tightened.
"Pei Zhixuan, don't you understand? I don't want to stay here." Shen Yunjiao's tone seemed impatient. "You can take as many concubines as you want, why force me to watch? Don't you think this is cruel?"
"You have the right to call me cruel?"
Pei Zhixuan's jawline tightened instantly. He released Shen Yunjiao, his eyes darkening.
His tone instantly turned cold. "I gave up the hereditary official position in the Duke's mansion and took the imperial examination route. I finally became a minor official in the Censorate."
"But because of your momentary infatuation, I was suppressed and even threatened and bribed by your father in the court. He only let me go after I married you."
Do you think I'm cruel, or is your father cruel?
The last sentence, though seemingly casual, made Shen Yunjiao gasp.
Pei Zhixuan has confined himself here, is it actually to take revenge on her and the Shen family?
The handsome face of the man in front of her suddenly became somewhat frightening, and Shen Yunjiao silently took a few steps back.
Pei Zhixuan rubbed his temples. The Crown Prince was ill, the court was in turmoil, and the front court and the harem seemed to be closely connected in countless ways.
In particular, Prime Minister Shen, ever since he learned that the Crown Prince was recuperating in the palace, had been eager to establish a new Crown Prince.
He had his reasons for not letting Shen Yunjiao go back. Prime Minister Shen was ambitious, and he was afraid that Shen Yunjiao would be involved in these conflicts sooner or later.
He simply didn't want a princess consort with a tarnished reputation; it was definitely not to protect Shen Yunjiao.
"Alright, alright, then pretend I didn't say anything." Seeing his unpleasant expression, Shen Yunjiao felt that bringing this up today would probably be pointless.
Arguing is bad for your health, so I'd better go back to sleep.
Shen Yunjiao yawned and said, "You go to court, I'm going back to my room."
Pei Zhixuan's lips twitched, and he slowly said, "I just came back from the Censorate. I was busy all night."
Shen Yunjiao paused, "So busy? Why don't you go to the study and rest for a while?"
She was sleepy after saying so much so early in the morning.
"Let's go back to the room together."
The courtyard was very quiet, with only the dripping rainwater from last night from the eaves.
Pei Zhixuan's words shocked Shen Yunjiao, leaving her scalp tingling with disbelief. "What did you say?"
Shen Yunjiao's heart was filled with turmoil, and her slender fingers dug deeply into her palm.
"What? Is it not allowed in your room?" Pei Zhixuan coldly uttered these words and walked into the room.
The west wing where Shen Yunjiao lived was not as spacious as the main room, but it felt warm and cozy as soon as you entered.
Ordinary families would have already extinguished the charcoal by March, but for some reason, Shen Yunjiao's body was extremely sensitive to the cold.
So she had the finest gold thread charcoal burned in the small stove inside the house.
The warmth mixed with the sweet fragrance of incense completely wiped away the dew from my body.
So delicate!
Pei Zhixuan silently made a mental assessment as he glanced casually at the place where Shen Yunjiao lived, with its soft gauze curtains and delicate flowers.
On the desk lay an unfinished copy, and on the table sat a delicate white porcelain vase with a few fragrant peonies.
Seeing this warm and elegant scene, even the already tired Pei Zhixuan was overcome with sleepiness.
As Shen Yunjiao watched the tall, handsome figure leave, she was pondering how to get Pei Zhixuan to go when she heard him speak calmly.
"Aren't you going to come help me change?"
Pei Zhixuan's arms were slightly outstretched, and the deep contours of his profile blended into the dim light, creating an almost unreal beauty.
The atmosphere was somewhat quiet. Pei Zhixuan lowered his hand, turned around, and met Shen Yunjiao's gaze.
He then realized that the damned Shen Yunjiao was standing motionless by the screen.
Pei Zhixuan recalled how Shen Yunjiao's face would always turn bright red with shyness and excitement whenever she approached him.
Now, however, she looked uneasy and anxious, without a trace of joy.
Why?
Shen Yunjiao appeared even more uneasy under Pei Zhixuan's deep gaze. She glanced at Pei Zhixuan and quickly lowered her head.
"I can't, I'm not feeling well today."
Unexpectedly, Pei Zhixuan's expression darkened further after he said that. "What do you think I came to your room for?"
Shen Yunjiao felt a little embarrassed, but she still gritted her teeth and said, "You just want that, but I got my period today."
"What kind of person do you take me for?" Pei Zhixuan's eyes darkened. He never forced anyone.
Moreover, he only came to rest in Shen Yunjiao's room today because he sensed Shen Yunjiao's rejection of him, and did so on purpose.
Unexpectedly, Shen Yunjiao reacted in this way.
Pei Zhixuan closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, they were filled with indifference. "Shen Yunjiao, it is your blessing to serve me."
Shen Yunjiao: ??? Give this good fortune to someone else, I don't want it!
“I don’t know how to serve. If you need someone to serve you, go find a maid or servant, or go find your Fang Ziyu.” She shook her head in denial.
Pei Zhixuan's eyes were deep and his expression was cold.
A moment later, he gave a mocking smile: "Then I hope you won't regret it later!"
After saying that, he angrily flicked his sleeve and strode away.
They almost bumped into Granny Lin, who was carrying water into the room.
Shen Yunjiao breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to get rid of this powerful figure.
Lin Mama saw Pei Zhixuan leave the room with a displeased expression and step into the room.
Seeing Shen Yunjiao lying on the chaise longue, she turned her head to face her.
Lin Mama asked curiously, "Why did the young master come so early in the morning?"
"Just my usual crazy antics!" Shen Yunjiao said listlessly, feeling exhausted and sleepy.
"The young lady doesn't even want her son-in-law to stay."
As Lin Mama approached to serve Shen Yunjiao, she exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, why do you look so pale?"
"Granny, wake me up later, I'm so sleepy!"
Shen Yunjiao's stomach was no longer bloated, and a wave of drowsiness washed over her.
"Go to sleep, my dear." Granny Lin gently blew out the nearly extinguished candle for Shen Yunjiao.
The room was plunged into darkness, with only a cool ray of sunlight filtering through the small window.
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