Chapter 4: Returning Home – The Pinnacle of Acting Skills
The three-day homecoming ceremony is held after the wedding.
This is a big day for the newlywed bride to visit her parents' home. Logically speaking, Regent Shen Jin is busy with many affairs of state and dislikes the Jiang family, so he could have simply sent a steward to accompany her or claimed illness to avoid going.
But to everyone's surprise, on that morning, the black and gold carriage that symbolized the Regent's Palace's supreme power was already parked at the gate.
Inside the car, Jiang Mianmian was huddled in a corner, secretly clutching a piece of osmanthus cake hidden in her sleeve, nibbling on it quickly like a hamster.
[I'm starving! I've been starving these past two days! That stingy Chen Jin has only been feeding me vegetables and tofu! My stomach is full of chlorophyll; I need to photosynthesize!]
[I finally got to go back to my parents' house, I'm going to make up for all the calories I lost! Braised lion's head meatballs, crystal pork knuckle, sweet and sour pork ribs... Dad, dear Dad, you absolutely have to prepare some hearty dishes!]
Shen Jin sat upright in the center of the carriage, holding a book in his hand. He seemed to be reading, but in reality, his eyes were constantly fixed on the woman who was secretly eating.
With crumbs stuck to the corners of his mouth and his cheeks bulging, he looked... utterly stupid.
But listening to her heart-wrenching cries, he felt inexplicably good.
"The princess seems very hungry?" Shen Jin slowly turned a page of his book and asked casually.
Jiang Mianmian's hand trembled in fright, and she almost choked on the last bite of osmanthus cake. She quickly swallowed it, patted her chest, and instantly put on a weak and feeble expression:
"Your Highness, I am not hungry. I am just grateful for Your Highness's consideration in allowing me to recuperate. These past two days, I feel... much lighter, as if... as if I am about to ascend to heaven."
"Yes, I'm about to ascend to heaven! I'm so hungry I'm about to ascend to heaven! Can you even listen to what a human is saying? Hungry? Am I not hungry because I'm cultivating immortality and abstaining from grains? When we get to the Jiang family later, you better not stop me, or I'll swallow the whole plate!"
Shen Jin chuckled lightly and didn't expose her.
The carriage rumbled along and soon arrived at the Prime Minister's residence.
At this time, the entrance to the Prime Minister's residence was already decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and a red carpet was laid out.
Although Prime Minister Jiang Zhan was a dignified and rigid old man in the court, he was a well-known "doting father." Upon hearing that his beloved daughter was returning to her parents' home, he wished he could replace the threshold with gold.
However, the person standing at the door to greet him today was not Jiang Zhan, but his stepmother, Liu.
Lady Liu was dressed in her magnificent imperial robes, her face beaming with an impeccable smile, followed by a retinue of her concubines and half-sisters.
"Welcome, Regent! Welcome, Your Highness the Queen!"
As the carriage came to a stop, Liu and the others gracefully bowed.
Shen Jin was the first to alight from the carriage. Today, he was dressed in a dark purple python robe, which made him appear even more imposing and noble. He casually raised his hand and said, "No need for formalities."
Then, he turned around and gracefully extended his hand into the car.
A slender, pale hand reached out.
Jiang Mianmian, supported by Shen Jin, stepped down from the carriage with great difficulty. She had deliberately applied a thick layer of foundation today, making her face look as pale as paper, and she walked with a swaying gait, as if she might be blown away by the wind at any moment.
Wow, this acting is amazing! I want to kowtow to myself. Look at that delicate posture, look at those poignant eyes. Chen Jin, cooperate, hold on tight, I'm about to begin my performance.
Shen Jin raised an eyebrow, gently supported her arm with his palm, and even whispered in a very cooperative tone, "Your Highness, watch your step."
This scene, when witnessed by Liu, caused a flash of jealousy and resentment to appear in her eyes.
Rumor has it that the Regent despises this marriage? How come they seem so loving?
"Mother," Jiang Mianmian approached Liu Shi, gave a slight curtsy, and asked in a barely audible voice, "Where is Father?"
Liu quickly stepped forward to help him up, her eyes instantly reddening. She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "Your father is handling official business in his study and won't be out for a while. Hurry, it's windy outside, don't catch a chill, come inside."
The group of people entered the main hall.
Shen Jin was naturally invited to the seat of honor, and a maidservant served him the finest pre-rain Longjing tea.
Liu glanced at Shen Jin, who sat at the head of the table with a cold and imposing expression, and felt a little intimidated. But when she thought of Jiang Mianmian's weak and easily bullied nature, she straightened her back.
In this inner quarters, she is the mistress of the house. If she wants to control a newly married stepdaughter, isn't it a piece of cake?
“Mianmian,” Madam Liu picked up her teacup, gently skimming off the foam, her tone earnest, “Although you are now the Regent’s Consort, with a noble status, you are still a daughter of the Jiang family. One must never forget one’s roots.”
They've arrived.
Jiang Mianmian sat in the armchair at the lower end of the chair, her eyes lowered, and nodded obediently: "Mother is right."
[Tsk tsk tsk, the same old opening line again. 'Don't forget your roots'? Is the next thing you going to say 'You should help your family more,' or 'You should listen to your parents'? Aunt Liu, doesn't your repertoire of words need an update? This is like Windows XP from twenty years ago!]
Shen Jinzheng paused slightly as he picked up his teacup, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
XP system? I don't understand it, but it sounds like someone is swearing.
Seeing Jiang Mianmian's docile demeanor, Madam Liu felt reassured, and her tone became even sterner: "Since you know, there are some rules I still need to remind you of. In the Prince's mansion, you represent the face of our Jiang family. I've heard..."
She paused, glancing at Shen Jin, who was engrossed in drinking tea and seemed oblivious to their conversation. She lowered her voice and said, "I heard you skipped the morning and evening greetings on the second day of your marriage? How can that be! As the legal wife, serving your husband and managing the household are your duties. If word gets out that you're being so lazy, won't people gossip about our Jiang family?"
"Also, your half-sister Wan'er is of marriageable age now. If you have the opportunity while you're at the Prince's residence, you should keep an eye out for her..."
Jiang Mianmian trembled, and tears instantly filled her eyes, rolling down her cheeks like beads from a broken string.
"Mother...it is your unfilial daughter's fault..."
She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, crying her heart out, her shoulders heaving, looking utterly devastated.
However, a different picture appeared in Chen Jin's mind:
[Hahaha! This is hilarious! They're already using PUA tactics? And 'backstabbing'? My spine's made of titanium alloy, you think you can just poke it? They want to stuff that innocent Lin Wan'er into the royal palace? Trying to pull that 'Ehuang and Nüying' kind of thing?]
[Aunt Liu, your tactic of "praising to death" combined with "moral blackmail" is too low-level. Can't you come up with something more sophisticated? Like poisoning me, or framing me for adultery? Is that all? You think you can pull off a palace intrigue game with this level of skill? I suggest you go read a couple of books from "Empresses in the Palace" to improve your skills!]
While mentally ranting and raving, Jiang Mianmian cried even louder: "Mother is right, it's all my fault, my body is too weak, I can't share the prince's burdens, and I only cause Mother worry..."
She cried so sincerely, as if she had suffered a great injustice but had no choice but to endure it.
Shen Jin almost spat out his tea while watching her textbook-perfect acting.
Is this what they call... being two-faced?
No, this is practically a split personality.
Seeing Jiang Mianmian crying so miserably, Liu felt even more pleased. She thought Jiang Mianmian was really frightened, so she pressed her advantage and put on airs, saying, "Why are you crying? Your mother is only doing this for your own good. Just in time, I have some freshly stewed bird's nest here. Take it to the Prince to have a taste. It will be your duty as a wife."
As she spoke, she gave a wink to the old woman beside her.
The nanny immediately brought over a bowl of piping hot bird's nest.
It's time to set some rules.
Making the dignified Regent's wife serve her husband tea and water like a maid in front of everyone was both a way to suppress her arrogance and a test of Chen Jin's attitude.
Jiang Mianmian looked at the still steaming bird's nest and sneered inwardly.
[It's too hot to handle, isn't it? You want to see me make a fool of myself, don't you? If it were the original owner of this body, she would have stupidly tried to take it, then her hand would have trembled from the heat, causing her to spill the bird's nest soup, and she would have been labeled as 'clumsy' and 'disrespectful before the emperor'.]
【Too bad, your grandma is a strength-based ability user, thick-skinned and tough, this little bit of heat is nothing to me. But... since you want to play, I'll play a big game with you.】
Jiang Mianmian stood up shakily and reached out her hands to accept the bird's nest soup.
The moment her fingertips touched the porcelain bowl, she suddenly exclaimed, "Ah—it's so hot!"
Then, her hand trembled "uncontrollably".
According to Liu's script, the bowl of bird's nest should have been spilled on Jiang Mianmian herself, leaving her in a sorry state.
But Jiang Mianmian's wrist turned slightly at an extremely strange angle that defied the common sense of physics.
"Splash—"
The bowl of piping hot bird's nest drew a beautiful parabola in the air and landed precisely on Liu, who was sitting smugly watching the show from the side!
"ah!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, echoed throughout the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence.
The scalding hot bird's nest smeared all over Liu's face, and the viscous liquid flowed down her carefully maintained cheeks, hanging on her expensive hairpin.
"Oh dear, Mother!"
Jiang Mianmian's face changed drastically. She rushed over in a panic, frantically wiping Liu's face with the handkerchief in her hand. "Mother, are you alright? It's all my fault for being clumsy! It's all my fault for being useless! Quick, quick, call a doctor!"
She shouted while inwardly laughing wildly:
[Bingo! A perfect score! How was it? This 'bird's nest mask' – isn't it moisturizing? You're welcome, it's a daughter's thoughtful gift! Oops, this handkerchief seems a bit rough, won't it rub my skin raw? Oh, sorry, I did it on purpose.]
Shen Jin sat at the head of the table, watching Jiang Mianmian "anxiously" wipe Liu's face while taking the opportunity to pinch Liu's face hard a few times, turning Liu's originally exquisite makeup into a palette of colors.
He finally couldn't help himself, put down his teacup, and let out a very soft chuckle.
Wonderful.
That was truly amazing.
This isn't a little white rabbit at all; it's clearly a little fox in rabbit skin, the kind that's going to bite.
"Your Highness..."
Liu's face was scalded and red, and she was also rubbed painfully by Jiang Mianmian. She looked at Shen Jin in a disheveled state, hoping that this powerful son-in-law could uphold justice and punish Jiang Mianmian for disrespect.
"This...this Mianmian, she..."
Shen Jin raised his eyelids and glanced at Liu Shi indifferently.
His gaze was cold and indifferent, carrying an air of superior authority that instantly silenced Liu.
"The princess is indeed a bit clumsy with her hands."
He spoke slowly and deliberately.
Jiang Mianmian's heart skipped a beat.
[Hey, Shen Jin, what do you mean? You're going to help this old hag? If you dare help her, I'll grind my teeth by your bedside tonight!]
Shen Jin's smile deepened, and he changed the subject: "However, Mother-in-law, this bird's nest soup seems to be a bit too hot. Your Highness has delicate skin; if you burn your hands, I will be very distressed."
The entire room fell silent.
Liu stared wide-eyed at Shen Jin in disbelief.
Heartache?
The Living Yama Regent said he felt sorry for him?
Jiang Mianmian was also stunned, blinking her big eyes as she looked at Shen Jin.
[What? Did I hear that right? This jerk is... defending me? Good heavens, has the sun risen in the west? Or has he lost his mind? Whatever, he's on my side! Shen Jin is mighty! Shen Jin is domineering!]
Shen Jin stood up, walked to Jiang Mianmian's side, and very naturally took her hand—the hand that had just caused the "trouble".
That hand was fair and delicate, without even a red mark.
But Shen Jin still blew on it seriously and said softly, "Although it's not red, it must have hurt. In the future, let the servants do this kind of rough work. You are a princess, not a maid."
This sentence was a direct and severe slap in the face to Liu.
Ignoring the pain on her face, which turned pale and then red, Liu could only grit her teeth and swallow her anger: "Yes... Your Highness is right... It was my oversight..."
Just then, a series of hurried and steady footsteps came from outside the door.
"What's going on? Why is it so noisy? Who dares to bully my Mianmian?!"
A powerful roar rang out.
Immediately afterward, a middle-aged man in a purple official robe with a long beard strode in. It was none other than the current Prime Minister, Jiang Mianmian's biological father, Jiang Zhan.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw a mess on the floor, his stepmother looking disheveled, and his beloved daughter being protected by Shen Jin behind her.
Jiang Mianmian's eyes lit up.
A powerful backer has arrived!
[Dad! My dear dad! You're finally here! Come and see your little white flower swaying in the wind and rain! Show me your unreasonable and protective skills!]
She sniffed, and the tears she had just held back welled up again. She called out in a pitiful voice, "Father..."
That cry, so full of twists and turns, broke Jiang Zhan's heart.
Shen Jin looked at Jiang Zhan's face, which darkened instantly, and then glanced at Jiang Mianmian behind him, who was frantically gathering her emotions.
The real show is just beginning.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com