Chapter 30 The Drunken Princess's Social Death Scene
The Regent's birthday banquet reached a bizarre yet joyful climax with the appearance of that "heart-shaped massage hammer".
Shen Jin was in a great mood and, for the first time ever, drank a few more glasses than usual.
Sitting next to him, Jiang Mianmian, perhaps because she had given the gift and felt relieved, and because Shen Jin had praised the massage hammer in public, she was so happy that she began to let loose.
On the table in front of me was a pot of "peach blossom wine" with a delicate pink color.
[Hey? This wine looks like fruit juice? It smells sweet, so it probably doesn't have a high alcohol content, right?]
[Come on, let's drink to celebrate getting my getaway ticket!]
Jiang Mianmian took a bite; it was soft and sweet with a rich peach aroma, and had no hint of alcohol.
[Delicious! Is this the legendary sweet drink? I love it! I'll have another one!]
She unknowingly drank too much. Little did she know that although the peach blossom wine was smooth on the palate, it had a very strong aftereffect, known as the "noble lady's version of three bowls that can't get you past the hill."
After a few drinks, Jiang Mianmian's eyes began to glaze over.
Two rosy blushes rose on her originally fair face, as if she had applied the most vibrant rouge. She sat in the chair, her body feeling weak, and her vision began to blur.
【Huh? Why are there two Chen Jin?】
[No, there are three... a lot of them are swaying...]
[Hehe, so many Shen Jin! How much money could we get if we sold them? One Shen Jin is worth 50,000 taels, ten of them would be 500,000 taels... We'd be rich...]
Shen Jin was talking to a minister when he suddenly felt his sleeve being tugged.
Turning his head, he saw Jiang Mianmian resting her chin on her hands, staring at him with a silly grin through her drunken eyes, muttering something like "I'm rich."
"Your Highness?" Shen Jin frowned and reached out to feel her forehead. "Are you drunk?"
Jiang Mianmian grabbed his hand and, instead of letting go, leaned against him as if she had no bones, hanging directly on Shen Jin's body.
All the ministers instantly lowered their eyes and pretended not to see anything, but in their hearts they were gossiping wildly: Is the princess trying to win favor in public?
However, only Shen Jin heard the turmoil in her heart:
【Chen Jin, oh Chen Jin... you're so handsome... but that face of yours is so grumpy...】
[Hiccup... Even though you gave me money and silkworm silk, I still have one question...]
Jiang Mianmian suddenly leaned close to Shen Jin's ear, her warm breath, tinged with the scent of alcohol, brushing against his neck. Her voice was soft and sweet, but she uttered something that almost made Shen Jin flip the table on the spot:
"Hey... when are you going to divorce me?"
Although the voice was soft, Chen Jin heard it clearly.
His body stiffened instantly, and the tenderness in his eyes froze.
Divorce her?
He treated her so well, gave her his secret stash, and even cut out someone else's tongue for her sake, and she's still thinking about divorcing him?!
"What did you say?" Chen Jin's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a dangerous chill.
Jiang Mianmian was completely unaware of the danger. Emboldened by the alcohol, she even dared to reach out and pinch Shen Jin's cold and stern face:
"I said... a letter of divorce! Aren't you a misogyny? Aren't you a germaphobe? Let's part ways amicably..."
[Hurry up and write a letter of divorce! I'm taking my millions of taels of savings to Jiangnan! I'm going to buy a huge villa! I'm going to hire male models! I want freedom!]
[This Regent's Palace is nice, but there are too many rules, and that old hag Empress Dowager is always watching me... I'm afraid my life might be in danger one day...]
Chen Jin's fingers tightened suddenly, almost crushing the wine glass in his hand.
good.
very good.
Buy a big villa? Hire male models?
This woman's mind is really sharp and calculating!
He was about to lose his temper and throw this ungrateful woman back into the mansion to sober up.
Suddenly, Jiang Mianmian nuzzled her head against his chest, her heart filled with a mixture of grievance and sadness:
Although... although you're really good to me... and you even warm my stomach...
But... serving a ruler is like walking on thin ice. You're the regent, unpredictable and capricious. What if one day you stop liking me, or you try to use me like that scumbag father did... what should I do?
I'm just a lazy bum who wants to give up. I can't outmaneuver you scheming types. I'm afraid I'll die here...
The anger that was about to erupt from Shen Jin was instantly extinguished upon hearing these words, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.
fear death.
It turns out that beneath her seemingly carefree, greedy, and lustful exterior lay such deep unease.
Isn't the sense of security he provides enough?
Was it because his usual methods were too ruthless that he frightened her?
Looking at the little woman in his arms, drunk and still subconsciously seeking security, Shen Jin felt a mix of emotions. There was anger at being misunderstood, but even more so, an indescribable heartache.
"I will not."
Shen Jin said in a low voice, as if speaking to her, but also as if speaking to himself, "I am not a tiger, and I will not let you die."
He ignored the banquet and bent down to pick up Jiang Mianmian in his arms.
"The princess is drunk. I will take her back to the manor first."
Leaving a group of dumbfounded ministers behind, Shen Jin, carrying the woman who was still whining and shouting "my money," strode away from the main hall.
...
On the carriage.
Jiang Mianmian completely lost her temper while drunk.
She would cry and laugh in turns, sometimes pointing at Shen Jin and calling him a "capitalist," and other times hugging his neck and calling him her "benefactor."
"Waaaaah... My hot pot restaurant hasn't even opened yet..." "Chen Jin! You skinflint! I want a raise!" "Handsome guy...can I add you on WeChat?"
Shen Jin pressed down on her flailing hands, his brows furrowed: "What is WeChat?"
“WeChat is…” Jiang Mianmian looked at him dreamily, “It’s… when I miss you, I can find your things…”
Chen Jin was taken aback.
Can I find you just because I miss you?
That explanation... is quite appealing.
"No need for that." Shen Jin pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "If you want to see me, I'm here anytime."
Jiang Mianmian was soothed by the kiss and finally calmed down. She found a comfortable position and fell into a deep sleep in Shen Jin's arms.
...
The consequences of a hangover are severe.
The next day, he climbed three poles.
Jiang Mianmian woke up with a severe headache. She felt as if her head had been split open, and her throat was parched.
"water……"
She called out in a hoarse voice.
A long, slender, and beautiful hand held a glass of warm water to her lips.
Jiang Mianmian didn't even look at it, and gulped it down in one go.
"He's alive..."
She let out a long sigh, rubbed her temples, and opened her eyes.
Then she saw a magnified, handsome face with a half-smile.
Shen Jin was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in casual clothes, holding a book in his hand, looking at her with a deep gaze.
"woke up?"
Jiang Mianmian was startled and quickly shrank back under the covers: "Your Highness... what are you doing here? Don't you have court?"
"No bathing today."
Shen Jin put down his book, leaned forward slightly, and exuded an invisible sense of pressure. "Moreover, I am waiting for the Princess to wake up. There are some 'settlements' that need to be settled."
"Accounts?"
Jiang Mianmian's heart skipped a beat as she tried hard to recall what had happened last night.
My memory is fragmented when I was drinking that pot of peach blossom wine. What happened afterward?
[Oh no! I blacked out! Did I go on a drunken rampage? Did I throw up all over him? Did I hit him? Did I... let something slip?]
She cautiously probed, "Your Highness...did I...lose my composure last night?"
Shen Jin curled his lips into a smile that was unsettling no matter how you looked at it.
"Losing composure?"
He chuckled lightly, "The princess was quite imposing last night. Not only did she hug me and call me 'handsome' in front of the entire court, but she also grabbed my collar and asked me when I would write a letter of divorce."
boom--!
Thunderstruck!
Jiang Mianmian's face instantly turned bright red, so red it looked like it was about to bleed.
[A letter of divorce?! I actually asked about a letter of divorce in public?!]
[Oh my god! Let me die! Just find a block of tofu and smash my head against it! This isn't just social death, it's a social crematorium!]
"Moreover," Shen Jin continued, "the princess also said she wanted to take my money to buy a large villa in Jiangnan, and to keep... seven or eight male concubines?"
Jiang Mianmian: "..."
She wanted to disappear on the spot.
If she had a time machine, she would definitely travel back in time and strangle her drunken self!
"It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"
Jiang Mianmian tried to make a last-ditch effort, "I was... I was drunk and talking nonsense! It was just my sleep talking! Don't take it seriously!"
"Yeah?"
Shen Jin raised an eyebrow. "But last night, the Princess Consort said that I am... a 'capitalist'? And that she wanted to add me on... WeChat?"
Jiang Mianmian: 【…Help! How much nonsense have I been talking about?】
Looking at her ostrich-like appearance, as if she wanted to bury herself in the ground, Shen Jin finally took pity on her and gave up his teasing intentions.
He reached out and pulled her out of the covers, his gaze becoming serious and focused:
"Drink less in the future. Especially... in front of other men."
"besides."
He pinched her chin, his fingertips gently stroking it. "Don't even think about the divorce papers. As for the villa in Jiangnan..."
"I have already acquired a garden in Jiangnan. Once the court is more stable in a few years, I will take you there to live."
"Really?!" Jiang Mianmian looked up suddenly, her eyes lighting up.
"Really." Shen Jin nodded cautiously. "But the male concubines—"
"No male concubines!" Jiang Mianmian immediately raised her hand and swore, "Absolutely not! I only love the Prince! The Prince is my one and only male god!"
[What does it matter if I have a big villa? I'm happy just looking at myself in the mirror!]
He chuckled silently.
This salted fish is really easy to coax with just a little sweetness.
"Get up."
Shen Jin patted her head. "To help you sober up, the kitchen made some hangover soup, and... the spicy rabbit head you wanted."
Spicy rabbit head!
Jiang Mianmian instantly regained her composure, forgetting all about social awkwardness and embarrassment in the face of delicious food.
She lifted the covers to get out of bed, but her legs gave way and she almost fell.
Shen Jin quickly grabbed her.
Be careful.
"Hehe, my legs are weak, my legs are weak." Jiang Mianmian clung to him, "Your Highness, can you carry me to breakfast?"
Shen Jin looked at the woman who had been shouting for a divorce last night, but now clung to him like a pendant.
What else can we do?
Just spoil them.
He bent down, picked her up steadily, and walked towards the outer room.
Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the two of them in its warmth and dispelling any awkwardness or distance between them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com