Chapter 80 The Abandoned Eldest Daughter Makes a Comeback (Part 4)
Shen Yunzhen looked at him with a leisurely air, a half-smile on her face: "A life-saving grace?"
The boy's cheeks flushed red: "Yes, if you hadn't taken me in last night, I probably would have been in danger."
The two knew exactly what had happened last night, and Shen Yunzhen had no intention of revealing it.
Shen Yunzhen's eyebrows curved into a smile, and her eyes flickered slightly: "So how do you plan to thank me?"
The boy's face grew increasingly hot, turning so red it was almost as if it could bleed.
His eyes flickered with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness: "This manor is no longer suitable for you to live in. I happen to have a house that is quiet and spacious. If you don't mind, you can stay there for a while, so that I can have a chance to properly repay your life-saving grace."
From Shen Yunzhen's dilapidated little house and her faded, obviously short clothes, one can imagine what kind of life she used to lead.
He absolutely could not accept her continuing to live here.
Who would want to stay in this desolate manor if they could live a good life? Shen Yunzhen naturally agreed.
However, before agreeing, you should first find out who the other party is.
"May I ask your honorable name, young master?"
The boy then realized that he hadn't introduced himself to the other person for so long, and he was immediately filled with regret.
"My surname is Xiao, and my given name is Chengxu."
He didn't say much, but instead hesitated and asked, "I don't know if you've heard of this name before?"
Shen Yunzhen naturally knew the name Xiao Chengxu and was quite familiar with it.
He is the same crown prince who died alongside the eldest prince in the original storyline.
Of course, as an orphan who had lived on the estate for many years, she shouldn't know these things, let alone the name of the current crown prince.
"Never heard of it, but... the surname is Xiao, which seems to be the royal surname of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Xiao Chengxu stammered, "Um... I am indeed a member of the royal family..."
For some reason, he did not want to reveal his identity as the crown prince at this moment, nor did he want to impose this shackle on her.
He wanted to interact with her as an equal, to get to know her, and then, to fall in love with her again...
Instead of showing him great respect or keeping his distance because of his status as the crown prince.
It must be said that the age of first love is a time when one is prone to having many beautiful fantasies and becoming intoxicated by them.
He never considered that once he had chosen someone, he should decisively include that person in his world.
Thus, whether in the eyes of the world or in reality, they are one entity, and anyone who tries to intervene will inevitably face enormous public pressure and moral condemnation.
Shen Yunzhen naturally didn't understand the delicate emotions of a young boy, and even if she noticed them, she wouldn't take them to heart.
As for his refusal to reveal his true identity, Shen Yunzhen didn't care what the reason was, since she already knew.
Shen Yunzhen said happily, "So you are a member of the royal family. That's wonderful. I can rest assured now."
Those romantic thoughts vanished instantly, and Xiao Chengxu's heart clenched. He asked repeatedly, "What's wrong? Why did you say that? Can you tell me?"
A faint sadness lingered between Shen Yunzhen's brows, adding to her beauty and making her even more pitiful.
Xiao Chengxu was extremely anxious, wishing he could raise his hand to smooth away that sorrowful look.
"If you encounter any difficulties, just tell me, and I will help you with anything."
"Since you already know that this estate belongs to Lord Shen Zhengde, you should also have some guesses about my identity."
Xiao Chengxu was able to become the crown prince not only because he was the eldest son of the emperor, but also because of his exceptional intelligence.
As the crown prince, he had a certain understanding of the officials in the capital, both high and low, not to mention that Shen Zhengde's official position was not low, already at the third rank, so Xiao Chengxu naturally knew him even better.
"Could it be that you are...?"
Shen Yunzhen interrupted him.
“That’s right, I am Shen Zhengde’s eldest daughter, born to his first wife. However, although I am nominally his eldest legitimate daughter, in reality…”
Shen Yunzhen smiled bitterly: "After my mother passed away, he sent me here and even vowed never to let me leave, and that he would let me die of old age in this manor."
Now that you can take me away from here, I am naturally extremely grateful. Because of your royal status, he will also be more considerate of you and will not make things difficult for you, so I can rest assured.
Xiao Chengxu was both angry and heartbroken.
"Don't worry, Miss Chen. He's not qualified to make things difficult for me. With me here, he won't be able to do anything to you."
At this moment, Shen Zhengde was already a dead man in his heart.
He will absolutely not let him go!
I don't know how my father selected officials, that such a ruthless and cold-blooded person could be placed in a third-rank position.
If he can treat even his own daughter like this, how can he possibly care about the people?
Xiao Chengxu held Shen Zhengde in utter contempt and rejection in his heart, even criticizing his father in his mind, yet he failed to realize that he was also biased in this matter.
No, they've completely sided with Shen Yunzhen.
"That's good."
Shen Yunzhen responded softly, the worry between her brows dissipating.
"Don't call me Miss Chen anymore, just call me by my name, Shen Yunzhen."
“Yun, Yunzhen.”
Xiao Chengxu tensed up again, and his mind started racing with all sorts of thoughts.
Does the fact that he asked her to call her name prove that she also has some feelings for him?
Shen Yunzhen turned her head slightly to look into the distance, the corners of her lips slowly curving upwards, and the tenderness in her eyes vanished completely.
Judging from Shen Zhengde's attitude towards her, knowing that she had left the estate and climbed up to the Crown Prince, he would definitely find a way to get rid of her.
The mistreatment he suffered over the years was real, and he wouldn't naively believe that there was still affection between him and his daughter.
Instead of trying to win her over, who is uncertain about her future, it would be better to focus on cultivating Shen Yunshu.
Moreover... Shen Yunzhen suspected that he had already sided with the Third Prince, and would see him as a thorn in her side, especially since he was on the Crown Prince's side.
As the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a third-rank official in the imperial court, he wielded considerable power.
Killing her is difficult, but making things difficult for her is not.
Since she was surrounded by enemies, Shen Yunzhen decided to bring Xiao Chengxu into the fray and have him confront Shen Zhengde first.
In this way, Xiao Chengxu would protect her closely, and Shen Zhengde would have to get past Xiao Chengxu first if he wanted to do anything to her.
That's how it was in ancient society. There were many taboos, and women's status was particularly inconvenient, so she had to take a roundabout approach.
After Shen Yunzhen agreed, his subordinate worked quickly and found a carriage to take Shen Yunzhen away from the manor to Xiao Chengxu's residence in the capital.
The carriage discreetly entered the capital, but the news that His Highness the Crown Prince had brought back a woman still spread like wildfire to those who were interested.
His trip was no secret; his behavior of rushing to the outskirts of the city with his entourage as soon as he left the palace in the morning still attracted the attention of many people.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
