Back in the room, Shen Yunxi sat in front of the dressing table and looked at the deep marks on her neck in the mirror. She was immediately filled with fear.
Yes, she didn't know why she had forgotten Junxuan's nature today. This smiling tiger was never easy to deal with. Even if he smiled, she couldn't trust him. Deep down, he was still the ruthless man.
She hoped that Chen Zhong and Lan Pei would return as soon as possible, so that she would have an excuse to go home, see her father and mother, talk to them about her feelings, and rely on them.
Suddenly I remembered that the Empress Dowager's birthday is in a few days.
However, Shen Yunxi remembered that the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration was not a grand affair. She herself was not a person who liked crowds, so she just wanted to have a meal with a few close friends.
At that time, Shen Yunxi still entered the palace and was even conferred the title of Consort De by Jun Xuan. She also had the honor of attending the birthday banquet at the Empress Dowager's residence.
The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet only had two tables, so there weren't many people, but it was still quite lively.
Lu Wanqing also arrived. She drank two glasses of fruit wine and, taking advantage of her tipsiness, joined Junxuan in a game of chess, subtly and overtly flirting with him.
Shen Yunxi knew the rumors in the capital and thought that Lu Wanqing was Jun Xuan's sweetheart. Seeing her like this, she couldn't control her anger and argued with Lu Wanqing for a few words.
Later, the Empress Dowager intervened, outwardly speaking up for Shen Yunxi, but secretly making Junxuan dislike Shen Yunxi even more.
Thinking of this, Shen Yunxi smiled coldly.
Lu Wanqing usurped the identity she had when she met Junxuan in her childhood, which is why Junxuan remembered her for many years.
But Junxuan's concern wasn't for that person, but for the bamboo candy he gave him and the feelings he shared when he was in solitary confinement. These feelings had nothing to do with romantic love.
In other words, Junxuan didn't love Lu Wanqing at all. He only turned a blind eye to Lu Wanqing's behavior because of that reason, the Empress Dowager's face, and their childhood friendship.
However, Lu Wanqing later deliberately used aphrodisiac spices on Junxuan during their chess game and also put drugs in his tea. Unfortunately, Junxuan discovered something was wrong and chased Lu Wanqing away. It was on that day that she was finally able to consummate her marriage with Junxuan.
Ha, since Lu Wanqing likes Junxuan so much, and Junxuan cares so much about that little girl he met in his youth, then without her interference in this life, the two of them should be together, right?
Shen Yunxi suppressed the surging emotions in her heart. If Junxuan really accepted Lu Wanqing, it would be a good thing. She wondered what Junxuan's reaction would be when he found out that the person was not Lu Wanqing.
In the following days, Shen Yunxi stayed at home and devoted herself to serving the Empress Dowager. She would massage the Empress Dowager's head every day, and the Empress Dowager's complexion improved significantly, and she became more energetic.
There was one thing the Empress Dowager didn't quite understand: whenever she asked Shen Yunxi to make some snacks for Junxuan, she would always have other things to do.
The Empress Dowager was puzzled by this, but she didn't ask any further questions, thinking that Shen Yunxi was just embarrassed.
Junxuan, who had been waiting for Shen Yunxi to make a move, was somewhat surprised when he didn't receive the snacks from her and thought that Shen Yunxi might be plotting something.
However, as the days went by, Shen Yunxi made no move, and Junxuan began to wonder if he was overthinking things.
On this day, Ji Shaoyue entered the palace to see Jun Xuan. As they talked, Ji Shaoyue brought up the matter of Shen Yunxi entering the palace.
"Jinyu, I heard that Shen Yunxi entered the palace a few days ago. Have you been having a tough time lately? I bet she's after you. As for the Empress Dowager's intentions, they're all just trying to get you to accept Shen Yunxi." Ji Shaoyue said smugly, thinking he had seen through everything.
Jun Xuan glanced lazily at Ji Shaoyue, leaned back on the couch, and fiddled with the cinnabar bracelet on his left wrist with his right hand, his expression inscrutable.
After a long silence, Jun-hyun finally spoke.
"Tell me, what causes a person's personality to undergo such a dramatic change? On the day of Yanshan Tang, I saw her trespassing into the Supreme Bath with ill intentions, so I used a little trick to make her fall into the water. But after getting ashore, she seemed like a different person, avoiding me like the plague. Logically speaking, she has such a good opportunity to get close to me now, but she hasn't reacted at all."
Upon hearing Jun Xuan's words, Ji Shaoyue's eyes widened, and he looked at Jun Xuan with some uncertainty.
Previously, whenever Shen Yunxi was mentioned, Junxuan would show a look of disgust, but now he was so calm and even thought about why this person had not come near him.
“No, I mean, isn’t something wrong with you, Jinyu? You’ve never liked Chen Yunxi, so there’s no need for you to waste your energy on her. Besides, wouldn’t it be a good thing for you if she stopped bothering you? What if she’s just using this as a setup, a deliberate retreat to advance?” Ji Shaoyue asked tentatively.
Junxuan's expression shifted slightly. He understood that what Ji Shaoyue said was indeed true, and that was the right thing to do. However, he had been feeling uneasy for the past few days.
It seemed that Shen Yunxi's lack of action made him uneasy.
Even now, Junxuan still can't figure out what Shen Yunxi is thinking.
“That makes sense.” Junxuan decisively ended the topic and changed the subject, “You’ve been going out of the city frequently lately, has something big happened outside the city?”
Ji Shaoyue sighed, "Don't mention it. There was a problem with the tea farmers on a hill outside the city, but I've resolved it. It's nothing serious. It's just that this year's Longjing tea might not taste as good as in previous years. That's the downside of changing tea farmers. The earlier disturbance by those tea farmers was because my supervisors didn't manage things well, and it almost resulted in a death. It was really troublesome."
Junxuan had no interest in Ji Shaoyue's business. His casual question was simply out of concern for Ji Shaoyue's safety. Since he was certain there was no danger, he naturally didn't ask any further questions.
"It's alright." Junxuan didn't care about the taste of Longjing tea; to him, they were all pretty much the same, and he didn't really like drinking tea anyway.
Ji Shaoyue opened his mouth, but then realized that tomorrow night was a special day and not a good one for Jun Xuan. He wanted to say something, but found that his words sounded weak and powerless.
Left with no other choice, Ji Shaoyue decided to keep quiet.
"By the way, Jinyu, you asked me to keep an eye on the shops in the border town, and I've actually noticed something different. For some reason, the price of rice in the border town has started to rise, and all the shops are raising their prices at the same time. The people in the town are finding it hard to bear. I bet someone is doing something behind this. Shouldn't you arrange for someone to investigate secretly?" Ji Shaoyue suddenly remembered this important matter.
"Yes, I am aware of this matter. I will have someone investigate it discreetly later." Junxuan nodded in agreement.
The two talked for a while longer before Ji Shaoyue got up and left the palace. Standing at the palace gate, he suddenly glanced in the direction of the Empress Dowager's bedroom, his expression somewhat strange.
Shen Yunxi didn't know what day it was tomorrow night, and logically she shouldn't have any interaction with Jinyu, right?
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