The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 103 - 101 Does the Crown Prince Actually Like Shen Yinning_2

Chapter 103: Chapter 101 Does the Crown Prince Actually Like Shen Yinning_2

The conversation between Gao Zheng and Yin Shanshan fell into the ears of the crowd, and the looks they directed at Shen Yinning changed again and again.

So Shen Yinning had already married while she was in Gan State.

The reason she appeared in the Capital was due to Gao Zheng’s reassignment as a Capital Official.

Many noble sons revealed expressions of regret.

For someone as stunning as Shen Yinning to marry a man as plain and low-ranking as Gao Zheng, a man from a poor background, was simply a waste of heavenly beauty!

From the words of that Gao Family concubine, it could even be discerned that Shen Yinning was unloved by Gao Zheng and spent her days in the inner courtyard vying for favor.

They couldn’t help but recall the glorious image of Shen Yinning in the Capital three years earlier, sighing deeply at her fall from grace.

Some scheming young nobles looked Shen Yinning over secretly. Back then, Shen Yinning had a noble status and was the Crown Prince’s fiancée—no one dared harbor improper thoughts about her. But now, she was merely the wife of a petty official, with someone like Gao Zheng, an Eighth Rank official, ranking even lower than their mansion’s Chief Steward. They wondered if Gao Zheng could be pressured into opening a back door for them late at night, allowing them to steal her beauty and savor the former darling of heaven for themselves.

Shen Yunxi stared at Shen Yinning, her gaze flickering with subtle changes.

So Shen Yinning had returned to the Capital on Gao Zheng’s coattails.

She had been worried she had some special skills to rely on, fearing for nothing in the end.

Her eyes swept over Shen Yinning, her expression morphing from astonishment into ridicule.

She clearly remembered how prosperous and illustrious Shen Yinning once was. At any banquet, young noble ladies and sons of noble families all swarmed around her; even when buying jewelry or clothing, no one dared compete for whatever caught her eye.

But now, the tides had turned. The once heaven-favored daughter had married a mere Eighth Rank official, someone even inferior to the maids Lianxin and Lian Ye at her side, let alone those noble ladies!

Her eyes swept Shen Yinning from head to toe. Since she was already married, it was unlikely the Crown Prince would have any further thoughts about her.

After all, what man would give up an untouched maiden for a married woman?

And back then, when the Shen Family was sentenced and Shen Yinning was thrown into jail, she had bribed all the prison guards to ensure Shen Yinning was properly "taken care of." She wondered what state her dear elder sister had been reduced to—likely "arms for thousands to lay, lips for thousands to taste," akin to a worn-out shoe.

The Crown Prince, noble and dignified, would definitely have no interest in such a discarded shoe!

However, to maintain her reputation for kindness and magnanimity as the Crown Princess Consort, she had to treat Shen Yinning generously. That way, she could demonstrate her gentleness and benevolence to the Crown Prince, ensuring he noticed her forgiving nature.

She thought to herself and intentionally put on an exaggeratedly delighted expression: "Sister, you’ve returned from Gan State?! I’ve been so worried about you these past years, fearing you might not be living well there. I never expected you’d return to the Capital."

Mrs. Qin also smiled warmly and said, "Zhaozhao, everything in the past is over. The mistakes of your father and brother have nothing to do with you. Our family will never disown you as our close niece. In the future, you should interact more often with the Duke Mansion. When you’re free, visit the Eastern Palace and keep your younger sister company. She is now married to the Crown Prince and is the Crown Princess Consort."

"That’s right, Sister," Shen Yunxi’s tone was layered with flaunting, "Not long after your exile to Gan State, I married the Crown Prince. I know the Crown Prince was once your fiancé, but he is now my husband. As for you, Sister, you’ve ended up as the wife of a mere petty official. The whims of fate are unpredictable, not something human efforts can alter. Sister, you wouldn’t hold this against me, would you?"

Shen Yinning softly chuckled, "You and I are sisters; how could I ever blame you?"

She didn’t take Shen Yunxi seriously.

What did it matter to get Lu Ying’s heart when the Crown Princess Consort couldn’t even bear children? She was ultimately insignificant.

Yin Shanshan listened to their conversation, stunned into immobility.

Shen Yinning was actually the Crown Princess Consort’s cousin?!

She had been exiled to Gan State?!

She was actually a young lady from an official family?!

No wonder she was so beautiful, and her manners and speech didn’t at all resemble those of a rural woman—she had once been the daughter of a prestigious family!

As Yin Shanshan remembered how she used to belittle Shen Yinning, accusing her of being inexperienced, ignorant of the Capital’s etiquette and relationships, and lacking networking skills to earn money, her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Unable to hold back, she blurted out, "Shen Yinning, if you’re a young lady of the Shen Family, why did you deliberately trick me into thinking you were a poor orphan from the countryside?! Did you enjoy watching me stumble and embarrass myself all year? You must have secretly found it amusing, didn’t you?! We’re both women and both serving Lord Gao—how could your intentions be so malicious?!"

Shen Yinning arched her brows.

From start to finish, she had never claimed she was an orphan.

It was all Yin Shanshan and Madam Gao who had assumed it on their own.

With a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, she said casually, "Doesn’t Younger Sister have a rather deep connection with Lord Gao? Why, has Lord Gao never mentioned my identity to you in private?"

Yin Shanshan’s pupils shrank, staring incredulously at Gao Zheng. "Lord Gao, you knew about her identity all along?!"

Gao Zheng’s lips moved, but he dared not say a word.

He just wanted to leave here immediately.

Today’s situation was far beyond anything he or Yin Shanshan could hope to handle!

Yin Shanshan, however, acted as though she had been betrayed, her eyes brimming with tears as she accused, "Lord Gao, I’ve always believed our love to be stronger than gold, always been sure there should be no secrets between us. I’ve told you everything, yet you deliberately concealed Shen Yinning’s identity from me?! This whole year, Shen Yinning has treated me like a clown—are you looking at me the same way?! Lord Gao, didn’t you say you’d only ever love me in this lifetime?!"

Speaking such matters of love in public, Gao Zheng only felt his dignity slipping away.

He pulled at Yin Shanshan’s arm desperately: "Let’s leave quickly! Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it at home!"

"I’m not leaving!" Yin Shanshan shook him off. "If you’re leaving, take Shen Yinning with you! Even if she’s the Duke’s close niece, this is my Western restaurant—how can she enter without an invitation?! I won’t do business with her; I forbid her from appearing in my restaurant!"

Shen Yunxi glanced appreciatively at Yin Shanshan.

She had thought this Gao Family concubine a useless fool—but unexpectedly, she was rather effective.

Intent on humiliating Shen Yinning, she followed Yin Shanshan’s lead, her expression turning helpless and urging, "It’s true, Sister. Today is Father’s birthday, and I didn’t invite you. For you to show up here unannounced is inappropriate. Uncle and Cousin once committed treason—shouldn’t you be confined in a Buddhist temple repenting day and night? How could you go running about at my father’s banquet? If the Emperor misunderstood and suspected our family’s ties to yours, what might happen then..."

Shen Yinning burst into laughter. "What are you saying, Younger Sister? You clearly invited me. Didn’t you just call out for me earlier?"

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