The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 73 - 72: Have Loved You in Vain for So Many Years

Chapter 73: Chapter 72: Have Loved You in Vain for So Many Years

Bai Heming glanced at Shen Yinning and, encouraged by her gaze, retorted, "Aunt Yin, I am not a bastard! Master Yu really is my teacher, and I’ve been studying here for a month already!"

Yin Shanshan burst into laughter, utterly incensed.

She glared scornfully at Shen Yinning: "Sister, children are ignorant, but are you as foolish as they are? Do you even know what a great figure Master Yu is? He’s not someone a feudal matron like you, who never steps outside the house, can meet casually!"

"Shanshan is right," Lu Ying chimed in. "Shen Yinning, you’d better head home quickly and stop disgracing yourself here."

Seeing that Shen Yinning wasn’t willing to leave and was still leading Bai Heming toward the side gate of the Yu Residence, Lu Ying’s expression turned extremely unpleasant.

He rushed over and chastised her under his breath: "I know you came from a distinguished family, and even Master Yu might have regarded you highly once. But Shen Yinning, times have changed. You’re merely the daughter of a disgraced convict now. Why would Master Yu still be willing to see you?! I am, after all, your husband. If the servants of the Yu Residence end up chasing you out, I’ll lose face, too! Don’t be stubborn—just go home!"

"Husband?" Shen Yinning sneered. "In what sense are you my husband? Lu Ying, don’t forget about the agreement we made before we got married."

Lu Ying’s face turned beet red.

Before their marriage, he and Shen Yinning had agreed not to interfere in each other’s lives.

Therefore, he had no authority to question what Shen Yinning wanted to do today.

Yin Shanshan watched Lu Ying return empty-handed and stomped her embroidered shoes in frustration: "Husband, how can you let Sister act recklessly? There are so many guests here today—if she offends someone important, my brother won’t clean up your mess for you! And Sister knows nothing about propriety. If she angers Master Yu and he refuses to accept Hong’er and Hui’er as his disciples, what then?!"

"Enough," Lu Ying waved his hand weakly. "Let’s go inside and see Master Yu first."

They presented their calling cards, but the young servant of the Yu Residence refused to let them in: "My master didn’t invite you two."

Yin Shanshan was incredulous: "Do you know who my husband is?!"

"No, I don’t."

"My brother Yin Yang is the Crown Prince’s trusted aide. My husband Lu Ying used to be the Ganzhou County Magistrate and is currently an Eighth Rank Evaluator at the Ministry of Justice. He is privileged by the Prime Minister and a confidant of the Crown Prince, and my sons are future prized disciples of Master Yu. Do you understand the sheer value of our family of four?!"

"No, I don’t."

"You—" Yin Shanshan was furious. "You’re simply blind! Let me warn you—my two sons are extraordinarily gifted, emerging from the lineage of the Prime Minister. If you delay their mentorship with Master Yu and cause him to lose two talented students, it’ll be a huge crime!"

"Oh."

Seeing the servant’s utterly indifferent attitude, Yin Shanshan was on the verge of a breakdown.

Guests arriving to celebrate Master Yu’s birthday, including officials and scholars, streamed in continuously. Many stopped to watch as the family of four was blocked at the gate—some amused, some mocking. Lu Ying and Yin Shanshan felt their faces burning, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

Finally, Lu Ying whispered, "I saw Shen Yinning enter through the side gate. Why don’t we go through there, too?"

The four of them headed to the side gate of the Yu Residence, only to be stopped by another servant: "And who might you be?"

Yin Shanshan was about to announce their names, but Lu Ying stepped forward first: "A lady went in just earlier. She’s my wife, Shen Yinning. We’re here to find her."

The servant sized Lu Ying up.

Who would’ve thought that someone like Shen Yinning, once a favored child of heaven, didn’t marry the Crown Prince but ended up with such an ordinary man?

The servant sighed inwardly and assumed Lu Ying had followed Shen Yinning to pay respects for Master Yu’s birthday. Thus, he let them through.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Yu Residence.

Shen Yinning respectfully knelt on the floor: "Student Shen Yinning pays her respects to Teacher."

Master Yu frowned and glared: "You dare come to see me! I heard you returned to the Capital as early as March, but you’re only seeing me now. Clearly, you don’t regard me highly at all! I wasted all those years doting on you!"

"Teacher..." Shen Yinning rose and playfully tugged his sleeve. "I wanted so much to visit you, but you know my current predicament. If my uncle found out I was back, he wouldn’t let me off easily. I didn’t want to drag Teacher into my troubles."

"You’ve always been sharp-tongued and could spin logic even from nonsense! And do you think I’m an outsider? Do you think I fear being implicated?" Master Yu was both angry and exasperated. "Forget it, forget it—let’s just say I owed you in a past life! Since you’ve come today, it must be for more than just birthday wishes. Speak—what do you want this time?"

Shen Yinning was never one to visit without a purpose.

This was something Master Yu had learned well when she was still a child.

But despite this, he couldn’t help but cherish her for her charm and brilliance.

Shen Yinning personally poured tea for Master Yu: "Teacher, I’ve heard my uncle intends to invite you to take charge of teaching at the Shen Family Academy. You know the deep hatred between my uncle and me—please don’t go!"

"I wouldn’t agree to go even if you hadn’t mentioned it." At the mention of Shen Yan, Master Yu’s expression darkened. "Shen Yan is opportunistic and power-hungry. I am fundamentally not aligned with him!"

"Then... what if the Crown Prince himself comes to request it? Would you refuse, too?"

Master Yu glanced at her: "You ungrateful little thing—have you forgotten how much I favored you over Jingwei when you both studied as children? Even now, I wouldn’t treat you differently."

Only then did Shen Yinning break into a smile and gracefully bow: "Student thanks Teacher!"

As they spoke, the attendant student entered to announce that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort had arrived to offer birthday wishes.

Shen Yinning pulled Bai Heming behind a curtain, peeking out to observe the scene. And sure enough, it was those two.

After paying their respects, Lu Ying presented his birthday gift: "This is a bundle of rice seeds grown this autumn in the fields of Jiangnan."

Shen Yinning knew her teacher’s hometown was Jiangnan, making Lu Ying’s gift quite thoughtful.

However, next to him, Shen Yunxi froze and bluntly exclaimed: "That’s all His Highness is giving?!"

Lu Ying said nothing, staring at her coldly.

Shen Yunxi’s eyes darted about.

She had thought the Crown Prince held Master Yu in high esteem, but now it seemed that for Master Yu’s birthday, the Crown Prince had merely brought some inexpensive rice. Clearly, this old man wasn’t very important!

Realizing this, she no longer bothered to maintain her composed and proper demeanor, becoming increasingly casual in her actions.

After some polite small talk, Lu Ying finally got to the point: "Shen Guogong plans to rebuild the Shen Family Academy and wishes to invite Teacher to teach there. May I ask if Teacher is willing?"

Master Yu stroked his beard lightly: "I intend to devote my time to re-editing historical texts from the previous dynasty. I have no time."

Lu Ying nodded: "In that case, I’m sure Shen Guogong will understand."

"Your Highness!" Shen Yunxi protested coquettishly.

The Crown Prince is truly too foolish! He couldn’t even recognize an excuse when he heard one!

She spoke coyly: "Master Yu’s words are clearly a pretext. My father won’t understand! Master Yu, my father invites you out of respect—don’t fail to recognize the gesture!"

Lu Ying’s brow furrowed sharply.

For years, because of Shen Zhi and his son’s affair, Master Yu had resented Lu Ying for his lack of intervention and accused him of being cold and indifferent, leading to their estrangement.

This was the first time he had brought Shen Yunxi to meet Master Yu, but he hadn’t expected her to behave so discourteously!

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