The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 95 - 94: The Bai Family’s Encounter with a Ghost, It Was Your Doing, Right?

Chapter 95: Chapter 94: The Bai Family’s Encounter with a Ghost, It Was Your Doing, Right?

Shen Yinning had been especially obedient these past few days, so there was no reason for Lu Ying to not favor her.

He extended his hand toward Shen Yinning, saying, "Come here."

"Your Highness..."

Shen Yinning called sweetly, placing her delicate hand in his palm, leaning into his embrace with a frailty that seemed weightless.

Lu Ying stroked her slender waist and said to Bai Shuangshuang, "You were once master and servant. Since it was Zhaozhao who gave you these things, you should take them. Keep them by your bedside; it wouldn’t be ungrateful."

Bai Shuangshuang almost ground her silver teeth to dust.

The Crown Prince was actually favoring Shen Yinning to this extent!

It was as if whatever she said was absolute!

Not daring to defy Lu Ying, she resentfully curtseyed, "I understand, Your Highness."

After she left, Shen Yinning traced circles on Lu Ying’s chest with her fingertip, saying, "I live with Sister Bai in Shen Garden. Your Highness dotes on me but neglects Sister Bai. It’s understandable that she would feel upset at times. You should go check on Sister Bai tonight; I fear she might be displeased."

"Since when did Shen Zhaozhao care for others?"

"I know my current status is lowly." Shen Yinning bit her lip in sorrow. "But even so, I still wish to spend my life with Your Highness. If Your Highness were to favor me someday and elevate me to a position as a concubine or maid in the Eastern Palace, then I’d end up seeing Sister Bai often. Building a good relationship with Sister Bai now would save us trouble in the future, wouldn’t it? I don’t want Your Highness to worry about the trivialities of the harem. I want to get along with the other sisters for Your Highness’s sake..."

The young girl spoke earnestly and sincerely.

Every word seemed to echo Lu Ying’s concerns.

"You are indeed obedient."

Lu Ying’s tone revealed no joy or anger.

As night fell deeper, Lu Ying truly visited Bai Shuangshuang’s sleeping quarters.

A pot of green wax plum blossoms sat proudly on the flower stand, emitting a faint yet discernible fragrance.

Bai Shuangshuang dressed herself elaborately and courteously offered a wine cup, "The night is cold; Your Highness, please have a few sips to warm yourself. Though I may not be as skilled as Shen in composing poetry, I can play a few simple tunes for Your Highness to enjoy."

As she spoke, she picked up her pipa.

The woman’s song echoed through the courtyard garden, lingering sharply amidst the snowy night.

Wei Yu was tending to Shen Yinning’s dressing and couldn’t help grumbling, "Talk about Eastern Palace’s chosen concubines! What’s the difference between her and those singing in brothels? She’s entirely unpresentable!"

Shen Yinning donned a plain white dress and styled her long hair exactly as her mother once wore.

She dusted her face heavily with powder before the bronze mirror, smirking faintly, "Life within the deep palace, women only compete for favor. Who is nobler than the other? Methods don’t matter; only their effectiveness does."

"I just can’t stand her smugness! My Lady, you don’t realize she named her maid Ling’er just to mock you! All day she calls out Ling’er, Ling’er—anyone would think she’s ordering you around!"

Shen Yinning paid no attention to this.

She painted her face pale with powder, added some bluish pigment under her eyes, and adjusted the proportions of her features to resemble her mother’s appearance.

With the makeup done, under the flickering lamplight, she eerily looked as though her mother had come back to life.

Wei Yu stared blankly, "My Lady, what are you planning to do?"

Shen Yinning held up a piece of white silk, "To seek revenge."

The palace maids and eunuchs keeping night watch at Shen Garden, knowing Shen Yinning was favored, lowered their guards and were easily sent away by her.

Shen Yinning tied the white silk around her neck and appeared alone outside Bai Shuangshuang’s window.

Bai Shuangshuang was strumming her pipa and singing when she suddenly saw through the dark glass a face staring back—willow brows, oval face, styled in a married woman’s bun, pale and disheveled—wasn’t it Lady Shen?!

Her eyes blackened beneath, lips crimson red, with white silk bound around her neck, glaring hatefully!

Bai Shuangshuang shrieked aloud.

Lu Ying, with his back to the window, didn’t see the scene, "What’s got you so startled?"

Bai Shuangshuang fixed her gaze but found the face had vanished from the window.

Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the pot of green wax plum blossoms and assumed it was just her imagination.

She forced a smile and reassured, "I was momentarily careless; forgive me for troubling Your Highness..."

With that, she resumed her singing.

Within the warm room, the green wax plum blossoms quietly bloomed. The fragrant powder sprayed into them by Shen Yinning began to diffuse, faint but sufficient to enhance an already unsettled mind’s sense of confusion and dread.

Shen Yinning once again leaned close to the window outside, staring intently at Bai Shuangshuang.

It was as if she was demanding answers—why did she deceive her? Why did she conspire with Nanny Zhang to kill her?

Behind her loomed the chilling darkness; in her all-white attire, she slowly dragged her long nails across the glass, seeming ready to climb inside at any moment!

Bai Shuangshuang’s sweet song abruptly broke into chaos, and she screamed, dropping her pipa as she dove into Lu Ying’s arms with a pale face, "There’s a ghost!"

Lu Ying glanced back at the window but found it empty. There was no ghost.

Haitang entered appropriately and bowed in greeting, "This servant greets Your Highness and Selected Concubine Bai. Your Highness, my Lady had nightmares and heart palpitations. She wishes for Your Highness to visit and comfort her."

"No!" Bai Shuangshuang immediately protested, clutching Lu Ying’s sleeve tightly, "Your Highness promised to stay with me tonight. Why go to Shen? Your Highness, I’m frightened! I saw something unclean; please don’t leave! With the dragon’s divine aura around you, that entity won’t dare come near me!"

Her fear was genuine; faint beads of sweat surfaced on her nose.

Lu Ying pushed her hand away, "There’s no such thing as ghosts. Have you lost your mind?"

"Your Highness! Please don’t leave me; please pity me!"

Bai Shuangshuang cried and clung to his robe, yet grasped futilely as Lu Ying strode away, leaving her collapsed on the ground.

She stared blankly as Lu Ying disappeared from sight and turned fearfully toward the window. "I merely told one lie. I didn’t harm the Shen family. It wasn’t me who harmed the master and young master; go seek vengeance on the Second Elder instead! Why come after me?"

Her peripheral vision caught the green wax plum blossoms on the bedside table, triggering memories of Lady Shen’s voice and countenance.

Her heart raced wildly, and she anxiously approached the flowers.

It had to be these green wax plum blossoms!

All these years, she hadn’t dreamed of Lady Shen even once. Yet as soon as the green wax plum blossoms were delivered, Lady Shen’s face appeared!

She must smash this pot of flowers!

Before she could act, Haitang laughed softly to remind her, "Selected Concubine Bai, what are you planning? This pot of green wax plum blossoms was gifted by my Lady, and His Highness specifically instructed it to be placed by your bedside for you to admire and reminisce about. If you were to destroy them, while my Lady may not hold you accountable, how would you explain it to His Highness?"

Bai Shuangshuang’s face turned ashen, and she ultimately didn’t dare to smash the pot.

Perhaps, perhaps the face at the window tonight was just her imagination?

Meanwhile, Lu Ying arrived at Shen Yinning’s quarters to find the young girl dressed in her sleepwear, lying pale and pitiful on her couch.

Seeing him enter, Shen Yinning propped herself up and said sweetly, "Your Highness, I had nightmares and feel truly uneasy. Would you rub my chest to help calm my nerves?"

Lu Ying sat by the bed’s edge. "That ghost scene Bai experienced—it was your doing, wasn’t it?"