The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 96 - 95 He Just Likes to See Her Get Jealous

Chapter 96: Chapter 95 He Just Likes to See Her Get Jealous

Shen Yinning laughed out loud and hugged the man’s broad shoulders from behind. "Your Highness is indeed wise and mighty; no matter what I do, I cannot escape your discerning eyes. Did your heart ache for me bullying Sister Bai?"

Lu Ying pulled her into his embrace, secretly musing that as long as Shen Zhaozhao remained obedient and loyal, he didn’t care whom she targeted.

Moreover, he had no feelings for Bai Shuangshuang and despised her betrayal. Feeling sorry for her was out of the question.

He loved watching Shen Zhaozhao exhibit jealousy and petty competitiveness—it was quite amusing.

...

For three consecutive days, Bai Shuangshuang seemed to see the pale face of Madam Shen outside her window.

She tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep peacefully. The slightest sound or movement would frighten her out of her wits, leaving her desperately wishing she could burrow deep into her bedding.

When she ventured out during the day, even heavy makeup couldn’t hide the dark circles under her eyes from sleepless nights. Her figure seemed to have thinned significantly; her cheeks were sunken, and she appeared haggard, a far cry from the radiant beauty she had been upon leaving the Eastern Palace.

Originally, she had hoped to trample Shen Yinning beneath her heel, but now she avoided her at any cost.

She secretly purchased paper money and incense, burning them privately for Madam Shen. While burning them, she muttered endless apologies, begging Madam Shen and Shen Yinning to forgive her and not to haunt her anymore.

Shen Yinning gradually grew bored.

Bai Shuangshuang’s courage was laughably small. Shen Yunxi had chosen such a useless pawn to send to Shen Garden—it wasn’t even enough to entertain her.

That night, while Bai Shuangshuang bathed behind the screen, Shen Yinning quietly climbed onto the ceiling beam and securely tied a white silk ribbon to it.

When Bai Shuangshuang sat before the dressing table, Shen Yinning slowly dangled the white silk ribbon mid-air. Her red embroidered shoes swung idly, tapping Bai Shuangshuang from behind.

"Ling’er!" Bai Shuangshuang irritably threw the wooden comb. "Haven’t I taught you the palace etiquette?! If there’s something to report, approach me properly and curtsy; what does poking someone’s back mean?!"

No one answered her.

Shen Yinning lowered her head, continuing to tap her lightly with the embroidered shoes.

Angered, Bai Shuangshuang turned around, intending to slap Ling’er across the face. Instead, her eyes met a pair of embroidered shoes dangling mid-air.

Instinctively, she looked up and saw Madam Shen hanging from the ceiling beam, her pale, bruised face rigid, her glaring eyes fixed on her.

Bai Shuangshuang: "..."

She rolled her eyes back and fainted outright from fright.

Jumping to the ground, Shen Yinning disdainfully kicked her. "Such a tiny courage, yet you dared to scheme my mother’s death back then..."

Grabbing the white silk ribbon, she considered strangling Bai Shuangshuang. After a moment’s thought, she withdrew her hand.

Dying like this would be meaningless.

It was far more satisfying to make her life worse than death.

The next day, Shen Yinning intended to continue tormenting Bai Shuangshuang, but Haitang came in to report, "Madam, Bai Shuangshuang has gone mad!"

Shen Yinning arrived at the garden. Despite the cold weather, Bai Shuangshuang wore nothing but thin underclothes. She danced and shouted wildly, "I am the Crown Prince’s fiancée, Shen Yinning! I am the woman destined to become the Crown Princess! Seeing me, how dare you not kneel?!"

Plucking a branch of red plum blossoms, she coquettishly inserted it into her hair bun. "I come from a noble lineage, my beauty can topple kingdoms, and every man in the Capital is beneath my skirts... Your Highness, last night I received your letter, and I secretly wrote back with a love letter in return! Have you opened and read it yet?"

She was utterly deranged, acting as though she truly were Shen Yinning.

Lu Ying appeared under the corridor.

He gazed at Bai Shuangshuang and recalled the time when he had indeed exchanged letters with Shen Yinning.

Back then, he sensed that Shen Yinning’s personality in her letters was completely different from her usual demeanor, which made him dislike the affected and pretentious Shen Yinning. Over time, he stopped writing to her.

Looking back now, it was likely Bai Shuangshuang had intercepted his letters and, on her own initiative, responded to him as Shen Yinning.

After all, she had been Shen Yinning’s maid at the time, which made such actions entirely feasible.

The thought filled Lu Ying with disgust. He ordered coldly, "Take her away!"

Watching Bai Shuangshuang’s mouth being gagged with a rag and her struggles as she was dragged away by the guards, Shen Yinning felt an unsettling chill in her heart.

She knew nothing about the letter incident and didn’t ponder over it.

She simply realized that perhaps Bai Shuangshuang had long desired to replace her and become Lu Ying’s woman.

She had merely failed to notice.

Meanwhile, Zhang Cuichun had keenly perceived her intentions and used them to orchestrate Madam Shen’s murder...

It seemed she would have to be even more cautious and meticulous in dealing with others moving forward.

In the afternoon, Xue Ling came to discuss matters with Lu Ying, and Xue Mianmian followed along, bursting into Shen Yinning’s quarters excitedly.

She exclaimed joyfully, "Zhaozhao, I’ve already spread the news about Shen Xinglei keeping a mistress and having an illegitimate child. A couple of days ago, Qingqing personally witnessed Shen Xinglei entering Sun Miaoniang’s private residence and even saw their illegitimate child. Today, she plans to bring her parents to catch him in the act, so she can rightfully break off the engagement with Shen Xinglei."

Shen Yinning handed her a cup of hot almond tea. "Although Shen Xinglei is reckless and straightforward, my cousin Shen Xinghan is calculated and shrewd. If your family wishes to annul the engagement, I suspect it won’t be so easy."

"How could that be?" Xue Mianmian’s face scrunched up immediately. "Having an illegitimate child before marriage is a grave issue in any family. Even if it were brought before the Emperor, our family would have the moral high ground. How could we not succeed in breaking off the engagement?"

Saying this, Xue Mianmian decided to accompany Shen Yinning to see the situation for herself.

The two of them took a carriage to Sun Miaoniang’s temporary residence, where a crowd had already gathered at the entrance.

Xue Mianmian lifted a corner of the curtain. "Father, Mother, and Qingqing are here, and Shen Xinglei and Shen Xinghan are also present... Huh, why is Qingqing crying?"

Shen Yinning glanced over.

Xue Qingqing was crying bitterly and pitifully. "Father, Mother, I clearly saw Second Master Shen entering this residence, embracing the young lady who lives here! That young lady held a child in her arms, addressing Second Master Shen as father! I did not lie; I saw it clearly!"

Shen Xinglei clenched his fists tightly, his honest and simple face filled with pain. "Elder Xue, Madam Xue, I have no idea what I’ve done wrong to be falsely accused like this by Miss Qingqing! I don’t even have a chamber maid in my quarters. How could I possibly be keeping a mistress and raising an illegitimate child?! It must be because I did something that displeased Miss Qingqing, and she wants to annul the engagement by framing me in this way!"

Xue Chief of Staff bellowed furiously, "Xue Qingqing, this is beyond ridiculous!"

"Father, I’m not being ridiculous! I really saw it—"

"Enough!" Chief Xue thundered. "Do you not see that the residents here are clearly just an elderly couple? Where is the supposed young lady?"

Shen Xinglei looked utterly dejected. "Last month when I returned to the Capital, I noticed that this elderly couple had no children and lived in hardship. Out of pity, I temporarily arranged for them to stay here. I never expected my act of compassion to become the excuse for Miss Qingqing to slander me..."

He hung his head in frustration, appearing sincere and innocent, as though he had truly been dealt a great injustice.