RWNEFE -Chapter 260 You Secretly Associated with the Third Princess—What Exactly Are You Plotting?

When Shen Lanxi arrived, she saw Zhou Ruan pacing back and forth with a box in his hands.

“Second Prince.”

Hearing her voice, Zhou Ruyuan turned around with a smile.

“Lanxi.”

Seeing him act as though nothing had happened, Shen Lanxi found it both ironic and faintly amusing.

“This is something Father Emperor asked me to give you.” Zhou Ruyuan opened the box.

Inside was a complete set of eastern pearl head ornaments. The largest pearl in the center was the one the Empress Dowager had bestowed on her when she entered the palace to request a divorce—later, when she left, it had been placed back in the palace treasury.

“Father Emperor said you left in a hurry that day and didn’t have time to call you back to take it. So he had the palace craftsmen make this entire set and specifically asked me to bring it to you.” Zhou Ruyuan wore what he believed to be a charming, gallant smile as he presented it with both hands.

Shen Lanxi accepted it and examined it carefully.

Zhou Ruan watched her closely, a flash of disdain passing through his eyes.

As long as it was a woman, once she saw gorgeous jewelry and fine clothes, she couldn’t move on. A woman was a woman—what right did she have to command an army? Her ultimate destination was nothing more than a small inner courtyard.

Seeing Shen Lanxi reluctant to put it down, Zhou Ruan’s contempt deepened.

After looking it over, Shen Lanxi closed the box.

Immediately, Zhou Ruan took out another smaller box from his sleeve.

“Lanxi, this is a gift from me. I know you like pearls, so I had people search all over the capital before finding this night-luminous pearl. Put it in your room at night—it’s brighter than candles.”

The box opened to reveal a pearl slightly smaller than the eastern pearl.

Shen Lanxi glanced at it, then lifted her eyes to Zhou Ruan.

“One should not accept rewards without merit. Second Prince, you should take it back.”

With a nostalgic expression, Zhou Ruan said, “Lanxi, you used to call me Brother Ruan. I know you’ve had some misunderstandings about the imperial family because of the Wei Army’s missing provisions.”

Shen Lanxi raised her hand to interrupt him. “Second Prince, watch your words. I have no disrespect toward the imperial house. The Wei Army’s provisions were not stolen by the shen family. If there is hatred to be had, it should be directed at those who stole them—don’t you agree?”

Zhou Ruan’s expression stiffened for a moment, then he smiled again. “Yes, Lanxi, you’re right. I misspoke.”

“When the Shen family was sentenced to exile, I was thousands of miles away and not in the capital. By the time I rushed back, your family had already been sent off.”

“After returning, I immediately memorialized Father Emperor to plead for the Shen family. But at that time, the entire court and the common people believed the stolen provisions were the Shen family’s doing. If it had been anyone else, their entire clan would have been executed.”

As he spoke, Zhou Ruan kept watching Shen Lanxi, thinking to himself: I’ve said so much my mouth is almost dry—why hasn’t she said a word? Could it be she believes me this easily?

“Lanxi, when we parted hastily in Jinmen back then, we didn’t have a chance to talk properly. Now we finally can.”

Since he mentioned Jinmen, Shen Lanxi naturally followed up.

“That hurried farewell at my aunt’s residence—Second Prince waking up naked on the same bed as the Wang siblings—was truly unforgettable.”

Zhou Ruan’s face darkened instantly. He hadn’t expected her to dare bring that up. A flash of venom crossed his eyes, and he clenched his palm hard to force himself to calm down.

“Lanxi, your Shen family shouldn’t have appeared in Jinmen that day. As for what happened, let’s just pretend neither of us saw the other—how about that?” Zhou Ruan said in a negotiating tone.

Shen Lanxi turned away, ignoring the box he held out.

“The nature of our Shen family’s situation is completely different from yours. There was a riot among the refugees, the exile convoy panicked and fled, and we accidentally went the wrong way. But you’re different. My aunt had prepared a welcome banquet long in advance—it was obvious she had been waiting for a prince to arrive.”

Zhou Ruan panicked inwardly and hurriedly changed the subject. “Regardless of the reasons, neither of us should have been in Jinmen. With Father Emperor’s temperament, if this gets out, both of us will suffer!”

Shen Lanxi replied indifferently, “It’s still not the same. His Majesty knows that my mother and the Third Princess, Zhou Qiwou, have an old grudge. Even if our family wanted to flee, we would never run to an enemy’s territory. But you’re different. The Wang family governs a frontier region. You, a prince, are so close to a border governor—privately. Publicly, you and Zhou Qiwou appear to have no relationship at all. You associated with the Third Princess behind everyone’s backs—what exactly are you plotting?”

Zhou Ruan instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He withdrew the box and looked at Shen Lanxi coldly, scrutinizing her.

This woman—aside from her pretty face and figure—was utterly detestable.

“So, you plan to report me to Father Emperor?” If she truly dared to do that, he wouldn’t hesitate to be ruthless.

Shen Lanxi curved her lips, her confrontational aura easing into calm.

“How could that be? We’re both in the Zhenbei Army now, tied to the same boat. More than anyone, I hope the Second Prince fares well, and I hope our Zhenbei Army earns fame on the frontier and receives His Majesty’s favor and reward.”

Zhou Ruan stared at her intently. Seeing that she neither avoided his gaze nor wavered, he carefully analyzed her words.

She spoke nicely, but in truth she was probably just bluffing—afraid he would report the Shen family’s presence in Jinmen to Father Emperor.

This foolish woman didn’t even know that Father Emperor already deeply feared her and wished to get rid of her as soon as possible. Yet she still dreamed of turning things around through military merit.

Since she liked dreaming, he’d let her dream. A woman—what did she have besides dreams and those sordid inner-courtyard tricks?

In any case, she wouldn’t be able to stir up much trouble. After some time, he’d find an opportunity to dispose of her quietly.

Zhou Ruan’s gaze swept over Shen Lanxi’s face, a trace of regret flashing through his eyes.

Before dealing with her, he would definitely have a taste of what this woman—who had nearly become his sister-in-law—was like.

The thought of pressing Zhou Ruyuan’s former woman beneath him made his heartbeat quicken uncontrollably.

A false smile spread across Zhou Ruan’s face. “Since our goals are the same, let the past fade away like clouds. Let’s not mention it again.”

Playing along, Shen Lanxi replied, “From now on, the Zhenbei Army will be entrusted to the Second Prince. I hope you can lead it to quell the chaos in the northwest—then we can all share in the rewards.”

Zhou Ruan thought to himself: Just as I expected.

Shen Lanxi wanted to use military merit and his status as a prince to turn her fortunes around. Sharp-tongued as she was, in the end she still had to rely on him.

The disgust and anger stirred up by thoughts of the Wang siblings were replaced by Shen Lanxi’s flattery.

The sense of superiority that came with being a prince swelled once more—his status destined him to stand above everyone else.

“Easy, easy,” Zhou Ruan said, his eyes shifting as his tone suddenly changed.

“By the way, where is my imperial sister now? When I was in the capital, Father Emperor repeatedly instructed me to discipline this disobedient sister of mine.”