A man's pride and habitual domineering nature suddenly made Su Zhengyang want to conquer her. He stood up abruptly, faced Leng Yiqing directly, and said firmly, "Even so, I will not allow it! From now on, I will never let Su Yunmo step into the Crown Prince's residence."
His words struck Leng Yiqing like a ton of bricks. She hadn't considered that this man's pride wouldn't allow him to lose face in front of anyone. Now, without Su Yunmo's aid and support, how could she continue? She had to find a breakthrough as soon as possible; she had to crush this man completely. Because she, too, was a woman who enjoyed pushing her limits.
But she couldn't tell him any of this. The best way to deal with him was to remain silent, leaving him with no way to make a move. She wanted to see what this man was capable of. Hmph, back in the day, she stood out from the many administrative assistants in the office, did she rely solely on her talent? Without some tricks, could she have climbed to the position of administrative director? Now, dealing with an ancient person was probably more than enough.
"Men, keep a close watch on this house. Report any unusual activity to me immediately!" Su Zhengyang resolutely walked out of the courtyard, leaving only two personal guards behind. Leng Yiqing knew that her days would likely be less free from now on.
Xiao Xiang unexpectedly emerged from the side room, glaring angrily at Leng Yiqing, and said through gritted teeth, "It seems you don't need to listen to me anymore."
"Yes. You can leave anytime." She wasn't afraid of fighting alone, nor would she be. She firmly believed that Su Yunmo would always stand by her side, silently watching over her and waiting forever.
Chapter 37 The Fallen Crown Princess
"I won't leave. I want to see you all covered in wounds." They glared at each other.
"Here, I am the Crown Princess, I am the mistress. Whether you stay or leave is not up to you. Even your life or death is in my hands. If you really want to stay, then just wait and see!" Leng Yiqing was already somewhat flustered. She didn't want a woman so hostile to her by her side. Perhaps one day, she would become an obstacle, so she had to be eliminated as soon as possible.
However, the current situation left Leng Yiqing with no room to make decisions. Her status in the Crown Prince's residence was now even lower than that of a mere maid. Su Zhengyang had stopped paying her monthly stipend, and the courtyard was heavily guarded, as if afraid that this woman might be taken away by Su Yunmo at any moment.
All three meals a day were personally delivered by Su Zhengyang's trusted confidants. For a moment, Leng Yiqing was at a loss and could only calmly devise a solution. At this point, she no longer placed her hopes on Su Yunmo, not out of distrust, but out of worry. She knew Su Zhengyang was serious this time, but she simply didn't want Su Yunmo to take the risk.
She couldn't say she knew Su Zhengyang's personality perfectly, but she had a pretty good grasp of it. He wouldn't care about fighting with Su Yunmo; it was Su Yunmo who was always worried and didn't want things to get out of hand.
In a daze, Leng Yiqing stayed in the Crown Prince's residence for three months, during which time she was still helpless. Her every move was under Su Zhengyang's close surveillance, leaving her completely unable to pull off any tricks. Su Zhengyang wisely avoided even setting foot in Qingxin Pavilion, rendering her powerless even if she possessed great abilities. Moreover, with Xiao Xiang by her side, any slightest hint of her intentions would be reported to the guards, as if she wanted to stir up trouble.
As autumn turned to winter, watching the rose petals in the yard about to wither, Leng Yiqing idly picked some, reminiscing about modern dried flower making techniques, and ended up doing this seemingly pointless thing. Xiao Xiang didn't understand, didn't know what she was doing, and didn't want to complain. Sometimes, she wondered, this woman is already in such a state, why is she still making such a fuss? In Su Zhengyang's eyes, they were nothing more than grasshoppers tied to the same string.
And so, Xiao Xiang gave up trying to cause trouble, getting used to just curling up in her corner, only coming out to watch when there was a good show. That day, with nothing to do, Leng Yiqing was still tending to her little flowers in the yard.
I don't know when it started, but Su Zhengyang was standing under the sycamore tree, his hands behind his back, leisurely standing there, and said with schadenfreude, "It's rare to see you so quiet, I'm really not used to it!"
Leng Yiqing, of course, wouldn't give in so easily. She said dismissively, "Yeah! It's really so boring! Why don't you get your darling Lin'er to come chat with me?" Her nonchalant attitude only fueled Su Zhengyang's anger. Had three months really made this woman forget everything that had happened? How could she be so at ease? He was increasingly confused.
However, he was quite puzzled as to why Jiang Yuelin knew her so well. He covered his mouth with his left fist, coughed a few times to clear his throat, and then said in an extremely gentle tone to the person behind him, "Lin'er, come out!"
Jiang Yuelin unexpectedly emerged from behind the large tree behind him, surprising Leng Yiqing. What were these two up to? Moreover, Jiang Yuelin was dressed in plain, simple clothes, her long hair casually pulled back, almost matching Leng Yiqing's bare face. Such casual attire and this unexpected visit—what was the purpose?
"Yiqing, I knew you were bored. I'm bored too! That's why I came to chat with you!" Jiang Yuelin came forward and took her hand in an almost familiar manner, like two long-lost best friends.
Leng Yiqing was still puzzled when she noticed Xiao Xiang peeking out from the side room. Naturally, she wouldn't let Xiao Xiang see her and make a fool of herself, so she affectionately patted Jiang Yuelin's hand and said with a smile, "Alright! Let's go inside and talk!" Regardless of whether they were friend or foe, her situation was already dire, and she figured Su Zhengyang couldn't cause much trouble. So, she tried to pull Jiang Yuelin inside.
She didn't refuse at all and followed Leng Yiqing into the house without worry. Su Zhengyang followed behind, but was stopped by Jiang Yuelin, who asked him softly, "Do you really think we can have a heart-to-heart talk with you here? You'd better not listen to those women's affairs."
Surprisingly, Su Zhengyang didn't hesitate at all and simply turned and left. As soon as he entered the house, Jiang Yuelin immediately locked the door.
Jiang Yuelin tenderly brushed a stray strand of hair from Leng Yiqing's forehead behind her ear and said with concern, "It's really been a hardship for you, sister, to have gone through so much. I've wanted to visit you for a long time, but I just haven't found a suitable opportunity."
"Are we that close?" Leng Yiqing asked in surprise. This woman, with whom she usually had virtually no connection, had suddenly appeared before her, and in such an affected manner. She must have some purpose, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She suddenly regretted dragging this "love rival" into this for the sake of a small matter of saving face.
Chapter 38: Enemy or Friend?
Jiang Yuelin looked at her meaningfully, knowing that she must be completely lost at this moment. But wasn't she the same? Who could believe that a former rival could now be a friend? But things had already dragged on for a month, and now she could only try to get her to believe and cooperate with her as soon as possible.
She pulled Leng Yiqing closer, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "I'm here to help you!" Jiang Yuelin said bluntly.
"Why?" she asked, half-believing.
“Because I want to be the Crown Princess. Therefore, I must make you leave.” One party is extremely distrustful, so the other must be decisive. Therefore, Jiang Yuelin is now speaking her mind and must make her position clear.
"Then you can just kill me. Just like you did a few months ago." Even now, recalling that dream still sends chills down her spine. This terrifying woman would do anything for the position of Crown Princess. Now she's going to all this trouble by coming to her and offering to help. Leng Yiqing is even more puzzled.
"Ha!" Thinking back to her actions a few months ago, it turned out that she had already guessed everything. But now, she didn't need to. Instead, she was even more determined to protect her and help her leave the Crown Prince's residence safely. "Things are different now. We're on the same side. I really want to help you."
Leng Yiqing would never so easily trust a near-stranger, but she did have a two-for-one solution in mind: "Alright, if you want to help me, you must first find a way to get rid of Xiao Xiang!" Leng Yiqing had always worried that Xiao Xiang was her biggest obstacle, like a time bomb beside her, ready to explode any day without her even knowing. Furthermore, if Jiang Yuelin was willing to help her, it would show some sincerity and give her a glimmer of hope.
"Knock knock knock!" A knocking sound suddenly came from outside the door.
They walked to the door at the same time and peeked through the crack. They saw Xiao Xiang standing at the door with a pot of tea. Leng Yiqing couldn't help but sneer and pulled Jiang Yuelin back to the bedside, away from the door and window.
Jiang Yuelin seemed to be thinking about something, but after a moment's hesitation, she decisively agreed. Then she loudly told the people outside the door, "Get out! We don't need you here!"
After she gave the order, the sound of rustling footsteps slowly approached the room and then gradually faded away, and it became much quieter again.
Jiang Yuelin smiled with satisfaction.
Leng Yiqing was increasingly confused about what Jiang Yuelin was up to. It seemed the guards outside were all following her orders, yet Jiang Yuelin stood firmly on her side.
"What exactly happened? Please explain it clearly at once, okay? I don't have time to guess right now!" Leng Yiqing said impatiently.
"Alright! I'll tell you the truth! Su Yunmo asked me to help you!" Only in this way would she believe him.
"Him? Why did he find you? Why did you agree to help me?" A series of questions troubled her.
Jiang Yuelin shook her head helplessly: "Your suspicion is really unusually strong! It's a pity that Su Yunmo didn't leave any evidence. Tell me, how can I make you believe me?"
Leng Yiqing desperately wanted to believe her, but now, with the truth still unclear, she couldn't easily trust anyone. Even if her situation couldn't be worse, having another false friend would only bring her immense trouble. Now that she knew she wouldn't be able to leave anytime soon, she just wanted to stay in this quiet corner, quietly thinking of him, remembering the warmth he had given her over the past few months. That was enough to sustain her until the day she could leave safely.
"I told you, take care of that girl first!" Leng Yiqing is now seizing this opportunity and won't let go until she gets what she wants.
“But you’re in a very precarious situation right now. If I just casually deal with your maid without a good reason, Su Zhengyang might get suspicious.” Jiang Yuelin also had her own helplessness. Even though there was profit to be made, she was still afraid of taking risks. She had agreed to Su Yunmo’s request out of pure self-interest.
Leng Yiqing smiled noncommittally; she still couldn't trust her. She was still fighting alone. Actually, that was for the best; she didn't want to cause any more trouble for anyone.
"Forget it, you should go back first! Su Zhengyang will get tired of me eventually, and then he'll set me free." Leng Yiqing maintained her usual Ah Q mentality, comforting herself.
"No way! Even if he's fed up, given his stubborn nature, he could never tolerate someone doing something like that under his nose. I know about you and Su Yunmo; that crossed his line. The way he's treating you is already giving your father some face. Don't expect anything else." Jiang Yuelin bluntly stated Leng Yiqing's current situation, hoping that Leng Yiqing could clearly realize the problems she was facing.
These heartfelt words finally served as a wake-up call for Leng Yiqing. She could no longer continue down this path of depravity; she had to find a way to escape as soon as possible. But before escaping, she had to clearly sever her ties with the Crown Prince's residence, otherwise, no matter where she went, she would never find peace.
Seeing that she still harbored doubts, Jiang Yuelin patted her shoulder and said slowly, "Since that's the case, I'll tell you everything that happened before! If you still don't believe me, there's nothing I can do!"
Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Truth Revealed
It turned out that not long after Su Yunmo returned from the Crown Prince's residence, she heard the news that Duan Feng had found out that Su Zhengyang had actually placed Leng Yiqing under house arrest and put her on the Crown Prince's residence blacklist.
At that time, he had already guessed what was going on; Su Zhengyang must have found out about his affair with Leng Yiqing. Given Su Zhengyang's personality, he was probably capable of anything!
He couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Even after staying up all afternoon until dark, he still couldn't find peace of mind. So, in the dead of night, he finally decided to sneak into the Crown Prince's residence to investigate.
Dressed in black, he blended seamlessly into the darkness. Yet, even so, and even though he was so well concealed by the sycamore tree outside Qingxin Pavilion, he was still discovered by the hidden guards.
Su Yunmo inwardly cried out, "Oh no!" He never expected Su Zhengyang to be so heavily guarded at Qingxin Pavilion; it seemed he was serious. But now was not the time for him to openly oppose the Crown Prince's residence. Even if Su Zhengyang had already discovered the situation, if he rashly barged in to rescue Leng Yiqing now, Su Zhengyang would only accuse him of stealing his Crown Princess, making him the villain. Besides, openly opposing the Crown Prince's residence would bring him no benefit whatsoever.
Therefore, after being discovered by the guards, Su Yunmo, though unwilling, had no choice but to wisely choose to escape. She couldn't risk getting herself involved again. The matter of rescuing Leng Yiqing could still be planned in the long run.
The next morning, everyone in the Prince Yun's mansion was on edge. The usually calm and gentle prince had suddenly become irritable, and the maids who brought him breakfast were verbally abused mercilessly. For the next few days, the entire mansion was shrouded in this oppressive atmosphere. Their prince always wore a cold, stern face, and anyone who made the slightest mistake would be subjected to a severe scolding.
Only Duan Feng and Shen Jiaxue, hand in hand, swaggered headed straight for the "powder keg." From afar, they saw Su Yunmo sitting there, deep in thought, racking his brains. More than a month had passed, and he still hadn't come up with a solution.
Shen Jiaxue said gloatingly, "Is this a case of those involved being blinded by their own involvement, or of bystanders seeing things more clearly?"
"Xue'er! Let's talk this out!" Duan Feng quickly interrupted her. Since this little woman came back, her mentality has improved and she has become bolder. Today, she insisted that she had come up with a solution and wanted to talk to Su Yunmo herself.
"Hmph!" Shen Jiaxue scoffed dismissively. Su Yunmo, however, ignored her.
"I know who can save Leng Yiqing." Shen Jiaxue deliberately kept everyone in suspense, wanting to see how long Su Yunmo could remain silent.
"Who?" Upon hearing this, Su Yunmo immediately snapped out of his daze, grabbed the chair, and stood up abruptly, staring directly into Shen Jiaxue's eyes.
Feeling a little nervous under his intense gaze, Shen Jiaxue said, "Don't look at me like that. I said—it's Jiang Yuelin!"
Both men simultaneously cast disdainful glances at her. What could a woman possibly accomplish? Shen Jiaxue had truly overestimated Jiang Yuelin.
Knowing what they were thinking, Shen Jiaxue calmly analyzed, "Actually, neither of you understands Shen Jiaxue. She doesn't love Su Zhengyang; what she loves is the position of Crown Princess, or rather, she yearns for the future Empress's throne." In truth, she wasn't entirely certain about these things before; Jiang Yuelin had mentioned them intentionally or unintentionally in conversations with her. However, after spending more than a year together, she gradually discovered that Jiang Yuelin, just as she herself said, was merely a vain woman.
Although Su Yunmo was still somewhat skeptical, he was absolutely determined not to give up on this method. He was going to infiltrate the Crown Prince's residence again, no matter what. However, this time was different from the last. He could go with peace of mind because, based on his previous investigation, he had discovered that he had to pass through many places from the main gate to Qingxin Pavilion. The guards elsewhere were no different from usual, only the area around Qingxin Pavilion had an unusually large number of guards. So this time would be much easier than last time! But as always, he wore night clothes and a menacing mask.
They arrived at Yuemingxuan without any obstacles. Coincidentally, Su Zhengyang had many things to deal with that night and would be spending the night in the study, so Jiang Yuelin was the only one in the room.
Jiang Yuelin, dressed only in her undergarments, was about to lie down when she sensed something was amiss. She quickly got up, blew out the candle, and swiftly hid in the shadows.
Su Yunmo darted from the window to the table. The candle had just been blown out and was still emitting a wisp of white smoke. He knew that the person was still nearby.
So he got straight to the point: "I'm here to discuss cooperation with you."
The unfamiliar voice made Jiang Yuelin hesitant to make any rash moves.
“I know you want money. I can pay you one hundred taels of gold first, and then another five hundred taels after it’s done. I also know you want the title of Crown Princess, and I can help you with that too. I can even help you get rid of all the women around Su Zhengyang who threaten your position and secure your future Empress’s throne.” Su Yunmo offered these benefits as bargaining chips without reservation, betting that this woman would be willing to help him.
Jiang Yuelin panicked even more: "Who exactly are you?" This person could not only sneak into the Crown Prince's residence unnoticed, but also accurately locate her courtyard, and even know exactly what she wanted. She had no choice but to step out from the shadows to see clearly.
Seeing that she was wavering, Su Yunmo pressed his advantage: "I just want you to help me get Leng Yiqing out."
“You…” Jiang Yuelin seemed to have guessed something. In the past few days, everyone in the Crown Prince’s mansion knew about Su Zhengyang and Leng Yiqing’s affair. The only person who could stand up for her at this time was probably Su Yunmo. It was said that their relationship was extraordinary.
Su Yunmo gently removed his mask and looked at her with a solemn expression.
Chapter 40: It's Hard to Guard Against Your Pillow Partner