Shen Xihe returned to her residence, and the first thing she did was write a letter to Shen Yueshan and Shen Yun’an, revealing Xiao Huayong’s true nature! She warned them not to misjudge this deeply calculating man who was so skilled at deception, all because of her.

Zhenzhu watched the energetic Shen Xihe, feeling something wasn’t quite right.

“Sister Zhenzhu, doesn’t it seem more like the Princess is having a lovers’ quarrel with His Highness the Crown Prince?” Biyu wasn’t entirely confident in her intuition and worried she might be overthinking. But the Princess and His Highness the Crown Prince did look like newlyweds who’d had a spat and immediately called for divorce.

Zhenzhu couldn’t help but laugh: “The Princess’s feelings toward His Highness the Crown Prince are indeed different.”

Perhaps the Princess herself hadn’t noticed, but due to the many ties of gratitude binding her to His Highness the Crown Prince, and being someone who values relationships deeply, she had already developed unique feelings for His Highness, different from others. While it might not be deep love, there was certainly some care in her heart.

Learning the truth this time and taking such actions, while partly due to considering the bigger picture and her personality, was likely also influenced by her concerns about His Highness’s deception.

“Then…” Biyu peered around to ensure no one else was present before asking in a low voice, “Sister Zhenzhu, do you think His Highness might change his heart in the future?”

Just imagining this possibility was difficult for them to accept, let alone for the Princess.

“Who can say for certain?” Zhenzhu shook her head. “Even His Highness, despite his earnest vows, cannot predict the future. I’m not worried about His Highness changing his heart – that would just make him like any other man in the world. I only hope that His Highness maintains his integrity, and if his heart does change one day, he won’t try to use the Princess, and especially won’t use her to harm the Northwest.”

If His Highness could manage this, even if his heart changed, the Princess might be sad but wouldn’t hate him.

If he no longer loved her, he should be forthright about it just as he was when he fell in love, and if there were conflicts of interest, they could face them openly and fairly.

“His Highness risked his life to get snow lotus for the Princess. If he could still change his heart after that, then there truly would be no such thing as true love in this world,” Hongyu sighed softly. She was the strongest supporter of His Highness the Crown Prince and the one who most wished for the Princess to find mutual love with him. Naturally, she was also the one most afraid of His Highness changing his heart – if he did, she would have to kill herself to atone.

Although they couldn’t sway the Princess, the approval of these maids, not to boast, did have some influence on her.

“The story of ‘housing one’s beloved in a golden house’ is quite famous, but what was Consort Ajiao’s final tragic fate?” Ziyu interjected. “I don’t want the Princess to experience the ‘Regret of the Long Gate.’ I’d rather the Princess never experience mortal love than suffer that.”

“Emperor Wu of Han didn’t love Consort Ajiao…” Hongyu weakly countered.

“If he didn’t love her, why did he promise to house her in gold?” Ziyu argued. “It shows that men can say anything for power and position, they can promise to house someone in gold even without love. Who knows if His Highness today…”

Ziyu swallowed the rest of her words upon seeing Shen Xihe. The maids quickly stood up and lowered their heads in silence.

“No need to avoid the topic around me,” Shen Xihe smiled slightly. “In my presence, you can speak freely about anything except politics. Ziyu speaks the truth.”

“Princess…” Ziyu called out but didn’t know what else to say.

Like the Prince and Young Master, she now feared their peerlessly beautiful Princess would be deceived in matters of the heart and have her feelings betrayed. She wished the Princess would love no one in this life and only take good care of herself.

But she also felt that if the Princess truly lived like that, how lonely it would be. Would she regret at the end of her life not finding a kindred spirit, not experiencing a passionate love affair regardless of the outcome?

“What are you worried about?” Shen Xihe poked Ziyu’s forehead. “Your Princess isn’t omnipotent, but neither is she mediocre. As things stand now, we’ll take it as it comes.”

Zhenzhu carefully observed Shen Xihe’s expression, and seeing she had returned to her usual easy manner of the past few days, felt somewhat relieved. “Princess, are we going out?”

She asked because Shen Xihe had changed into traveling clothes.

“Going to see Young Master Bu.” These past few days, Shen Xihe had been busy with her affairs, only sending Axi and Zhenzhu for daily medical checks, without visiting herself.

That day, Bu Shulin had been sent back to the Bu residence, as Shen Xihe couldn’t keep her at her residence to recover.

At the main gate of the Bu residence, they encountered Cui Jinbai, who had been denied entry. Seeing her, Cui Jinbai bowed: “Princess, may I enter with you?”

For the noble Young Lord Cui to make such a request to tag along with others was truly rare, but Shen Xihe couldn’t agree: “Young Lord Cui, Bu Shulin and I are close friends. If she doesn’t wish to see you, my bringing you in would be disrespecting her.”

Cui Jinbai bowed again: “I have overstepped. Please forgive me, Princess.”

Shen Xihe also politely returned the bow, just as Jinshan came personally to welcome her in.

Bu Shulin was lying on the couch, and as soon as she heard footsteps, she began to moan: “Oh my… I’m in such pain, pity me! Born without a mother, might as well not have a father! Make a friend, and they don’t even care about me, oh pity me…”

Jinshan, who had led Shen Xihe to the door, felt too ashamed to face her and lowered his head in embarrassment.

Shen Xihe was amused by her smooth little tune. As she stepped inside, she saw Bu Shulin secretly glancing her way while singing her self-composed song even louder and more plaintively.

Shen Xihe stood by the couch, quietly listening and watching.

After singing for quite a while, Bu Shulin finally lost the battle of endurance with Shen Xihe and pretended to just notice her: “Oh, you’re here! When did you arrive?”

“When you were singing about making a friend who doesn’t care about you,” Shen Xihe mercilessly exposed her.

Bu Shulin’s eyes darted around: “I was talking about Stone Cui. What a waste of friendship, he doesn’t even come to see me, even though I was injured saving him!”

“Young Master, the Princess met… Young Lord Cui whom you turned away at the door,” Jinshan had to remind her with difficulty.

Bu Shulin glared at him before putting on a smile: “Hehe… well… Xihe, I haven’t congratulated you yet. I heard His Majesty has arranged your marriage with His Highness the Crown Prince. You’ve got your wish.”

“I suppose so.” Shen Xihe didn’t want to say more about Xiao Huayong’s influence, which she wouldn’t reveal to Bu Shulin. “Why won’t you see Young Lord Cui?”

“What’s there to see? Two grown men should set clear boundaries early,” Bu Shulin said righteously.

Shen Xihe: …

Bu Shulin couldn’t help but explain: “In this life, my hopes of returning to my identity as a woman rest entirely with you.”

She was counting on the Crown Prince, after ascending to the throne, to spare her for Shen Xihe’s sake and let her reclaim her freedom.

Hearing this, Shen Xihe raised an eyebrow: “You’ve decided?”

This wasn’t just a casual remark from Bu Shulin, but a declaration of allegiance.