Shen Xihe didn’t have much reaction to this situation. After all, few men in the world refrained from taking concubines, let alone those in the royal family. While Xiao Huayong had promised her a relationship like Pan and Yang, Shen Xihe neither doubted nor truly believed it – sometimes his desires might not overcome his position as Crown Prince.

Zhenzhu, Biyu, and the others had completely different reactions, each more indignant than the last, as men from the Northwest typically practiced monogamy. This wasn’t due to custom or law, but rather because of the gender imbalance in the Northwest. Women were scarce, and most men were soldiers who spent half their lives in military camps. Their proper wives lived almost like widows – where would they find concubines?

This environment had shaped Zhenzhu, Biyu, and the others to be particularly demanding of men. They looked down on women who actively sought to become concubines. Every day they reported news about which lady had tried to curry favor with the Crown Prince, which ones had engineered “chance” encounters when he came to visit the Princess, and who had pretended to fall to attract his heroic rescue.

Today, Zhenzhu ran in, barely containing her laughter, and said to Shen Xihe who was reading: “Princess, His Highness won’t be coming today.”

“Oh?” Shen Xihe looked up to see Zhenzhu’s eyes sparkling with mirth. “Good news?”

“I’m not sure if Your Highness will consider it good news,” Zhenzhu couldn’t help sharing. “The daughter of the Vice Minister of War dared to fall from a tree in front of the Crown Prince. Her clothes were all disheveled, barely covering her body. It frightened His Highness into fainting…”

These days had truly opened their eyes. These ladies, whether seeking wealth or other purposes, used every trick imaginable, their boldness shocking even to women raised in the Northwest.

The incident soon had consequences. The War Ministry Vice Minister was stripped of his position, his family was ignominiously expelled from the temporary palace, demoted from a high official in the capital to a magistrate in a remote region. His daughter was branded with improper conduct by the Empress Dowager.

Shen Xihe felt obliged to visit Xiao Huayong. She found him leaning sideways against his desk, reading a scroll. Seeing her arrive, he spoke plaintively: “So Youyou still have some conscience after all.”

His sarcastic tone made Shen Xihe study him carefully – when had she offended him?

Seeing her confusion, Xiao Huayong grew more irritated: “As my betrothed, you remain completely unmoved by these frivolous women harassing your future husband. Don’t you feel any remorse?”

His angry expression didn’t make Shen Xihe feel guilty; instead, she wanted to laugh. But Xiao Huayong was glaring at her, and she knew if she laughed, he would become even more upset. Yet she wanted to see that, so she didn’t hold back and let out a smile.

Sure enough, Xiao Huayong threw down his scroll and stood up abruptly, striding towards the exit. As he passed Shen Xihe, he deliberately let out a loud “Hmph!”

Shen Xihe turned to watch his departing figure, deliberately stomping his feet to make noise, and couldn’t contain her laughter anymore.

[Translation continues as this is one complete chapter]

Xiao Huayong stopped just before leaving Shen Xihe’s sight, standing with his hands behind his back, maintaining a pose of anger and unwillingness to acknowledge her. It reminded Shen Xihe of childhood playmates who would turn their backs on each other after arguments.

After laughing for a moment, she coughed lightly and walked over, deliberately trying to peek at his face. Xiao Huayong quickly turned away. She moved to the other side, and he turned again. She good-naturedly tried once more, and he turned away again.

Tianyuan and Zhenzhu watched the two from afar, finding their childish behavior quite remarkable.

After circling a few times, Shen Xihe gave up: “I trust that Your Highness wouldn’t let me be labeled as a jealous woman.”

This was meant to appease him, and it wasn’t deception. Even if she became the Crown Princess, she wouldn’t have the right to target women who expressed affection for Xiao Huayong. Her current level of care for him only extended to accepting if he took concubines, though she would no longer be able to share her heart with him; if he handled these situations himself, she would be happy and treat him better, but it hadn’t reached the point of being jealous over him.

“I’m just someone dispensable to you,” Xiao Huayong said dejectedly.

His dejection was half-genuine, half-false, and she knew it. She suppressed her smile: “How could Your Highness think so little of yourself? You are certainly not dispensable.”

Xiao Huayong’s lips twitched, but he held back, still staring ahead, waiting for Shen Xihe to comfort him.

A glint of playfulness flashed in Shen Xihe’s eyes: “Your Highness is…”

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, clearly seeing Xiao Huayong’s ears perk up, his body even leaning slightly toward her, his anticipation obvious. Then she quickly said: “Your Highness is making something out of nothing, as there was never anything to begin with.”

Xiao Huayong froze, then immediately turned around, his handsome face tense with anger, but when he met Shen Xihe’s face trying to suppress her laughter, she burst out: “Hahaha…”

She laughed freely and joyfully. Realizing he’d been teased, Xiao Huayong didn’t know whether to be angry or laugh. To hide his embarrassment, he lunged at Shen Xihe, who was already prepared to dodge.

“Don’t let me catch you, or else…”

He couldn’t even finish his threat. Shen Xihe ducked under his grasp, provocatively raised her eyebrows at him, and ran again.

Tianyuan and Zhenzhu watched with twitching lips, especially Tianyuan. Seeing the Crown Prince unable to catch the Princess, he seemed like a different person from the one who had once persistently chased a goshawk until it submitted to his authority.

Unable to watch anymore, Tianyuan turned away and looked at the sky – as long as His Highness was happy.

After Shen Xihe had successfully appeased the childish Crown Prince, she left smiling, only to find Xiao Changqin waiting by the small lake, hands behind his back.

Xiao Changqin had been quiet lately, presumably investigating her.

Hearing movement, Xiao Changqin turned around, his black pupils penetrating as if trying to see through Shen Xihe.

He soon withdrew his gaze and walked toward her: “Princess, may I have a word?”

“I know what Your Highness wants to ask, but I have nothing to say,” Shen Xihe refused coldly.

As she walked past him, he called out loudly: “The day Qingqing died was also the day of your misfortune!”