Was Xie Lang playing dead?
Shen Mingzhu gritted her teeth. Just thinking about her wildly pounding heart a moment ago made her angry. She reached out and gave a hard twist behind Xie Lang's ear. Immediately, the tip of the person in front of her ear turned as red as if on fire, far from the stiffness of a dead man.
[Stop! Shen Mingzhu, you—]
Xie Lang pretended to come to his senses slowly. The next second, he secretly moved away from Shen Mingzhu, wishing he could be miles away from her.
The voice in Shen Mingzhu's ear suddenly disappeared. She couldn't help but frown.
Perhaps, the voice just now was Xie Lang's innermost thought?
"Your Highness!" A look of cowardice flashed across Xie Lang's face. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, he said, "Ouch! Your Highness, you..."
As he spoke, Xie Lang trembled and tried to take a step back, looking like a complete weakling.
Why couldn't she hear his innermost thoughts now?
Shen Mingzhu thought to herself, ignoring Xie Lang's words. She stepped forward and placed her hand on his neck.
[Shen Mingzhu, what are you doing! Get out of the way!]
[My head hurts. The useless emperor can't handle Shen Mingzhu, this huge headache, so he just dumps her on me. I really want to chop him up.]
Huh? Xie Lang actually knew that the useless emperor couldn't handle her. So was he really as useless as he seemed on the surface?
"Don't move."
Shen Mingzhu's voice was cold. She gave Xie Lang a smile, and her radiant beauty dazed everyone present.
Since that was the case, how could Shen Mingzhu let Xie Lang stay out of it?
She leaned in and whispered in Xie Lang's ear, "Young Master Xie, if you can't handle this matter well, then I'll have to finish you off."
"After all, it's easier to deal with the dead than the living. Don't you think so?" Shen Mingzhu's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Cooperate with me and just play along."
For the time being, Shen Mingzhu didn't plan to expose Xie Lang's disguise, but she really needed him to downplay this matter.
Xie Lang glanced at her, then at the people cowering in the corner. Pretending to be a playboy, he raised his cup and said, "This is a family matter of mine. I'm sure everyone will give me and His Highness some face."
"I'd like to offer a toast to everyone!" With that, Xie Lang downed the wine in one gulp. "If this gets out, then..."
Xie Lang didn't finish his sentence. He casually touched his neck, exuding an air of a pampered playboy.
It was a blatant threat!
The people in the corner looked at each other in confusion. They didn't know why Xie Lang had suddenly become so terrifying, but they still nodded quickly under his sharp gaze.
Shen Mingzhu watched expressionlessly.
[Shen Mingzhu! Can you take your hand off now! Move your hand away!]
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
It was an accident. She had accidentally forgotten.
Thinking about it, she casually ran her hand across his cheek and found that she could still hear his innermost thoughts.
A pleased smile spread across Shen Mingzhu's face.
In the carriage.
Xie Lang frowned, his face cold. His long eyelashes covered the emotions in his eyes.
The light in the carriage was dim. Faintly, one could smell the delicate fragrance on Shen Mingzhu's body and the lingering smell of alcohol on Xie Lang's. The combination of the two scents brought an inexplicable sense of drowsiness.
Shen Mingzhu thought of the absurd scene just now and couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. Her sharp eyes landed on the person sitting opposite her, only to find that Xie Lang was also looking at her.
She reached out and ran her fingertips across Xie Lang's cheek. Sure enough, she heard his inner scream again.
[Shen Mingzhu! What's going on! Does she have a crush on me! Is she coveting my good looks!]
Xie Lang gritted his teeth. On the surface, he could only pretend to be cowardly. He stared at Shen Mingzhu in horror, looking like a bullied young woman.
Shen Mingzhu felt inexplicably more relaxed.
She withdrew her hand and placed it on her lap. Her fingertips unconsciously slid across the scabbard on her lap.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, the carriage accidentally ran over a pebble. Shen Mingzhu was jolted, and her phoenix eyes widened slightly. She fell straight towards Xie Lang.
Xie Lang instinctively wanted to push her away. But at the moment of eye contact, he realized that the person in front of him was his newlywed wife. So he changed his action and reached out to support her shoulder, intending to help her up.
The next second, the carriage jolted again. Shen Mingzhu hadn't managed to struggle out of Xie Lang's grasp when the sword on her lap fell onto the wooden board and tripped her. She lost her balance and fell straight into his arms.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment. Shen Mingzhu's eyes widened slightly. She could clearly see the uneasiness hidden behind the coldness in Xie Lang's eyes.
A pair of big hands had tightened like vices on her shoulders. The burning sensation on her shoulders made Shen Mingzhu almost embrace Xie Lang. Her hands involuntarily landed on the carriage walls on both sides of his waist, trapping him in her embrace.
Thump, thump, thump ————
They were so close that Shen Mingzhu's whole body went stiff. Her head hit Xie Lang's chest, and she heard his pounding heartbeat.
[??? Help! Who's driving the carriage! What lousy skills. I must replace him!]
"Please forgive me, Your Highness. The road was steep just now. I wonder if Your Highness is alright?"
The ambiguous atmosphere in the carriage was instantly dispelled by this voice. Shen Mingzhu fled from his embrace like a scared rabbit. The embarrassment on her face disappeared, and she sat upright in her original position. Her voice was cold as she said, "I'm fine. Be more careful later."
Saying that, she stood up. Seeing Xie Lang still stiff in his seat, she couldn't help but reach out and casually slide her hand across the back of his hand.
[Oh no, does Shen Mingzhu really have a crush on me?]
She wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but in the light that filtered through the curtain during the jolts, she saw that the tips of Xie Lang's ears were slightly red.
...
When they returned to the Xie Mansion, the atmosphere between them was awkward and cold.
They walked back to the bridal chamber in silence. Shen Mingzhu cleared her throat and was about to speak when a servant girl who served Xie Lang's mother suddenly emerged from somewhere and said, "Eldest Young Master, this..."
Xie Lang caught a glimpse of the white silk handkerchief in the girl's hand first. His heart skipped a beat, and he shouted angrily, "Take it away! Get out of here!"
This was the white silk used to verify the princess's virginity. Mrs. Liu really knew how to cause trouble for him. She probably wished that Shen Mingzhu would just chop him up.
Xie Lang's face was cold. His eyes swept across the servant girl like a knife.
Shen Mingzhu was standing beside him. Seeing this, she casually placed her hand on his sleeve.
[Mrs. Liu really knows how to cause me trouble. If I really get killed by Shen Mingzhu today, she'll probably be overjoyed.]
[I won't let her have her way!]
As far as Shen Mingzhu knew, Mrs. Liu was Xie Lang's stepmother. Mrs. Liu had a good reputation outside. It was said that she was extremely patient with her good-for-nothing stepson, Xie Lang. But now it seemed that this patience might need to be discounted.
"Eldest Young Master, this..." The servant girl looked hesitant. She hadn't even said a word. If she went back like this, how could she explain it to her mistress?
But then she saw Xie Lang's cold expression turn even colder. His face was as sharp as a knife. He raised his eyebrows coldly and said, "What? Can't I make decisions in my own house? Who do you think you are, looking down on others like this?"
The servant girl accidentally caught a glimpse of the princess gently holding Xie Lang's sleeve with a gentle expression on her face. Instantly, cold sweat broke out on her body. She lowered her head and murmured, "Yes."
Xie Lang noticed Shen Mingzhu sizing him up. He subconsciously took a few steps to the side. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Let's go to sleep."
Sleep!?