Shen Mingzhu subconsciously turned around. The space inside the carriage was cramped. As soon as she turned her head, she saw Xie Lang's suddenly enlarged face and the gloom on it caused by the person outside the carriage.
[Like a lingering ghost.]
A sigh - like thought echoed in her mind. Shen Mingzhu subconsciously held her breath. Suddenly, she felt that the look in Xie Lang's eyes fixed on her seemed to be tinged with a strange emotion as he stared intently at her.
"Don't go."
Xie Lang tugged at the sleeve of Shen Mingzhu's robe. His eyes sparkled in the dim space.
Shen Mingzhu hesitated for a moment.
"Chaochao."
A gentle yet somewhat hesitant voice came from outside the carriage. As if aware of the stalemate inside, the person outside even changed his tone after this call and said politely, "Your Highness's consort, may I have a word with Her Highness?"
Hearing this, Xie Lang's lips curled into a faint arc. His gaze was still firmly fixed on Shen Mingzhu's face as he replied rudely to the outside, "What is Lord Zhou up to? Naturally not. I'm not that magnanimous to let you see Her Highness."
Sure enough, after he said that, the person outside seemed to have left.
The atmosphere inside the carriage suddenly turned ambiguous. The scorching breath circulated between the two of them, carrying an indescribable warmth that flushed their faces.
Xie Lang stared at Shen Mingzhu for a few moments. Suddenly, he leaned over, pulled her into his arms, and gently pecked her red lips, biting them retaliatorily.
Shen Mingzhu's eyes widened slightly. She felt the warmth on her lips, and her nose was filled with the unique jasmine fragrance on Xie Lang's body, which was rich and intoxicating. Somehow, Shen Mingzhu responded to him, gently wrapping her hands around Xie Lang's neck.
When the kiss ended, Xie Lang's eyes were bright. Before he could say anything, he heard the person outside the carriage, as if just coming to his senses, say in a self - deprecating tone, "Chaochao, this matter is of great importance. I have something to tell you."
Zhou Chengyu couldn't lie. What he was saying now was the truth.
Shen Mingzhu wanted to know what he was talking about, so she subconsciously looked towards the curtain but met Xie Lang's eyes instead.
"Go ahead."
[Forget it. Isn't it just going to ask about something? Zhou Chengyu is really... smart.]
Smart? Shen Mingzhu instinctively felt that these two words were derogatory. There was a hint of disgust in Xie Lang's thought, and his dislike for Zhou Chengyu was undisguised on his face. But seeing Shen Mingzhu's initial hesitation, he still told her to go and see him.
Looking into Xie Lang's eyes, Shen Mingzhu's heart sank. An indescribable emotion gradually spread between them, breaking the initial ambiguity. The atmosphere suddenly cooled down.
Seeing Shen Mingzhu standing still, Xie Lang first felt a thrill of joy and slightly hooked his lips. Then he said in a deep voice, "Go and come back quickly."
Shen Mingzhu didn't hesitate for long. She got up and walked outside. Before lifting the curtain, she turned to Xie Lang and said, "I'll be back soon."
Lifting the curtain, Chun Tao helped Shen Mingzhu out of the carriage.
"What's the matter?"
Shen Mingzhu saw Zhou Chengyu standing in front of the carriage. He was tall and upright, with a gentle expression but a hint of loneliness in his eyebrows.
"Chaochao." Zhou Chengyu spoke, his figure looking a bit cold. "Is it so difficult to see you?"
Before Shen Mingzhu could say anything, Zhou Chengyu self - deprecatingly said, "Forget it. Let's talk about the main thing first."
"Let's talk over there." Zhou Chengyu pointed to a nearby alley. "It's too conspicuous for us to block the middle of the road."
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu said to Chun Tao, "Park the carriage to the side first."
Then she turned to Zhou Chengyu and said, "Let's go."
After they stood still, Zhou Chengyu slowly began, "Chaochao, aren't you always investigating that matter?"
That matter was the assassination of Crown Prince Shen Mingcheng.
Shen Mingzhu's face changed slightly, and her look at Zhou Chengyu became more vigilant.
Sensing the suddenly cooled - down atmosphere between them, Zhou Chengyu continued, "You don't have to look at me like this, Chaochao."
"I discovered this matter by accident. My father and the others are not aware of it."
Shen Mingzhu felt a little relieved in her heart, but her expression remained unchanged. She continued to ask, "Yes, and then? What do you know?"
"Chaochao." Zhou Chengyu only felt bitterness in his heart. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, he said, "After that incident, the Empress Dowager and the late Emperor had a big argument. After that, the Emperor fell seriously ill, and the Empress Dowager became more and more absent - minded."
Shen Mingzhu frowned slightly.
"Also, before the Crown Prince was assassinated, he received a letter from Huangzhou, and then he decided on the location of his southern inspection." Zhou Chengyu said, his expression solemn as he instinctively frowned. "Mingcheng told me this before he left. He said he had something to do during this southern inspection and just hoped everything would go smoothly."
Zhou Chengyu looked at the moon in the distance. Suddenly, he remembered how he, Shen Mingcheng, and Shen Mingzhu had drunk wine under the moon. In a blink of an eye, Shen Mingcheng was dead, and Shen Mingzhu was married. In a hurry, the group had fallen apart.
"Thank you." Shen Mingzhu's expression darkened a bit. She said to Zhou Chengyu, "He really never told me these things."
Turning around to leave, Zhou Chengyu silently watched Shen Mingzhu's back. The darkness in his eyes deepened involuntarily.
The assassination of Shen Mingcheng was difficult to investigate. Shen Mingzhu suspected that he himself seemed to be hiding his whereabouts and purposes, doing something she didn't know about. This matter was too complicated, and there were several unknown forces behind it.
It was tough.
Shen Mingzhu self - deprecatingly curled her lips, and a hint of calmness appeared in her eyes.
What on earth was her brother doing? What was his mood before he left?
After getting into the carriage, Xie Lang noticed that Shen Mingzhu was in a bad mood. So he was silent for a moment, then somehow took out a few pieces of candy. He pulled Shen Mingzhu's hand and placed the candy in her palm.
Shen Mingzhu was stunned for a moment. She looked at him and slightly nodded, saying, "Thank you."
Xie Lang silently nodded in response.
Shen Mingzhu didn't stay in a low mood for long. She came back to her senses before returning to the Xie Mansion.
Walking side by side with Xie Lang towards their residence, Shen Mingzhu quietly looked at the surrounding scenery without saying a word. Xie Lang beside her was also unusually silent, which made Shen Mingzhu a little uncomfortable.
When opening the door, Shen Mingzhu turned to look at him and saw that Xie Lang had been looking at her for some time. When their eyes met, he curled his lips and said, "What? Has Your Highness suddenly taken a fancy to my good looks?"
Shen Mingzhu gave him a disdainful look.
After entering the room and sitting down, Xie Lang poured a glass of water for Shen Mingzhu and silently watched her drink it.
Shen Mingzhu always felt that Xie Lang seemed to be looking at her all the time. So she put down the cup and turned to look at him, asking, "Huh? Xie Lang, do you want to say something?"
Hearing this, Xie Lang curled his lips. He stared at Shen Mingzhu for a few moments, and his gaze landed on her lips.
The memory of what happened in the carriage suddenly came back. Shen Mingzhu's ears gradually turned red, but she still calmly looked back at Xie Lang.
"Your Highness." Xie Lang's voice carried a faint smile.
He was sitting beside Shen Mingzhu at the moment. Seeing the redness on her ears, he couldn't help but chuckle, "I have a lot to say now. Maybe it will be a bit abrupt."
"In the eyes of outsiders, I'm your consort." Xie Lang said, his expression calm, but the hand tightly clenched into a fist in his sleeve betrayed his nervousness. "But I want to know, in Your Highness's heart, what's our relationship?"