A letter from Zhou Chengyu? Shen Mingzhu frowned instinctively. She took the letter, a hint of worry clouding her eyes.
Although she wasn't sure which side Zhou Chengyu was on, they had known each other for years. They were childhood sweethearts and knew each other quite well.
What on earth could it be that made Zhou Chengyu take the risk of tipping off the enemy to send this letter?
Without time to consider Xie Lang's thoughts, Shen Mingzhu tore open the letter. The more she read, the darker her face became. In the end, only worry remained in her heart.
Who would have thought that the matter of the Crown Prince was even related to the Zhou family? Zhou Chengyu had sent this letter in a hurry because he was worried that he would be controlled after the incident and would no longer be able to pass on information.
Shen Mingzhu sighed.
Zhou Chengyu was really smart. If his grandfather had waited until he took control of the Zhou family before leaving, the Zhou family wouldn't have stepped into the turbulent current of power. His current gesture wasn't just out of nostalgia for their old relationship. He was also trying to gain favor. If the matter was really related to the Zhou family, Zhou Chengyu knew that with Shen Mingzhu's means, she would never be controlled by Prime Minister Zhou.
He was trying to buy a chance of survival for the Zhou family.
"Your Highness."
Seeing Shen Mingzhu's ugly face and her hand gripping the letter paper until it turned white, Xie Lang immediately realized that the matter was not as simple as he had thought. So he spoke gently, "What happened?"
Shen Mingzhu turned to look at him. Catching a glimpse of the worry in his eyes, she casually handed the letter to him and said succinctly, "Read."
Xie Lang: ???!!!
The surprise came so suddenly?
He took the letter, unfolded it, and read it word by word. His face gradually darkened as he understood Shen Mingzhu's thoughts.
Shen Mingzhu looked at him and instinctively moved closer. She propped her face up with one hand and casually moved the other hand closer to Xie Lang until she could hear his inner thoughts.
[This... I didn't expect this Zhou Chengyu to be quite smart. He's trying to curry favor and act like he's bearing a heavy burden. I don't believe that as the eldest legitimate son of the Zhou family who grew up in the palace, he doesn't have his own forces and is trapped.]
[He's quite good at talking. But if the Zhou family is really involved, it will be a bit troublesome for Shen Mingzhu.]
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
Just from the tone, she could tell that Xie Lang really disliked Zhou Chengyu.
However, Xie Lang saw things quite clearly. Although he was a bit emotional, he had indeed seen through Zhou Chengyu's intentions.
But...
What should they do next?
Shen Mingzhu frowned. She always felt that Zhou Chengyu's intentions were really confusing. He sent the letter and said he was worried about being trapped by his father.
"Tsk."
Xie Lang spoke with a hint of annoyance. "What does Zhou Chengyu want to do? Does he expect Your Highness to rescue him?"
Before Shen Mingzhu could speak, she saw Xie Lang suddenly sneer and say, "In his dreams!"
"But what does Your Highness plan to do?"
When Shen Mingzhu turned around, she saw Xie Lang looking at her with a burning gaze and a hint of hard-to-describe schadenfreude. Seeing Shen Mingzhu's hand was close, he even leaned forward. The two almost had their noses touching, staring at each other.
Shen Mingzhu suddenly leaned back, feeling a bit uncomfortable as she avoided Xie Lang's warm breath and the familiar fragrance of flowers that suddenly approached. She lowered her eyes and said, "Do you have any ideas?"
Hearing this, Xie Lang smiled faintly and said, "Does Your Highness really want to ask me?"
A sense of unease rose in Shen Mingzhu's heart. Looking at the smile in Xie Lang's eyes, she instinctively shook her head.
Sure enough, the next moment, Xie Lang moved closer again. When he grabbed Shen Mingzhu's hand, she heard his inner thoughts.
[Indeed, the best idea is to get Zhou Chengyu out first. After all, we don't know which side he's really on and whether he'll suddenly turn against us.]
[Zhou Chengyu is not as reliable as I am. Tsk. How can we reasonably get Zhou Chengyu back? How about this: Since Shen Mingzhu just received his letter, I'll just go to his place with the letter and kidnap him?]
Shen Mingzhu shamefully felt tempted. But thinking about her already precarious reputation, she suppressed this idea that seemed to require no soldiers.
"Your Highness." Xie Lang spoke. Only then did Shen Mingzhu realize that she had been so absorbed in listening that she hadn't noticed Xie Lang had been looking at her. There was a hint of depth in his eyes that was different from before. "What are you thinking about?"
Xie Lang's mind was filled with a sour feeling.
Shen Mingzhu always got distracted when it came to Zhou Chengyu's matters!
Xie Lang had no idea that Shen Mingzhu was distracted because of his thoughts.
"Nothing." Shen Mingzhu continued to try to distance herself from him, but was noticed by the man in front of her.
Xie Lang was quicker. Sensing her evasion sharply, he immediately leaned forward.
In a panic, Shen Mingzhu felt a warm touch on her lips. She saw Xie Lang's eyes suddenly widen, but was confused by the happy smile in his eyes. So she instinctively gave up the idea of evasion.
Xie Lang's hand was on her waist, pressing tightly against her lower back. A burning sensation spread through her body like a fire.
His other hand was on the back of her head. Xie Lang seemed afraid that she would run away again, so he fixed her in his arms first.
Looking at his serious gaze, Shen Mingzhu suddenly wanted to laugh. So she lifted the corner of her mouth, but was bitten hard on the lip by an unhappy Xie Lang.
[Concentrate, Shen Mingzhu!]
When the kiss ended, Shen Mingzhu hadn't had time to get out of the ambiguous atmosphere when the words "Concentrate, Shen Mingzhu!" suddenly appeared in her mind. So she burst out laughing.
"You!"
Looking at Shen Mingzhu's smile, a hint of annoyance rose in Xie Lang's heart. But when he met the joy in Shen Mingzhu's eyes, he couldn't help but lift the corner of his mouth. An indescribable flutter rose in his heart.
"Alright."
Shen Mingzhu held back her laughter and poured a cup of tea for Xie Lang. "Continue."
Seeing her quickly pull away, Xie Lang couldn't help but glare at her. Then he said, "So does Your Highness plan to get him out or..."
Shen Mingzhu frowned, a bit hesitant.
"Let him stay in the Zhou family for now."
Xie Lang didn't really want to admit his despicable thoughts, but he continued, "If we get him out, won't Zhou Chengyu be completely cut off from the Zhou family? Then what's the use of him?"
That made sense.
Shen Mingzhu nodded, indicating that she understood.
"Go to sleep."
After a moment of silence, Shen Mingzhu interrupted Xie Lang's hesitation and said, "It's getting late, Young Master Xie."
...
She woke up early the next day. As soon as Shen Mingzhu opened her eyes, she saw Xie Lang sitting on one side, silently looking at the crossbeams on the ceiling. She wondered what he was thinking.
"Your Highness?"
Hearing Shen Mingzhu's movement, Xie Lang suddenly turned to look at her.
"What's wrong?"
Shen Mingzhu always felt that Xie Lang seemed to have something to say, so there was a hint of confusion in her eyes.
"Forget it. It's nothing."
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
Why was Xie Lang so annoying!
After breakfast, Shen Mingzhu was about to go for a walk when she saw Xie Lang frown suddenly after listening to the servant's words. Then he looked at her.