Chapter 103: Caught in the Act

Chapter 103: Caught Red-Handed

Jiang Shuning's fingertips burned.

Having been his wife for ten years in her past life, she knew his nature all too well.

Those long, sweltering nights when her defenses crumbled and she was utterly overwhelmed by him always began with a seemingly insignificant kiss.

A single spark can start a forest fire. Her task was to never give the flames of desire a chance to ignite.

Once she yielded, things would spiral out of control.

"Your Highness desires a kiss today, and tomorrow you will want my body. Human cravings are endless. I don't have many chips to play. If I were to give them all to Your Highness, wouldn't that leave me far too passive?"

"Bargaining chips?" Xiao Lingchuan's expression darkened. "In your mind, is what's between us just a transaction?"

Jiang Shuning scoffed inwardly.

What else could there be?

Perhaps the lingering marital affection from their past life?

She kept these thoughts to herself, maintaining a demure and submissive demeanor. "I am not skilled with words. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."

"A transaction it is, then," he said, his gaze locked on hers, enunciating every word. "But what I want is not your body. It is your heart."

Jiang Shuning's heart skipped a beat, followed by a trace of imperceptible mockery in her eyes.

How ironic. In her past life, she had offered her heart to him on a platter, yet he turned a blind eye. Not only did he remain entangled with Jiang Yaozhen, but he also secretly fed her contraceptive medicine, depriving her of the chance to ever become a mother.

Now, in this new life, he says he wants her heart!

Indeed, for men, what they cannot have is always the best.

"Very well," Jiang Shuning replied, a radiant smile on her lips. "Once Your Highness has eliminated the Third Prince... oh, I mean Prince Rui, and seized the world, my heart will be yours."

Darkness swirled in Xiao Lingchuan's deep, peach-blossom eyes. He said, his teeth slightly gritted, "I thought you would say your heart was already mine!"

Jiang Shuning's internal sneer grew even colder. *What a daydream!* she thought. *Xiao Lingchuan, you really think too highly of yourself.*

Seeing her silence, he felt a note of helplessness, his voice laced with bitterness. "I don't blame you. In our past life, I hurt you so deeply. It is only natural for you to hold back. I will not force you. In this life, I will make sure you witness my sincerity with your own eyes, until you willingly entrust your true heart to me."

Jiang Shuning remained silent throughout, letting him monologue.

But inwardly, she swore a vow: *In this life, he will never lay a hand on either my body or my heart!*

To steer Xiao Lingchuan away from this topic, she proactively brought up another matter. "Your Highness, since you have long known about Prince Rui's secret, treasonous collusion with Xizhou, why not simply report this to His Majesty and let the Emperor decide?"

A charge of treason would be enough to ruin Xiao Xiuzhan utterly!

Once the Emperor ordered a thorough investigation, he would have no hope of recovery!

"This is a grave matter. We must obtain irrefutable evidence first," Xiao Lingchuan said with a grave expression. "Xiao Xiuzhan and the Duke of State Stabilization are extremely cautious. Even now, the spies I have placed by his side have been unable to intercept any correspondence they exchange with Xizhou.

The terrain of West Elm Mountain is treacherous and secluded, filled with deadly traps. I have sent highly skilled death warriors to investigate on multiple occasions, but unfortunately, they were all killed by Xiao Xiuzhan's elite troops and formidable generals without managing to bring back any useful intelligence.

If we rashly report to Father Emperor without ironclad proof of treason, we risk tipping him off. It might give him the opportunity to relocate his base and destroy evidence in advance. At that point, he would certainly turn the tables, accusing me of deliberate slander and framing. That would be a loss outweighing any gain."

"Are we supposed to just sit idly by, then?" Jiang Shuning asked anxiously.

Xiao Xiuzhan was already secretly training private soldiers at West Elm Mountain, amassing his own private army.

If they did not curb him now and allowed him to continue developing, dealing with him later would be next to impossible.

How could she have thought in her past life that Xiao Lingchuan subdued Xiao Xiuzhan so easily?

Xiao Xiuzhan was clearly a powerful and terrifying opponent!

"Don't be anxious. In all matters, one must plan before acting. Haste makes waste," Xiao Lingchuan comforted her. "Even if we cannot obtain ironclad evidence of his treason immediately, I can still use other methods to slowly crush his forces, ensuring he ultimately stands no chance!"

A faint, confident smile touched his lips, and an expression of absolute certainty appeared on his peerlessly handsome face.

"Then I'll wait and see, anticipating Your Highness's good news. I have matters to attend to at home today, so I must take my leave now." As Jiang Shuning spoke, she rose to leave, but he reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Will you come to see me tomorrow?" he asked, full of hope.

The warmth from his palm transmitted to her hand, a searing heat.

Instinct told Jiang Shuning that if she continued to meet him this frequently, she might be consumed by him before Xiao Xiuzhan was even dealt with.

The best way for prey to protect itself was not to appear frequently within the sight of a patient, watchful hunter.

"My household affairs have been quite busy lately. I'm afraid I may not be able to visit Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will take good care of yourself and recovers well from your injury."

Visible disappointment washed over Xiao Lingchuan's face.

"Very well. Since you won't come to see me, I'll have to make do with the unpalatable meals prepared by the imperial chefs in the palace. I'll also have to endure the pain of my injury and struggle to practice eating with my left hand..."

He deliberately acted weak, his brows and eyes tinged with palpable grievance.

Jiang Shuning's heart remained as firm as a rock, utterly unmoved.

She subtly withdrew her hand from his grasp, her tone gentle yet distant. "Your Highness, you'll get used to the imperial chefs' food eventually. If you truly dislike using your left hand to pick up food, you can have the servants of Jinghe Palace feed you. If Your Highness has no other instructions, I shall take my leave now!"

After saying this, she performed a graceful curtsy to him, then turned and left without a backward glance, without a hint of reluctance.

Xiao Lingchuan watched her departing figure, a sour ache filling his heart.

She no longer cared for him as she did in their past life, no longer prioritized him in all things.

He smiled bitterly. He couldn't blame anyone else; it was all his own doing, reaping what he had sown.

As soon as Jiang Shuning stepped out of Jinghe Palace, she came face-to-face with a familiar figure.

The man was dressed in elegant brocade robes, holding a thick garment in his arms. His brows and eyes were imbued with a warmth as gentle as a spring breeze. Upon seeing her, he greeted her cheerfully, "Miss Jiang!"

Jiang Shuning was taken aback. Looking up, she saw it was the Fifth Prince, Xiao Huaijin.

She curtsied. "Your Highness, Fifth Prince, what brings you here?"

Xiao Huaijin's smile grew even more amiable. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he replied, "I knew you would surely come to the palace today to visit Fourth Brother, so I waited here just for you."

Remembering Xiao Lingchuan's jealous demeanor, Jiang Shuning felt a prickle of apprehension. She asked in a low voice, "Since Your Highness is here, why not go in to visit His Highness the Fourth Prince?"

"Miss Jiang may not be aware, but Fourth Brother has publicly stated he is recuperating from his injuries in the palace and is not receiving any visitors recently. I originally intended to see him as well, but was turned away by the people in his palace."

Jiang Shuning was momentarily speechless.

She could just waltz in and out of Jinghe Palace—wasn't that basically telling everyone that her relationship with Xiao Lingchuan was anything but ordinary?

The thought alone made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"What does Your Highness wish to see me about?"

"Didn't we just agree yesterday to go see the fawns in my mother's garden?" Xiao Huaijin reminded her cheerfully.

Jiang Shuning was stunned. She had just brushed him off with that excuse yesterday—she never expected him to take it seriously.

"Your Highness, I have matters to attend to today, I'm afraid…"

"I know," Xiao Huaijin cut her off, his smile still gentle. "That's why I brought the fawn here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he lifted a corner of his cloak, revealing a small, furry face nestled inside.

The fawn's large, watery eyes were fixed intently on Jiang Shuning, its nose twitching slightly with curiosity—so adorable it could melt anyone's heart.

Jiang Shuning stood frozen in place, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her sleeve.

She'd always had a soft spot for fluffy creatures, and seeing the fawn's pitch-black, ink-like eyes, her mind was filled with nothing but the thought *so cute*—she simply couldn't bring herself to refuse.

"Miss Jiang, look how much it likes you," Xiao Huaijin said softly, his voice coaxing and gentle. "Go ahead and pet it—its fur is incredibly soft."

Unable to resist the temptation, Jiang Shuning reached out and lightly touched the fawn's head.

The fur beneath her fingertips was indeed as soft as a cloud. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the excitement welling up in her chest.

"Its name is Rongmao. I've been raising it for quite some time—it has the gentlest temperament," Xiao Huaijin said, offering the fawn toward her. "If you'd like, you can hold it."

Just as Jiang Shuning was about to take the fawn, a low, icy voice suddenly came from behind her: "Fifth Brother, you're in quite high spirits—even bringing a deer along."

Her heart skipped a beat. She whipped around to see Xiao Lingchuan standing not far away, his expression as dark as storm clouds gathering before a downpour.

Jiang Shuning felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy: *This is it—I've been caught red-handed!*