Chapter 192: The Lethal Charm of a Handsome Man

No sooner had the medicinal soup entered Xiao Lingchuan's mouth than he regretted it.

The taste was bitter, with a weird spiciness, like a fire scorching his throat and making his stomach churn.

He looked up and met Jiang Shuning's eyes, which were staring straight at him. He had no choice but to force it down.

After draining the bowl, his face turned green and his expression crumpled, as if he'd swallowed a fireball of bitter spice that made his insides rebel.

He coughed twice, pushed down the discomfort, and said in a hoarse voice, "Miss Jiang, this medicine... why does it feel like there's a fire in my stomach?"

"Your Highness, you might not realize, but in this cold weather, your stomach upset is probably from catching a chill. I added warming herbs to warm your stomach and drive out the cold. Drinking it will naturally create a warming sensation," Jiang Shuning explained smoothly.

Xiao Lingchuan's chest tightened, and he could only grit his teeth and say, "Miss Jiang is thoughtful... I have taken the medicine. If Miss Jiang has no other matters, please take your leave. I still need to..." get rid of this crap!

Seeing his barely concealed pain, Jiang Shuning chuckled to herself but kept a straight face. "In that case, I won't disturb you further. But Your Highness, I have prepared a few more doses. You must tell the servants to brew and drink them three times a day. Don't forget!"

"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Jiang. Ling Feng, see the guest out."

As Jiang Shuning walked out gracefully, Xiao Lingchuan could no longer restrain himself. He cycled his internal energy, forcefully forcing the maddening taste out of his body and throwing it all up.

Ling Feng hurried back and, seeing his pale face, quickly steadied him. "Your Highness, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Xiao Lingchuan waved his hand and said in a low voice, "Go get Divine Physician Sun and have him examine what Miss Jiang put in this medicine!"

Before long, Divine Physician Sun rushed over and carefully examined the prescription. He reported, "Your Highness, this medicine contains heart-piercing lotus, gentian root, and bitter ginseng, and a small amount of Sichuan pepper and dried chili..."

Ling Feng couldn't believe it. "This isn't medicine—it's Miss Jiang mocking you! What kind of prescription has Sichuan pepper and chili? And aren't all the other ingredients famously bitter?"

Xiao Lingchuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "No wonder it was so bitter and spicy—it almost killed me!"

He thought Jiang Shuning cared about him, but instead she used the chance to get back at him.

What had he done to offend her this time?

He sighed softly, his expression helpless. "Shuning, your heart is truly ruthless..."

All her cunning was used on him!

Inside the carriage, Ling Wu secretly glanced at Jiang Shuning. Seeing her lips slightly curled and a sly smile in her eyes, she couldn't help but speak up, "Miss, wasn't that a bit harsh of you to treat the prince like that?"

Jiang Shuning was unfazed. "When you mess with someone, you have to make them suffer. If he felt good, that would be a waste of my effort."

Ling Wu's mouth twitched. "What I mean is, the prince looked pretty pathetic. Miss, your medicine was indeed a bit harsh, wasn't it?"

The expression on the prince's face after taking the medicine was really... indescribable.

In all her years by his side, she had never seen him look so mortified.

"If I were truly harsh, I wouldn't just use bitter ginseng and chili. I would have given him a laxative, making him stay in the outhouse for three days straight, or given him something to damage his yang energy, making him impotent for life!" Jiang Shuning paused, her smile deepening. "Ling Wu, that's what real ruthlessness looks like."

Ling Wu felt a chill run down her spine.

Your Highness, the young lady seems to see you as an enemy. You'd better watch your back!

Seeing her scared expression, Jiang Shuning burst into laughter. "Look at you, scared. I was just joking; don't take it to heart!"

Ling Wu was speechless: Miss, that joke wasn't funny at all!

Jiang Shuning's smile faded, and she lifted the carriage curtain to tell the driver, "Lao Yang, turn around and head to the Su residence!"

Ling Wu was taken aback. "Miss, considering how Miss Su schemed against you before, why would you voluntarily go to the Su residence? Aren't you afraid..."

"Before, she was betrothed to the Fifth Prince and wrongly assumed I had feelings for him, which made her jealous and scheming." Jiang Shuning's expression was calm. "Now that she has canceled the engagement with him, she has no reason to be my enemy. Only by reaching out to her can I get the Su family to call off the marriage and cut off support for the Third Prince."

Ling Wu's eyes lit up at this. She nodded eagerly. "You're brilliant, Miss! Don't worry, I'll protect you and make sure that Miss Su doesn't have a chance to harm you!"

As they arrived at the Su residence, they were stopped at the door by the gatekeeper before they could enter.

Su Wan, hearing of Jiang Shuning's visit from inside the manor, was furious, her brows furrowed in anger. "What does she want? Coming to laugh at me? This is too much! Go, kick her out. Don't let her step foot in the Su residence!"

The servant, following his mistress's orders, went to the door and coldly told Jiang Shuning to leave. "Miss Jiang, please go back. Our young lady is not receiving guests today."

Ling Wu tugged at Jiang Shuning's sleeve. "Miss, it's clear Miss Su doesn't want to see us. What should we do?"

Jiang Shuning seemed to have anticipated this. She smiled and said to the servant, "It's understandable that Miss Su is in a bad mood after going through a broken engagement. I imagine she must be disheveled and haggard, really not up to having guests. We were too abrupt. I'll wait until Miss Su looks her best again, and then I'll come visit."

With that, she nodded slightly, looking understanding, and turned to lead Ling Wu back to the carriage.

When the servant relayed Jiang Shuning's exact words to Su Wan, she was livid. "What a brazen Jiang Shuning, daring to mock me like this! Disheveled? Haggard? What does she take me for? I'm the pride and joy of the richest family in the capital. A mere broken engagement won't bring me down! Someone, quickly send an invitation to Jiang Shuning, inviting her to the Su residence for tea tomorrow!"

The servant was taken aback and dared to remind her cautiously, "Miss, didn't you say you wanted nothing more to do with that Miss Jiang? And now..."

"Hmph! I don't want to associate with her, but I won't let her look down on me!" Su Wan snorted, her eyes flashing with defiant stubbornness. "Tomorrow, I'll make sure she sees that I'm still dazzling, makes her feel ashamed, and regret her arrogant words today!"

The Jiang residence soon received the invitation from Su Wan.

Ling Wu handed it to Jiang Shuning, giving her a thumbs up. "Miss, your provocation tactic works great! We poked at her sore spot at the Su mansion yesterday, and today she's sent the invitation eagerly. She's clearly holding a grudge and wants to save face in front of you!"

Jiang Shuning took the invitation, glanced at it lightly, and a faint smile curled at the corners of her mouth.

"Go find some pictures of handsome men in the capital, especially those from average families and still unmarried. Prepare them properly, and we'll bring them along to the Su residence tomorrow."

Ling Wu was stunned, utterly confused. "Miss, what are you going to do with male portraits at the Su residence?"

Jiang Shuning looked up, her smile growing more sly. "Naturally... to play matchmaker!"

"Matchmaker? For Miss Su?" Ling Wu chuckled. "Miss, you might be wasting your time! Miss Su is the daughter of the richest family in the capital, has high standards. Even if she was jilted, she can still marry the Third Prince. How could she possibly fancy some poor nobody from an average family?"

"That's why I asked for handsome men! Good looks can make up for low status and lack of money. Sometimes, a man's face is enough to unsettle a woman's heart."

Jiang Shuning had been stung before in her past life, so she understood better than anyone the lethal power of a handsome man.

She didn't believe Su Wan would stay unaffected.

Ling Wu remained skeptical.

She thought, if that were truly the case, why are you so cold toward the prince, who is so strikingly handsome?

One must know that very few men in the capital could rival the prince's looks.