The Prince Consort Is Also Pretending To Be Affectionate Today - Chapter 19
19
In the front hall, while waiting, Shen Chi eagerly took out his gift.
General Lin, taking advantage of the moment, silently followed behind Lin Changcun.
The paths in the General’s Mansion were serene and quiet, with the evening breeze carrying a slight chill.
Lin Changcun was walking along the path, feeling a bit dejected, when suddenly a tall figure appeared beside him.
Surprised, he turned his head and saw his father’s slightly stern profile.
“Father,” he instinctively tightened his grip on the hairpin in his hand, “why are you here?”
Lin Buhui glanced at him, hands clasped behind his back as he walked forward. “What do you think?”
General Lin was a resolute, iron-willed military man. Even a casual glance from him was enough to make one feel suffocated.
Lin Changcun’s face paled slightly. “Father, that Ji Rongjin doesn’t even like Wanwan. If she did, that would be one thing, but not only does she not like her, she’s also…”
“Lin Changcun,” Lin Buhui interrupted sharply, his voice cold. “It doesn’t matter what she’s like. What matters is the Princess’s wishes.”
“I know.” Lin Changcun took a deep breath. “Wanwan rejected me only because she’s married to Ji Rongjin for now. Once they divorce…”
Slap!
A resounding slap landed on his face, leaving a burning sting. Lin Changcun looked up in disbelief. “Father!”
Lin Buhui’s eyes were icy as he said coldly, “Who gave you the audacity to speculate about the Princess’s private affairs like this, Lin Changcun? Who gave you the nerve?”
Lin Changcun gritted his teeth, glaring at his father with defiance written all over his face.
After a long pause, Lin Buhui sneered mockingly, “Do you think the Princess would be so polite about your pestering if it weren’t for my sake as her uncle?”
Seeing his son’s stubborn expression, Lin Buhui lowered his gaze, his words cutting deep. “Or do you genuinely believe the Princess would ever take a liking to you?”
Let alone presenting a hairpin in front of a crowd, even giving it privately, Lin Buhui could guess the outcome. And yet, his son had the audacity to do so in front of the Prince Consort.
Utterly foolish.
Seeing Lin Changcun’s pale yet defiant face, Lin Buhui withdrew his gaze and said, “If you don’t believe me, go ahead and take that painting to the Princess.”
After a moment, Lin Changcun gritted his teeth and scoffed, “Fine, I’ll do it!”
The lively atmosphere in the front hall didn’t change with the departure of the two. After they left, the young Emperor Shen Chi eagerly presented his gift.
“Sister!” Shen Chi happily opened a jade box, eagerly claiming credit. “I carved these mandarin ducks myself!”
Ji Rongjin stood to the side, able to clearly see the contents lying on the golden silk inside the box.
It was a pair of jade pendants, their luster smooth and glossy. Carved on them were two lifelike little animals—presumably the mandarin ducks Shen Chi mentioned.
Shen Zhuwan took the jade box, her eyes smiling. “Thank you, little brother.”
“Mm!” Shen Chi said, “There are two pendants. The other one is for Brother-in-law!”
Ji Rongjin paused, then smiled. “I get one too?”
“Of course!” A sly glint flashed in Shen Chi’s dark eyes. “One for Brother-in-law and one for Sister, so you’ll be together forever, never to part!”
If Ji Rongjin had been enthusiastic before, her excitement now deflated.
She was just an outsider here. Besides, if the Princess found out she was a woman, whether she’d see tomorrow’s sunrise was questionable.
She awkwardly retreated. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I like it very much.”
Shen Chi blinked. “Does Brother-in-law really like it?”
Ji Rongjin’s scalp tingled, but she still said, “Of course.”
“That’s great!” The young Emperor looked at Shen Zhuwan. “Sister, put one on Brother-in-law now.”
Ji Rongjin: “…” There’s no need to be in such a rush.
Shen Zhuwan gave a half-smile, handing the jade box to Ji Rongjin. “Prince Consort.”
Ji Rongjin, steeling herself, casually picked one and smiled at the young Emperor, praising enthusiastically, “Your Majesty’s carving is truly exquisite, so lifelike.”
Shen Chi immediately beamed with pride, launching into self-praise. After a while, his gaze suddenly landed on the sachet at Ji Rongjin’s waist. Blinking curiously, he asked, “Brother-in-law, that sachet looks so familiar. Who gave it to you?”
Shen Chi’s words successfully shifted the topic to the sachet at her waist. Thinking of its origin, Ji Rongjin glanced at the woman beside her, about to change the subject, when Shen Zhuwan spoke leisurely.
“If Chi’er wants one, I’ll have one sent to you tomorrow.”
Indirectly admitting she gave it, Ji Rongjin silently swallowed her words.
Shen Chi was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. “So the sachet was from Sister!”
Shen Zhuwan nodded lightly.
Shen Chi grinned mischievously. “No wonder Brother-in-law keeps it on at all times.”
Ji Rongjin: “…” This sly little kid.
It was at this moment that Lin Changcun entered. He had actually arrived when Shen Chi mentioned the sachet but, for some reason, chose not to show himself, overhearing that Ji Rongjin’s sachet was from Shen Zhuwan.
Holding the painting, Lin Changcun felt like an outsider, caught in a moment of indecision. After a long pause, he finally approached Shen Zhuwan with the painting. “Wanwan, your birthday gift.”
Shen Zhuwan maintained her faint smile but didn’t reach out to take it. Instead, she gave a look to Jinxi, her attendant, who stepped forward to accept the painting and retreated to the side.
Lin Changcun’s face paled further. She wouldn’t even take his gift herself anymore.
Lost in thought, a clear, cold voice slowly spoke. “Thank you, cousin.”
Lin Changcun looked up in a daze, only to see Shen Zhuwan suddenly smile. His heart stirred, and then he heard her say, “Speaking of which, I am your cousin, after all. From now on, just call me Cousin.”
If heartbreak had a sound, Lin Changcun thought it would be deafening.
General Lin, watching from the side, sighed softly in his heart. As expected, the Princess was even more ruthless than he’d anticipated.
To prevent his son from saying something foolish, General Lin quickly made an excuse about Lin Changcun feeling unwell and had him escorted away to rest.
The banquet ended, and General Lin and his wife saw the guests off.
The young Emperor wasn’t riding in the same carriage as them. Reluctantly, he could only wave tearfully.
Inside the carriage, only Shen Zhuwan and Ji Rongjin remained. Unlike the tense atmosphere on the way there, Ji Rongjin was now extremely relaxed on the way back, her face never losing its smile.
Shen Zhuwan, observing her occasional grins, raised an eyebrow slightly. “The Prince Consort seems very happy today?”
“Am I?” Ji Rongjin tried to suppress her beaming smile, but even if she managed to contain it in one place, it spilled out elsewhere.
Grinning, Ji Rongjin said, “I’m happy for Your Highness.”
“For me?”
“Mm-hmm.” Ji Rongjin’s eyes darted around, and she suddenly leaned in mysteriously. “Your Highness, I actually prepared a gift for you too.”
“Oh?” Shen Zhuwan seemed mildly surprised but quickly regained her composure, her lips curving. “I’m looking forward to the Prince Consort’s gift.”
Ji Rongjin patted her chest confidently. “I definitely won’t disappoint Your Highness!”
The moon hung above the willows, and the night grew deeper.
Ji Rongjin led the way, with Shen Zhuwan following behind. Soon, they arrived at a small grove in the back courtyard of the Princess’s Mansion.
The grove bordered a pond, lush with vibrant greenery. The shadows of tall trees stretched into the water, stirring the moonlight reflected on its surface.
Shen Zhuwan was led to the center of the grove, where the girl stopped, and she, too, paused, looking around.
The tree shadows overlapped, the grove was silent, and the moonlight was clear and bright, reflected in the smiling eyes of the girl before her.
Shen Zhuwan looked at her and asked, “Is the Prince Consort’s gift here?”
“Yes,” the girl replied with a soft laugh, then called out to the surroundings, “Alright! You can start now!”
Shen Zhuwan glanced to the side, catching a faint rustling from behind some bushes.
Before she could react, a small glowing speck appeared in her vision, floating toward them.
At first, there were just one or two specks, but soon, a wave of glowing lights came from all directions, spreading like a starry river, surrounding them in the center.
When she came to her senses, all she could see were countless twinkling lights, like shimmering stars, gently flowing around them.
Shen Zhuwan’s long lashes lifted as she looked at a glowing speck floating before her. These were—
Fireflies.
As if her heart had been gently squeezed, she looked up at the girl, who stood amidst the light and smiled softly at her. “Happy birthday, Your Highness.”
“This is my gift to you.” The girl’s fingertip lightly touched a glowing speck, her expression gentle. “I call it the Starry Sky in the Grove.”