The Prince Consort Is Also Pretending To Be Affectionate Today - Chapter 2

2: Past and Present

Ji Rongjin struggled to process the news and spoke, “What do you mean by ‘in the past’?”

“Huh?” Dongmei looked puzzled, then slapped her forehead. “Oh, my memory! I forgot you don’t recall the past. Back then, you used to spar with Young Master Lin often and would come back covered in bruises.”

Ji Rongjin: “…” Good heavens, so there’s a history of this.

“But this time is different,” Dongmei added after some thought. “You were beaten so badly you ended up with a head injury and amnesia. Her Highness the Princess even said she’d seek justice for you.”

Ji Rongjin remained silent, pondering for a moment before asking, “Do I have some deep-seated grudge with this Young Master Lin?”

Dongmei thought for a bit. “Does a feud over stealing a wife count?”

Ji Rongjin: “…Tell me more.”

Dongmei explained, “It’s said that Her Highness the Princess originally favored Young Master Lin. But you loved the Princess so much that you knelt outside the palace for three days and three nights, begging for an imperial decree to marry her. The Princess was moved by your devotion, and in the end, the decree named you as her consort.”

Ji Rongjin’s face was full of shock. “I loved the Princess that much?”

“Oh, yes!” Dongmei said, a bit shyly. “It’s all over the streets and alleys. They say you knelt for three days and nights without eating or drinking to win the Princess’s hand. They say…” She hesitated, then continued, “…that you were utterly smitten with Her Highness.”

Ji Rongjin was stunned. She had assumed their marriage was like those in the novels she’d read—a contractual arrangement. She never imagined it was born of genuine love.

But the original Ji Rongjin was bold, she thought. A woman disguising herself as a man to marry a princess? If that secret were exposed, it would be a capital offense.

Ji Rongjin suddenly sat up as a thought struck her. If the original Ji Rongjin was also a woman, how had she managed to deceive the Princess on their wedding night?

Under the puzzled gazes of those around her, Ji Rongjin hurriedly got up from the reclining chair, rushed into her room, and forbade anyone from following.

She rummaged through the room, eventually finding a hidden compartment containing certain items.

Ji Rongjin stared at the wearable jade object in her hand, falling into an eerie silence. Not only that, but the compartment also held whips, spiked clubs, and the like…

Her worldview took a hit.

Moments later, Dongmei watched as the Prince Consort emerged from the room, looking dazed and muttering something about “Cao thieves” and “playing dirty.”

Dongmei tactfully stayed silent. After a while, Ji Rongjin snapped out of it and looked at her hesitantly.

Dongmei blinked. Ji Rongjin blinked back.

Dongmei: “…Does the Prince Consort have any more questions for this servant?”

Ji Rongjin broke into a smile. “It’s not a big question, just… ahem, in your eyes, how is the relationship between me and Her Highness the Princess?”

Dongmei gave a knowing look. As Ji Rongjin’s “dowry maid,” she knew her better than most. Though the Prince Consort seemed different after losing her memory, Dongmei never doubted her identity.

“The Prince Consort and Her Highness are deeply in love, treating each other with utmost respect. You’re a model couple in the capital.” Dongmei said, her enthusiasm bubbling over. “Her Highness treats you exceptionally well. Take this incident, for example—didn’t she seek justice for you?”

Ji Rongjin: “?” That sounds a bit odd.

But she gained an extra piece of information: the Princess treated her well.

Seizing the moment, Ji Rongjin pressed, “The Princess treats me well? But didn’t you say she originally favored that Lin fellow?”

“Pfft,” Dongmei said with a playful wink. “Feelings grow over time, don’t they?”

Ji Rongjin: “Say that again.”

Dongmei cleared her throat and whispered, “Feelings… grow… over time.”

Ji Rongjin: “…” She understood.

Ji Rongjin gave Dongmei a complicated look, while Dongmei glanced around nervously. “That’s how it’s written in storybooks, isn’t it?”

Ji Rongjin shook her head, lamenting how a young girl had been led astray, when a commotion erupted from the outer courtyard.

She looked up to see Dongmei, who had slipped out and returned unnoticed. “Prince Consort, General Lin has brought Young Master Lin to our residence to apologize to you.”

Ji Rongjin thought she’d misheard and blinked. “When did you go out?”

Dongmei looked innocent. “Just now.”

Before Ji Rongjin could say more, Dongmei stepped forward to adjust her collar. “Don’t ask, Prince Consort. Her Highness has already sent someone to summon you.”

Ji Rongjin stood up in a daze and left in a daze.

By the time she reached the entrance, her belief in the deep love between the Princess and the original Ji Rongjin had grown stronger.

When Ji Rongjin arrived, Shen Zhuwan was seated in the main position. A stern, imposing man sat to her right, while a man in ornate robes knelt in the center, his back laden with thorny branches.

Ji Rongjin cleared her throat lightly, drawing the attention of all three. She walked calmly to the kneeling man’s side, ignoring his suddenly rigid posture, and bowed to Shen Zhuwan. “Your Highness.”

Shen Zhuwan paused, glancing at her before nodding lightly. “Sit.”

Ji Rongjin took her seat on the opposite side, only to meet the strange gaze of the man across from her.

She knew he was the General and was about to nod in greeting when he looked away.

Shen Zhuwan set down her teacup and turned to the stern man. “Uncle, how do you think this matter should be handled?”

Ji Rongjin jolted at the term “uncle.” The man across from her was the General?

Lin Buhui said, “This was indeed Changcun’s fault. I’ve brought him here today for the Prince Consort to deal with as he sees fit. However, I have one request, and I hope Your Highness will grant it.”

Shen Zhuwan’s voice was gentle. “Uncle, speak freely.”

“I hope the Prince Consort will stop seeking Changcun for spars in the future. The boy doesn’t know his own strength, and I can’t always be at the residence to supervise.”

His words were clearly aimed at Ji Rongjin, implying she was weak yet insisted on challenging others, only to cry for help when she lost. Better to avoid humiliating herself further.

Shen Zhuwan considered this, then turned her gaze to Ji Rongjin, who met her eyes instinctively.

Seeing Shen Zhuwan’s face again, Ji Rongjin was still struck by her beauty. Unlike the confined view from their bed, the spacious hall allowed her to take in Shen Zhuwan fully. Clad in an apricot-colored dress that draped over the ebony chair, Shen Zhuwan’s cool demeanor and elegant posture were breathtaking, stirring an inexplicable urge to bow before her.

Noticing Ji Rongjin staring, Shen Zhuwan’s eyes flickered, and she spoke to snap her out of it. “Prince Consort, what’s your view on this?”

The clear, cool voice brought Ji Rongjin back to her senses, and she felt a twinge of embarrassment. Glancing up, she saw Shen Zhuwan’s composed expression, unbothered by her earlier lapse.

Ji Rongjin relaxed slightly and turned to look at the General and the kneeling Lin Changcun. The General seemed thoughtful, while Lin Changcun’s face was sour, glaring at her fiercely.

Ignoring his hostility, Ji Rongjin said slowly, “Hmm, fine.”

Her words caused no change in Shen Zhuwan’s expression, but Lin Changcun looked overjoyed, as if he’d escaped a great peril. He looked up at Shen Zhuwan and said, “Thank you, Your Highness, for granting this.”

Ji Rongjin: “…” Wasn’t I the one who agreed?

Considering their relationship, it wasn’t surprising Lin Changcun wouldn’t thank her. And from the longing look he gave the Princess, it was clear he harbored ulterior motives.

The General finally spoke, addressing Ji Rongjin. “Prince Consort, as for how to punish my wayward son, it’s entirely up to you.”

Ji Rongjin frowned, thinking it over. Then her eyes lit up. “I don’t wish to punish him. Lin Changcun was indeed at fault, but I was also outmatched. However, could Young Master Lin perhaps teach me martial arts? Being defeated doesn’t feel good.”

Seeing the varied reactions, Ji Rongjin continued unhurriedly, “But since the General has asked me to stop seeking Young Master Lin, and I’ve agreed, how about Young Master Lin visits our residence instead? If the Princess is present, we could even spar together.”

The General narrowed his eyes, about to refuse, when Lin Changcun’s eyes suddenly brightened. He quickly said, “Fine, since you’re so earnest, I’ll reluctantly agree.”

Ji Rongjin smiled outwardly but thought, Reluctant, my foot. She hadn’t missed how his eyes lit up at the mention of sparring with the Princess.

Still, this suited her just fine.

The General, seeing it was too late to object, glared at his foolishly grinning son and turned away, tacitly agreeing.

Shen Zhuwan remained calm throughout, showing a slight surprise only when her name was mentioned.

“Then it’s settled.” Shen Zhuwan concluded.

No one spoke, each lost in their own thoughts. With the matter resolved, the General proposed taking Lin Changcun home.

Shen Zhuwan and Ji Rongjin saw them to the gate. Before leaving, Shen Zhuwan bid farewell. “Uncle, take care on your way.”

She paused, glancing at Lin Changcun, who was staring at her eagerly. “Cousin, take care as well.”

Lin Changcun perked up like a dog wagging its tail. “Don’t worry, Wawan. I’ll take it slow. With my father here, I won’t get hurt. You don’t need to worry…”

Shen Zhuwan maintained a faint smile, its curve unchanging.

Ji Rongjin could see Shen Zhuwan was merely being polite, but Lin Changcun seemed blind to it, prattling on until the General, unable to stand it, kicked him into the carriage.

Lin Changcun’s chatter ended with a yelp. “Ow—Father, what was that for!”

As the carriage rolled away, Ji Rongjin saw a head pop out of the window, waving excitedly.

She burst out laughing, waving back deliberately. “Goodbye, Uncle! Goodbye, little cousin!”

The waving arm froze and quickly retracted.

Ji Rongjin found it even funnier. Only when the carriage was out of sight did she notice Shen Zhuwan’s gaze lingering on her.

She quickly hid her grin and coughed. “Why is Your Highness looking at me like that?”

Shen Zhuwan’s gaze was deep. “This Princess was just thinking that the amnesiac Prince Consort is far livelier than before.”

“Is that so?” Ji Rongjin averted her eyes nervously and asked casually, “Then does Your Highness prefer the old me or the current me?”