Chapter 157 - 155: Alone Without Anger

Words : 1527 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 157: Chapter 155: Alone Without AngerShen Yinning softly said, "I don’t dislike it." In fact, she liked it very much. Yet amidst her joy, there was also a trace of sadness. Lu Ying treated her, this hidden "forbidden fruit," with such care—what more for his wife Shen Yunxi? He probably offered his entire heart to Shen Yunxi, didn’t he? But Lu Ying... Was supposed to be her husband. Noticing a subtle shift in her emotions, Shen Yinning quickly ran through all sorts of dominating and obnoxious acts the man had committed in her mind, relying on sheer willpower to suppress the faint budding feelings deep within her heart. She carried a deep-seated vendetta in a sea of blood, and matters of love would always come after revenge. She could strategize against Lu Ying. But she could never fall for him. To fall for him would be chaos. To fall for him would mean defeat. She curved her lips into a proper, flawless smile and emphasized once again, "Your Highness, this wife likes it very much." "At this moment, there’s no need to be so formal." Lu Ying took her hand. "Come, let’s go have a look." Shen Yinning refused once more. She said coyly, "I haven’t even done my hair or washed my face yet. I need to get ready before strolling at the night market." With that, she lifted her skirt and hurried back to her room to prepare herself. Lu Ying pressed a hand to his forehead, half exasperated and half amused. This little vixen valued her appearance above all else—she was already beautiful, yet even for a nighttime stroll in her own garden, she insisted on getting dolled up. He wondered where she found all that energy. After three quarters of an hour, Lu Ying finally saw Shen Yinning again. The young woman had styled an intricate immortal knot hairstyle and lightly applied makeup to her already exquisite features, making her look even more radiant and captivating. Shen Yinning spun around once. "Do I look good?" Lu Ying replied with a simple "Hmm," and then took her hand as they headed to the East Garden. Shen Yinning felt a bit indignant. After all that effort to dress up, all she got was a casual "Hmm"—how irritating! Later, she resolved to buy extravagantly and spend his money frivolously! Upon entering the East Garden, it seemed Lu Ying had already instructed the palace maids and guards disguised as commoners not to bow. So, the illusion of an ordinary bustling night market was convincingly created. Shen Yinning picked out some jewelry and small exquisite trinkets. Fully aware that the vendors were overcharging, she deliberately refrained from bargaining and simply handed the bill to Lu Ying. Lu Ying chuckled lightly but said nothing, indulging her whims to buy whatever she fancied. After purchasing over a hundred pieces of jewelry, Shen Yinning glanced at Lu Ying and grumbled, "I bought so much, and you’re not angry?" Lu Ying coolly replied, "No problem." He had known since childhood that Shen Zhaozhao, this little vixen, was a voracious spender. Over the years, he had amassed a considerable fortune, enough to sustain her extravagances for several lifetimes. Witnessing his unwavering demeanor, Shen Yinning said in a crisp voice, "These items are for me to gift to Haitang and the others. It cost a lot of silver coins. Lu Ying Brother won’t be mad, right?" Lu Ying remained unruffled. "Of course not." Shen Yinning: "..." Truth be told, unless she got involved with other men, this guy’s temper did seem infuriatingly stable. She let out a soft hum, deciding to stop bickering with him, and continued exploring the night market. The stalls on both sides offered late-night snacks—spicy stir-fried snails, grilled riverfish and vegetables—the rich aromas of food filled the air, a kind of earthly scent imperceptible within the confines of a boudoir. She wrinkled her nose. "It smells so good." Lu Ying, towering over her, lowered his eyes to look at the young woman. Amidst the food aromas, he caught a faint, intoxicating scent emanating from the nape of her neck. A deep, sweet fragrance, even more intoxicating than floral wine. He murmured, "It is indeed fragrant." "Lu Ying Brother, exalted as the Crown Prince, usually feasts on rare delicacies. I didn’t expect you’d also find night market food enticing. Lu Ying Brother truly excels at delighting the people." The young woman’s intonation rose playfully. Teasing, yet with a hint of mockery. Lu Ying had long grown accustomed to her sarcastic tone. Following her lead, he bought more than a dozen different snacks before the two returned to their rooms. Once they departed, the night market at Shen Garden also came to an end. Gui Quan, holding a horsetail whisk, directed the clearing of the stalls, sighing, "So much real silver spent—inviting these vendors to the Shen Garden, purchasing high-quality clean ingredients, painstakingly recreating the night market atmosphere—all for Madam Shen to enjoy for just half an hour!" De Sun shook his head. "His Highness is usually quite frugal, but when it comes to Madam Shen..." Gui Quan and De Sun simultaneously conjured the image of "extravagance to the extreme." To be cherished above all—it could hardly be more lavish. When Shen Yinning returned to her room, she tasted a bit of every snack. Lu Ying sat across from her, watching her eat. The young lady, born into a prestigious noble family and raised in luxury, still retained her elegant demeanor despite her fall from grace. Her spine remained straight as if an invisible ruler held her posture firmly in place. Throughout, not a single sound of clattering tableware escaped her movements—even when rinsing her mouth, she covered her lips with a cloth and discreetly spat into the white porcelain bowl held by a palace maid. Shen Yinning raised her eyes. "I’m finished eating." Lu Ying emerged from his thoughts and sampled a bit of every snack she had tried. Shen Yinning rested her chin on her hands, staring at him with a peculiar expression. Lu Ying, as the Crown Prince, was obviously an exalted figure. Yet he was willing to eat food she had left unfinished... She certainly wouldn’t foolishly assume Lu Ying admired or loved her. Her guess was that he simply didn’t want anything to go to waste. She vaguely recalled that before Lu Ying became Crown Prince, his days in the palace hadn’t been particularly comfortable. At that time, she was still young—raised proud and arrogant—socializing exclusively with pampered princes or children of prominent families, like Lu Shiyan and Lu Jiazhe. A figure as unremarkable as Lu Ying naturally wasn’t worth her attention, leaving her childhood impression of him quite faint. Once Lu Ying finished his late-night snacks, just as he called for the leftovers to be cleared away, a young eunuch abruptly hurried inside to report, "Your Highness, Assessor Gao Zheng of the Ministry of Justice seeks an audience!" Shen Yinning raised an eyebrow. Lu Ying’s face remained composed. "Let him in." Gao Zheng entered the room, immediately spotting Shen Yinning fiddling with various pieces of jewelry. Suppressing his anger, he bowed to Lu Ying and spoke gravely, "Your Highness, this afternoon, Shen Xinglei stormed into my residence, demanding that I hand over Miss Shen. When I refused, he brought people to wreck my home! My residence is now in utter chaos—I beg Your Highness to uphold justice!" Shen Yinning let out a giggle. As expected, Shen Xinglei had gone to the Gao Family to find her. Hearing her laugh, Gao Zheng’s expression darkened even further. "Miss Shen, this matter concerns you—how can you take delight in another’s misfortune?!" "So what if it’s wrecked?" Shen Yinning, long displeased with Gao Zheng, immediately lifted her pointed, snow-white chin. "That residence was bought with my money. If it’s wrecked, the one who should be upset is me—not you, Master Gao!" "You—" Gao Zheng’s face turned red with anger. Though that residence was indeed purchased with Shen Yinning’s funds—and its renovations also paid for by her—he hadn’t done nothing. Knowing how expensive property in the Capital was, and understanding his bureaucratic salary would never afford such a grand mansion, he’d cherished the place deeply, planting numerous flowers and directing the maids and servants to clean the corridors and windows meticulously. Even the paintings hanging in the rooms were ones he had personally crafted with care and effort. He had long considered the mansion his private residence. Now that his cherished home had been wrecked, how could he not feel heartache?! The more he thought about it, the angrier he became—seeing Shen Yinning seated at Lu Ying’s side in such a delicate and alluring posture only fueled his ire. Recalling overhearing Shen Yinning speak ill of Lu Ying at the Shen Guogong Mansion, his face darkened even further as he said, "I have urgent matters to report to His Highness. I ask that Miss Shen temporarily step aside!" At this point, he could no longer afford to care about other considerations. He had to sever Shen Yinning’s association with the Crown Prince and take her away for proper discipline!

Chapter 157 - 155: Alone Without Anger

Comments (0)