Chapter 84 - 83 I am no longer a young lady

Words : 1327 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 84: Chapter 83 I am no longer a young ladyOutside the window, fine snow began to fall, gradually piling up on the barren branches. In the bedchamber, Shen Yinning couldn’t take it anymore, her voice hoarse, letting out a sob, "Lu Ying, you’re bullying me!" She trembled, opened her mouth, and bit down on his shoulder! The man was hard everywhere, even his shoulders felt like iron, making Shen Yinning’s teeth ache. No matter how hard she bit, she couldn’t tear off a piece of flesh, leaving only deep teeth marks streaked with blood. The heat between the sheets dispersed, Lu Ying’s gaze turned cold, his face sullen as he adjusted his attire. Gui Quan cautiously entered to report, "Your Highness, Bai Shuangshuang requests an audience, saying she has cooked porridge for you." "Let her in." Shen Yinning was still dazed, but when she heard Lu Ying allow Bai Shuangshuang inside, her previously blushing face from moments of passion instantly turned pale. She pulled the brocade quilt to cover her body, her voice hoarse, "Lu Ying!" Lu Ying glanced back at her, "Shen Zhaozhao, who fears neither heaven nor earth, doesn’t even put me in her eyes. What’s this—are you now afraid of your former maid?" He mocked her, intentionally calling Shen Yinning by her childhood name. This forced Shen Yinning to recall the glorious days when she was the eldest daughter of the Shen Family in the Duke Mansion. She bit her lips, knowing full well that Lu Ying was deliberately humiliating her. Soon, Bai Shuangshuang entered. "Your Highness, I’ve cooked shredded chicken millet porridge for you..." Before she could finish, she noticed the room was saturated with a strong atmosphere of intimacy. She couldn’t help but glance towards the bed. Shen Yinning acted quickly, lowering the bed curtains just as Bai Shuangshuang’s gaze swept over. But the curtains were thin and translucent, and Bai Shuangshuang could still make out a woman inside. Simply judging by her figure, it didn’t seem to be Shen Yinning. She remembered Shen Yinning’s slender, fragile frame, nothing like this woman’s voluptuous fullness. No wonder this past year had thrown Shen Yunxi into disarray and kept His Highness constantly enraptured. Seeing her figure, this woman truly seemed to have some capital—though she wondered about her face. Shen Yunxi forced Bai Shuangshuang to conceive a royal heir, while probing the identity of the mysterious woman in Shen Garden. If Bai Shuangshuang could uncover the identity of this woman, she’d have an explanation to give Shen Yunxi. Sёarᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With this in mind, Bai Shuangshuang stared at the bed curtains, saying, "So, it was this younger sister who attended to His Highness last night. Sister, get up quickly. I’ve cooked porridge; we can share a meal together." From inside the bed, all that could be heard was the faint rustle of clothing being put on. Bai Shuangshuang felt displeased. After all, she was a concubine officially acknowledged by the Crown Prince, which made her far more dignified than this woman. Yet, this woman didn’t even bother to reply. Feeling aggrieved, she glanced at Lu Ying and asked, "Your Highness, have I done something to displease this younger sister?" Lu Ying seated himself with an imposing air in the round chair, coldly narrowing his eyes at the lowered bed curtains. "Shen Yinning, Bai Shuangshuang is speaking to you." Upon hearing the name "Shen Yinning," Bai Shuangshuang froze completely. She stared at the curtains in disbelief. The woman who had shared the bed with His Highness last night was actually Shen Yinning? Wasn’t she exiled to Gan State? How could she be in the Capital?! Doubt and suspicion filled her heart, compelling her to step forward and slowly lift the curtains. Inside, the young woman looked deeply uncomfortable, raising her sleeve to cover her face and turning her head away. Bai Shuangshuang gritted her teeth and grabbed the young woman’s shoulder— The girl’s black hair resembled flowing ink, and hidden within the cascade of silky locks was a face as stunning as a blooming lotus, captivating and bewitching. The almond-shaped, slightly upturned Dan Feng eyes revealed an innate allure. Who could she be, if not Shen Yinning! Bai Shuangshuang’s eyes flashed with astonishment and dread as she staggered backward like she’d seen a ghost. Shen Yinning! Shen Yinning had actually returned to the Capital! Thinking of the past, when she and Nanny Zhang had conspired to force Shen Yinning’s mother to her death, Bai Shuangshuang felt a deep guilt and fear welling up, barely keeping herself from collapsing to her knees then and there. She hadn’t truly wanted to harm Shen Yinning’s mother... But... But she hadn’t had any other choice! Back then, she had been infatuated with the Crown Prince, but Shen Yinning hadn’t noticed, nor had she considered making Bai Shuangshuang one of the Crown Prince’s concubines. Instead, she jested about marrying Bai Shuangshuang to a distant cousin, a County Magistrate, as his legitimate wife. But compared to the Crown Prince, what was a County Magistrate? Though Bai Shuangshuang was a maid, she’d grown up sharing food and quarters with Shen Yinning in the Duke Mansion, holding a status akin to that of a secondary young mistress. Combined with her graceful and beautiful appearance, people often mistook her for the daughter of an affluent family when she walked outside. So why should she settle for a mere County Magistrate? She refused to accept it! Besides, she remembered Shen Yinning teaching her that one shouldn’t settle for inferiority, that one should fight for the things one desired. And she desired the Crown Prince. Thus, when Nanny Zhang extended her an olive branch, she decisively agreed to help harm Shen Yinning’s mother. She had felt guilty for years, but it was unavoidable. As a young woman, beautiful and promising, she couldn’t simply perish alongside the Shen Family. She had believed that with the Shen Family’s downfall, Shen Yinning would never return to the Capital again. She hadn’t anticipated her return! That she hadn’t perished in Gan State but had returned! Why had she returned?! Shen Yinning gazed at her. She was no longer the naive girl she’d been three years ago. After losing her family and witnessing her father and brother’s deaths, she had learned to read expressions and discern intentions carefully. She didn’t miss the guilt and fear in Bai Shuangshuang’s eyes. What was Bai Shuangshuang guilty of? What was she afraid of? Having grown accustomed to assuming the worst in people, Shen Yinning speculated that Bai Shuangshuang might have betrayed her or the Shen Family, which explained her guilt and dread. Calmly, her hoarse voice asked, "What’s the matter? Seeing me, you’re unhappy?" Bai Shuangshuang snapped out of her thoughts and forced a smile. "How could I be unhappy, my lady? It’s been years since we parted. Seeing you brings me nothing but joy! How... how did you return to the Capital?" Shen Yinning remained silent. She couldn’t bring herself to reveal to her former maid that she’d relied on selling her looks to return to the Capital. Lu Ying’s eyes swept over the red coral bracelet on Shen Yinning’s wrist. She still treasured the item Lu Shiyan had given her; she even continued to wear it. With a cold sneer, he mocked her, "Shen Yinning, why not tell her about your experiences these past years? For instance, how you climbed into my bed?" Shen Yinning knew Lu Ying was intentionally embarrassing her. Feeling defiant, she met his gaze boldly and retorted, "These past years, I’ve experienced much—climbing into Your Highness’s bed is hardly the most remarkable. Would Your Highness like to hear about my wedding night with Gao Zheng, or perhaps my letter exchanges with Prince Wu? Or, maybe, my moments of playing the qin and Go under moonlit blossoms with Cui Ji?"

Chapter 84 - 83 I am no longer a young lady

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