Quick Transmigration: What to Do When the Male Supporting Character You Saved Becomes Obsessed with

Chapter 121 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (25)

Qinghe watched as the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess remained silent, staring at each other intently with their heads bowed as if they didn't exist.

"Your Highness is truly thinking of me." Lu Liruan forced a smile.

“Of course, I am currently recuperating from my injuries and have plenty of free time. I have nothing else to do, so it is only right that I take this opportunity to think more about the Crown Princess.” Ji Shumin accepted the praise without any embarrassment.

With the time to leave fast approaching, Lu Liruan had no time for playing games with him anymore. She sighed and said, "If Consort Rong harbors any resentment towards me because of this fabric, what should I do?"

Ji Shumin put down his teacup and tapped the cup lightly with his fingertips: "It is the rule for you to pay your respects to the ladies of the palace after you enter the palace, but it is not the rule of the palace if she has a grudge against you."

Lu Liruan pondered Ji Shumin's words.

Lu Liruan knew nothing of the feud between him and Consort Rong, but she could imagine that Consort Rong held a position in the palace like an uncrowned empress, and had a son named the Seventh Prince. Therefore, she and Ji Shumin were naturally opposed to each other.

Lu Liruan knew nothing about the Empress. From the moment she stopped the engagement to the moment she married into the family, it was as if the Empress did not exist. Even on her wedding day, it was the Dowager Consort who was present in the main hall.

Lu Liruan was puzzled but could not ask. Ji Shumin, as the Empress's own son, remained silent, so there must be some secret that could not be told to outsiders.

Before her marriage, Lu Liruan asked Marquis He'an about this matter. Marquis He'an patted his head and said, "Ruanruan, your father is in court... do you understand?"

Oh, I see. You don't care about anything, you don't worry about anything. While others are scheming and plotting in court, you're just showing up to report for duty.

“In this palace, nothing can be accomplished without rules. Everyone must act in a proper manner. Does the Crown Princess understand what I mean?” Ji Shumin dipped his teacup in tea and drew a perfect square on the mahogany table.

"Does Your Highness mean that as long as I follow the rules, it's fine?" Lu Liruan asked rhetorically.

“Of course, but rules are rigid. Within those rules, how to act, what to do, and what the consequences will be are things you have to figure out for yourself.” Ji Shumin nodded.

"Over time, the Crown Princess will find that this palace is incredibly fun."

Only someone like you would find this funny, right?

While others are struggling and living in constant fear, you're actually finding enjoyment in it. It seems some people are born to be involved in this game, with scheming and maneuvering ingrained in their very bones.

"What's wrong?" Ji Shumin noticed Lu Liruan's strange expression and raised the corner of his mouth: "Why is the Crown Princess looking at me like that?"

"I'm wondering what benefits Your Highness will gain from doing this." Lu Liruan rested her chin on her hand and tugged at the fabric of her gorgeous dress with her other hand.

“Ha…” Ji Shumin was a little surprised that she would ask so directly.

"Isn't it obvious? The one who benefits is not me, but the Crown Princess... What, doesn't this dress look good?" Ji Shumin reached out and touched the dress, following the dense and fine stitches of the palace embroiderers and tailors, his eyes filled with appreciation.

"Don't you like it? Women in the palace would be overjoyed for half a month if they received a bolt of this fabric as a reward."

Lu Liruan thought to herself, "You're being so kind, is it really just to give me a pretty dress?"

Without trying to hide her thoughts, Lu Liruan's suspicions were clearly visible on her face, and Ji Shumin saw them clearly.

His slender fingertips hooked the buttons on Lu Liruan's collar, then followed the collar to Lu Liruan's neck, gently touching upwards until he reached Lu Liruan's plump earlobe.

He fiddled with Lu Liruan's slender agate earrings with tassels, pinching them and letting go, the tassels swaying back and forth.

Lu Liruan raised her hand to stop him, but he pinched her ear cartilage several times.

Seeing Lu Liruan glare at him, he withdrew his hand and said slowly, "As for whether I will benefit from it, it all depends on the Crown Princess."

Lu Liruan frowned.

“Be smart... I can’t have stupid people around me.” After saying that, Ji Shumin stopped talking, picked up the book he hadn’t finished reading, and waved for Lu Liruan to leave.

Lu Liruan walked out of the house, the morning light shining on her, making her feel refreshed and much more comfortable than being in the gloomy atmosphere around Ji Shumin.

"Qinghe, you've been by the Crown Prince's side for a long time, do you understand what he means?" Lu Liruan lifted her skirt and lightly stepped over a step.

"This servant dares not presume to know Your Highness's thoughts," Qinghe said softly.

Lu Liruan didn't mind. The people serving Ji Shumin must all be quite capable, otherwise how could they stay by this lunatic's side for so long?

Later, Lu Liruan realized that they were more than just somewhat capable...

Lu Liruan wanted to ask Qinghe about the banquet that day, but she was worried that saying too much would lead to trouble, so the two of them walked silently toward the residences of the various palace ladies.

After Lu Liruan left the courtyard, Ji Shumin put down his book, opened his palm upwards, and beckoned.

Xiao Xizi hurriedly went to the box, took out the small porcelain gourd bottle that contained medicine, and placed it in Ji Shumin's palm.

Ji Shumin opened the lid, but this time he didn't take the medicine directly. Instead, he poured all the small pills into the empty dish in front of him.

The bright red pills looked a little creepy, but Ji Shumin patiently counted them with his fingertips.

"Forty-seven..."

Xiao Xizi's expression changed, and she rushed over in a panic: "Your Highness, how could this be... no, something's not right!"

How much should it be?

"Counting, including the wedding day, you, you ate... it should be, forty-eight extras!" Xiao Xizi looked like she wanted to count them herself but didn't dare.

"That's what I expected," Ji Shumin said calmly, then carefully put the pills back into the small porcelain bottle one by one.

"Your Highness, what, what should we do? You... you're short of medicine, if..." The more anxious Xiao Xizi became, the less he could speak.

"Where exactly did the problem occur?"

“I know where that missing piece is.” Ji Shumin scoffed. “Hidden something right under my nose? Do you really think I can’t care about her? Or do you think I’m blind…”

Lu Liruan did indeed feel that Ji Shumin's appearance at the time indicated that he was completely in a panic and couldn't take care of himself.

If one knew that Ji Shumin maintained such a high level of alertness and observation even in such pain that it was not feigned, one would surely be astonished.

This is way too... too cautious, isn't it?

"Huh? Then, should we hurry up and find it?"

"No need. I want to see what she's up to. If she tries anything here, I'll let her taste how powerful this thing is."

Ji Shumin's face was cold. The casual yet strangely intimate feeling he had shared with Lu Liruan last night and this morning had vanished without a trace.

He returned to the shadows, the light streaming in through the cracks in the window offering no warmth or comfort.