Quick Transmigration: The Control Group in Sweet Novels

After the court session ended, Shen Hengzhi did not linger in the palace. Upon returning to his residence, he first asked Cheng'an Ayang if she had returned. After receiving a negative answer, he went into his study alone.

On the desk was Qi Yang's homework, which she had just handed in yesterday.

Shen Hengzhi picked it up.

To be honest, my handwriting is really bad.

It was crooked and crammed together. But Shen Hengzhi could tell that she wrote each stroke very carefully. Every time, he would circle the well-written characters with a vermilion pen and write a model character next to them so that she could practice by copying it when she got home.

He sat behind his desk, lost in thought for a while, wondering why he couldn't concentrate on the words in the book today.

Shen Hengzhi then picked up the letter on the corner of the table and read it. The letter was sent by a colleague. It didn't mention anything important; it was just an invitation to his home for drinks. After reading the letter, he casually put it aside and pinched the bridge of his nose.

I couldn't concentrate on reading another word after that.

I asked for leave and went back to my hometown.

She didn't tell him either.

Indeed, she certainly didn't need to tell him. When a maid asked for leave, Zhao Mama would inform her. There was no need to report to the young master.

Shen Hengzhi stood up, walked to the window, and opened it. The night breeze blew in, carrying a damp smell.

It is going to rain.

He stood for a while, then sat back down at his desk, opened the book he was halfway through, and forced himself to read on. After a long while, he couldn't absorb a single word.

He simply closed the book and shut his eyes.

"Cheng'an," Shen Hengzhi called out.

Cheng'an poked his body in from outside the door, "Your Highness."

Shen Hengzhi paused for a moment, and just as Cheng An was filled with doubt, he finally asked, "Do you know where A Yang's hometown is?"

Cheng'an was taken aback, not expecting Shen Hengzhi to ask him this. Cheng'an scratched his head and tried hard to remember, "Uh... this servant remembers it was Xinghua Village outside the city, yes, that's Xinghua Village."

Upon hearing this, Shen Hengzhi's expression turned cold. "How did you find out?"

Cheng'an inexplicably sensed that the prince's tone had turned cold. He carefully observed Shen Hengzhi's expression and honestly replied, "A-Yang seemed to have told me something when we were chatting a few days ago."

The atmosphere grew even colder.

Cheng'an didn't know why the Crown Prince had become so strange ever since he returned from Lin'an.

But every strange occurrence seemed to be related to A-Yang.

Cheng'an had a sudden realization: Could it be that the young master has taken a fancy to A-Yang?

After thinking it through, it seemed that all of Shen Hengzhi's signs had been reasonably explained.

Cheng'an quickly slapped his forehead and laughed, "Oh dear, I remembered wrong. A-Yang didn't tell me. It was when Granny Li was counting the servants that she gave me a glance, and that's when I remembered it."

Shen Hengzhi then calmed his expression and said, "You may leave."

Cheng An breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes."

Soon after, the rain finally began to fall.

At first, the rain was fine and dense, pattering softly on the eaves. Later, it grew louder and louder, pouring down in torrents, filling the world with the sound of water.

Shen Hengzhi stood by the window, the rain pattering coldly against the windowsill. He suddenly turned around, picked up the oil-paper umbrella by the door, and strode outside.

Cheng'an was still standing under the eaves when he saw him come out and walk straight ahead. He looked bewildered and asked, "Young Master, it's so late and it's raining. Where are you going?"

Shen Hengzhi paused in his steps.

Yes, even if he was worried, he could have simply sent a servant to wait for her outside the mansion. Why was he so impatient?

This thought lingered for only a second before Shen Hengzhi took another step forward.

Not receiving a reply, Cheng'an quickly grabbed an umbrella and chased after them.

The rain was so heavy that visibility was poor. Shen Hengzhi held up an umbrella and walked outside the mansion. Rainwater streamed down the umbrella ribs and splashed on the ground, creating a pool of water.

Cheng'an stood silently to one side, waiting with Shen Hengzhi, his mind filled with countless thoughts. The young master's appearance did not seem to be a simple matter of affection.

Cheng'an grew up alongside Shen Hengzhi. Because he was younger, Shen Hengzhi usually took good care of him. However, taking care of servants was part of Shen Hengzhi's etiquette. But... Cheng'an looked at the young master, who was pursing his lips and frowning slightly, looking out of the mansion.

Is this how you treat a servant?

Shen Hengzhi didn't care at all that his shoes were wet. Then, a familiar yet thin figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

She was standing under the eaves of a house not far from the gate, with her back to the entrance, talking to a young man.

The man was dressed in a coarse cloth short brown shirt, was thin and tall, and had a fairly handsome face.

He stood opposite Qi Yang, head bowed, seemingly speaking, while A Yang, opposite him, slightly raised her head, listening intently to him, oblivious to the rain wetting her shoulders.

Shen Hengzhi stood still, holding an umbrella.

Rainwater accumulated and soaked his trouser legs, but he didn't move an inch.

Then he watched as the man reached out and touched her hair.

Whether it was Shen Hengzhi's imagination or fact, he always felt that the man's movements were very natural, with a kind of familiar intimacy.

Qi Yang did not refuse.

The man then took out a cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to her. Qi Yang took it and smiled at the man.

She smiled at Cheng'an in the same way she did that day at Danhe Hall—naturally and lively.

It was never directed at him.

Shen Hengzhi's fingers tightened slightly around the umbrella handle, his knuckles turning white.

Cheng'an also witnessed this scene. He froze, cautiously glancing at Shen Hengzhi's expression, his heart pounding.

Alas, how did the Crown Prince have to see it all?

Just as he was thinking this, Shen Hengzhi turned around and handed him the umbrella he had prepared. His gaze was lowered, concealing the emotions in his eyes, but Cheng'an could feel the oppressive aura emanating from him. "Give it to her later."

Cheng'an instinctively took it, and Shen Hengzhi left directly.

Cheng'an opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Shen Hengzhi walked too fast and the rain was too noisy, so he finally shut his mouth.

After bidding farewell to Brother Liu, Qi Yang turned and entered the mansion, where she saw Cheng An standing outside the gate, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

She exclaimed in surprise, "Cheng'an, what are you doing here?"

Cheng'an handed her the umbrella. "It's the Crown Prince. He was worried that you had gone back to your hometown and that it was raining, so he asked me to bring you an umbrella."

Qi Yang slightly widened her eyes and took the umbrella.

Are bosses this considerate of their employees these days?

She sighed once again at the benefits of following the right leader, smiled with her eyebrows arched, and said, "Thank you."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Cheng'an wanted to say as many good things about the prince as possible to leave a good impression on Qi Yang. He glanced outside; the people who had been with Qi Yang had already left. The two of them walked together towards the prince's courtyard. On the way, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Who was that person who brought you back just now?"

Seeing his curious little eyes, Qi Yang couldn't help but chuckle and said, "He's the man my family arranged for me to meet."

Although she didn't intend to agree.

Upon hearing this, Cheng'an's expression froze for a moment. "Are you engaged?"

Qi Yang shook her head.

Cheng'an breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, they weren't engaged yet.