She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Jiang Ruining nodded: "Yes, the Northern Liao marriage delegation hasn't arrived in the capital yet, so there's no rush." ​​Opening her eyes, her gaze fell on the jade pendant at Chu Jin's waist. "But you..."

Chu Jin sat upright, waiting for her to give him instructions: "What do you need me to do?"

Jiang Ruining reached out and picked up her jade pendant: "I think I've seen this jade pendant before, but it's not on you."

Chu Jin was taken aback when the topic suddenly turned to her.

Following her gaze, she saw the jade pendant at her waist, and her beautiful face flushed slightly.

He explained, "At the hunting grounds, Prince Li was shot by a sneak arrow. The situation was urgent, and since I don't know martial arts and couldn't help much, I threw the jade pendant out. Unexpectedly, it blocked the sneak arrow for him."

"My jade broke, so he gave me this jade pendant as compensation."

Jiang Ruining was shocked!

The female lead is truly the female lead; she can save people with just a casual gesture!

Was it Crown Prince Lee, or Lee Jung-rye, the Regent's cousin, who was being saved?

That Prince Li was quite a character. He was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination at the age of nineteen. If he had entered the Hanlin Academy and accumulated some experience, he would have been able to become the youngest Grand Secretary of the Great Zhou Dynasty with the help of the Regent. But he chose not to.

He volunteered to be transferred to a post outside the capital. He appears gentle and refined, and speaks slowly and deliberately. However, he is iron-fisted and impartial in his post. In just four years, he has achieved remarkable results and is known as the "Little Yama King". He is also one of the best among the younger generation of officials!

Because of his good temperament and handsome appearance, he is the ideal husband for many women.

However, he is much more low-key in his dealings with people than Shao Yunting, so he rarely becomes the focus of young people's conversations.

To be precise, he and Chu Jin were quite a good match in terms of appearance, intelligence, family background, and attitude towards life!

However, whether it's possible or not depends on how things develop on their own.

Jiang Ruining actually thinks that changing the male lead would be fine too!

Moreover, she discovered that Shao Yunting had lost the female lead's favor, and his male lead aura had been waning recently!

If the female lead chooses someone close to the regent as the new male lead, does that mean that victory belongs to the regent's side?

After all, this is a female-oriented website, and women's choices are the only legitimate path!

"Just compensation, no thanks?"

Chu Jin said softly, "He said he would send the thank-you gift to your residence after he returns to the capital."

Jiang Ruining detected a hint of shyness and nervousness in her voice—the kind of reaction one has when they're attracted to someone!

She stuffed the jade pendant back into Chu Jin's hand: "They only sent a thank-you gift, but didn't even mention inviting you out for tea or a boat trip on the lake or anything?"

Chu Jin gripped the jade pendant tightly: "We're not familiar with each other."

Watching her actions, Jiang Ruining became even more certain of his guess: "That's why you need to have tea more often and go boating on the lake more often!"

Chu Jin was willing to take the initiative, but she was afraid of being seen as frivolous: "Prince Li seems very upright and reserved. He would not make such an invitation to me; it would be against etiquette."

Jiang Ruining placed her palm on the back of her hand, using its warmth to encourage her: "If you think it's going well, you can take the initiative!"

Chu Jin's delicate, lotus-like face flushed slightly: "I...I dare not. If others find out, they'll laugh at me."

Don't dare?

That was a shy and timid feeling caused by the pressure of the world and its rules, not a lack of interest!

Jiang Ruining said leisurely, "I get laughed at every day, and you get laughed at just as much because you're with me every day."

Chu Jin grasped her hand in return: "I don't feel like I've been implicated by you, and I don't care what others think."

Jiang Ruining blinked: "Since you don't care what others think, what are you hesitating for!"

Chu Jin blushed slightly: "Ningning!"

Jiang Ruining smiled and said, "No rush. I'll go to Xiao Che and ask him if he has any 'white moonlight' or 'cinnabar mole' in his heart! If not, I'll ask him to postpone Li Jingrui's marriage and buy you time to get to know him and observe him more!"

Choosing a son-in-law is a major life event. If you find a good candidate, don't let the opportunity slip by! If someone else gets there first, wouldn't you be devastated?

Chu Jin envied her boldness, flamboyance, and radiant brightness, and also recalled the Duke of Shao, whom she had only caught a glimpse of once... Although the regret of missing out on him was in the past, she really didn't want to have to go through it again!

Moreover, after several brief encounters, she found that Prince Li was quite nice; talking to him was like a gentle breeze, making her feel at ease.

She took a deep breath and decided to give it a try, to learn from Ningning's enthusiasm and passion!

"Okay! I... I'll give it a try!"

Jiang Ruining nodded vigorously: "Mmm!"

The female lead's love story!

It's going to be very sweet and exciting; she wants to see it live!

Seeing the fireworks practically exploding in her eyes, Chu Jin couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why are you so excited?"

Jiang Ruining clapped his hands and said cheerfully, "You've all watched my good show for so many days, it's time for me to watch yours!"

Chu Jin's face flushed red: "..."

……

Return home.

The Liu family arrived before them.

When Madam Liu saw Jiang Ruining standing before her unharmed, she breathed a long sigh of relief and excitedly took her hand, refusing to let go: "Good child, your grandmother knows how much you've suffered. From now on, your grandmother will protect you and will never let anyone bully you again!"

"Poor thing, how can you be so thin!"

Jiang Ruining knew the purpose behind her grandmother's warm and affectionate manner. After bowing her head and exchanging greetings, she only coughed lightly, her breath light and rapid. Before getting off the carriage, she deliberately put on a sickly look, appearing extremely weak.

Chu Jin immediately understood her thoughts and cooperated, saying, "The imperial physician said that Ningning's heart qi is stagnant, her spleen and stomach are out of balance, she is plagued by nightmares, and her heart meridian is damaged. This is the result of years of mental abuse. Recently, she was poisoned while saving the Regent, and her body is becoming increasingly weak."

"It takes several years of careful conditioning to see results. During the conditioning period, you must not be alarmed, impatient, angry, or upset. Otherwise, if your heart meridian is severely damaged, your lifespan will be short."

He spoke with a furrowed brow, then forced a smile.

He continued, "The Regent has gone to great lengths to ensure Ningning's health, searching far and wide for precious medicinal herbs and inviting renowned physicians to treat her. It seems that as long as she rests and recuperates, Ningning's health will surely improve!"

Her words were well-considered, subtly implying that Madam Liu should not say anything that would make Jiang Ruining uncomfortable, while also warning Madam Liu not to try to use her seniority to intimidate others. Jiang Ruining has the Regent Prince behind him, and if the Liu family doesn't want to be finished, they'd better know better and not overstep their bounds!

As expected, Madam Liu's expression changed repeatedly after hearing this. All the words of persuasion and intimidation she had prepared stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say them. After taking a deep breath, she regained her kind expression.

"Ningning is the eldest daughter of the Grand Secretary's family, the Regent's savior, and a county princess conferred by imperial decree. Naturally, no one dares to mistreat her! Your eldest uncle is about to return to the capital to report on his duties. Perhaps he can stay in the capital to take up a post. We have plenty of time to catch up."

"You must be tired from your long journey. Go back and rest."

Jiang Ruining nodded weakly: "Grandmother is right, then I'll go back to my room to rest."

She's going to take Chu Jin away.

But Old Madam Liu stopped him, saying, "I have a few words to say to your cousin. Let her sit down for a while."

Chu Jin smiled reassuringly, "You can't afford to be tired. Go back and rest. I'll come see you later."

Jiang Ruining knew she could handle it, so she led her maids and servants away in a grand procession. There were more than twenty chests and cages carried away with them. It was more like they were going on a shopping spree than going to participate in a hunting trip!

The Liu family saw this and understood that the Regent valued Jiang Ruining much more highly than they thought!

The eldest daughter of the Liu family: "Ningning fell off a cliff from home all alone. Why are there so many people following her now? What's in those boxes?"

Chu Jin smiled wearily and coldly: "It was all arranged by the Regent. There were originally quite a few people, but because her small courtyard couldn't accommodate them all, the others were arranged to go to the Regent's Palace."

"I don't know what's in the box either. It's just some odd little trinkets that the Regent collected for Ningning."