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

Granny Song looked worriedly toward Jinling.

Right now, all we can do is hope that the master will come back soon, so that someone can keep the mistress in check.

Otherwise, how could a young girl like Da Niang possibly compete with a shrewd lady who had been immersed in the inner quarters of the house for forty years?

I'm afraid that even after they die, they will be branded with a filthy name!

She went in alone, intending to have a proper chat with the lady.

"lady……"

Chaohua Residence.

Jiang Ruining returned to her residence.

The courtyard was very quiet.

The wet nurse was tapping the bright-eyed little maid.

Jin Yu stood guard outside the bedroom, her head bowed as she embroidered.

Seeing her return, he quickly got up, took out an iced teapot from the bronze ice jar, poured a cup of refreshing tea and handed it to her: "You must have been terribly hot on this trip, right? Have a cup of tea to cool down."

"Did your trip go smoothly today?"

Yun Mi's expression was complicated: "It's been nonstop all day, but the young lady seems to be having a lot of fun. It's just that the madam is so infuriating!"

Jin Yu was puzzled. How could someone be happy if things weren't peaceful?

Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, she frowned: "Did Madam say something unpleasant to Miss again? Was it that annoying fellow by Miss Jin's side who secretly complained to Madam?"

Yun Mi nodded, then shook her head: "Miss stood out at the poetry gathering and outshone Miss Jin. Madam found out and is displeased with Miss... Sigh, it's hard to explain in a few words. I'll tell you later. Go and fetch some water so Miss can take a bath first."

"Sigh!" Jin Yu was quick and efficient, and immediately turned around to give instructions.

After drinking the cold beverage, Jiang Ruining's body temperature dropped a bit.

I entered the dormitory.

The ice glass was already placed on the table, and a cool breeze wafted over, carrying a very faint sandalwood scent.

It was left over from Xiao Che.

He took off his upper garment and tossed it onto the kang (heated brick bed), then lay down on the jade mat and sighed in relief, "Being with a bunch of cunning people is torture! It's so much more comfortable lying at home."

Yunmi picked up a round fan from the side and fanned her.

Jin Yu turned back and saw that she was dressed scantily, with her two strapless tops and above completely exposed. She was quite shocked: "Good girl, you can't take your clothes off!"

Jiang Ruining, as if warming herself by a charcoal brazier in winter, stretched out her hand to cool it in front of the ice jar: "Even the King of Hell is gone. I'm in my own room, what can't I take off?"

"Girl!" Jin Yu's scalp tingled!

She took a cool, apricot-colored veil and draped it over her master, her eyes constantly straining to see behind the semi-transparent screen!

Jiang Ruining was enjoying the cool breeze when she noticed Jiang Ruining's twitching face. She glanced in the direction Jiang Ruining was looking and saw a man sitting by the back window!

My mind went blank for a moment.

He suddenly jumped up, went around the screen, and rushed inside.

Xiao Che was sitting on the ground behind a low table, wearing only a plain white undergarment, his jade crown removed, and his black hair tied back with a hair ribbon, looking completely carefree.

She nearly fainted: "Why are you back again?"

Xiao Che held a piece of wood in his left hand and a small knife in his right, carving something without raising an eyebrow: "My injuries haven't healed yet."

Jiang Ruining put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath: "You are a prince, how could you not have a place to properly recuperate?"

Xiao Che replied matter-of-factly, "I'm giving you a chance to prove your loyalty."

Jiang Ruining resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

That sounds so nice!

He has clearly offended too many people. Even if some ministers consider him a confidant, they might not dare to entrust their backs to him while he is seriously injured!

His decision to return to her to continue recuperating was not out of trust, but rather a sign of cunning.

When he was under the influence of the medicine, she happened to appear and only made love to him, but did not take any physical action. This suggests two possibilities.

First, she was simply after his body.

Second, her purpose was to get close to him, gain his trust, and obtain more and deeper secrets from him.

Therefore, for whatever reason, she would never take advantage of his serious injury. In order to gain his gratitude or his trust in the future, she would take good care of him and do her best to conceal his whereabouts.

"Was no one noticing when Your Highness returned?"

Xiao Che sculpted with focused concentration, his knuckles, which he had bumped, becoming even longer and more defined: "Does Master look like the kind of person who would cause trouble for himself?"

Jiang Ruining witnessed the villain's twisted nature.

The assassination attempt by the Empress Dowager and Grand Tutor Cui, apart from causing him a hidden loss, did not diminish his strength in the slightest. He could still appear and disappear without a trace under the comprehensive surveillance of his opponents!

During the poetry gathering, she vaguely heard Xiao Che say that he had gone to Yuzhou.

They must have arranged for a stand-in.

So by now the double had returned to the palace, diverting the surveillance, while he returned to a secluded spot.

Who would have thought he would turn back to the place he had been suspected of being monitored?

This guy is really... cautious and cunning!

I noticed his brow furrow slightly when he changed his sitting posture.

Jiang Ruining guessed that he must have aggravated his wound today, and thought to herself, "Serves him right," but she was already approaching him very obediently and eagerly.

The wound has just gone down in swelling and is still healing.

If she moves too much, the wound will definitely bleed. Summer clothes are thin, and the smell of blood will easily seep out and be noticed. The temperature is so high, and once she sweats, it will become inflamed, and she might even get a fever. Then she will have to take care of her!

So we can only accept our fate and deal with it as soon as possible.

"Yunmi, bring the medicine box."

She grabbed a soft cushion, half-kneeling and half-sitting beside him, and reached out to tug at the ties on his clothes.

"Cooperate, turn around."

Xiao Che pushed the small table in front of him forward a little.

As the bandages were unwrapped, her soft face brushed against his hard chest muscles, her slightly upturned hairs tickling his chest and nipples like playful little paws, causing a slight itch.

His breathing slowed uncontrollably, and his hand holding the carving knife twitched as he tried to scratch away the itch, only to find that the itch had seeped into his skin and he couldn't scratch it away no matter what he did.

He lowered his gaze, intending to push her away, but as he looked down, he noticed that her semi-transparent gauze dress billowed up as she turned to the side. From his angle, her collarbone and full curves were fully visible, and her fair skin was tinged with the pale pink of the gauze, making her look exceptionally delicate.

For some unknown reason, he dipped his finger in tea and flicked it onto her face.

Caught off guard, Jiang Ruining's thick, long eyelashes fluttered as she was touched. Her lips, neck, and collarbone were damp with water, like the fragrant sweat after a hard day's work, adding a touch of desire and charm, yet without a trace of deliberate seduction.

She wiped the water off her hand, her expression youthful and lively as she glared at him: "What are you doing!"

Xiao Che flicked the remaining water from his hands at her three times: "Don't you dare seduce me!"

Jiang Ruining squinted and leaned back repeatedly, utterly speechless: "You're using your power to deliberately frame me! I was clearly changing your dressing seriously! What are you trying to seduce me for?!"

Xiao Che's finger hooked onto her gauze dress: "If I say you have it, then you have it."

Jiang Ruining took a deep breath.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was geographically close to the Wu Dynasty, and influenced by it, the local customs were relatively open. It was perfectly normal for women to wear revealing gauze dresses at home in the summer.

He was clearly deliberately picking a fight and making fun of her!

bad!

But she couldn't argue with a powerful and madman, so she forced a smile and said obsequiously, "Who told me to be so infatuated with the Prince! I just wanted to show him my beautiful figure!"

Xiao Che scoffed, "What beautiful women with great figures haven't I seen? You're just a bean sprout!"

Jiang Ruining was not satisfied!

Pointing to her body, she said, "What do you mean, 'bean sprout'? Look closely! I have a great figure—curvy, long legs, and a slim waist! And the other day you were clinging to me, clearly enjoying my body!"

Startled by her outspoken words, Xiao Che choked on his own saliva and coughed several times: "Jiang Ruining! Aren't you ashamed?!"

Jiang Ruining shrugged: "If I were ashamed, I would have already hung myself with a white silk ribbon when I got back that day! Besides, food and sex are basic human needs. How honored I am to sleep with such a handsome man as the Prince! Why should I be ashamed?"

Xiao Che: "..."

Seeing him speechless with shock at his own "shamelessness," Jiang Ruining laughed triumphantly!

The last layer of gauze was removed, revealing a grotesque, centipede-like wound, lying quietly on the cold, hard skin. There was no bleeding, but it was slightly red.

I squeezed the cotton gauze; the innermost ring was damp.

It's obvious they've been sweating for too long!

She couldn't help but frown and scold him: "Don't you know whether you've been sweating or not? You came back and didn't even take off the gauze first. You just kept it on like that, aren't you afraid of getting an infection!"

"And are all the people around you idiots? All they do is fight, they don't even know how to check you or apply medicine in time!"

The hidden guards lurking in every corner: "..." It was you who forbade us from entering your boudoir; we were just following the rules!

Xiao Che watched her chattering, her gaze drifting far away for a moment as if she were thinking of someone or something, but she quickly pulled herself back to her senses and said matter-of-factly, "I forgot."