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

Shao Yun stopped walking beside her, slowing his pace to match hers.

The others followed behind, their eyes practically darting to devour Jiang Ruining.

Jiang Ruining tried several times to distance herself from him, but all her attempts failed.

His teeth were clenched so tightly he was practically grinding them together, and he said in a low voice, "Duke Shao, I have already apologized for all the offenses I have committed in the past. Do you really have to torture me to death?"

Shao Yunting turned his head to look at her. Her long, thick eyelashes fluttered gently in the sunlight, casting a faint shadow over her beautiful eyes, which held a hint of anger. This added to her mystery and depth, making her look completely different from the way she used to look up at him with such infatuation.

"How should I put it when Ningning says that?"

Jiang Ruining glared at him with wide eyes: "Duke Shao, you must be well aware of your family background, your appearance, and your keen observation skills, right? Don't you know that Cui Jingwei and many other noble ladies want to marry you?"

"Saying those ambiguous things in public was just a way to incite their jealousy so they could use them to get back at me, wasn't it?"

Shao Yun stopped and suddenly turned around.

Sure enough, I caught glimpses of undisguised jealousy and ruthlessness, even murderous intent, in the eyes of the women behind me.

He was slightly taken aback.

Turning back, her tone was filled with deep apology: "It was my oversight; I didn't think things through. But don't worry, Ningning, I will definitely protect you and won't let anyone hurt you."

Jiang Ruining gave him a "I knew you were so wicked" look, pouted her pink lips, and huffed, "So you admit that you wanted to use their feelings to try and get closer to me?"

Shao Yunting was charmed by her expression, and his fingers, hanging by his side, itched, so he rubbed them back and forth.

He paused slightly again.

She used to play dumb so well that he subconsciously forgot the fact that she was very smart, and he was immediately fooled by her.

Jiang Ruining sneered at him, her tone indignant: "Even the most impenetrable fortress can be breached. How do you, Duke, plan to protect me all by yourself? If something really happens to me, how will you make amends? Or will you just laugh it off and consider it my own fault?"

Shao Yunting denied it: "Of course I wouldn't think that way. After all, your brother and I are good friends."

Jiang Ruining didn't believe him at all!

How could a cunning protagonist like him not have this much foresight?

They deliberately ignored it, not taking her life seriously!

He walked forward with a frown, his steps heavy, expressing his dissatisfaction: "But that's what you did!"

Shao Yunting tried to explain, "I..."

Jiang Ruining interrupted him: "I don't know how you could think that the Regent was seriously injured and was hiding in my courtyard to heal, but as you have seen, he came in from outside the mansion just like you, and was not even within the boundaries of the Jiang mansion."

"As for whether he was injured or not, how could I, an ordinary girl with no power or influence, possibly know?"

"Are you trying to win me over or plot against me? Go find my dad and brother; I have no interest in getting involved. So please, I'm begging you, stop making jokes like this, okay?"

"I value my life very much. Even if you have absolute beauty, you can't use it as a get-out-of-jail-free card with me."

Shao Yunting was taken aback.

Inquire?

To win them over?

It turned out she had seen through his intentions all along.

Jiang Ruining saw him to the door, her smile perfectly executed, but devoid of any genuine warmth: "The change is too drastic. Even a complete idiot would notice something's wrong, okay?"

Shao Yunting: "..."

Jiang Ruining waved his hand: "Take care, don't bother seeing me out!"

Turn around.

With a forced smile, he saw off several women with unpleasant expressions onto their carriages heading home.

Cui Jingwei stepped onto the horse stool and suddenly grabbed her wrist: "Several families will set off together on the eighth day of the sixth lunar month to escape the summer heat at the estate. Ningning will be going too, right?"

Jiang Ruining understood.

All she can think about right now is getting rid of me.

Therefore, they were eager to confirm her whereabouts so that they could make arrangements in advance, strike her down in one fell swoop, and make her die tragically in front of everyone without arousing suspicion from anyone.

The scapegoat wasn't someone like Sun Langjun or Chen Anran; it was clearly someone with whom she had a major grudge.

Instead of directly confronting her, he looked at her with innocent and apologetic eyes and said, "You're not upset that I stole your thunder at the poetry recital?"

Cui Jingwei chuckled, as if she had heard something insignificant: "There are always people more capable than you, and there are always people more talented than you. There are so many talented people in the world. If I had to be so calculating with everyone, wouldn't I be angry and resentful every day?"

Jiang Ruining seemed to have been granted a pardon, and immediately raised her bright little face, happily saying, "Everyone's going, of course I'll go too."

Cui Jingwei's eyes met the light, concealing the deep contempt and murderous intent within: "That's good! We always hang out together; I'd be lonely without you!"

Jiang Ruining nodded and waved to her, "Then see you again on June 8th!"

Watching the carriage depart.

She ignored Shao Yunting, who hadn't left yet, and went straight back to the mansion.

With a sullen face, he gave the order curtly, "Close the door!"

Chu Jin turned around.

Seeing that Shao Yunting was still standing there, looking into the mansion, but their eyes did not meet, she knew for sure that in his gaze there was only Jiang Ruining!

bump!

The door closed.

It blocked the view between the inside and outside.

Jiang Ruining walked forward from the entrance, unable to suppress a low, gritting curse: "They're both seriously ill! If they're such good actors, why don't they go to the theater and perform! It's a miracle heaven hasn't struck down these two lunatics!"

"May those two lunatics choke on their water, burp while eating, be haunted by ghosts at night, have everything go wrong, and never get what they want!"

"Pooh!"

It was stuffy, hot, and exciting, and I felt nauseous.

He stopped and leaned against a tree trunk, vomiting several times.

My mind suddenly went blank.

Terrible!

Could she be pregnant?

On second thought.

That's impossible. The day I did *that* with that evil spirit, I got my period as soon as I got back.

I'm so angry I'm going crazy over these two lunatics!

"Ningning, are you alright?" Chu Jin followed her footsteps, and upon hearing those angry curses, the worry between her brows instantly vanished.

The man who had captured her heart never once looked at her. Knowing that she couldn't force it, she still couldn't suppress her disappointment. But compared to Ningning's inability to shake off or avoid his deliberate approach, and the consequences of that approach, what did her unfulfilled feelings of attraction matter?

Jiang Ruining patted her chest and said, "It's nothing, I was just annoyed by those two lunatics."

Chu Jin was startled.

Is it okay to say such things?

"Don't be angry anymore. From now on, let's go out less often, and when we do go out, we'll be careful to avoid them!"