Reborn Princess

Shen Xilan recalled that in her previous life, after she fell into the water, Zhou Cechen did not spare Sheng Ruyan, but he did not come to her yard for half a month. At that time, she was happy to have some free time.

But Shen Lilan in his previous life didn't know the reason and thought Zhou Cechen was just too lazy to deal with him.

Her mind was clearer now. She recalled the rumors about her and Zhou Jingmo that were spread by someone in her previous life, and she vaguely guessed what happened.

Thinking of those rumors, Shen Lilan clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Zhou Jingmo" she muttered in her heart, these three words made her hate them to the core.

In her previous life, word spread in the capital that she and King Xuan were in love with each other, but she ended up marrying King Ding'an. Because the emperor's order was difficult to disobey, she had to give up her engagement with Ding'an.

Also, because Prince Ding'an and Prince Xuan were very similar, Princess Ding'an was just using Prince Ding'an as a stand-in.

But in her opinion, there are only some similarities between their eyebrows and eyes, and there is a world of difference between the two.

Whether in appearance or temperament, Zhou Jingmo is not worthy of being compared with Zhou Cechen.

In her previous life, Sheng Ruyan married Prince Duan as a concubine, which must have been Zhou Cechen's trick. No one had ever mentioned it to her, so I guess Zhou Cechen deliberately kept it from her.

Just as I was thinking about it, I saw Chao Yun come in and said, "Madam, the prince sent someone to tell you that he has official business to attend to, so he will not be able to accompany you for dinner."

Shen Lilan said "hmm", pursed her lips and sighed softly in her heart.

I guess he's still angry.

……

In the study room of Liyuan Pavilion, Zhou Cechen frowned and wrote official documents with a wolf brush in his hand. The words on the document were more powerful than before, and they could be seen through the paper.

A servant's hurried voice sounded outside the door, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

"Come in."

The servant opened the door and panted slightly, "The princess came to Liyuan Pavilion with four or five servants, saying that..."

Zhou Cechen shifted his gaze away from the official document, put down his pen, and looked up at the person who was reporting.

The servant had no choice but to report, "The Queen wants you to go to the hall for dinner."

Zhou Cechen was stunned at first, then stood up. She had been married to him for three months, but she had never set foot in Liyuan Pavilion. Today...

In the hall, Steward Lin stood by with a smile on his face, looking at Shen Xilan as if she were his own daughter, very kindly.

The expressions of the other servants were different from Steward Lin's. They were all looking outside the hall in fear. The princess came over so suddenly. If the prince got angry, they would definitely be punished.

Zhou Cechen walked along the corridor to the main hall. Outside the hall, he saw Shen Xilan instructing the maids to serve the dishes. He stared at her profile for a long time, as if he was trying to figure out her thoughts and admiring her appearance.

Shen Lilan noticed the panic of the servants who dared not even breathe, and the burning gaze directed at him, so he guessed who it was.

She curled her lips and turned around, then saw the man standing in the yard.

Their eyes met. Shen Yanlan was standing in the brightly lit hall, with the jade hairpin on her head reflecting the candlelight, and Zhou Cechen was standing in the dim courtyard, his eyes deep. Looking into each other's eyes, neither of them looked away.

Seeing that neither of them moved, Steward Lin looked at the dishes on the table, bent down and said to Shen Xilan: "Madam, the dishes should be getting cold."

Shen Yanlan came back to his senses, a trace of panic flashed across his eyes. At this time, Zhou Cechen also walked into the hall and whispered to the servants standing in the room: "Everyone go down."

"Yes"

Zhou Cechen looked at Shen Lilan and asked, "It's so cold, and you haven't recovered yet, what are you doing here?"

Shen Lilan was also looking at Zhou Cechen. In Zhou Cechen's eyes, her appearance could only be described as bright and charming.

Shen Yanlan said, "I am afraid that the prince will forget to have dinner due to his busy work."

Zhou Cechen walked towards the table and said casually, "It's snowing now, the weather is cold, and the road is not easy to walk on. There is no need to come and have dinner with me."

Zhou Cechen thought Shen Xilan would respond with "Yes." But he heard her say softly, "I want you to have dinner with me." The voice was light and dense, making people's ears soften.

Hearing Shen Lilan say this, Zhou Cechen's body stiffened for a moment and then he sat down. He just sat there silently, his eyebrows and eyes were cold, but he showed the deep temperament unique to men.

Shen Lilan then sat down on the chair next to him.

As soon as he sat down, Shen Yanlan heard the man beside him say: "From now on, I will eat in your yard."

"Okay." Shen Lilan curled the corners of his lips and looked up at Zhou Cechen.

She placed the soup on the table and said, "How is the prince going to deal with Miss Sheng?"

Zhou Cechen looked at Shen Lilan's every move and asked her: "What do you want me to do with you, Princess?"

This was the first time Shen Xilan had talked so much nonsense with him since she married into the palace.

Shen Yanlan felt the man's inquiring and oppressive gaze. She chuckled and raised her eyes and said, "Your Majesty, do you know what Sheng Ruyan said to me yesterday?"

The man next to him did not answer Shen Lilan's words, but sat there patiently, as if waiting for Shen Lilan to speak. At this time, the girl's gentle voice came to his ears.

"She said I... seduced you."

For the last three words, Shen Xilan seemed to deliberately slow down his speaking speed, and his tone was raised, as if he was tossing and turning with the words in his mouth.

Zhou Cechen was drinking soup, but he was paying attention to every word Shen Lilan said.

When he heard this, he almost couldn't swallow the soup in his mouth. He clenched his left fist, covered his lips, and coughed twice.

Shen Xilan wanted to laugh when she saw his look like this. She had never seen Zhou Cechen like this in her previous life.

Zhou Cechen put down the spoon in his hand, frowned and looked at Shen Lilan. At this time, Shen Lilan was sitting upright in the chair, staring at him with blinking eyes.

The man's cold eyes softened a little at once.

In a low voice, he asked her, "Who else has said these things to you?"

Shen Lilan's eyelashes trembled slightly. He actually cared so much about this sentence.

She shook her head, and the hairpin in her hair swayed slightly with her movement.

After a moment of silence, Shen Yanlan heard the man say, "You have never done anything like this before, don't think too much about it."

"No?" Shen Yan muttered. She remembered that she seemed to have done it once before she married Zhou Cechen, and she flirted with him when she was drunk, but...

Shen Lilan glanced at the man who was picking food for her and sighed softly.

She didn't succeed.

Zhou Cechen noticed Shen Xilan's gaze and turned his head to look at her. Shen Xilan came to Liyuan Pavilion specifically to have dinner with him tonight. Was it to fulfill her duties as a princess?

Thinking of this, his eyes darkened.

At this moment, Shen Lilan immediately retracted her gaze and ate the food in the bowl. Some of the things she just thought of made her a little embarrassed. She didn't dare to look at Zhou Cechen again, for fear that he would see something.

The two were silent, but the atmosphere became subtle.

On the way back to Xiaolanxuan, Shen Yanlan was wearing Zhou Cechen's blue-gray cloak, with her entire face hidden under the brim of the fox fur hat, revealing only her straight nose and rosy little mouth.

The maids held green lanterns to lead the two of them. The yellowish light reflected on the cloak. The unicorns of different sizes on the cloak were coiled in a group, appearing to be galloping.

The wide cloak made Shen Lilan look even smaller.

Shen Lilan followed Zhou Cechen with a heater in her hand. The man's big steps made it difficult for Shen Lilan to follow.

Zhou Cechen noticed and deliberately slowed down his pace. Shen Yanlan heard Zhou Cechen say, "The ground is slippery, walk slower."

Shen Yanlan pursed her lips and said "hmm". She lowered her eyes to look at the heater in her hands, then raised her head to look at the man's hand beside her.

She...want to hold hands.

After arriving at Xiaolanxuan, Shen Xuanlan thought Zhou Cechen would go back, but unexpectedly, he came into the yard with her and entered her room.

The candlelight was bright in the room. Before Shen Yanlan could take off her cloak, the maids were dismissed by Zhou Cechen.

Shen Xilan wanted to untie the straps herself, but her slender wrist was held by Zhou Cechen.

"I'll do it." The man's voice was low and mellow, and Shen Lilan lowered his eyes in embarrassment.

Zhou Cechen's finger bones were distinct and slender. He untied the laces bit by bit, very carefully, as if he was afraid of breaking them.

The cloak suddenly fell on the velvet blanket, and Shen Lilan raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Cechen.

Those eyes were clean and clear, and one look was like a drop of spring water hitting Zhou Cechen's heart, and his heart trembled.

Zhou Cechen's eyes were deep and unfathomable, his fingers gently brushed across Shen Lilan's earlobe, stopping on the pair of gilded white jade earrings.

There is a red dot on Shen Lilan's right earlobe. The combination of white and red highlights her beauty even more.

His fingertips gently rubbed the earring, but unexpectedly touched Shen Lilan's earlobe. Shen Lilan turned his head slightly as if he had received an electric shock.

Zhou Cechen's eyes darkened, and he said in a low voice, "Are you afraid of me?"

"Itchy" Shen Lilan replied with a word, as if humming from his nose.

Just one word softened Zhou Cechen's expression. He withdrew his hand and said, "These earrings suit you very well."

The corners of Shen Lilan's lips curved slightly. Before she could speak, she heard the man say, "Rest early."

Zhou Cechen walked towards the door, his right hand slightly clenched, reluctant to leave.

Seeing this, Shen Xilan wanted to pull Zhou Cechen, and she did so.

The moment she touched Zhou Cechen, Shen Xilan was stunned. Why couldn't she hold back?

Zhou Cechen turned to look at Shen Lilan and asked her, "What's wrong?"

Shen Yanlan let go of his hand and whispered, "The road is slippery, be careful."

Zhou Cechen's Adam's apple rolled slightly, and he said in a low, hoarse voice, "Okay."

Shen Xilan was slightly distracted as she watched Zhou Cechen's departing back, her eyes following the man's back.

Lu Nong and Chao Yun came in and said to Shen Yanlan, "My queen, it's getting late. Let us help Ning wash up and go to bed."

Shen Yanlan did not respond.

Seeing that Shen Yanlan was still staring at the door in a daze, Lu Nong and Chao Yun called out "Mother."

Shen Yanlan just came back to his senses.

"The servants will wait for you to go to bed."

Shen Lilan nodded, turned around and walked into the house.

……

It started snowing outside again. This year, the snow in Yanjing City was particularly heavy.

Inside Xiaolanxuan, Shen Yanlan was lying on the bed and had fallen asleep, but his brows were furrowed.

———"The daughter of the general who assists the country, Shen Lilan, is virtuous and generous, gentle and honest, and has outstanding character and appearance. In order to make her beautiful, I will betroth you to Prince Ding'an as his concubine."

———"My daughter is willing to marry Prince Ding'an."

———"Shen Lilan, from today on, you are my wife."

———"Shen Lilan, you are mine."

———"Lan'er, I will be going to war soon, I shouldn't have kept it from you."

———"Zhou Cechen, I'll wait for you to come back."

———"Shen Yanlan, hand over the Imperial Ink Order, and I can protect the lives of your Shen family members."

———"Since the emperor's uncle and his wife are so affectionate, let's think about who will die first."

———"Zhou Cechen, please don't leave, Zhou Cechen, I love you."

"No! Don't leave!"

Shen Lilan suddenly opened his eyes.