PNB Chapter 134 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (38)
Chapter 134 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (38)
“I really enjoy talking with Miss Zhuang. If you have time, please come to the palace to find me. I get quite bored by myself most of the time.” After getting to know Zhuang Yuxun, Lu Liruan felt that she truly deserved to be the female lead.
No one can resist her infectious energy; around her, Lu Liruan felt that time flew by.
Even he himself was drawn to her personal charm. Ji Shumin, who was in a state of gloom and self-abandonment at the time, naturally could not escape her gaze.
“Of course, I don’t have many friends after returning to the capital. I’m very happy to spend time with you today. Are we friends now?” Zhuang Yuxun tossed her head, her high ponytail looking dashing and neat.
She walked backwards in front of Lu Liruan with her hands behind her back, her steps light and carefree, as if she had no worries at all.
“Of course!” Lu Liruan looked at the warm golden sunlight shining on her light honey-colored skin, which was a kind of flamboyant and unrestrained vitality, completely different from the lifeless palace.
She was born to belong to the vast world and should not be confined by anyone.
In the original story, Ji Shumin chose to let go, allowing her to be with her beloved, soaring like a proud eagle over the borderlands she loved. He probably felt the same way...
When I saw Ji Shumin with He Pingyan again, well... the contrast was even more striking.
Compared to Zhuang Yuxun's flamboyant and unrestrained nature, Ji Shumin seems to represent rules and regulations. He lives within the bounds of rules and regulations, but secretly seeks a way out for himself.
He skillfully employed both overt and covert schemes, employing both explicit and implicit methods, and even under constraints and dangers, he still managed to manipulate others with ease.
He was born to belong to the court, to the path of emperors.
When Ji Shumin saw Lu Liruan, his expression darkened, leaving Lu Liruan completely bewildered.
"Let's go." He grabbed Lu Liruan's hand from beside Zhuang Yuxun, his icy fingers pressing tightly against her skin like snakes, making her shiver.
She subconsciously reached out and squeezed his hand back, trying to warm it. Ji Shumin felt this, paused for a moment, and turned back to look at Lu Liruan, who was pushing the wheelchair with one hand, with a complicated expression.
Lu Liruan thought she had offended the unpredictable Crown Prince and wondered whether she should withdraw her hand, but she felt Ji Shumin grip her hand even tighter.
"Go home," Ji Shumin said softly, his back ramrod straight. He suddenly asked, "Would you like to go back with me?"
Lu Liruan was a little confused: "Huh?"
"Fine, even if you don't want to, you have to come back with me." He suddenly said coldly.
Today you returned to the Marquis of He'an's residence. Compared to that, do you feel even less fond of the home you shared with me? This thought lingered in Ji Shumin's mind.
Lu Liruan had no idea what he was being awkward about: "What is Your Highness talking about? When did I say I didn't want to go back?"
"How was your homecoming today?" Ji Shumin asked her.
"It's good to see my parents and sisters again." Lu Liruan didn't say much, guessing that Ji Shumin wouldn't be interested in such mundane family matters.
To everyone's surprise, Ji Shumin brought it up himself: "Did the other two families surnamed Lu also go?"
"Ah, yes." Lu Liruan was a little surprised. Ji Shumin had even noticed this.
“Come and tell me that the daughter of the second branch of the family is going to enter the palace to become a concubine of the second prince.” Lu Liruan didn’t hide anything when she said this.
Ji Shumin raised his lowered eyes, a cold smile curling at the corners of his lips: "This is deliberately done for my benefit."
Lu Liruan also thought so, but judging from Lu Yushi's smug look, she didn't know if he himself couldn't see it, or if his parents couldn't see it either, or if they could see it clearly but were still willing.
It's most likely the last one.
The second branch of the Lu family and the He'an Marquis's mansion are from the same branch. Although they are not close, everyone knows that they are not on good terms, but their kinship is undeniable.
The Crown Princess came from the Marquis of He'an's mansion, while the Second Prince married a girl from the Lu family, his second wife.
The two Lu families outside the palace dislike each other, and the two sisters inside the palace...
The Second Prince has made his stance clear: he has a conflict with the Crown Prince.
Otherwise, what's the point of marrying this concubine? The second branch of the Lu family has nothing to offer the second prince.
“My sister is overjoyed right now,” Lu Liruan said sarcastically.
"I guess he's thinking he'll give me a hard time once he enters the palace..." Lu Liruan said casually. As long as Ji Shumin is the Crown Prince, Lu Yushi will always be inferior to Lu Liruan.
However, if the crown prince is deposed and reduced to the unfavored and disabled third prince, the situation will be different.
Ji Shumin looked at her and said, "What, is the Crown Princess afraid of her?"
"How could that be? I just wanted to ask Your Highness to take pity on me and not let anyone bully me~" Lu Liruan joked.
"I have a feeling that it's more likely you're the one bullying others."
Ji Shumin sat next to Lu Liruan in the sedan chair, the hem of his clothes overlapping with the hem of Lu Liruan's skirt, the two of them only a fist's distance apart.
His Highness the Crown Prince's innate noble and dignified demeanor did not make Lu Liruan feel oppressed in the small space.
It seems that Ji Shumin can make people approach him whenever he wants, instead of being cold and aloof.
"Your Highness is joking. I am just a weak woman, and I was hoping that Your Highness would take pity on me and protect me." Lu Liruan leaned against the soft pillow, her cheeks puffed up from the pressure.
"Hmm." Ji Shumin responded with his eyes slightly closed: "Then the Crown Princess must satisfy me."
"How can I satisfy you?" Lu Liruan leaned forward slightly and noticed a small, red mole near Ji Shumin's right ear.
The mole was hidden, yet it stood out vividly against his pale skin.
The moment Lu Liruan caught a glimpse of it, her heart suddenly felt a pang of itch.
I want to touch it...
Lu Liruan shook her head, putting away the sudden, absurd thought.
"Today I said that you and I are the closest people in this world... The Crown Princess did not agree. If you want to satisfy me, say it three times first." Ji Shumin's voice was low and magnetic as he slowly opened his eyes.
Lu Liruan remembered; it was at the teahouse.
He chuckled slightly: "I..."
As soon as she opened her mouth, Lu Liruan was stared at by Ji Shumin's meticulously detailed eyes. He watched every change in Lu Liruan's expression, from a smile to a slightly flustered look.
"What, you don't want to tell me? Is it too much trouble for you?"
He placed one palm under Lu Liruan's chin, gently lifting it up, his fingertips curling to pinch Lu Liruan's soft cheek, both intimate and indifferent. Lu Liruan felt like he was a small, handheld object.
"Does Your Highness really want to hear that? What if I'm not being honest and what I say doesn't match what I think?"
"Then you should tell me first. Say it ten times, say it a hundred times, and one time it will become true. I can wait." Ji Shumin lowered his eyes and examined the girl's soft features, which were not aggressive in comparison.
"The Crown Princess and I are the closest people in the world," he said first.
Lu Liruan felt a shiver run through her as she looked into his eyes. His tone was calm, but Lu Liruan inexplicably felt a fierce intensity in it, as if he wanted to slam those words into each other's hearts.
"His Highness the Crown Prince and I... are the closest people in this world." As soon as she said these words, Lu Liruan felt as if they were a spell, instantly dissipating much of the barrier between her and Ji Shumin.
"Besides..."
"His Highness the Crown Prince and I are the closest people in this world." As her words flowed smoothly, Lu Liruan's heart began to race.