Chapter 337: Unworthy
Inside the room, Xingnong and Xingqing were lying in bed. Xingnong told Xingqing her guess.
Xingqing’s eyes widened: “This… this can’t be, right? Mother is considered the Heir Apparent’s stepmother!”
A stepmother is also a mother!
Xingnong yawned: “This is just my guess, but think back to the days you lived in the Princess’s Residence. You’ll know if Yong’an Heir Apparent acted strangely towards Shen Ruolan. Be careful of the people in the Princess’s Residence from now on.”
After her wedding, she would live in the Eastern Palace. The Eastern Palace was in the Imperial Palace. Although Xingqing had her own residence, Shen Ruolan and Wen Ruiqing were her biological parents. She could choose not to live with them, but she couldn’t ignore them. There would always be times when she had to interact with them.
Yong’an Heir Apparent is a pervert, and Princess Changle is also abnormal.
Shen Ruolan is an idiot, and Wen Ruiqing is selfish!
None of them are normal. Who knows what kind of trouble they might cause?
After Xingnong finished speaking, she turned over and fell asleep.
But Xingqing couldn’t sleep. She started to recall carefully. It seemed that there were indeed a few times when she saw Yong’an Heir Apparent standing in the distance, secretly watching her mother. She thought he was monitoring Shen Ruolan. Now that she thought about it, his expression didn’t look like he was monitoring!
Thinking of this, Xingqing couldn’t help but get goosebumps all over her body.
She decided that she wouldn’t go to the Princess’s Residence if there was nothing important. She wouldn’t live in the Princess’s Residence even if she was beaten to death this time!
When Grandma and Xinghui arrived, they would live together in the residence bestowed by the Emperor.
After figuring things out, Xingqing also fell asleep.
~
The next day, Chu Tiankuo got up early. He had to personally go to the Admiral’s Military Headquarters to see if the interrogation had yielded anything.
For the sake of Xingqing’s reputation, it wouldn’t be good to involve Xingqing in the Yong’an Heir Apparent matter. They could only start with the other kidnapped girls.
However, no other girls were found on the ship yesterday. Chu Tiankuo felt that this matter wouldn’t be so easy to resolve.
He said to the palace maid serving the meal: “Don’t disturb Crown Princess’s rest. If Crown Princess wakes up, tell her that I went out and will be back for dinner. Remind Crown Princess to have breakfast when she wakes up. Prepare lunch for Crown Princess.”
Chu Tiankuo had already told the palace maid what to prepare for breakfast last night. Now, he explained the dishes for lunch again before leaving.
He listed all of Xingnong’s favorite dishes. He was worried that the people below wouldn’t know what Xingnong liked to eat.
However, Xingnong had stayed at Star Garden before, and the palace maid and kitchen had already been reminded repeatedly by him. They had long memorized her preferences.
~
Xingnong and Xingqing slept until noon the next day before waking up.
When Xingnong woke up, she glanced at the grandfather clock and realized it was already eleven o’clock. After washing up, she asked the palace maid: “Where is Crown Prince?”
“Replying to Crown Princess, Crown Prince left the residence early this morning. He said he would come back for dinner with Crown Princess tonight. When Crown Prince left, he specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare several dishes for Crown Princess. Would Crown Princess like to have the meal served now?”
Xingnong nodded: “Serve the meal!”
Xingnong and Xingqing had their meal together. While eating, Xingqing looked at the dishes on the table and couldn’t help but say: “Brother-in-law is so good to you, every dish is your favorite!”
Xingqing wanted to cry but had no tears. Although she wasn’t picky about food, her sister’s favorite dishes were all spicy. She couldn’t handle too much spice!
Xingnong wanted to have someone prepare two other dishes for Xingqing, but Xingqing stopped her: “No need, there are so many dishes, it would be a waste not to eat them!”
Xingnong also knew that Xingqing had been afraid of hunger before and cherished food very much. She never wasted food or leftovers. There were already four dishes on the table, as well as two bowls of bird’s nest. Adding two more dishes would definitely make them overeat, so she dropped the idea.
Therefore, in order not to waste food, Xingqing forced herself to finish this meal with tears streaming down her face.
After the meal, Xingqing, with red eyes and a red nose, said: “Sister, Grandma and the others should be arriving in the capital soon, right? I want to go and see the residence bestowed by the Emperor and move there.”
✿✿✿
Xingnong thought that Madam Gu definitely wouldn’t want to live in Star Garden, and the residence bestowed by the Emperor was also very good, so she nodded: “Okay, let’s go and have a look. See if there’s anything missing, we can buy it today.”
Xingnong thought that they must buy some servants. The residence didn’t have a single servant at the moment.
No matter what, everything had to be arranged before her wedding.
Xingnong called Songbai: “I want to go to the residence bestowed by the Emperor to Xingqing Junzhu. The residence still lacks servants. Songbai, you inform the brokerage to bring some people to Xingqing Junzhu’s residence.”
“Your subordinate will ask the manager to find the brokerage people. He is more familiar with this. Your subordinate will escort you and Xingqing Junzhu to the Junzhu’s residence.”
Then Xingnong and Xingqing went to the residence bestowed by the Emperor to Xingqing together.
The residence was not far from Star Garden, about a quarter of an hour’s walk away.
The residence didn’t have a plaque yet. Xingnong said to Songbai: “Songbai, you have someone make a ‘Shen Residence’ plaque and hang it up.”
“Yes!” Songbai responded and went to open the door with the key.
“Xingqing! Xingnong!” At this moment, a carriage stopped in front of the gate, and an urgent voice sounded from behind the three of them.
Xingnong and Xingqing turned around and saw Wen Ruiqing, Shen Ruoxi, and Princess Changle getting out of the carriage.
Shen Ruoxi hurriedly ran over and grabbed Xingqing’s hand: “Xingqing, your Heir Apparent brother really went to save you last night! He came back from school yesterday and saw me crying. When he knew you were missing, he immediately said he would go help find you! He told us he was going to the pleasure boats to look for you. He said that people who were kidnapped were usually sold to brothels and pleasure boats, so he went to try his luck!”
Xingnong saw people on the street looking over and her face darkened: “Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about? Xingqing was at Star Garden last night, who went to the pleasure boats!”
Xingnong knew that in order to protect Xingqing’s reputation, Chu Tiankuo and Chu Yuehou didn’t plan to involve Xingqing and would punish Yong’an Heir Apparent by starting with the other girls!
But what about Shen Ruolan?
She came here and shouted about brothels and pleasure boats on the street!
If the news that Xingqing was kidnapped to a pleasure boat spread, what a huge impact it would have on Xingqing’s reputation. Did she even know?
Were they even worthy of being parents?
Xingqing’s face turned a little ugly.
Shen Ruoxi then realized that she had said the wrong thing. “I didn’t mean that Xingqing went to the pleasure boats. I wanted Xingqing to explain that Heir Apparent he…” Princess Changle then pulled Shen Ruolan. “Second Mother, let’s talk about it after we enter the residence.”
Shen Ruoxi finally shut her mouth.
At this time, Songbai had already opened the gate, and Xingnong directly pulled Xingqing into the residence.
Shen Ruoxi, Wen Ruiqing, and the other three hurriedly followed.
As soon as they entered the residence, Shen Ruoxi hurriedly said: “Xingqing, your father and I know about Heir Apparent going to save you last night! He’s your younger brother, how could he kidnap you? You have to explain clearly!”
Wen Ruiqing also said: “Xingqing, go to the Admiral’s Military Headquarters and explain clearly now! Ask the Grand Commander to release him!”
Princess Changle also followed: “Sister, you have to explain clearly! Otherwise, Tianhao will be punished! If he enters the Admiral’s Military Headquarters, he won’t be able to come out without losing a layer of skin!”
