Chapter 22: Calculations

The light drizzle that had fallen all afternoon finally ceased at night.

Standing by the window and gazing at the hazy moonlight, Jiang Ning shivered as a chill crept over her. Fearing the young princess might catch a cold in the night, Chunzhi, who was by her side, thoughtfully stoked the furnace.

"Your Highness, it is getting late; you should rest."

Holding a storybook, Jiang Ning scampered barefoot onto the bed. "I am not sleepy yet, Princess. You may go and rest first."

Worried the dim light would strain her eyes, Chunzhi lit a few more candles nearby. "If you need anything, Your Highness, please be sure to call for this servant."

With that, Chunzhi closed the door and departed. Once she was gone, Jiang Ning pulled a small notebook from beneath her quilt. The contents of this book were mostly records of the events that had unfolded in the novel. Fearing she might forget the original narrative, Jiang Ning had written down all the major occurrences.

Staring at one of the entries, Jiang Ning felt a headache coming on. "Mu Chi... did he really meet the heroine or not?"

Thinking of Mu Chi’s resolute demeanor earlier that day, Jiang Ning felt a sense of melancholy. If he hadn't been lying, it meant that her arrival had triggered a butterfly effect on the story.

Just as Jiang Ning was fretting, a tall shadow completely engulfed her in darkness. Sensing the anomaly, she snapped her head up.

"Who is it?"

Seeing the girl’s flustered and pitiable appearance, Pei Heng, who had approached unnoticed, stepped up to the bedside. Faced with this unexpected intruder, Jiang Ning lifted her beautiful chin and spoke indignantly.

"Pei Heng, why are you standing there in the middle of the night, trying to scare me?" She raised her hand and threw a soft pillow at him. "Get out of here at once, Princess orders it! Otherwise, I will make you regret it!"

Hearing the girl’s toothless threat, Pei Heng let out a low chuckle and leaned in closer. "And if I refuse to leave, how would you punish me, Your Highness?"

Meeting the predatory gaze of the man, Jiang Ning felt inexplicably breathless. Barefoot and delicate, her beautiful eyes clouded with clear panic. "Pei Heng, it is the middle of the night—what exactly are you trying to do?"

Under the bright candlelight, the girl’s exquisite face appeared even more vivid and alluring. Watching this heart-stirring scene, Pei Heng’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze deepening.

Seeing the man remain silent, Jiang Ning scooted backward in fear. "Pei Heng, if you don’t leave now, I shall call for help!"

Pei Heng arched an eyebrow, gathered his robes, and sat on the edge of the bed. "Why are you so afraid? I wouldn't do anything to you." He reached out, took her hand, and pulled her into his arms. "I heard that yesterday, you gave that fellow Fu Shi a gift."

Jiang Ning curled her lip, unimpressed. "It was just a gift—nothing more than a few books."

Pei Heng lowered his eyes, squeezing her slender wrist. "You give him things, but not me. Your heart is truly biased, Your Highness."

Listening to his nonsensical words, Jiang Ning irritably pried his fingers away. "I only gave him a few books; must you be so petty about it?"

Pei Heng’s face turned cold. "Don’t forget, I am also one of your favored consorts. Since we are both consorts, why can’t you treat us equally?"

Jiang Ning furrowed her beautiful brows and struggled to break free from his embrace. "From the moment you laid your cards on the table, you ceased to be a consort of this princess’s estate." She added, "If we must define our relationship, it is, at best, a partnership."

Seeing the girl’s impatient expression, Pei Heng curled his lip. "Do you think Fu Shi is any different from me? He stays here only to use you and extract greater benefits."

Jiang Ning pretended not to hear, covering her ears. "Enough, say no more! I am tired; get out!"

The man pulled her hands away and whispered deliberately into her ear. "By the way, there is something I forgot to tell you. Some time ago, to get rid of the trouble that is you, Fu Shi had someone poison your medicinal soup. That period when you felt weak and lethargic? That was the effect of the medicine."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning feigned shock. "What did you say? How could Fu Shi treat me like this?"

At this moment, a new plan formed in Jiang Ning's mind. If she could use this opportunity to drive Fu Shi away, wouldn't she be rid of a major headache?

Watching Jiang Ning’s crestfallen expression, Pei Heng felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest. In her eyes, was that dog Fu Shi really so important?

After a long silence, he spoke with a malicious tone. "Why couldn't he? I tell you, besides Fu Shi, that Mu Chi doesn't have a shred of sincerity toward you either. To force you into a political marriage, the two of them have been whispering in the Crown Prince's ear quite a bit."

Not expecting him to reveal all this, Jiang Ning said in surprise, "Wait! Advising the Crown Prince? What do those two have to do with my brother?"

Pei Heng leaned down, drawing closer to the girl bit by bit. "Your Highness is clever; you’ve hit the nail on the head."

Seeing the distance between them closing, Jiang Ning bit her lip and leaned backward. "Hey, why are you getting so close?"

Noticing her reddening earlobes, Pei Heng curled his lips, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Are you shy?"

Jiang Ning raised her voice, glaring at him in frustration. "Pei Heng, are you sick in the head?"

Pei Heng narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "Enough, I’ll stop teasing you. Let’s talk business."

Jiang Ning touched her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "What did you mean just now? How could my brother be involved with those two?"

Pei Heng lowered his head, leisurely spinning the jade thumb ring on his finger. "Why don't you take a guess, Your Highness?"

Jiang Ning spoke impatiently. "Pei Heng, stop playing games with me. If you want to talk, speak quickly. If not, then get out!"

Watching her irate appearance, Pei Heng couldn't help but laugh. "It’s only been a few days, and your temper has certainly grown, Your Highness."

Listening to his infuriating tone, Jiang Ning suddenly found his handsome face repulsive. Didn't the book say the villain was cold and taciturn? This Pei Heng didn't seem to have anything to do with being taciturn.

Seeming to notice the disgust in Jiang Ning’s eyes, Pei Heng lifted his eyelids and spoke in a low, hollow voice. "Your so-called Crown Prince brother has long since brought Fu Shi and Mu Chi into his fold. Right now, they are the Crown Prince’s most favored strategists."

He paused. "By the way, Your Highness, why not guess if your brother knew about Fu Shi poisoning your medicine?"

Jiang Ning parted her lips slightly, feigning a look of utter heartbreak. "Stop! Say no more. This is all a lie; I don't believe you!"