Double Rebirth: The Scumbag Heroine is Terrified of the Yandere Prince! - Chapter 15

Shen Ruoli was already awake.

When she heard Xie Xuanyin ordering a doctor, a spark of secret joy lit up her heart. It proved that this man did, in fact, have her in his heart.

However, upon hearing Xie Yuanxun’s words, she ignored the lightheadedness from her persistent fever and stumbled out of bed. “Sixth Uncle, Qingying has been found?”

Xie Yuanxun’s speed was truly remarkable. It had only been one night, and he had already located her?

“Indeed!” Seeing Shen Ruoli emerge, Xie Yuanxun turned toward her. “Last night, the Princess explained the importance of this maid. Therefore, I ordered a search through the night, and she was finally found just moments ago.”

As they spoke, Xie Xuanyin stepped to Shen Ruoli’s side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“If you are sick, stay in bed. I will handle everything else.”

Shen Ruoli glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She understood he was playing the role of the “affectionate husband” in front of Xie Yuanxun, and she felt a sense of relief. Last night, when she warned him that Xie Yuanxun was not simple, he had seemed displeased. Now, it was clear he had taken her words to heart and grown suspicious of his uncle.

Thus, she played along perfectly, taking the opportunity to lean directly into his chest.

“But Your Highness is working so hard! With Sixth Uncle’s help, you can finally catch your breath. Still, as long as you are by my side, my heart feels at ease.”

Xie Xuanyin’s body stiffened, and his hand became slightly awkward.

“Sixth Uncle, where is she?” His throat moved as he addressed Xie Yuanxun.

Xie Yuanxun was also observing them in secret. Seeing their intimacy appear so natural—unlike a forced performance—he subconsciously knit his brows, though he quickly masked it with a smile.

“She is in the front hall! Just as the Princess said, the girl is severely injured. After falling off the cliff, her bones are practically shattered. She is unconscious, so I’ve already sent for a doctor.”

Xie Xuanyin nodded slightly and handed Shen Ruoli over to Runyue. “Take good care of the Princess. The doctor will be here soon.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Runyue quickly supported her mistress.

Xie Xuanyin strode toward the front hall with a powerful gait, looking not at all like an injured man. Xie Yuanxun followed closely, frowning and glancing back at Shen Ruoli every now and then. He was observing, guessing, and wondering: Did that dog Xie Xuansong lie to me?

Watching them walk away, Shen Ruoli finally stood straight, leaning on Runyue. “Now I understand what they mean by ‘the mountains are high and the Emperor is far away,’ and ‘even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake.'”

Mount Tianzhao was within Fuzhou, Xie Yuanxun’s territory. Xie Xuansong had searched for a day and a night without success, yet Xie Yuanxun’s men found her in a single night!

“I underestimated him. I thought it would take him at least until tomorrow.”

“Princess, I thought so too,” Runyue whispered, looking around warily. “And I noticed the King of Zhenbei seemed to be secretly watching the relationship between you and the Prince. I wonder if I’m just overthinking.”

“You aren’t. His testing gaze was crystal clear to me.”

If last night she only suspected Xie Yuanxun was a problem, she was now eighty or ninety percent certain that he was up to no good.

“Princess, what do we do next?” Runyue’s expression shifted. “Since we are under his roof, I don’t dare speak too loudly… Should we leave for the capital today? If there’s another ‘accident,’ I’m afraid…”

“Afraid of what?” Shen Ruoli sneered. “This is the Prince of Zhenbei’s manor! The news that the Prince and I are recuperating here has already been sent to the capital. If anything happens to us here, Xie Yuanxun will be the first one held accountable!”

In fact, she realized that was exactly why Xie Yuanxun had found Qingying so quickly. He was terrified of complications and couldn’t wait to ship them back to the capital. Right now, the two of them were like a “hot potato” in his hands.

“Last night, when he invited us to stay, he must have been in contact with Xie Xuansong. But the men of the Xie family are naturally paranoid; none of them truly trust each other. He’s in a hurry to find Qingying simply because he wants to extricate himself as quickly as possible.”

Shen Ruoli sat down slowly. “He’s afraid the Emperor will investigate the bandit attack. By finding the ‘traitor’ and admitting his failure to govern Fuzhou, he can preemptively ask for forgiveness.”

In the previous life, Shen Ruoli’s heart was entirely on Xie Xuansong. Because she and the Prince were both at death’s door, she had missed the aftermath. She only remembered waking up later and being told that the King of Zhenbei had confessed his negligence to the Emperor. The Emperor, valuing their brotherly bond and his quick admission of guilt, had only given him a verbal scolding.

Meanwhile, Xie Xuansong—the mastermind—was praised for “saving” the Prince. Not only was he not caught, but he was also rewarded with the one thing every prince dreamed of: a portion of Xie Xuanyin’s political power while the latter was bedridden.

“If I hadn’t made it clear last night that Qingying was Xie Xuansong’s person, he wouldn’t be this desperate to send us back,” Shen Ruoli’s expression turned meaningful. “If I’m right, he will escort us and the maid back to the capital by tomorrow at the latest to plead his case in person.”

Submitting a memorial today was to avoid suspicion; returning to the palace tomorrow was to show sincerity.

“Princess, you are brilliant!” Runyue gave her a thumbs up. “I’ve noticed you’re getting more and more impressive!”

Runyue finally understood why Xie Xuansong, even though he didn’t like her mistress, always humored her and kept her close. Her lady was sharp, with a strategic mind that rivaled any man’s. Sometimes, Runyue felt it was unfair such a talented woman had been a “love brain,” wasting her life on a scumbag like Xie Xuansong.

Now, seeing her lady shed that obsession and shine in her own right, Runyue felt she was finally on the path to becoming a true Empress.

“Is that so?” Shen Ruoli smiled. “I think so too.”

Especially when it came to handling Xie Xuanyin. After sharing a bed last night, even if he still hated her, they could at least maintain a “cold peace” and work together on the surface.

Meanwhile, in the front hall of the manor.

Looking at the blood-stained, unrecognizable figure curled up on the floor, Xie Xuanyin’s eyes flickered. “Sixth Uncle, are you certain this is Qingying?”