Double Rebirth: The Scumbag Heroine is Terrified of the Yandere Prince! - Chapter 29

“Shen Ruoli, you are truly something!”

Xie Xuanjin slammed his official scrolls down, his face so dark it looked as if ink could drip from it.

This woman was testing his limits again and again today! First it was Physician Zhang, then it was Xie Xuanyu. She even had the audacity to take it upon herself to invite—or rather, provoke—Xie Jiaojiao!

Who did she think she was, daring to meddle in his affairs without permission?

“Master.”

Feng Qing, seeing that things were taking a turn for the worse, hurried to speak up for Shen Ruoli. “The matter with Physician Zhang is already quite clear. It was obviously the physician himself trying to curry favor with the Crown Princess by intentionally mentioning last night’s events! It wasn’t as if the Crown Princess interrogated him.”

“Furthermore, the moment the Crown Princess sensed his intent, she stopped him from speaking further. You can’t blame her for this.”

“Since you enjoy speaking up for her so much, why don’t you go serve by her side starting tomorrow?” Xie Xuanjin swept a chilling glance over him.

Feng Qing shrunk his neck. “This subordinate belongs to Master in life and shall be Master’s ghost in death!”

Before Xie Xuanjin could speak, Feng Qing emboldened himself further. “And then there’s the matter of Prince Zhou and the Seventh Princess. While it’s true the Crown Princess shouldn’t have invited them to the estate without your permission…”

“But at the end of the day, she did it for your own good! Wasn’t she asking Prince Zhou for advice on how to make the Salt-Baked Chicken you like?”

In Feng Qing’s eyes, Shen Ruoli was intentionally trying to please Xie Xuanjin. Wasn’t that a good thing?

“What do you know?” Xie Xuanjin sneered. “Are you married? What would an old bachelor like you know about what is ‘good for me’?”

Feng Qing choked on his words. It seemed his Master was truly furious—he was even resorting to personal attacks!

“Are you truly not afraid that she will poison me to death?”

“The Crown Princess wouldn’t do that, surely…”

“You’re still defending her?” Infuriated, Xie Xuanjin snatched up the scroll at his elbow and hurled it at him!

Feng Qing’s reactions were lightning-fast; he dodged the scroll, caught it, and placed it back by Xie Xuanjin’s hand before bolting out the door without looking back. “Anyway, I think the Crown Princess is treating you quite well! You’re just biased against her!”

The moment he pulled the palace doors shut, he heard a loud thud and the doors shuddered—the scroll had hit the wood! Feng Qing let out a breath of relief. If that had hit him, he’d be black and blue for sure.

A second later, Xie Xuanjin threw open the doors and walked out into the twilight without so much as a glance at him.

Feng Qing hurried to catch up. “Master, where are you going? You haven’t finished the scrolls.”

His Master was a workaholic. Even before ascending the throne, he spent every day reviewing mountains of petitions, busier even than the Emperor. If he actually became Emperor, wouldn’t he stay in the Imperial Study for weeks at a time?

“Home!”

The word seemed to be squeezed out from between Xie Xuanjin’s teeth.

It was the first time Feng Qing had heard him use that word, and he froze on the spot. “Home? What home? Isn’t the Imperial Palace your home?”

Wait, no! The “home” Master spoke of was the Crown Prince’s Estate—the place where the Crown Princess was!

Realization dawned on Feng Qing, and he slapped his forehead as he chased after him again. “Master is wise! You should go home immediately!”

He decided to strike while the iron was hot, further provoking Xie Xuanjin. “Maybe the Crown Princess found out that Prince Zhou actually has feelings for her. That’s why she purposely invited him to the estate while you were away! Think about it, a man and a woman alone together… sparks flying…”

Before Feng Qing could finish, his usually dignified Master spun around and kicked him!

That dog! Even at a time like this, he was still rubbing salt in the wound.

Feng Qing and the others naturally didn’t know that Xie Xuanjin was a transmigrator. In his previous life, it wasn’t until several years later that he discovered the reason Xie Xuanyu had delayed marriage was because he had Shen Ruoli in his heart.

Although that scoundrel had hidden it well, Xie Xuanjin now knew everyone’s secrets.

If that man took this chance to confess his feelings to Shen Ruoli… and now that she had broken things off with Xie Xuansong while he was intentionally giving her the cold shoulder… if she truly fell into Xie Xuanyu’s arms, wouldn’t he be wearing a second “green hat” (cuckolded)?

Xie Xuanjin clenched his fists and quickened his pace. Behind him, Feng Qing actually found it difficult to keep up.

After a moment, Feng Qing stopped and stared at Xie Xuanjin’s receding back, lost in thought. “Wait… is Master actually jealous today?!”

He had never seen Xie Xuanjin lose control like this.

The Crown Prince’s Estate.

Shen Ruoli had no idea that Xie Xuanjin had “charged” back. She was still humbly learning the secrets of Salt-Baked Chicken. “Oh! So you don’t just have to dry the moisture, but you also have to rub it with oil! It even needs to be marinated for over two hours and wrapped in parchment paper?”

“No wonder mine always turned out either tasteless or too salty.” Looking at the chicken fresh out of the pot, Shen Ruoli couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.

“Correct! You must use the oil to lock in the moisture. And you can’t use coarse salt directly, or the meat will be too salty or not firm enough,” Xie Xuanyu taught her with an air of solemnity. “And the spices—the ratio must be just right. Otherwise, they will overpower the natural fragrance.”

“You really are amazing, Second Brother! Your culinary skills are perfect!” Shen Ruoli gave him a thumbs up with a smile.

Xie Xuanyu’s round face turned red from the praise. He put down the chicken and was about to speak when he heard a voice from outside: “His Highness has returned…”

Xie Xuanyu’s expression changed instantly. Before he could even hide, he felt a gaze as cold as ice lock onto him!

“I’m dead!”

Xie Xuanyu immediately dropped the chicken piece in his hand. Not daring to even look at Shen Ruoli, he kept his head low and headed for the door. “The Crown Prince is back! I… I just came to help you cook! Now that the food is ready, I’ll be going!”

Among the brothers, Xie Xuanyu was usually the thick-skinned one. Even so, his palms were sweating with nerves in front of Xie Xuanjin.

“Next time you have something delicious, just send someone to notify me, haha.” Without looking at Xie Xuanjin or waiting for him to speak, Xie Xuanyu tried to brush past him with a forced, cheerful laugh.

He would rather face the Emperor than face Xie Xuanjin!

However, before Xie Xuanyu could step out, his arm was seized.

“Many thanks to Prince Zhou. Since dinner is ready, why don’t you stay and dine with us?”

Xie Xuanjin spoke to Xie Xuanyu, but his eyes were fixed intently on Shen Ruoli.

Shen Ruoli assumed he was signaling for her to insist on Xie Xuanyu staying. Thus, she immediately stepped forward. “That’s right, Second Brother! You’ve worked hard today. It’s late; stay and eat with us!”

The moment she spoke, Xie Xuanjin’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Second Brother? How affectionately she called him! He had also grown up with her; why had he never heard her call him “Fourth Brother”?

Xie Xuanyu felt the hand on his arm tighten, followed by a spine-chilling aura of coldness that enveloped his entire body.

Stay for dinner? If he stayed now, he wouldn’t be dining with them—he’d likely be served on the table as dinner!

“No, no need!” Xie Xuanyu forced a dry laugh and declined. “I ate too much today! I’m not really hungry for dinner! And… oh, right! My estate’s dog is having puppies; I have to go back and help with the delivery!”

“Pfft. Second Brother even knows how to deliver puppies? You truly know so many things!”

Shen Ruoli was moved to laughter.

It was better if she hadn’t laughed. The moment she did, Xie Xuanjin felt like he could commit murder.