On the way back, Baili Junyi and Shen Ninghua chatted and laughed in the carriage. When they returned to the posthouse, the unhappiness because of the Zhou Family had disappeared.
Baili Junyi helped Shen Ninghua get out of the carriage. The two were about to go to the posthouse when Bai Ruo, who came out, suddenly reminded, “Miss, Miss Zhou Jingshu is waiting at the side.”
Shen Ninghua’s expression changed when she heard this. She turned to look at the carriage parked at the side, and Zhou Jingshu just happened to lift the curtain and walk out.
“Greetings, Prefectural Prince Yi, Prefectural Princess.”
Zhou Jingshu was dressed in a blue long dress. Her skirt and sleeves were embroidered with pink flowers. She stood quietly on the spot, looking gracious and elegant. Coupled with her outstanding appearance, she looked particularly stunning.
Baili Junyi swept his cold gaze over her body, and his expression did not change in the slightest. “Why are you here, Miss Zhou?”
Zhou Jingshu raised her head, revealing her slender and fair neck, her eyes full of smiles. “I came here to apologize to the Princess.”
Looking up at her, Shen Ninghua grinned when she saw the provocation in Zhou Jingshu’s eyes. Was she here to threaten her?
“Since you are here to apologize, let’s talk inside. Bai Ruo, invite Miss Zhou into the living room to sit. I will go over after changing my clothes.”
Baili Junyi frowned slightly and disapproved of Shen Ninghua’s intention to talk to Zhou Jingshu. The latter had ulterior motives in the first place. What was there to talk about?
Sensing his repulsiveness, Shen Ninghua reassured him with her eyes and followed him back to the backyard.
Zhou Jingshu smiled slightly, and a trace of pride and self-satisfaction flashed in her eyes. She spruced herself up and followed Bai Ruo into the posthouse.
Previously, Shen Ninghua had ill-treated her, but she couldn’t resist due to her identity. Now, after the interrogation, her family was proven innocent, so she wanted to see what Shen Ninghua had to say this time.
Shen Ninghua calmly changed her clothes and then asked someone to bring the two children over. Seeing that they were happy and nothing had happened, she felt relieved.
Baili Junyi also sat by the bed and teased Big Boy, but the latter pulled a long face and glared at him with a stern expression as if he was whining about his father’s childishness.
Baili Junyi touched his nose, either feeling embarrassed or annoyed. “Where do you think this kid has his bad temper from? Just look at his expression! People might think that I owe him money!”
Shen Ninghua placed a small ball made of colored pearls in Baby Girl’s hands and watched with a warm smile as Baby Girl picked the beads with her hands, which were tiny but very strong.
“I don’t know who these kids get their temper from, but we have to discipline them, or they’ll turn out to be disasters.”
Baili Junyi picked up Big Boy, who was staring at him, and pinched his underarms. Then, he watched him wiggle his tiny legs and glare at him. “It doesn’t matter, as long as they bring disasters to others but not us.”
Shen Ninghua glared at him, got up, and tidied up her dress. “Stay here with the kids. I’ll go to the living room to meet Zhou Jingshu.”
Baili Junyi nodded. When Shen Ninghua went out, he pulled Big Boy’s ear and whined, “Kid, why do Mommy leave us behind and see that person? What’s there to see?”
Big Boy angrily patted Baili Junyi’s arm and shouted with a dismayed frown, “Ah!”
Baili Junyi glared back. “Kid, your mother is meeting someone else now, so she can’t help you. Let’s see what else you can do!”
While Baili Junyi was fighting with his son, Shen Ninghua walked into the living room and saw Zhou Jingshu leisurely drinking tea with a teacup in her hand.
Seeing her enter, Zhou Jingshu put down the teacup and stood up to salute, “Greetings, Prefectural Princess.”
Shen Ninghua went straight to the main seat to sit down and gestured to Bai Ruo and the other maids to retreat. “There’s no one here now. Just say whatever you want to say.”
Zhou Jingshu stood up, and the smile on her lips faded a little. “How are you feeling now?”
“Are you here to care about how I feel?” Shen Ninghua looked back coldly.
“You are wholeheartedly working for the welfare of Zhou City’s people. Although your method is a bit too rash, it is out of kindness. Our family is the same. You and I share the same thought, so I naturally have to care for you.” The mockery in her tone was obvious, and she was blatant.
Share the same thought? Hah! Zhou Jingshu should have just admitted that she also liked Baili Junyi. It seemed that she didn’t come here just to show off!”
Shen Ninghua’s gaze turned cold. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m in a very good mood right now.”
“You are… but I don’t feel so good.”
“Hah! Your family has just been proven innocent, and you have won the support of the citizens with just half of your family property. From then on, your family’s reputation among the people has risen to another level. How can you not feel good at a moment like this?”
Zhou Jingshu raised her hand to caress the hair on her forehead, her expression somewhat lonely and self-gloating. “My love is unrequited. No matter how much I get at this moment, it can’t comfort the disappointment in my heart. Princess, what do you think?”
Killing intent flashed through Shen Ninghua’s eyes. “Your unrequited love? Zhou Jingshu, I thought you were just a young girl with a tender heart of love. Although you love someone you shouldn’t, you are still young and don’t have any malicious thoughts, so I supposed I could forget about it. Now it seems that I was wrong.”
Zhou Jingshu got up and slowly walked to Shen Ninghua. After biting her lips slightly, she suddenly knelt down, “Princess Zhaohua, you are already a princess. You can get all kinds of men you want! Please don’t continue to hog Prefectural Prince Yi. Just give him to me!”
Feeling a surge of irritation rush into her heart, Shen Ninghua slammed the table heavily, “You’re so brazen and shameless!”
Affected by her indignation, Zhou Jingshu trembled slightly, but she did not back down. “Princess, I really like Prefectural Prince Yi, and I really want to marry him and have children for him. Please give him to me!”
A figure suddenly flashed across Shen Ninghua’s mind as she looked at Zhou Jingshu’s appearance. Zhou Jingshu looked so similar to Xiao Huanxi who wanted to meddle in their relationship!
“Marry?” Shen Ninghua sneered, “Zhou Jingshu, I respect you and address you as Miss Zhou, and you seem to be overestimating your identity. You are dignified and famous in Zhou City, but in the capital, you’re nothing! Do you think you are qualified to marry Baili Junyi?”
Zhou Jingshu’s face turned pale. She gritted her teeth and insisted, “I’ll give it a shot as long as you give in!”
“We are happy as a couple, and we have two children together. Why do you think I should give him to you?” Shen Ninghua felt that Zhou Jingshu was simply crazy. She had met many women, kind, vicious, and scheming. However, she had never met someone like Zhou Jingshu who dared to ask her to give up her position directly.
“Children? Your Highness, are you worried about the two children? Don’t worry. As long as I marry Prefectural Prince Yi, I will treat them well and treat the two children as my own! ”
Shen Ninghua suddenly stood up, walked to Zhou Jingshu step by step, raised her arm, and slapped Zhou Jingshu on the face. The crisp sound attracted the attention of Qing Que, who was guarding the door. She hurriedly pushed the door open and entered.
Seeing Shen Ninghua standing there with a pale face and Zhou Jingshu falling to the ground covering her face, Qing Que immediately felt relieved. She didn’t mind who was slapped as long as it was not her Miss.
Shen Ninghua bellowed furiously, “Qing Que, get our guards to send Miss Zhou back and tell Zhou Ziqing to keep an eye on his sister! If he can’t discipline her well, I’ll personally discipline her and teach her how to spell the word shame!”
Not only did she want to replace her position, but she also wanted to become the stepmother of her children. It was simply shameless to the extreme!
Zhou Jingshu rushed forward and pleaded, “Princess Zhaohua, I beg you, I beg you. I have nothing to ask for in this life. I have only this wish! Please grant me my wish! Please!”
Qing Que stepped forward and pulled Zhou Jingshu up. “Miss Zhou, I will send you back.”
Zhou Jingshu struggled violently. The pearl hairpin on her head and the dress on her body were in a mess. “Princess Zhaohua, why don’t you give me your blessing?”
Her blatant remark rendered Shen Ninghua speechless. Give her blessing? She was Baili Junyi’s lawfully wedded wife, but this lowly Zhou Jingshu was a shameless shrew who coveted her husband! How dare she ask for her blessing?!
“Drag her out! If she dares to talk nonsense again, just hit her with a stick!”
“Yes, Miss!” Hearing Shen Ninghua’s firm command, Qing Que knew that Shen Ninghua was really angry this time, so she harshly dragged Zhou Jingshu out.
Baili Junyi failed to indict Patriarch Zhou. Before the anger of the people subsided, the news that Princess Yi punished Miss Zhou made them boil in anger again.
Zhou Jingshu was the most beautiful woman in the city, and she was almost regarded as a goddess by the people. In addition, when she helped the disaster victims in the city before, they crowned her as a person with a heart of gold. How dare Princess Yi punish such a beautiful and kind woman?!
Immediately, many people’s impression of Baili Junyi and Shen Ninghua fell to the worst of the worst. Many people speculated that Shen Ninghua was jealous of Zhou Jingshu’s beauty and that their attack on the Zhou Family failed, so she retaliated by punishing Miss Zhou.
For a moment, Baili Junyi’s and Shen Ninghua’s images were severely tarnished.
When Baili Jinchuan heard his subordinate report this matter, he immediately sneered, “Jealous of Zhou Jingshu’s beauty? How dare a lowly hussy like her compare herself with the real goddess? She’s so shameless!”
When Baili Junyi found out about this matter, he was so enraged that he almost flipped the table. That Zhou Jingshu actually wanted to marry him? She wanted to be Big Boy’s and Baby Girl’s stepmother?
Thinking of how she had looked at him several times before and stealthily approaching him, Baili Junyi felt a burst of disgust. He gave his entire heart to Shen Ninghua, and he did not have any feelings for any other women.
He held Shen Ninghua in his arms and sniffed her elegant aura. Only then did he feel that his disgust was suppressed. “Ninghua, you did the right thing. The next time that Zhou Jingshu comes over, just let Qing Que beat her out. Don’t let her get close to us again.”
Shen Ninghua pushed him away. “You provoked her. Why do you want me to clean up the mess?”
Baili Junyi shamelessly leaned over and stuck to Shen Ninghua again. “You are my wife. You have the final say in the affairs of the backyard. That Zhou Jingshu has ulterior motives. Naturally, you have to deal with her. I feel disgusted when I look at her.”
Shen Ninghua rolled her eyes. “I don’t mind dealing with her, but now we can’t even stay at Zhou City anymore. I heard the servants say that no one sold the vegetables to them even when they went to buy vegetables at the market.”