Shen Xihe suddenly turned her gaze to Shu Fei. Her eyes were light in color, seemingly devoid of sharpness, yet they held an intensity that made one reluctant to meet them directly. Shu Fei slightly lowered her gaze.
The first step was to force Bu Shulin into the water to rescue Xiao Changhong. After falling into the water, changing clothes would be inevitable. Had Xiao Changmin already sent someone to spy on Bu Shulin while she changed?
Shen Xihe quickly dismissed this possibility. Bu Shulin was a martial artist with considerable skill and heightened senses compared to ordinary people. If someone were lying in ambush where she changed, she could easily expose them, brush off the situation, and leave—ultimately leaving Xiao Changmin embarrassed.
Xiao Changmin must have considered this as well. Attempting to expose her mid-change with witnesses was also impractical. Given Bu Shulin's martial prowess, she would likely detect their approach before they arrived, allowing her to cover up swiftly. Who would dare strip her clothes without evidence?
They must have another trick up their sleeves. However, Xiao Huayong had enlightened Shen Xihe today: Bu Shulin was no helpless victim. Shen Xihe had also warned Bu Shulin to be cautious today, so she trusted Bu Shulin could handle whatever came her way.
Shen Xihe withdrew her gaze from Shu Fei, sensing the complexity of the situation. It wasn't just about Xiao Changmin exposing Bu Shulin's identity; Shu Fei's reluctance to reveal her method of testing hinted at ulterior motives.
Her eyes swept over Song Zhaoyi and Xiao Changhong, lost in thought.
"Eh, why is Worldly Son Bu not here?" someone in the crowd suddenly questioned.
By now, Xiao Changhong had changed clothes, been examined by the imperial physicians, and even waited for Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe to arrive—at least half an hour had passed. Logically, Bu Shulin should have finished changing long ago, yet she was nowhere to be seen.
"It was my oversight. I was solely concerned about Fourteenth Brother and summoned all the physicians. I hope Worldly Son Bu hasn't suffered any harm," Xiao Changmin said with feigned concern.
His words made Shen Xihe realize something: Xiao Changmin had used Xiao Changhong's fall into the water to draw everyone here, leaving Bu Shulin vulnerable to exploitation elsewhere.
Once he deemed the timing right and Xiao Changhong was settled, someone would mention Bu Shulin, allowing him to lead everyone to her under the pretense of checking on her.
Sure enough, Xiao Changmin addressed the two imperial physicians: "Worldly Son Bu was arranged to change in the side room of Wancui Garden. Accompany me to check on her."
Wancui Garden was where Xiao Changhong had fallen into the water. Placing Bu Shulin in the nearest room to change was reasonable, yet Xiao Changhong had been moved here, separated by a courtyard—a walk of half a cup of tea's time.
Shen Xihe processed this information swiftly, then smiled faintly and took Xiao Huayong's hand. "Your Highness, let us go and see as well."
Since Xiao Changmin intended to escalate the situation, she would add fuel to his fire—hoping he could extinguish it himself.
"Very well," Xiao Huayong replied with a gentle smile.
It was no secret that Bu Shulin was on good terms with the Crown Princess. Given Xiao Changmin's suggestion that Worldly Son Bu might be injured or have encountered trouble after rescuing someone, Shen Xihe's concern was justified.
While most saw nothing amiss, those with sharper instincts—like Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changyan—sensed something afoot. They could tell Xiao Changmin was setting a trap for Bu Shulin.
Their gazes simultaneously fell upon the composed Shen Xihe. Xiao Changyan raised an eyebrow, thinking Xiao Changmin was headed for trouble. Xiao Changqing's slightly lowered eyes held a trace of mockery—Xiao Changmin truly had audacity.Led by the servants, Shen Xihe supported Xiao Huayong as they walked unhurriedly toward the guest room in Wancui Garden. Many people followed, not to watch a spectacle, but because the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were heading there, and the crowd naturally had to gather around them.
Surprisingly, there was no one outside the guest room. Everyone felt something was amiss. Xiao Changmin, however, remained composed. He turned and cupped his hands in salute to the crowd. "Today is my humble wedding, and the residence is quite busy. If there has been any neglect, I ask for your understanding."
The crowd immediately responded with polite words, and their doubts were put to rest.
Those from prominent families had experienced weddings before and knew that there were indeed times when things became overwhelmingly busy.
Xiao Changmin stepped forward and gently knocked on the tightly shut door. "Worldly Son Bu, I have brought the imperial physician. Have you been injured or caught a chill?"
There was no response from inside the room.
Seeing this, Xiao Changmin pushed against the door. It was bolted from the inside, indicating someone was inside. He raised his voice slightly. "Worldly Son Bu, are you alright?"
After calling out several times with no reply, Xiao Changmin grew anxious. "Worldly Son Bu, I must apologize for my rudeness."
With that, he kicked the door open. As it swung inward, a strong, pungent fragrance wafted out. Shen Xihe, with her sensitive sense of smell, instinctively took a step back. The scent was so overpowering that it immediately became unbearable to her.
This subconscious reaction did not escape the notice of Xiao Changying and Xiao Changyan. Xiao Changyan was puzzled, while Xiao Changying seemed to grasp something.
They stood at roughly the same distance, and what they smelled was an unusual fragrance, far from being offensive. Neither Xiao Huayong, who stood beside Shen Xihe, nor Xiao Changmin and the imperial physician in front of her, showed any sign of discomfort. This meant the scent in the room was acceptable to ordinary people, but Shen Xihe could not tolerate it.
On Shen Xihe’s journey to the capital, he had once trailed her. Though her skilled maids had failed to detect him, Shen Xihe, who knew no martial arts, had noticed his presence.
After Shen Xihe arrived in the capital, he had infiltrated the Shen residence, only to be discovered by her again. She had pretended not to notice and even managed to drug him...
Memories of these past events surfaced in his mind. The unresolved mysteries and lingering doubts that had plagued him seemed to find an answer in that moment.
Xiao Changying instinctively lifted his arm to sniff it but detected nothing unusual.
By then, Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong had followed Xiao Changmin into the room. From inside, Xiao Changmin’s furious voice rang out. "You... how dare you..."
Shen Xihe entered a moment later. The screen had been knocked over, and clothes—both men’s and women’s—were scattered messily around the bed. Worldly Son Bu, bare-chested, shielded a woman behind him who was clutching the quilt, her hair disheveled.
With a single glance, Shen Xihe knew the person on the bed was not Bu Shulin but the substitute she had sent. She immediately said sternly, "Everyone, out."
After giving the order, she coldly addressed the two on the bed. "Get dressed."
Everyone followed Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong out of the room.
Less than half a moment after the door closed, it opened again. This time, it was not the substitute who emerged but Bu Shulin, fully dressed, with Xiao Wenxi, her hair still loose, by her side.
At the sight of Xiao Wenxi, a flicker of surprise and confusion passed through Xiao Changmin’s eyes, but he quickly concealed it."Greetings, Crown Prince, Crown Princess..." Bu Shulin performed the ceremonial salute.
Xiao Wenxi followed behind her, bowing his head in respect.
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