"I know I'm at fault, please punish me, Princess!"
Jin Lan's heart skipped a beat with fear; the Princess's clarity of mind had only just returned, yet she spoke with such coherence.
From this, it seemed that the Princess had always been aware of the ways of the world; it was merely that she hadn't been able to express herself before.
Fortunate for Jin Lan that she had never slighted the Princess—otherwise, she'd find it impossible to escape retribution.
"You were acting with my interests in mind, how could I possibly punish you? Since the Marquis is not at the mansion, let us return."
Su Yan turned and walked toward her own separate quarters—the Jinyu Building.
The Jinyu Building also carried the connotation of being born of a noble lineage.
Reportedly, it was Chu Yuxiao who had personally chosen the name for her; he made it quite effortlessly.
She came from noble roots, so he simply used "gold" and "jade" to name it, straightforward and easy to understand, yet it subtly mocked her status as being beyond his reach.
At 9 p.m. that evening, Chu Yuxiao returned to the mansion, and the housekeeper reported the day's events to him.
In the Xielan Building, Chu Yuxiao leaned against the Taishi Chair with a languid look on his face, his black eyes cold and detached.
The corners of his mouth curled up in a devilishly charming smile.
His voice was as pleasant as a stream striking stones, yet also piercingly cold:
"Oh? And what did she say?"
"The Princess's Maid, Jin Lan, said she would complain to the Empress. But the Princess said, having married into the Marquis Mansion, she belongs to the Marquis Mansion, and such family affairs should not be meddled with by outsiders."
Chu Yuxiao sneered, his mouth curved in an amused smile.
"She certainly is clever, understanding that once married into the Marquis Mansion, she becomes part of it.
And as for complaining to the Empress, does she think it's that easy?
Once she steps onto my territory, whether she lives or dies is for me to decide."
Realizing he had spoken too much, he waved his hand to dismiss the housekeeper and stayed alone in his study.
He toyed with the jade ring on his thumb, looking down with a light chuckle.
"Nan Zhao Su Yan, a fool who's just come to her senses—could she really utter such words?"
Or perhaps, she had never been a fool to begin with...
If that were the case, her acting skills were truly masterful, to have maintained the charade for sixteen whole years.
And as for that one in the palace, isn't her scheming as deep as the ocean bed?
Chu Yuxiao narrowed his eyes, regardless of what Nan Zhao Su Yan's intentions were, he had to be constantly on guard against her.
If she was indeed putting on an act, then he would simply play along.