Liang Jue and she locked eyes: “If I told you that there’s really nothing between me and him, would you believe me?”

It’s said that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Liang Jue considered his relationship with the Third Prince to be aboveboard, but he couldn’t ignore the power of rumors. The rumors seemed credible with details and supposed witnesses. If he weren’t involved, she might have thought he and the Third Prince had indeed shared an intimate bond.

Shen Meng replied, “As long as you say there isn’t, I’ll believe you. I just want to know how such rumors started spreading.”

Liang Jue pursed his lips. “You might not believe it when I say this, but I feel like these rumors are somehow connected to the Third Prince. The rumors must have originated from his residence. Perhaps he orchestrated it, or perhaps he simply allowed it to happen, but for such rumors to spread so quickly in the capital, he couldn’t have been oblivious.”

Shen Meng nodded. “I understand that. But why do you think he would do such a thing? What does he gain from it?”

Rather than affection, it seemed more like the other party held a grudge against him. But he couldn’t fathom what he had done to provoke such behavior, to the extent that the other party was willing to tarnish his reputation at any cost.

The perplexity in Liang Jue’s eyes seemed genuine, which slightly eased Shen Meng’s frustration. She then guided her husband, “Think about it. Have you ever met the Third Prince before, even if you weren’t aware of it?”

Liang Jue sighed, showing a troubled expression. “I’ve been racking my brains these past few days, asking my parents, elder sister, and even the servants who’ve always been around me. But they’re all certain that I’ve never met the Third Prince.”

Shen Meng hesitated for a moment, then asked, “I remember he had a childhood incident where he went missing once. Could it be that you met him then, but you don’t remember?”

Liang Jue’s expression grew even more solemn. “I’ve considered that possibility and asked about it, but I have no memory of such an encounter, and none of the servants mentioned seeing him either.”

Shen Meng let out a long sigh. “Well, there’s no way around it. For now, all we can do is suppress the rumors. As for the reason behind them, we’ll figure it out slowly. Let’s see what his next move is.”

Liang Jue nodded, still looking deeply troubled.

Feeling the oppressive atmosphere, Shen Meng tried to change the subject. Seeing the new clothes Liang Jue was wearing today, she remarked casually, “Your outfit today looks quite nice, and the jade pendant at your waist is also lovely. Speaking of which, I noticed you haven’t been wearing the jade pendant I carved for you recently. Why is that?”

Liang Jue’s expression turned grim at the mention of it. Facing Shen Meng, he couldn’t come up with a lie, so he had to tell the truth: “When I visited the Third Prince’s residence before, he expressed a liking for the jade pendant. I didn’t want to give it away, but he’s still a prince…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Shen Meng could guess the rest.

She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just a piece of jade, a token of affection. If you don’t want it, I’ll just throw it away. It’s not worth much anyway. Giving it away is just giving it away.”

Liang Jue looked despondent. Although his family wasn’t lacking in such items, this was the first thing she had given him, and the significance was different.

Seeing his reluctance, Shen Meng continued, “You asked for it, I didn’t offer it willingly. It shouldn’t count like that. If you truly like it, I’ll make you another one someday. It’ll be your birthday present.”

Liang Jue’s melancholy was somewhat alleviated by Shen Meng’s words. Thinking positively, a meticulously crafted item from Shen Meng was better than something discarded. Thinking back to the jade pendant he had worn for some time, although he was still reluctant, he had to accept reality.

He nodded and consulted Shen Meng again, “Regarding the matter of the jade pendant, should I ignore it? And if the other party invites me to their residence again, should I decline?”

Shen Meng decisively replied, “If he sends another invitation to our residence, you can feign illness and not attend. If it’s a gathering with multiple people, you can go if you have the time.”

With the rumors already spreading unfavorably, Liang Jue’s frequent interactions with the other party would only confirm the rumors.

Liang Jue readily agreed, “Alright, I was thinking the same.”

After saying this, he cautiously asked Shen Meng, “Wife, aren’t you angry?”

Shen Meng asked in return, “What would I be angry about?”

Liang Jue hesitated, “Naturally, it’s about the rumors this time.”

Shen Meng shook her head sincerely, “If a mad dog bites you, I wouldn’t blame you for carelessly getting bitten. Since it’s an unwarranted disaster, we should focus on solving the problem together. There’s no point in blaming you.”

Her husband had always been able to put her mind at ease. In the previous life as well as this one, there hadn’t been much change. If it weren’t for the variables that arose later, she might have been the wife to the other party.

Of course, if it were the previous life, she would have mostly let Liang Jue handle such matters himself, rather than discussing solutions with him as they did now.

Not wanting to dwell on the depressing topic, Shen Meng dragged her husband onto the bed and distracted him until he stopped brooding.

The next day, when Liang Jue couldn’t get out of bed due to soreness, Xue Ning was playing with the jade pendant he had obtained from Liang Jue. The material of the jade pendant was average, and the carving looked quite casual, but the color of the jade pendant seemed to indicate it had been worn close to someone’s body for a long time.

Originally, the jade pendant was intricately tied to Liang Jue’s clothes with a heart-shaped knot, with a small hole underneath and delicate tassels attached, giving it an elegant feel when worn.

As a woman, Shen Meng naturally wouldn’t braid such things. When Xue Ning obtained it, he untied the heart-shaped knot and tassels made from colorful strings, leaving only the bare jade pendant to play with.

Seeing him in this state, the servants thought he was thinking about Liang Jue again. When they brought over a plate of freshly cut fruits, they asked him, “Young Master Liang hasn’t visited for quite some time. Should we send an invitation to him to come and chat with His Highness?”

When Xue Ning returned to the capital, he didn’t bring many servants with him. Most of the people in his prince’s residence were arranged by the current Empress early on.

Xue Ning’s personality couldn’t be fully understood due to the short time they had spent together. However, from the observations made over the past few days, Xue Ning seemed somewhat reclusive and was even unwilling to let outsiders serve him.

In the capital, many people were trying to befriend him, but aside from Liang Jue, no one had caught his attention. If, as the rumors suggested, Xue Ning really had feelings for Liang Jue, he definitely wouldn’t want to be reminded of the fact that the latter was already married.

Xue Ning held the jade pendant in his hand, not even giving the servant a glance. He simply said, “Haven’t you heard the recent rumors in the capital? Do you think there aren’t enough rumors swirling around this prince?”

The servant was frightened by his words and quickly knelt down, bowing three times, “This servant dares not. Please forgive me.”

Xue Ning rarely punished people easily, but his temper was definitely not good. Previously, someone had angered him, and in accordance with the rules of the residence, they were punished with thirty lashes and thrown onto the street. Men were naturally fragile, and with no one daring to help the punished servant due to their lack of status, he developed a fever and eventually died outside.

In the palace, people were disposable, and the deaths of unnamed palace servants went unnoticed. There wasn’t much difference in Xue Ning’s residence either. These people owed their lives to their master and were just tools to be used. If the master became angry, the death of a servant wouldn’t cause any ripples.

After the servant died, they were wrapped in a straw mat and thrown onto a mass grave. This had happened just a few days ago, and Xue Ning couldn’t forget it. How could he dare to offend his master?

Xue Ning found it all very boring. He slouched on the chair and waved for the servant to leave, saying, “Alright, you can go now. Do you really think this prince is some ferocious beast?”

After the servant with the fruit left, Mo Lan, who had been serving him for nearly ten years, came in.

Xue Ning immediately sat up straight, asking eagerly, “What’s the news? Did you find out?”

Mo Lan nodded, “Yes, we’ve found out.”

“What’s the result?”

The other party gave him a definite answer, “You didn’t recognize the wrong person. It’s indeed her.”

Xue Ning’s eyes suddenly lit up, his expression somewhat manic as he cried and laughed, “I knew it, I knew it.”

Once he calmed down, he asked again, “And Liang Jue, how did she react after the rumors spread?”

Mo Lan hesitated before speaking, “Do you really want to hear?”

Xue Ning clenched the jade pendant tightly, restrained his expression, and ordered in a low voice, “Speak.”