Quick Transmigration: What to Do When the Male Supporting Character You Saved Becomes Obsessed with

Chapter 136 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (40)

He was too frail. Lu Liruan felt that he was even thinner than herself. If she wanted to push him away, she would be able to do so effortlessly.

But Lu Liruan did not move.

So...is that so?

"I have something to teach you." Ji Shumin sighed deeply, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"You have to learn how to live in this palace. Being by my side and being my closest person isn't necessarily a good thing," he said calmly.

If I hadn't asked you about it today, I probably would have misunderstood you for the rest of my life.

"Why does Your Highness say such a thing?" Lu Liruan asked knowingly, wanting Ji Shumin to speak to her properly.

It was probably because the space was too small, the distance was too close, and the light was so dim that the boundaries were indistinguishable that people could have a serious conversation.

Something's not right...

Lu Liruan frowned as she leaned closer to Ji Shumin's neck.

Lu Liruan faintly smelled a very faint, almost imperceptible aroma of wine.

"Your Highness, have you been drinking?" Lu Liruan sniffed, but the faint smell of alcohol had disappeared, dissipating into the deep, cold fragrance emanating from him.

"Yes, I had a couple of drinks with Pingyan. The Crown Princess has a very keen sense of smell." Ji Shumin nodded.

Lu Liruan: ...

Weren't you two supposed to be at a teahouse? Why are you drinking together after I was only gone for a short while? Weren't we discussing serious business?

She seemed to sense Lu Liruan's many questions.

“Pingyan brought back local aged wine from the frontier, saying it had a unique flavor, and originally intended to send it to the palace,” Ji Shumin explained the origin of the wine.

"Your Highness, when you take medicine, has the imperial physician instructed you not to drink alcohol?" Lu Liruan frowned.

"Imperial Physician..." Ji Shumin revealed a mocking smile where Lu Liruan could not see him.

"I only tried it briefly, so I won't use the medicine today." He touched Lu Liruan's thick, dark hair that was loose over her shoulders.

"Why don't you take care of your health? Do you only realize the suffering when you're in pain?" Lu Liruan couldn't help but scold him, recalling how Ji Shumin suddenly fell ill on the night of his wedding and was so tormented that he was delirious.

Ji Shumin should dislike others pointing fingers at him, but at this moment he felt a heat in his chest, not knowing whether it was the effect of the alcohol or something else.

"Yes." He nodded in agreement.

Thinking of those pills, Lu Liruan wanted to say something more, but felt that now was not the time. Ji Shumin probably ate such things because he didn't want others to discover his physical condition.

At such a difficult time, Lu Liruan had no right to make him change his decision. What if her advice caused him to have an accident?

Lu Liruan felt somewhat frustrated, as if she couldn't do anything and couldn't figure out what she could do.

I feel so helpless and miserable.

Seeing that Lu Liruan remained silent, Ji Shumin rested his chin on her shoulder: "Is the Crown Princess concerned about me?"

Lu Liruan instinctively wanted to deny it, but then swallowed it back.

“Of course.” Lu Liruan said what she really thought: “Of course I care about you. Didn’t you say that we are husband and wife as one?”

“Okay,” Ji Shumin replied ambiguously.

"I misunderstood Your Highness's intentions a few days ago." Lu Liruan hesitated for a moment, having been blinded by her own perception of Ji Shumin.

Looking back now, how could Ji Shumin appear in Consort Zi's palace so precisely and take her away? He must have been keeping a close eye on things the whole time...

Ji Shumin looked at her; he was the best at understanding people's hearts.

At this time, it seemed that his crown princess was finally willing to associate with him, and it seemed that the invisible estrangement and barrier began to gradually dissolve.

"Did the Lu family treat you badly?" he suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Lu Liruan didn't understand why she would ask such a question: "I couldn't be happier at home."

"How did you develop such a clever and cunning nature? Why didn't you go with the flow and stay in your favorite home with your parents when your aunt discussed annulling the engagement with me?" Ji Shumin asked her quietly.

"I won't do anything to you. I wouldn't stoop to being such a despicable person."

Lu Li and Ruan Xin believed this.

His Highness the Crown Prince may seem unforgiving, but he is actually very tolerant. There's the Lu family's daughter who insisted on breaking off the engagement, the civil and military officials in the court who opposed him, General He who competed with him for love, and the Zhuang family's daughter who didn't love him...

He was tolerant and forgiving, and even though some people in later generations called him a short-lived tyrant, he truly possessed the magnanimity a monarch should have.

"Perhaps, it was destined?" Lu Liruan blinked. "Maybe it was my turn to accompany Your Highness?"

"The Crown Princess is so eloquent." Ji Shumin did not press further, and the weight on Lu Liruan's shoulder grew heavier.

“Since that’s the case, then don’t even think about leaving my side… Once I set the rules for this world, you can do whatever you want, and I will indulge you…” His voice grew even lower.

Lu Liruan was taken aback. This was the first time Ji Shumin had revealed his true ambition in front of her, and she dared not accept the status quo.

He wants to be the king of the world.

"Your Highness...are you drunk?" Lu Liruan patted his back.

No sound.

No way?

Lu Liruan felt that he really hadn't drunk much, since there wasn't even any smell of alcohol on him.

"Your Highness... Ji Shumin?" Lu Liruan called softly, but there was still no response.

Fine.

Upon entering Songjing Garden, Xiao Xizi gently escorted His Highness the Crown Prince to his bedroom.

Lu Liruan looked at him as if he were doing something thoughtful.

As Lu Liruan passed through the courtyard, she spotted a eunuch sweeping the area. One of his sleeves was empty, as if he had no forearm or hand.

The eunuch seemed to sense Lu Liruan's gaze, and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. In the quiet courtyard, only the sound of his head hitting the ground could be heard.

Then he was led away by the other eunuchs, and Lu Liruan sensed something was amiss.

"Your Highness... Your Highness, no, you are not good at drinking. Mother, Your Highness, please don't blame me..." Xiao Xizi said in a low voice.

"Bring me a basin of water, I'll wipe him down," Lu Liruan instructed, looking at Ji Shumin's calm face.

"Yes."

When people get drunk, they can be all sorts of things: some act out, some talk nonsense.

I never expected there to be someone like this, so articulate and articulate without the slightest confusion. But... I guess he wouldn't say these things to me when he's sober.

Lu Liruan took a comb, untied his hair crown, and gently combed his hair with her hand at the roots. His hair, like him, was cool to the touch.

Xiao Xizi brought over some warm water. Lu Liruan wrung out a towel, took Ji Shumin's hand, and wiped it from his palm to his hand, revealing the lines on his palm.

The lifeline breaks in the middle, but the lower half is very long.

Lu Liruan touched it with her fingertips.

After surviving a major calamity, will you live to be a hundred years old, just as you hope?

Lu Liruan chuckled: How come you've brought these kinds of thoughts to me too?