Nanzhi hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to be so terrifyingly sharp. She had merely cast a passing glance at the sky, yet it was as though he had peered straight through to her hidden intentions.
Maintaining a light, gentle smile, she kept her voice entirely composed. “Your Highness overthinks. Since this concubine now belongs to you, where could I possibly run off to?”
“It is naturally best if Zhizhi thinks that way. As long as you stay obediently by Gu’s side, Gu will certainly never treat you poorly.” Shen Huaixu’s warm, cool fingertips slowly grazed across her cheek. Just as Nanzhi felt her tightly strung nerves beginning to ease, his tone abruptly shifted, turning to the subject of her mother.
“Gu heard that your mother hasn’t been in the best of health?” Shen Huaixu’s voice sounded soft and unhurried. His hand still resting against her cheek, his gaze appeared genuine. “Another day, Gu will dispatch a skilled physician to examine your mother and help her recuperate.”
Anyone else hearing this would likely have assumed the Crown Prince was showing heartfelt concern, ready to shower him with overwhelming gratitude.
Yet a cold knot dropped straight into Nanzhi’s stomach. She heard the thinly veiled threat ringing loud and clear beneath his words: he was using her mother as leverage to warn her against harboring any thoughts of escape.
If it wasn’t her father using her mother against her, now it was the Crown Prince getting a chokehold on her softest weakness. She had no idea when he had managed to dig up these details; this man possessed an unfathomable depth and knew all too well how to manipulate her every move.
Caught within his embrace, Nanzhi let him hold her as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes shone with liquid, gentle warmth, and her tone could not have been more compliant and sweet: “How kind of Your Highness to remember my mother. Your thoughtful gesture truly moves this concubine. However, my mother’s condition is nothing serious, and I wouldn’t dare trouble Your Highness with such matters. Don’t you have pressing affairs to attend to? I won’t take up any more of your time.”
Hearing this, Shen Huaixu tightened his arm around her waist, locking his unwavering gaze onto hers with undisguised, overbearing intensity. He dismissed it with a casual, light sweep of his hand: “Anything concerning Zhizhi is naturally a matter Gu takes to heart. It’s merely a trifle, no trouble at all. Gu will send someone over tomorrow.”
“Gu still has matters to attend to. Zhizhi, go back and rest; Gu will come see you tonight.”
With that, Shen Huaixu released her, cast a meaningful look toward Qingyu, and issued his directive: “Qingyu, when Gu is not around, take good care of her. From now on, you will remain by her side, protecting her safety every step of the way.”
At this, his voice paused. A piercing, oppressive glint flashed through his clear eyes as his tone hardened into strict solemnity: “If any mishap befalls her in the future, Gu will hold you solely accountable.”
Qingyu instantly grasped the underlying weight of his command. Straightening her posture, she kept her face expressionless while responding with grave, respectful certainty: “This subordinate accepts the order! I will ensure the young lady does not suffer even the slightest harm!”
Shen Huaixu nodded in satisfaction. Casting one last lingering, reluctant look at Nanzhi, he said, “Gu must go.” With those words, he strode away from the courtyard, his clear eyes instantly reverting to their usual cold, aloof detachment.
“This concubine respectfully sends off Your Highness.” Watching his receding figure with a completely placid, unruffled expression, Nanzhi muttered a silent complaint inward: The Crown Prince clearly still doesn’t trust me.
Bestowing Qingyu upon her looked like a favor to serve and guard her on the surface, but in reality, Qingyu was essentially planted as a supervisor. From now on, every single move she made would fall under the Crown Prince’s watchful eye; trying to pull off anything behind his back would be practically impossible.
Withdrawing her gaze, Eunuch Chen stepped forward, sweeping his hand out in a polite gesture of invitation. “Milady, this way, please.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Chen.”
Nanzhi gracefully followed his lead, walking smoothly toward Jinghua Garden with Qingyu marching closely at her heels.
While Qingyu felt a brief flash of surprise at the Crown Prince’s arrangements, her duty was simply to obey his commands without question. Since she now had the privilege of staying close to the great beauty, she harbored zero complaints. Being able to feast her eyes on an absolute masterpiece of human creation like Nanzhi day in and day out actually sounded rather delightful.
Though Qingyu maintained a stern, serious exterior on the outside, she was practically grinning from ear to ear on the inside, murmuring to herself: The Crown Prince truly treats the young lady differently! Since he rarely invests his heart in any woman, I’d better do a bang-up job keeping a tight watch on her for His Highness’s sake.
Before long, they arrived at Nanzhi’s quarters: Jinghua Garden.
Stopping in his tracks, Eunuch Chen Ruizhu politely introduced the place to Nanzhi: “Milady, this is Jinghua Garden, your new residence from here on out. It faces both north and south with excellent natural lighting. This servant heard that you enjoy tending to flowers and plants; there are quite a few varieties cultivated right here inside, and this servant is certain you will like them.”
Standing at the entrance, Nanzhi halted and raised her eyes to look at the bold, majestic calligraphy carved into the plaque above. Her thoughts were a tangled mess. Even just judging from the exterior, she could tell the courtyard was vast—dwarfing her old compound back at the Nan estate several times over. Yet listening to Eunuch Chen’s descriptions, she couldn’t muster a single ounce of genuine excitement.
This place would henceforth become the site of her confinement. No matter how lavish and beautiful it appeared on the outside, it was, at its core, nothing more than a gilded cage.
They spoke of it gracefully as the Crown Prince taking a fancy to her, but translated into modern terms, she had been coerced and forcibly abducted by him. No one cared whether she was willing or not; how different was this behavior from that of a common bandit?
The Crown Prince is nothing more than an absolute brute! Nanzhi couldn’t help but curse him bitterly in the deepest recesses of her mind.
Maintaining an expressionless, calm facade while keeping her tone as gentle and even as ever, she responded, “His Highness is very thoughtful. Eunuch Chen, are there any other consorts or women currently residing in the Crown Prince’s estate?”
Lifting his eyelids slightly, Eunuch Chen replied respectfully: “Answering Milady, there is no one else by His Highness’s side; currently, you are the sole resident here.”
“Milady, please step inside.”
Although His Highness hadn’t yet formally bestowed an imperial rank upon Miss Nan, given the clear level of favor and attention he was showing her, Eunuch Chen knew better than to treat her with even a shred of negligence. His attitude toward Nanzhi remained thoroughly deferential.
Curiously enough—how unexpected, Nanzhi thought with a silent flash of surprise as she lifted her skirt and stepped across the threshold.
Just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed from within. Leading the group was a slightly plump woman in her mid-thirties. Catching sight of Eunuch Chen, her face bloomed into a wide, ingratiating smile as she greeted him: “Oh my, if it isn’t Eunuch Chen! What rare wind has blown you all the way over here?”
Mother Xu’s gaze quickly flickered past the eunuch, catching sight of Nanzhi standing right beside him. A spark of pure astonishment flashed through her eyes before she inquired, “And who might this young lady at your side be?”
Mother Xu couldn’t resist sneaking a few extra glances at Nanzhi. The girl possessed an ethereal, peerless beauty, and her pure, otherworldly aura compelled people to stare.
Standing quietly, Nanzhi allowed the older woman to inspect her at will, even offering a soft, graceful smile that radiated an air of effortless poise and elegance.
Coughing lightly to clear his throat, Eunuch Chen adopted a much sterner, authoritative tone: “Mother Xu, this is Miss Nan, whom His Highness personally brought back. She will reside in Jinghua Garden from now on. You must see to it that she is served with the utmost care. From this day forward, she is your mistress—all of you had better be on your best behavior.”
Hearing this, Mother Xu hurriedly dropped into a deep curtsy to offer her formal respects: “This old servant was blind and failed to recognize a superior; please forgive this servant, Milady. This servant pays her respects to our Mistress.”
“Mother Xu, please rise.” Nanzhi’s voice was as sweet and melodic as a gentle spring breeze, instantly putting people at ease as she stepped forward to physically steady the older woman.
Having just arrived without a firm grasp of her surroundings, and seeing that Mother Xu looked reasonably approachable on the surface, Nanzhi naturally chose to respond with courtesy.
Judging that his duty of delivering her safely was fulfilled, Eunuch Chen prepared to take his leave: “Milady, this servant will take his leave here. If there is anything you find unclear or require assistance with, feel free to ask Mother Xu. She is the head housekeeper of this residence. This servant will step away now.”
“Safe travels, Eunuch Chen.”