Chapter 16

Chu Shao smiled, reached out, and opened the box made of pear wood.

“Just now, this humble wife was a little curious, so I opened the box and took a look. But after pondering for a long time, I still couldn’t figure out what these things are for. It seems I must ask Your Highness for guidance.”

Xiao Jin merely glanced at the contents of the box before her gaze froze completely.

Once the box was fully opened, the props Chu Shao mentioned lay quietly among the brocade.

Not just one, but an entire row.

Inside was a row of jade implements in various sizes and thicknesses. As for the exact appearance of those objects, Xiao Jin understood tacitly, so there is no need for a detailed description.

A cursory glance showed that each jade implement was carved from white jade.

As for what that row of jade implements was called and what they were used for, Xiao Jin was certain that if she truly told Chu Shao, she would immediately get a red lock warning from Jinjiang Literature City.

Her eyes were stung, so she simply closed them, unwilling to face the reality of too many elements.

When she opened them again, Xiao Jin looked at the innocent and gentle smile on Chu Shao’s face and had already mentally cursed Old Zhang’s entire family thousands of times over.

Xiao Jin tried her best to maintain a calm and collected state of mind. Only after organizing her wording did she speak: “Princess Consort, give the box to This Prince.”

Chu Shao seemed to genuinely not know what was inside, and so very naturally handed the box to Xiao Jin.

Noticing the clearly frosty expression on Xiao Jin’s face, she couldn’t help but smile and ask: “Does Your Highness wish to use them?”

Silence. Xiao Jin could only remain silent.

Use my ass.

Xiao Jin did not answer Chu Shao’s question, nor did she want to look at those vividly lifelike jade implements. Instead, she seriously broached another topic.

“As for their use, these things naturally have a purpose. However, whether they can serve that purpose depends on the Princess Consort’s mood.”

“This humble wife’s mood?”

Although Chu Shao didn’t understand what Xiao Jin was talking about, she was very curious about what purpose Xiao Jin could possibly make them serve.

So she smiled lightly and responded: “This humble wife is all ears.”

Thankfully, Xiao Jin had always been skilled at spouting nonsense with a straight face.

As she touched the cold jade implements in the box, deep inside she wanted to curse fragrantly. Yet on the surface, she still had to maintain solemnity and convince others with reason.

Xiao Jin considered herself a reasonable person. She cleared her throat and began to fabricate: “This Prince once read a story about a young master who, to please a beauty, tore fans, intending to win a smile from the fair lady.”

The story she recounted naturally borrowed from the Red Chamber tale, only omitting the names of Baoyu and Qingwen.

Chu Shao frowned slightly, truly unable to understand how tearing fans could bring anyone joy.

However, if it were said that slaughter could bring pleasure, she could understand that very well.

But she never expected that Xiao Jin’s ability to fabricate was growing by the moment. Knowing full well that tearing fans and these things were completely unrelated, Xiao Jin still picked up a jade implement from the box and said, without blushing or a racing heart: “Therefore, these things can actually be used in the same way.”

Chu Shao looked at Xiao Jin with keen interest, very curious about what the other party intended to do with that object.

The next moment, she found out.

Because after coughing twice, Xiao Jin raised the jade implement in her hand and fiercely smashed it to the ground.

“Bang—”

The jade shattered, instantly sending powder flying everywhere.

Just as Baoyu tore fans for a smile worth a thousand gold, a paper character now smashed jade implements to cleanse the web.

This scene, filled with righteous spirit, stunned even the usually unflappable Chu Shao.

Although somewhat surprised, Chu Shao had always been very resilient and was not particularly frightened. She merely lowered her gaze to look at the shattered white jade all over the floor.

Under the candlelight, it shimmered with a sparkling, moon-like radiance.

She had to admit, compared to its cold and ugly appearance before, this thing looked much more pleasing to the eye once broken.

Seeing Chu Shao silent, Xiao Jin was just about to shift concepts and explain to her, “Since Baoyu could tear fans to win Qingwen’s smile, then This Prince can also break jade to win the Princess Consort’s smile.”

This was the greatest use of this kind of… that kind of prop.

Unexpectedly, before the spouted nonsense could leave her mouth, Chu Shao looked at the broken jade at her feet, and a smile actually curved on her lips.

This was something Xiao Jin hadn’t anticipated.

She had merely randomly destroyed an evil object and yet managed to reap an unexpected effect.

It seemed Old Zhang was playing on a whole other level this time.

Xiao Jin was surprised, but Chu Shao found Xiao Jin truly interesting. After all, someone who could think of using jade implements in this way was indeed a trailblazer, unique and unmatched.

Yes, Chu Shao actually knew what this jade-crafted item was. She had seen it before in the Great Yao Imperial Palace.

But in her memory, such things were mostly only used by eunuchs and foolish rulers.

Clearly, Xiao Jin was neither of the two. So Chu Shao didn’t quite understand the maid’s intention in giving her this “prop.”

Of course, another possibility couldn’t be ruled out; that Xiao Jin was, in matters of the bedchamber…

Quite incompetent.

As for whether Xiao Jin was competent or incompetent, Chu Shao didn’t care. After all, she and Xiao Jin were accomplices, maintaining a noble and interesting relationship between them.

She believed Xiao Jin wouldn’t do something so boring to her.

And if Xiao Jin were as dull as everyone else, she would have used her dagger to end the other’s life at their very first meeting.

Xiao Jin didn’t know she had once again escaped a life-threatening situation due to being “interesting.” She only knew that seeing this thing broken, Chu Shao actually smiled.

This was too similar to the Red Chamber’s development.

Baoyu tore the fan, and Qingwen smiled. After that, what happened next…

As a literature slacker, Xiao Jin recalled for a long time before remembering the subsequent plot.

After recalling the plot, Xiao Jin hesitantly picked up the second jade implement and made her expression as indifferent as possible: “Does the Princess Consort also wish to smash one?”

The moment she said this, Xiao Jin was speechless.

Damn it, Xiao Jin, what are you even saying? Who in their right mind would hold this kind of thing in their hand and seriously invite someone else to smash it?

Were they playing percussion instruments here or what?

Perhaps because she’d been in this melodramatic world for too long, Xiao Jin felt she was almost blending in.

If you can’t beat them, join them.

Very well, excellent team spirit.

Chu Shao didn’t quite grasp Xiao Jin’s words, but watching the slight unease in Xiao Jin’s eyes, which formed such a stark contrast with her cold and unapproachable aura, Chu Shao’s smile deepened unconsciously.

She didn’t know the reason, only that this matter was very interesting.

The rumored cold-blooded and brutal Prince Yan actually had such a side. What kind of variable could cause such a drastic change in character?

Chu Shao didn’t realize at all that, compared to Xiao Jin, the term “drastic change in character” seemed more fitting for herself.

Yet Xiao Jin felt embarrassment uncharacteristically.

Admittedly, she was usually quite shameless, but not so shameless as to stand there calmly holding one of those things.

This deadlock was unbearable for Xiao Jin, so she simply threw caution to the wind. With a blank expression, she raised the jade implement in her hand and smashed it to the ground again.

The sound of shattering jade was more penetrating than tearing silk.

So much so that the people of the Prince’s Manor lurking outside the courtyard could hear it clearly.

Hearing this sound, a maid hesitated: “Manager Zhang, no matter how earth-shaking things are inside, they shouldn’t produce a sound like this.”

“Yes, yes, I feel like His Highness and Her Highness the Princess Consort are about to start fighting.”

Manager Zhang forcibly took charge of the situation: “Don’t panic. Let’s observe for a while first. Only when the commotion gets too loud should we go in and check.”

Old Zhang appeared as steady as Mount Tai, but in reality, cold sweat was streaming down his back.

Logically speaking, it should be a matter of immense joy that His Highness, who had never been close to women, had finally seen the light.

Looking at it now, whether this matter was a joy or a sorrow remained to be seen.

…

In the blink of an eye, the room was littered with shattered jade.

At first, Xiao Jin smashed the jade out of embarrassment. Later, she discovered that it was actually somewhat addictive.

As she smashed, she couldn’t help but lament inwardly. The original host was truly extravagant. Even that kind of… those props were made of fine white jade.

Thinking this way, although she had been forced to transmigrate as Prince Yan with crippled legs, no matter how crippled she was, at least she had power and wealth and didn’t have to worry about food and clothing.

Xiao Jin smashed the jade implements on the floor while feeling much more balanced in her heart.

But just as she picked up the last jade implement and was about to completely purify the entire box, Chu Shao grabbed her hand.

Xiao Jin was somewhat puzzled. What was the female lead doing?

Chu Shao had thought her own fingers were already slender enough. But when she held Xiao Jin’s hand, she was surprised to find that the other’s fingers seemed even more slender than her own.

However, just now, when Xiao Jin’s fingers gripped the jade implement, the jade made her fingers look paler and longer, which only displeased Chu Shao even more.

Such beautiful fingers clutching an ugly, dead object truly failed to make Chu Shao happy.

As disgust rose in her heart, a strange, indescribable thrill also shot into her brain at the same time.

Chu Shao believed Xiao Jin shouldn’t be holding that filthy thing. But when Xiao Jin coughed and raised her hand to smash it, she felt a peculiar, morbid beauty.

Pale fingers showing no hint of blood, shattered remnants of jade—everything was so perfectly fitting.

Touching Xiao Jin’s cold knuckles, Chu Shao had to forcefully suppress her excitement just to curve a smile and continue speaking: “This thing is too unclean. This humble wife doesn’t want it to dirty your hands.”

In truth, Chu Shao wanted to witness this scene. However, what she finally said with a smile were different words.

“Why not let this humble wife help you?”

Initially, Xiao Jin thought Chu Shao wasn’t interested in smashing things and had therefore taken on the web-cleansing operation alone.

Now she noticed that the other’s eyelashes were trembling slightly, as if anticipating something.

But when Xiao Jin raised her head and met Chu Shao’s eyes, she felt the tenderness within them was like flowing moonlight, gentle enough to encompass everything.

Of course, this must be an illusion. She knew that all too well.

However, since Chu Shao had this interest, and Xiao Jin was tired from smashing anyway, it was fine to let someone else do it.

So she nodded slightly and handed the object in her hand to Chu Shao.

But the moment she handed it over, Xiao Jin suddenly realized something was off.

Wait.

Chu Shao just said that such a filthy thing would dirty her hands? So… Chu Shao actually knew what this thing was used for?

On the other side, Chu Shao smiled as she took the jade implement from Xiao Jin.

Because she had been somewhat excited moments before, her body was now very close to Xiao Jin’s. One hand held the jade object, while the other loosely gripped the wheelchair’s armrest.

This posture looked somewhat ambiguous. From a distance, it seemed as if she had Xiao Jin trapped within the confines of the wheelchair.

Chu Shao was just about to smash this filthy object for Xiao Jin when, unexpectedly, she heard the sound of a lantern hitting the ground as she raised it.

Her hearing had always been excellent, so she knew this sound came from outside the room.

Hearing it, Chu Shao frowned slightly and raised her head to look outside. This glance revealed Manager Zhang and the group of maids standing there dumbfounded, along with the fallen lantern on the floor.

It was only then that Chu Shao remembered: when she pushed Xiao Jin into the room earlier, she seemed to have forgotten to close the door.

She then smiled, thinking:

It’s fine, just forgot to close the door. A harmless mistake.

Chu Shao considered it harmless, but Manager Zhang and the maids at the doorway were already so shocked they were beginning to question their very existence.

What… what kind of development was this?

Having seen such a scene, would they really not be silenced by His Highness?

Could they really… still live to see tomorrow?