The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go-Chapter 150 - 148: Lu Ying, what do you mean?!

Yet when she said she loved him, he didn’t believe her. Even amidst the heat of passion on the bed, even in the intimate whispers and vows between lovers, he still refused to believe that she loved him.

But when she declared that she didn’t love him, he desperately sought proof otherwise, trying to pry a different answer from her lips.

Shen Yinning had no idea what Lu Ying truly wanted to hear.

In any case, this man was impossibly hard to deal with—far more challenging than Cui Ji or Lu Shiyan.

She countered, "Why does Your Highness even ask this?"

"I only wish to know the truth," he replied.

Shen Yinning teased, "But if I tell Your Highness, you’ll just be displeased again."

Lu Ying’s grip on his umbrella subtly tightened, his knuckles turning pale. "As expected..."

As expected, Shen Zhaozhao’s heart had never had a place for him.

Everything in the past three years had been a lie.

Shen Yinning couldn’t stand him looking at her with those eyes, as if he were some helpless maiden deceived of chastity.

She replied nonchalantly, "Of course, in this wife’s heart, it’s Your Highness I love most deeply."

"You’re lying to me."

"Fine, then. This wife doesn’t love Your Highness."

"Shen Yinning, I demand the truth."

Shen Yinning: "..."

Sometimes, dealing with Lu Ying really could leave one feeling utterly helpless.

She mockingly curved her lips, drawing out her words lazily, "Failure to satisfy Your Highness is this wife’s fault."

"Naturally."

Shen Yinning: "..."

This bastard’s skin was truly thick—either he couldn’t recognize her sarcasm or he was pretending not to!

Noticing that the snowstorm outside had lessened, Shen Yinning stepped down from the porch. "Mianmian is missing; this wife is going to look for her."

"Shen Yinning——"

Lu Ying reached out, placing his hand on her smooth, delicate shoulder.

Shen Yinning turned her head.

Their gazes locked.

Lu Ying was silent for a long time, his Adam’s apple moving as he spoke softly, "These past three days, I’ve been—"

"Crown Prince!" De Sun suddenly rushed over in a panic. "Terrible news, Lady Xue is missing! Lord Xue’s gone mad, sealing off the entire night market and combing the area with his guards!"

"Mianmian is missing?" Shen Yinning frowned. "How could she go missing?!"

"Apparently, Lady Xue begged Lord Xue to take her to the night market to watch a Nuo opera. The area was full of performers wearing carved wooden masks, and somehow, she got separated in the crowd! When Lord Xue realized, she was already gone without a trace!"

Shen Yinning’s heart was filled with worry.

Mianmian was timid and frail, sheltered her entire life in the Xue Mansion. If she had been taken by bad people, she would surely be defenseless.

With her beauty, the kinder outcome would be being sold off to a remote village as a bride; the crueler fate...

She feared Mianmian might end up in a brothel!

Hitching up her elaborate skirts, Shen Yinning was about to rush out into the streets, but Lu Ying grabbed her wrist tightly.

She turned around, her gaze fierce. "Let go!"

Lu Ying flinched at the impatience in her eyes.

He had intended to tell her that for the past three days, she had consumed his thoughts, and to address their strained relationship.

But tonight, he realized that in her heart, he ranked even below Xue Mianmian.

Suppressing a dull ache in his chest, he murmured, "Do you truly believe that Xue Mianmian would willingly beg Xue Ling to take her to watch a Nuo opera?"

Shen Yinning froze.

Mianmian loathed Xue Ling.

She had always gone out of her way to avoid him. Even during trips to the Hot Spring Villa, she dragged her feet until the very last hour to reluctantly return to his side.

For someone like Mianmian, it was impossible to imagine her willingly asking Xue Ling to watch a Nuo opera with her!

Shen Yinning’s eyes lit up. "Your Highness means that Mianmian’s disappearance isn’t an abduction, but rather her trying to escape?"

Lu Ying released her hand.

Shen Zhaozhao was clever; she just needed a bit of guidance to figure it out.

"But..." Shen Yinning’s concerns grew. "Even if Mianmian manages to escape tonight, what about tomorrow? Or the day after? Xue Ling won’t let her go. He’ll dig up every corner of the earth to find her. And even if Mianmian somehow manages to escape the city, how will she survive on her own? A delicate flower raised in a greenhouse cannot withstand the harsh cold of the outside world."

Lu Ying stared intently at Shen Yinning.

In his opinion, flowers raised in greenhouses weren’t always so fragile.

Take Shen Zhaozhao, for example. Hadn’t she once been that sheltered flower?

Yet she survived the downfall of her family, endured three years of exile in Gan State, and returned to the Capital unharmed.

After a moment’s thought, he reminded her, "Xue Ling is not a good man. You shouldn’t get involved in the mess between him and Xue Mianmian."

Shen Yinning tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear, the icy wind whipping around them. Watching Xue Ling’s guards scouring the streets in armor, she thought to herself that even if she wanted to intervene, she didn’t have the ability to do so now.

The weather worsened, the fine snow turning into thick, heavy flurries that made it hard to keep one’s eyes open. Many street vendors had started packing up to head home.

Lu Ying said, "Let’s return to the inn."

The two secured a top-floor room. Just as the maid brought in steaming tea, a commotion broke out in the corridor outside.

Moments later, Xue Ling kicked the door open, dragging Xue Mianmian by the back of her collar as he stormed in.

Shen Yinning quickly stood up. "Mianmian!"

Like brushing off a cat, Xue Ling slapped the snowflakes off Mianmian’s hair and dress, his face twisted in a sinister grin. "So, the little thing thinks she’s clever now, running away? Didn’t get enough time chained up, did you? Hmm?!"

Mianmian sobbed, her small, trembling cries like a kitten’s, scratching at everyone’s hearts.

Gui Quan, who had accompanied the search party, quietly informed Shen Yinning and Lu Ying, "Lady Xue didn’t make it far. She was hiding in one of the opera troupe’s storage trunks, peeking through a crack when Lord Xue happened to lean down and spot her. She couldn’t escape!"

Shen Yinning raised an eyebrow.

She could hardly imagine timid little Mianmian crouched in a trunk, peeking out, only to see Xue Ling’s face looming right in front of her—what a terrifying and surreal sight it must have been!

Probably no different from a mouse staring into the face of the cat perched outside its hole.

After brushing Mianmian off, Xue Ling tossed her unceremoniously to the ground. He then uncoiled the soft whip from his waist, cracking it sharply in the air. Though it didn’t touch her, Mianmian still shuddered violently three times.

With a sinister smile playing on his striking, dangerous face, Xue Ling lowered his gaze to her. "Run! Why don’t you keep running?!"

Mianmian sobbed harder, kneeling on the ground and clinging to his leg. "I won’t dare anymore! I won’t dare again! Please, my lord, don’t punish me!"

Xue Ling licked his lips, wrapping one end of the whip around her slender neck while holding the other in his hand.

He glanced toward Shen Yinning. "From now on, Madam Shen, you’re better off staying away from Mianmian. Don’t lead her astray."

With that, he yanked the whip and strode off.

Shen Yinning was furious. "Xue Ling, stop right there! Let go of Mianmian—"

Before she could finish, a copper coin flew from Xue Ling’s hand, shooting straight for her face!

Before Shen Yinning could react, Lu Ying was already in front of her.

With a casual move, he caught the copper coin between two fingers. His voice was cold and commanding. "Xue Ling, even when beating a dog, one looks at its owner."

The copper coin was flung back toward Xue Ling, who caught it and sneered. "Then watch your woman carefully."

With that, he dragged Mianmian out with swift, forceful strides.

Shen Yinning seethed with rage but was powerless against Xue Ling. She couldn’t fight him, nor could she reclaim Mianmian.

All she could do was glare bitterly at Lu Ying. "Lu Ying, what did you mean by that?! Who’s your dog?!"

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