Chapter 259: Chapter 260: Finding a New Love

Hua Manman mumbled under her breath.

"Is it really that ugly?"

Instead of answering, Li Ji asked, "What do you think?"

Hua Manman turned away awkwardly.

’I’ve decided I’m never making anything for Prince Zhao again.’

When the birthday banquet ended, Prince Zhao and his wife left the Imperial Palace.

On the way there, it was just the two of them in the carriage. On the way back, however, they were joined by a Miss Lan.

Hua Manman tried to suppress the awkward feeling in her heart and asked in a gentle voice.

"Miss Lan, do you have any family?"

She was thinking that if the other woman had family, she could have her sent home.

Miss Lan shook her head. "My parents are both deceased. I have no family left."

As she said this, she couldn’t help but glance at Prince Zhao.

Even someone as dense as Hua Manman could see that Miss Lan’s gaze held a wealth of emotions.

It wasn’t the kind of emotion one would have at a first meeting.

Hua Manman blurted out, "Have you met Prince Zhao before?"

Miss Lan bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before finally nodding.

"Yes."

After getting this answer, Hua Manman said no more.

When they returned to the Prince Mansion, Li Ji took Miss Lan to the study. The two of them clearly had something to discuss.

Hua Manman didn’t follow.

She sat before her dressing table, letting Si Yun remove the ornaments from her hair.

Si Yun carefully observed the Princess Consort’s expression. After much hesitation, she couldn’t stop herself from speaking.

"I heard that Prince Zhao brought a woman back tonight."

Hua Manman didn’t respond.

She was trying hard to recall the plot of *Palace Intrigue*.

Since Li Ji was just a villain in the novel, there wasn’t much description of his past or personal life.

So she didn’t know if the original Li Ji had ever married, nor did she know what the relationship was between him and the Miss Lan who had appeared tonight.

By the time she had washed up and was ready for bed, Prince Zhao still hadn’t returned.

Si Yun asked cautiously, "Should I go to the study and see?"

Hua Manman said there was no need.

She had someone leave an oil lamp lit and went to bed herself.

After everyone had left, just as Hua Manman closed her eyes, the system’s voice sounded in her mind.

"You worked yourself to the bone to save Li Ji’s life, and in the end, doesn’t he just cast you aside for someone new?"

Despite being a mechanical voice, it now held a hint of schadenfreude.

Hua Manman: "What does it have to do with me whether he’s found someone new or not?"

System: "Still playing tough, I see."

Hua Manman was genuinely confused. "You’re just a system. How are you so good at being sarcastic?"

The system sneered. "Who are you looking down on?"

Hua Manman lay quietly in bed for a while.

Just when the system thought she wouldn’t speak again, it suddenly heard her say out of the blue.

"This is actually for the best."

The system was baffled. "Li Ji doesn’t want you anymore, and you think that’s a good thing?"

Hua Manman: "If he’d taken a liking to another woman after I’d already fallen for him, I would have been heartbroken. But it’s fine now. I haven’t dived in headfirst yet. I still have a chance to cut my losses."

The system sounded pleasantly surprised. "Are you planning to turn back from the brink?"

Hua Manman mercilessly poured cold water on its hopes.

"Turning back is impossible. I’m already married to him.

We were already bound together.

If he dies, my life won’t be easy either. So I still have to find a way to keep him alive for a bit longer."

The system couldn’t understand. "He’s gone off to sleep with another woman, and you’re still thinking about helping him?!"

Hua Manman said calmly.

"I’m not helping him. I’m helping myself."

CREAK.

The door was pushed open.

Hua Manman followed the sound with her eyes and saw Prince Zhao walk in.

He seemed quite surprised to see her still awake.

"It’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?"

Hua Manman was even more surprised than he was.

"Why are you back?"

Li Ji found her question baffling. "It’s the middle of the night. If I don’t come back here to sleep, where else would I go?"

’Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping with Miss Lan?’ Hua Manman thought.

But her reason stopped her from saying it out loud.

She said vaguely, "I just thought you might not be coming back tonight."

Li Ji heard her inner thoughts and couldn’t help but chuckle.

’The little thing is jealous.’

Hua Manman was confused. "What are you laughing at?"

Li Ji sat on the bed and leaned in close.

The distance between them instantly vanished.

Startled, Hua Manman quickly shrank back. "What are you doing?"

Li Ji said with a grin, "Letting you check if I smell like any other woman."

Hua Manman subconsciously sniffed, then immediately caught herself. ’I don’t care who he’s been intimate with, so why should I check his scent? This is completely unnecessary!’

She immediately pulled the blanket up to cover her nose and mouth, leaving only her eyes exposed.

"There’s no need for that, Prince. It is your right to be close with whomever you wish. I don’t mind."

Li Ji looked into her eyes, his smile full of amusement.

"You disingenuous little thing."

She clearly cared a great deal about him, yet she still had to pretend to be indifferent.

He kissed her through the blanket and said with a laugh.

"Rest assured, I’m not interested in anyone but you."

Hua Manman didn’t speak.

’As if I’d believe the sweet nothings of a scummy man.’

Li Ji explained, "The reason I kept Miss Lan here is because her father was once one of my father’s subordinates.

I met her before when I was hanging around the military camps with my father. I have a vague impression of her.

Later, the hundred-thousand-strong army led by my father was completely annihilated, and Miss Lan’s father also died in that battle.

For her father’s sake, I have to find a proper place for her."

Hua Manman had a realization. ’So that’s what this is all about!’

But then she grew confused again.

"Why is it that the woman the Fifth Prince gave you just happens to be the daughter of one of Duke Zhen’s former subordinates?

And you just happen to have met before and know each other.

This is all a little too coincidental."

It was no wonder she was thinking in terms of conspiracies; the whole thing was unbelievably coincidental. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Li Ji: "It is indeed very coincidental. I took Miss Lan to the study just now to ask about her experiences and find out whether this is a coincidence or deliberate."

Hua Manman: "And did you find out?"

Li Ji explained slowly.

"She said that after her father passed away, her mother remarried.

Her stepfather was a gambling addict and sold her because he couldn’t pay his debts.

After being passed around, she ended up in the Fifth Prince’s hands.

It sounds like there’s nothing wrong with her story.

As for whether she’s telling the truth, I’ll have to have someone else investigate."

Most of the doubts in Hua Manman’s mind were now resolved.

She replied obediently, "I see."

Li Ji looked at her with a half-smile.

"So, my original plan was to keep Miss Lan in the Prince Mansion to carefully investigate her background.

But since you don’t like her, tomorrow I’ll have someone send her away so she’ll never be an eyesore to you again."

Hua Manman said in a muffled voice.

"Now that you’ve put it that way, if I still insist on her leaving, wouldn’t that make me seem too petty?"

Li Ji chuckled. "It’s fine. I’m not exactly magnanimous myself. We make a good pair."

Hua Manman was amused.

’Are we forming a petty couple now?’

Seeing her smile, Li Ji immediately lifted the blanket, slipped in, and pulled her into his arms, asking in a low voice.

"Still angry?"

Hua Manman: "I was never angry."