After a Night with the Yandere Buddhist Prince - Chapter 3

4

Shen Huaiqing’s mother had died young. She had once been a noble consort, but she had ultimately been no match for the empress.

Another secret buried deep in the palace.

So I didn’t even have a mother-in-law to deal with.

He hadn’t questioned my identity and had given me the authority of the household’s mistress.

In Prince Xian’s residence, I answered only to Shen Huaiqing.

Fine food, fine drink, lovely days.

Apart from the wedding night, he never slept in my courtyard. He stayed in the front courtyard and was rarely seen.

I spent my time out and about, checking out one place after another.

Having traveled into the past, of course I wanted to see what ancient life had to offer.

That had been inconvenient as an unmarried girl. Now I was mistress of my own household.

What I said went.

After only a few days of this good life, he came looking for me for once.

Carrying… an account book.

“Wife, these are your expenses for the past half month. I promised to keep you comfortable, but you mustn’t go too far.

“Five sets of jeweled headdresses from Nanhua Pavilion. Twenty dresses from Huayi Workshop. Fifteen antiques from Treasure Pavilion. And antique paintings and calligraphy from Moxiang House—two chests.

“Are you trying to spend me into poverty?”

Some male lead. What a penny-pincher.

I snorted.

“My hand still hurts. It hasn’t recovered. When I don’t feel well, I want to buy things.”

“Why does your hand hurt?”

I curled my hand into a ring and moved it up and down in the air.

“Take a guess.”

His ears reddened visibly.

As I raised a brow and looked him over, he fled in a panic.

Honestly, I was only planning for the future.

Once he got together with the heroine, would I still be able to spend the household’s money?

Better buy things and stockpile them now. When he cast me aside, I could sell them to support myself.

The next day, Shen Huaiqing sent me medicine for sprains and bruises.

No. Absolutely not.

I was making a scene.

I flung the bottle out the door and snapped at his personal attendant.

“Tell him to come himself! He thinks one bottle of medicine will get rid of me?”

So the male lead arrived, looking grim.

“What exactly do you want?”

I held out my hand regally.

“Massage it yourself.”

Go on. Massage it and I’ll stop spending money.

As if he would—

He stared at my hand.

Then, astonishingly, he blushed again, lowered his head, and obediently began massaging it.

…Was it too late to take that back?

Honestly, with the male lead’s looks and bearing, having him so meekly massage my hand was quite something.

His lowered lashes were like raven feathers. His straight nose gave his features depth, and sunlight lit the side of his face until it seemed translucent.

What a beauty.

Whatever dark plans to murder me he might be harboring, right now I was so pleased I could practically blow bubbles from my nose.

Fine. I’d already hoarded enough valuables for two lifetimes.

We could call it even.

Mm… So comfortable.

Sleepy…

Despite all my efforts to stay alert, I couldn’t hold out.

I really did fall deeply asleep.

When I woke, I was back in the inner chamber.

But my mouth… hurt a little.

In the mirror, my lips were swollen red. They burned when I touched them.

Was I having an allergic reaction?

Luckily, the swelling went down within half a day, and I thought no more of it.

Shen Huaiqing had been acting strange lately.

Before, I could go days without seeing him. Now a stroll in the back garden meant running into him three or four times.

Yes, he looked decent. Plain clothes, a jade-white face, an otherworldly air.

But with him constantly hovering in front of me, even a pig could work out what he wanted.

“I’m not giving you the money back. My purchases are nonreturnable and nonexchangeable. I’m taking them into my coffin. Don’t even think about it.”

He looked as though he wanted to speak.

In the end, he only tightened his grip on his prayer beads and left.

Hmph.

Trying to get money out of me.

Beside me, A-Tao hesitated.

“I don’t think that’s what His Highness meant.”

Then what did he mean?