Chapter 11: A Year of Separation

Shen Ruojin was momentarily stunned by these words, then laughed, "What kind of seduction is this? It’s more like bribery."

"You’re using my own money to bribe me?"

As Qin Lang spoke, his peach-blossom eyes narrowed, the upturned corners appearing both amorous and dangerous.

Shen Ruojin stepped forward, pressing close to Qin Lang to whisper in his ear, "It takes a hundred years of cultivation to share a boat, and a thousand years to share a pillow. While we haven’t shared a pillow yet, we are already in the same boat. My money is your money, so why distinguish between them so clearly?"

Qin Lang looked at her steadily. "Shen Ruojin, can you be any more shameless?"

Shen Ruojin thought for a moment and replied with a deadpan expression, "If you really want to see, I suppose I could manage it."

After all, when one is after a person’s wealth, a little thick-skinned behavior is to be expected.

Qin Lang was momentarily left speechless.

"In truth, I only came today to tell you that I am a friend, not an enemy. Even if we cannot be a loving couple, we can at least be companions on this journey for a time."

Seeing that Qin Lang remained silent, Shen Ruojin quickly offered a second option.

She reasoned that yesterday’s circumstances were far too absurd; perhaps Qin Lang’s last-minute decision to switch brides was merely a fit of pique, and he likely regretted it once he returned to the manor. With a beautiful performer like Begonia Red to worry about, it was only natural he couldn't stay at home.

However, as a new bride, Shen Ruojin could neither let her husband roam free unattended nor control him too strictly. She had to navigate this balance with precision.

Shen Ruojin said slowly, "If you regret marrying me, it doesn't matter. I will simply consider your agreement to the bride-swap yesterday as a great favor to me. But marriage is no trifling matter; we cannot marry yesterday only to separate and return home today. How about we treat this as a sham marriage for a term of one year, and then separate after that..."

"Separate?" The smile vanished from Qin Lang's lips instantly as he interrupted, "We just performed the wedding ceremony yesterday, and you’re talking to me about separation today?"

"I should have made this clear last night, but someone came with news, and you left in such a hurry that I didn't get the chance."

Seeing his displeased expression, Shen Ruojin assumed he was annoyed because she had brought it up late, causing the young Prince to waste his wedding night wandering off, so she hurriedly explained.

The young Prince was exceptionally handsome and came from a top-tier background; he made for a perfect ally. But as a spouse... it was easy for them to grow mutually weary and perhaps even turn into enemies.

The wedding night had passed in silence. Shen Ruojin, who slept lightly, had pondered much, including how Qin Lang might react when she said these things.

If Qin Lang had readily agreed, or even if he had flown into a rage, it wouldn't have been strange, but his current reaction was truly beyond her expectations.

Shen Ruojin remained silent for a moment. "Shall I take back what I just said and let you be the one to suggest the separation?"

She thought it over and decided the only thing that could have displeased Qin Lang was her being the one to initiate the talk of separation.

"Shen Ruojin," Qin Lang said, looking at her with an incredibly complex expression, "you really do know how to advance and retreat with perfect timing."

Shen Ruojin did not understand the meaning behind his gaze, so she promised, "Rest assured, I will treat your beauties and confidantes well; I will never make things difficult for them."

"You are certainly generous." Qin Lang pressed down on the hand Shen Ruojin was using to toy with the household management jade pendant, pulling her into his arms. "What do you take me for? You stepped into my sedan chair, entered my bridal chamber, and now you plan to separate after a year and leave unscathed?"

The young Prince was always grabbing and holding her, and Shen Ruojin found it hard to resist. She reached out to push him away, but he caught her hands in advance and pinned them behind her waist, forming a confining yet intimate posture.

Qin Lang leaned down to whisper, "Wouldn't that be a total loss for me?"

Shen Ruojin was no naive child; she understood immediately what that look in his eyes implied. She didn't speak for a moment.

Qin Lang rubbed his temple against hers and murmured, "Did you really think I didn't know why you married me?"

With the frequent wars on the border, the remains of the Shen family’s heroic ancestors were still stranded at Luoyue Pass, and her grandfather, nearly seventy, was still struggling to hold the frontier. She needed to secure help to gain a firm foothold in the capital so she could ensure the Shen family had sufficient grain and military supplies.

She had thought that once she was married and then separated, she would be a free woman, and no one would ever force her to marry again or insist she obey her father when young and her husband when wed. She wanted to fight on the battlefield for her brothers and finish what they had left undone.

Shen Ruojin was stunned for a long time before she snapped out of it and feigned a relaxed tone. "So, you’ve seen through me, young Prince."

"That’s right. I am indeed after your money, your power, and perhaps a little bit of your looks. But don't worry," Shen Ruojin said, acting as if she were laying everything bare, "I, Shen Ruojin, am only after power and wealth; I covet not a shred of true affection."

Qin Lang looked at her meaningfully. "Should I thank you for being so honest?"

"It is only what I should do; there is no need for such formalities, young Prince."

Shen Ruojin subconsciously nodded, her forehead bumping into Qin Lang's chin. It stung, and it felt hot. She reached up to rub it, but Qin Lang caught her forehead first, his voice low. "Shen Ruojin, you need to understand one thing."

Shen Ruojin looked up. "What?"

Qin Lang blew a soft breath against her forehead. "As long as I am pleased, you can scheme for whatever you want. But if I am not..." You will get nothing at all.

"I know," Shen Ruojin said, possessing at least that much insight. "Isn't that exactly why I am currently trying to please you?"

Qin Lang raised an eyebrow, his expression clearly saying, "I haven't noticed that at all."

Just as they were speaking, Master Huang brought the members of the opera troupe over to pay their respects.

"Young Prince, Second Young Mistress, I have brought the troupe to pay their respects to you both."

Master Huang smiled obsequiously, pushing Begonia Red, who had not yet removed her makeup, to the front.

Earlier, from across the stage, Shen Ruojin had only thought the performer’s figure was graceful and her appearance stunning. But now that the person was standing before her, she was actually half a head taller than herself.

Shen Ruojin had practiced martial arts since childhood, and her height was already considered quite tall for a woman. This Begonia Red was unusually tall, yet she was undeniably beautiful, without a single masculine feature.

Shen Ruojin walked forward slowly, lifted her hand to tilt Begonia Red’s chin, and scrutinized her for a moment. She then smiled, "Complexion like the spring dawn, face like a delicate flower—truly a rare beauty."

Before Begonia Red could speak, Master Huang spoke up with a smug face, "Isn't she? I’ve run this troupe for over thirty years, and she is the only star performer I’ve ever had..."

Begonia Red, being toyed with by the same gesture a dissolute noble might use on a respectable woman, kept her beautiful eyes fixed directly on Qin Lang. "I do not sell my body, nor will I be a concubine! The young Prince knows my heart. Please, say something."

Shen Ruojin withdrew her hand and looked back at Qin Lang. "Young Prince?"

Qin Lang’s expression was quite subtle. "What would you like me to say?"

Begonia Red looked on the verge of tears. "You promised me—that you wouldn't let anyone bully me, and you wouldn't force me to be a mistress..."

"Wait, don't cry just yet," Shen Ruojin interrupted at the right moment. "I have no intention of buying you as a slave, and I certainly won't force you to be a concubine."

Begonia Red was left stuck in the middle of her tears. "Then why did you buy the Fanghua Troupe?"

"To make money, of course," Shen Ruojin said without hesitation. "Rather than letting the young Prince throw money at others, it’s better to buy the Fanghua Troupe and let him spend money on his own business. That’s what we call keeping the fertile water within the family fields."