She Holds the World After Being Reborn-Chapter 373 - 372: It’s Okay, Go Ahead and Be Arrogant

Huai Xinmei listened as Wu Zhen, that thieving bawd, spouted utter nonsense. In a fit of rage, she was about to step forward but was stopped by the iron sword at her throat. She grew increasingly anxious, her eyes reddening.

"It’s not like that, Crown Prince, I’m not insane!"

"Those who are insane always like to claim they’re not. Don’t let this woman get close to the Crown Prince and Her Majesty. Quick, seize her and take her away!" Chen Di, who had initially been on the outskirts, came in upon hearing the commotion inside, only to be confronted with the sight of Huai Xinmei, who had seemingly come back from the dead.

New grudges compounded with old ones, and this excited him beyond measure.

With a wave of his hand, his subordinates were about to move in and capture Huai Xinmei.

Should she fall into Chen Di’s hands, she feared her life would be worse than death.

Huai Xinmei panicked.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty!" Her expression was fragile, "It’s not true, I haven’t lost my mind; it’s just that they don’t want me to—"

"Huai Xinmei!" Suddenly, Wu Zhen sternly interrupted her, the look in his eyes full of warning.

Seeing the looks of hatred from Wu Zhen and everyone behind her, it seemed as though they all wished they could devour her then and there.

Huai Xinmei suddenly fell silent.

This return of hers was met with an entire city of enemies!

"Don’t want to let you what?" Xiao Pingfeng asked authoritatively.

Huai Xinmei looked at him, and a single, beautifully tragic tear fell from her eyes. She shook her head, "Nothing, it’s nothing."

Her weak voice, seemingly a mere breath, made her appear all the more helpless and pitiable. In contrast, Wu Zhen and her cohort seemed even more like bullies picking on the weak.

"Madam Wu sure carries great authority," Xiao Pingfeng remarked coolly upon observing the scene.

Wu Zhen trembled at the comment, quickly bowing her head to the ground, "Forgive me, Crown Prince, this humble wife has been presumptuous, in a moment of urgency I just..."

"Your Highness, please calm your anger. Look how terrified Madam Wu is. It seems she didn’t do it on purpose, likely worried that this mad girl would accost Your Highness. She was in a rush to deal with it before you noticed, but who would have thought the girl had quite the knack for causing trouble," Yan Wanqing spoke in defense of Wu Zhen, a rare occurrence.

This eased Wu Zhen’s anxiety, and she quickly agreed, "Yes, yes, what Her Majesty says is true, that’s exactly what I thought."

Xiao Pingfeng snorted coldly, "Do you take me for a fool? Just now, all of you were conspiring to capture this woman. It seems to me it’s not she who is insane, but all of you!"

When the Emperor is angry, everyone feels the chill. They all knelt down, "Forgive us, Your Highness!"

At this time, Huai Xinmei was still seated on the ground. Xiao Pingfeng walked over and looked down at her from above, "I will ask you once, are you insane or not?"

"I am not insane!" Huai Xinmei immediately replied.

"If you’re not insane, stand up and speak."

Huai Xinmei quickly got to her feet. The noble man stood before her; she barely reached his shoulders. It was their first meeting, yet he gave her a sense of security she desperately needed.

"Thank you, Crown Prince, for your grace!" Huai Xinmei immediately bowed and said, "I am the eldest daughter from the second branch of the Marquis Residence, Huai Xinmei, raised from childhood by the neighbors around me. There’s never been talk of the insanity my great aunt accuses me of, all of which is fact, Your Highness can verify this by sending someone to inquire."

"Then why do they claim you’re insane?" Xiao Pingfeng followed up, his dark eyes earnest.

Huai Xinmei’s peripheral vision caught Chen Di amongst the crowd, his face so dark it seemed ink could drip from it, and saw Wu Zhen trembling on the ground. She pressed her lips together.

To speak or not to speak?

Revealing the death of Huai Yu would implicate her too...

If it came to light that she had conspired with the entire Northern Border to cordon Yan Wanqing, then she would be dragging a host of people to their deaths.

She had returned with the determination to face death.

But at this moment, Huai Xinmei hesitated.

Because she saw Xiao Pingfeng.

This man stood at the pinnacle of the food chain, a figure of supreme nobility.

She longed to be looked at with such focused attention by such a man.

If she told the whole truth, she would become a prisoner, and he would likely never spare her another glance.

"Hmm?" Faced with Huai Xinmei’s hesitation, Xiao Pingfeng raised an eyebrow, "Do not be afraid, just speak. I will decide for you."

He said he would decide for her...

Huai Xinmei’s heart quivered.

"Perhaps some time ago, my great aunt wanted to force me to marry Chen Di from the City Lord Residence. I did not agree and we parted on bad terms. Hence, my great aunt has fabricated this lunacy to slander me at such an occasion."

Huai Xinmei weighed her words and spoke slowly.

A trace of coldness flickered through Xiao Pingfeng’s dark pupils.

The crowd, upon hearing her argument, breathed a sigh of relief, feeling sorry for Wu Zhen and Chen Di who had suffered a loss without recourse to protest.

To deny would have aroused the Crown Prince’s suspicion, to admit would have placed themselves in an untenable position.

Huai Xinmei, this despicable woman!

Chen Di clenched her fists, wishing she could smash them into the woman’s face the very next second.

How had she not realized before that this woman’s scheming was so profound?

Wu Zhen, gnashing her teeth, swallowed her pride: "This concubine is guilty, please punish me, Crown Prince!"

Yan Wanqing, standing aside, hadn’t expected Huai Xinmei to suddenly change her mind. The fists she had been clenching slowly began to loosen.

Just now, she and Xiao Pingfeng had played good cop and bad cop, aiming to have the opposing sides reveal the entire truth in their dispute, but she never anticipated that at a crucial moment, Huai Xinmei would change her statement.

Looking at her occasional infatuated glances at Xiao Pingfeng, Yan Wanqing snorted coldly in her heart.

Interesting.

Trying to compete with her for a man.

As if you’re even worthy.

"Your Highness—" Yan Wanqing suddenly spoke up.

Xiao Pingfeng immediately turned around, and Yan Wanqing took the opportunity to walk over and nestle into his embrace: "This is the Marquis Residence’s family affair, it would be better for us not to get involved."

"The consort is wise," Xiao Pingfeng said, going along.

Yan Wanqing, with her lips curled and eyes fox-like, surveyed Huai Xinmei from head to toe, and then suddenly covered her nose with her hand.

Huai Xinmei’s face turned pale, feeling a wave of humiliation wash over her from head to toe.

This favored consort had been taking Wu Zhen’s side since the beginning, with a few words managing to pull away the Crown Prince who had initially wanted to take charge for her. She was truly a thorn in the eye!

And now, to make such a gesture directly at her, Huai Xinmei’s hands clenched tightly, the sharp nails digging into her soft palm.

It hurt!

"What is the meaning of this, Your Grace?" she heard her own stiff voice.

Yan Wanqing did not conceal her disgust and didn’t answer Huai Xinmei. Instead, she turned coyly to Xiao Pingfeng, "My lord, I am tired and wish to go back to rest."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Pingfeng, with a wave of his hand, dismissed the banquet and walked out of the hall with her in his embrace.

He didn’t give Huai Xinmei another glance!

Huai Xinmei’s hands were trembling, and blood dripped from her palms onto the floor, in thick droplets that made a muted sound, so quiet only she could hear.

But soon, she curled her lips into a smile and lifted her eyes to their retreating backs.

The favored consort must be feeling threatened to target her, which was normal.

She too was a woman and would have done the same in such a situation.

Huai Xinmei released her palms, her eyes brimming with malice.

No matter, be arrogant for now.

It won’t be long before the person standing beside the Crown Prince will be replaced by me.

She had such confidence, for as long as she, Huai Xinmei, desired, no man could escape her grasp!

And what of the Crown Prince? It would just require a bit more effort.

As things had unfolded to this point, both Huai Xinmei and the Wu Family had escaped without punishment.

Wu Zhen, rubbing her knees, stood up from the ground and without a word, gave Huai Xinmei a hard slap!

The crisp sound echoed throughout the entire hall, and when she tried to land a second slap, Huai Xinmei caught it and returned a slap to Wu Zhen’s face.

Seeing Wu Zhen holding her face in disbelief, Huai Xinmei sneered.

"Did you really think I was Huai Yu, to endure your beating without fighting back?!"

She was certainly not the pushover that Huai Yu was!