I'm competing with the male lead for a woman[GL]

Chapter 158: I did not kill your men

"Thank you for the Crown Prince's kind offer, but I'm not accustomed to wearing other people's clothes."

"Naturally, I wouldn't give you clothes worn by someone else."

Chu Shao smiled, "Imperial Brother, it's not that I'm not accustomed, but rather, I don't like wearing clothes given by others."

The term "Imperial Brother" stunned the Crown Prince.

At the same time, Xiao Jin, who was about to enter the room, also stopped in her tracks.

Although Xiao Jin had almost forgotten that in the original novel, Chu Shao was the female lead and the Crown Prince was the male lead, the fact that the former had probably lived for several lifetimes...

She felt that this address held a profound meaning.

Inside the Eastern Palace hall, the chief palace maid, Lianxin, stood by the Crown Prince's side, furrowing her brows.

Without waiting for the Crown Prince to speak, she reminded, "Your Highness, even though the Princess is the legitimate wife of Prince Yan, the Crown Prince is the heir to the throne of Qi Country. Your words and actions, being so unconstrained, are they not overly casual?"

Chu Shao looked at Lianxin, who was serving by the Crown Prince's side, and spoke with a smile, "Miss, it seems that you are speaking on behalf of your master. Perhaps you are even more casual than I am."

Lianxin was taken aback for a moment, intending to refute Chu Shao's words, but she quickly realized her mistake and understood that she had committed a grave offense.

She quickly knelt down, trembling with fear, and apologized, "Your Highness, I spoke without restraint. I deserve to die..."

"It's alright." The Crown Prince's face remained gentle, and his tone did not reveal any anger or joy. "As a small punishment, your monthly salary will be suspended for two years."

Xiao Jin, who was listening outside the door, couldn't help but twitch her eye at these words.

Who else could say something like deducting two years' salary so casually, except for a capitalist like the male lead?

However, Lianxin, who was being exploited by the capitalist, had to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

It seemed that there was a willing giver and a willing recipient in this situation.

After just punishing his palace maid, the Crown Prince turned to Chu Shao and said, "I made a mistake, causing amusement for Third sister-in-law."

Chu Shao merely smiled and did not respond, apparently lacking interest in conversing with the Crown Prince.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince changed the subject, "So, Third sister-in-law, are you still unwilling to tell me why you intercepted my men?"

"I did not kill your men."

Chu Shao frowned slightly. "I only killed a bandit who was robbing people and a girl who was trying to kill me."

"Is that so? But I saw with my own eyes as you threw them into the river."

"If you saw it with your own eyes, why didn't you step in to stop me?"

The Crown Prince glanced at the closed doors and smiled. "Once the person is already dead at your hands, what use would it be for me to stop you?"

Chu Shao made a gentle suggestion, "Why don't you retrieve the bodies from the river and carefully examine the wounds? Then you can determine if they were killed by me."

"Third sister-in-law, you jest. The current of the Qinglan River is swift. Unless a river god appears, who else can retrieve the bodies?"

"Then there would be no evidence."

The Crown Prince smiled and asked, "Are more than ten pairs of eyes witnessing it not considered evidence in your eyes?"

"They are all your people. If you consider them evidence, then naturally they are." In her words, Chu Shao was subtly mocking the Crown Prince for using his own people as evidence.

However, the Crown Prince was not annoyed and asked gently, "If I were to say that I have other witnesses, how would you explain that, Third sister-in-law?"

Chu Shao immediately understood who the Crown Prince was referring to as the witnesses.

The few escaped bandits.

But Chu Shao showed no fear at all, and even smiled. "In that case, I also have a question for you."

"Feel free to ask, Third sister-in-law."

"Why were your men passing through that place? Could it be that there was some important matter at hand?"

Of course, the Crown Prince wouldn't admit that those people were sent to monitor important court officials.

And Chu Shao's implication was that he deliberately sent people to pass through that place, framing and incriminating her.

But he couldn't possibly explain the reason for his subordinates passing through that area.

The Crown Prince smiled and found it somewhat interesting.

Outside the hall, Xiao Jin had actually thought about entering several times. However, the two experts inside were engaging in a lively and intense debate, effortlessly refuting each other without even needing to think.

Xiao Jin fell silent, feeling like an outsider.

Before this thought could linger for long, another voice was heard, "I also have a question. Why did Third sister-in-law pass through that cliff? And why did you happen to be there when the Third Brother entered the palace to pay respects?"

"Does the Third Brother know about this?"

Chu Shao looked at the Crown Prince's gentle and humble expression and seemed to see through a little trick, so she suddenly laughed, "Your Highness, do you think she will believe me or believe you in the end?"

Silence fell inside the hall.

The branch-shaped copper lamp rolled down some wax, and the sound of it dripping on the edge was particularly clear.

The Crown Prince stared at Chu Shao's eyes, carefully observing for a long time, and his smile on his face remained unchanged throughout.

After a moment, he shifted his gaze away and said in a gentle tone, "Third sister-in-law is the person whom the Third Brother holds dear, so naturally, she trusts you more."

However, soon after, the Crown Prince regained his usual composed tone, gently stroked the silver chopsticks placed on the bowl, and spoke warmly, "But, I wonder if the Princess has heard a saying."

"The more trust there is, the less it can withstand betrayal."

Chu Shao smiled and was about to reply when they heard the sound of the hall doors being slowly pushed open.

As expected, the familiar sound of wheels rolling over the tiles echoed.

A woman with black hair and dressed in black sat in a wheelchair. The jade ring on her finger gleamed under the illumination of the candles, emitting a faint coldness.

From a distance, it looked like an embedded flowery radiance.

Although Chu Shao wasn't surprised by Xiao Jin's sudden appearance here, what she said next completely caught her off guard.

Xiao Jin looked at the Crown Prince sitting in the high seat with no extra expression on her face and spoke in a detached tone, "Your Highness, you're mistaken. If I'm willing to believe someone, I've already prepared myself for betrayal."

"So, no matter what betrayal may come, I will believe in the Princess."

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Translator's note: "0" 

TO BE CONTINUE...