Chapter 5: Double Rebirth (5)

Jiang Jiang liking his appearance—this was supposed to be a good thing.

But there were too many cases where affection faded as beauty waned, making Lu Zheng feel uneasy.

His mother, the imperial consort, had once been a beauty known throughout the land and was favored by the emperor. Even as a commoner, after giving birth to a prince, she was granted the title of consort.

Her beauty had brought her fortune, but without the means to protect it, that same beauty became her downfall.

When the fickle emperor found a new favorite, she wept night and day. The jealous consorts who had once envied her accused her of an affair with a palace guard.

The look of distrust in the emperor’s eyes drove her to collapse.

In the end, she chose to hang herself in front of her young son.

No matter how hard he begged her not to leave, her fragile, beautiful life ended in the most brutal way—burned into Lu Zheng’s memory.

Because of this, Lu Zheng despised anyone who commented on his appearance.

But Jiang Jiang was different.

When she said she liked how he looked, her gaze was clear and untainted.

And it was exactly because of this that Lu Zheng was terrified—terrified some scumbag would lure her away.

Ji Jin watched his master flip through his treasured collection of romance novels. Despite the secondhand embarrassment, he also felt a hint of pride. “Go ahead, Your Highness. Not a single dud in there—they’re all carefully chosen gems!”

Lu Zheng frowned. “Why are they all about seductive demonesses falling for scholars?”

Ji Jin: “Huh?”

Lu Zheng pressed, “It’s corrupting! Go find ones about couples slowly falling in love after marriage, discovering each other’s good qualities.”

Ji Jin: “…Why do I feel like you’re just describing yourself?”

With a deadpan expression, Ji Jin said, “Everyone likes good looks, men or women. The kind of story you want—no one writes those.”

But as it turned out, such stories did exist. They just didn’t sell well.

Jiang Jiang stared at the fresh batch of unfamiliar-themed romance books in front of her, then glanced at Lu Zheng, who wore a smug expression like he expected praise. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

“…Actually, I’m not very interested in these kinds of stories…”

Lu Zheng looked instantly wounded.

He wore such a pitiful expression that Jiang Jiang felt like she was bullying him.

She quickly added, “If Your Highness has time, perhaps you could help me find some travelogues? I enjoy reading those.”

Only then did Lu Zheng return to normal, softly agreeing.

Since his rebirth and meeting Jiang Jiang, his influence had grown at a much faster pace. Even with the advantage of reincarnation, his rivals were not to be underestimated.

And the emperor never favored him to begin with.

In order to speed things up, he had been working late into the night. Fearing the chill would disturb Jiang Jiang’s sleep, he’d been sleeping in the study.

Today, he had managed to finish early and was now snuggled against Jiang Jiang on a soft couch.

He rested his chin gently atop her head, arms wrapped around her slender waist, nuzzling her like a satisfied cat. Jiang Jiang was reading a travel journal when she suddenly felt a chill on her neck—Lu Zheng’s hair ribbon had come undone, and his cold hair slipped down her collar.

“Don’t move…” he mumbled, fingers twirling a strand of her hair. “Let me hold you a little longer.”

The candlelight cast shadows of his thick lashes on his cheeks.

Jiang Jiang turned her head slightly and realized he had his eyes closed. The corners of his mouth, always tense, were now soft and relaxed. The tiny red mole at the corner of his eye glowed like a little bean in the warm light.

As if bewitched, she slowly reached out to touch it. But just as her fingers were about to graze the mole, her wrist was caught.

“Peeking at me?” Lu Zheng’s eyes had opened at some point, gleaming with mischief. Before she could respond, he scooped her up by the waist and placed her on his lap.

Jiang Jiang let out a yelp, the travel journal falling to the floor with a “thud.” Lu Zheng laughed and bumped her nose with his own. “My lady likes my looks so much—why don’t you look at me more often?”

He tilted his head back, letting the flickering candlelight fully illuminate his features. From this angle, he looked breathtakingly handsome. The red mole at the corner of his eye was almost blinding.

Jiang Jiang’s ears turned bright red. She tried to avoid his gaze, but he cupped the back of her head.

His breath brushed her lips, soft and teasing. “What does Jiang Jiang like best about me? Is it… here?” He traced his fingertip along the corner of his eye. “Or here?” He lightly brushed over his pale lips.

To Jiang Jiang, he now looked like a seductive fox spirit stealing people’s essence.

She was so exhausted she could fall asleep the moment she touched the bed. Meanwhile, he still had energy to spare.

The wedding leave lasted only ten short days. In a blink, Lu Zheng had to return to court.

Seeing how worn out he looked, Jiang Jiang offered to help manage the household accounts.

As she was flipping through the ledgers, her maid Fengxin came rushing back with juicy gossip. “Prince An just came to the manor to propose marriage.”

Jiang Jiang nodded calmly, without much of a reaction.

But Fengxin was more agitated. “Eldest Miss is just too stubborn. She insists on marrying Prince An. Now people are saying that the Prime Minister favors the Sixth Prince and offered his daughter to him.”

Allying with a prince was a sensitive matter—especially when the current emperor was still in his prime.

Jiang Jiang’s marriage to the Ninth Prince had stirred only minor pity, as most believed he was crippled and had no hope of ascending the throne.

But the Sixth Prince, Prince An, was different. His mother was the favored Noble Consort, and he often impressed in court with sharp insights. He had many supporters behind him.

Now, if he secured the Prime Minister’s backing, it could shift the political winds entirely.

But in the previous life, Prime Minister Jiang had never betrayed Lu Zheng. In this life, it was even less likely.

So Jiang Jiang wasn’t worried.

The Prime Minister would surely keep his distance from the Sixth Prince to avoid raising the emperor’s suspicion.

After court, Lu Zheng also brought up the matter with Jiang Jiang. His eyes locked on her face as he said, “They’re all saying the two Jiang sisters have the same status but live very different lives.”

Jiang Jiang looked into his eyes—those enchanting phoenix eyes full of pain and inner turmoil.

He was afraid she thought the same.

She reached out and gently touched his cold cheek. Clearly, he had rushed home after court. Her heart ached as she used her hand to warm his face.

“Life is something you live for yourself,” she said softly. “It’s not defined by what others say.”

Lu Zheng leaned into her palm. “I understand. I’m just afraid some idiot will run their mouth and upset you.”

Jiang Jiang smiled and tilted her head, coaxing, “Then my dear husband better work hard—shut them up for me.”

Seeing that she hadn’t blamed him for the differences between her and her sister, Lu Zheng felt his heart melt from her warmth.

“Believe in me, Jiang Jiang,” he said, lifting his eyes. His gaze sharpened like a blade, turning seven parts of his beauty into something ten parts dangerous. “Just give me time. I’ll make sure no one in this world dares speak ill of you.”

At that moment, he looked like a freshly unsheathed sword.
And only Jiang Jiang dared to place her hand on its edge.

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Jiang Yun finally got her wish and became Lu Mingxuan’s official wife.

In this life, he treated her more gently.

The only thing that bothered her was his constant probing about her father’s attitude.

Still, Jiang Yun felt that her life was otherwise flawless.

She once told Lu Mingxuan, “I believe in your talent. Even without my father’s help, you can take the throne.”

At first, Lu Mingxuan thought she was just being polite. Why would he marry a wife whose family held no power?

But when he realized that his new father-in-law truly wouldn’t back him…

He shifted his gaze—
To Jiang Jiang.