Zhen Huan thought about this and couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive.

Could it be that many things in life are already predestined?

Then, in this lifetime, she absolutely wouldn’t want the Guo Jun Wang!

Whether it was just a guess or if things truly turned out as she thought, Zhen Huan had decided that she could no longer let Guo Jun Wang be involved.

She instructed Liu Zhu to stay near the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall. If she saw Guo Jun Wang, she was to find a way to stop him from entering.

After changing into her dance attire, Zhen Huan made her way to the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall. As in her previous life, Shen Mei Zhuang played the qin, and An Lingrong sang.

Graceful like a startled swan, elegant like a swimming dragon…

Zhen Huan danced to the rhythm of the qin and song.

For a moment, the crowd was entranced, and the Emperor was no exception.

The Emperor had initially thought that the startled swan dance performed by Chun Yuan was already astonishing.

But after Zhen Huan’s improvement, the dance had reached new heights, surpassing the original in every way.

The Empress watched Zhen Huan, and her mind seemed to drift back to the time when she had been at the Yongqin Wang residence…

Back then, she was Yin Zhen’s side consort, and he doted on her dearly.

When she was pregnant, he had promised that if their child was a son, he would promote her to the position of the primary wife.

At that time, she had enjoyed her husband’s love, the joy of carrying a child, and the hope of changing her child’s status from illegitimate to legitimate—

She truly felt the sweetness of happiness!

But all of that vanished with the arrival of her sister, Chun Yuan.

While she was pregnant, her sister had climbed into her husband’s bed, stealing his heart and the position of the primary wife that should have been hers…

Later, when her sister fell ill, Yin Zhen sent all the imperial doctors to attend to her.

As a result, her child, on a stormy night, burned with an unrelenting fever and passed away despite all efforts.

How could she not feel hatred?

So, when she first saw Zhen Huan, she swore in her heart that she would never let her take everything that should have belonged to her, just like Chun Yuan had!

After the dance, Zhen Huan, Shen Mei Zhuang, and An Lingrong complemented each other beautifully, their coordination perfect.

Just as everyone was praising Zhen Huan’s dance, a familiar male voice came from outside the door:

“I’m still a step too late and missed out on such a wonderful dance by Guan Guiren. This is truly my regret!”

Zhen Huan bent slightly and performed a polite greeting, “Your Highness is too kind. This humble servant truly doesn’t deserve such praise.”

Guo Jun Wang wanted to say something else, but Zhen Huan quickly avoided him.

In this lifetime, she was somewhat puzzled as to why Guo Jun Wang always seemed to stare at her. Could it be that he also liked Chun Yuan?

Otherwise, why would he, in her previous life, have inexplicably kept a portrait of someone he didn’t even know?

Thinking of this, Zhen Huan didn’t dare think any further. She simply felt that something was off about Guo Jun Wang.

After the banquet finally ended, Zhen Huan, feeling unsettled, decided to take a walk with Liu Zhu. They happened to run into the Fourth Prince, who was planning to pay his respects to the Emperor.

Zhen Huan didn’t want to meet him so soon. In her previous life, he had sent Long Yue to the Zunghar for a marriage alliance, subjecting Long Yue to great humiliation. This grievance had always remained in Zhen Huan’s heart.

As they walked, they reached a small stream. Seeing that no one was around, Zhen Huan suddenly felt like playing in the water.

“Master, I won’t go down there. This dress is brand new. If it gets dirty, I’d be heartbroken!”

Liu Zhu looked at her clothes and said to Zhen Huan.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan immediately took the fan she was holding and splashed water on Liu Zhu.

“You’ll owe me two new dresses if that happens!”