Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 696 - 544: The Ninth Heaven

Shang Ruyi handed the hairpin to Tushere without a change in expression, and said, "Then take it back to her. It just fell outside the house."

Tushere hurriedly took it and put it away, saying, "Yes."

Afterwards, the two of them washed up and went to bed.

However, burdened with exhaustion, as they lay on the bed, sleep eluded them for a long time. Even when the third watch drum was struck outside, Shang Ruyi could still hear the clear and awake breathing of the person next to her.

She softly said, "You’re still not asleep."

Yu Wenye slowly turned his head, gazing at her bright eyes under the dim light, "Why aren’t you asleep either?"

Shang Ruyi softly said, "Do you think our plan this time will really work?"

Yu Wenye fell silent.

After a while, he said, "Are you worried because of that hairpin?"

"..."

Shang Ruyi bit her lower lip and nodded silently.

She understood very well that Yu Wenqian picking up that hairpin was the first misstep in their game.

That was a hairpin Wo Xue often wore, but she usually wouldn’t go to the place where Yu Wenqian operated. Moreover, the entire day she had been busy with Shang Ruyi in Changle Square.

The only place the hairpin could have fallen and been picked up by Yu Wenqian was Yanzuo Square.

In other words, she had followed that middle-aged man into Yanzuo Square, clearly seeing those administering medicine in the square, and picking up the purse belonging to "Guanghan Guest" that was dropped by the middle-aged man.

And Yu Wenqian, although not familiar with Wo Xue, lived in the Duke Mansion. Shang Ruyi was certain, with his keen sense, he surely knew the owner of this hairpin, otherwise he wouldn’t willingly return it to her.

Which means—Yu Wenqian knows they know.

But his actions mean much more than that.

He not only knows they know, he’s also letting them know that he knows they know...

This is why Shang Ruyi felt unsettled.

Aside from knowing he holds all the cards, stable enough—not facing defeat even when revealing his hand to his opponents, she truly couldn’t fathom what kind of mindset would lead Yu Wenqian to return that hairpin.

Probably, it’s just—an attitude of watching the show.

At this thought, Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but shake her head internally.

Impossible!

What they are fighting for is not just the lives of patients in the East and West cities, but also the "great reward" spoken of by Yu Wenquan, which everyone knows is the future possible Crown Prince!

Could he really dare to have such a watching-the-show attitude?

Thinking about this made Shang Ruyi even more confused, though they had long known what they needed to do, yet Yu Wenqian’s small gesture made her start to doubt.

Seeing the wrinkles of worry forming on her brow, Yu Wenye let out a deep breath and said, "Actually, even without that hairpin, do you think elder brother wouldn’t know we’re suspicious of him?"

"..."

"No one believes that batch of medicine was sold to Xing Yuan for no reason."

"..."

"Not only does elder brother not believe, father might not believe it either, and they certainly wouldn’t believe that the two of us would allow someone to sell high-priced medicine amid the epidemic in the city."

"..."

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, nodded silently—true, she knew neither Yu Wenqian nor Yu Wenquan believed it, and the reason they didn’t question further was simply tacit understanding.

In other words, their current situation is that Yu Wenqian knows they want to draw out the person behind him.

And they also know Yu Wenqian wishes to hide the existence of that person.

At the same time, they must quickly clear the epidemics in their jurisdiction to compete for the "great reward" Yu Wenquan mentioned.

This is like an invisible chess game, where the only visible players are each other, but behind each stands six-arm, three-headed monstrosities wielding weapons, waiting to swallow each other, one rising as the other falls.

So, the words spoken by Shen Wuzheng during the day were correct.

What they face might be someone with foreknowledge, and knowing less than the opponent means having to think more deeply and comprehensively to respond effectively.

Shang Ruyi softly said, "I understand..."

|

In the blink of an eye, several days passed.

After days of searching, no new patients appeared in the marketplaces of the East and West cities, and the spread of the epidemic in the city was temporarily brought under control.

But the cure of more than five thousand patients in Changle Square and Yanzuo Square became the biggest issue at hand.