Translator – Xiao He Lian
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This is relatively a small chapter so I won’t separate it into two parts. [smiley face]
Chapter 11
“If you think so, that’s for the best.” After saying that, Lu Yan pushed away her hand that was holding the corner of his clothes.
At this time, Yang Zong knocked on the door outside, “Heir Apparent.”
“Come in.” Lu Yan said.
When Yang Zong saw Shen Zhen, he hesitated to speak, but Lu Yan had no intention of avoiding it and said directly: “Just say it here.”
Yang Zong nodded, “Since Liu Yu sent the money to the money shop, there was indeed no disturbance at first, but in the past two days, whether it is the red light district, the money shops, the wine shop, or the tea house, everyone was discussing the matter. This subordinate feel that someone is deliberately using hidden stakes to get information.”
“Where’s Liu Yu?”
“According to your instructions, he has gone to Qizhou in the opposite direction from Yangzhou.” Shen Hong was sent to Yangzhou, while Liu Yu, who went to pay back the money, went to Qizhou in order to confuse everyone else.
“Besides…yesterday, the Li family’s Madam also went to Baixiang Pavilion in West Market, and went back home before dark.”
Her elder sister went to the Baixiang Pavilion to find someone, and the people in this room knew who she was looking for from the bottom of their hearts.
Shen Zhen’s heart couldn’t help but twitch.
Her white jade hand clenched on the foot of the table. God knows how much she wanted to ask about Hong’er’s current situation and how much she wanted to assure her eldest sister that she was safe.
But she couldn’t speak.
There was no other reason. After parting with Hong’er that day, Yang Zong asked her to remember one thing – except for saving the life of the young master of the Shen family, she was not allowed to ask Lu Yan for anything in the future, including asking about the Shen family. If she broke the rule, she can just walk out of Chengyuan.
But how could she remain indifferent when heard these things today?
The tip of her nose felt sour and her vision blurred for a moment.
At this moment, Lu Yan seemed to sense something, he covered his chest and frowned at her.
He raised his hand and pinched Shen Zhen’s delicate chin and said slowly: “What did I tell you?”
Shen Zhen took a long breath and swallowed her tears.
****
There are four large golden nanmu screens in the clean room and the hot water flows from the bottom. After Lu Yan left, Shen Zhen sat in the barrel and soaked for a whole afternoon.
She waited until the water temperature cools down.
It only took one afternoon to go from being extremely aggrieved to completely calming down.
She stood up slowly, stepped out of the tub, and put on some clothes.
Mo Yue wanted to ask Shen Zhen if she needed more hot water but as soon as she entered the door, she couldn’t help but be choked by the sight in front of her.
At this moment, she understood why the heir apparent, who didn’t even have a concubine, suddenly avoided everyone and raised an outside mistress.
Her pair of long legs are white and slender and her deep waistline just highlights the tall and looming butterfly bones, as if they were carefully carved, making people understand how graceful they are at first sight.
Shen Zhen returned to the bed and sat down hugging her knees.
The faint moonlight passed through the window and covered her feet. With the silver light, Shen Zhen completely understood why Lu Yan wanted Yang Zong to say those words in front of her this morning.
One has to say, sometimes people grow up, overnight.
There is no such thing as good for no reason in this world. And no man would come to her house to spend the night for no reason.
It’s just that the Heir Apparent of Zhenguo Duke mansion is very noble. If he wants something, he will neither force anyone, nor condescend to coax anyone.
What’s more, she is neither his wife nor a concubine, just an outsider.
Thinking of this, Shen Zhen clasped her hands tightly, recalling all the events of yesterday as if she was enlightened.
It’s not that he didn’t give her a chance.
The first time he asked, “Did you also sleep in your coat when you were in the Marquis Mansion?”
The second time he asked, “Are you going to sit like this all night?”
Exactly twice.
It’s a pity that she didn’t understand anything last night and just wanted to get by. After hearing this, he just laughed and went to sleep.
He clearly did not allow her to ask about the Shen family’s affairs, but he deliberately asked Yang Zong to report the current situation in the capital in front of her. He did this, firstly, to let her see the current situation clearly for herself, and secondly, to let her know that he did not owe the Shen family anything, and she had no right to ask him to do anything.
But what he does going forward is up to her.
***
In the evening, Lu Yan got off duty and bent down to get into the carriage. Yang Zong lowered his head and asked, “Is the Heir Apparent going back to the mansion today or going to Chengyuan?”
Lu Yan lowered his eyes and put his index finger on his lips, “Go back home.”
Some people, naturally, have to be hung out to dry in order to wake up. What’s the point of doing this unwillingly? He doesn’t have any habit of forcing anyone.
But as soon as he returned home, he was not surprised to see the Meng family daughter.
Old Lady Lu and Madam Wen were playing chess in the pavilion next to the Yunlan Pond in the mansion, while Meng Suxi stood behind Old Lady Lu to help them. Looking from a distance, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
After a moment, it was Meng Suxi who raised her eyes and saw him first. She leaned forward and tugged on the corner of Madam Wen’s clothes, whispering: “Aunt, the Heir Apparent is back.”
Lu Yan has changed his attitude towards Meng Suxi recently, and everyone has seen it. Old Lady Lu thought that something good would happen soon, so she quickly waved her hand, “Yan’er, come here.”
Lu Yan walked over and greeted everyone one by one.
Meng Suxi looked at him with an indistinct timidity. The old lady smiled and said, “Yan’er, where were you yesterday?”
It was normal for officials to sleep out. Since he became an adult, his family rarely asked about these matters. After hearing this, Lu Yan asked without answering, “What’s the matter? Does grandma want something from this grandson?”
Old lady Lu glanced at Meng Suxi, and then said: “Yesterday, Suxi drew a new painting and was waiting to show it to you, but you didn’t come back. I think she’s been staring at the gate of the Zhenguo Duke Mansion all day.”
As soon as the words fell, Meng Suxi immediately blushed and said hurriedly: “Old madam, please don’t make fun of Suxi. Heir Apparent is busy with official duties. Suxi is extremely grateful for taking the time to give me some guidance. How dare I take up his time and annoy him.”
“Okay, then it seems that I am talking too much.” Old madam Lu said with a smile.
Meng Suxi smiled bitterly on the side, as if she is unable to wash herself clean even if she jumps into the Yellow River1(there’s nothing you can do to remove the stigma off your name).
Then he glanced at Lu Yan helplessly.
The afterglow of the setting sun hit the side of Lu Yan’s face. She has to say that his appearance was the most beautiful she had ever seen in her life. His eyes were deep and his nose was like a bridge. He was handsome in every aspect. Even though her mother had told him that a man with slightly thinner lips would not be able to love people but for her, his thin lips and cold eyes were alluring.
When she was playing chess with him two days ago, she saw him wearing white clothes, and slowly rolling a white piece between his fingers. She thought that if she could marry such a person, she would be willing to pour some affection into him.
Just when Meng Suxi thought Lu Yan was coming to rescue her, Lu Yan said, “This grandson is a little tired today, so I won’t disturb my grandmother and third aunt.”
Madam Wen said: “No one in this yamen has a leisurely job. Yan’er, you can keave.”
When she looked again, he had already left.
Meng Suxi’s eyes suddenly darkened.
One has to say that when a woman falls in love with a man, her confidence will be lowered and lowered involuntarily. Even the daughter of the Meng family, who is well-read in poetry and books, and has a pretentious attitude, was panicked at this time.
She was afraid that she might have offended him.
She looked back at Old Lady Lu and whispered, “Old madam Lu, can I go see him?”
It was her own child who gave the other girl a cold look, so Old Lady Lu could only nod her head, and pretended to be angry: “Go ahead, if he says something unpleasant, you come back and tell grandma and grandma will teach him a lesson for you.”
Meng Suxi smiled and said how could it be and then chased him out.
She quickly walked to his study, then gently knocked on the door, “Is the Heir Apparent inside?”
After waiting for a long time, she knocked again.
Lu Yan felt helpless and stood up to open the door, but he blocked the door and did not let her in. “Is something wrong, Miss Meng?”
Meng Suxi whispered: “Did Suxi just say something that made the Heir Apparent unhappy?”
Lu Yan looked at her and said slowly: “No, Miss Meng, don’t think too much about it.” Then he seemed to think of something again and said: “Also, there are many yamen submissions scattered in my study. So I can’t let outsiders in, please forgive me for asking Miss Meng not to step foot here in the future.”
Outsider.
Meng Suxi bit her lower lip.
Lu Yan raised his eyebrows and asked her, “Does Miss Meng have anything else to ask?”
Meng Suxi said: “No, please rest early.”
The study door slowly closed.
But just when he turned around, a faint scent of fragrance entered her nose, and Meng Suxi froze in an instant.
There were so many people just now, and most of them were women, so she didn’t pay attention at all. But now that they were alone, the fragrance weren’t either theirs or his.
He stayed out all night, so how could he have the scent of a woman?
