Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 22.1
It was a long night.
When Shen Zhen woke up, the nausea in her stomach finally subsided.
And she finally came to life.
Tangyue helped Shen Zhen wash and dress up. Today, she specially gave her a woman’s bun. Her snow-white neck was exposed, which added a touch of youthful charm to her.
Shen Zhen picked up her skirt and went downstairs. Halfway there, she happened to see Lu Yan talking to the young girl in the inn.
Today, he was wearing a long navy blue jacket with dark gold patterns and a jade crown on his head. Without his usual black color outfits, he does look a little less indifferent than usual.
The girl bent down and poured him a cup of tea.
Lu Yan’s eyes were deep and his tone was soft, “Thank you, Miss Zhuang.” This girl’s name is Zhuang Yue.
Being looked at by him like this, Zhuang Yue’s face immediately turned red, “Master Wei is a guest, there is no need to be so polite.”
Lu Yan curled his lips, lowered his eyes and stared at the tea cup in his hand, shook it gently, and took a sip.
After a moment, Zhuang Yue said: “Did Master Wei ask about the jewelry shop, wanting to buy some items for Miss Qin?”
Qin Rao is Shen Zhen’s pseudonym.
“Exactly.”
Zhuang Yue raised her hand to tuck the scattered hair on her temples and said softly: “Miss Qin is truly a fortunate person to be saved by you.” After a pause, she added: “How about this, when Miss Qin comes down later, I will show you the way?”
Hearing this, Lu Yan put down the tea cup and said, “I’m new here, and I don’t know much about this place, so I’ll be grateful if you can show us around.”
The shopkeeper on the side, Zhuang Yues’s mother, answered, “Young Master1(Gong Zi) Wei is very polite, but it just takes a little effort. When it comes to pearl hairpins, and other head accessories, Chunli Pavilion in Yangzhou is the best. …”
Shen Zhen listened to their conversation from the corner of the stairs and knew that he had already revealed his identity.
She recalled his instructions, coughed lightly, and walked out.
Zhuang Yue looked back –
When she heard the sound, she guessed that it was Miss Qin who had come down. She was about to see what kind of appearance she had and how much worse it was than her own, when Shen Zhen appeared in front of her.
Heavens, what kind of beauty is this?
Zhuang Yue’s eyes widened and she was momentarily speechless.
It has to be said that Shen Zhen has never lost in terms of appearance.
Her eyes are as clear as a clear spring between rocks, which makes people feel pity for them. But if you stare at her for a while, you will find that there is a hint of softness and charm hidden underneath her eyes.
With a pair of eyes as beautiful as this, who would dare to compare with her?
The mother and daughter were both embarrassed.
There are beauties everywhere in Yangzhou and there are also thin horses2(thin horses is a practice done in ancient Yanzhou where all the good-looking girls from poor families trained them, teaching them singing, dancing, playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and training them. When they grew up, they were sold to rich people as concubines or into the fireworks and willow alleys to make profits.) everywhere. But they never expected that Shen Zhen could be so beautiful.
Shen Zhen walked to Lu Yan’s side and whispered: “It’s all my fault that Rao’er got up a little late and kept you waiting.” Speaking of which, Shen Zhen is now incredibly thankful for the name Qin Rao, these two words for her, like a cloth that she can use to hide her shame.
Their eyes met, and Lu Yan had a charming smile in his eyes.
Such affectionate gazes couldn’t help but make him look different. Without that indifference and self-control, he seemed to have become the real Wei Huan, a rich kid who didn’t know the sufferings of the world.
“There is no harm in waiting a little longer.” He looked at her and said,
If Shen Zhen hadn’t clearly known his temper, she would have thought that the person in front of her was really a gentle man.
After a while, Zhuang Yue took them out of the inn and walked into the bustling market.
Yangzhou has been prosperous since ancient times.
In Luocheng, where they were located, there were countless beautiful buildings and various shops, including wine shops, medicine shops, cloth shops and pastry shops.
The streets were bustling with people and it was lively.
Although its prosperity cannot be compared with Chang’an, it is comparable to Luoyang and other places.
Less than a stick of incense away3(period of 30 min), Shen Zhen saw a black and gold plaque with two big characters written on it – Chunli Pavilion.
Before entering, Miss Zhuang specifically whispered, “The jewelry from Chunli Pavilion is very good, but it is a bit expensive.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the shopkeeper of Chunli Pavilion raised his head and glanced at them, then immediately bowed and came out to greet them: “Guests, are you waiting to go inside?”
“Let’s go.” Lu Yan said.
Once inside, Shen Zhen listened to the shopkeeper’s endless introduction, “These pearl hairpins at the bottom are all from the Western Regions and are goods from afar. The emerald hairpins and flower buds on this floor are from the capital. The earrings and necklaces on the top are made from local craftsmen in Yangzhou, I wonder which one the lady likes?”
The dazzling array of jewelry can indeed dazzle people.
If Shen Zhen was a girl who had never seen the world, she would probably be in awe, but she was not. Looking back a few months ago, she was still the legitimate daughter of the Yunyang Marquis Mansion.
Growing up, her parents had spoiled her, her grandmother had cared for her, and even her two older sisters had done everything for her. From the whole family, she has the highest monthly income.
The shopkeepers of the jewelry shops in Chang’an West City all burst into laughter when they saw her.
After a while, Shen Zhen picked out an emerald ear, held it to the sunlight outside and then said: “I see, this one is good.”
As soon as Shen Zhen made this move, the shopkeeper’s attitude immediately changed. He thought that she must be an expert if she could pick out the best jewelry from so many jewelry at a glance.
The shopkeeper quickly turned around and took out a dark purple box from under the cabinet.
The box slowly opened, and you could tell at a glance that the various jade stones inside were no regular jewelry. Although they all looked like jade, it was worlds apart from the previous jewelleries.
Shen Zhen was worrying about which ones to choose, when Lu Yan’s hand fell on her waist.
A deep voice came over her head, “Do you like it?”
