Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 37.1
The sun was shining brightly and the blue waves were rippling.
Lu Yan, who woke up, sat in the cabin, holding his forehead with one hand, turning his head to look at Shen Zhen, who was almost naked and then his heart tightened again.
There was silence all around, but the two sentences she said in the dream came to his ears——
“It’s my fault, I was ignorant.”
“My Lord, today is the seventh day of March, and is the death anniversary of my mother.”
When Lu Yan woke up from the dream and looked at her, his heart suddenly felt extremely miserable.
It is said that bystanders know better, and this is true. When he looked at himself and her in his previous life from the perspective of an onlooker, he could completely guess how desperate she must have been when she said those two sentences.
Lu Yan took a deep breath and pressed his forehead irritably.
By the time Shen Zhen opened her eyes, Lu Yan had already put on his clothes and returned to his usual elegant and charming appearance. Shen Zhen didn’t drink too much yesterday, so it wasn’t considered a hangover, so she knew exactly what happened.
However, without the protection of the night and the smell of alcohol, yesterday’s events became unbearable to remember.
Shen Zhen clutched the corner of her clothes and couldn’t help but reflect on herself: Shen Zhen, Shen Zhen, you have lived in the Marquis Mansion for more than ten years. Have your reserve and education been thrown into the lake to feed the fish?
One has to say that when people feel guilty, they can’t help but recall the people they respect the most. So, an idea automatically appeared in Shen Zhen’s mind – if her eldest sister knew what she was like…
I’m afraid I will be beaten into a meat pulp.
Lu Yan looked down at the worried and distressed expression on the little girl’s face. How could he not know what she was thinking?
He sat down, reached out and patted her buttocks, “It’s time to get up.”
Shen Zhen couldn’t help but harrumph at his actions but her beautiful eyes kept avoiding looking at him.
On the other hand, Lu Yan stretched out his hand and repeatedly rubbed Shen Zhen’s slender ankles, with a faint smile on his lips, as if to say: Yesterday, when you put both feet on my shoulders, you didn’t seem to be so shy. .
Shen Zhen still didn’t look at him.
Lu Yan had no choice but to reach out and hug her but Shen Zhen’s legs were still hurting. When he touched her, she couldn’t help but let out a “hiss” sound.
He rubbed her messy hair, frowned and said, “Does it hurt so much? Let me see.” After that, he pulled her knee with a serious expression.
Shen Zhen was shocked by his action and immediately moved his hand away, bent down to pick up the long garment that had fallen aside and hurriedly put it on herself, doing the whole thing in one go, “I’m fine, My Lord. “
Seeing her like this, Lu Yan didn’t force him, so he let go, “Then sit up straight and I’ll help you tie up your hair.” There was no comb in the boat, but fortunately Shen Zhen’s hair was smooth and shiny, so it wouldn’t get tangled. Lu Yan smoothed it twice casually and then it returned to its satin-like appearance yesterday.
Lu Yan was honestly helping her but every time his fingertips passed through her hair and touched her scalp, she felt a tingling sensation in her heart.
After Lu Yan helped her get ready, he asked her in a calm tone: “Are you hungry?”
Shen Zhen turned around and looked at his clear and solemn face, and suddenly understood the truth. Most men who looked serious on the surface were not trustworthy.
Her gaze changed and immediately aroused the man’s dissatisfaction.
Lu Yan sneered coldly: “Why do you look at me like that?” Shen Zhen’s eyes could not hide anything, and he could read the words of her slander.
Shen Zhen quickly looked away and whispered: “No, I am indeed hungry.”
The boat slowly docked and Lu Yan took Shen Zhen off the boat.
There are many restaurants near Twenty-Four Bridge, but the most famous one is Qiuying Tower.
The meals in Qiuying are not only delicious, but also exquisite and interesting. Even a bowl of very ordinary white porridge will be decorated with seasonal flowers, making people feel happy. Of course, the price of such a bowl of white porridge is three times that of an ordinary porridge shop.
Although some people say that the things in Qiuying Tower are flashy, this does not affect the large number of children from wealthy families who come here to visit.
After entering Qiuying Tower, Shen Zhen followed Lu Yan to the wing on the second floor.
Maybe she was really too tired from last night, but she couldn’t help but slow down when going up the stairs. The man looked back at her, feeling guilty, so he came to help her waist.
Shen Zhen quickly patted the back of his hand. Now that she is dressed as a man, isn’t he afraid of provoking criticism by doing such a thing?
Lu Yan tightened his hands and said calmly: “Whoever wants to see it can see it.” He was a person who never cared about other people’s opinions.
After Shen Zhen sat down, she heard the shopkeeper yelling from the side: “The second floor wing, greeting distinguished guests.”
In a short while, twelve types of dishes of different sizes appeared in front of Shen Zhen. As the saying goes, a gold cup holds expensive wine, and a jade plate is filled with delicious food worth tens of thousands1(describes the scene as very grand). The sweet and sour fish dish at Qiuying Tower is all served on a jade plate with carps leaping over the dragon gate2(According to ancient legends, the Yellow River carp will become a dragon if it jumps over the dragon gate / In the metaphor, promotion, promotion, and so on, are so prosperous / It is also a metaphor for advancing against the current and working hard).
Even Shen Zhen, who had no appetite when she woke up early in the morning, also brightened up.
Lu Yan watched the wooden chopsticks in her hand moving constantly and couldn’t help but think of how picky she was before, she was indeed a glutton.
After a while, the wooden chopsticks stopped.
When Shen Zhen saw him stop eating, she felt embarrassed to continue eating. She looked at the brown sugar cake, drunken shrimp and taro flour balls that had not been touched much, and said angrily: “I’ve finished eating too.”
Lu Yan saw through her and said, “Eat as much as you like. It’s almost time for us to leave.”
Shen Zhen couldn’t help but pause when she heard his words “It’s almost time to leave”. She knew that this “It’s time to leave” didn’t mean leaving the restaurant, but that they were leaving Yangzhou.
The two walked out of Qiuying Tower and looked for a carriage.
On the way back to Heron Garden, Shen Zhen stretched out her hand to lift the curtain on the carriage and looked back at the lively streets and alleys of Yangzhou. It was beautiful here, but she didn’t belong here.
Lu Yan glanced at her, then turned the ring in his hand and said, “Do you like it here?”
His voice was so soft that Shen Zhen almost didn’t hear it clearly. After a moment of reaction, she said “hmm”.
It is true that Shen Zhen doesn’t like Yangzhou very much. No matter how prosperous Yangzhou is, what does it have to do with her? It’s just that this “free” day gave her, a noble young lady from Chang’an who was about to “drown”, a moment of respite.
Lu Yan stretched out his hand to smooth the broken hair from her temples, and then said: “In another year, I may have to go out again and then I’ll take you to see other places.”
As soon as the words fell, Shen Zhen’s heart suddenly froze. She didn’t dare to show resistance, so she could only smile back and follow his words: “Where will you go, My Lord?”
