Chapter Eleven: The Unmarried Wife of Rong Wang

  "Think again, you really don't remember anything except this tree?" Shen Yuqing looked at the drawn tree with some helplessness. How could there be such a tree in the world? A tree as big as five people's arms around, with silver leaves that shone brightly. He sighed and ordered someone to take away the drawing, regardless of whether she was telling the truth or not. His goal was only to investigate her true identity, not really to help her recall her past. It would be enough to slowly send someone to find that tree.

  "Sister said that there is only this, why cheat you." Le Er sat on the chair with her legs crossed, rolling her eyes at Shen Yuqing. Don't know why, but he didn't like looking at this person.

  "Sister, shall we go out and have some fun? I heard it's lively outside. Sister, sister, good sister~" Le'er jumped over happily, hugging Xing Yan's arm, and affectionately cooed.

  "This..."

  "The streets of Ning City are indeed bustling. Since Le'er young master wants to go, I'll accompany you all to take a stroll around. Let me fulfill my duty as the host."

  As soon as they left the palace, Le'er was like a sparrow released from its cage, running and jumping around everywhere. One moment she would look at the silk being sold on this stall, and the next she would play with the toys being sold on that stall, having the time of her life. Zhi Yan looked at these things with some curiosity as well; everything on the street was something she had never seen before, and it all felt especially fresh. Shen Yuqing was also happy to act as a guide, patiently explaining everything they saw to Zhi Yan.

  A few people were walking and chatting, but suddenly stopped and stared at the vendor selling sugar gourds. Shen Yuke followed her gaze and smiled lightly, "Miss is interested in this, it's..."

  "Candied hawthorn... " Xing Yan murmured to herself, staring blankly at the strings of bright red candied hawthorns, feeling as though something warm was about to emerge from her heart.

  The vendor selling sugar gourds also saw them and quickly ran to the front of several people, smiling obsequiously at Shen Yuke, "This gentleman, would you like to buy a string of sugar gourds for your wife?"

  "I'll take all your sugar gourds, but this lady is not my wife."

  The little peddler ended up with a glittering ingot of gold and ran off in delight. Seeing Zhi Yan still standing there in a daze, Shen Yuqing took down a string from the grass mat and waved it back and forth in front of her, "Here, for you."

  She lifted her head, numbly accepted it, and looked at Shen Yuqing's faint smile. The corners of her eyes inexplicably left tears. Shen Yuqing's figure and voice suddenly overlapped with someone in her memory.

  "Here, take it."

  "What is this? So beautiful."

  "This is called sugar gourd, it's edible."

  "Mmm... so sweet, really delicious."

  "If you like it, I'll buy some for you next time I go to the human world. Look at you eating, your face is all sticky with syrup." The person stretched out their hand and gently wiped away the sticky sugar on her face with a handkerchief.

  "Miss Zhiyan, Zhiyan? You... why are you crying?" Shen Yuke looked at her with concern, took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears on her face. "You..."

  The demon's errand boy, Zhixian, lightly grasped his hand, and he was stunned, not knowing what to do. After a long time, Zhixian finally came back to himself, also startled by his own actions.

  "Sorry, I..." Yan lowered her head, entangled in what to say next, she really was unconscious, it really wasn't intentional disrespect.

  "It's nothing," Shen Yuqing smiled lightly. "I saw you've been dazing off just now, did you remember something?"

  She nodded slightly, with a weak smile, "It seems that someone had also bought this for me before, and that person seemed to be very important to me." She walked forward slowly, holding the sugar gourd, her figure having a hint of sorrowful and desolate beauty. Shen Yuke raised her right hand, on which still lingered the chilly feeling of her fingers. Could it be that she was really wrong? Was she not someone sent by Sixth Brother after all?

  Shen Yuqing kept staring at Zhi Yan, completely unaware that a little girl had been secretly following them and quickly left after seeing the scene just now.

  Just as the three of them returned to the mansion, a guest arrived at Rong Wang Fu. The originally quiet Rong Wang Fu suddenly became busy and lively. Zhi Yan asked the maid sent by Shen Yuqing and only then did she know that it was Shen Yuqing's fiancée, Liu Biyu, who had come. She was going to be the future mistress of Rong Wang Fu, so naturally no one dared to show any neglect.

  "Sister, can I go and take a look, see if I can help with anything?" Le Er looked at Zhi Yan pitifully, but was firmly rejected by her.

  She pinched Le'er's face, smiled slyly and said, "No way, what can you do if you go? It's already good that you don't cause trouble. You want to join in the fun, don't think I don't know. Can't you just stay here with me obediently? If you leave, I'll be bored too. Besides, we're guests, and when the host has other guests, we can't go disturb them."

  "But aren't we bored counting fish here too?" Le Er said with a resentful face, and with a flick of her hand, a pink magnolia flower appeared out of thin air. "Sister, I'll just go take a look, or else we can go together, I promise I'll be as obedient as a little rabbit."

  Le Er was being coquettish on this side, while not far away, Shen Yuqing and a woman in blue were slowly walking towards them. The woman in blue had a shy smile on her face, full of happiness, but Shen Yuqing's face remained stern, responding to the woman's words with a mixture of yeses and nos.

  "That's going to be Rong Wang's future daughter-in-law? How ugly!" Le Er exclaimed, pointing at Liu Biyu with a look of excitement.

  "Is there anyone who is not ugly in your eyes?"

  "No choice, who made them all less beautiful than me, and even less beautiful than sister."

  “……”

  Shen Yuqing and Liu Biwu walked shoulder to shoulder towards the pavilion where they were, looking at Zhi Yan, their facial expressions suddenly became gentle, and a warm light also appeared in their eyes.

  "Yan'er, this is Biyu. Biyu, this is Yan'er, and this is Yue'er, who are guests at my residence."

  When Shen Yuqing called him so intimately, the back of his head felt cool and he dryly laughed twice, turning his head to the side.

  Liu Biwu smiled slightly and bowed to Zhi Yan and Le Er. Zhi Yan was a bit flustered, awkwardly holding onto Le Er's hand, looking at Shen Yuke with pleading eyes. Good heavens, she had never experienced anything like this before, who knew what to do?

  Liu Biwu saw that Zhi Yan had no reaction, and looked at Zhi Yan holding Le Er's hand again. A hint of disdain flashed in her eyes. The etiquette of the Qi State has always been strict, and those who do not understand etiquette have always been despised by others. In public places, it is even more unacceptable to hold a man's hand openly. Zhi Yan was new to the world and did not understand these things, but for people other than Shen Yuqing, it was really intolerable.

  "How did you and Le Er end up here?"

  "Am I...not allowed to come here?"

  "It's just a bit strange that since you came here, you've been basically staying in your room and not coming out, but today you actually have the interest to come to the garden for a stroll, it really caught me off guard."

  "You... aren't you always referring to yourself as 'this king'?"

  "You and I are already so familiar, yet inevitably a bit awkward. Besides, don't you think this is good?" Shen Yuqing leaned in closer, her radiant smile making Zhi Yan feel somewhat endangered.

  "Haha... okay, pretty good. Le'er, aren't you sleepy? Go back to sleep now." Zhi Yan felt that the atmosphere around her was a bit subtle, and she thought it would be better to leave quickly before something bad happened, so she dragged Le'er away from this place of gossip.

  "Sister... sister... I... I when... ah! I'm sleepy, I'm really sleepy... sleep, sleep... zzz..."

  Although Zhi Yan was not familiar with worldly affairs, she could clearly feel that Shen Yuqing seemed to dislike his fiancée and even had some resistance. His actions today were just trying to annoy Liu Biyu and make things difficult for her. Her impression of Liu Biyu must be very bad.

  "Miss Zhiyan."

  "Ah? Miss Liu, is there something I can help you with?"

  Liu Biwu was indeed a beautiful woman, not only born with a beauty that could shame the flowers, but also elegant in every move she made. Such a woman would make even Yan look twice, it's really unknown why Shen Yuke didn't have any feelings for her.

  "I'm not a person who likes to beat around the bush. Although it's a bit embarrassing to say, I have to remind you, miss."

  "Reminder?" Zhi Yan was somewhat perplexed.

  "I hope you stay away from Wang Ye."

  "Huh?"

  "He is the high and mighty Prince of Qi, the current emperor's most trusted younger brother. You are not even from the same social class, it's impossible for you to be together, let alone I already have a marriage arrangement with the prince." Liu Biyu stared tightly at Zhi Yan's eyes, her face having a faint blush. She didn't want to say these words, an unmarried woman saying such things would make people think what. But the servant girls in the mansion saw Prince Rong and a woman being intimate on the street and told their parents, her mother forced her to come here and tell Zhi Yan clearly."

  Zhi Yan finally understood what was going on after listening for half a day, and it turned out that she was afraid of stealing her future husband. "I don't like Rong Wang, why should I be with him? Miss Liu seems to have worried too much, the king just saw me pitifully and wanted to help me find my family, there is no overstepping between us."

  Liu Biwu's expression softened a bit, and she had a hint of relief. She looked like a naive young girl, "I didn't mean anything else, I hope you don't mind. I've liked the prince since I was little, this feeling, this waiting no matter how bitter it is, nobody knows. To be with the prince, no matter how much effort I put in, I think it's worth it."

  Is this really love? I don't know what Yun Jing's feelings for Qing Yuan were like at the time. The book says that one envies the mandarin ducks but not the immortals, love... what kind of feeling is it after all...

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