Chapter 309 Returning the Painting

Zhou Zhining couldn't enter the Duke's mansion, but she could imagine Zhan Xingzhuo in that courtyard, looking at the old objects and scenes, reminiscing about the warmth he shared with Yao Qingling.

Even though she had become his bedmate, his heart belonged to another woman!

Zhou Zhining clutched her chest, feeling suffocated.

Seeing this, Zhiyue helped her up: "Miss, are you alright?"

Zhou Zhining took a deep breath and shook her head: "Let's go to the shop first."

There are winners and losers in everything. Let Yao Qingling be smug for a while. She will definitely make her wish she were dead!

Just wait a little longer, there will be news soon.

...

The imperial court was in an uproar over Yao Qingling, and the news spread quickly.

Guests from all directions flocked to see what this legendary woman who was said to have stirred up trouble looked like, and how she could be a noblewoman on one hand, and cause men to quarrel over her on the other.

With the public's exaggerated portrayal, Yao Qingling was quickly being turned into a femme fatale.

Qingling was extremely annoyed.

The shop was doing well, but she didn't want to attract such attention.

Now that the storm has passed and Qingling has benefited, she should keep a low profile.

As the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind. When her negative reputation overshadows her public image, and people think that she only has the wild charm of royal power and wealth, her "protective charm" becomes ineffective.

"Who is trying to harm me like this?" Yao Qingling took a sip of tea, pondering the person and purpose behind this strange wind.

Lou Yue said, "Hey, why think so much? Anyway, now that Miss is making more money, we can open more shops and make even more money."

Yao Qingling slowly skimmed the tea foam. Reminded by those words, she looked at Lou Yue and said, "I understand."

"What do you understand, Miss?"

Qingling placed the teacup on the table, stood up, and paced back and forth in the flower hall: "I want to obtain the official rice shop management rights, which means... I can buy and sell the imperial grain. In this way, I won't have to buy grain from landlords and won't have to worry about them raising rice prices. However, if the impression I leave on the emperor and officials is... that I'm deeply involved in romantic entanglements, they will think that I'm just a flirtatious, low-class woman."

Xia Chan frowned: "That's too mean."

Qingling waved her hand: "It's nothing. I was the one who found eight matchmakers and kept men before."

Her original intention in doing all this was to make the Grand Princess abandon her, but every coin has two sides. At that time, she didn't think about doing anything big; she was only focused on severing ties with Zhan Xingzhuo. Now, she's being used by someone else.

"Then, Miss, are we just going to ignore this?" Lou Yue asked.

Xia Chan sighed: "The rumors are spreading like wildfire right now. Unless Miss gets married now and never appears in public again, she can only live as a housewife."

"That won't do!" Lou Yue objected immediately.

As the two were discussing their options, the gatekeeper came in to announce, "Miss, Minister Zhan is outside requesting an audience."

Lou Yue jumped up in anger: "How dare he show his face? If he hadn't mentioned it to the Emperor, how could Miss have been the subject of gossip?"

Yao Qingling glanced at her: "He's a high-ranking official, and you're just a maid. Do you want to die?"

Lou Yue bit her lip, looking displeased.

Qingling walked out of the flower hall and met Zhan Xingzhuo in the main hall of the courtyard.

When the two met again, Yao Qingling said calmly, "Aside from that painting, I have nothing to say to you."

Zhan Xingzhuo was immediately annoyed by her arrival, and a hint of gloom appeared on his calm face.

He didn't say anything, but gave a wink, and Minglu handed over the scroll with both hands.

Yao Qingling picked up the painting and subconsciously opened it, but then, realizing that the content was no longer something they could appreciate together, she hesitated for a moment and put it down.

She didn't see the fleeting nervousness in Zhan Xingzhuo's eyes when she hesitated.

Qingling, holding the painting, said, "The painting has been delivered; you can leave now."

Zhan Xingzhuo could no longer tolerate it: "Yao Qingling, I am your husband, can't you be a little more polite to me?"

Minglu chimed in sarcastically, "That's right. With just a word from you, Second Master turned his house upside down and even went back to the Duke's mansion to find it for you. You know the relationship between Second Master and the Duke. But you, you come and then tell people to leave, not even giving them a cup of tea."

Yao Qingling looked at Minglu and smiled: "Minglu, your second master is trying every trick in the book to get me to go back with him and live the old life. But look, he can't even find a painting, and he has to go back to the Duke's mansion to look for it."

"Do you think I should be angry or happy? I should thank him for taking the time to find a painting for me?"

Minglu puffed out his cheeks: "In short, you shouldn't have treated Second Master like that."

How could a high and mighty man be ordered around by a lowly woman like her?

Qing Ling sneered and glanced at Zhan Xingzhuo: "Fine, then you can stay here for a cup of tea before you leave?"

She called her maid to prepare two cups of tea, and then turned and left.

I'm not playing along anymore.

After taking a few steps, Qingling remembered something and turned to Zhan Xingzhuo: "Oh right, I just remembered something. Second Master and I have long since gone our separate ways, and there is no need for Second Master to interfere in my affairs. Please ask Second Master to speak less in public. I have finally managed to have some peace and quiet, and I just want to live a simple and peaceful life without causing any trouble."

"Besides, my reputation is bad, and it all started with Second Master. He wouldn't want people talking about me, would he?"

She rolled her eyes at Zhan Xingzhuo and turned to leave.

"Hey, you—" Minglu was anxious to call Yao Qingling back.

This woman is so ungrateful. Second Master stayed up countless nights for this painting.

In the early spring when the weather was still chilly, he drew her out of thin air in front of that big rock.

In Minglu's view, this hardship was only slightly less severe than what he had experienced in Luozhou.

How could she say such a thing about Second Master!

Yao Qingling disappeared in a moment, and Minglu couldn't find anyone to argue with, so he could only turn to Zhan Xingzhuo: "Second Master, she's too arrogant!"

Just then, a servant brought in tea. Minglu reached for the teacup, but as soon as he turned around, he saw Zhan Xingzhuo had already turned and left.

"Hey, Second Master, Master—" Minglu craned his neck and called out, but the man didn't turn his head. Minglu hurriedly drank some tea and got burned.

The little girl couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at? The tea is so hot, you did it on purpose, didn't you!" Minglu scolded fiercely, slammed the teacup onto her tray, and hurriedly chased after her, grabbing the corner of her robe.

Zhan Xingzhu sat in the carriage, his hands resting on his knees, his fingers clenched, a hint of tension in his gloomy expression.

The original painting was in Prince Xin's possession, and he couldn't get it back, so he could only repaint it from memory.

However, he himself was not sure if Yao Qingling would see through him.

Three years have passed, Yao Qingling probably doesn't remember what the painting looked like anymore.

Minglu chased after them, muttering, "Master, why did you leave without having any tea? It makes us look like her servants, being bossed around by her."

Zhan Xingzhuo asked with a stern face, "Do you think that once the painting is in Yao Qingling's hands, she will open it and look at it? Will she discover that the painting is fake?"

"If she finds out it's fake, what am I supposed to say? That it was taken by Prince Xin?"

Minglu couldn't answer: "Second Master, so much time has passed, and the young mistress hasn't looked at that painting much either. She wouldn't remember..."

Zhan Xingzhuo sighed, his clenched fist loosened, but he was still filled with a sense of powerlessness.

"No matter what, she accepted the painting without checking it on the spot. Even if she finds something wrong later, she can only blame herself... Let's go."

The carriage started moving and left the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.