Wen Ruo got her wish

"Wen Ruo, so you really do have someone!"

Zhao Heng emerged from behind, his eyes full of inquiry. Wen Ruo rarely acted intimately with others.

Wen Ruo's face turned ashen, as if she had swallowed a fly. "If you don't need your eyes, you can donate them to blind people."

For Tao Yan, Zhao Heng was an old acquaintance.

Zhao Heng shrugged. Wen Ru followed his gaze and saw Tao Yan putting on a deeply affectionate look, which was indeed very convincing.

Qi Mingshuo followed closely behind, saying with a solemn expression, "Guanlan won't take his medicine if he can't see you after waking up."

Wen Ruo: "Can't you just force-feed it?"

Tao Yan clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"A man who is unloved is pitiful!"

"A man who clings to a woman relentlessly is pathetic!"

Two sharp gazes shifted simultaneously, their cold, piercing eyes fixed on Tao Yan. Anyone else would have likely already retreated.

Tao Yan was a man who always enjoyed watching a good show, and he simply treated the two holes in his body as two more places to breathe.

"Ruo Ruo, they're so scary." He casually hooked his arm around Wen Ruo's, a half-smile playing on his lips, his eyes full of drama. This seven-foot-tall man nestled against Wen Ruo's shoulder like a little bird, without a trace of shame.

Shameless!

Zhao Heng and Qi Mingshuo turned their heads and looked at Wen Ruo's expression, which was hard to describe.

Do you like this?

"Stop fooling around!"

Wen Ruo pried his hand away, then suddenly paused. Tao Yan's hand had become rough.

He had repeatedly told her to take good care of her hands, and the formula he gave her was extremely expensive. She had gritted her teeth and persisted for so many years, but he had become lax?

Qi Mingshuo gasped inwardly at that helpless yet doting look.

This is a very bad situation.

Zhao Heng couldn't bear to watch any longer and took out his money pouch. "I'll deliver this money to your mother on my way."

Wen Ruo's gaze fell on his hand, on the heavy money bag, which exuded a strong smell of money and carried the fragrance of the ambergris on Zhao Heng's body.

She lowered her eyes, stunned for a long time without saying a word. Tao Yan took it from her, weighed it in her hand, and looked slightly dissatisfied. "Not enough for one round."

Zhao Heng was also stunned; these words sounded somewhat familiar.

Qi Mingshuo rolled up his sleeves. "A thousand taels, let's make a bet. How about it?"

“Great!” Tao Yan rubbed his hands together. “You decide where to go and the location.”

Wen Ruo came to her senses and was about to stop her, but Tao Yan stopped her, saying, "Listen to me."

Back in Qi Guanlan's garden, Tao Yan pulled Qi Mingshuo into the pavilion and ordered someone to bring over dice. Wen Ruo couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.

Princess Rongjing stood at the doorway, expressionless. She saw her but didn't say a word before going straight into the house.

Without saying a word, Mr. Yi handed the medicine to her, saying, "You're as stubborn as a donkey, there's nothing I can do about it."

As soon as Wen Ruo entered, she heard a weak voice, "I won't drink!"

"All right."

Wen Ruo put down her bowl and glanced helplessly at Princess Rong Jing.

Qi Guanlan had his back to her, his resentment undisguised. "You still know how to come back!!"

“I called her back.”

No one stopped him at the door. Tao Yan strode over, handed the money bag to Wen Ruo, his face showing little interest, but he kept boasting, "These two are too weak, they give me no sense of accomplishment at all."

Wen Ruo sighed inwardly and snatched the money pouch, putting it into her sleeve.

Tao Yan didn't say anything, but walked around the hall for a moment, then sat down at the table. Bored, she raised her little finger and took in everyone's expressions. Suddenly, the corner of her mouth curled up. "Xiao Ruoruo, pour some tea."

"Haven't you had enough fun yet?"

An unfilial disciple.

Tao Yan pursed his lips and had no choice but to do it himself. He cleared his throat and said, "I thought I owed him some kind of debt of affection, but this short-lived bastard is not worth my attention at all. I will allow you to stay a few more days and see him off."

Princess Rongjing's face turned pale and then green. Yun Qing shifted her gaze from the two of them and stared straight at Qi Guanlan, for the first time, she had no idea what to do.

Qi Guanlan turned over, looking at Wen Ruo with resentment in her eyes, "Didn't you like someone like Gu Yu?"

Princess Rongjing looked at Wen Ruo, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"What does this pretty boy have that I don't?"

She was probably more familiar with this man than even the old man who cut the barley. This man was just someone she had brought to make him give up on her; he couldn't even say something as self-deceiving as this.

"At least I'll live longer than you."

Tao Yan gave an "oh" sound, deliberately drawing out the tone, her voice full of mischief, and a wicked smile appeared on her lips as she said meaningfully, "I don't need anyone to coax me to take my medicine; I'm always the one who coaxes her."

Tao Yan's mouth is really annoying.

Wen Ruo couldn't help but chuckle. She coughed lightly and handed the medicine to Qi Guanlan. "Young Master, would you like to take your medicine?"

Qi Guanlan's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water. He took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. The medicine tasted bitter, and Wen Ruo couldn't help but frown when she picked it up, but he didn't even lift his eyelids.

There were no unreasonable demands, and she didn't even need to be coaxed. Wen Ruo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He put down the bowl and immediately pulled the covers over his head. The candied fruit sat forlornly on the bedside table, unnoticed by its owner. Wen Ruo glanced down at him, the quilt heaving, clearly quite angry.

"How about it?" Tao Yan raised an eyebrow and gave her a look of self-satisfaction, his expression a mixture of pride and confusion, as if asking, "What did you see in him?"

Wen Ruo immediately lowered her gaze, and the corners of her slightly curved lips drooped down. Mind your own business.

Qi Guanlan had lifted the covers at some point, and a thick layer of frost covered his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes, as if he had been walking in a snow-covered mountain for days. He said coldly, "Don't flirt with me in my room."

Tao Yan immediately stood up. "Ruo Ruo, he doesn't appreciate kindness. Let's go."

"Everyone, get out. I need to talk to him."

Wen Ru hesitated for a moment, and Qi Guanlan's face grew even worse. His face, which he had managed to keep stern, was about to burst with jealousy. He pressed the soreness back to his eyes, but he couldn't suppress the bitter taste on his tongue. "After you finish speaking, I'll send you away and never bother you again."

Tao Yan became interested and pushed Wen Ruo out, followed by Rong Jingyunqing.

How did you two meet?

A hint of nostalgia flashed in Tao Yan's eyes. "When I first came to the capital, I landed on her roof. She wanted me to pay for the roof repairs, but I naturally refused. She took a slingshot and aimed it at me. Every time I moved, she would shoot at me. The pebbles hit my body and it hurt so much."

Qi Guanlan curled the corners of his mouth, feeling that he would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't smile.

He had never seen such a precise little girl before. She was a promising talent for cheating (using hidden weapons). If she were to work with him in the future, the entire casino would surely tremble in fear.

"I was immediately tempted."

Qi Guanlan's face stiffened, and his jawline tightened instantly. "How old was she back then?"

"Eleven or twelve years old, I guess."

"Beast!"

Tao Yan glanced at him and chuckled, "She took my money and didn't give me a good look. She even tried to kick me out. I had no choice but to pester her and give her gifts. I finally managed to win her over with all my sweet talk."

Drinking her apprenticeship tea was a real struggle; she took his money and tried to run away, but he was still one step ahead.

Qi Guanlan listened expressionlessly, the blanket beneath his hands already crumpled beyond recognition. After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out the last sentence, "Why are you only coming to find her now?"

"The time has come."

Tao Yan sighed softly, "Her mother used to be so fierce!"

Not only that, the woman remained unmoved by his face and even grabbed Wen Ruo's ear, issuing numerous warnings. At the time, Wen Ruo's health was also poor, and she couldn't learn the life-saving skill of escaping, so he gave her a Gu worm to strengthen her constitution.

More importantly, Wen Ruo listened to Hong Shiliu's every word.

He had the strength but didn't use it.

But the two broke up.

Tao Yan let out a soft chuckle, his lips curving slightly, the joy in his eyes impossible to hide. But after a moment, he withdrew his smile and said with a sigh, "Why did you have to go to this academy all of a sudden!"

An academy? Honghu Academy!

Wen Ruo lied to him again.

Qi Guanlan couldn't help but show a hint of anger, but his stagnant demeanor suddenly came alive as his gaze swept back and forth across Tao Yan's face.

A hint of displeasure appeared on his refined face, and the faint fragrance emanating from him began to intensify, filling the room with this unnamed scent without him even realizing it.

He frowned, his tone quite displeased: "Being a good wife and mother is every woman's duty. Why should she study with me? I was too indulgent in the past, which is why she has become so unconventional!"

Qi Guanlan's temper flared up instantly. He had just mustered some strength and sat up abruptly. "She doesn't like being a wife and mother. Can you force her? I don't think you like her either."

Tao Yan shook his head: "One cannot be too selfish. Promoting the family line is a son's duty. Do you think you can marry her without having children?"

"I can."

Tao Yan's expression softened slightly, but he immediately questioned, "The princess is not someone to be trifled with. Don't talk big in front of me, you're just a little kid who hasn't been weaned yet."

"Who would believe that if I told them!"

Qi Guanlan choked. Tao Yan's face was full of undisguised contempt and mockery. He was so engrossed in watching that he didn't even notice Tao Yan had left.

The light in the room dimmed again. Time always passes too quickly; he didn't have time to prove it.

Wen Ruo wouldn't give him a chance to prove himself.

He was a spoiled brat, pampered under the wings of his mother, uncles, aunts, and even cousins; he was a fledgling bird whose wings had not yet spread. No one believed it.

If he loses this identity, what is there about him that Wen Ruo would like?

The next day, after Qi Guanlan finished taking his medicine, he sent someone to escort Wen Ruo out of the city. He escorted her all the way to the gate of Honghu Academy. Tao Yan and Master Yi disliked each other, so Wen Ruo had no choice but to ask Master Yi to deliver pigeons to the young novice monk.

From then on, the family went their separate ways.

Qi Mingshuo was tied up with the imperial examinations, and after Qi Guanlan recovered, he spent his days immersed in wine, never sleeping or resting, and would return home drunk every day. Princess Rongjing couldn't do anything about it.

Qi Guanlan, seeing the objects, was reminded of the person. He discovered that the shop had not only opened a bookstore, but the owner was also corresponding with Wen Ruo. The carrier pigeon that he used to hold in his hand flew familiarly over the eaves again, fluttered down in the backyard, and cooed in front of its cage.

At first, Zhao Heng was also annoyed by this uninvited guy. His nice library was about to turn into a private tavern. He should have known better than to buy the shop no matter what Wen Ruo said.

Qi Guanlan, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, slumped on the table, still clutching a bottle of liquor. A look of melancholy lingered on his face, and he couldn't bring himself to smile. "Zhao Heng, teach me how to endure this for so long?"

That scoundrel, he stabbed him in the heart even when he was drunk.

Zhao Heng's face turned ashen. He smashed his wine cup, grabbed the man's collar, and was about to fight when he suddenly noticed the figure in the shop. He then smiled sinisterly, "Come on, I'll tell you!"

Qi Guanlan, with droopy eyelids, staggered behind him. Seeing the bookshelves full of books, the scent of ink and paper filling his nostrils, he slightly raised his chin and snorted, "I don't read."

Zhao Heng ignored him, pushed aside a few books, and the girl opposite him revealed her true face, "Sister Xue Rong, haven't you found a book you like for the past few days?"

Sun Xuerong nodded slightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Qi Guanlan. Her heart tightened. She had heard that he had been shot and was in critical condition. She was anxious at home but could only wait helplessly.

He lost a lot of weight in the past month, his features became more defined, and he became even more handsome.

Fu Jingjiang was completely clueless; Sun Yueyou actually had the nerve to beg her.

Sun Xuerong's true intentions were not what they seemed, and Zhao Heng knew it at a glance. "I'll help you find this book; we're closing now."

He then acted as a matchmaker, presenting Qi Guanlan with a generous gift.