Chapter 214 If I Can't Have Her

Gu Qianhan frowned. He really disliked hearing Xiao Qingyuan say "my Crown Princess".

He remembered that Xiao Qingyuan would never call Shen Wantang like that before; he would always call her by her name. Why is she now calling me "Princess Consort"?

Xiao Qingyuan has probably started to really care about Shen Wantang.

Gu Qianhan was unsure whether to be happy or angry. This was exactly the result he wanted. He wanted Shen Wantang to live a relaxed and happy life and to have a fulfilling married life.

But when he actually heard Xiao Qingyuan being intimate with her, he felt as if a huge stone was lodged in his heart, making him extremely uncomfortable.

When he was upset, Xiao Qingyuan was pleased: "Gu Qianhan, why do you look so pale? Are you disappointed because you failed to sow discord?"

Gu Qianhan looked at him with a cold face: "What are you so smug about? You didn't succeed in sowing discord this time, but you will next time."

"Don't worry, no matter how you try to sow discord, I will always believe in my Crown Princess. I will never fall for your tricks!"

Gu Qianhan looked over his shoulder at the painting behind him. He said indifferently, "I don't see how much you trust your Princess Consort. I do see that you trust your maid. You brought her with you to Fazhen Temple last time, and you brought her with you this time to see General Huo's triumphant return. Everyone else brings their wives, but you bring a maid. Do you like her that much?"

Xiao Qingyuan's happy expression vanished quickly: "Don't talk nonsense. How could I like her? What's wrong with me bringing a maid? I also bring a servant. As the heir of the Prince of Ning, it's perfectly normal for me to bring a maid and a servant when I go out."

"What's normal about that? What grown man goes out with a maid? Even someone as womanizing as Yuan Zheng only takes a servant boy with him when he goes out, never a maid."

Gu Qianhan's tone revealed a sense of disdain for him: "Only young ladies bring maids when they go out. Are you a young lady?"

Xiao Qingyuan's face turned ashen: "You're the girl, your whole family are girls!"

After scolding Gu Qianhan, he immediately left with Moji and Huayi. He was afraid that if he continued talking, Gu Qianhan would anger him to death.

Hua Yi followed behind Xiao Qingyuan. After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but turn back to look at Gu Qianhan.

In the crowded throng, he stood out with his tall, straight figure and cool demeanor, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe embroidered with gold thread. His face was angular and handsome, yet he exuded an aloofness that made him seem unapproachable.

He tilted his head slightly back, looking at something upstairs in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, seemingly looking at something.

At this moment, he stood out from the crowded and bustling atmosphere around him; he was so outstanding, transcending the mundane world.

Hua Yi couldn't understand why such a noble young man with such a cold and aloof nature would set his sights on her.

Every time she goes out with Xiao Qingyuan, if she encounters Gu Qianhan, he will ridicule her mercilessly, to the point that Xiao Qingyuan now has to think long and hard before taking her out.

Did she offend Gu Qianhan? No, she had never had the chance to meet Gu Qianhan before.

Is it really because Gu Qianhan wants to get revenge on Xiao Qingyuan, so he attacks any woman who appears next to Xiao Qingyuan indiscriminately?

Why does she always feel like something's not right?

As Xiao Qingyuan walked, he suddenly turned around. He originally wanted to see if Gu Qianhan had followed and continued to cause trouble, but unexpectedly, he saw Huayi staring intently at Gu Qianhan.

An indescribable anger surged up from the bottom of his heart in an instant.

He coldly asked Huayi, "What, you also think Gu Qianhan is better than me? Want to change masters?"

Hua Yi's heart skipped a beat. He used the word "also," which clearly indicated that he was still bothered by Chu Yanluo running away with Gu Qianhan. She couldn't follow in Chu Yanluo's footsteps!

She quickly replied, "No, this servant only wants to follow the young master and has never thought of following anyone else. The second young master Gu is far inferior to the young master. This servant just felt that he was always targeting the young master, which was very strange."

Xiao Qingyuan's expression softened slightly: "What's so strange about him targeting me? I ruined his reputation, ruined his marriage, and even almost ruined his sister's marriage. It would be strange if he didn't target me."

Hua Yi lowered her head: "What the young master says is true. I was overthinking it."

Xiao Qingyuan glanced at her, then at Gu Qianhan not far away, and felt a surge of irritation.

"I knew I shouldn't have brought you out. I originally wanted to show you the triumphant return of the army and broaden your horizons, but I didn't expect to run into Gu Qianhan again. He's already got his eye on you. If you don't want to be tricked by him, don't be like Yan Luo and blindly trust him, walking right into his trap!"

"Yes, I understand. I only trust the young master. I don't trust anyone else. I won't go with anyone but the young master."

"That's good."

Xiao Qingyuan's anger gradually subsided, but he had made up his mind that he would never take Huayi out again.

She's just a maid, not the mistress of the house, so she doesn't need to learn anything. If he takes her out and she gets tricked by Gu Qianhan, he'll really lose face.

He learned his lesson from Chu Yanluo once; he couldn't afford to suffer the same fate at Huayi's hands.

Huayi, being a maid, was very good at reading people. She could tell from Xiao Qingyuan's expression that he probably wouldn't take her out anymore.

A surge of resentment and anger welled up inside her. It was all Gu Qianhan's fault; she had caused the young master to distance himself from her.

Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do. She could only watch helplessly as it all happened, powerless to change anything. She didn't even dare to test what Xiao Qingyuan meant by "respecting her" or to ask him to keep his promise.

At times like these, she would sincerely envy Shen Wantang, the Crown Princess, because only she could earn Xiao Qingyuan's respect, and only she was qualified to manage matters in Xiao Qingyuan's room.

Even when the princess caused trouble for Shen Wantang yesterday, Xiao Qingyuan reprimanded her.

Everyone in the capital says that the Crown Prince doesn't like the Crown Princess, but now that he's starting to protect her, how far away is it that he'll start to like her?

Gu Qianhan was unaware of, and did not care about, the undercurrents between Xiao Qingyuan and Huayi.

After Xiao Qingyuan left, he didn't look at Xiao Qingyuan again. He looked up at the third floor of Zuixianlou, where there was an open window. His sister and Shen Wantang were sitting together, talking about something happy. Shen Wantang smiled brightly, her eyes and brows revealing a relaxed and happy look.

I've known her through two lifetimes, and in both of them she was the kind of person who didn't show her emotions much. She rarely laughed as heartily as she does now.

The bright sunlight shone on her face, giving her a pale golden glow that touched her heart, making Gu Qianhan want to cherish this moment forever.

If I can't have her, just looking at her like this is good enough.