Chapter 25 I'm Different from Those Ordinary Women

Watching Xiao Qingyuan storm off in anger, Shen Wantang couldn't help but ask Granny Chai, "Granny, are we really not going to give the young master his monthly allowance anymore? What about his food, clothing, and other necessities in his courtyard...?"

"Princess Consort, rest assured, the Prince and Princess are determined to teach the young master a lesson. From now on, you don't need to give him any more money, and you don't need to worry about his food, clothing, and daily necessities at Xinghe Courtyard. If the young master is really capable, he can go and earn money himself to support that shameless nun."

Shen Wantang nodded. It was wonderful that she didn't have to worry about Xiao Qingyuan's food, clothing, and daily necessities. When she was looking at the account book earlier, she was overwhelmed by the amount of money Xiao Qingyuan spent each month.

He said spending 10,000 taels a month is extremely rare!

Last month, in just one month, he spent 540,000 taels!

Moreover, there was no record of where the money went. Whenever he asked for money, the accountant would give him an unlimited amount without ever asking why.

It makes sense, considering he is the heir of the Ning Prince's mansion, the only son of the Ning Prince and Princess over the years, with immense wealth. If not him, then who else would he spend his money on?

Shen Wantang recalled Xiao Qingyuan's mockery of her on the way back to her parents' home, criticizing her for liking gold and silver and saying that she liked to pile things on her head and body. Now she realized that Xiao Qingyuan did not dislike gold and silver; he had lived too extravagantly and had no concept of gold and silver anymore.

I wonder how that aloof and refined Miss Chu will react when she finds out that Xiao Qingyuan is penniless.

Want some bird's nest soup? Go buy it yourself!

No money? Go earn it yourself!

...

On the other side, Xiao Qingyuan returned to his courtyard with a cold face.

But despite his defiant words before leaving, he was actually penniless, without even enough money to buy bird's nest for his beloved woman.

He stood at the door, hesitating for a long time before going in—he had no face to see Chu Yanluo without bringing back the bird's nest.

The servant reminded him, "Young Master, don't you have your own treasury? It's full of your private property. You can just take anything and pawn it, then you'll have some money."

Xiao Qingyuan's spirits lifted. That's right, he also has a warehouse!

He gave the servant an approving look: "Moji, go get the storeroom key, let's go pick out some things!"

Mo Ji: "Master, have you forgotten? You gave the storeroom key to the Crown Princess. We still need to go find the Crown Princess again."

Xiao Qingyuan froze, finally remembering that there seemed to be something like that. He felt a little uneasy: "I gave her the key?"

"Yes, sir."

"She hasn't returned it?"

"No."

Did she go to my storeroom to move anything?

"They moved! I heard they moved quite a lot!"

"Outrageous! Does she think my private treasury is hers?"

Xiao Qingyuan was somewhat annoyed: "I really shouldn't have listened to my mother and given her any compensation. She must have already emptied my warehouse! She's insatiable, greedy, and shameless!"

"Sir, it's like a snake trying to swallow an elephant..."

Mo Ji scratched his head. The young master was so angry that he was confused and his words were all incoherent.

Xiao Qingyuan slapped him on the head: "Do you need to teach me?"

"Yes, yes, I have overstepped my bounds."

Mo Ji scratched his head and asked cautiously, "Master, should we go to the Crown Princess to ask for the key, and also get back everything she took away?"

Xiao Qingyuan smacked him on the head again: "Of course we should get the key back, but what's the point of getting the things back? I said I would compensate her, and that I would allow her to go to the storeroom and pick out some gold and silver items. If I ask for them back now, where do you want me to put my face? In my entire life, I have never asked for anything back after giving it away!"

"Yes, yes, yes, that's too narrow-minded."

As they were talking, the door suddenly opened from the inside.

Chu Yanlu walked out dressed in white.

Her long hair was loose, and her face was very pale due to the miscarriage, but this did not detract from her beauty at all. In fact, it added a touch of pitifulness to her, making her more likely to arouse men's protective instincts than her previous elegant and noble appearance.

A gust of wind blew by, her skirt fluttered, and her long hair swayed slightly. She was like a fairy descending from heaven, leaving Xiao Qingyuan, who adored her to the extreme, completely mesmerized.

"Your Highness."

"Um?"

"Your Highness is back, why don't you come in?"

"Oh, I..." I was too embarrassed to go in.

Xiao Qingyuan felt a wave of shame. He was even ashamed to the point of wanting to disappear. He had never imagined that one day he wouldn't even be able to make a bowl of bird's nest soup.

He finally came to his senses, and said with a mixture of surprise and heartache, "Yanluo, why did you come out? Go back and lie down. You need to rest properly now! Physician Qin said that you need to rest for at least a month!"

Chu Yanlu smiled gracefully: "Your Highness, Yanlu is not so delicate. Although I am a little weak and unwell, I will get better with time. Yanlu is different from those women who like to pretend to be weak. They like to exaggerate the merits of childbirth and their hardships, all they want is a man's sympathy and pity. Yanlu doesn't need those."

Xiao Qingyuan held her in high esteem, and his affection for her deepened: "I know you are different from those ordinary women. You never try to please men like they do. You always just be yourself."

Chu Yanluo said with an arrogant expression: "I am indeed different from those ordinary women. Women should not rely on anyone but on themselves. I have always looked down on those women who sell their souls and bodies for a little gold and silver. I, Chu Yanluo, would never stoop to doing such a thing in my life."

Xiao Qingyuan felt that she was more and more noble and extraordinary: "Yanluo, you are the most ambitious and special woman I have ever met. Meeting you is the greatest blessing of my life."

Chu Yanlu smiled again, this time with a very gentle smile: "Your Highness, it is the greatest blessing of my life that I have met you. However, I just heard you say that the key to your storeroom was taken away? The storeroom was emptied? What happened? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Xiao Qingyuan, afraid she would misunderstand, said with a stiff face, "It's nothing, I'll go get the key back later."

"But what use is it to get the key back if the Crown Prince's storeroom has already been emptied? Crown Prince, you are kind-hearted, don't be fooled by those cunning people, and protect your own things!"

Xiao Qingyuan nodded: "You're right."

"The Crown Prince is the master of this manor. If anyone steals from the master, the Crown Prince can simply kick them out. Keeping servants with bad character in the manor is a considerable problem!"

Xiao Qingyuan's heart stirred upon hearing this. That's right, he could take this opportunity to accuse Shen Wantang, expose her greedy and shameless act of emptying his private treasury, and then kick her out of the palace!

Wouldn't that allow him to marry Yan Luo?