Chapter 70 World Three (Twenty-one)

Hearing Zhao Shu claim that he was Xiao Yujing's colleague, Bao Shan's tense body relaxed slightly, and she said softly, "Mr. Zhao, you are too kind. It's just a few pipa songs."

Zhao Shu's heart was filled with turmoil. The sound of "Mr. Zhao" tingled in his ears, making his heart melt. Zhao Shu could clearly hear the distance in Bao Shan's words. The only reason she called him "Mr. Zhao" was because of Xiao Yujing.

Through layers of thin, snow-white veil, Bao Shan's features were barely discernible. But even from that fleeting encounter in the pavilion of the Xiao Mansion that day, Zhao Shu had memorized Bao Shan's features: brows like distant mountains, eyes filled with affection. Even if those watery eyes weren't directed at him, a single glance was enough to send Zhao Shu's heart pounding. He had seen all sorts of women, some delicate and tender, but none as charming as Bao Shan, like the gurgling of water, the softness of falling petals, whose movements and gestures felt as if they touched his heart.

Seeing that the sun was at its peak, Zhao Shu naturally stood beside Bao Shan to block the glaring sunlight for her. If the people in Dingyuan Marquis's mansion saw this scene, they would surely open their eyes wide, look stunned and amazed: when did this self-centered and domineering Mr. Zhao become so considerate? The sunlight was dazzling, but he didn't let others hold an umbrella for him, and he was lucky enough to block it with his body. How could he be considerate of others?

When facing the precious fan, Zhao Shu would always subconsciously lower his voice.

As if the treasured fan were some fragile glass object: "Are you here..."

Zhao Cheng paused slightly and asked, "Are you here to look for Mr. Xiao?"

Bao Shan nodded slightly. Apart from Xiao Yujing, she was not used to being close to other men, so her answer was very concise: "Xiao Lang is busy with official duties, so I came to see him."

Zhao Shu understood, and thinking of the situation he had found out by sending people to investigate, he felt more distressed: She had such a close relationship with Xiao Yujing, she must have come to find him, but could she be looking for him as well?

There was still some time before Xiao Yujing was due to leave, so Zhao Shu waited with Bao Shan. He was not good at official duties.

But he was good at having fun and having fun. He knew by heart where there were jugglers in Lin'an City and which bushes in the suburbs could catch aggressive crickets and grasshoppers.

Baoshan only listened to his description of how to distinguish the species of crickets and found it quite interesting.

Zhao Shu was telling the story while gesturing with his hands from time to time.

He never realized that he could read people's expressions and act in this way.

If Bao Shan furrowed her brows, she felt bored; if she furrowed her brows, she was unhappy. As for if her brows relaxed and her eyes moved slightly, it showed that she was interested in the interesting thing.

After seeing Mu Li, the beauty curled her lips slightly and let out a clear and sweet laugh. Zhao Shu felt that he had strength all over his body and could tell interesting stories for several more hours.

If she were in Yangzhou City, Bao Shan might have a favorable impression of Zhao Shu.

After all, this playboy who was so easily distracted was the one she once hoped to marry.

But now, Baoshan has become more knowledgeable and is aware of Zhao Shu's family background and status. Marquis Dingyuan may not have many hopes for this young son and only hopes that he can live a stable life.

But there must be many requirements for Zhao Shu's wife. She must be of equal social status, and in the future she will need to please her parents-in-law and establish good relationships with her many brothers and sisters-in-law.

Zhao Shu is now trying his best to please her. Perhaps he is seduced by her beauty and cannot extricate himself from her even for a short time. Given his temper, he may not have the mentality and ability to fight against his family.

A figure wearing a blue brocade robe slowly approached.

Baoshan called softly, "Xiao Lang."

Then, under Zhao Shu's dazed gaze, she walked to Xiao Yujing's side.

As Xiao Yujing walked out of the Ministry of Revenue gate, he saw two people having a pleasant conversation there.

With a willow-like waist and a slender figure, what else could she have except the precious fan in his house?

But Zhao Shu, who was standing next to the precious fan, was extremely annoying.

Zhao Shu was tall, and standing beside the precious fan, he looked like a towering mountain, extremely eye-catching.

When he was talking to Bao Shan, he leaned down slightly. His obedient appearance was completely different from Zhao Shu, who was like a hedgehog and full of hostility in his official duties.

Zhao Shu felt lonely at this moment. He raised his head dejectedly, following the figure of the treasure fan, and happened to meet the eyes of Xiao Yujing with a cold gaze.

Xiao Yujing, who was always gentle and polite, had no smile on his face at this moment. There was a cold look in his eyebrows and eyes, which made people feel intimidated.

Xiao Yujing put his arms around Baoshan's waist and brought her into his arms.

Zhao Shu, who had always been at odds with Xiao Yujing, clenched his fists at his sides and set his sights on the precious fan. However, Xiao Yujing stretched out his long arms and completely embraced him, so that not even a piece of his clothes could be seen.

Bao Shan was unaware of the witty exchange between the two men. She nestled in Xiao Yujing's arms and said in a muffled voice, "The driver is waiting for us at the tea stall."

Xiao Yujing said yes, but his hands did not relax at all. Instead, he held the person in his arms even tighter.

He walked up to Zhao Shu with the treasured fan and said in a cold voice, "Mr. Zhao, goodbye."

Only after the two of them got into the carriage did Xiao Yujing let go of the treasured fan.

The space inside the carriage was large enough, and Xiao Yujing, whether intentionally or unintentionally, sat in a seat quite far away from the treasure fan.

If it were any other time, Bao Shan would have looked uneasy and asked softly if Xiao Lang was angry and what he was angry about.

But Baoshan was different today. She sat quietly beside him, keeping a distance between them.

Since Xiao Yujing wanted to sit apart from her, how could she, a weak girl, force herself to get close to him?

Baoshan placed her hands on her knees, her slender and soft back straight, and her beautiful face showed no joy or sadness.

She stretched out her hand, lifted the curtain of the carriage, and looked up slightly to see Zhao Shu riding a horse and following closely behind her.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, her face filled with loneliness. She raised her eyes slightly and looked behind the carriage, as if she was looking at Zhao Shu, but also as if she was not looking at anyone. She was just staring at the sound of hurried hooves and the flying dust, lost in thought.

The curtain was slowly lowered, and the last thing Zhao Shu could see was the slender and soft jade fingers tightly grasping the curtain.

Zhao Shu did not follow him. He gently pulled the reins and asked the horse to stop.

That lonely, slightly sad face lingered in Zhao Shu's heart, and he couldn't calm down for a long time.

Even after returning to Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, Zhao Shu was still in a daze and had not even eaten.

He called over his usual servant and asked him his question: "If a woman looks lonely, what is the reason?"

"Life must have been tough, so the bitterness in his heart is shown on his face."

Seeing Zhao Shu's frown, the servant wondered if Young Master Zhao had taken a fancy to some young lady. Believing he had guessed Zhao Shu's thoughts, he continued, "Girls don't have many worries. Either their embroidery isn't done well or their marriage isn't going as planned. These two things are always the most important."

Zhao Shu thought of what the guards had investigated. The precious fan had already entered the Xiao Mansion, and she must have had physical contact with Xiao Yujing. Which man in the world could resist such a beautiful and delicate woman?

It's a pity that Xiao Yujing, who usually dresses well and looks dignified, has been involved with Miss Baoshan. But he refuses to give her a proper status and lets Baoshan stay in the Xiao Mansion in an unclear state.

Zhao Shu connected this matter with the sadness in his eyes when he saw the treasure fan in the carriage, and thought quietly in his heart.

After a long time, Zhao Shu suddenly stood up, his heart surging: It must be that Xiao Yujing who treated Miss Baoshan badly.

Come to think of it, since the precious fan was not even given a name, who knows how the young lady would be bullied in the mansion, which would surely make her cry every day.

Thinking of the fragile Baoshan, struggling to survive in the Xiao Mansion, a place filled with wolves and tigers, Zhao Shu felt as if a thousand ants were gnawing at his heart, and he couldn't sit still. No, this couldn't be allowed! He couldn't let Baoshan stay in the Xiao Mansion any longer.

Zhao Shu came up with a brilliant idea: he was unmarried, and Bao Shan was also unmarried. Although she had had physical contact with Xiao Yujing, she was a weak woman, treated as a skinny horse from Yangzhou, and was circulated in the name of goods. How could she refuse?

Baoshan is beautiful and he is elegant. When the two of them stand side by side, they can be said to be a perfect match made in heaven.

The more Zhao Shu thought about it, the more anxious he became. If it wasn't already late, he would have gone to find the Marquis's wife immediately, taken the treasure fan out of the Xiao Mansion, and saved her from the dire situation.

The carriage drove to the gate of Xiao Mansion and slowly stopped.

Xiao Yujing was the first to disembark from the carriage. His brows were filled with a cold, distant expression, making it difficult for anyone to approach him. He used his precious fan to draw aside the curtain, but no one reached out to greet him. Xiao Yujing, who should have offered a hand, instead stood aside, like a pine or cypress, watching with cold eyes.

Baoshan bit her lips tightly, looking at the tall carriage, feeling hesitant.

Seeing this, the maid waiting outside the mansion gate hurried forward and stretched out her hand to place it in front of the precious fan.

Baoshan's chest relaxed slightly, and his eyes were shining as he looked at the maid.

Being stared at by the young lady with such soft and dependent eyes, the maid couldn't help but straighten her back.

But the cold gaze from the side made the maid tremble slightly. Before she could find the source of the gaze, Baoshan placed his soft, boneless hand in the maid's hand.

The maidservant didn't have time to be distracted and gently stepped down from the carriage, holding the precious fan.

After the treasure fan stood steadily on the ground, Xiao Yujing frowned, exuding a cold air, and walked into the mansion.

Seeing this, Liu Fang hurriedly asked Bao Shan, "What happened to Xiao Langjun?"

So angry.

Bao Shan shook her head to indicate she didn't know. Her dark eyebrows knitted slightly as she spoke softly, "Perhaps it's because of my lowly status that Xiao Lang despised me for losing face in front of his colleagues."

Liu Fang hurriedly said, "That's definitely not the case. It must be that there's something difficult going on in official business that's why Young Master Xiao is so worried.

It's getting late, young lady, don't think too much, just go back to your room and rest."

Baoshan responded softly, "Okay."

Xiao Yujing returned to his room. His desk was filled with poetry, books and classics, but he couldn't read a single word.

As soon as I saw those densely packed handwritings, what came to my mind was: Bao Shan and Zhao Shu talking and laughing happily, looking intimate with each other.

He and Baoshan have become accustomed to Baoshan's compromise to ease the occasionally cold relationship between them.

When getting off the carriage just now, Xiao Yujing deliberately did not extend his hand, waiting for Baoshan to call him softly, and then help her get off the carriage and let her explain the matter about Zhao Shu.

Unexpectedly, Baoshan had no intention of asking him for help. Even the maid beside her did not know the rules and hurriedly helped Baoshan down.

Xiao Yujing calmed himself down and, as was his custom, he picked up the scriptures again and recited them silently in his mind.

Side courtyard.

Baoshan drank a bowl of wolfberry and black chicken soup, and felt warm in her stomach and comfortable all over. She asked the maid to blow out the candle and fell into a deep sleep.

Xiao Yujing did not wait for Baoshan's surrender and gentle plea for mercy, but instead waited for an uninvited guest.

Although Zhao Shu tried to hide it, Xiao Yujing could still make out the five finger marks on his face, which must have been caused by a beating. Xiao Yujing's eyebrows were cold and he asked, "What's the matter, Mr. Zhao?"

As soon as Zhao Shu uttered a sound, he felt a pain in his cheeks. He complained in his heart: His biological parents were really cruel. They always said that they loved him, the youngest son, the most, and when they heard that he had a beloved young lady, they also looked mocking.

But when he said that the young lady was a skinny girl from Yangzhou and was raised in Xiao Yujing's mansion, the two elders' faces suddenly changed, and then they used both soft and hard tactics to try to force him to change his words.

Zhao Shu thought of the Marquis's wife's final compromise and thought to himself that although he was beaten, at least his mother gave in.

As for his father, with the Marquis's wife around, it was only a matter of time before he agreed.

He came to Xiao Yujing's house today and brought all the silver and money with him. Facing Xiao Yujing's cold eyes, he was not panicked at all.

He said in a clear voice: "I came to your house to ask for the hand of Miss Baoshan."