Chapter 19: "What, did I interrupt your conversation?"
The stories told in vernacular books are indeed more acceptable and more attractive than those straightforward and rigid picture books.
Yun Sheng's face flushed red as she watched intently. Nearly an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and she was still completely unaware, feeling that the experience was not yet over.
Until Shen Yuewan sent someone to the East Courtyard.
"The princess said that if the crown princess has free time, she should go to Yi'an Hall."
It was just past mid-morning. Although Yun Sheng was not idle, she thought that there was still some time before Xiao Xu returned to the mansion, so she put down her book and went to Yi'an Hall.
Not knowing why Shen Yuewan had summoned her, Yun Sheng arrived at Yi'an Hall and followed the maid leading the way into the main hall. She saw Shen Yuewan sitting lazily in the seat of honor, and Xiao Qingchuan was also there.
"Wan'er." Xiao Qingchuan turned to the side and reached out his hand to Shen Yuewan.
Before they could even touch, Shen Yuewan pushed him away, saying, "Sheng Sheng is here."
Yun Sheng lowered her eyes and gave a slight curtsy: "Greetings to Father and Mother."
Xiao Qingchuan hadn't noticed the person coming in front of the door, so he awkwardly withdrew his hand and sat up straight.
Shen Yuewan smiled and beckoned Yun Sheng to come to her side: "I heard that Changyu was summoned out of the manor today on official business. I was afraid that you would be bored alone in the courtyard, so I thought I would call you to come and talk to me."
"Thank you for your concern, Mother. Changyu has important business to attend to. He said he would be back around noon before he left."
Shen Yuewan nodded: "That's good. He used to be so busy that he never knew when to rest. Now that he's married, he should learn to balance his official duties and family matters. I'll find some time to talk to him about it later."
Hearing these words, Yun Sheng felt happy that her mother-in-law treated her well, but also guilty that she had hoped Xiao Xu would leave this morning.
Then Shen Yuewan chatted with her for a few more minutes.
Shen Yuewan said, "The preparations for visiting the Yun family are almost complete. Later, please take a look at those things to see if they meet your parents' expectations. If there are any problems, we can make adjustments as soon as possible."
“Alright, I don’t have much to do in the yard on weekdays, so Mother can call me anytime. If it’s convenient, today is fine too.”
Shen Yuewan smiled and said, "There's no rush these two days. Changyu will be back at noon today, so I won't hold it against him. He can't leave you alone for the rest of your wedding leave. You two need to spend more time together anyway, so take this opportunity to get to know each other as soon as possible."
Yun Sheng's cheeks flushed slightly as she understood the deeper meaning behind Shen Yuewan's words.
She didn't know what to say, so she could only nod gently in agreement.
No sooner had Yun Sheng left than Shen Yuewan turned around and glared at Xiao Qingchuan: "It's all your fault. I just told Sheng Sheng a couple of days ago that I'm not a rigid elder and I won't urge her. Today you forced me to say such things. You're really slapping yourself in the face."
Xiao Qingchuan was finally able to reach out and hold his wife's hand.
He said gently, “What kind of urging is this? It was just a subtle hint. I don’t think Sheng Sheng minded. Besides, how can this be considered me forcing you? Didn’t you agree with what I said before, which is why you said these things to Sheng Sheng today?”
Shen Yuewan frowned and sighed softly, "I'm also worried that Changyu might have a knot in his heart, and like Songlan, he's stuck in a rut. I heard from the servants in the east courtyard that there hasn't been any noise from the room at night these past few days. If we don't urge him at all, given Changyu's taciturn nature, I'm afraid he'll drag it out for ten days, half a month, or even several months. Wouldn't that be unfair to my good daughter-in-law?"
"You can't blame this on me. Last time you said something about hiding your true thoughts and having a deep, still mind. I only realized it after looking back."
Xiao Qingchuan moved closer to his wife and put his other arm around her waist: "You know, when it comes to things related to you, I have never been able to keep my composure. Let alone ten days or half a month, three or five days is the limit. Changyu is completely unlike me in this respect."
"You old rascal." Shen Yuewan scolded playfully, a faint blush appearing on her beautiful face before disappearing. She then said seriously, "Stop saying such useless things. Remember to call Changyu over later and have a good talk with him. Be frank with him and make sure he understands the principle."
Xiao Qingchuan held the soft, jade-like hand in his palm and played with it carefully. His sword-like eyebrows were lowered, hiding the guilt in his eyes: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will remember this matter."
In fact, Xiao Qingchuan has never discussed these matters with his three sons over the years.
The eldest son is calm and taciturn by nature, diligent in government affairs and indifferent to love. The second son is docile and obedient. He got married when he reached the appropriate age, and now his children are all grown up and have never caused him any worry. As for the youngest son, it's best not to mention him.
Asking him to directly urge Xiao Xu about matters of the bedroom between husband and wife was something he found difficult to say, and he didn't know where to begin.
Suddenly, Shen Yuewan thought of something and continued, "Changyu has never had a woman by his side in all these years, and this marriage came so suddenly. He might not even know how to do 'that' yet. It's my fault for being so careless. When you talk to Changyu, you can also teach him. He is older than Shengsheng. If he is so old, it would be too embarrassing if he were reckless and ignorant."
Xiao Qingchuan's face darkened: "Do I really have to teach him all this?"
"You are his father, so it is your responsibility to teach him."
Xiao Qingchuan remained silent for a long time with an unhappy expression, then said dryly, "What's there to teach? Men don't need to be taught; they're born knowing this."
Shen Yuewan was taken aback and looked at him strangely.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Think about it carefully, isn't that the truth?"
Shen Yuewan blushed slightly and glared at him again, no longer arguing with him about this improper matter.
She then said, "But then again, what man doesn't love a beautiful woman? Sheng Sheng is pretty and has a clever personality. Even if Chang Yu is an iron tree, he will still bloom for her. Even if you don't teach him, you can at least give him some pointers. Also, don't rush him too much, lest it backfire. Just make him understand not to drag it out for too long."
We still have to urge them, don't we?
Therefore, it's annoying when the eldest son doesn't follow his own impulsive nature.
Xiao Qingchuan: "...Alright, I understand."
*
Yun Sheng hadn't expected that her trip to Yi'an Hall would take so long, and it would be past 9 AM. If Xiao Xu was punctual, he would be returning to the manor soon. Once she returned to the East Courtyard, she probably wouldn't have a chance to continue reading that storybook.
Recalling the contents of the storybook, Yun Sheng's cheeks flushed.
After reading those stories, she regretted her previous comments that they were indecent and was also captivated by the fascinating plot.
Although Yun Sheng learned a lot from it, right now she was more interested in knowing whether the heroine in the storybook ultimately chose the older brother or the younger brother than learning more about matters between men and women.
Yes, the storybook she casually picked up from the pile of books this morning was about brothers fighting each other.
The female protagonist and the younger brother were childhood sweethearts. They were in love and pledged their lives to each other. However, just as they were about to get married, the younger brother was murdered and disappeared. The older brother disregarded the female protagonist's wishes and forced her into marriage, making her his wife.
Yun Sheng was initially somewhat concerned about the slightly explicit plot, but she had never read such a story before. As the plot progressed and the descriptions became more explicit, she quickly forgot everything else and felt both shy and excited.
When Shen Yuewan sent someone to summon her, she happened to see the second day after the heroine and her brother consummated their marriage, when her younger brother actually escaped from danger and appeared in front of her.
The younger brother discovered that his former lover had become his sister-in-law. He was furious, jealous, and resentful. Behind his elder brother's back, he sneaked into their bridal chamber at night, when the wedding curtains were still hanging, while his brother was out.
Thinking of the unknown future, Yun Sheng sighed softly, barely able to contain her frustration.
Just then, a figure in white suddenly appeared not far away.
Yun Sheng gathered her thoughts and focused on looking.
"The Crown Princess?" Cuizhu tilted her head in confusion.
Yun Sheng raised her hand as if to wave him away, looked at the figure, and slowly walked towards him.
The other person turned around just as Yun Sheng was about to approach.
"Brother Yang, it really is you!"
The man was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening, bowed respectfully, and said, "Greetings, Princess Consort."
Yun Sheng paused with a surprised look in her eyes, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the other party's sudden aloofness.
Then, Yang Qinhuai smiled and said gently, "I thought you had already recognized me that day, so why are you still so surprised to see me again?"
Hearing his tone, which was similar to his previous ones, Yun Sheng's embarrassment gradually dissipated.
She said, "I was far away that day, and I did feel that it was somewhat familiar, but I couldn't see it clearly, so I couldn't be sure."
"I'm sorry I haven't told you before, but I've been living in Prince Zhao's residence for the past two years. The princess is my maternal aunt."
Xiao Xu had already explained the matter, so Yun Sheng wasn't too surprised to hear it now.
She shook her head: "Brother Yang, you flatter me. There was no need to mention this to me in person. Meeting you unexpectedly at Prince Zhao's residence is a pleasant surprise."
Yang Qinhuai was silent for a moment, then said, "Our meeting is a pleasant surprise for you."
Yun Sheng was slightly taken aback. Why did the same words have a different meaning in his tone?
She thought she might be overthinking it: "Brother Yang and my brother were classmates, and I have been taken care of by you in the past. It is naturally a pleasant surprise to meet you in an unexpected place."
Yang Qinhuai smiled and said, "It's a pity that I knew earlier, so I missed out on this surprise compared to you."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng blinked in confusion.
She quickly realized what was happening, and her confusion turned into an unnatural expression, causing her to fall silent for a moment.
Two years ago, Yun Sheng saw Xiao Ling's face for the first and only time from afar at the villa in the western suburbs.
Yang Qinhuai was also present that day, invited by her brother Yun Cheng.
As Yun Sheng peeked out from behind the artificial hill, she happened to run into Yang Qinhuai, whose tall and slender figure attracted attention from afar.
Yun Cheng was chatting with Xiao Ling when he saw Yang Qinhuai. He stopped talking and called out to him loudly.
Yun Sheng was terrified, fearing that her brother and Xiao Ling would discover that she was there too.
Her pretty face flushed red, and her eyes trembled as she looked at Yang Qinhuai for help.
Yang Qinhuai responded to Yun Cheng's call, waited a while, and before leaving, said gently to the girl who was tense behind the rockery, "Don't be afraid, they haven't found you."
This matter thus became a secret between Yun Sheng and Yang Qinhuai.
Although Yun Sheng never told Yang Qinhuai not to mention it to anyone, the fact that nothing happened for the next two years suggests that he kept the secret very well.
After that, as his elder brother's friend and a cousin of the Prince Zhao's family, he naturally learned of her engagement to the Third Young Master Xiao.
Thinking of this, Yun Sheng's face flushed slightly.
It was as if someone I knew, someone I wasn't close to, had seen my ridiculous joke.
Looking up again, I saw Yang Qinhuai smiling.
However, he was naturally handsome with gentle features, so his smile did not make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they were being mocked.
Yang Qinhuai did not continue the topic, but instead said, "It seems that Yi'an will be returning to the capital soon."
When Yun Cheng was mentioned, Yun Sheng's attitude became warmer.
She said, "Brother Yang, have you received your brother's letter? It says he will arrive in the capital this month, but we don't know the exact date yet."
Yang Qinhuai shook his head: "I heard about this from other people."
"I see."
Yang Qinhuai said, "It's inconvenient for me to receive letters at the Prince Zhao's residence. I imagine it's been a long time since I last saw Yi'an. When Yi'an returns to the capital, could you please let me know?"
Yun Sheng had no reason to refuse and agreed.
It was almost time, and thinking of ending the conversation, she casually asked, "Brother Yang, where are you headed?"
"Go to Yi'an Hall."
He then continued, "You just left Yi'an Hall. I wonder how the Princess Consort is feeling today?"
Why do you ask that?
"To be honest, I have a favor to ask of you. If the Princess is in a good mood, she should be more likely to grant my request."
"The princess... is in a relatively good mood."
Yun Sheng thought for a moment and said, "Brother Yang, are you in trouble? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Yang Qinhuai's smile deepened as she spoke softly, and his eyes curved into a smile.
He didn't answer, but simply pointed to Yun Sheng's sideburns.
Yun Sheng asked, "What's wrong?"
"A petal got stuck to it."
"Here?"
No, a little to the left.
A figure rushing towards them from a short distance away startled the maids waiting nearby, causing them to gasp.
Upon recognizing the visitor, before Cuizhu could even announce their arrival,...
Yang Qinhuai paused slightly as he extended his finger forward.
Yun Sheng also sensed something and subconsciously turned around to look, only to see Xiao Xu walking towards her with a cold expression.
She was more surprised than anything else, because she hadn't expected him to have already returned to his residence and then appear here.
Then, seeing his cold expression, she felt a sudden panic for no reason, though she didn't know why she was panicking.
Yun Sheng stared intently at Xiao Xu with her round almond-shaped eyes until he came to her side.
Xiao Xu raised his hand, his slender fingers brushing past her earlobe, plucking a pure white magnolia petal. In the silence, he said calmly, "What, did I interrupt your conversation?"
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[Cracked][Cracked] Xiao Xu: Day after day, I haven't eaten much meat, but I've had plenty of vinegar.
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