Chapter 76: I have not married yet, but I have long admired my wife
Ever since Shen Yunshu left the palace, Xie Heng has been depressed for quite a while.
Although she comforted him for a long time before she left, he couldn't help feeling sad when he looked at the empty dormitory at night without the sweet and beautiful woman in his arms.
Perhaps it was because of his lonely appearance that the Royal Grandfather felt sorry for him, so he temporarily did not mention the matter of the arranged marriage to him.
During the Chinese New Year, the emperor's grandfather gave him a few days off and took him to the hot spring palace.
The temporary palace was not as strictly guarded as the imperial palace. Although the emperor's grandfather was also in the palace, he had to deal with government affairs and had no time to take care of him, so he secretly ran out and planned to find Shen Yunshu tonight.
However, before looking for her, he went to the clinic to seek medical advice and wanted to buy some contraceptive pills for men, but was told that contraceptive pills could not completely avoid the risk of women getting pregnant. There was a more effective method called acupuncture.
After listening to the doctor's introduction, Xie Heng chose this method without hesitation: "Bury, bury, bury!"
After the burial, while he was tidying up his clothes, the doctor called someone in.
There were men around him, so there was nothing to be shy about. Xie Heng straightened his clothes and looked up at the man who had just entered, wanting to see if there was any other good man in the world who was as considerate to his wife as he was. As a result, when he looked up, he burst out laughing.
"Hmm? Big Brother," Xie Heng knew that his big brother was considerate of Shen Youran's young age and had been reluctant to let her get pregnant. He thought that his purpose today was the same as his. "Big Brother, are you here to get the acupuncture too?"
Pei Huaijin was also surprised that he appeared here, but his face remained calm: "No."
"So you're here..."
"Take out the needle."
Oh my god, it turned out to have been buried a long time ago.
However, what removing the needle means is self-evident.
"Brother, weren't you in no rush to have a child? Youran is only one year older this year, so she's still a little small."
"She's outside. You can talk to her about this."
"You Ran is here too?" Xie Heng didn't dare to go out. "I'm divorced from her sister. If she sees me, she'll definitely beat me up, right?"
Pei Huaijin saw through him at a glance: "Since you're divorced, who are you burying this needle for?"
Xie Heng scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "It's true that nothing can be hidden from Big Brother."
"Go out, she won't hit you."
"Even if I don't get beaten, I'll get scolded. I'd better hide here for a while." Xie Heng refused to leave. "We're all men, big brother, don't be shy. I won't look."
The doctor was already urging him, so Pei Huaijin didn't say anything more to him and just pushed him out.
Then he undid his clothes, took out a banknote from inside, and handed it to the doctor: "Sir, please help me..."
After Xie Heng was pushed out, he stared at Shen Youran outside for a while, then ran away without waiting for her to attack.
A quarter of an hour later, Pei Huaijin came out, holding his waist.
Shen Youran hurriedly went up to support him: "Husband, does it hurt?"
"fine."
Shen Youran supported him and walked slowly downstairs: "Husband, I saw His Royal Highness the Grandson coming out of the house at that time. What was he doing here?"
"Didn't he tell you?"
"No, he ran away when he saw me. I guess he was afraid that I would scold him." Shen Youran guessed, "Is he here to implant the needles or to remove them?"
Pei Huaijin couldn't tell her, "I don't know. After I went in, he just said hello to me and left."
Shen Youran thought, since he had divorced his sister, he definitely wasn't here to bury the needle.
But there is a medical department in the palace. If he wants to get acupuncture, he can just find the imperial physician in the palace. Why does he have to run outside the palace?
Perhaps, he was not here to remove needles. After all, the doctor in this room could treat other illnesses besides acupuncture.
But then again, is there any illness that can't be treated by the imperial physician in the palace?
"Could it be that he is also inhumane?" Shen Youran guessed.
Pei Huaijin stopped and said with a helpless smile: "Madam, what are you screaming for?" Who else is inhumane?
Shen Youran thought she had touched a sore spot and quickly dropped the topic. "Forget it, I'm too lazy to guess. No matter what disease he has, he and my sister have already divorced."
As Shen Youran walked, she chatted with him about another matter: "Do you know, my sister has only been home for more than a month, and someone has already come to ask for her hand in marriage."
She has not been very busy recently. The day before yesterday, she took some time to go back and visit her sister. When she heard Tinglan Qiongzhi and the others talking, she heard that several matchmakers had come to propose marriage to her sister in the past few days.
But most of them were from humble backgrounds, and my father didn’t agree to any of them.
"When I went back yesterday, I saw someone at home. You can't guess who it was?"
"Who is it?"
"Your friend, the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple, Lord Xiao..."
"Xiao Ci?" Pei Huaijin was truly surprised. "Why did he go to your house?"
"Playing chess with my father..."
My father loved playing chess, and he made many friends through it. Ever since my father was demoted halfway due to the emperor's grandson's affair, perhaps out of frustration, he'd lost his focus on court affairs. Naturally, with more free time, he'd picked up his old hobby again, often inviting friends to play chess at home to pass the time.
Judging from how familiar Xiao Ci is with his father, this shouldn't be his first time playing chess with his father.
Who would have thought that at such a young age, he could become such a close friend of my father?
*
It was not yet dark when Xie Heng came out of the perfume store.
I originally planned to go find her at night, after all, it would be easy to be discovered if I climbed over the wall in broad daylight.
But after strolling around the street for a few rounds, he really missed her so much that he simply went to the Shangshu Mansion first.
Shangshu Mansion.
Under the hexagonal pavilion, there is a circle of curtains half a meter high. Next to the stone table in the middle is a stove, which makes this place feel warm.
Shen Yunshu and Xiao Ci were playing chess inside.
Originally, it was his father who played with him, but after he had played two and a half rounds, a guest suddenly came to visit. His father had to go to the front yard to receive the guest, but he didn't want to neglect Xiao Ci, so he asked someone to call her over from the back yard and let her play with Xiao Ci for a while first.
Speaking of which, the reason why my father and Xiao Ci became chess friends was that during the Chinese New Year, Xiao Ci came to the Shen Mansion to pay New Year's greetings to my father and gave him a set of jade-polished chess pieces.
In the past, during the Chinese New Year, the Shen Mansion was bustling with colleagues and young people coming to pay New Year's greetings.
This year, perhaps because my father was demoted to half his position and lost the favor of His Majesty, fewer people came to the Shen Mansion to pay New Year's greetings.
Xiao Ci and Liang Xu are exceptions.
Liang Liulang, who guards the General's Mansion, is now good friends with his second brother. They are both in the same archery recruitment team. It is not surprising that he came to wish his father a happy new year.
As for Xiao Ci...
In the past, the Shen, Xiao and Liang families had no contact until the Shen and Pei families got married. Aunt Xiao became the nanny of the third sister. Xiao Ci and Pei Huaijin had been friends for many years. In addition, the Shen family also made some efforts when the Dali Temple arrested the bandits and searched for the emperor's grandson. Therefore, it was reasonable for Xiao Ci to come to the Shen family to pay New Year's greetings.
My father was naturally delighted with Xiao Ci's arrival. In addition, the other party gave him a set of high-quality chess pieces to please him. So he set up the chessboard that day and played chess with him for the whole morning.
Later, Xiao Ci came to visit his father twice more, and each time it was very late before his father was willing to let him go.
A few days ago, he was injured on duty and his right arm was fractured. He took leave from the Dali Temple and recuperated at home. He came to play chess with his father more frequently.
Her father had sighed in front of her more than once, saying that the young were formidable and that Xiao Ci's chess skills were slightly better than his.
Shen Yunshu also likes playing chess. Rather than winning or losing, she enjoys the silent attack and defense during the game. Therefore, she has always wanted to compete with Xiao Ci in chess. However, due to the difference between men and women, she has just returned home from a divorce, so it is not convenient for her to show up in front of a man from another family.
It was a rare opportunity that her father gave her today. Shen Yunshu had been studying in her yard these days and needed to relax. So, unknowingly, she had been with him from the time when the warm sun was in the sky to the time when the red sun was gone.
During this period, there were two wins and one loss, and now we are in the fourth game.
In this game, Shen Yunshu seemed to be losing. She held a black piece in her fingertips, which was suspended above the chessboard and had not fallen down for a long time. Her eyes moved back and forth on the chessboard, wondering whether she should protect the center or save the corners?
Xiao Ci on the opposite side did not urge him. The pot on the stove was filled with steam and the fragrance of tea was lingering. The woman opposite had her eyebrows slightly furrowed in thought, like a clear spring mountain, delicate and arrogant.
The wind blows through the pavilion, and the copper bells under the eaves ring softly.
After thinking for a few breaths, Shen Yunshu placed the black piece cleanly and neatly.
Go is a battle of gains and losses. You should seek to win but not be greedy. Only by knowing how to give up can you have the chance to gain more.
Xiao Ci withdrew his gaze, picked up the white piece and placed it in the corner that she had given up.
After each of them took a few more steps, Shen Yunshu narrowly won a move. Xiao Ci put the white piece back into the pot and looked up to admit defeat: "Madam Shen, I lose."
"Lord Xiao, thank you for letting me give you that." Shen Yunshu could see that Xiao Ci's chess skills were not inferior to hers. He made two bad moves during the game, and he must have been deliberately letting her give in.
Xiao Ci glanced at the sky, stood up and prepared to say goodbye: "It's getting late, I'm sorry to bother you today, Madam Shen."
"No, I've met a worthy opponent. I'm having a great time today."
"Then come back another day to discuss chess with Madam Shen..."
Huh? Shouldn't we be looking for our father?
Although it sounded a bit strange, Shen Yunshu still smiled politely and said, "Of course, Sir Xiao is welcome to come over anytime."
His father hasn't come back yet. As the host and of the same generation as him, Shen Yunshu has to see him off in person.
The two chatted casually as they walked towards the front yard.
"Madam Shen, please forgive me for being so presumptuous," the usually outspoken and serious Sizhi Lord unexpectedly showed a bit of shyness, "Are you and His Royal Highness... really divorced?"
Shen Yunshu's heart skipped a beat: "Of course...it's true."
Since the two of them were not familiar with each other, Shen Yunshu naturally would not tell him the truth.
"I heard from Lord Shen that many people have come to propose marriage to you recently."
Shen Yunshu smiled awkwardly: "I didn't expect my father would even tell you something like this..."
Ever since she came back after her divorce from Xie Heng, there have been at least eight people who have come to propose marriage to her, if not ten. However, most of them wanted her to marry someone of lower status, and she had already been rejected by her father and stepmother.
"I don't think those people are really seeking marriage. They're just attracted by your family background, appearance, and talent, and have some intentions towards you..."
Although this statement was somewhat absolute, the thoughts of those people were indeed obvious. Shen Yunshu was clear-headed and would naturally not agree. Besides, she and Xie Heng were already in contact, and before the two of them had a definite result, she would naturally not think about remarrying.
"Thank you, Lord Xiao, for your reminder. Father will take care of these matters for me."
He stopped and looked straight at her, his eyes suddenly becoming fiery: "I am twenty-three years old this year, still unmarried, and have long admired you..."
Shen Yunshu was stunned for a moment when he suddenly said such a thing: "Master Xiao, do you know what you are saying?"
How could he admire her?
It was obvious that the two of them had not met many times. They only had some contact because of the incident between Lu Yi and the robbers. After Lu Yi was exiled, she never saw him again.
During the Chinese New Year this year, he suddenly came to the Shen Mansion to pay New Year's greetings. Although it was a bit unbelievable, Shen Yunshu did not think about it in this way. She did not expect that today she was just receiving him on behalf of her father, but a bolt of lightning suddenly appeared out of the blue and caused such a romantic affair.
"Master Xiao, I've been married..."
"Xiao doesn't care."
"I used to be your friend's sister-in-law..."
"So what?"
"But why do you like me?"
"A graceful lady is always a good match for a gentleman. Why can't I like you?" Xiao Ci's eyes were blazing. "We first met in front of the Pei Mansion. At that time, he was still the grandson of the seventh son of the Pei family. He was a playboy and frivolous. I felt at that time that a girl as elegant, beautiful and intelligent as you shouldn't marry such a man."
"After that, you helped the Dali Temple solve cases. I witnessed your kindness, intelligence, and bravery, and I regretted that we never met before you married. Now that you've divorced His Royal Highness, why not consider me? You and I are a perfect match. I have no ulterior motives for you, I simply like you..."
Before he could finish his words, he heard someone shout, "Oh no! A thief has broken in!"
Xiao Ci's expression straightened, and he immediately looked in the direction of the voice, and took the opportunity to protect Shen Yunshu behind him: "Madam Shen, a thief has come in, be careful."
He took a few steps forward, observing as he walked.
When he turned around to talk to Shen Yunshu again, he found that there was no one behind him.
Shen Yunshu disappeared at some point.
At this time, Shen Yunshu had been pulled by Xie Heng and hid in a nearby rockery.
The sky was dim, and the cave was even darker. Only a familiar scent enveloped her.
"Why are you here at this time?" Shen Yunshu asked him in a low voice.
A cold laugh came from above her head. He grabbed her wrist and pressed close to her, his tone full of jealousy: "I came at an inopportune time and disturbed my sister's good thing..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
