Chapter 35 You have to give me a way out...
Chapter 35
Shen Suining greeted the princess with a hint of trepidation, her eyes secretly glancing at her face.
The eldest princess looked terrible. When she saw Shen Suining arrive, she hesitated for a long time before beckoning to her, "Ningning, come here."
Shen Suining obediently stepped forward, thinking to herself, "The Princess is a very kind person, and she's an old friend of my parents. I'll just accept whatever she says and make sure I don't try to talk back to my mother."
The eldest princess took Shen Suining's hand and said with heartache, "Ningning, why didn't you tell me you were wronged? So many people saw it, but you wouldn't say a word. If I hadn't personally questioned Jing Hao and Jing Yue, you would probably still be in the dark!"
“Uh…” Shen Suining didn’t expect the princess to be concerned about this matter. She was speechless for a moment and could only laugh awkwardly to deal with it.
Even an ordinary woman, upon learning after marriage that her husband had an affair with another woman and that she was being treated as an interloper, would inevitably be devastated and heartbroken, even without any feelings for him. How much more so for Shen Suining, whose temperament is inherently strong and resolute, such a situation would probably be worse than death for her.
The eldest princess knew her temperament and understood why she was trying to compromise, which was why she felt so sorry for her.
"Actually, you've misunderstood Ah Sheng about this."
Knowing that this misunderstanding had caused discord between the couple, the eldest princess explained to Shen Suining, "The marriage with the Gao family was something the Empress and I casually mentioned during our discussions. Among the prominent families in the capital, there weren't many suitable women who were a good match for Asheng. Princess Lanxin came from a military family and had some connections with the Empress Dowager's maternal clan, so I thought she was a good choice. But before the matter was even settled, His Majesty remembered the agreement between your father and Jingchuan and arranged the marriage between you and Asheng. Originally, this matter with the Gao family would have been forgotten if no one had mentioned it, but... sigh."
The eldest princess had heard about the affairs in the inner quarters of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, but she never expected that the Duchess of Zhenguo would be so short-sighted, showing no regard for her own daughter or the Gao family's reputation, and inexplicably causing Shen Suining to suffer such grievances.
“Ningning, it’s not that I, as his mother, want to excuse Asheng, but I raised him myself. I know his personality best. Before he married you, he didn’t even have a maidservant in his room, let alone any affair with any other woman. The only marriage he ever made was with you.”
“Lanxin is a spoiled and arrogant girl. She has admired Asheng for a long time, but Asheng has never met her in private. He just hasn’t responded because he cares about a girl’s reputation. She’s causing trouble because someone is pulling strings behind the scenes. I will personally seek justice for you.”
“But Ningning,” the princess patted Shen Suining’s hand, speaking earnestly, “if you hold a grudge against Asheng because of this, I will truly feel sorry for Asheng.”
...
He Hansheng spent most of the day in court debating the issue of controlling the city's garrison with several court officials who strongly opposed it.
After leaving the palace, he went to his residence and worked until dark.
He Hansheng was completely exhausted; even a body of iron couldn't withstand such an ordeal.
But as soon as he got home, Jiang Yuchu told him: Madam went out again, and this time she didn't even take Shen Fengyu with her.
He Hansheng had a bit of a headache and called Shen Fengyu over, "Has she gone to the Nine Heavens again?"
“I don’t know, she didn’t tell me,” Shen Fengyu shrugged, her face showing little emotion. “Yesterday, Xiao Jiu secretly sent you a message saying that the young master is angry, so he probably won’t be going today.”
"Let her be." He Hansheng was already exhausted, and upon hearing this, he became angry and stormed into the house.
However, not long after, he came out with a stern face and said, "I left something in the camp. I need to go back and get it."
Jiang Yuchu: "What did you forget, Lord Marquis? I'll go get it."
He Hansheng didn't speak, only glanced at him indifferently.
A moment later, Shen Fengyu looked at Jiang Yuchu, whose face was pressed against the wall, and sneered with her arms crossed: "Don't you have any sense? People were just about to back down, but you insisted on forcing them. Now you've got a beating, haven't you?"
Jiang Yuchu: "..."
He Hansheng walked to the gate of the mansion, and Jing Hao and Jing Yue bowed to him, "Your Excellency has just returned, why are you going out again?"
He Hansheng remained silent.
He couldn't be bothered to repeat that lame excuse; Jing Hao and Jing Yue were always much smarter than Jiang Yuchu.
As expected, Jing Hao realized what was happening and said, "When Madam left, she said that she was going to Lanjiangfang today to compete in skill, welcome the immortals, and see the lanterns."
He Hansheng then remembered that today was Qixi Festival.
Lanjiangfang is not far from the Marquis's residence, separated from Pingjiangfang, where the Marquis's residence is located, by only one long street. Although it is not the most prosperous place in Huadu, it is lively at night. However, at this moment, a light rain suddenly started to fall.
The weather changed yesterday, and He Hansheng didn't dare to delay for a moment on the road, fearing he wouldn't be able to make it back yesterday.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated. The rain had been brewing for half a day, but it only fell briefly last night and this morning. Although the ground was a little damp, it did not affect the festival.
There were many people in Lanjiangfang today because it was Qixi Festival. People built a fragrant bridge in the center of Lanjiangfang with colorful threads. The welcoming of immortals, lanterns and skill competitions were all near the fragrant bridge.
The rain got heavier, so He Hansheng bought an umbrella by the roadside.
He stood in the crowd, holding an umbrella, feeling a little lost. He seemed to have forgotten that Shen Suining was a master of disguise. If she wanted to hide, she could blend into the crowd and no one would be able to find her.
Just then, He Hansheng was bumped by a stranger. He saw the man's eyes, but the man quickly looked away and walked away with his umbrella.
He Hansheng realized what was happening, turned around and shouted sharply, "Stop!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Suining, who had been exposed, started to run, with He Hansheng following closely behind. The two walked against the flow of people in the bustling crowd. The roadside was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and it was very lively. But they were like cat and mouse, one hiding and the other chasing.
Shen Suining rushed out of the crowd and turned into a narrow, secluded alley, with He Hansheng following behind.
With no way to avoid it, Shen Suining folded the umbrella in her hand and thrust it at He Hansheng like a sword.
He Hansheng was also holding his breath and didn't give in as much as he had yesterday. He grabbed her wrist with his other hand, knocked the umbrella down, and threw it away with his other hand to catch the palm strike she was delivering from mid-air.
He grabbed her hands, pulled her tightly into his arms, and said in a low, deep voice, "Enough of this nonsense."
The streets were bustling and brightly lit, while the alleys were narrow and dark, with only the occasional cat or dog passing by. The two gazed at each other in the darkness, as if isolated from the outside world.
Shen Suining heard He Hansheng say, "That's enough."
She sneered, feeling incredibly resentful, but her hands were bound and she couldn't move. So she pushed forward with all her might, pinning He Hansheng against the damp and uneven stone wall.
The umbrella spun in the rain, and the colorful lights outside reflected on the water, faintly bringing a sliver of light into the narrow alley.
Using that faint light, Shen Suining stood on tiptoe, turned to the side, and bit He Hansheng's lips hard.
He Hansheng cried out in pain, his grip loosened, and Shen Suining broke free instantly.
But she didn't run away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down forcefully, and rudely and awkwardly bit his lips.
He Hansheng was somewhat surprised, his body stiffened slightly, and he remained motionless as she kissed him as if venting her anger.
The raindrops fell on their faces but didn't reach their mouths, silently nourishing the feelings that were quietly growing in the darkness.
After a moment, He Hansheng finally couldn't help but respond to her.
Unlike Shen Suining's rudeness and recklessness, He Hansheng's kiss was more gentle and lingering, like a gentle stream, soothing Shen Suining's emotions over the past two days.
Perhaps because looking down was too tiring, He Hansheng supported Shen Suining's neck with one hand and used the other hand to lift her legs down, hanging her on his waist.
He turned around, pinning Shen Suining against the wall, and changed his attack.
There seemed to be an invisible barrier in the dark alley, and the noise and bustle of the street could not disturb them at all. So, the long and tender wet kiss in the darkness did not end for a long time, as if all the emotions of the past few days were poured into this kiss and conveyed to each other in the most direct and passionate way.
Two strong-willed people, even their kiss seemed to carry a hidden competition.
After a long while, Shen Suining, breathless from the kisses, finally turned her face away, panting and chuckling softly, "I admit defeat."
Her legs were a little weak, and she was still clinging to He Hansheng. Fortunately, there was almost no light in the alley, so he couldn't see her ears, which were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.
He Hansheng didn't say anything, but used one hand to hold Shen Suining to prevent her from falling, and used the other hand to pick up the umbrella on the ground and hold it over their heads.
"Satisfied now?" He Hansheng's voice was low and husky, with a hint of mockery. "You lured me here specifically for this?"
"Who deliberately led you here? You insisted on coming here yourself."
"If you don't tell me, will Jinghao tell me you're here?"
Shen Suining opened her mouth, seemingly unwilling to argue any further. She lowered her head and remained silent for a moment, then muttered somewhat awkwardly, "Then you have to give me a way out, right?"
As soon as she said this, He Hansheng understood. It was probably because her mother had explained the matter with the Gao family to her. She knew that he was also innocent, but she was too proud to admit her mistake on her own initiative. So she could only use this awkward and crude way to soften her stance and make peace with him.
He Hansheng found it somewhat amusing, "Your steps are quite unique."
"What's wrong? You're clearly enjoying it too," Shen Suining said, somewhat displeased. "My tongue's numb, what are you pretending for?"
"Okay, I won't pretend anymore," He Hansheng licked the spot on his bitten lip and sighed, "Then be gentler next time, it hurts a little."
"He Hansheng!" Shen Suining, enraged, jumped off him.
But her legs were still weak and she couldn't stand steadily for a moment. He Hansheng calmly put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms.
"Stop making a fuss," He Hansheng whispered in her ear, "Let's go home, okay?"
He lowered his voice, as if he were bewitching her.
Both of them got wet in the rain, and their clothes were sticky and uncomfortable against their skin. She also wanted to go back as soon as possible to take a shower and change.
“Okay,” Shen Suining readily accepted the invitation, tilting her head back and becoming even more insistent, “Then you carry me on your back.”
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