"Is that so?" Rong Qingqing asked in surprise.
“Hmm. Didn’t the Empress Dowager ask me and Huayin to stay here yesterday? Your Crown Prince really contradicted her without any politeness, making her so angry that she couldn’t even speak properly.” Shangguan Yanran recalled what happened in the plum garden yesterday and suddenly said excitedly, “So the Empress Dowager’s attempt to place someone by your Crown Prince’s side won’t work. Just wait for him to come and marry you.”
Rong Qingqing was unaware that such a thing had happened in the plum garden after she left yesterday. When she heard Shangguan Yanran's teasing words, she didn't take them to heart and stood up, saying, "Let's go for a walk."
Shangguan Yanran was surprised, then suppressed a laugh and said, "I asked you to go shopping with me a few days ago, but you kept making excuses and didn't want to go. Why are you in such a good mood today and even invited me?"
Rong Qingqing ignored her teasing, pulled her cloak tighter, glanced at her, and asked, "Are you going or not?"
"Of course I'll go." Shangguan Yanran hugged her arm. "But after we're done shopping, you have to treat me to dinner at Wangchunlou."
Rong Qingqing readily agreed, "Okay."
Mentioning dining at Wangchunlou, Shangguan Yanran couldn't help but swallow hard, saying, "Wangchunlou's business is getting better and better. Your hot pot is attracting a lot of people. In this cold weather, I see other restaurants aren't doing much business, but Wangchunlou is booming. You have to make a reservation in advance, otherwise you can't get a table even if you have money. Tsk tsk, you must have made a lot of money this winter, right?"
Rong Qingqing shrugged. "Not much."
"Come on, the money you've made from Wangchunlou and Jinxiuyifang is enough for you to live on for the rest of your life, not to mention the dowry your mother left you, and now you have a prince as a father. Sigh, now that you mention it, I suddenly realize that you've been very lucky ever since Feng Mo broke off your engagement."
"That's a must. I can't be unlucky all the time, can I?" Rong Qingqing raised an eyebrow and said with a smile.
"I think you're blessed with good fortune right now. Today, I'm going to make sure you get a good meal," Shangguan Yanran said, rubbing her hands together eagerly.
"That depends on whether your stomach can hold it," Rong Qingqing said dismissively. Then, thinking of something, she suggested, "Should we invite Fu Rongchen along too?"
Mentioning Fu Rongchen, Shangguan Yanran looked embarrassed and said, "No."
"What's wrong?" Rong Qingqing asked.
“I haven’t seen him in a long time.” Shangguan Yanran shrugged. “He’s probably avoiding me.”
"What did you do that made him avoid you?" Rong Qingqing asked, recalling the time she got drunk. Xiao Tao had told her about it when she came back. Yanran had gotten drunk that day and returned to the Prime Minister's mansion, where she ran into Fu Rongchen and vomited all over him.
Thinking of this, she asked, "Just because you threw up all over him, he's going to avoid you?"
"That's not the reason, is it? He probably doesn't want anything to do with me." Shangguan Yanran said unhappily, "Don't mention him in front of me. It's not like I can't live without him. There are plenty of talented and handsome men in this world. When you sit on the throne of Empress, you must issue a decree to choose a husband for me from all over the world. I will definitely choose a man a thousand times better than Fu Rongchen."
Rong Qingqing ignored her nonsense and said, "Didn't you want to eat hot pot? Let's go."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yanran quickly grabbed her hand and hurried out of the Prince Su's residence.
Since it was still early, the two of them strolled along the street.
Although the weather is cold right now, the Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and the streets are packed with people, making it very lively.
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