With a character like Xingxiu's, he wouldn't resort to such childish methods to retaliate against others.
Emperor Zhaojing was somewhat puzzled.
He glanced at him discreetly, only to find him calm, as if he hadn't been the one to cause the collision.
Rong Qingqing wiped the water stains from her chin and clothes with a handkerchief, her face calm, but in her heart she cursed Xie Jingrun.
This guy definitely did it on purpose; it's so tasteless.
He was pretending not to know her, so why didn't he just keep pretending? What was the point of hitting her?
The angrier she was inside, the calmer she appeared on the surface.
Xie Jingrun glanced at her and saw that she was wiping away the water stains with her face down, as if she didn't care about him bumping into her.
He frowned slightly. Why was this woman so calm? Was she furious?
A moment later, the waiters brought out the dishes one by one: boiled live fish, which Emperor Zhaojing liked; steamed pork with rice flour, which Xie Jingrun liked; and several new dishes that had just been introduced to the restaurant.
However, this time, when Emperor Zhaojing saw his favorite boiled live fish, he didn't rush to eat it. Instead, he started talking to Shangguan Yanran.
When he asked about Shangguan Yanran's age, Rong Qingqing raised her eyes and looked at the unusually enthusiastic Emperor Zhaojing. A thought flickered in her mind: Could it be that Emperor Zhaojing has taken a liking to Yanran?
But he's already quite old.
If Emperor Zhaojing takes a liking to Yanran, then even if Yanran is unwilling, she will have to enter the palace.
Thinking of this, she frowned, somewhat worried.
Just then, Emperor Zhaojing suddenly changed the subject, smiling as he said, "Xingxiu, you're not young anymore. I think Yanran's age is just right for you, I..."
"Your Majesty, I have no intention of getting married at this time," Xie Jingrun interrupted him, a shadow falling over his eyes.
Shangguan Yanran breathed a sigh of relief. Even if she was slow to understand, she understood what Emperor Zhaojing meant.
Did Emperor Zhaojing actually intend to betroth her to Xie Jingrun?
A chill ran through her.
Rong Qingqing was also taken aback. She had thought that Emperor Zhaojing had taken a liking to Yanran himself, but it turned out that he had his eye on Yanran and wanted her to be his daughter-in-law...
A complex feeling arose within her.
She didn't know why.
She was somewhat surprised to hear Xie Jingrun refuse without hesitation.
In fact, Yanran comes from a good family, is beautiful, and has a good personality, so she is indeed a good match for Xie Jingrun.
If the two get married, it would be a powerful alliance between the two families.
Moreover, Shangguan Boyan has remained neutral until now, without taking sides. However, she knows that Shangguan Boyan will eventually side with Feng Mo and has contributed a lot to Feng Mo's path to the throne.
As the head of all officials, if Xie Jingrun could win over Shangguan Boyan, it would indeed be a great help to his future.
Upon realizing this, she was suddenly startled.
So, Emperor Zhaojing's decision to arrange the marriage between the two was not impulsive, nor was it because he was attracted to Shangguan Yanran's appearance and personality, but rather because of the benefits that her family could bring to Xie Jingrun?
With Xie Jingrun's intelligence, he must have known Emperor Zhaojing's intentions, but he refused without hesitation. Was it arrogance or ignorance?
Emperor Zhaojing was suddenly interrupted by Xie Jingrun. He choked for a moment, then realized what was happening and became somewhat displeased. "You brat, I kindly arranged a marriage for you, but you refused so readily." He then turned to Rong Qingqing and said sternly, "Marriage is a matter of parental consent and matchmaker's words. As Xingxiu's mother, shouldn't the old lady have some say in this?"
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