Shen Youying was taken aback and stared intently.
The woman on the painted boat sat sideways, and because of the distance, she was not very clear. One could only vaguely make out that she was wearing a sky-blue dress, her hair was tied up in a high bun, her skin was very fair, and she should be quite young.
Whether it was Danzhu who mentioned it or not, the way Shen Youying covered her mouth with a fan and smiled when she saw the woman talking to the man opposite her did indeed look very much like Shen Muyu.
Even Bai Luo murmured, "It does look somewhat like..."
Why would a young lady like her, who should be staying at home, be out having a secret rendezvous with another man? And who is that man?
Shen Youying was hesitating whether to ask the boatman to row the boat closer to take a look when she saw the couple on the painted boat suddenly glance in their direction before retreating into the painted boat.
As the pleasure boat gradually sailed away, Shen Youying asked, "Do you know what the young lady was doing when we came out?"
Danzhu said, "She should be embroidering inside. I heard the eldest daughter asking Dongqing to find spices for her early this morning, as if she wanted to embroider a sachet."
Shen Muyu was embroidering in the room, so the woman on the painted boat must not be her.
Shen Youying breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking that although Shen Muyu was a bit spoiled, she should still be able to distinguish between what is important and what is not, and would not do something as foolish as having an affair with another man and ruining her reputation.
After this interruption, Shen Youying lost interest in continuing to pick lotus flowers and leaves. She picked a few more lotus flowers and leaves and then prepared to go back.
The sun was gradually rising. When Shen Youying came out, the sun was still low and there was a gentle breeze, making it quite cool. But when she returned, the sun was blazing, and even the wind had stopped. She hadn't brought an umbrella, so she had to use freshly picked lotus leaves as an umbrella to shield herself from the sun.
The pastoral scenery of the village was a sight that could not be seen in Tokyo, and it had a unique charm. As Shen Youying walked, she admired the scenery around her. By the time she was almost home, half an hour had passed.
Shen Youying wiped the fine sweat from her forehead and said, "It didn't feel far when we came out, but it was really tiring coming back. Next time, let's tell Father and take the carriage."
This time she didn't tell her father; she sneaked out quietly.
Bai Luo, carrying a basket of lotus pods and holding a lotus leaf for her, teased, "Dan Zhu and I both said we wanted to come out in a carriage, but didn't you say that would ruin the rustic charm?"
Shen Youying poked her forehead: "It's my fault, I shouldn't have disobeyed you."
The three of them, master and servants, were chatting and laughing as they walked toward the Shen residence when, unexpectedly, a group of carriages and horses suddenly appeared on the right-hand side road and cut them off.
Shen Youying had to stop and looked at the luxurious carriage procession with a strange expression. She wondered why she had encountered so many wealthy people in this remote village, which was not a good place for high-ranking officials and nobles to escape the summer heat.
Just as she was wondering, she saw the passing carriage suddenly stop, and a familiar person got out of the carriage, which startled Shen Youying.
"Your Highness Prince Chen?"
How did he end up here?
Prince Chen had not expected to meet Shen Youying. He looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow in surprise when he noticed her clothes.
It turns out that the person on the awning boat was her.
"It's actually my sister-in-law! Why did you bring these people to this desolate place?" Chen Wang cupped his hands in greeting, his gaze lingering on Shen Youying, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes.
Today, Shen Youying wore a traditional Chinese dress with a front opening. The lotus-colored, narrow-sleeved top was tucked into the lotus-green, waist-length pleated skirt with a pale yellow tie, making her slender waist appear incredibly delicate. Above her slender waist, a pale yellow bodice was embroidered with several tender lotus pods, their bulging curves making them particularly tempting to pick.
Especially since the maid beside her was holding a lotus leaf umbrella for her, making her look as alluring as a lotus flower transformed into a spirit.
King Chen stared at her, and suddenly felt a thirst.
"I'm going back to my parents' house for a short stay, and I came out to pick some lotus pods." Shen Youying felt uncomfortable under his gaze and moved behind the maid. "But what brings Prince Chen here?"
She subtly observed Prince Chen, her gaze suddenly fixing on a jade pendant at his waist.
The carp pattern on this jade pendant looks somewhat familiar...
She quickly remembered that the jade bracelet on Shen Muyu's wrist had a similar carp pattern engraved on it.
Shen Youying suddenly felt uneasy and couldn't bear to deal with Prince Chen any longer. After giving a cold nod, she hurriedly took her leave.
Prince Chen watched her back until she was out of sight before getting into the carriage.
The servant said, "How could we have run into Princess Qin by such a coincidence? Will the Prince and...that person's affair be discovered?"
King Chen chuckled, not particularly concerned: "So what if they found out? It won't interfere with my plans. Let's go back."
*
After returning home, Shen Youying immediately went to Shen Muyu's courtyard.
Shen Muyu's maid, Dongqing, was coming out of the room when she saw her coming. She quickly stopped her, curtsied, and said, "Is Your Highness here to see the eldest young lady? She hasn't woken up from her afternoon nap yet."
"I need to speak with you, elder sister," Shen Youying said softly, revealing no hint of her true feelings. "Elder sister, are you taking a nap so early?"
Dongqing said, "The young lady was tired from embroidering sachets this morning, so she took a short nap."
Shen Youying said, "I see. What kind of sachet did you embroider, elder sister? Can I see it? I also want to embroider a sachet for the prince, but I'm worried about not being able to find a nice pattern."
Dongqing hesitated for a while, but finally agreed. Just as she was about to go and get it, she saw Shen Muyu come out of the house and said unhappily, "Second sister wants to embroider a sachet for her husband, but she doesn't even think of a pattern herself. What's the point of coming to see me?"
"I'm just using this as a reference, not doing it exactly as you say."
Shen Muyu was dressed in ordinary old clothes, her long hair loose and untied, looking as if she had just woken up from a nap. Shen Youying looked at her wrist again, but Shen Muyu's hands were tucked into her sleeves, so she couldn't see whether she was wearing the bracelet today.
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