Helpless, Meng Zhao had no choice but to follow him to the carriage to get chestnut cakes.
Just as Shen Qinghe was about to follow, Li Baojin stopped him.
She couldn't understand how her brother had offended him. All she knew was that this was a rare opportunity, so while her brother was busy with Lady Meng, Li Baojin took the initiative.
"Young Master Shen, I heard you passed the imperial examination with top honors, but I haven't had a chance to congratulate you in person yet." Li Baojin's voice was tinged with shyness, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.
Shen Qinghe naturally knew that she was the young lady from the wealthy family whom the matchmaker had come to arrange the marriage. Originally, he was a gentleman and answered her questions politely, but every time that annoying girl bothered Meng Zhao, she would come to talk to him. He didn't know what she was thinking, so he frowned and said, "Thank you, but I have other matters to attend to, so I won't chat with Lady Li any longer." After saying that, he turned and ran towards Meng Zhao.
Seeing his behavior, Li Baojin's maidservant said indignantly, "Miss, this man is so ill-mannered! You've tried to talk to him several times, but he just ignores you. What kind of person is he? Does he think he's some kind of golden nugget just because he passed the imperial examination? He's far inferior to our master."
Li Baojin was also feeling down. She didn't know what was wrong. He had been helping out at the Treasure Pavilion before, and when he spoke to others, he was always smiling and gentle. Why was he so cold and hard today?
She wasn't shameless, and after trying to strike up a conversation a few times, she kept her head down and didn't say anything after receiving cold shoulders.
Li Baoyan, who had come along, was busy currying favor with Meng Zhao and had no time to care about her younger sister. She could only stand aside sullenly.
Meng Zhao, noticing that Li Baojin always kept her head down, came over to talk to her, saying, "Miss Li, the dress you chose today is really nice. The flower petals embroidered on the skirt are a perfect match for the spring scenery."
Seeing that her little scheme had been discovered, Li Baojin was very happy. "Hehe, you found out? I picked out several clothes today before choosing this one."
Meng Zhao nodded, her tone sincere, "This color suits you very well."
"Madam Meng, look at my kite, is it flying high enough?" Li Baoyan pulled the kite string and ran back and forth around the two of them.
Meng Zhao smiled and nodded. Li Baojin couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh when she saw her brother's silly appearance.
Then, she glanced at Shen Qinghe beside her and secretly wondered if she should learn from her brother and be more proactive.
Shen Qinghe saw a gust of wind blow by, and Meng Zhao shrank her neck. So he went to the carriage and got a cloak, and handed it to Meng Zhao, saying, "Sister-in-law, it's not that hot yet. You've just recovered, so don't catch a cold."
Meng Zhao smiled and took it, then draped it over her shoulders.
Li Baojin, who was standing next to her, suddenly realized that the gentle and polite Shen Qinghe she had seen before had returned, but he was not facing her.
The eyes of admirers will always fall on the person in their hearts from time to time, and they will pay special attention to his every move. After a day of sightseeing, Li Baojin's expression when looking at Shen Qinghe and Meng Zhao changed.
Others didn't notice, but she saw it clearly: Shen Qinghe's care for Meng Zhao, his hostility towards her brother, and his disregard for her all pointed to one thing.
Shen Qinghe admires Lady Meng, but does Lady Meng know about it?
After a lively day of fun, as the weather gradually turned cooler in the afternoon, they began to pack up and head home. While the others were busy packing, Li Baojin quietly approached Meng Zhao, her face showing some hesitation and nervousness.
"Madam Meng, I have something I'd like to ask for your help with." Regardless of the circumstances, since she liked Shen Qinghe, she was going to give it a try.
Besides, even if Shen Qinghe likes Madam Meng, so what? If Madam Meng doesn't like him, that won't work either. She liked her cousin before, but he fell in love with Shen Qinghe at first sight. Who says that feelings can only be one-sided?
Meng Zhao was bending down to tidy up the kite string on the ground when she saw her coming over. She said gently, "What's wrong, Miss Li? Just tell me what's wrong."
“I…I admire Young Master Chen and would like to ask Lady Meng for help.”
Meng Zhao was slightly taken aback, not expecting her to be so direct. "How do you want me to help you?"
Li Baojin's words were also somewhat probing. Seeing that Madam Meng's expression was normal, she was a little surprised. Could it be that Madam Meng had no interest in Shen Qinghe? She tentatively asked, "Madam Meng is Young Master Shen's sister-in-law. You are always together. I would like to know what kind of woman Young Master Shen likes."
When asked this question, Meng Zhao really didn't know how to answer. Shen Qinghe in the book was extremely pure in matters of the heart. Whether it was a devoted subordinate who admired him, a charming princess who fell in love with him at first sight and tried to force him to marry her, or a well-known and talented young lady from a prominent family, he was unmoved by any of them.
These women are all exceptional in terms of intelligence, temperament, family background, devotion, and appearance, yet Shen Qinghe remains alone. Some readers say that he developed misogyny after being drugged by the original owner of the body when he was young, but given his respectful interactions with women, it can only be said that he is naturally aloof and incapable of love.
But since they had asked her, she couldn't just stay silent. Meng Zhao recalled the women in the book who had a lot of contact with Shen Qinghe, and carefully said, "Although I am his sister-in-law, I rarely talk to him about this matter. But judging from his temperament, I think he would prefer women who are talented, gentle and quiet."
Li Baojin was puzzled. She considered herself to be quite talented and gentle, but Shen Qinghe had never given her a second glance.
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