Chapter 48
Fu'er felt regretful that she hadn't had enough fun boating last time.
They had all agreed to spend these two days with him, so of course they wouldn't refuse.
Although Ning Shiyu was a nobleman's son, his boatmanship was no worse than Zhu Ping's.
There were few people today, so Ning Shiyu not only showed Fu'er many sights, but also stopped from time to time to pick a lot of lotus seeds and lotus flowers for Fu'er.
When the gardener on the shore was about to shout, Mu Li simply shoved a copper coin into his hand, and the man immediately shut up.
Fu'er sat behind him, peeling lotus seeds and eating them while admiring the scenery on the shore.
Ning Shiyu would occasionally turn around and ask Fu'er if the lotus seeds were delicious.
Fu'er, who had been preoccupied, seemed much more energetic.
Looking at this lotus pond reminded Fu'er of the lotus pond at Ning Shiyu's estate.
“Young master, the old woman says that the lotus flowers on the estate are blooming even more profusely than last year.”
"I wonder if there are any twin lotus flowers this year?"
Ning Shiyu tilted her head slightly, "You like it?"
"Of course I like it. It has a good meaning and is auspicious."
“Last year I picked a bunch, and the young master gave me more New Year’s money than usual.”
"You say it's very auspicious."
Ning Shiyu rowed slowly, smiling indulgently, "Little money-grubber."
Sitting behind Ning Shiyu, looking at his broad back, I saw the strong, taut lines of his arms as he rowed.
Not only did it put Fu'er at ease, it also made her feel a little that it would be nice if Ning Shiyu were a husband from an ordinary family.
Perhaps if she married him, she could live a loving and harmonious life like her mother and father.
But she knew it was impossible.
When the two of them were together, Fu'er nestled in his arms and thought about it.
If Ning Shiyu is willing to take him back to Chang'an, he will continue to treat her so well.
She could also abandon the house she used to be so attached to.
I stayed with him the whole time.
However, the matter of incense made her see things clearly.
If she were to become completely immersed in his tenderness and affection, then everything she had would depend on him.
When he's good to you, he can give you what you want.
When he treats you badly, you don't even have the chance to cry in front of him.
He was driven out of his world.
These last two days will be my last moment of self-destruction.
Anyway, her body still prefers Ning Shiyu's closeness and intimacy.
Fu'er stretched out her arms and hugged Ning Shiyu, pressing her face against him.
Ning Shiyu looked delighted and quickened his rowing speed.
Unbeknownst to them, they had led Fu'er to a place where lotus leaves were dense.
Once you swipe in, it's like entering another closed world, isolating you from everything outside.
Fu'er was wondering what he was going to do.
Ning Shiyu had already put down the oars, turned around, and pulled Fu'er into his arms.
Fu'er panicked, "No, we're on a ship, what if someone sees us?"
Ning Shiyu lowered his head and rubbed his chin against the top of his head, then chuckled softly, "I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble last night. I won't do anything inappropriate, I just want to hug you."
Fu'er saw that he was holding her obediently, unlike in the past when he would look at her with such burning eyes that it seemed like he wanted to devour her.
She didn't move again, quietly nestled in his arms.
Looking up at his handsome face, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart and reached out to touch his high, straight nose.
I touched his bright eyes with my fingertips; they rarely smiled.
"Can you smile more? You always have such a cold face."
"I used to love to laugh, but then I saw that you didn't like to laugh, so I stopped laughing too."
Ning Shiyu lowered his head and occasionally pecked at Fu'er's forehead, nose, and corner of her mouth, his eyes filled with affection that almost overflowed.
"He doesn't smile much anymore, but he loves to eat, and he's always staring at my plate."
"There's no time to laugh."
Fu'er chuckled, amused by her, "You noticed that."
The gentle light in Ning Shiyu's eyes gradually deepened, and his voice became much lower. He whispered hoarsely, holding Fu'er's earlobe in his mouth, "I also know about your other switch."
Seeing the growing lust in Ning Shiyu's eyes, Fu'er knew what he wanted to do and was about to push him away.
His thin lips kissed Fu'er's collarbone.
Fu'er groaned involuntarily, and her body trembled involuntarily.
She instantly softened into a puddle of water, and understood what Ning Shiyu meant by the switch.
Remembering the embarrassment she caused at the Prince's Mansion gate last time, she forcefully shoved Ning Shiyu.
"No, Brother Ayu."
Ning Shiyu had no resistance to a soft "Brother Ayu".
Seeing that Fu'er was so anxious that tears were streaming down her face, he buried his head in her chest and calmed down after a long while.
She looked at Fu'er with resentment in her eyes, "You naughty girl."
He smoothed out her messy hair with his hands.
Seeing his aggrieved look, Fu'er quickly tried to distract him, "How about we play some of our childhood tricks?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Shiyu knew that she was referring to a truth-or-dare game.
Seeing that she was happy, I was naturally willing to cooperate with her.
He said with a half-smile, "I have a little glutton who's really good at memorizing things, but actually she just wants me to reward her by buying her cherry biscuits."
Fu'er chuckled, "You guessed right, go ahead and fight."
That's how it was when we were kids; the person who guessed correctly would slap the other person's palm.
Now that Fu'er is his woman, Ning Shiyu is naturally reluctant to actually hit her.
He gave a sly smile. "We're not hitting your palms anymore. We've changed the rules."
Fu'er was taken aback. "Change it to what?"
Ning Shiyu didn't say anything, but brought his cheek close to her mouth.
Fu'er understood immediately and gave Ning Shiyu a quick kiss on the nose.
When it came to Fu'er, she hesitated for a moment.
She smiled sweetly and said, "Young Master knows perfectly well that Zhuang Xing also loves pastries, but he won't let him touch them. He gives them all to me and Xiao Ju, probably because he's too fat to practice martial arts, right?"
Ning Shiyu tapped her small nose. "You guessed wrong. It has nothing to do with Zhuang Xing. I'm just worried that my little glutton won't get enough to eat."
After saying that, he kissed Fu'er's red lips passionately.
After a moment, their breathing calmed down.
Fu'er had no choice but to call a halt. If they continued guessing, this small boat was not a carriage, and if the two of them got too excited, they might both fall into the water.
She didn't want to move anymore and lay in Ning Shiyu's arms, snuggling close to him.
Both of them wanted time to stop at this moment.
Fu'er suddenly asked softly, "When you have a wife in the future, will you treat her the same way? As time goes by, will you forget me and our child?"
Hearing Fu'er bring up this topic unexpectedly.
Ning Shiyu felt a sharp pain in his chest and hugged Fu'er even tighter.
He wanted to meld into her body, and bit her lip as punishment. "Words are meaningless. I will prove it to you with my actions."
As it grew later, Mu Li reminded him from the shore, "Young Master, the garden staff said they're closing soon."
At this point, Ning Shiyu had no choice but to leave with Fu'er.
The two returned to Songtao Garden to rest that night.
As Ning Shiyu was falling asleep, Fu'er in his arms whispered, "Promise me you won't die."
"Okay, I promise you, go to sleep."
Fu'er stayed by Ning Shiyu's side for two days without leaving his side.
Even the sweetest days will eventually come to an end.
Two days later, at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), before dawn, Ning Shiyu got up.
The guards outside were already fully prepared and waiting.
Ning Shiyu looked at Fu'er on the bed with reluctance and called Dongyue in.
"This time, you don't need to come with me to Chang'an."
"Stay here and protect Fu'er."
Dongyue, unwilling to give up, looked up and said, "Young Master, your subordinate..."
Ning Shiyu knew what she was thinking and immediately interrupted, "Remember, she will be your master from now on."
"We must not be disrespectful to her again."
"She's kind-hearted and won't pursue the matter, but if I find out..."
"You know the result."
Ning Shiyu's eyes were icy, and his tone was calm, yet it carried an imposing and intimidating power.
Dongyue's face turned pale, and she dared not utter another word of rebuttal, obediently replying, "Your subordinate understands."
Ning Shiyu dared not turn back again, fearing that if he did, he would be reluctant to leave. He strode out of the room.
But as he walked out of his Zhanbozhai, he couldn't help but stop and look back one last time at the bedroom where Fu'er was resting.
Fu'er, who was inside the house, had already woken up.
With tears streaming down her face, she heard Ning Shiyu's instructions to Dongyue clearly.
Hearing Ning Shiyu's footsteps fading into the distance, she panicked, threw on her coat, and ran out without even putting on her shoes.
Dongyue turned around and saw her, hurriedly grabbed her embroidered shoes, and chased after her, calling out, "Miss."
Fu'er ran faster than ever before, but she was still a step too late.
When she reached the courtyard gate, she only saw the backs of the guards riding away on horseback.
Seeing how much her master valued Fu'er, Dongyue dared not neglect her duties any longer.
Seeing her teary eyes, he advised, "Go back, the young master will be back in a month."
After breakfast, Fu'er returned to Qingyu Street.
When Chen Qiao arrived, he had already returned from purchasing goods. Upon seeing Fu'er, the worry on his face eased considerably.
She glanced at Dongyue, who had followed her to the shop, and stared at him coldly.
Chen Qiao swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
Seeing that he seemed hesitant to speak, Fu'er asked, "Brother Chen, what is it you want to say?"
Mr. Chen Qiao blushed, and then stammered, "Miss, could I rest for two days?"
Fu'er put down her incense-making tools, feeling somewhat troubled, as she couldn't manage the task all by herself.
The other guy has also not been found.
"Brother Chen, is there something you need?"
Chen Qiao glanced at Fu'er and whispered, "I..."
Dongyue couldn't stand it any longer and said loudly, "A grown man like you, talking like a woman."
"Are you the shopkeeper, or is she the shopkeeper? Do you want her to guess?"
Dongyue's sudden shout startled both Fu'er and Chen Qiao.
Chen Qiao then told the truth: "Lu Hua is pregnant, and my mother has agreed to let me marry her."
"The date has been set, in two days."
Fu'er's eyes widened. "What? You got pregnant in one go?"
"Didn't my cousin say you're already married?"
Chen Qiao coughed lightly, unsure whether his manager was praising him or criticizing him.
He gave an awkward laugh and replied, "My ex-wife disliked my family's poverty, and divorced me after two years of marriage."
Fu'er smiled and said, "So we have to thank that person for unintentionally bringing you two together."
"Getting married is a good thing, you should rest, the two of us can manage."
Dongyue shook her head and said, "Miss, I don't know how to do these things."
Fu'er smiled and said, "If I don't know how, I'll learn."
"As long as Sister Dongyue stays with me, I will have to do these things."
"If you really can't get used to it, you should go back to Songtao Garden."
“I told you, I don’t need guards, I just need men.”
Dongyue realized that Fu'er was trying to get rid of her in various ways.
She dared not neglect the instructions given by her master. "Let's get to work."
"I refuse to believe it, this is harder than practicing swordsmanship."
"You teach me."
As he spoke, he pulled Chen Qiao toward the shop in the front yard.
Chen Qiao was so frightened that she repeatedly agreed.
Fu'er smiled and then entered the incense-making room.
It wasn't even noon yet when You Cuicui arrived at the shop.
She was not long after her baby turned one month old, and her head was still wrapped in a headscarf. She looked much fatter than before.
When Fu'er saw her arrive, she immediately put down what she was doing and poured You Cuicui a cup of tea.
"How dare you find a girl? I said I was looking for a helper."
"I saw she was carrying a knife on her waist; which customer would dare to come in?"
Fu'er washed her face by the washbasin stand, and felt more refreshed. "She's not the girl I found, but a guard that the young master left for me."
"If she insists on following, let's see how long she can keep it up?"
You Cuicui took a couple of sips of tea and smiled, "He treats you much better than I imagined. A man like that is hard to come by."
Even if she can't become the principal wife in the future, she will still be a favored concubine.
"Don't be so rigid. I'm not entirely right either."
Seeing that her cousin was speaking in a completely different tone than usual, Fu'er interrupted, "Cousin, I don't want to be someone's concubine, not even if that person is our young master."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
