Chapter 77 Chapter 77 "Tell me what...what?"...
Xie Zhiyan stood in front of the couch for a moment, then raised his hand and slowly untied the leather belt around his waist.
Just as he opened the brocade quilt and lay down, the warm and soft body in the corner followed his breath and rolled into his arms.
Sheng Puzhu rested her head on his shoulder, half asleep and half awake, feeling dissatisfied, and reached out to push him away.
Xie Zhiyan laughed angrily, pulled the person into his arms, and lowered his voice: "You got in here on your own, and now you don't want it anymore."
"Ugh, it's cold." He said in a disgusted tone.
Sheng Puzhu's nose unconsciously brushed against his slightly cool collar, and her brows furrowed slightly, obviously very dissatisfied with his cool body temperature.
Xie Zhiyan was silent for a long time. He placed the back of his hand against her face and kissed her cold brow. His voice was low and hoarse, "Hold me tight. You won't be cold soon, okay?"
"You're lying." Sheng Puzhu muttered, and her soft little hands groped around his waist. Her fingertips brushed across the tie in the middle of his hakama and pulled hard.
The girl, half awake in her dream, was impatient. She couldn't find what she wanted, and her anxiety made her nose sweat and her cheeks flushed more and more. But the belt on her hakama didn't move at all.
"Where's my stuffed tiger?"
"Where have you been hiding?"
"Bad guy."
Sheng Puzhu thought he was dreaming, so he was very angry.
The man in the darkness suddenly stopped breathing and let out a low laugh: "Who is the bad guy?"
Sheng Puzhu shook her head without saying a word, half of her face sunk into the soft pillow. The sweet scent of goose pear wafted through the tent, like flowers and trees soaked in morning dew. She fell asleep again, her palms limp.
The fingers are like magnolias, clean and the fingertips near the nails are round like pearls, with a faint pink color in the snow-white.
The seemingly well-behaved little hands were actually not obedient at all. After being quiet for only a quarter of an hour, she started to rustle and touch around again.
The silent spring night was like Xie Zhiyan's silent indulgence. The ties that had been unable to be untied were quietly untied. Under the airtight brocade quilt, the soft little hands were guided and tacitly approved.
She found the hidden "cloth tiger" with ease. The tiger's head was too big to be held by one hand.
"Found it."
Xie Zhiyan's cold white neck tilted back, and his Adam's apple rolled violently for a moment.
He allowed the boneless hand to caress the tiger's beard through the clothes without restraint.
"Bozhu."
"You are really bad." Xie Zhiyan's eyes were dark red. He pinched the soft and thin waist with one hand and said every word in a charming way.
Sheng Puzhu's lips, which were pursed in dissatisfaction, gradually curled up, and her slightly frowned brows were smoothed by the warmth. She buried her head deeply in Xie Zhiyan's arms, and then sighed with satisfaction.
Just like the dream she was in at the moment, there was thick fog, towering green pines, and a light sniff of the elegant pine scent of cypress trees was everywhere.
She didn't know what she was going to do, but the "tiger" was lost and she had to find it. However, the pine forest was too big, and it soon started to rain heavily. The cold was biting, and in the icy mist, many mushrooms suddenly grew on the ground. She touched the mushroom caps with her fingertips.
Then the mushroom suddenly grew bigger with a "bang", growing taller and taller, like a mighty giant.
Sheng Puzhu had never seen such a big mushroom. She stood on tiptoe to sniff it, then reached out to hug it.
The wind stopped and the rain disappeared. In the misty pine forest, the mushrooms in her arms were burning hot, and everything became warm.
"My lady, it's time to get up."
Nanny Du quietly lifted the curtain and called inside in a low voice with a smile.
Sheng Puzhu closed his eyes, half of his face buried under the brocade quilt, breathing softly, still deep in sleep.
"My lady, it's already lunchtime, and the princess is waiting for you to come over." Madam Du asked someone to bring the copper basin for washing, and was about to reach out to wring her handkerchief.
Sheng Puzhu finally turned over lazily, as if talking in her sleep: "Mammy, I don't want to get up. I want to eat mushrooms."
Madam Du was startled, then burst out laughing. Knowing her mistress was probably still dazed, she wiped her face and helped her up. "My dear lord, even if I had supernatural powers, I wouldn't be able to find any mushrooms at this time of year."
"The forest in the northern suburbs is still frozen, and even the weeping willows along the shore are just beginning to sprout. Where can we get fresh mushrooms?"
"Okay..." Sheng Puzhu still had his eyes closed, and said with regret, "I ate a very large mushroom in my dream, but unfortunately, I was woken up by the nanny."
Nanny Du laughed: "It's my fault for disturbing your sweet dream." Sheng Puzhu nodded her head and was about to fall back on the bed. The vague sleepiness finally dissipated when Nanny Du wiped her hands.
"Mammy, what's wrong with my hand?"
Sheng Puzhu raised his hands, his almond-shaped eyes widened, and his expression was extremely shocked.
The soft, snow-white palms had a red spot right in the middle of them. How could there be such an ambiguous mark when she was not at home? It looked like... the marks left by those times when he pressed her down and did that kind of thing.
But this time the marks were not deep and were different from before.
"It must have been pressed accidentally."
"Does it hurt? I'll find some medicine for you to apply." Nanny Du didn't find the red mark too strange.
After all, Sheng Puzhu's skin is so delicate and fair that even if the handkerchief is not soft enough or the force is too strong, it will turn the whole skin red, not to mention being pressed.
“But I don’t think it’s like pressure.”
"It seems more like..."
Sheng Puzhu sat on the couch with a frown on her face. She couldn't say anything. Her wet eyes looked like she was about to cry.
She thought she had always slept very properly. How on earth could she sleep with her hands pressed down on her like this?
Sheng Puzhu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Oops!
She wouldn't have humiliated a strange man in her sleep, right? If she were somewhere else, she wouldn't have thought so, but where was she now? She was in Princess Duanyang's mansion.
"Mammy, did you hear any strange noises last night?" Sheng Puzhu avoided my gaze, not being frank at all.
Madam Du applied the medicine to her. After hearing this, she gave a helpless laugh and said, "Madam, I was worried yesterday, so I brought Naidong and Jinli with me. The three of us kept watch all night."
"Not to mention any strange noises in your room, not even a mosquito can get in."
Sheng Puzhu met Aunt Du's confident expression and sighed deeply, "I always feel something is wrong."
Aunt Du comforted her: "Maybe she is used to this bed. She will get used to it after a few days."
"Is that so?" Sheng Puzhu was unsure.
Madam Du nodded hurriedly, "This courtyard of yours was specially chosen by the Princess. Not only is it secluded, but the gentlemen who usually work in the front yard won't come here."
Sheng Puju stared at the red mark on the palm of her hand, confused. She tried to comfort herself, thinking that maybe she had really pressed it accidentally.
Dining room.
Princess Duanyang smiled and asked for the dishes to be served: "Come and see if there is anything you like."
"I just heard from Madam Du that you're craving mushrooms at this time of year?"
"I can't find fresh mushrooms, but I saved some dried bamboo fungi from last summer and fall. I had someone make you a bamboo fungus and duck soup."
The white porcelain bowl in front of Sheng Puzhu was filled with a clear soup with only a few oil drops skimmed off. In the soup was a whole bamboo fungus. It was much smaller than the mushroom in her dream, but it looked good. So she took a sip and it tasted very sweet.
“It’s delicious.”
"Thank you for your trouble, aunt."
Duan Yang laughed: "What's the big deal? It's just telling the kitchen to stew it."
"I had the blueprint we discussed yesterday delivered to Aunt Wei early this morning. She said she hadn't seen you in a while and was supposed to greet you during the New Year, but you were unexpectedly sick."
"By the way, Aunt Wei asked me privately when you would be free, so she could thank you in person."
Sheng Puju is not the official owner of Linlang Pavilion. Generally, if you want to see her, the legendary Lady Pearl, you have to spend a certain amount of money to have the opportunity to go to the third floor of the shop.
So, apart from the lady who is in charge of Linlang Pavilion, the rest are handsome young men who are responsible for selling accessories in the store. The account book is mainly managed by Qingke and a few others including Naidong, and this Aunt Wei works between Princess Duanyang's mansion and the market.
Aunt Wei has a lot of dealings with Hu Shang and is involved with all kinds of people. She knows a lot of people. Just like when Sheng Mingshu got into trouble last time, it was Aunt Wei who helped find Liu Jiao'e's residence.
"What did she thank me for?"
"I helped her get a divorce and deal with that scumbag. She's been helping me manage the workshop for years. I signed an employment contract with her. If it weren't for her dedication, I don't know how much trouble I would have gotten into."
Princess Duanyang tapped Sheng Puzhu's forehead and said, "You're quite forgetful. Aunt Wei's eldest son, Zhao Liangxiao, is taking the imperial examination today. The exam will last for three days. Aunt Wei is waiting for the results to be announced to thank you."
"Examination?"
Sheng Puzhu exclaimed, she had completely forgotten about this.
Princess Duanyang smiled and shook her head helplessly.
Sheng Puzhu is kind to people and helps many people. He is often like a boy who gives away money, and sometimes he even forgets about it.
"You saved Aunt Wei three years ago, and seeing that Jun Zhao Liangxiao was a good scholar, you gave him a letter of recommendation from the Guangwen Academy. He's taking the imperial examination this year, and no matter what his ranking is, he's still considered a scholar."
"Aunt Wei has been trying to hold you up like a bodhisattva these years, but you've completely forgotten about it."
Sheng Puzhu picked up a bamboo fungus, took a bite from its round head, and whispered, "Grandma said, thank you for your kindness. Zhao Liangxiao's academic success is his own ability. As for the letter of recommendation, I asked the elders at home for it."
"Besides, there are so many people in the workshop. If it weren't for Aunt Wei's aggressive temper, I'd probably be in a lot of trouble."
Since the topic of the imperial examination was being discussed, Sheng Puzhu's eyes flashed with curiosity: "When will the results be announced? Will the streets be bustling then?"
Princess Duanyang nodded: "How could it not be lively? So many people are looking forward to this day."
She glanced sideways, meeting Sheng Puzhu's eager expression. "There's nothing interesting about the imperial examination, and you don't leave the house often. In my opinion, it's better to wait until the palace examination in late spring."
"When the number one scholar is paraded through the streets, it will be a real spectacle."
Sheng Puzhu counted the time on his fingers: "That's still a month away."
"Why, you can't wait even a month? You, a married lady, want to find a husband from the list?"
"How could that be? I don't have that kind of courage. Please don't misunderstand me, aunt." Sheng Puzhu blushed and could only drink the soup with his eyes lowered guiltily.
For lunch, she only ate half a bowl of glutinous rice and didn't eat much pastry. She felt lazy and distracted.
Seeing her quiet, Princess Duanyang personally picked up a piece of seasonal vegetables with her chopsticks and handed it to her. "I see you're dazed. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Sheng Puzhu shook her head: "I slept okay last night, but I kept having nightmares. I'm afraid I'm a bit accustomed to my bed after not being here for a long time."
"Shall I ask Chi Nu to massage you?" Princess Duan Yang asked casually.
When the pheasant heard the master's order, he naturally knelt down and raised his head and said, "Madam, where is the discomfort? This servant will help you to relieve it."
He spread out his hands towards Sheng Puzhu, and it could be seen that he had a pair of strong and dexterous hands. The fingertips were snow-white, the knuckles were slightly curved, and one could even see the light blue veins.
Sheng Puzhu was startled, her cheeks flushed, and her voice trembled: "No need, go and serve Princess Duanyang."
Zhinu came forward on his knees, curled up at Sheng Puzhu's feet like a Persian cat, and asked pitifully, "Madam, don't you like me? I'm a good dancer of the Huxuan dance. Didn't you like me before?"
Princess Duanyang laughed loudly: "Come back, don't scare away my Bodhi Pearl."
Chi Nu blinked in grievance, then obediently moved back to Princess Duan Yang's side, lowering her eyes as she massaged her legs: "Is there something I haven't done well enough? It seems that the Crown Prince's wife doesn't like me very much."
Princess Duanyang patted his hands and said, "You've done very well. I like you, and the Crown Prince's wife likes you too. It's her husband who doesn't like you very much, so they don't dare to get too close to you."
Zhinu acted even more aggrieved: "Madam, is this really the case?"
Sheng Puzhu was really afraid of these young men who relied on their good looks to act like spoiled brats.
It wasn't that she was really afraid of Zhinu, but now she was on edge and felt that something was wrong with every man she looked at. The palms of her hands were still red, and even if she applied ointment, it would probably take a long time for the redness to go away.
What if she, with her mind obsessed with beauty, sleepwalks at night?
Sheng Puzhu secretly tugged at Princess Duanyang's sleeve and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You said, I..."
"Well, I was just assuming ahead of time."
"What if I humiliate another young man behind Sanlang Xie's back? Will he punish me according to the Xie family rules?"
"And then throw the divorce papers in my face?"
"how?"
"Who did you sleep with?"
Is it necessary to be so blunt? Sheng Puzhu was so frightened that she wanted to smother Princess Duanyang to death: "No, I was just predicting it."
"Keep your voice down. If there are ears on the other side of the wall, I'll be doomed."
Princess Duanyang suddenly gave her a strange smile: "Little Puzhu, no one should have told you."
"Tell me w-what?"
"Let me tell you, there is no divorce in the Xie family, only widowhood."
Sheng Puzhu: “!!!”
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