Fu Linshen ignored him and said, "Both of you, apologize to them. This private room isn't registered to anyone, so it's a matter of first come, first served. There's no way I'm giving it to you. You're both at fault, and you can't escape responsibility."
Fu Linshen's expression was serious and he was very focused.
Bai Weiwei was speechless for a while after being choked up.
Shen Jiawen's opinion of the owner of Zuixianlou had changed; he was fair and just and wouldn't protect his own people.
Shen Jialuo's expression improved considerably. He sat down triumphantly, lifting his robes and crossing his legs, waiting for the two to apologize.
Lili didn't react much, glancing indifferently at the two people with different expressions, and didn't seem to want their apologies.
They apologized today because Fu Linshen was here.
Even when no one else is around, these two still don't get along with her.
Perhaps this is due to incompatible magnetic fields.
However, at least Lili was able to confirm Fu Linshen's attitude.
This older brother seems like someone I could get along with.
Bai Weiwei gritted her teeth and looked at Fu Linshen pitifully for a long time, but she couldn't see his attitude soften. She had no choice but to turn her head away and look at Yu Siting with some reluctance and a hidden resentment in her eyes: "Cousin, we made a mistake. Let's go and apologize to Miss Chen and the others together."
Fu Linshen silently remembered that the surname was Shen.
Yu Siting: "Weiwei..."
Yu Siting was even more unwilling than Bai Weiwei, but what could she do? Fu Linshen had personally spoken, and Bai Weiwei had no choice but to comply. What could she possibly say?
The two of them dawdled over to Lili and the others, and quietly apologized to them.
Fu Linshen was dissatisfied and wanted them to start over, but Lili didn't seem to care and simply bowed slightly: "It's alright, Miss Bai and Miss Yu, please go back."
Bai Weiwei agreed almost without any hesitation or thought.
Despite her deep reluctance, she still had to go through the motions in front of Fu Linshen.
Bai Weiwei straightened her posture and returned the greeting with perfect manners, bowing slightly: "Thank you for your tolerance and generosity, Miss Chen."
Lili nodded slightly: "Mm."
Bai Weiwei turned and left, giving Lili a deep look before she left.
Lili looked back at her without flinching.
Bai Weiwei paused, then calmly walked out, with Yu Siting following behind: "Weiwei, wait for me."
As soon as the two went outside, Lili felt that the air in the room was much fresher.
Shen Jialuo was much angrier than her: "Lili, it's really impolite to let them off like this. They should at least compensate me with ten thousand taels of gold."
Fu Linshen silently memorized it.
pear pear, pear pear
Even their names are so similar...
Lili smiled, looked up at Fu Linshen, and didn't say anything.
Fu Linshen realized what had happened and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry for causing Miss Chen trouble today. I will definitely come to apologize in person another day."
"No need, it's not a big deal," Lili said.
Fu Linshen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said nothing: "In that case, I won't disturb your meal any longer. This meal is on me as an apology."
Lili didn't argue anymore, and Fu Linshen couldn't stay any longer, so he pulled Cheng Qin away.
Lili sat down again, met Shen Jiawen's thoughtful gaze, smiled, and took the initiative to say, "Miss Bai's cousin is none other than Fu Linshen, the young master of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."
"Oh!" Shen Jialuo suddenly realized, "No wonder the person next to him looked so familiar. That's Cheng Qin, the eldest son of the Cheng family and the elder brother of Cheng Jiashu, whom I just told you about."
Fu Linshen and Cheng Qin were good friends and often met to discuss scriptures and doctrines. It was quite a coincidence that they met in this group today.
Shen Jiawen nodded and said, "Eat your food, or it will get cold."
"good."
Pear first tried the pea flour cake, but it wasn't as delicious as people said.
Or perhaps, it's simply because the making of this pea flour cake lacked the unique warmth that comes from genuine sincerity.
After Fu Linshen went downstairs, he apologized to Cheng Qin and said that they would meet again next time, as he suddenly had something important to deal with.
Cheng Qin expressed her understanding and said considerately, "But Miss Bai..."
Fu Linshen paused. He knew about the relationship between Bai Weiwei and Cheng Qin, and he also knew that Cheng Qin had no ulterior motives towards Bai Weiwei and was only asking out of politeness.
“No.” Fu Linshen shook his head. “There are more important things to do.”
"I see." Seeing his solemn and complicated expression, Cheng Qin didn't ask any more questions.
"Oh, right." Fu Linshen suddenly remembered the boy in the private room and asked him, "That younger boy seems somewhat familiar."
Cheng Qin thought for a moment and said, "That should be Shen Jialuo, the son of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. I remember that he is good friends with Jia Shu, so we must have met before, which is why he looks familiar."
"The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, from the Shen family..."
Fu Linshen murmured to himself, and after a while, he thanked Cheng Qin: "Thank you."
Then, he left in a hurry.
The next day, Xia Ning came to find Lili with great joy.
"Pear!"
Xia Ning went straight to Li Li's side, took Li Li's hand, and looked her over for a while.
Lili smiled and said, "Sister Xia Ning."
The two hadn't seen each other for several years. After a period of sweet talk, Xia Ning scolded, "You little pear, it's been three days since you came to the capital, and you only have time to see your little sister now. It's heartbreaking."
Lili took Xia Ning's hand and said coquettishly, "Sister Xia Ning, please don't be offended. I only learned about the rules in the capital after I arrived. I originally wanted to invite Sister Xia Ning to go shopping yesterday, but I didn't expect that I would have to send an invitation."
"Given our relationship, if you need any more invitations, just send someone over to let me know, and I'll come right out, lifting my skirt."
The two burst into laughter, whispered a few words to each other, and then Xia Ning asked mysteriously, "So, are you satisfied with this house?"
Lili blinked: "Of course I'm satisfied. Sister Xia Ning made a really good choice."
"This wasn't my choice," Xia Ning had been waiting for her to say. "This was...whose choice!"
Xia Ning winked at Lili and gestured with her chin toward the palace, as if afraid Lili wouldn't understand her hint.
Lili chuckled, feigning ignorance: "Who is it? Aunt Bai?"
Xia Ning: "Tsk, wrong, wrong, let's try another one."
"Oh..." Lili thought for a moment, "Could it be Madam Xia?"
"Tsk." Xia Ning was speechless. "You little brat, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you? How could you not guess?"
Xia Ning immediately reached out and tickled her, and Lili quickly begged for mercy: "Okay, okay, Lili knows."
Xia Ning then let her off the hook, no longer beating around the bush, and smiled ambiguously: "This was personally chosen by His Highness. So, how do you feel about it?"
Xia Ning is a woman old enough to get married. She is two years older than Li Li and has some understanding of matters between men and women.
Looking at Lili's bewildered expression, she guessed that she had never thought about these things before.
She's so simple-minded; she needs to give her some pointers, at least to understand these things.
Although the Crown Prince and their daughter Lili were practically childhood sweethearts, and knew each other very well, it was a case of the man having feelings for the woman but the woman not reciprocating.
Lili is such a naive child, she probably never thought about it in this way.
As Lili's closest confidante, she naturally had to shoulder the responsibility of being her "teacher," lest that big bad wolf Gu Ziyi try to steal her Lili away with just a couple of carrots.
Lili didn't find the question strange and answered without thinking, "Of course I'm grateful. Your Highness is truly a wonderful person!"
Anqi, who was secretly observing, quietly took out his notebook and wrote it down.
Xia Ning: "......."
Lili gave Xia Ning a "good person card" in a serious tone, somewhat puzzled as to why Xia Ning would show such a... helpless expression.
Lili's eyes darted around, wondering if she had said something inappropriate: "What's wrong?"
Xia Ning tried to find some other emotion on her face, but found none.
That's all, just gratitude.
Lili: "Hmm...and I'm also touched."
Xia Ning: "......Never mind, stop talking."
Xia Ning sighed and smiled wryly. She didn't need to worry about Lili being easily kidnapped. This silly child hadn't figured things out yet and couldn't fool her at all!
Lili really didn't understand what Xia Ning was saying. If Xia Ning was reminding her that Gu Ziyi had done a lot for her, Lili would reciprocate with the same things.
When Your Highness becomes emperor, you will have an elder brother for martial arts, a third elder brother for civil affairs, a second elder brother for money, and a fourth elder brother for illness.
What a complete team!
Seeing that she really didn't have any other ideas, Xia Ning had no choice but to return to her own story. She first asked hesitantly, "Um, I heard that Chen Ye's uncle went to Da Jin. How is he doing now?"
That's great! Shen Ye's elder brother has become the emperor, and Uncle Shangguan is now a majestic general.
Lili thought to herself, but she couldn't say it out loud.
Xia Ning was unaware of these inside stories; she only thought that Shen Ye was a boy she had rescued who stayed by her side as a guard to repay her kindness.
Lili mumbled a few words, barely managing to fool her.
Lili told her a lot of inside stories about the Great Jin Dynasty, such as how the crown prince, who failed in his power struggle, was eventually granted the title of king, with his fiefdom located in the most remote place, and was ordered never to return to the capital.
Xia Ning listened, occasionally responding, but her mind was already wandering elsewhere. During this time, Huang Ying brought people over to serve snacks a few times, and Yun Shu came over to deliver things to Li Li. Xia Ning's eyes followed them the whole time.
Over time, even Lili noticed Xia Ning's absent-mindedness.
"Sister Xia Ning, what's wrong?"
After asking the question, Lili suddenly remembered that when she sent a letter to Xia Ning before, she would hand the letter to Yun Shu and ask Yun Shu to send it to the post station to mail it.
Several times, Shen Ye would secretly hand her letter to Yun Shu along with her own, and ask Yun Shu not to tell her.
If Lili hadn't stumbled upon it herself one day, she really wouldn't have known.
But she had other things to do at the time and didn't have time to think about it carefully. Afterwards, she completely forgot about it.
Wait, could it be...?
Lili stared wide-eyed at Xia Ning in shock.
Xia Ning asked guiltily, "What's wrong?"
Lili composed herself and asked, "Sister Xia Ning, you're not looking for Brother Chen Ye, are you?"
Xia Ning trembled in fright, her eyes darting around: "Ah, what? No, there isn't."
Lili refused to believe it; she was convinced she had discovered the crux of the matter: "So, you two were secretly having a pure romance behind my back!"
"Ah..." Xia Ning asked in confusion, "What is pure love?"
Lili choked back a sob: "That's not important. What's important is that you two actually did this behind my back..."
Xia Ning immediately covered her mouth: "Good Lili, stop talking, stop talking. Give your sister some face."
Lili glared at her resentfully. Only after Xia Ning released her did Lili mutter, "So you came to see Brother Chen Ye. What about Lili? Isn't Lili your favorite Lili?"
“Good Pear, of course you are.”
Xia Ning coaxed her gently for a long time before cautiously asking, "Then, where is Chen Ye now?"
Lili sighed: "Second brother is going to the capital today, and Brother Chenye went out of the city to pick him up."
"oh."
Xia Ning nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing her expression, Lili knew that one sentence wouldn't satisfy her: "Judging by the time, it should be about time she's back. Sister Xia Ning, would you like to stay and have dinner with us today?"
"No, no, I just want to see how he is." Xia Ning shook her head and said with some distress, "Lili, I'm already sixteen this year. My mother has said several times that she wants to find me a husband, but I've turned her down with all sorts of excuses."
Lili listened attentively.
“But I am the only legitimate daughter of the Xia family. My younger brother is only six years old. Before he grows up and is capable enough to take over the Xia family, I am his only support. It is impossible for me not to get married.” Xia Ning sighed. “I can still delay now, but what about in a few years? When I turn twenty, I will really be an old maid that no one wants.”
Lili hadn't thought about these things, but after hearing Lili talk about them, she still felt that this era was really harsh on women.
Being an old maid at twenty
When she was twenty, she was still working 8 a.m.
Lili nodded and asked, "Sister Xia Ning, did you refuse because of Brother Chen Ye?"
Xia Ning didn't hide anything and nodded.
"That makes things easier! Now that Brother Shen Ye is in the capital, you two can be together, right?"
Xia Ning smiled and said, "Silly Pear, it's not that simple."
"Um"
“Lili, I was born as the legitimate daughter of the Xia family. This status means I can't control my own destiny, including my marriage. My parents dote on me, and I can use that love to fight for some freedom. But the Xia family is so large that it won't allow me to be too presumptuous. I can choose those who are of equal social standing or powerful. But Chen Ye…”
Lili understood.
Xia Ning's identity is that of the eldest daughter of the Xia family, and her mother is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Such a distinguished status, yet Shen Ye is merely one of her bodyguards on the surface, is indeed... somewhat incongruous.
"ah......"
Lili didn't know how to say it.
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