Chapter 23 Young Master, You're Out of Money
She had only brought her a bowl of porridge, but her mother-in-law had given her so much food in return.
Shen Wantang smiled and thanked her, "Thank you for your kindness, Mother. Your generosity makes me want to bring you porridge every day."
Granny Quan's smile deepened: "Princess Consort, please send as many gifts as you like. The Princess Consort has plenty of good things; she's just worried about where to put them."
They were chatting and laughing, creating a harmonious and joyful scene.
Inside the Star Harmony Courtyard, however, the atmosphere was bleak.
Chu Yanluo lay on the bed, her face pale and her eyes filled with tears: "Your Highness, is my child really gone?"
Xiao Qingyuan looked at her with heartache: "It's okay, there will be more in the future. The most important thing for you now is to take good care of your health. Don't cry."
He reached out to wipe her tears, but Chu Yanluo avoided him.
“If you don’t marry me, then don’t touch me. You should know better than anyone that my whole life was ruined after I was forced into this situation.”
Xiao Qingyuan's hand froze in mid-air: "Yanluo, as long as you are willing to marry me, I will marry you, but if you don't want me to touch you, I can never touch you. Don't be afraid, I am not like that beast who got you pregnant."
Chu Yanluo looked at him and gave him a poignant smile: "What nonsense are you talking about, Your Highness? You're already married, how can I marry you? Do you think you can divorce your wife?"
“I can divorce my wife! I don’t love her at all. My mother forced me to marry her. You were taken away by my mother’s people. I was afraid something would happen to you, so I had no choice but to agree to go to the wedding!”
"Your Highness..."
Chu Yanluo burst into tears. She struggled to sit up, wanting to say something, but seemed to lack the strength and collapsed softly into Xiao Qingyuan's arms.
Xiao Qingyuan embraced her tightly, but dared not place his hands on her waist, lest he be too forward.
He supported her with only his arm and asked anxiously, "Yanluo, are you feeling unwell again? I'll call the imperial physician for you right away!"
Chu Yanlu gently shook her head, resting her chin on Xiao Qingyuan's shoulder, and whispered in his ear in a soft voice, "There's no need to call the imperial physician. I'm not feeling unwell. I'm just a little weak. I'll be fine after a while."
Her breath brushed against Xiao Qingyuan's ear, causing it to turn red instantly.
A tingling sensation spread from his ears throughout his body, and he felt completely numbed almost instantly.
But he felt that Chu Yanluo definitely didn't do it on purpose. He endured the tingling sensation and helped Chu Yanluo back to bed: "Lie down and don't move. I'll have someone bring you some food."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Your Highness."
Is there anything you'd like to eat?
"The bird's nest soup that the young master sent me to the nunnery last time seemed quite refreshing. I wonder how it was made?"
"I don't know how it's made, it's just something we make in the kitchen at home. If you like it, I'll ask them to make it again."
As Xiao Qingyuan spoke, he called his servant Mo Ji in: "Go to the kitchen and get a bowl of bird's nest soup."
Mo Ji accepted the order and left, but returned empty-handed a moment later.
Xiao Qingyuan frowned: "Where's the bird's nest soup?"
"Young Master, the kitchen says they're out."
Xiao Qingyuan's face instantly turned cold: "None? That's impossible! The Prince's mansion always keeps these things on hand. Do you think I don't know?"
Mo Ji said with a worried look, "Master, the kitchen manager told me that if you want to eat it, you will need to pay for the bird's nest yourself."
The young master never cared about eating these things before, but now he wants bird's nest soup. It's obvious that he wants it for Chu Yanluo. No wonder the kitchen can't provide it!
Xiao Qingyuan knew the kitchen was targeting him and Chu Yanluo. He stood up angrily: "I've never heard of having to pay for bird's nest myself before. Now that Mother has let Shen Wantang manage the household, she dares to ask me for money. Does she really think she's the Crown Prince's wife?!"
Chu Yanluo sat up on the bed again: "Your Highness, there is no need to make things difficult for me. I suppose this is the Crown Princess deliberately targeting me. I will not eat anymore. I will leave the palace now and return to Jixin Nunnery to become a nun."
Xiao Qingyuan hurriedly sat down beside her: "What nonsense are you talking about? As long as I'm here, I won't let you go back to Jixin Nunnery. It's no place for a human being. Lie down quickly. It's just a bowl of bird's nest soup. I'll have Moji go buy it right away!"
"No need. Actually, I didn't really want to eat bird's nest soup. I just mentioned it casually. I didn't expect to be targeted. I was too naive. Your Highness, I'm leaving now. Until we meet again."
As Chu Yanluo spoke, she stood up, supporting herself on the bed, but after taking only two steps, she collapsed.
"Yanluo!"
Xiao Qingyuan was startled and quickly helped her up: "Why are you still so stubborn? You just want to leave like that. Don't you miss me at all?"
Chu Yanluo leaned against him, tears welling up in her eyes again. She reached out and tremblingly stroked Xiao Qingyuan's face, then abruptly withdrew her hand as if startled awake: "Your Highness is the best man in the world. I... I just don't want to drag you down with me."
"You didn't implicate me!"
Xiao Qingyuan carried her back to bed and instructed the servant, "Moji, go to Qingyun Tower and buy me ten catties of the best bird's nest. I want Yanluo to eat her fill!"
Mo Ji stretched out his hand to him: "Sir, here's some silver."
Xiao Qingyuan's face darkened: "Isn't all my money with you? Why are you asking me for it again?"
“Sir, the thousand taels you left with me are all gone. Last night, just hiring Physician Qin cost fifty taels. The day before yesterday, you gave the abbess five hundred taels to bring Miss Yanluo out of Jixin Nunnery. The day before that, you said you wanted to nourish Miss Yanluo and spent one hundred and twenty taels on delicacies. The day before that, you…”
"Alright!"
Xiao Qingyuan interrupted him coldly: "If you've spent all one thousand taels, just go to the account and get another one thousand taels. What are you arguing about here!" This made Yan Luo feel that he had to be so calculating about how much money he spent on her. Yan Luo disliked hearing such mundane things the most.
"My lord, you've forgotten that the Crown Princess is now in charge of the household. From now on, you'll need her approval to use any money."
Xiao Qingyuan paused for a moment.
It's her again! No matter what we talk about, it always comes back to Shen Wantang!
He stiffly turned his head to look at the beautiful yet pitiful Chu Yanluo, and said softly, "Yanluo, wait for me a moment, I'll be right back."
Chu Yanluo pretended not to know what he was going to do, and nodded gently. Only after he left did the sorrow on her face disappear.
She touched her stomach; the damned baby inside was gone, which brought her a sense of relief.
She had actually wanted to abort the child for a long time, but she hadn't found the right opportunity.
Compared to her previous life, this child is obviously much less useful. She originally intended to use this child to deal with Shen Mingxuan.
But she never expected that as soon as she was reborn, she would learn that in this life, the one who would marry Xiao Qingyuan was not Shen Mingxuan, but Shen Mingxuan's half-sister Shen Wantang!
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