Chapter 212 Is he jealous?
Shen Wenyuan looked at Xie Qingran with some grievance: "Ever since we first met, you've never given me a kind look, but you always try to get me to do business. Actually, I don't like doing business. How about... I introduce my older brother to you?"
Shen Wentao?
Xie Qingran thought of that person's shrewd appearance and shook her head without hesitation: "No need, if you don't want to, then forget it."
"I didn't say I didn't want to!"
"Xie Qingran, can't you say something nice to me?"
Shen Wenyuan looked at Xie Qingran with a wry smile and sighed helplessly.
His request was simple: he hoped Xie Qingran would speak to him politely and not always glare at him with disdain.
Seeing Shen Wenyuan's aggrieved expression, Xie Qingran found it amusing. She raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Okay, I'll speak to you nicely from now on. If you help me get this done, I'll smile at you whenever I see you, okay?"
"good."
"I promise I'll get this done, so don't forget your promise when the time comes."
Shen Wenyuan took the list, turned around, and left, clearly full of motivation.
Watching his retreating figure, Xie Qingran smiled faintly. This guy was really easy to manipulate.
When Xie Qingran turned around, she met Xiao Jue's eyes and saw the dissatisfaction hidden within them.
Xie Qingran stepped forward, pinched Xiao Jue's cheek, and looked at him curiously: "Young Master, what's wrong? Why are you so angry?"
"I won't allow you to smile at him!" Xiao Jue grabbed Xie Qingran's wrist, frowning at her. "What's so funny?"
Xiao Yu and Xiao Yanran looked at Xie Qingran and said in unison, "Brother is right!"
Seeing this, Xie Qingran couldn't help but burst out laughing.
This was the happiest she had ever smiled since arriving at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Xiao Jue was usually very serious and earnest, but he completely lost his temper when faced with Xie Qingran's smile.
He strode forward and hugged Xie Qingran tightly: "Your smile is so captivating, you're not allowed to smile at him!"
"Okay, I won't smile at anyone else from now on, I'll only smile at the young master, okay?" Xie Qingran gently patted Xiao Jue's back and began to coax him.
Xiao Yu then pulled Xiao Yanran to the backyard.
He looked at Xiao Yanran with a serious expression: "Yanran, the situation is very dangerous now. They've already started eyeing your sister-in-law!"
"Brother, you're right. They're trying to steal our sister-in-law!"
Xiao Yanran nodded very seriously, her expression also very solemn.
The two locked eyes, and a mischievous idea immediately formed.
"We must protect my sister-in-law and not let anyone take her away!"
"It's settled then. We swear to protect my sister-in-law to the death!"
This was the first time the two little ones had been so united, and they saw determination in each other's eyes.
Shen Wenyuan took the list back and handed it to Shen Wentao: "Brother, I need these things, the more the better, and the sooner the better."
Shen Wentao looked at his willful and anxious appearance with some helplessness: "Why are you asking for things again?"
"Brother, will you give it to me or not?" Shen Wenyuan didn't care about anything else, he just looked at Shen Wentao with a face full of curiosity.
Shen Wentao smiled, then unfolded the list. After looking at it carefully, he felt terrible. His eyebrows furrowed tightly, and he looked at Shen Wenyuan with a look of dismay: "What do you need so many military supplies for? Let me tell you, I allow you to be a spendthrift outside, to eat, drink, and have fun, but you can't do things you shouldn't do!"
"Brother, what are you thinking? Don't you know my personality?"
"These are the things I need. You need to get started on raising them quickly; they are very important to me!"
Shen Wenyuan tugged at Shen Wentao's sleeve and started to act coquettishly.
Shen Wentao already doted on his younger brother, and now, unable to bear his brother's nagging any longer, he could only say, "These things are not easy to prepare, and I need some time too!"
"Brother, I knew you loved me the most!" Shen Wenyuan was overjoyed when he saw his brother agree, and happily turned to leave.
The Shen family was able to reach the position of imperial merchants because of the cunning and shrewdness of several generations. Although Shen Wenyuan was not cunning, Shen Wentao was exceptionally cunning.
"Go and find out where Shen Wenyuan went."
"Where did you get this order?"
Shen Wentao looked at the list in his hand and felt that something was wrong.
Xie Qingran wasn't idle either; she immediately converted all the compensation the emperor had given them into cash, fearing that the old emperor might regret it and ask for it back.
The Prime Minister's Residence.
Now that Zhou Huai'an has confirmed his identity, he finally came to find Gu Xiangyuan.
The two hadn't seen each other for several days. When they met again, Gu Xiangyuan felt very uncomfortable. After all, she had witnessed Zhou Huai'an entangled with another woman. Now, when facing Zhou Huai'an, Gu Xiangyuan didn't know how to face him.
"Yuan'er, you are the only one in my heart."
Seeing Gu Xiangyuan like this, Zhou Huai'an felt a pang of grievance, stepped forward, and reached out to grab her.
But Gu Xiangyuan almost instinctively stepped back and whispered, "Please, Your Highness, show some respect!"
"Your Highness? Have some self-respect?"
“Yuan’er, when did we become so distant? You…you’re really angry. You know that’s not what I wanted.”
Zhou Huai'an knew, of course, what Gu Xiangyuan cared about.
With red eyes, he tried his best to explain and gloss over the matter.
"I know you're sad, and I know I'm a jerk, but I didn't mean to."
"I've already dealt with that palace maid; it won't have any impact."
"Yuan'er, I truly love you."
Zhou Huai'an had never spoken so humbly before, but he was still willing to bow his head in front of the person he loved.
Gu Xiangyuan had never let go of Zhou Huai'an in her heart, and hearing him say such things now was like a knife twisting in her heart.
She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with pain.
"Don't you understand? The thing between us isn't a palace maid, it's political stance."
“I am the daughter of the Prime Minister’s family, and you are the son of the Imperial Concubine. We are from different camps!”
"Now that the Imperial Concubine is gone, we are separated by a life. Zhou Huai'an, I love you, I really love you so much, but I love my family even more, I love my home even more!"
As Gu Xiangyuan spoke, tears trembled and streamed down her face.
If the Imperial Concubine is still well, then there is nothing wrong with their marriage.
Now that the Imperial Concubine is dead, the Emperor and Empress have completely broken off relations. At this point, any slight disturbance could have enormous consequences, consequences that Gu Xiangyuan cannot afford.
"Yuan'er? Our affairs have nothing to do with those!"
Zhou Huai'an grew anxious, frowned, and stepped forward, looking at Gu Xiangyuan with great concern.
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