Chapter 101 Xie Yan seems to have a problem.
Shen Nanzi gritted her teeth and glared at him as she listened to his despicable words.
He wanted to keep her at Prince Jing's residence, which would then become leverage against his brother and Xie Yu.
Sure enough, once the facade crumbled, everything became like meat on a chopping board, waiting to be sold.
The carriage stopped, and she stepped out first, entering the gate of Prince Jing's residence.
After Xie Yanju left, he watched her retreating figure as she went inside, his face pale.
Seeing that his Highness was staring at Princess Jing with a bad expression, Wu Ying asked in confusion, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"From now on, Princess Jing must report to me wherever she goes."
Wuying nodded.
Xie Yan walked inside, and the painting came to mind again.
"What if something is destined to be lost, yet you can't bear to part with it?"
Wuying followed his lord across the gate, pondered for a moment,
"In my opinion, if something is destined to be lost, then of course we should cherish the present moment."
Treat each other well, so that you will have no regrets when you part ways in the future.
"Cherish the present and treat each other well," Xie Yan repeated Wu Ying's words.
Even if Wuying was slow to notice, he could still pick up on some clues and followed Xie Yan's gaze.
It's the back view of Princess Jing returning to her courtyard.
"I want to paint," he said softly.
Wuying listened to his prince's words, "I will go and prepare writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone for you."
"Um!"
＊
While Shen Nanzi was still dreaming, she felt a pair of eyes staring at her.
She was so frightened that she thought she was having a nightmare.
Patting his chest, he said to those outside the screen:
"Auntie, I just had a nightmare. There was a pair of eyes staring at me the whole time."
My aunt didn't say anything.
Shen Nanzi didn't pay any attention; she talked a lot of nonsense, and her aunt occasionally didn't hear her.
She got out of bed, put on a soft gauze dress, and walked out barefoot.
"Grandma, how long have I been asleep?"
She stayed up late last night looking at the accounts, and couldn't stay up all night, so she took a nap today.
She hung her head, a rope tied around her waist.
She bumped into a wall and smelled the familiar ambergris, only then realizing with a start who was standing outside the screen.
Touching her forehead, which had been bumped, she asked irritably, "What are you doing standing in my room without making a sound?"
Xie Yan's gaze fell on her thin, soft gauze. Because of the hot weather, her clothes were also light and thin, almost revealing her fair and tender neck.
His eyes narrowed slightly when he touched the raised scar on her skin, then he looked away.
"It's nothing, just checking if you're in the yard."
Shen Nanzi chuckled, "I've seen it, you can leave now!"
Xie Yan stared at her, deliberately saying, "This is the Jing Prince's residence. I can stand wherever I want."
Seeing his arrogant face, Shen Nanzi shoved him aside, "Get out of my way! You're blocking my way!"
Seeing her so vibrant, Xie Yan smiled slightly and watched her walk to the table, pick up the cup, and drink the cold water inside.
"I want some too!" He followed her, staring at the teacup in her hand.
Shen Nanzi thought he was just looking at the water in her teacup, and knew that this was what he hated most about her.
Then, disgusted, she said to him, "Want some? Here you go!"
After Shen Nanzi finished speaking, she looked on with schadenfreude. The next moment, she was dumbfounded and felt like she had seen a ghost.
Xie Yan actually took her teacup and took a sip. Yes! He took a sip.
"This tea is slightly sweet, do you like the taste?" After he finished drinking, he put the teacup into her hand.
Shen Nanzi loosened her grip and deliberately dropped the teacup on the ground. The porcelain shards fell to the ground with a crisp sound and splashed everywhere.
Xie Yan watched her actions, his fingers curling up; she didn't like anything he had touched.
Shen Nanzi wiped her hands, stared at him, and wondered why he was acting this way.
"Strange?" He saw through her thoughts.
Shen Nanzi must be wondering, "You poisoned me, trying to kill me?"
"I can't think of anything else besides this."
Xie Yan looked into her eyes, and his own eyes dimmed.
"I came to your yard because I really have something to discuss."
"What is it?" Shen Nanzi was relieved. He wouldn't come to the temple without a reason.
Xie Yan said solemnly, "The Grand Master of Ceremonies is to collect a batch of portraits to be enshrined in the sacrificial hall to pray for the royal offspring."
Shen Nanzi knew it was true. "Didn't we collect a batch back then?"
"How long has it been? Doesn't it weather away?"
"Even after being framed, it's still so fragile!" Shen Nanzi didn't doubt it, after all, it was just a portrait.
"Okay, I understand." Shen Nanzi thought to herself that she would find an artist to come over tomorrow, and she and Cheng'er would each draw a few pictures.
Especially for Cheng'er, keep this so that you can see what you looked like when you were a child when you grow up.
Seeing Xie Yan still standing in her room, she asked, "Is there anything else?"
"The painter is already waiting in the main hall. Go and change into a formal suit."
Shen Nanzi then noticed that he was wearing his favorite crimson brocade robe, with a leather belt around his waist and a jade pendant hanging from it.
"So urgent!" Shen Nanzi still needed to change her clothes, so she had to call in her dressing maid.
After half an incense stick's time, Shen Nanzi stood gracefully and brightly in front of Xie Yan.
She twirled around, her skirt blooming like a flower. "How is it?"
Because it was hung in the sacrificial hall, where many people could see it, Shen Nanzi still hoped that she would appear beautiful and dignified.
Xie Yan looked at the smile on her face, and the corners of his eyes curved up as well. "Beautiful!"
Shen Nanzi was surprised by his cooperation. In the past, he would have a deadpan expression and say in an annoyed voice, "Let's go!"
"What about Cheng'er? He hasn't finished school yet!"
"It's alright, we can draw it when he gets back."
The two, unusually, did not quarrel and went to the main hall of Prince Jing's mansion under the blazing sun.
The painters sent by the Grand Master of Ceremonies had already spread out Xuan paper, and the table was filled with cinnabar, gold and silver powder, rouge powder, and so on.
The painter said, "Prince Jing, Princess Jing, please stand closer together. Let's paint a picture of the couple first."
Shen Nanzi complied with the artist's request, muttering to herself, "Why is it another double portrait this time? I've never heard of that before."
"It might be a new requirement!" Xie Yan said.
"How long will this take to paint?"
Shen Nanzi knew that it would take a long time to paint a single person's portrait, so wouldn't it take until dark for a double person's portrait to be painted?
"It'll be ready in a minute!"
Xie Yan thought about standing with her for a long time, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. He moved half a step closer to her and felt her shoulder and arm before he was satisfied.
The portrait begins...
Shen Nanzi couldn't stand for long!
How much longer?
"It'll be soon!"
"So tired!"
"Stay close to me!"
"I'm afraid if I get close to you, you'll run away!"
"It won't run away!"
Shen Nanzi didn't believe it at all and stood there properly, because such a painting had to be dignified.
"Artist, could you please sit down?"
“Princess Jing has a request: sitting is not allowed.”
"All right!"
"Lean on me!"
"Hmph!" Shen Nanzi chuckled dryly without saying a word.
"If I run away, I'll give you one hundred taels of gold."
Shen Nanzi thought to herself, "Even a small mosquito is still meat."
I'll earn back the hundred taels and give it to Xie Yu.
So, she grabbed his sleeve and stood firmly.
Xie Yan watched as she clung to his sleeve, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
“Xie Yu,” Shen Nanzi suddenly spoke up.
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