Chapter 32 Chapter 32 "A token of love."
How could he be so thoughtful and meticulous in doing things? He even had to seek shelter for her from a high-ranking family?
"That's great...but now that I've been divorced by the Wei family, will... "No noble family be willing to take her in as their adopted daughter?
"I understand Luan'er's concerns." He smiled at her, handed the cakes that the shopkeeper had just brought to her, and nodded slightly to signal her to eat. "Leave it to me, Luan'er, don't worry."
Looking at the man's extremely charming and handsome face, Zhu Yinluan couldn't help but be mesmerized. She paused and thought about it.
It is true that her family background is not good, and she was divorced by the Wei family, but this is not important. What is important is that she is about to marry Shen Jingzhan. With her as a link, the noble family who adopted her as their adopted daughter, isn't it also possible for them to "climb" up to the Shen family?
This matter has both advantages and disadvantages, and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Adopting an adopted daughter with a bad reputation and getting a son-in-law with great power in the court will probably be sought after by many people.
Thinking of this, she no longer worried about causing trouble.
But... why did he call her by her maiden name? He kept calling her Luan'er, which sounded so smooth...
As soon as he mentioned changing the address, he started calling her Luan'er, which made her feel uncomfortable. However, she couldn't correct it. She could only pick up the teacup in front of her and take a few sips to hide her slight embarrassment and discomfort.
“…”
Chen Jingzhan knew she was embarrassed, so he accompanied her for tea, lowering his long eyelashes to hide the smile in his eyes, so that Zhu Yinluan could not see it.
The two of them didn't sit for long, and after discussing, they left from the private restaurant.
Zhu Yinluan originally didn't want him to send her off, thinking that she was afraid of being seen, but Shen Jingzhan had such an outstanding face and figure, how could the people in this private house restaurant not know who he was? They even called him the prince.
So even if she wanted to cover up her mistake, it would probably be just a way of trying to cover up her mistake. So she didn't say much and let Shen Jingzhan send her back.
Along the way, in the carriage.
The two of them sat opposite each other, and Zhu Yinluan didn't dare to look up, she kept her eyes down.
The carriage was spacious and incense was burning. The clear and elegant scent of the man gradually came over her, wrapping her up and making her feel comfortable. But perhaps it was because the tension in her heart had not dissipated, she felt inexplicably dangerous. As for where the danger was, she couldn't tell.
Shen Jingzhan would say a few words to her from time to time, such as whether the dishes just now were to her taste, and she responded one by one, after all, it was easy to answer.
When she was almost at Yayin Cottage, she was worried that the ruffian outside was still pestering her, and she was considering how to talk to him about it. After all, this was a family debt.
Although Shen Jingzhan knew that she and the Zhu family were in a mess, she couldn't tell him in detail how her stepmother tortured her. She didn't know what she was holding back, and for a moment she couldn't be calm.
They both knew that their relationship was a "marriage of convenience", and he had said at the beginning that he would help her with household affairs, but she didn't know why she couldn't open her mouth.
Perhaps it was because his behavior was too thoughtful and meticulous, or because his appearance was too stunning, but talking to him about all sorts of trivial matters always made me feel like I was defiling him. Besides, he always called her Luan'er, and his voice was too deep and pleasant.
But we are almost at Yayin Cottage.
Zhu Yinluan pursed her lips and made up her mind, deciding to speak up in advance. She would have to face it sooner or later anyway, and it would be better than explaining it after he heard the messy voice.
Unexpectedly, Shen Jingzhan spoke before her, "I have asked the government to deal with the people outside Yayin Xiaozhu. Luan'er doesn't have to worry about them in the future. They won't appear again."
He held the book in his slender jade-like fingers, looked at her and spoke with a faint smile.
"You..." She felt like she wanted to say something, and her thoughts turned, "Will the Zhu family know if you take action directly?"
"No." He reassured her.
Although he didn't explain, he said so, and Zhu Yinluan felt relieved.
For a moment she didn't know what to say.
After a while, we arrived at Yayin Cottage.
When getting off the carriage, even though Jiaohui had already moved the stool, he still reached out his hand to her.
Zhu Yinluan looked at the man's broad, white, bony palm.
Hesitating.
But he didn't rush and kept waiting.
After a long time, she got on.
His palm was warm, and when he wrapped his hand around the back of her hand, she felt as if it had been burned, and her heart beat inexplicably faster.
“…”
Shen Jingzhan is so tempting.
She took a peek and saw that his expression had not changed at all, still as gentle and peaceful as ever. Zhu Yinluan quickly suppressed her thoughts.
She really hasn't been close to anyone for a long time, especially a man.
Wei Ruzhuo's touch made her feel sick, and Shen Jingzhan's proximity made her panic.
Fortunately, after getting off the carriage, he quickly let go of her hand and behaved like a gentleman, which made Zhu Yinluan feel that her thoughts were too narrow-minded.
Maybe it was because she looked so ruddy and unnatural.
Shen Jingzhan explained softly, "I will marry Miss Zhu in a while, so we must pay attention to these details. It is inevitable that we will come into contact, so please don't be offended or resist, Miss Zhu."
He changed the way he addressed her, no longer calling her Luan'er, but simply calling her Miss Zhu.
Zhu Yinluan felt more and more embarrassed. The other party called her Luan'er, presumably to help her adapt quickly and bring her into the role so as to avoid being exposed to the Shen family. What was she thinking?
Thinking of this, she immediately shook off the messy thoughts in her mind.
"I understand everything. I won't be surprised, nor will I resist." I won't have any random thoughts anymore.
Shen Jingzhan's appearance and character are too attractive, but he is not her ideal man. She should not be distracted. She must know that she is just his "ally". He trusts her and has said that the reason he chose her is because she doesn't like him. She must not let him down.
"Yeah." The man looked at her little face meaningfully and whispered.
Jiaohui and her followers were nearby, so they could naturally hear what the two were talking about.
I can't help but feel that the adults seem to have shot themselves in the foot.
He explained that he was afraid that the girl would become suspicious because of his closeness to her, but she seemed to be "scared" back by him.
So, is it screwed?
The matter was settled, and everyone outside was driven away. Zhu Yinluan had a rare moment of peaceful sleep.
But Mingya felt strange because Zhu Yinluan had not confessed yet. She only said that she had reported to the authorities again today. Mingya thought that the officials were disliked and angry with her, so they decided to solve the matter once and for all. Mingya did not question it.
In the Shen family's house, Mrs. Shen's "illness" has worsened again, and the lights are on everywhere. Today, when Shen Jingzhan returns home, she asks someone to intercept him.
Today, I had originally made up my mind to force him to reveal the identity of the marriage partner that they had agreed on before.
After all, it was almost the end of spring, but he hadn't heard any news. Instead, Madam Shen had been tidying up the house, and seemed to be looking forward to Shen Jingzhan bringing people in every day.
But Old Lady Shen was completely worried. Ever since he said he wanted to get married at the end of the year, he hadn't made any move in the past few months. The end of the year had passed, and the end of spring was approaching, but he still hadn't said a word. A few days ago, he went to Yuzhou without even saying goodbye. When Old Lady Shen heard the news of his departure, her first reaction was that Shen Jingzhan had run away.
What big event happened in Yuzhou that was worth his trip?
Old Madam Shen quickly called Lord Shen and Madam Shen over and asked them to write a letter to call Shen Jingzhan back to the capital.
The letter was sent out, but I didn’t expect... Shen Jingzhan would come back by himself?
What was even more unexpected was that after he sat down, he readily said that he would bring people to discuss the marriage in four days.
Bringing people to discuss marriage? !
Mrs. Shen instantly became more energetic, "Really?"
"What my grandson said is of course true."
Old Mrs. Shen observed his expression carefully, but did not see any deceptive teasing.
After a pause, Old Lady Shen asked, "Whose family is this girl from? Can't you tell me at this critical moment?"
"Your mother and father are both at home these days. You should tell us your name first so that we can send someone to talk to you. Otherwise, wouldn't it be too hasty to come to your house at the last minute?"
He drank tea in silence, his posture casual, relaxed and elegant.
"Are you familiar with the customary etiquette of marriage?" Old Mrs. Shen had to change the subject.
Fortunately, he finally spoke, "Grandson is ready. Since grandma is still not feeling well, you must follow the doctor's advice and take good care of yourself."
"As long as you don't get married, my health will never recover." Old Mrs. Shen snorted coldly and made it clear.
"Grandma, you worry too much. Even if your grandson gets married, I'm afraid you won't be able to recover." Shen Jingzhan said indifferently.
Old Mrs. Shen felt something was wrong, "What do you mean by that?"
"It's meaningless." Shen Jingzhan put down the teacup and stood up.
"It's getting late. You should go to bed soon. I'll take my leave."
She couldn't keep him here and couldn't get any information from him. She could only watch him leave. Old Lady Shen was furious, "..."
The next day, the angry old lady Shen called Mrs. Shen over. Old lady Shen asked her to keep an eye on Shen Jingzhan and make sure to get this person out as soon as possible. "I always feel that he is delaying the family."
Mrs. Shen couldn't persuade her mother-in-law to be at ease, so she could only think carefully and said, "Ting Lan shouldn't do that."
"He just needs someone to discipline and monitor him. You and Dalang have done too little to monitor him in the past."
Mrs. Shen could only smile and said, "You are right. It's my fault that my wife and husband didn't care enough in the past."
"Watch him more and don't let him fool you again."
"yes."
Zhu Yinluan rested at home for a day, and went out with Shen Jingzhan the next day.
God knows how scared Mingya was when she opened the door and saw the other person when Shen Jingzhan came to visit.
I wanted to ask something along the way but couldn't find the time to do so, so I could only stop talking.
Jiaohui saw that she was very depressed and took the opportunity to talk to her. When Mingya found out, her eyes widened and she didn't know what to say.
Jiaohui patted her shoulder and let her calm down alone.
In the carriage that came over, Shen Jingzhan had already told her that he would take her to the Bai Mansion today to recognize her adoptive father and mother.
Zhu Yinluan didn't expect that the person chosen for her by Shen Jingzhan would be a distant relative of the Shen family.
The Shi family is also a prominent family in the capital. Its head, Shi Ji, is the General Zhenbei. He was injured on the battlefield a few years ago and now he has retired early to recuperate at home. His wife is Shen Xiyun from the Shen family. She was granted an imperial decree in her early years and has a high status among the nobles in the capital. She has two sons and three daughters, most of whom are married.
Chen Jingzhan was very thoughtful. When Zhu Yinluan asked him to prepare a gift for the visit, he said he had prepared everything and told her not to worry, he would give it to her directly later.
Not only that, inside the carriage, he told her that those were the gifts prepared, and also put some cakes and snacks obtained from the palace in the carriage for her to eat first to fill her stomach, as they would have to talk to the Shi family before having lunch.
In fact, she had already had breakfast before Shen Jingzhan came over. Although she didn't eat much, she was not hungry, but he was too considerate.
Zhu Yinluan had never enjoyed such care before. Apart from Mingya Jiaohui, no one had been devoted to her and cared about her daily life.
She had clearly calmed down the day before and shouldn't have paid too much attention to Shen Jingzhan, but he was too considerate, which still made her feel uneasy and a little nervous.
Having said that, she did not reject his kindness, forcing herself to slowly adapt and not care.
Her Yayin Cottage was located near the residences of high-ranking noble families. The carriage took her to the southwest center under the feet of the emperor. It was much quieter here, and Zhu Yinluan couldn't help getting nervous.
He suddenly smiled at her, put down the book in his hand, held the back of her hand with his big palm, and patted it gently, "Luan'er, don't be nervous, I'm by your side."
He just wanted to talk, why did he have to pat the back of her hand to comfort her?
His palm was so hot that Zhu Yinluan's eyelashes twitched slightly, and she suppressed the fluctuations in her heart forcefully, "..."
They soon arrived at Shi's house. Shen Xiyun had received the letter early and greeted them at the door with her maid.
The embarrassment and torment that Zhu Yinluan had imagined did not come at all. Shen Xiyun did not look down at her with a condescending gaze. It was clearly the first time they met, but he was easy-going and accommodating as if he had met her many times. He held her hand and spoke to her warmly, praising her for her beauty and gentle temperament.
He invited the two to go inside and told the kitchen to prepare their favorite dishes.
Zhu Yinluan felt strange when she heard this. If it was understandable to prepare what Shen Jingzhan liked to eat, why did he prepare her food as well? Was it just a polite remark? It should be.
Not only was Shen Xiyun at home, she also called her two daughters back from her parents' home.
Shi Congwei and Shi Congyuan were very curious about Zhu Yinluan, but they did not dare to show any contempt and were always polite and friendly.
Zhu Yinluan could feel the careful consideration between the lines of the other party's words, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart that Shen Jingzhan was really prestigious. She felt honored to be with him.
Even if the other party might really look down on her, there was no way for her to appear contemptuous.
Is this the tremendous power under the emperor?
General Shi was quickly pushed over. Even though he had been injured and had been recuperating at home for many years, one could still see the majestic aura of a veteran on the battlefield.
Shen Jingzhan respected him very much, and he also valued Shen Jingzhan. When his eyes fell on Zhu Yinluan, he didn't say anything under the courtesy, but just looked at her for a while.
Zhu Yinluan let him look at her, "..."
Shi Ji and Shen Xiyun already knew the purpose of the two people's visit. After Zhu Yinluan presented the gift prepared by Shen Jingzhan, Shen Xiyun went through the motions and said that they hit it off at first sight and wanted to adopt her as his adopted daughter, and asked her if she was willing.
Zhu Yinluan pursed her lips and nodded to say yes, then she knelt down and kowtowed to her adoptive father and mother.
General Shi asked her to get up, and Shen Xiyun personally went up to help her.
"My three daughters have been active and lively since they were young. Now I finally have a quiet daughter. I was happy the first time I saw you. Great, great."
Chen Xiyun patted the back of Zhu Yinluan's hand and took off a bracelet and put it on her.
Zhu Yinluan had already received a gift, and she was a little nervous about accepting the expensive jade bracelet. She subconsciously looked at Shen Jingzhan, and he smiled at her and winked to signal her to accept it.
Zhu Yinluan relaxed a little, "..."
After having dinner at the Shi family, Zhu Yinluan followed Shen Jingzhan back home.
She has already made arrangements with the Shi family. She will go back to pack up today, and the Shi family will come and pick her up to live with them tomorrow.
I didn’t expect today to be so smooth. Zhu Yinluan breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
Looking at the translucent and expensive jade bracelet on her hand, she couldn't count how long it had been since she had been valued and praised by her elders.
Shen Xiyun seemed to really like her and always touched her hair and face.
While Zhu Yinluan was thinking, a clear male voice came from the side, "Luan'er, don't you have anything to give me?"
"What?" She looked up unexpectedly.
At this time, the other party handed over a brocade box.
"A token of love."
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