*
Zuixianlou in the west of Beijing is a place frequented by dignitaries.
The cakes here are exceptionally good. It was a bit quieter towards the end of the year, with only a few people on the first floor.
The windows on the second floor of Zuixianlou were open. A light snow was falling outside, and the streets were wet. Cheng Lang leaned against the window, watching the streets. Peddler's carts and pedestrians, wearing bamboo hats, hurried to and fro. He held his wine glass in one hand, his jade-like handsome profile reflected in the gray snowy sky, a faint glow. He had been watching this for half an hour, without saying a word.
The tinkling sound of the pipa finally stopped, and the woman playing the pipa sighed, "Sir, if you find my music boring, why did you ask me to come out?"
Cheng Lang was a successful young man, handsome as a jade, and naturally a playboy. He liked proud women, and those proud women were always impressed by him. When Cheng Lang fell in love with her, Lian Fu didn't quite understand. She was gentle and didn't like to compete with others. She was not outstanding in the music school. Over the years, he watched the people around him change like water, but Cheng Lang never touched her.
Cheng Lang turned his head, and the cold expression on his face surprised Lian Fu.
She wanted to say something, but Cheng Lang said calmly, "Don't talk too much."
Cheng Lang is usually easy to talk to, at least Lian Fu has never provoked him. I didn't know he could be so cold.
Cheng Lang looked at her face. Lian Fu was pretty and gentle, and her demeanor was a bit like hers… He closed his eyes. After so many years of forbearance and self-cultivation, why was he still so despicable?
Sometimes I think, maybe I should be thankful she's gone. If she were still alive, knowing how he was thinking... how shameless he was, she'd definitely wish she had never taught him a lesson.
Cheng Lang relaxed his fingers slightly and turned his head back to continue looking out the window.
Lian Fu didn't dare to say anything. She lowered her head and continued to play the pipa, changing the song to "Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier".
Suddenly, a guard came to report from outside: "...Sir Cheng, a man from the governor just came outside and said he has a secret letter for you."
Cheng Lang waved Lian Fu and the others away. The letter was finally delivered to him. It was sealed inside with a beeswax pellet, and Cheng Lang crushed the wax before extracting the letter.
The contents of the letter were brief. This had been planned long ago. Lu Jiaxue intended to eliminate the eldest prince tomorrow, and the hunting grounds were already prepared. He was worried that someone in the capital would suddenly use this as an opportunity to cause trouble, so he had to be extra vigilant.
After reading the secret letter, Cheng Lang slowly sneered.
He called someone in and asked them to go to the Duke of England's mansion to tell him that he could not teach Ting'er tomorrow.
The next day, Yining took Ting'er to pay her respects to Old Lady Wei early in the morning.
Old Mrs. Wei hugged her grandson with great affection and grabbed some pine nut candy from the savings box for him. Seeing that he was white, plump and round, she knew that Yi Ning took good care of him. She pinched his face and asked, "Do you like Sister Yi Ning taking care of you?"
Tingge'er thought of Yining spanking him with a ruler and pouted, remaining silent. But then he remembered how she would lull him to sleep every day, and how he would hold onto her and not let go. When he woke up, he found her lying next to him, his head resting on her hand... He reluctantly said, "It's okay."
Then he gave some of the pine nut candy in his hand to Yining, like a little bully: "Here, have some."
Old Madam Wei doted on her only grandson the most. After all, he was the legitimate heir. If she wasn't afraid that she couldn't take care of him, she would have taken Ting'er to her house to raise him.
If he is a little naughty, we just think he likes to play and has a childish nature. We indulge him.
Yining grabbed a few pine nut candies and put one in her mouth to taste, even though she didn't really want to eat them.
At that moment, a maid outside announced Zhao Mingzhu's arrival. Zhao Mingzhu then entered. Her maid quota was indeed somewhat limited, but she was still surrounded by a crowd of people. The maids in Old Madam Wei's room immediately helped her untie her cloak and handed her a hand warmer. Zhao Mingzhu had also been meticulously dressed today, looking radiant. Her bright gold earrings shone against her fair face, swaying beautifully.
Zhao Mingzhu had thought Cheng Lang would come today, so she dressed up, but she learned he was busy and couldn't come to the class. She didn't say anything, but smiled and sat next to Yining, asking the maid to bring up two boxes. "...These are the dragon beard pastries that my cousin Cheng Lang brought back from Sichuan last time. I haven't had any of them, so I brought them to share with my sister."
Yining glanced at Zhao Mingzhu and found that Zhao Mingzhu was actually smiling at her.
Adversity makes people grow.
She reached out and took the dragon beard pastry that Zhao Mingzhu handed over. Zhao Mingzhu then handed another piece to Old Lady Wei, who smiled and said, "This girl... when I first got it, I asked her to eat it, but she refused. Today, I'm only able to eat her food because of your blessing."
Zhao Mingzhu said affectionately to Old Lady Wei, "What are you talking about? I should be polite to my sister, but I can be stingy with you."
Old Mrs. Wei liked Zhao Mingzhu's affection for her, so she put her arm around her and patted her on the back.
Yi Ning lowered her head and tasted the dragon beard pastry, but found it a little too sweet. When she looked up, she found Ting Ge'er looking at her, and then he turned his head away.
Zhao Mingzhu told Old Lady Wei some funny stories: "...Shen Jiarou told me that her mother wanted to arrange a marriage for her brother, and she was looking for a daughter from the Tongpan family. But her brother refused, saying he wanted to find someone he liked. Now he's having a quarrel with the wife of the Marquis of Zhongqin! The wife of the Marquis of Zhongqin was so angry that she wanted to beat him, and Shen Jiarou was extremely upset about it."
Yining took another bite of the dragon beard pastry and remembered the sachet that the young man in blue handed to her.
"Sister Yining also met Shen Yu last time, and they talked for a few minutes," Zhao Mingzhu suddenly said to her, "What do you think of Shen Yu, sister Yining?"
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