Qiao Xiuyu felt that the maid named Bailu seemed to dislike him, but he really couldn't figure out what he had done to offend her.
Unable to figure it out, Qiao Xiuyu shook her head and walked a few steps to the nearby Mingyue Tower.
Inside the building, not long after Shang Yunlan left, Shang Shaoyan was having someone clean up the shards of the stone table he had just kicked and was looking at his slender hands with a smug look—haha, you wouldn't believe it, these soft hands can take on ten men at once!
Just as Shang Shaoyan was feeling quite pleased with himself, he heard Bai Shuang say, "Princess, Young Master Lu is waiting for you outside. He says he has something to say."
Shang Shaoyan was stunned for a moment, then slapped her forehead, thinking to herself that she was being silly—in a few days she would be going to the outskirts to secretly transport those weapons to the Northwest, which would take at least a whole day, so she had to fool Qiao Xiuyu before she left.
Shang Shaoyan walked outside the courtyard and saw Qiao Xiuyu looking up at the plum blossoms.
The snow in Jiangnan is fine and scattered, and right now it is falling heavily on the oil-paper umbrella that Qiao Xiuyu is holding; the hand holding the umbrella is slender, fair and well-proportioned, while the other hand is folding flowers.
Perhaps hearing the noise, Qiao Xiuyu turned her head. Her fair skin, beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and her black hair hanging down to her waist without being tied up swayed in the wind.
Shang Shaoyan's heart skipped a beat, and he stared blankly at Qiao Xiuyu.
She had always known that he was good-looking; but she had never seen anyone with such charm before.
“Princess,” Qiao Xiuyu smiled, bringing Shang Shaoyan back to his senses, “I have some urgent matters at home and I’m afraid I won’t be back until tomorrow morning. I remember the lake tour tomorrow starts at noon, so please rest assured, Princess, I won’t be late.”
Shang Shaoyan was dazzled by that smile and couldn't help but lower his eyes: "Well, you can go back then."
Qiao Xiuyu did not leave immediately. After hesitating for a moment, she walked up to Shang Shaoyan in a few steps, shielded him from the wind and snow with her oil-paper umbrella, sighed softly, and smiled as if helplessly: "Princess, you rushed out in such a hurry that you didn't even bring an umbrella. You should be more careful next time."
After saying that, he tilted the umbrella in his hand slightly forward, waiting for Shang Shaoyan to take it.
For some reason, Shang Shaoyan felt a flutter in his heart and, as if possessed, directly grasped Qiao Xiuyu's hand.
It's very warm and delicate, like a piece of warm jade.
The thought flashed through her mind, and after realizing it, even the thick-skinned Shang Shaoyan felt a little embarrassed and quickly let go of her hand.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Xiuyu also let go, and the fine oil-paper umbrella flipped over and fell into the snow.
Fine snowflakes landed on Shang Shaoyan's brow, startling her. When she came to her senses, she unexpectedly saw Qiao Xiuyu's slightly flushed face.
Somewhat awkwardly, she picked up the umbrella from the ground. The handle was still warm, and for some reason, she quietly grasped the smooth bamboo joint, the heat seeming to burn her heart.
Shang Shaoyan turned his face away and said softly, "Well then, take care."
...
In the afternoon, Madam Cheng came to see Shang Shaoyan again: "An'an, thank you so much for arranging Ning'er's marriage for me. It's been hard on you, a young lady who hasn't even married yet..."
For some reason, Shang Shaoyan saw Qiao Xiuyu's gentle and refined face flash before his eyes, but he quickly regained his senses and put on a perfectly appropriate smile: "Aunt, you are too kind. Although my cousin is a bit mischievous, she has a good nature. In the past, she would have been a suitable match for marrying into the royal family."
She paused, a hint of bitterness creeping into her smile: "But the world is in such turmoil these days, and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is not what it used to be. I'm afraid my cousin's marriage won't be as perfect as it seems."
What Shang Shaoyan and Shang Yunlan said earlier was true. Marrying a powerful and wealthy person now is too risky. It would be much better to marry a slightly less prominent family branch. First, it would be a good match in terms of social status, and second, the family would have a clean and upright family tradition.
"I just wonder if my aunt has considered the letter I sent her earlier?"
"Of course there are." Madam Cheng smiled and grasped Shang Shaoyan's hand, genuinely grateful. "Thanks to An'an's trouble, otherwise Ning'er's marriage would have been difficult to find. It's just that the Cheng'en Duke's Mansion is too shameless..."
Shang Shaoyan didn't think anything of it: "It's alright. The Third Mistress of the Chengen Duke's Mansion and I have made an appointment to go boating on the lake tomorrow. Who knows who will be embarrassed then?"
Cheng trusted Shang Shaoyan completely, but she was still a little worried upon hearing this: "Just the two of you?"
Shang Shaoyan's smile deepened: "There is also a musician."
Madam Cheng had already heard about the musician from Yan Xuening, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Very good, very good. Your aunt thinks you are a well-behaved child, but I didn't expect you to be so mischievous at times."
Shang Shaoyan couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Aunt, you don't know, that musician is very useful. Not to mention that taking him would embarrass the Cheng'en Duke's mansion, just his musical skills are truly 'a piece that should only exist in heaven'!"
Cheng thought Shang Shaoyan was praising him: "Wouldn't that be even better?"
She paused, then said with some emotion, "An'an is becoming more and more cheerful and insightful. If my sister knew this from beyond the grave, she would be overjoyed."
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