As Shang Shaoyan was gazed at by Qiao Xiuyu's sincere eyes and heard those incredibly gentle words, his cheeks flushed slightly.
How come Qiao Xiuyu is so good at this?
He must have flirted with quite a few girls back in the Northern Zhou Dynasty.
As Shang Shaoyan thought about this, he felt a little uneasy. Qiao Xiuyu didn't know what Shang Shaoyan was thinking, but said to herself, "My mother once told me that I should be devoted to one woman. Even when my family was relatively wealthy, I was never allowed to have contact with other women."
He paused, then laughed: "It's funny, I don't even have a single woman serving me."
Shang Shaoyan was somewhat surprised upon hearing this—she had assumed that as the legitimate prince of Northern Zhou, and at such a young age, he should have at least a few concubines, if not a principal wife.
Thinking this, she asked, "You're already twenty, yet you haven't..."
Qiao Xiuyu said, “I think Mother is right. When my father proposed to Mother, he clearly said that he would be devoted to her, but after he became successful, he took many concubines, which made Mother very disheartened. I saw this and was restrained by Mother, so naturally I did not want to have contact with women too early.”
After a pause, he picked out a white jade hairpin with begonia blossoms and put it in Shang Shaoyan's hair. Finally, he smiled and sighed, "You are the first woman I have come into contact with besides my mother and my sisters."
Shang Shaoyan was unaware that two blushes had already risen to her cheeks. She managed to maintain her haughty demeanor and raised her chin: "So, what do you think of me?"
Qiao Xiuyu remained silent, but took a crystal silver mirror from Bai Shuang and placed it in front of Shang Shaoyan, allowing the latter to adjust his makeup.
Shang Shaoyan didn't press the matter, but instead used a red brush to draw eyeliner diagonally at the corner of his eye, humming an unknown tune.
“She’s very cute,” Qiao Xiuyu said.
It's unclear whether he was answering her question or commenting on her makeup.
Shang Shaoyan chuckled inwardly—she felt that the truly lovable person should be Qiao Xiuyu.
...
When Shang Shaoyan and Qiao Xiuyu went out together, they happened to run into Madam Cheng taking Yan Xuening out for socializing.
When Yan Xuening saw Qiao Xiuyu, she couldn't help but secretly purse her lips, while Madam Cheng looked at the two of them with a smile in her eyes: "Are you getting ready to go out already?"
Shang Shaoyan maintained his smile as he chatted with Cheng Shi.
Qiao Xiuyu, seeing that there was nothing for her to do, couldn't help but become a little distracted—a young lady's maiden name is never known to outsiders, except to family members or her husband.
Qiao Xiuyu couldn't help but wonder, what is Heyang's name?
The merchant family was a military family, so perhaps He Yang's name was not a commonly used character for ordinary young women.
As he was pondering this, he heard Madam Cheng say, "...It's getting late, An'an, you should hurry up and go."
An'an?
Qiao Xiuyu's eyes flickered slightly, but she obediently followed Shang Shaoyan into the luxurious sedan chair.
Now that it's deep winter, the weather is getting colder and colder. Just now, after talking with Cheng Shi for a while at the door, Shang Shaoyan's hands became icy cold. As soon as he entered the carriage, he hugged a hot water bottle to his chest and let out a comfortable sigh.
Seeing Qiao Xiuyu standing there in a daze, Shang Shaoyan frowned, took Qiao Xiuyu's hand, and after feeling a chill, quickly handed him a hot water bottle: "You really are something, so clueless, you don't even know what's hot or cold."
Qiao Xiuyu then came to her senses and subconsciously blurted out, "Thank you, An'an."
Before Shang Shaoyan could react, she realized her mistake and quickly and obediently tugged at his sleeve, saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you by your nickname."
After a pause, seeing that Shang Shaoyan didn't react, he steeled himself and said, "How about you hit me to vent your anger?"
Shang Shaoyan: "..."
Friend, it's not that I don't want to fight back, it's just that with my current strength, I'm afraid one slap would be fatal for you!
Shang Shaoyan was somewhat amused and exasperated. She knew that Qiao Xiuyu thought it was inappropriate to address a woman by her nickname directly. Although she didn't think it was a big deal, Nan Chen valued this point highly and tacitly agreed that only married women could be addressed that way.
She deliberately teased Qiao Xiuyu, so she pretended to be angry: "It's fine if you know it yourself, but why did you have to say it out loud? If you let it slip in front of other people next time, how will I get married? I'm afraid everyone will say that you and I are a perfect match."
Seeing that Shang Shaoyan was angry, Qiao Xiuyu quickly coaxed him, "Don't be angry. I'll play the piano for you when we go boating later. I'll only play for you."
Shang Shaoyan: "."
Well, this person actually repays kindness with enmity!
She glared at Qiao Xiuyu fiercely, but because it was too hot inside the sedan chair, her face turned a little red, making her look like she was being coquettish.
Seeing this, Qiao Xiuyu felt a little embarrassed. He coughed lightly and rather awkwardly changed the subject: "Princess, what are our plans for this afternoon?"
Shang Shaoyan snapped out of his daze, straightened his expression, and said, "That Li Sanniang is my ex-fiancé's sister. Who knows what kind of tricks she's up to this time? There's no such thing as a good banquet. Young Master Lu, you'd better be careful and just stay with me."
...
At this moment, Li Shuangyan, who was plotting something, sat by the lake, her face full of impatience.
She was only considered pretty, but her excessive thinness gave her a somewhat mean look. Coupled with her unattractive complexion, she didn't look like a lady from a respectable family, but rather like a shrew.
"Why hasn't Shang Erniang arrived yet?" Li Shuangyan frowned. "Could it be that she's too scared to come?"
Shang Shao is a man of few words and actions, and he also has a deceased cousin, whom the girls usually call "Shang Erniang".
"She's probably scared." Behind her stood a woman with a plain appearance, who bore a resemblance to her. She said casually, "Third Sister, don't be impulsive next time. Her Majesty has it tough in the palace; don't cause trouble for her."
Li Shuangyan naturally didn't hear the second half of the sentence; all she heard was the phrase "she's probably scared." She couldn't help but sneer, "She really is a down-and-out; she's scared already."
The plain-looking woman was Li Shuangyan and Li Chengye's elder sister, Li Shuangsi. The two didn't get along very well, mainly because Li Shuangsi had married before the Li family became wealthy and was a minor official, unknown in Shengjing; while Li Shuangyan was four years younger than her and was chosen as the Second Prince's wife after the Li family was granted a title. Now they were just waiting for Li Shuangyan to come of age and get married.
Li Shuangsi felt quite resentful, but since her younger sister had married well, it was also beneficial for her, so she had no choice but to flatter her. However, her resentment would occasionally show, and Li Shuangyan would naturally notice it, and their relationship deteriorated day by day.
Li Shuangsi was about to say something when she saw a stunningly beautiful woman walking gracefully towards them from not far away, smiling at them. Who else could it be but Shang Shaoyan?
"Oh, what a wonderful day it is, Madam Xing is here too." Shang Shaoyan stepped forward with feigned intimacy. "What a blessing! Lord Xing's career is going very well now, and who knows, Madam Xing might even be granted an imperial title in the future."
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