Shen Yan's expression remained cold and aloof, giving the impression of keeping people at arm's length; however, his words were full of human warmth.
"You've had a long journey, please rest well and don't take what others say to heart."
"...Thank you, brother-in-law."
The "outsider" that Shen Yan mentioned was clearly referring to himself.
Li Zhanjue was so angry he almost laughed.
Shen Yan had already said so much; what else could he not understand?
No wonder he remained silent with such a dark expression earlier; he was waiting for him to take the bait.
He and Zhu Qing'an got into a fight so he could reap the benefits.
Zhu Qing'an saw through Chen Yan's tricks at a glance.
Despite her inner displeasure, she had to respond with utmost respect and politeness.
Otherwise, what difference would there be between me and that clown from before?
Meng Qingluan's elderly mother's smile was so warm it was almost enough to bring her to tears.
The child has grown up.
Finally, they've stopped being so jealous and competitive. Look at them...
The inkstones of today are not the same as those of the past.
He is now kind, lovely, gentle, virtuous, and gentle.
Shen Yan glanced casually out of the corner of his eye and saw Meng Qingluan looking at him with eyes so tender they could melt your heart.
His heart felt as if it had been gently brushed by a feather, tickling him, and his soul seemed to have drifted away.
He is no longer the same Shen Yanyi; he is now Niu Gulu Shen Yanyi.
"..."
The group rushed out of the northern border overnight and arrived at the official road outside the northern border.
This place is not far from the northern border, and the climate is still bitterly cold. There is only one small inn on the official road.
The guards inspected the location and eliminated any dangers before knocking on the carriage door.
"Your Highness, Lord Shen, would you like to stay at the inn for the night?"
"Okay, go book a few rooms."
Li Zhanjue agreed, tossed out a purse, which his bodyguard caught, and then went into the inn to book several rooms.
Meng Qingluan and her entourage disembarked from the carriage.
Zhu Qing'an's fever hadn't subsided yet. She hurriedly drank a few mouthfuls of white porridge, took her medicine, and then went upstairs to rest.
Li Zhanjue had already suffered a setback in the afternoon, but he didn't say much. After dinner, he went upstairs to go back home as well.
Meng Qingluan and Shen Yan shared a room.
The two lay on the bed, with Shen Yan sleeping on the outside and Meng Qingluan sleeping on the inside.
Meng Qingluan tossed and turned, opening her eyes again and turning to look at the person beside her.
Shen Yan closed his eyes, sleeping in a neat posture.
Meng Qingluan stretched out a hand from under the covers and placed it on his eyelashes. His eyelashes responded sensitively to the touch, trembling slightly.
Seeing that he was about to open his eyes, Meng Qingluan, feeling guilty, tried to withdraw her hand.
Before she could hide her hand, it was easily grabbed by the other party.
Meeting Shen Yan's helpless gaze, Meng Qingluan smiled a smile that couldn't be brighter.
He tried to use that bright smile to cover up the embarrassment of being caught doing something wrong.
Chen Yan asked, "Aren't you sleepy?"
Meng Qingluan shook her head, then stretched out her arms, lifted his blanket, and placed her hands around his waist.
Chen Yan's body trembled.
Only one candle was burning in the room, its dim light just enough to conceal the crimson mark on his earlobe.
Instead of pushing her hand away, he moved even closer.
Shen Yan also turned over, and the two of them looked at each other in a side-lying position on the bed.
"What are you thinking about? Why are you disturbing Luanluan's good sleep?"
"Tell me about it, and I'll help you find a way to get rid of all the bad things that are disturbing Luan Luan's rest."
"Miss you."
Meng Qingluan blurted it out.
Shen Yan's dark eyes trembled, a sweet ripple spreading through his heart. He chuckled softly.
"Aren't I here?"
"I'm wondering if the emperor will make things difficult for you after you return to the capital? What if he finds out you rescued the princess?"
"As your wife whom you have married, I am truly worried sick about you."
As Meng Qingluan finished speaking, she glared at him resentfully and pinched the soft flesh on his waist.
Shen Yan felt a ticklish sensation as she pinched the soft flesh around his waist, and he chuckled softly before quickly grabbing her mischievous hand.
"Don't worry, the emperor won't make things difficult for me. He will reward me handsomely and bestow upon me a lot of gold and silver. If you want to buy another house later, you can use that money to buy it, or perhaps take over a shop."
Shen Yan spoke casually, not at all concerned about what would happen after returning to the capital, and even began to plan how Meng Qingluan should spend her money.
Meng Qingluan rolled her eyes.
She sat up and reached out to pinch his cheeks.
This caused his mouth to form an "o" shape, allowing him to only utter indistinct inquiries.
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"
"I'm asking you something serious, so don't spout nonsense! Chen Yan, behave yourself."
Meng Qingluan shook her wrist threateningly, and Shen Yan's face swayed with her movements.
"Okay, I'll tell you."
Chen Yan raised his hands in surrender.
Meng Qingluan released his hand and lay back down on the pillow, the two of them staring at each other face to face.
"The emperor never intended to kill me. Rather than killing me, he would prefer that our two groups fight to the death. Rather than killing me, he would prefer to use me to get rid of those three."
"Does he know...about the affair between General Liao and Consort Wan?"
Meng Qingluan exclaimed in surprise, then lowered her voice when she said the second half of the sentence.
“He must not have known before.” Shen Yan paused slightly, a cold and ruthless glint flashing across his eyes. “Now… with such a good helper, we can’t fool him.”
Meng Qingluan caught the key words in his words.
"A good helper?"
"Yes, a great help to prolong his life and return to his peak."
"A cheat code?"
These three words floated into Meng Qingluan's mind subconsciously, and she blurted them out.
As soon as she finished speaking, she received a questioning look from Shen Yan.
"What kind of cheat code?"
"It's nothing. I heard you say that the person who helped the emperor was so capable, and it suddenly occurred to me that I could make a suit of armor out of gold. How awesome would that be?"
“Luanluan would look really good wearing it.”
Shen Yan was immediately led by the nose by Meng Qingluan and excitedly echoed her.
Meng Qingluan's lips twitched, and she brushed off this absurd topic with "we'll talk about it when we get back," before quickly asking...
"With such powerful backers behind the emperor, why wasn't he given an official position?"
"To be an official, one must be a human being. If one does not have a mortal body, no matter how great one's abilities, how high one's rank, or how high one's official position, one cannot hold the position."
"What? Not human?"
Meng Qingluan was speechless, then pulled her hands back under the covers and silently stretched her legs back in.
No one ever told her that ghosts exist in this world!
There's no mention of ghosts or monsters in the original story.
Could it be a series of butterfly effects caused by my own transmigration? But this effect is too much; it's turned into a horror story.
Seeing Meng Qingluan's cowardly appearance, Chen Yan solemnly leaned close to her face and spoke.
"Yes, of course he's not human. I heard that on the day he arrived, four eunuchs died mysteriously and tragically in the palace. Their deaths were all the same, and they were all very cruel and horrific, as if they had been swallowed alive and then vomited out."
"..."
Upon hearing what Shen Yan said, Meng Qingluan unconsciously conjured up a bunch of classic scenes from horror movies in her mind, a chill ran down her spine, and she felt quite uneasy.
"Then how can you be so confident? What if that guy gets really ruthless and eats you up?"
"I am so confident because I have a way to deal with him, so I am not afraid of him."
"What method?"
Meng Qingluan was intrigued by his words and leaned closer to ask him excitedly.
Shen Yan? He can even catch ghosts? How come I didn't know that?
Is this the power of the male protagonist's halo?
When a ghost appears, the ghost-catching skill is automatically activated. When a zombie appears, the zombie-catching skill is automatically activated. Long Aotian is truly amazing!
If I secretly take a look and learn the skills, wouldn't I be able to become a phoenix queen?
Shen Yan then mysteriously added, "After I finish speaking, you can't hit me, and you can't tell anyone else."
Meng Qingluan swallowed hard.
"Don't worry, we've been sleeping in the same bed since we were little, don't you trust me?"
"I believe you, so I'll tell you."
“Okay.” Meng Qingluan’s ears perked up.
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