"It's nothing," Meng Qingluan replied irritably.
"That's good, as long as I didn't get burned."
Li Zhanjue smiled gently, even patting his chest as if he had been relieved.
If we ignore the ambiguous content in his words…
Meng Qingluan: "...Hehe, Fifth Prince, you're really joking. I accidentally burned myself, how could it have anything to do with you?"
Meng Qingluan thought Li Zhanjue must have lost his mind. Ever since last time, he had changed his tactics and was being unusually attentive to her.
There was even a faint aroma of tea emanating from him.
Is this a change in tactics?
From being tough to feeling disgusted with herself, she'd be so repulsive she could go and seduce Chen Yan.
Meng Qingluan: ! !
Meng Qingluan quickly accepted the idea in her mind and felt that she was truly exceptionally intelligent.
Shen Yan's eyes were cold and menacing as he glanced at Li Zhanjue, before settling on his smiling face.
Li Zhanjue noticed his sharp gaze, his eyes darted around, and he met his eyes calmly.
"How can it not concern me? I offended you two by coming here, and most importantly, I frightened you and caused you to get burned."
As Li Zhanjue spoke, his eyelids drooped, concealing most of the expression in his eyes, and his tone was full of guilt.
Meng Qingluan: "..."
Look, that familiar tea flavor.
Biluochun tea?
Um? ? ? !
Meng Qingluan suddenly felt her whole body shifting to the right. Looking down, she saw that Chen Yan had pulled her and the stool to the side.
Shen Yan picked up the stool he was sitting on and placed it next to her, separating her and Li Zhanlan with his body.
Chen Yan naturally took Meng Qingluan's hand, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a piece of steamed pork on her plate.
"Your Highness, please rest assured. My lady was not burned because of you. If you hadn't spoken just now, we wouldn't have noticed you were inside."
Meng Qingluan: "..."
Oh my, her little brat is going all out?
Li Zhanjue ignored his barbed words, stood up, walked around Chen Yan, and sat down to Meng Qingluan's right.
He also picked up his chopsticks, took a steamed dumpling, and placed it on Meng Qingluan's plate with a gentle smile.
"Ah? You just didn't see me. I made eye contact with Meng San Niangzi as soon as I entered the house, and she saw me immediately, right, Qingluan?"
Li Zhanjue addressed Meng Qingluan with even greater intimacy.
Shen Yan gripped the chopsticks tightly, his knuckles turning white, his gaze also fixed on Meng Qingluan.
Meng Qingluan sat upright, lying through her teeth with a straight face, against her conscience.
"I didn't see it."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yan smiled and gently shook the hand he was holding.
Li Zhanjue was not angry when he heard this. Instead, he thought about it seriously for a moment and then looked at her with a smile.
"I must have misread it. I hope Qingluan won't be angry about this?"
Meng Qingluan was uncomfortable with his overly intimate way of addressing her, but she didn't want to offend him again and again.
He shook his head. "No."
Shen Yan had a bad feeling; Li Zhanjue's series of behaviors were too abnormal.
If he could understand some of what the man had done when he deliberately approached him, this fool was still up to his own agenda.
But now, his intuition tells him that Li Zhanjue's motives are starting to change...
His eyes darkened; how could he possibly allow him to succeed?
This warmth was earned by himself. Why should Li Zhanjue follow his example and take shortcuts?
Shen Yan put down his chopsticks. "Your Highness, didn't you come to me to discuss official business? You can't discuss it during a meal."
Li Zhanjue ate a small steamed bun, put down his chopsticks, and stood up.
“I suddenly remembered something, but it’s nothing important. You can come to the palace to discuss it with me when you go to court tomorrow.”
Shen Yan: "...That's good then."
Li Zhanjue got up to leave, but before leaving, he turned his head and his gaze lingered on Shen Yan's face for a moment before turning to Meng Qingluan.
See you next time.
"..."
Even after Li Zhanjue left, Shen Yan's aura remained unusually heavy, his face frighteningly dark.
When Meng Qingluan turned her head, she saw him staring at her resentfully, looking just like a wronged little wife.
"What's wrong?"
Chen Yan's eyelashes fluttered. "He's imitating me."
Meng Qingluan was taken aback, not expecting Shen Yan to say that.
Shen Yan continued, "He learned to behave because he saw that Luan Luan would praise me when I behaved well."
Meng Qingluan reached out and pinched the flesh on his cheek; it was still very little and felt rough to the touch.
So you're unhappy?
Shen Yan nodded, then gently rubbed his head against Meng Qingluan's palm.
Meng Qingluan pondered seriously, "Then what should we do? He looks really pitiful."
"That won't do either," Shen Yan said anxiously, her voice trembling. "You're not allowed to feel sorry for him. I'll get jealous, I'll get angry, and I'll cry."
"You can't bear to see me cry, can you?"
Meng Qingluan remained silent.
"Is it right? Is it right... Please, Luanluan, answer me quickly."
If you answer him correctly, consider it an act of charity.
Meng Qingluan pinched his lips together with her index finger and thumb, making them pout like a little yellow duck.
The little yellow duck, with red eyes, was still struggling to make sounds from its already ravaged and deformed mouth.
"Beep...beep or not?"
Meng Qingluan leaned closer, "Du! You said 'du,' I feel sorry for you, I can't bear to see you cry."
Shen Yan was so happy that he cried, and two tears fell from his eyes. He looked silly.
Meng Qingluan patted his head reassuringly, "Can't you be a little stronger?"
"cannot."
Shen Yan shook his head without even thinking.
Meng Qingluan: "..."
Why do I always get the feeling that her spoiled son has gone astray?
Garlic birds, garlic birds, life isn't easy for anyone.
…
As the year draws to a close and the sacrificial rites approach, Chen Yan is also busy.
Because of the cold weather, Meng Qingluan simply stopped going out and stayed at home all day, catching birds and skating in the backyard.
Although she never went out, she was always receiving large and small packages of gifts delivered to her house.
The signatures were different each time, and Meng Qingluan was too lazy to investigate. She simply threw everything into the warehouse intact.
Meng Qingluan returned to her bedroom and secretly read her treasured storybook from under her pillow.
I had barely turned the first page, and before I could even get excited, there was a knock on the door.
"lady."
Meng Qingluan's hand trembled, and she guiltily closed the storybook and put it back under her pillow to hide it.
"What's wrong?"
"Someone came to visit, saying they were thanking the lady for saving their life."
"..."
Meng Qingluan's expression went blank for a second before slowly returning to normal.
The life-saving grace, and the cheap younger brother born to her by her cheap parents?
What is he here for?
Meng Qingluan remained lying on the couch without moving. "I understand. Hmm... Tell him I'm not feeling well today and it's inconvenient for me to see anyone. Tell him to go back."
"yes."
The maid outside the door agreed and relayed Meng Qingluan's words verbatim to the young man waiting outside.
"Does she not want to see me? Cough cough cough."
The boy stood in front of the mansion gate, his figure slender. Even though he was wearing a thick fox fur cloak, his thin frame was still clearly visible beneath the clothes.
His illness was clearly not cured; before he could finish speaking, he raised his fist to cover his mouth and coughed.
The maid who delivered the message frowned involuntarily upon seeing this, and despite still having a cold, she came to see their mistress.
What if they infect their wives?
The maid's expression remained unchanged, and she answered respectfully and politely.
"Young master, it would be best to visit again on another day."
The implication is clear: it's not there.
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