Jiang Qingyue walked alongside her, her eyes flickering slightly, her tone tinged with melancholy: "Ningning, I really envy you."
Shen Tangning paused, then looked up at her: "What makes you say that?"
The other person lowered their eyes, a hint of envy on their face: "Everyone said that the Second Young Master Chi was a good-for-nothing, and no one thought you would marry him. Who would have thought he would have such good fortune? In the end, it's our Ningning who is lucky."
Good fortune?
Shen Tangning's eyes held a faint emotion, then she suddenly chuckled: "Fate is the most elusive thing. You only see my glamorous public image, how could you know the hardships behind it?"
Her first half of life was indeed smooth sailing. She obtained her family background, looks, and a good husband effortlessly. At least in the eyes of outsiders, no one had a better life than her.
In the latter half of her life, however, she lost all the most important things one by one, and paid a terrible price for it.
She looked at Jiang Qingyue with an ambiguous expression: "If you ask me, Qingyue, your life isn't bad either."
Jiang Qingyue was slightly taken aback, somewhat puzzled, and gave a bitter smile: "Don't make fun of me."
Shen Tangning didn't explain, but pushed aside the trembling flower branches: "Is your stepmother making things difficult for you again?"
Jiang Qingyue's family background is somewhat complicated. Her father is a fourth-rank official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, in charge of sacrifices and court music. It is a low-profile official position, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he has little hope of being promoted in his lifetime.
Her mother died when she was young, and she remarried a year later. Jiang Qingyue's situation was one of hardship, having to make a living under her stepmother's care.
Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and she bit her lip tightly: "You don't know, she forced me to marry Xiao Yu, that kind of playboy. If I married him, wouldn't it be like jumping into a fire pit!"
Shen Tangning paused slightly, then slowly said, "Although Xiao Yu is unruly, he is not a bad person. I heard that his mother is understanding and will not make things too difficult for you. If you can be more assertive in managing the household, it will not be difficult. Overall, this marriage is not bad."
She was telling the truth. Xiao Yu's father was a mighty general with the rank of a second-grade official. The Jiang family had already married up, and it was true that Madam Jiang was trying to climb the social ladder. But for Jiang Qingyue, this was not a bad thing.
Although Xiao Yu himself had a bad reputation among the young masters of noble families, he did not indulge in eating, drinking, gambling, whoring, or prostitution. The only thing that could be criticized was that he was always chasing after beautiful young women.
Now that Pingting has passed away, it's not a big problem.
Jiang Qingyue's eyes darkened, and she sobbed, "Ningning, do you really think this marriage is so wonderful? If such a marriage were to fall into your lap, would you be willing to accept it?"
She couldn't help but feel a bit resentful. She felt that Shen Tangning was really talking without any sense of hardship. She wasn't the one facing the worst of it, so of course she could talk so detachedly!
Shen Tangning retorted indifferently, "When I married Chi Yan, wasn't I also in dire straits?"
To be fair, at the time, without knowing Chi Yan's true nature, she really had no other choice but to take a gamble.
As it turned out, Chi Yan did not disappoint her.
Jiang Qingyue was vehemently opposed to the marriage, and Shen Tangning felt there was no need to persuade her any further. She said calmly, "I'm just helping to analyze the situation. If you're unwilling, there's no need to force you."
Jiang Qingyue is capable enough to become the Third Prince's concubine, so there's no need for her to worry about her.
"We've arrived at the quiet room."
Jiang Qingyue felt a sharp pain in her palm. She looked at Shen Tangning's gentle and serene profile, her eyes darkening imperceptibly as jealousy took root in her heart.
Why is Shen Tangning always so lucky?
Even the most carefree playboy you randomly pick is a genius with immense potential!
If only she could fall from grace and experience the struggles of life in the mud, that would be wonderful.
...
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