Chapter 32 "Lord Duke, are you jealous?"
Ye Mingzhu looked back at Sheng Huai'an several times, then simply sat down at the table again, intending to listen to what he had to say.
Let's see what other tricks he has up his sleeve.
Unbeknownst to her, a tall, imposing figure in black walked to the entrance of the flower hall, paused, and then turned to walk behind a tall, vigorous bonsai.
Seeing Sheng Huai'an take two steps toward her, she immediately raised her hand to stop him: "If you have something to say, just stand there and say it."
"Are you that afraid of me?" Sheng Huai'an glanced subtly in the direction of the bonsai, and smiled wryly. "We used to be so close, but now you can't even stand a little close to me?"
"I really regret not going to pick up the bride that day. So what if I was sick? Even if I had to crawl, I should have crawled there."
"If I went, would everything be different now?"
"Sometimes I feel like all of this is a nightmare."
"I've woken up from my dream, and you're still preparing for my wedding, waiting for me to come and marry you..."
"That's it?" Ye Mingzhu was unwilling to waste any more time and interrupted him, saying, "I have other things to do. You can do as you please."
Sheng Huai'an choked: "What?"
Ye Mingzhu got up to leave.
Sheng Huai'an quickly stopped her, his voice filled with anguish, "You don't love Sheng Yunche at all, you love me, right? You only stayed by his side because he took you away and you couldn't resist, right?"
"With his personality, he must be bad to you, right? I don't mean anything by it, I'm just worried about you, afraid that you won't be able to live well without me by your side."
Ye Mingzhu was speechless, so speechless she wanted to laugh.
Before Sheng Huai'an killed her in her past life, he said to her, "I thought you would ask if I had ever truly loved you," which she found laughable.
In this lifetime, he actually asked her if he loved her again, which she found even more ridiculous.
She suddenly remembered that when she went to Tingsongju to snatch the dowry before, she had casually said a few words to coax Sheng Huai'an.
At that time, she felt that her position in the Duke of Wei's mansion was not stable, and she dared not make too much of a fuss, fearing that it would end badly and cause more trouble. So she pretended to be friendly with him for a while.
Could it be that he's always felt she still has feelings for him since then?
I really want to laugh.
Ye Mingzhu actually smiled.
She looked up at Sheng Huai'an and asked curiously, "What are you worried about me for?"
Sheng Huai'an was taken aback: "What?"
Ye Mingzhu looked at him as if he were an idiot and calmly said, "My husband is of noble status, incomparably handsome, with outstanding demeanor and extraordinary bearing. He is far superior to you... Why do you think I am in pain because he stole my bride, instead of being overjoyed?"
Sheng Huai'an: "I..."
"You mean to say that you also have your advantages, right?" Ye Mingzhu asked. "What advantages do you have? Do you have family wealth, academic achievements, or a frail widowed sister-in-law who needs you to give her five hundred taels of silver every half month for medicine? Or a mother who is unreasonable and often embarrasses you in public?"
Sheng Huai'an gritted his teeth secretly, almost unable to maintain the gentleness on his face.
But he didn't forget his purpose. He changed the subject, asking gently yet sadly, "So, you don't love Sheng Yunche at all, you only love his power, and that's why you're forcing yourself to stay by his side? What about our relationship? Do you know that the price you're paying is your entire life's happiness?"
"Oh..." Ye Mingzhu tilted her head in confusion, looking at him scrutinizingly and asking, "You seem to care a lot about whether I'm staying by Sheng Yunche's side because of his power. What do you want to hear me say?"
Sheng Huai'an's heart skipped a beat. When he met her dark and bright almond-shaped eyes, he felt as if she could see right through him.
He was so nervous that he couldn't speak for a moment.
If I can't say it, then I won't say it.
Seeing that he couldn't get any more information out of him and might even expose himself, he lost interest in continuing to set a trap. He deliberately said, "I'm going to find Sheng Yunche," to cover up the fact that he knew Sheng Yunche was there, and left with the medicine.
He quickened his pace as he passed the bonsai trees at the entrance of the flower hall.
Ye Mingzhu didn't even look up, letting him leave.
She picked up her teacup and took a sip. Just as she was about to call Baozan to help her up, she suddenly noticed that Baozan was giving her a series of winks, her eyelids almost twitching.
What happened?
Ye Mingzhu was puzzled. Following Baozan's gaze, she looked towards the entrance of the flower hall and unexpectedly met a pair of deep black phoenix eyes.
Sheng Yunche?
How did he get here...? No, how long has he been here? How much of the conversation did he hear?
Was Sheng Huai'an doing this on purpose?
With many thoughts racing through her mind, Ye Mingzhu calmly stood up, walked to Sheng Yunche, curtsied, and said softly, "Lord Duke, would you like a cup of tea? I'll pour you some."
They made no mention of what had just happened.
Sheng Yunche glanced at her with his phoenix eyes, a half-smile on his face, and said, "I don't need it. But you've been talking so much, don't get thirsty."
Ye Mingzhu thought for a moment, then tugged at his sleeve and said with dissatisfaction, "...Are you laughing at me? Please don't do that."
Sheng Yunche snorted coldly.
Ye Mingzhu asked curiously, "Why are you back so early today? Judging from the sky, it's still a long time before your shift ends."
Sheng Yunche stared at her for a moment, then raised his hand and patted her.
In the blink of an eye, two female bodyguards dressed in black appeared in the flower hall.
The two knelt on one knee, clasped their hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency! Greetings, Madam!"
Ye Mingzhu's almond-shaped eyes lit up, and she looked at Sheng Yunche with surprise: "Lord Duke, is this the bodyguard you promised to give me last night?"
Sheng Yunche glanced at her, but didn't say whether it was true or not. He simply said, "Bestow a name."
Ye Mingzhu smiled and replied, "Yes!"
She helped up one of the taller, plain-looking guards and asked, "What are you good at?"
"Reporting to Madam, my skill lies in light-footedness."
Ye Mingzhu thought for a moment and said, "In 'Strange Tales from the Grasslands,' it says, 'There was a female knight who treads on branches like a swallow, carrying a blade at night.' How about I name you Yanzhi?"
"Yanzhi thanks Your Majesty for bestowing upon her a name!"
Ye Mingzhu then helped up another female bodyguard with an oval face and a somewhat childlike and cute appearance, and asked, "What are you good at?"
"Reporting to Madam, this subordinate is most skilled in concealed weapons!"
You really can't judge a book by its cover.
Ye Mingzhu thought for a moment and said, "The poet has a line, 'A shooting star and white feather are tucked at the waist, a sword flower and autumn lotus light emerge from the scabbard,' how about naming you Lianyu (Lotus Feather)?"
"Lianyu thanks Your Majesty for bestowing this name upon her."
Ye Mingzhu dismissed them, then watched in astonishment as they vanished in the blink of an eye, disappearing without a trace.
Sheng Yunche tapped his fingers on the table to draw her attention back, and asked in a cold voice, "Do you know that Sheng Huai'an admires women with outstanding literary talent the most?"
Ye Mingzhu: "...?"
If I don't answer well, will I lose the bodyguard I just got?
Sheng Yunche asked again, "Does he know that you are well-read and very particular about naming your bodyguards? Can you be considered a talented woman?"
Ye Mingzhu looked at him: "Barely?"
Sheng Yunche glanced back at her indifferently: "If I'm not saying you're forced to, then what do you mean, that you're exceptionally talented?"
Ye Mingzhu: "..."
Okay, this person is starting to get sarcastic.
Is this a way of settling scores with her?
However, knowing exactly what she had just said, Ye Mingzhu was not flustered at all. Instead, she had the idea of "taming the beast" and planned to "make a fuss about it".
She blinked her almond-shaped eyes, feigning confusion as she leaned closer to him and asked softly, "Lord Duke, are you jealous? Even a prince as proud as you can be jealous?"
For a moment, Sheng Yunche stopped drinking tea, looked up at her in shock, and coughed suddenly.
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