Chapter 19 Cui Yun, are you really that eager!

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Nearby, there was a water source, a spring that was clean and sweet. It was convenient for travelers passing by, and even merchants would come here specifically to fetch water.

Zheng Qianyu remembered it clearly! It was there that she first met He Chu.

Among a group of scholars, He Chu was the poorest. Despite wearing a thin long robe that was washed out, he still appeared fresh and clean.

Zheng Qianyu couldn't read, but she stretched her neck to listen to these people reciting pompous poems. She was bewildered by their words, yet the more she listened, the more she found He Chu's literary talent outstanding.

Until...

"He Chu, how come you're engaged to that Shen Hua from the Shen Family? She's notoriously unreasonable, I've heard she's so noble she can't even walk, always traveling by sedan chair."

"Brother He, I advise you to turn back, marrying a delicate and pretentious woman like Shen Hua will cost you over a decade of your life."

Zheng Qianyu's heart broke.

Ahhhhhhhh! Why is Shen Hua everywhere, haunting like a ghost!

However...

She put her hands on her hips, "What nonsense are you spouting! Shen Hua is indeed unreasonably spoiled, but she's not a husband-killer. Bah! With a mouth more vicious than a country woman, slandering and spreading rumors, I suggest you all take off these scholar clothes and go home to farm."

What's wrong with Shen Hua going out in a sedan chair!

The Shen Family is wealthy enough to buy a hundred sedan chairs without a problem. Who does it bother?

As for not walking on the ground, that's her own fault for climbing a tree to pick dates and falling, injuring her leg.

When Zheng Qianyu heard about it, she even went to the Shen Family to mock her.

Shen Hua, lying on the bed, gave her a big sweet date to silence her, looking like she had nothing left to live for. It was only because of the date that Zheng Qianyu reluctantly stood up for Shen Hua.

"This young lady makes a very good point."

At that time, He Chu stepped forward and bowed to Zheng Qianyu. Then he turned to his fellow scholars and said,

"Gentlemen, no one is perfect. Shen Hua may have some minor flaws, but in my eyes, she is sincere and without blemish. I hope you all will be considerate with your words. To insult her is to insult me."

Zheng Qianyu's broken heart was mended again.

She envied Shen Hua, envied her so much she was almost dumb with jealousy.

But now her object of envy had shifted to Zhou Zhizhi...

Zheng Qianyu couldn't comprehend how a good scholar like him could be so foolishly filial.

Or was He Chu blind?

Shen Hua's earlier words echoed loudly in her ears. The answer seemed all too clear.

At that moment, the affections of a daughter, once intact, crumbled completely after a part was chipped away.

Even thinking of He Chu, she no longer found him radiating a dazzling masculine charm.

Love came swiftly, and left just as quickly.

He Chu, in the end, was just an ordinary man.

She was willing to pick up what Shen Hua didn't want.

As for Zhou Zhizhi, she... found her revolting.

Shen Hua stood on her tiptoes, watching the direction Zheng Qianyu had left, only to see a vast expanse of white, with nothing else.

When she left the mansion, snow was already falling heavily.

Shen Hua felt a little tired, and after looking around, her gaze settled on the stone slab on the flat plain beside the main road.

She took small steps forward, pondered for a moment, and brushed away the thick layer of snow before sitting down. She rubbed her frozen hands and exhaled warm air.

It had been three days since she went to the embroidery workshop, and by now, there should be some news from Housekeeper Sun.

She estimated that Shen Qu might sternly question her in the coming days.

And the matter of Shen Zhui.

Shen Hua's thoughts drifted. For a moment, she felt a headache, thinking that living was truly difficult.

————

"Up ahead is Fengzhou City. If I have to stay with you this block of wood any longer, I'll go mad sooner or later."

On the official road, the carriage moved unhurriedly. Ji Ge complained relentlessly, deeply regretting this trip.

Cui Yun was extremely boring!!!

Their last conversation still lingered from the day before.

——Cui Yun, we are of marriageable age. If we take a liking to the same girl, considering our slight past friendship, I am willing to let you have her.

——Seventh Prince is generous.

——Cui Yun, since we're talking now, why don't we discuss our expectations of our future wives? As men, who isn't superficial? I just like the pretty ones.

——Seventh Prince speaks very truly.

——The Duke Fu's Xie Jiao is quite pretty, but she's timid as a mouse, crying at harsh words.

——Seventh Prince's words are reasonable.

——The girl from the Minister of Ministry of Industry Mansion, Wei Yingying, is brave, but extremely pretentious. I really can't stand her coy ways.

——Seventh Prince's words are not unfounded.

Whatever he said, Cui Yun would suitably echo.

However, Cui Yun's response was so wooden, devoid of any emotion.

He sensed something was off and decided to test it slightly.

"To be honest with you, I am a woman! I've been pretending to be a man for over ten years, hah, didn't expect that, did you?"

Cui Yun showed no surprise but remained formulaic and exceedingly polite.

——Seventh Princess has endured hardships in silence for many years, it must have been tough.

!!!

Why don't you go and die!

Ji Ge collapsed in a corner, lifting the curtain to let the cold wind blow in, lifeless.

Cui Yun, however, seemed to be deep in thought.

Currently, there were only three unmarried princes: the Second Prince Ji Cong, the Seventh Prince Ji Ge, and Ji Teng, who had been a hostage for several years.

Princess Consort Jing had two sons and a daughter. Although Ji Cong was foolish, his full-blooded brother, the Fourth Prince Ji Wang, was deeply favored by Emperor He, being the strongest threat to the Crown Prince.

Ji Cong's marriage would naturally be arranged by Princess Consort Jing, and many girls surely desired him despite his shortcomings.

Even if he disliked Ji Ge, Emperor He still acknowledged that he was of the age to choose a Seventh Prince Consort. When he summoned him to the palace, he happened to catch a cold, thus becoming more convinced of Ji Ge's ill fortune.

His thoughts of choosing a consort for him also stalled.

As for Ji Teng, it went without saying. Even if he died, Emperor He wouldn't spare him another glance.

"Stop!"

Ji Ge's low shout came from beside him.

Ji Qing, who was driving, slowly pulled the reins, causing the carriage to slow down even further. Soon, the wheels were caught in the snow, and the carriage stopped moving entirely.

Cui Yun's posture remained unchanged, the demeanor of a noble son evident.

Throughout this journey, Ji Ge's antics were nothing new to him.

However, this time was indeed different.

Ji Ge suddenly sat up straight.

"Cui Yun!"

"Look over there! There's a fat mink lying down!"

Cui Yun followed the direction of his pointing. In the vast expanse between heaven and earth, on the stone slab beside the main road, lay a fluffy curled-up figure.

The fur was snow-white; without closer inspection, one might think it was blended into the snowy scene.

"I remember you excel in horseback shooting, why not capture this mink alive and make roasted meat out of it?"

Just as he finished speaking, the 'mink' several feet away struggled to turn over.

With the movement, a wooden hairpin slipped out, and black hair cascaded down.

Drowsy and half-asleep, Shen Hua didn't bother to pick it up.

She feared the cold, so she wrapped her scarf around several times, tightly enclosing her pale face, unconcerned about the lack of air.

It was a fully wrapped person with no exposed skin.

And it was a girl.

Cui Yun: ...

Ji Ge: ... "There's a rumor in the local legend that ghosts in the forest often take the form of women, all to seduce travelers and drain their essence."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but feel a chill down his back.

But at this moment, Cui Yun moved.

"Cui Yun! Why did you get off the carriage!"

"A relationship between a man and a demon is a different path, are you really so eager!"

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