“Why are you here?” Shen Qingyao asked in surprise. Since she and Lu Zhao left Ningcheng until now, it hadn’t been more than three months. Wasn’t this person supposed to have gone to the Northern Frontier to seek refuge with Xiao Mu? How could he appear back in their family’s mansion?
Could it be that Gu Ziyan was too dissolute and got sent back by Xiao Mu? That couldn’t be right. Shen Qingyao tilted her head in confusion. Didn’t her Eldest Sister’s last letter say that Gu Ziyan was doing well in the Northern Frontier?
Perhaps Shen Qingyao’s gaze was too straightforward, Gu Ziyan immediately understood the meaning in her eyes. His expression stiffened for a moment, then he angrily retorted, “Don’t make wild guesses! I’m doing well! The Prince and Consort greatly value me! I’m more familiar with the southern regions, so they assigned me to come here!”
After saying this, he shook his head helplessly and with lingering fear, added, “I hadn’t even warmed my seat in the Northern Frontier before being sent back. I didn’t dare to return to Ningcheng to see Wan’er! Otherwise, if the old man found out I was back, who knows what he would do!”
Shen Qingyao fell silent for a moment. Thinking about Gu Ziyan ‘running away from home’ and the loud conspiracy between Lu Zhao and Gu Hui afterward, she thought perhaps Uncle Gu actually knew, but pretended not to. She glanced sympathetically at Gu Ziyan, who was smug, and thought to herself, this silly child still doesn’t know he was manipulated by his own father and Lu Zhao to go to the Northern Frontier.
“Why were you delayed in Nanzhao for so long? Luckily, nothing major happened! Otherwise, if it had affected the Prince’s…” Gu Ziyan continued incessantly.
Lu Zhao frowned and interrupted him, “First, let’s talk about the main issue.”
Gu Ziyan spoke regardless of whether they had entered the house, and blocked their way at the entrance to chat. Lu Zhao, who was concerned about Shen Qingyao’s health due to the journey’s hardships, ignored Gu Ziyan. As soon as he finished speaking, he allowed Shen Qingyao to enter the hall first.
Gu Ziyan finally noticed something was amiss. He scratched his head and quickly followed.
“The Prince personally wrote a confidential letter, and instructed me to deliver it personally to Master Lu!” Gu Ziyaan’s face became serious, discarding his usual playful demeanor, and an air of determination, honed on the battlefield, emanated from him.
hen Qingyao watched silently from the side and felt that even though it had only been three short months, Gu Ziyan had indeed grown a lot.
Seeing Lu Zhao accept the letter, Gu Ziyan relaxed slightly and smiled again, “Fortunately, I have finally fulfilled the mission!”
Lu Zhao nodded, dismissed the servants waiting in the hall, and unfolded the letter. But after reading just a few lines, his brow furrowed. Seeing his expression, Shen Qingyao also grew nervous. Could something be wrong on her Eldest Sister’s side?
Though curious, Shen Qingyao pondered for a moment and decided it was better not to disturb them for now. So, the moment Lu Zhao looked up, she softly said, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, you go ahead with your matters. I’ll go rest for a while.”
She still had traces of weariness on her face. Naturally, Lu Zhao agreed. However, with urgent matters at hand, he couldn’t escort her back personally and could only repeatedly caution her to be careful, as if they were not in his mansion but still in some perilous place.
Unable to suppress a smile, Shen Qingyao bid farewell several times before leaving.
The two of them were intimate as if there were no one else around, making Gu Ziyan feel a bit sour. Thinking of his childhood sweetheart Lin Wan’er, he didn’t know if she still remembered him now, which made him somewhat depressed.
“Tsk, what a bother! Do you guys have to be like this?” Gu Ziyan complained disdainfully.
Immediately, Lu Zhao, who had just seen off Shen Qingyao, turned back with a chilly glance.
Gu Ziyan shrank his head, quickly adjusted his expression, and began to discuss serious matters.
Shen Qingyao walked back to her own courtyard at a slow pace. She was indeed tired. Although she intended to wait for Lu Zhao to return, when she lied on the soft big bed for a while, she soon leaned over and fell asleep.
When she woke up again, it was already dark. Shen Qingyao’s head felt heavy as she raised her hand to rub her growling stomach. Unsure if she was sleepy or hungry, she felt dizzy. She lazily turned over and heard a low laugh beside her, then felt hands pulling her close.
Shen Qingyao woke up a bit and coquettishly leaned on him, saying softly, “Hmm? Elder Brother Lu Zhao, when did you come back? Why didn’t you wake me?”
Lu Zhao seemed to have also slept for a while, his voice still hoarse. He chuckled at her words, pinched her and said, “You were sleeping so soundly, why should I wake you up?”
Remembering the noise he heard earlier, Lu Zhao’s eyes filled with even more amusement as he asked her, “Want to get up and eat something?”
“Mm.” Shen Qingyao nodded, but she kept snuggling into his arms without any intention of getting up.
Cui Qiao, who was waiting outside, heard the movement and chuckled, instructing the servants to prepare food. Lu Zhao saw that she was still quite sleepy and didn’t immediately urge her to get up. He smiled and lay flat, letting her nestle against him.
After a while, the little girl in his arms suddenly seemed to remember something. She tilted her head slightly up from his chest and asked softly, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, how is my Eldest Sister doing?”
Lu Zhao had talked with Gu Ziyan for an afternoon, all about the situation in the Northern Frontier. Now that Shen Qingli was the Fifth Princess Consort and influencing the entire world’s plot, Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but worry.
Lu Zhao’s smile faded slightly. After a long pause, he simply responded with a faint “Hmm.”
“And why did Gu Ziyan come…” for? If it wasn’t something important, why make him travel such a distance?
“Be careful.” Shen Qingyao restlessly moved around, and made Lu Zhao worried she might bump her head on the bed curtain. He raised his hand to protect her head and then held her securely in his arms, saying casually, “It’s nothing serious. The iron ore secretly produced in Ningcheng has been sent to the Northern Frontier two or three times already. This time, Xiao Mu came to ask me to secretly find some skilled craftsmen in the south for him. After all, everyone is eyeing his military power in the north. If he wants to use iron ore to make weapons, he can’t recruit local craftsmen openly and attract attention.
“Gu Ziyan came for this matter. He’s from Ningcheng and used to sneaking around. Even if he’s discovered going back and forth, it won’t raise much suspicion.”
“So that’s it…” Shen Qingyao’s voice sounded muffled. She thought there were too many things to consider; being the protagonist was indeed not easy.
“Your Eldest Sister is fine, just…” Lu Zhao paused, his tone cooling, “Just that the situation in the capital isn’t very good.”
Shen Qingyao was shocked and sat up a bit, placing her hands on Lu Zhao’s shoulders and looking at him. “How could that be? What’s happening in the capital?”
“The Emperor is seriously ill, and there is turmoil among the princes in the capital. The court is unstable.” Lu Zhao’s voice remained steady, but Shen Qingyao sensed an undercurrent of turmoil in his words. Her face turned pale, somewhat unexpectedly.
[Host! This isn’t right! Why is the plot advancing early?!] The system exclaimed.
Shen Qingyao thought about it too. According to the original plot, the next two years should have been calm. The Emperor’s illness and the struggle among the princes, which should have happened two years later, had unexpectedly advanced. Could the still inexperienced main characters win?
Privately, Shen Qingyao naturally believed in her Eldest Sister, but she couldn’t help but worry.
Seeing her pale face, Lu Zhao also sat up straight, leaned over, and patted her back, comforting her gently, “What are you afraid of? No matter what happens in the capital, it doesn’t concern us. Shen Qingli is in the north, and we’re in the south. No matter how big the fire in the capital, it won’t reach us. Don’t worry, okay?”
Lu Zhao comforted her in a low voice while silently pondering. They were indeed far from the capital, but all their parents were still there. It was indeed time to make arrangements in advance…
At this moment, Cui Qiao led a group of people in with food, interrupting Shen Qingyao’s thoughts. Shen Qingyao collected herself and calmed down. Things hadn’t reached their worst yet; indeed, as Lu Zhao had said, thinking too much was unnecessary.
After they finished eating, Lu Zhao called for someone to discuss matters in the study. Shen Qingyao lay alone in bed, unable to sleep no matter how hard she tried.
“My task, it must be completed only when Xiao Mu ascends to the throne, right?” Shen Qingyao suddenly asked.
[Yes, host, the drama system is just for compatibility testing. When you no longer need the persona setting, ensuring and waiting for the perfect development of the plot is your final task.] The system quickly responded.
Shen Qingyao lowered her eyes; in fact, after a long time, she almost forgot she still carried that miraculous task.
“Mmm…” Shen Qingyao replied, then fell silent.
The system couldn’t guess what she was thinking and could only encourage, “Actually, isn’t it beneficial to advance the plot early? At least you can fast-forward to the grand finale, and your heart disease can be resolved faster!”
Heart disease…
Shen Qingyao still didn’t react much. Since recovering her memory and finding the miracle doctor Kong Lin, Shen Qingyao no longer had a strong obsession with whether the system could cure her heart disease. She just felt uneasy now.
However, it turned out that uneasiness and melancholy would only stay with Shen Qingyao for one night. She didn’t know when she drifted off to sleep again in a daze. When she woke up again, she wondered why she had been so entangled. After all, she was just a cannon fodder supporting female character! Even if the sky fell, the protagonist team would handle it, right?
Today, Lu Zhao unusually didn’t go to the government office, but Shen Yushu came early in the morning to bid farewell. His mission to Nanzhao was complete, and he was ready to return to the capital.
Shen Qingyao felt reluctant. Then, seeing the longing gaze her Eldest Brother frequently directed towards Tulan, Shen Qingyao rolled her eyes and waved this Eldest Brother who had been blinded by love away decisively.
On her way back to the courtyard, she encountered Gu Ziyan wandering in the garden.
Shen Qingyao paused for a moment. She and Gu Ziyan were not particularly close, but they could be considered acquaintances. Well, Gu Ziyan was had been scolded unilaterally by his father because of her.
Shen Qingyao walked over, curious about what Gu Ziyan was doing, and saw him squatting in a corner of the garden, poking at an anthill with a long stick.
…What did the little ants do wrong?
Still, she asked, “Young Master Gu, what are you doing?”
Gu Ziyan turned around, surprised to see her, and enthusiastically beckoned her over. Then, with great excitement, he said, “Madam Lu, come and take a look! Aren’t these anthills cute? Do you think I should bring them back and give them to Wan’er? She’ll surely like them!”
Shen Qingyao : …What did Lin Wan’er do wrong now?
Perhaps her disdain was too evident in her eyes, as Gu Ziyan sighed disappointedly and threw away the stick in his hand. “So they’re really not good?”
“Trust me, they’re not,” Shen Qingyao said seriously. If he really gave them, Lin Wan’er might just divorce him overnight. Besides, does Ningcheng not have anthills? Why bring them all the way from Lingnan?
Gu Ziyan sighed again, looking somewhat wilted like the scorching sun. He gazed at Shen Qingyao pensively, wondering if it was because he had been watching Lu Zhao and her being lovey-dovey these past few days that this otherwise not very cultured young master was suddenly so envious that he spoke without restraint, “I’m really curious! How did that person surnamed Lu manage to marry you? Why can his cold and aloof demeanor get him a wife who stay glued to him every day and go together in the clouds and rain1, while I haven’t even seen a smile from Wan’er?”
“…” Can ‘stay glued to him’ be followed by ‘go together in clouds and rain’?
Shen Qingyao was stunned for a moment, but she didn’t catch what he said afterward. Her little face suddenly turned red.
What kind of nonsense was this? Is this something an unmarried young man should say to a married young woman???
This isn’t right! This isn’t right at all!
- “go together in clouds and rain” is a euphemistic way to say “make love” in Chinese. ↩︎