Chapter 72: Sour
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Mingzhu laughed happily, feeling like she was back to her childhood, and patted Shen Ruilin’s shoulder heavily again, saying, “No one knows me better than Brother Ruilin!”
Shen Ruilin frowned and stepped aside, saying seriously, “Didn’t I just tell you? We’re grown-ups now; we can’t be as carefree as we were when we were children. We should be aware of the boundaries between men and women!”
Mingzhu sighed and bowed to him, saying in a mocking tone, “Yes… Master Shen…”
Shen Ruilin saw that she wasn’t serious, feeling extremely helpless, so he could only look at her with a troubled expression without saying anything.
Mingzhu, seeing him like this, wanted to tease him, so she raised her eyebrows and smiled faintly, “Actually, you didn’t go to become a general, but to become a Master*, right?”
* old address for teachers
Shen Ruilin couldn’t understand, “What do you mean? I am General Mingwei appointed by the emperor, with real military achievements…”
Mingzhu pretended to be surprised, “Really? Isn’t a general supposed to drink and eat heartily, not worry about trifles? Why are you so nagging and verbose?” She pointed at Shen Ruilin, “They must have mistaken you! You should be a teacher who lectures students! You really are… Aunt Shen!”
“Fu Mingzhu!” Shen Ruilin couldn’t bear it anymore and shouted, startling the birds on the treetops.
Mingzhu found his frustration amusing but couldn’t help herself. She laughed heartily, not realizing that her antics had been observed by two people sitting in the study across the lake.
Fu Cong’s face was nowhere to be found. He glanced at Yuwen Chu, who was silent and expressionless, then laughed at himself, “My daughter is mischievous and has made Your Highness laugh.”
Yuwen Chu responded lightly, “It’s okay. Your daughter is free-spirited and straightforward, rare qualities among women.”
Although Fu Cong agreed with this statement, he couldn’t help but doubt whether Yuwen Chu was sincere. He couldn’t help but scrutinize him, but unfortunately, Yuwen Chu was naturally good at disguising himself. However, Fu Cong, being skilled in politics, could still see some clues—Yuwen Chu’s interest was obviously not as high as when he first arrived, and he seemed somewhat displeased.
Why was he displeased? Fu Cong glanced at the silly big guy blushing on the lake shore and then at his carefree daughter. He had a good idea in his heart, and sure enough, it was consistent with his previous speculation. This person was not shooting in the dark but came prepared.
Feeling uncomfortable that his daughter was coveted by someone like this, as a father, Fu Cong naturally felt uneasy. He couldn’t help but feel a bit sour, but he pretended as if nothing had happened and said seriously, “Your Highness is kind, but my daughter has shown disrespect to you. I have already disciplined her severely. If there is another time, I hope Your Highness won’t spare her lightly and teach her a lesson so she knows her place.”
“Mm.” Yuwen Chu ambiguously responded, suddenly noticing that the silly big guy had said something, and Mingzhu bent down to pick up a stone to throw at him. However, she then laughed heartily, and unconsciously, he rubbed his fingers together a few times, asking casually, “Is that young man extraordinary? He must be a relative of the Fu family, right?”
Feeling uncomfortable in your heart, huh? What’s this all about?
Fu Cong spoke openly, “He’s the son of cousin of my wife. He stayed at my house for a while when he was young, and he and my daughter were like siblings. They haven’t seen each other for a long time, so they became a bit reckless.”
Yuwen Chu raised an eyebrow. “Is he Shen Ruilin, the only son of General Shen Mingshan? If I recall correctly, General Shen Mingshan and your esteemed lady should be cousins, right?”
He really knows a lot about his own family and affairs… He’s so open about it as soon as it’s mentioned, really…
Fu Cong looked at Yuwen Chu, who met his gaze candidly, smiling, “I’ve always admired General Shen Mingshan’s loyalty, courage, and might. When he was captured by the enemy, there were rumors in the court that he had defected and betrayed his country. In a fit of anger, the Emperor wanted to exterminate his entire family. It was Fu Xiang who went against popular opinion and single-handedly saved General Shen Mingshan, even bringing his son into the palace to be raised and educated personally. This story was widely praised in the capital at the time. After hearing about it, I also deeply admired Fu Xiang.”
Both of them could see something from each other’s eyes, especially Yuwen Chu, who openly revealed his thoughts to Fu Cong. His own daughter was actually being coveted by such a person! This person was nothing compared to Yuwen You, that fool who was easy to deal with. Fu Cong was very unhappy and pretended to be polite, saying, “Your Highness, you overpraise me. I am ashamed.”
After a few rounds of verbal exchange, they finally fell silent, each harboring their own thoughts as they watched Mingzhu and Shen Ruilin by the lake.
The two of them had stopped making a fuss and were now standing and talking calmly. Shen Ruilin stood as straight as a gun, always vigilantly watching Mingzhu, while Mingzhu had a smile on her face and kept talking non-stop. Whenever he wasn’t paying attention, she would pretend to tease him again. Despite this, Shen Ruilin didn’t find her annoying at all and remained focused on listening to her speak. Occasionally, he would sneak a quick glance at her, and even people in the distance could see his shy demeanor.
“I heard that Shen Ruilin has shown bravery and killed enemies on the border, achieving numerous military feats. I have long wanted to meet such a person. If Fu Xiang doesn’t mind, could you introduce him to me?” Yuwen Chu withdrew his gaze and said in the most polite tone, an invitation that couldn’t be refused.
“If Your Highness wishes to meet him, it is his good fortune.” Fu Cong clapped lightly, called for Xie Siqi to come in, and instructed, “Go and invite Young General Shen in.” Then he glanced at Yuwen Chu and lowered his voice, saying, “Immediately send the girl back to her room. If I see her wandering around again, be careful, I’ll break her legs!”
Wasn’t it not even willing to flick her with a finger? Why would he want to break her legs? Xie Siqi glanced at Fu Cong in surprise, then quickly went out to deliver the message. When the two heard the message, Shen Ruilin was worried for Mingzhu, “You should go back quickly. Be careful not to anger your uncle, or you’ll suffer the consequences!”
But Mingzhu didn’t care at all. Her father was just trying to scare her. It must be because Yuwen Chu had reported her misdeeds, or maybe it was because Yuwen Chu was there, making her father feel embarrassed. So she reassured Shen Ruilin, “Since you’ve been summoned, you should go.”
She glanced in the direction of the study, coincidentally meeting Yuwen Chu’s gaze. Even though there was a lake between them, she felt like his gaze could penetrate her heart, causing her heart to beat wildly for no reason. She suppressed her smile and tightened her lips, then stubbornly looked back at him. However, Yuwen Chu had already turned away, facing his back to her.
She had to give face to the old man, so since he asked her to leave immediately, she would just leave. Mingzhu obediently left and found Madam Qui and Lady Qian to inform them of Shen Ruilin’s arrival. She also asked Lady Qian to have the kitchen prepare Shen Ruilin’s favorite dishes for dinner.
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