Chen Jiaan stopped five paces away, looking at the woman, and said with a hint of melancholy, "Fang Gu, what exactly do you want to do?"
Fang Gu smiled charmingly, thinking to herself: Of course, I want to ruin you, and ruin your engagement to Shen Mingzhu.
But out loud, she said, "It's nothing much. I haven't seen you for a few days, so I just came out for a stroll to see you. How could you, Mr. Chen, forget me so quickly?
When we were together in my room, you used to dote on me to the extreme."
Fang Gu's voice was alluring, laced with a hint of seduction.
Reminded by her, Chen Jiaan almost fell into a state of uncontrollable infatuation.
But this was outside the Imperial Academy, and he couldn't afford to do anything that would lose him face.
He gritted his teeth and endured, glaring at Fang Gu, "I've given you everything I have, why are you still pestering me?"
"What do I want? Hehe, how do you know what I want? I want you, can you give it to me?"
Fang Gu swayed her slender waist and clung to Chen Jiaan, her body constantly brushing against him.
Chen Jiaan, startled, pushed her away forcefully, sending her tumbling out of the alley.
"Ah..." Fang Gu shrieked, drawing the attention of passersby.
Chen Jiaan, terrified, quickly pulled her back, pleading with her in a soft voice to stop coming to him.
Fang Gu seized the opportunity to make her demands, saying that she wouldn't come to him if he agreed to see her regularly.
Otherwise, the child in her belly would be fatherless.
"Child, you're pregnant..."
Chen Jiaan looked utterly horrified.
A very bad thought flashed through his mind.
He felt that his relationship with Shen Mingzhu was over!
But he couldn't dwell on it now, as some of his classmates were approaching.
He had no choice but to patiently persuade Fang Gu to leave, giving her a hundred taels of silver notes to send her away.
After seeing her off, Chen Jiaan collapsed onto the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
Fang Gu, on the other hand, was beaming with joy.
She felt that the humiliation Shen Yun had inflicted on her was about to be repaid tenfold from Shen Mingzhu.
They were planning an engagement, weren't they? Then let her pick up the discarded scraps!
Fang Gu's thoughts were pleasant, but she didn't realize that her brief interaction with Chen Jiaan had been witnessed by others.
Soon, the news reached the Prince of Xiang's manor.
Upon hearing that the person the Shen family intended to betroth was entangled with a former courtesan, and had even conceived a child, the Princess of Xiang was delighted.
She clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Excellent, excellent!"
"Your Highness, please refrain from speaking like that. Be careful people don't hear and think we're gloating," the accompanying nanny quickly advised.
"Heh, I'm not gloating, but I am happy."
It was the first time her son had ever taken the initiative to mention getting married.
Unfortunately, all the good potential brides were already taken.
But this man had no sense of propriety and was involved in all sorts of affairs, so she shouldn't be blamed for teaching him a lesson.
Without any hesitation, the Princess of Xiang immediately wanted to send this news to the Shen family.
However, after discussing it with her son, Liang Jingting, she felt it would be better not to be so direct, as it might seem like an insult.
What if their good intentions backfired?
When the Princess of Xiang heard her son's words, she found them to be quite reasonable.
She felt that since the two families were to be related by marriage, it was best not to cause each other embarrassment.
Just as the mother and son were pondering how to proceed, Liang Xier returned with Huan Niang to pay their respects.
That's right, the Princess of Xiang's condition for allowing the mother and daughter to move into the Liu Garden was that they visit her every other day.
At the same time, she could check on the two of them.
She wanted to know at all times if they were doing well.
Only then would she be at ease.
Liang Xier, understanding her mother's maternal love, returned to the manor every few days with Huan Niang.
This time, they arrived just in time.
Because the Princess of Xiang had instructed that whenever the mother and daughter returned, they were to enter directly without announcing themselves.
Therefore, at the door, the two of them overheard the discussion within.
Liang Xier was immediately unsettled.
She thought to herself that this matter could not be kept a secret.
She immediately agreed, saying that she would take care of it.
She knew exactly how to handle it.
After leaving the Prince of Xiang's manor, Liang Xier went to the Zhuangyuan Mansion.
She happened to meet Su Xiaoqi at home.
Seeing Liang Xier arrive, Su Xiaoqi was very happy.
After having her favorite milk tea and Tiramisu served, she took Liang Xier's hand and asked how she had been recently.
Liang Xier replied that she was doing very well.
Although she had become a county princess, received many imperial rewards, and acquired many things from the Prince of Xiang's manor, she remained the same little magpie as before.
In fact, she was even more dedicated in managing the Liu Garden.
She then explained the reason for her visit.
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqi felt a surge of discomfort.
"Chen Jiaan! How dare he," Su Xiaoqi, who rarely got angry, felt a surge of inexplicable anger at this moment.
Liang Xier knew that this matter concerned Shen Mingzhu's lifelong happiness.
As Shen Mingzhu's elder sister-in-law, Su Xiaoqi had always doted on her, and seeing that the person they had so carefully chosen was so contemptible, it was hard not to be angry.
"To be honest, Sister Xiaoqi, my maternal grandmother told me all of this.
If anything I've said is incorrect, we can investigate it ourselves," Liang Xier, though young, understood human affairs.
As the old saying goes, it is better to tear down ten temples than to ruin one marriage.
By saying what she had today, this engagement was sure to fall through.
Don't ask why, she knew her Sister Xiaoqi well.
She couldn't tolerate such matters.
She often told them that marriage was a matter between two people, and if a third person intervened, a threesome would surely have no good outcome.
One party would either tolerate it or explode, but there would never be anything good.
Therefore, while comforting Su Xiaoqi, Liang Xier also felt a slight sense of joy.
She had initially worried that her maternal uncle wouldn't be able to marry Miss Mingzhu.
Who would have thought that Chen Jiaan would be so shameless, discussing marriage with the Shen family while still keeping a mistress from the pleasure quarters? It was truly abominable.
Su Xiaoqi said she understood and would definitely send someone to investigate this matter.
Until then, she asked Liang Xier not to tell Shen Mingzhu, so as not to affect her mood.
Shen Mingzhu had been researching new pastry designs for the past few days.
Those who create things are highly sensitive to their mood.
When they are in a good mood, the things they make are naturally delicious; when they are in a bad mood, the taste of their creations is not as good.
Su Xiaoqi comforted Liang Xier and saw the mother and daughter off.
However, she herself could not calm down.
After some thought, she decided to go find Shen Yun.
Upon arriving at the Ministry of Rites, she heard that he had been summoned to the palace.
Su Xiaoqi knew that Shen Yun was often invited to the palace by Emperor Yongxing, so she had Zhang Dian drive the carriage to wait outside the palace.
As she waited, Shen Yun didn't appear, but she did see someone she didn't particularly want to see – Princess Yi Jiang.
She stormed out of the palace in anger.
Without even getting into a carriage, she snatched a horse and galloped away.
Because Su Xiaoqi was sitting in the carriage, she wasn't seen.
Otherwise, the two would surely have had a confrontation.
However, Su Xiaoqi overheard what a maidservant, running behind Princess Yi Jiang, was shouting.
"Princess, please don't be angry. The Consort is busy and cannot see you now. Let's come back next time.
Her Highness the Consort previously promised to bestow a marriage upon you and Lord Shen.
Please don't be angry..."
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqi frowned and lifted the carriage curtain, looking at the receding master and servant.
Were the people of Southern Yue so shameless? Discussing marriage topics in broad daylight? Was that appropriate?
She rolled her eyes at the silhouette that was becoming a black dot, then retreated back into the carriage to wait. Suddenly, Zhang Yu quietly reminded her:
"Madam, look, that's Qin Jianzhi. He seems to be sneaking out of the alley ahead.
If I recall correctly, that alley is where Prince Ping is confined."
Su Xiaoqi's eyes lit up. She followed Zhang Yu's pointing finger and saw Qin Jianzhi, dressed in a scholarly robe and looking exceptionally low-key, emerge from there and quietly board a carriage parked under the banyan tree.
Su Xiaoqi gave Zhang Yu a look, and Zhang Yu lifted the curtain to go out.
She needed to have someone keep an eye on him.
As soon as she sent someone out, Shen Yun emerged.
Before Su Xiaoqi could even leave the carriage, Shen Yun saw her and quickly walked over.
Lifting the carriage curtain, he indeed saw Su Xiaoqi's lovely face and called out joyfully:
"Wife."
"Husband, quickly come up." Su Xiaoqi reached out and pulled Shen Yun into the carriage, then recounted the matter concerning Chen Jiaan.
Shen Yun frowned. "If that's the case, then this marriage is off."
Su Xiaoqi was very pleased that Shen Yun shared her opinion. "Exactly, that's what I thought too."
The couple thought of it lightly, but they couldn't help but worry that Shen Mingzhu might not take it so well.
After all, she was different from them.
When she was young, she had learned to make pastries with Chen Jinniang, and she had often interacted with Chen Jiaan.
Naturally, feelings would develop between people who spent time together.
Therefore, although Shen Yun initially felt that Chen Jiaan didn't seem like a suitable match, he still didn't oppose them being together.
But now, there was a ready-made reason to object.
"Husband, how should we investigate this matter?" Su Xiaoqi hesitated.
After all, it concerned Shen Mingzhu, her own kin, and she was unsure of the proper approach, lest she harm her.
Shen Yun's face turned cold, and he said in a deep voice:
"No need to investigate, we'll ask directly. I refuse to believe he dares to deceive me!"
Su Xiaoqi looked up. At this moment, Shen Yun's official demeanor had grown significantly, exuding a powerful aura, which made even his wife, who lay beside him, feel a pang of trepidation.