Su Yu Ru was already beautiful, especially her eyes. Today, feigning a delicate demeanor, she looked even more pitiable.
The Heir of Yong'an Hou stepped forward, his face filled with concern. He reached out to wipe away her tears and helped her up. His hand, whether by accident or design, seemed to brush against her.
Su Yu was startled, surprised that the Heir of Yong'an Hou would openly take liberties with her in front of others.
What a scoundrel!
Su Yu Ru lowered her head, stealthily observing the figures around her.
Fortunately, the onlookers had already been drawn to the front by her earlier use of coins.
She quickly retreated a step, carefully avoiding the Heir of Yong'an Hou's hand. During this, she secretly glanced at Shen Yun, who was standing not far from her.
Her life being exposed to Shen Yun made him look down on her.
However, the way she presented herself seemed, to Su Xiao Qi, rather like protesting too much, making one want to laugh.
Having already become involved with someone to this extent, why still care about Shen Yun's opinion?
Su Xiao Qi truly didn't hold back and did laugh.
She merely curved her eyes and eyebrows silently, just enough for Su Yu Ru to see but not for others to notice.
Seeing this, a fire began to churn within Su Yu Ru, erupting with force.
But she was, after all, a person with considerations.
With so many people surrounding her, it wasn't suitable to change her expression.
She glared at Su Xiao Qi, desperately controlling herself.
Then, as if remembering something, she beckoned to Ye Cao, who was standing by the carriage.
Ye Cao immediately understood and lifted the carriage curtain.
From within emerged a person remarkably familiar to Su Xiao Qi—Zhao Xiao Hua.
Su Xiao Qi's eyebrows twitched in surprise. Why was she here?
Zhao Xiao Hua had been restless in the carriage for a while.
However, she had not received any signal from Su Yu Ru and dared not act.
After all, it had taken considerable effort to accompany Su Yu Ru and her party to the capital, using up several of her trump cards.
Therefore, she dared not easily ruin this opportunity and could only wait patiently.
Upon receiving instructions, she immediately emerged, casting a somewhat defiant look at Su Xiao Qi.
Su Xiao Qi's brows furrowed slightly, feeling a moment of surprise at seeing her.
But considering the peculiar aspects of Zhao Xiao Hua, she felt that her presence here with Su Yu Ru was not entirely unacceptable.
And this action would only solidify her suspicion that there was something unusual about Zhao Xiao Hua.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be like her younger sister had written in her letter, mentioning how many families with surplus grain were selling it.
Only Zhao Xiao Hua had managed to persuade her boisterous old father to hoard grain.
Next year would be a year of famine; she knew this clearly, and it seemed Zhao Xiao Hua was also well aware.
However, she did not know what Su Yu Ru intended by bringing Zhao Xiao Hua here.
Was it simply to coincidentally meet Shen Yun?
Unlikely.
Shen Yun would eventually return to the village anyway; there was no need for such a long journey for his sake.
Moreover, Su Xiao Qi was more curious about how these two women, who both had extraordinary relationships with Shen Yun in the novel, had become involved with each other.
"Shen Yun, is it? I heard you were the top scholar in this year's imperial examination." The Heir of Yong'an Hou looked down at Shen Yun with arrogance.
He was a noble from the capital, and coming to Yizhou Prefecture in the southwest, known as a prosperous city, he found it to be nothing special.
A rural area was just a rural area.
It lacked everything.
If not for the attractive girl, ah, no, the woman standing with Shen Yun was also quite pleasing to the eye.
Her skin was so fair it seemed to glow in the sunlight.
Her features were small and exquisite, her brows like distant mountains, her eyes like stars and the moon, her nose high-bridged, and her lips plump and pink.
Tsk, she looked so tempting one wanted to hold her and take a bite.
The Heir of Yong'an Hou took a difficult breath, managing to swallow the saliva that was about to spill.
His undisguised scrutiny naturally alerted Su Xiao Qi.
She lowered her gaze and gritted her teeth. This fellow was truly a lecher. Look at those lewd eyes; one truly wanted to slap him to death.
Su Xiao Qi glared back forcefully, but before her gaze could reach the Heir of Yong'an Hou, it was blocked by a tall and imposing figure.
Shen Yun, at some unknown moment, had stepped in front of her.
Su Xiao Qi met Shen Yun's gentle and handsome face, and his shining eyes.
The corners of his lips held a smile that soothed people's hearts.
Su Xiao Qi instantly felt a sense of security.
Seeing Shen Yun extend his hand towards her, she cooperatively leaned into him.
Her hands circled his waist, resting her head on his chest, burying her face entirely.
Shen Yun glanced at her, realizing her subtle movement, his expression softening instantly. With a look of indulgence, he placed a kiss on her hair.
Their unabashed intimacy shocked the few people around them.
Su Yu Ru looked up, her heart filled with a bitterness like aged vinegar, distorting her beautiful face.
Zhao Xiao Hua also wore an unreadable expression.
Had their relationship progressed to this point?
Were they not supposed to be mortal enemies?
How could they have become so intimately connected?
The Heir of Yong'an Hou, however, was indifferent. In his opinion, Su Xiao Qi was beautiful and bold, perfectly fitting his desire for novelty and beauty.
His eyes flickered between Su Yu Ru and Su Xiao Qi, comparing them.
Finally, his gaze settled on Su Xiao Qi, whose shoulder blade was just revealed.
As expected of someone who had been married, her graceful figure was quite alluring.
Especially the thought that she had a man, which gave her a sense of forbidden thrill.
Of course, Su Yu Ru's figure was also good; she was very well-endowed in the upper body.
But she always maintained a polite distance from him, making him only able to look and not taste.
Initially, he found it exciting, but over time, it had become tedious.
Moreover, he knew his family was already considering a marriage proposal with her family.
In his mind, Su Yu Ru would eventually be his.
What one could have was never as enticing as what one couldn't.
No one knew the countless disgusting thoughts that had crossed the Heir of Yong'an Hou's mind.
Until his servant approached and interrupted him:
"My Lord, the doctor has arrived."
He finally came to his senses and directed his subordinates to help Su Jia Mo up and have the doctor examine him.
After a while, the attending physician said:
"His hand is fractured. Carry him to the nearest indoor space, and I will attend to it first."
Upon hearing this, Su Jia Mo immediately became agitated.
He glared at Shen Yun, on the verge of losing his temper.
Su Yu Ru quickly restrained him, signaling for her subordinates to help.
She also kept signaling him, urging him not to do anything out of line in public.
He might not care about his reputation, but their Su family did.
Besides, if he moved like this, he might injure himself further.
Su Jia Mo naturally knew that his prospective prestigious brother-in-law was present. He had already lost enough face.
He shouldn't cause any more trouble.
But he could not swallow this insult.
Especially since Su Xiao Qi's attitude towards him was so indifferent.
When the doctor said he had a fracture, he had deliberately glanced at her, but she hadn't spared him an extra glance.
His heart felt a chill; was she truly so heartless towards him?
He remembered that she had been the one to pursue him first.
Now that she had married her ideal man, did she no longer care about their past affections?