Zhang Yu bit her lip and fell silent for a moment, finally deciding not to say anything.
Su Xiaoqi was curious, but she knew that Zhang Yu had no particular regard for her beyond the favor owed to Mr. Gu's lineage and Shen Yun's reputation.
If it weren't for the two of them, Zhang Yu, with her own capabilities, might not have served her.
Su Xiaoqi was self-aware enough to know this.
Therefore, she had never treated Zhang Yu as a servant, always considering her a sister and treating her with courtesy.
The matter thus seemed to pass uneventfully.
But in reality, both of them kept it in mind.
After failing to get any information from Zhang Yu, Su Xiaoqi moved a chaise longue and sat alone in the courtyard, using a beauty fan to shield herself from the sun.
She also used the time to ponder the subsequent plot of her novel.
The book had previously detailed the rise of the male protagonist, Shen Yun.
It extensively covered his struggles for power and profit after passing the imperial examinations and entering the court.
However, his time in the capital after becoming a Jinshi was mentioned only briefly,
skipping over the details.
Shen Yun arrived in the capital, engaged in various social interactions, and in the early spring examination, he achieved the Jinshi degree.
He then placed fourth in the imperial court examination, receiving the title of Jinshi, and after passing the selection for the Hanlin Academy, he joined its ranks.
Subsequently, Shen Yun gained imperial favor and enjoyed a prosperous career.
Of course, there were also instances of conflict and danger, but Shen Yun, blessed with the protagonist's halo, was invincible.
At the time, Su Xiaoqi was too engrossed in experiencing Shen Yun's extraordinary life to pay close attention to other characters.
However, as Su Xiaoqi thought, she remembered something very important.
Her heart immediately surged with excitement, but upon reflection, it seemed too early.
That event was at least two months away.
She took out her small notebook and secretly jotted down the matter to remind herself.
When Shen Yun returned, he saw a woman in a lake-blue dress with a graceful figure reclining on the chaise longue. The woman's face was mostly obscured by a beauty fan, revealing only a small, exquisite chin.
Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow in the sunlight.
By the time she noticed him, Shen Yun's face was already above hers.
The proximity startled Su Xiaoqi, and she instinctively tried to sit up, but Shen Yun raised his hand, gently caressed her shoulder, and held her down.
Then, under Su Xiaoqi's clear, bright gaze, he kissed her directly.
"Mmm..." Su Xiaoqi tilted her head back, her breathing uneven, her eyes accusing him.
Shen Yun smiled, releasing her after a brief touch. He lowered his hand to cover hers, their fingers interlacing, slowly and tightly.
Su Xiaoqi quickly used the leverage to sit up; lying there made her feel too insecure.
Fortunately, at this time, Shen Yun's aura was exceptionally gentle, and Su Xiaoqi felt no aggression, but rather a desire to lean on him.
Shen Yun looked at Su Xiaoqi as she sat up, her face slightly flushed, her expression languid, her pink lips parted slightly. His throat moved, and he couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Using the strength of her wrist, he gently sat beside her and said in a low voice, "I heard my wife was asking about their origins earlier?"
Su Xiaoqi was startled for a moment before realizing that Zhang Yu had likely sought his opinion after she had questioned her.
This was exactly what she had expected, so she wasn't particularly surprised.
When she had asked Zhang Yu, she had no intention of keeping it from Shen Yun.
Although Zhang Yu had always been respectful to her, she wasn't so forgetful as to not remember that Zhang Yu was someone Shen Yun had given her.
Therefore, for anything she asked Zhang Yu to do or said to her, she had never intended to hide it from Shen Yun.
"It's my fault, my wife has always been cautious, I should have clarified the people around you sooner." Shen Yun, unaware that Su Xiaoqi was thinking of other things, apologized to her instead.
It was also at this moment that he realized he was no longer alone.
He could still have his own calculations as before, but he couldn't keep everything from Xiao Qi.
"They are people given to me by Mr. Gu, but not only given to me." Shen Yun hesitated at this point and glanced around.
Su Xiaoqi realized that what he was about to say might not be suitable for others to hear.
She then focused, pricked up her ears, and listened carefully to the surrounding movements before saying, "There's no one else. Zhang Yu is behind the eaves, and Zhang Lei is on the locust tree in front."
Shen Yun smiled at her, saying nothing more.
Meeting his smiling face, Su Xiaoqi realized that by saying that, she had inadvertently revealed her excellent hearing.
She immediately felt a little uncomfortable.
Shen Yun, however, tightened his grip on her hand and said, "You and I are one flesh, we prosper and suffer together. My wife, you need not be concerned."
Su Xiaoqi's heart stirred. She was a very sensitive person.
Although Shen Yun's words sounded like sweet nothings, they were actually a roundabout way of telling her.
He already knew these things, their positions were the same, and he wouldn't do anything to her, so she could relax.
Shen Yun's words weighed heavily on her, and Su Xiaoqi was not easily reassured; she had grown accustomed to approaching his words with suspicion.
She hesitated for a moment, then finally said,
"So Mr. Gu is not their ultimate master either; whose people are they?"
Shen Yun replied, "It concerns the imperial court. Is my wife sure she really wants to know?"
Su Xiaoqi blinked her eyes, realizing that Shen Yun had already entered the court.
The current emperor was old, and during his reign, the position of Crown Prince had been almost repeatedly changed, making it quite turbulent.
Although there was now a Crown Prince, there were still quite a few adult princes and grandsons, so it was conceivable that there would be a bloody struggle within the court.
She hadn't expected Shen Yun to have already made a choice.
To be honest, based on her understanding of Shen Yun, she felt he wasn't the type to act impulsively.
At the very least, before the situation was clear, he should have chosen to be a loyal minister, at least outwardly.
However, Shen Yun had accepted the manpower provided by that person through Mr. Gu.
Perhaps Mr. Gu had taken a liking to Shen Yun and recruited him into his camp.
Regardless, at this moment, although Shen Yun had not yet entered the court, he was already embroiled in the mess.
Su Xiaoqi thought that she would have nothing more to ask about his next words, because she knew whose choice he had made.
If there were no major changes to the plot this time, then that particular person would still be the divinely appointed one, and Shen Yun would still become a true powerful minister.
After figuring this out, Su Xiaoqi felt that there was nothing Shen Yun could really hide from her.
She felt a little better, but the idea in her heart became even more urgent.
However, she didn't plan to discuss these matters with Shen Yun; she wanted to do it herself.
To avoid arousing Shen Yun's suspicion, she deliberately changed the subject, asking Shen Yun about the young lord of Yong'an Marquis, Liu Yuanming, wanting to know how he managed it.
Shen Yun hadn't expected his wife to be so perceptive, guessing his involvement based on mere snippets of conversation. He wanted to explain, but Su Xiaoqi suddenly reached out and covered his mouth: "Hush, someone is coming."
Both of them turned their gaze towards the courtyard entrance.
It turned out to be Guo'er. They both let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief.
Guo'er had come to deliver a letter, waving a letter in her hand, saying it was sent by the Du family.
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqi immediately became happy: "It must be Yiyi who has returned to the capital."
She took it; the letter contained only one sentence: "Have returned, hope to meet."
Su Xiaoqi looked through it and said, "It is indeed Yiyi's return, but where is the Du family's residence in the capital?"
She thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that when they were in Mianzhou city, Du Yiyi, knowing she was coming to the capital, had told her the address of the Du family residence.
However, she hadn't taken it to heart at the time.
Shen Yun said, "Since Lord Du and his family have returned, they must go to the Duke's Mansion to pay their respects. My wife is anxious; why not go to the Duke's Mansion to wait?"
Su Xiaoqi found this suggestion very reasonable. It was also a good opportunity to take care of the Old Madam.
She instructed Guo'er to pack some medicinal herbs, as she needed to prepare more good medicine for the Old Madam.
Shen Yun, however, wanted to continue discussing the matter of the young lord of Yong'an Marquis with her.
Su Xiaoqi pursed her lips. In truth, she didn't really want to know; she just wanted to test Shen Yun.
She was never someone who easily believed others.