https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-116-Support-and-Marital-Pressure/12582580/
Chapter 115: A Visitor from the Meng Family
Chapter 115: A Visitor from the Meng Family
"Your Excellency, let me explain!" Meng Qianqian said earnestly, "The set of portraits that Cen gave me didn't include one of myself..."
Lu Yuan: "So you added it yourself?"
Meng Qianqian was left speechless.
That's not right! My portrait doesn't have any writing on it, it's clearly not from the same set. Your Excellency, open your eyes and see the discrepancy!
Lu Yuan nonchalantly said, "Meng Xiaojiao, I didn't realize you had such thoughts about me."
Meng Qianqian: "..."
Meng Qianqian held up two fingers: "Xiaojiao swears, I would never dare to have any inappropriate thoughts about Your Excellency."
Lu Yuan picked up the teacup from the table, and the room instantly filled with a cold and dangerous aura. "So, you were toying with me earlier?"
Earlier?
"Are you sure all the women in the portraits are willing to marry me?"
"Your Excellency, you are a dragon among men, and any woman would be blessed to marry you."
"What about this one?"
"Of course. Who wouldn't want to marry Your Excellency?"
As she recalled the flattery that had escaped her lips, Meng Qianqian's expression froze.
"To toy... with Your Excellency... what would be the consequences?"
"Death."
Meng Qianqian's body trembled.
Lu Yuan lowered his gaze to the teacup in his hand. "The last person who dared to play games with me has been dead for as long as you are tall."
Meng Qianqian blinked. "What kind of grass grows that fast?"
Lu Yuan: "..."
This blame was too much for Meng Qianqian to bear.
She took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Xiaojiao would never dare to play games with Your Excellency. I am aware of my lowly status, and it is already a great honor to be favored by you and attend you. I wouldn't dare to ask for more. My feelings for Your Excellency are only of reverence. In my heart, you are like an older brother or a father, someone I will always be loyal to in this lifetime."
Her words were sincere and touching.
Lu Yuan approached her coldly, took the portrait from her hand, and asked indifferently, "Then tell me, what's the deal with your portrait?"
Meng Qianqian had a headache. She subtly glanced towards the door.
Cen Guan Shi poked half of his body out from behind the wall and bowed his hands, pleading to her.
Meng Qianqian closed her eyes, took a deep breath, stepped back, and bowed as well, "Xiaojiao was momentarily foolish and forgot my place. Please forgive me, Your Excellency!"
Lu Yuan coldly hmphed and sat back down on the chair, holding the portrait.
Meng Qianqian cautiously stepped forward and stretched out her hand to take back her portrait.
However, Lu Yuan casually placed the portrait on the table and said indifferently, "Leave."
A maid stepped forward and took away Meng Qianqian's portrait along with the other nine portraits of the young ladies.
Meng Qianqian's gaze remained fixed on the maid.
"Are you not leaving?" Lu Yuan said coldly.
Meng Qianqian bowed. "Xiaojiao takes her leave."
After leaving the courtyard, she didn't go far. Instead, she waited under a big tree for Cen Guan Shi.
As expected, Cen Guan Shi soon caught up with her, running.
"Miss Meng."
Cen Guan Shi first gave a bow.
Meng Qianqian asked, "Cen Guan Shi, why did you include my portrait with the others?"
Cen Guan Shi laughed, "It was an accident, an accident!"
Meng Qianqian's face turned serious. "Cen Guan Shi, do I look like someone who's easily deceived?"
Cen Guan Shi scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.
Meng Qianqian said sternly, "Cen Guan Shi, don't ever play this kind of joke again. If Your Excellency finds out, the consequences could be severe."
"I'm not joking with you, Miss Meng," Cen Guan Shi retracted his smile and sighed helplessly, "I had no other choice but to resort to this desperate measure. To be honest, Miss Meng, I have followed His Excellency for many years, and while I may not know his temperament like the back of my hand, I at least have some understanding of it.
Cen Guan Shi abruptly changed the subject. "Have you been to the fourth floor of the library, Miss Meng?"
Meng Qianqian smiled calmly, "Yes, I saw that the door to the fourth floor was open last time, so I went up to take a look."
Cen Guan Shi continued, "And you saw the Chu family's file?"
Alarm bells rang in Meng Qianqian's mind. Had Cen intentionally left the door open for her?!
Cen Guan Shi smiled, "Miss Meng, there's no need to be nervous. I bear no ill will towards you. The fourth floor isn't off-limits to you, and I've already given the key to Afu. If you wish to go there in the future, just ask Afu for the key."
Meng Qianqian asked calmly, "Why are you helping me?"
Cen Guan Shi smiled, "I am but a servant of the Grand Commander. Whoever treats him well will be treated well by me. Miss Meng, you wish to investigate the truth about the Chu family, but you must have realized by now that the truth is something you cannot bear at present, and you don't even have the qualifications to approach its entirety. But if, and I say if, you were to become the Grand Commander's wife, those untouchable truths would be as easily accessible as those scrolls you saw today."
...
After Meng Qianqian left, Cen Guan Shi heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to return to the courtyard.
As he turned, his face changed, and he quickly bowed, "Your Excellency!"
Lu Yuan, gazing at the full moon in the treetops, said coldly, "Do not do unnecessary things."
Cen Guan Shi composed himself and replied, "Yes."
In the following days, Meng Qianqian did not see Lu Yuan again.
She practiced martial arts in the mornings, organized the library in the afternoons, and spent her evenings accompanying Baoshi as she took her first toddling steps.
Spring had come to the capital, and the city was filled with blooming flowers and singing birds.
Baoshi could now take a few steps on her own, although she still crawled if she was in a hurry.
Her babbling had also started to make sense, and the first word she uttered was not "father," but "nine," referring to Meng Xiaojiu.
"Nine, nine!"
She pointed outside with one hand while holding her milk bottle in the other.
Qing Shuang knew that she wanted to find Meng Qianqian.
One day, after Meng Qianqian had finished organizing the library and was returning home, she saw Wan Mammy loitering outside their courtyard.
"Wan Mammy," Meng Qianqian called out to her.
Wan Mammy quickly approached her and pointed towards the courtyard, whispering, "Someone from the Meng family is here!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
