Shen Qingtang pressed her lips together, feeling deeply displeased.
The Crown Prince interfered with her meetings with her fiancé, and now he even dictated which maid she could bring when going out!
It was obvious he wanted Jinshu to keep an eye on her, so every move she made would be reported back to him, allowing him to tightly control her whereabouts.
If the person before her weren’t Xiao Chengyu, but anyone else, she would have already severed ties with him!
But the person standing before her was none other than Xiao Chengyu, the Crown Prince who held real power in the court—someone who dared to raid even the household of Consort Xue’s brother without showing the slightest mercy, despite her being the most favored consort.
Though she appeared privileged as the esteemed daughter of a marquis’ household, everything she possessed actually relied on the affection of her aunt, the Empress, and her cousin, the Crown Prince.
Without their support, to say nothing of other matters, Yang Shi would certainly no longer treat her with such courtesy.
One could easily imagine the life of an adopted daughter living under someone else’s roof, disliked by her stepmother.
And there were still two years until her wedding with Lu Rongyu.
She used to think two years would pass in the blink of an eye, but now it felt like two years was far too long… who knew how many things might happen in the meantime.
Although Shen Qingtang had been pampered since childhood and had a gentle, obedient nature, she wasn’t completely naive.
At this thought, the anger in her heart gradually subsided, leaving only a sense of helpless ache.
She muttered sullenly, “Jinshu has been helping me embroider a pouch for Cousin these past few days. I thought she was working too hard, so I asked Huaping to accompany me instead.”
Xiao Chengyu nodded, looking at Shen Qingtang’s downcast face and sighing helplessly in his heart.
Thinking that her low spirits were because she couldn’t see Lu Rongyu, he felt displeased, but seeing her unhappy made him soften, and he wanted to cheer her up.
He curved his lips slightly, “The begonias at the Eastern Suburb Manor have all bloomed. Don’t you love the Begonia Forest behind the manor the most? I happen to have no engagements tomorrow. Why don’t we take Tuantuan and Yuan Yuan and spend a day at the manor?”
Shen Qingtang had been found by Wen Shi and brought back to the marquis’ household during the begonia blooming season. Her birthday was set on the day Wen Shi found her.
It was said that the begonias on the mountain were particularly beautiful that day, which was why Wen Shi named her Qingtang.
Under normal circumstances, Shen Qingtang would have been overjoyed if Xiao Chengyu specifically cleared his schedule, brought Tuantuan out of the palace, and accompanied her to the manor to enjoy the flowers.
But now, she was doing everything she could to avoid Xiao Chengyu—how could she possibly be in the mood to go flower-viewing with him?
Shen Qingtang lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting faint shadows beneath them, and said softly, “Cousin should focus on your own affairs. If you have free time, it would be better to spend more of it with Aunt.”
After a pause, as if mustering her courage, she added, “Tangtang has now come of age. Cousins should maintain proper distance.”Xiao Chengyu’s gaze darkened abruptly, his ink-black eyes seeming to condense with a cold mist, firmly fixed on her as if trying to see through her obedient appearance and discern what she was truly thinking.”
Was she avoiding him because she had come of age and understood propriety?
Or… was she deliberately drawing a line between them because of Lu Rongyu?
His fingertips pressed against the table. After a moment of silence, he finally said slowly, “Very well. If you don’t wish to go, then we won’t.”
Changing the subject, he continued, “But since we’re already out today, why not join me for lunch? After the meal, I’ll escort you back to your residence.”
Shen Qingtang tightened her grip on the handkerchief, took a deep breath, and maintained her polite refusal: “Please forgive me, Cousin. Tangtang came out today with Aunt Ding and Cousin, and they’re still waiting for me.”
As she spoke, she rose and took half a step back, performing a slight curtsy: “Tangtang must take my leave now. Please take care, Cousin.”
Watching Shen Qingtang’s resolute retreating figure, the darkness in Xiao Chengyu’s eyes could no longer be suppressed—the teacup in his hand shattered with an audible crack!
Yet Shen Qingtang felt equally unsettled.
She couldn’t comprehend how her cousin, whom she had relied on since childhood, could suddenly become like this.
Huaping remained unaware of what had transpired in the private room. Seeing Shen Qingtang emerge, she cheerfully approached, but her smile faltered upon noticing Shen Qingtang’s pale complexion.
She whispered, “Young miss, why do you seem unhappy after meeting Young Master Lu?”
Shen Qingtang shook her head weakly, “Don’t ask.”
After leaving Qingfeng Tea House, Shen Qingtang and Huaping went straight back to Lanting Pavilion.
It was nearly noon by then.
Madam Ding and Ding Ru Shan were still waiting in their previous seats, but their expressions had grown visibly anxious.
Seeing Shen Qingtang return, Madam Ding immediately pulled her down to sit, whispering, “Tangtang, it’s almost noon now. Why hasn’t His Highness the Crown Prince appeared yet?”
Shen Qingtang replied as naturally as possible, “Has cousin not come at all?”
Madam Ding shook her head, “No! Could you have remembered wrong? Perhaps His Highness wasn’t coming to Lanting Pavilion?”
After a moment’s thought, Shen Qingtang said, “Now that Aunt Ding mentions it, I’m not quite sure either.”
Madam Ding grew instantly agitated, “How can you not remember clearly? Think harder!”
Shen Qingtang responded calmly, “I only heard cousin mention it in passing. I might have misheard, or perhaps cousin had urgent business and changed the timing.”
She looked at Madam Ding unhurriedly, “The original plan was for cousin to ‘coincidentally’ meet His Highness the Crown Prince. Since it’s a chance encounter, there’s no guarantee they would meet.”
Madam Ding said anxiously, “Then did we come all this way for nothing?”
Ding Ru Shan quickly pressed her mother’s hand, speaking gently, “Mother, His Highness the Crown Prince handles numerous affairs of state. It can’t be helped if he truly has no free time. Let’s consider this an outing to refresh ourselves. We didn’t have anything else planned for today anyway.”
Madam Ding sighed with a worried expression, “What a pity…”
Ding Ru Shan then turned to Shen Qingtang, “Tangtang, did you find your earring?”
Shen Qingtang shook her head, “No, I don’t know where I lost it…”
Her voice was soft, tinged with melancholy, as if she had lost something very important.
Ding Ru Shan understood: after all, the earrings were gifted by the Empress, so they were indeed valuable.
She comforted, “I’ve heard Her Majesty the Empress dotes on you greatly. I’m sure she won’t blame you too harshly for this. Don’t be too upset.”
Shen Qingtang forced a slight curve of her lips, then watched as the restaurant’s patrons gradually increased.
She said gently, “It’s already this late. His Highness the Crown Prince probably won’t be coming. Perhaps we should return to the residence early.”
Madam Ding still seemed unwilling, “We’ve waited all morning. Shouldn’t we wait a bit longer? What if His Highness comes later?”
Shen Qingtang reminded her mildly, “We’ve been sitting here for quite some time. Waiting longer would appear rather deliberate.”
Ding Ru Shan quickly added, “Mother, it’s getting late. We should return. With all the comings and goings in this restaurant, it’s not convenient for us to continue sitting here.”
Madam Ding had no choice but to nod. The group boarded the carriage back to the residence. No one spoke inside the carriage, the atmosphere somewhat subdued.
When they had come, everyone had held expectations in their hearts.
Shen Qingtang had hoped to see Lu Rongyu, while Madam Ding and Ding Ru Shan had hoped to see the Crown Prince.
In the end, none of them got their wish.
Early the next morning.
Shen Qingtang had just woken up when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside the courtyard.
Immediately after, Jinshu’s voice came through, tinged with hesitation: “This… was it ordered by the Crown Prince?”