When Gu Ningning had been in favor in the past few days, she had still been confident that Shen Que would not send her away. But after losing his favor these past few days, she no longer dared to be sure.
She carefully lifted her eyes to glance at Shen Que. His phoenix-like eyes happened to flick toward her at the same moment.
Their eyes met. Shen Que’s gaze was deep and inscrutable, and she felt an inexplicable sense of guilt, quickly lowering her head, afraid to look further.
Shen Que exhaled sharply in his heart.
In Yan Guo, exchanging concubines was nothing unusual. He and Huai’an Wang fought constantly at court; Emperor Father had long grown displeased. If he sent a concubine now, it might make Emperor Father think the brothers were reconciling.
He considered himself somewhat unscrupulous in the matter of power struggles, yet the thought that the one to be sent was Gu Ningning filled him with frustration.
Especially since, from his perspective just now, he had clearly seen the two of them behaving intimately in public.
Maintaining a neutral expression, Shen Que spoke calmly, “Then you’ve asked the wrong person. She is Prime Minister Gu’s daughter. If you wish to approach her, you must first ask Prime Minister Gu if he consents.”
Shen Ting’s expression darkened for a moment at the words “Prime Minister Gu’s daughter,” but he quickly restored his charming demeanor.
“Ah, then I know who she is!”
“Recently I’ve been on good terms with Prime Minister Gu; I’ll go ask him myself another day!”
Shen Que gave a faint acknowledgment, his indifferent gaze briefly falling on Gu Ningning.
Gu Ningning’s scalp tingled under that gaze. She couldn’t help but feel that the script was going wrong.
Why did that look seem like a weary husband coming home after a long day to find his wife with a lover?
She imagined herself in Shen Que’s eyes and instantly broke into a cold sweat.
Based on his character, he should now be calculating her worth, thinking how to sell her for a good price.
She couldn’t help thinking so maliciously; the story’s setup made the male lead only fall for the female lead. She did not consider herself so charming as to rise through being a mere plaything.
Just then, a girl’s excited voice rang from not far away, “His Highness the Crown Prince哥哥!”
It was Lin Yinwan. She seemed to have been searching for Shen Que for some time. Her cheeks were red from the cold wind, and upon seeing Shen Que, she eagerly moved toward him, but froze when she saw Gu Ningning.
After a long pause, she finally spoke again, though her voice was no longer as enthusiastic. “Father waits at the front hall for you both. Please follow me.”
Shen Que acknowledged with a “Hmm” and followed Lin Yinwan, without even a glance back. Lin Yinwan, however, kept hesitatingly looking behind.
Gu Ningning ignored her.
She had always been indifferent to petty jealousy. At most, these women might want her dead; she had come to be a female cannon fodder anyway. If necessary, she would just die in front of them.
In a way, they were strangely like-minded.
She clapped her hands, intending to find a place to rest. Just then, a group of people passed by. A noblewoman she had known before recognized her and exclaimed, “Ningning, what are you doing here?”
She asked further, “How’s your poetry coming along?”
“Peach and plum…” Gu Ningning opened her mouth to recite the poem she had memorized, but her mind went blank.
Damn it. Seeing Shen Que had made her too nervous. She had forgotten all the poetry she had painstakingly memorized!
Fortunately, Zhaoyi Bai hadn’t forgotten Gu Ningning, even during gatherings with friends. Seeing her struggling from afar, she quickly hurried over.
“She only wrote two poems for me. The whole point of this poetry gathering Madam Hou arranged was for everyone to relax and make friends. Look at you little troublemakers—forcing someone to compose poetry like this?”
Zhaoyi Bai was a famous talent in Jingcheng, respected in the poetry gathering. When she stepped forward to mediate, the others fell silent.
After the crowd dispersed, she gently patted Gu Ningning’s back to comfort her.
“It’s my fault. I should have made the poems simpler so you could remember them easily.”
She genuinely cared for Gu Ningning like a child.
Gu Ningning had never understood why the male leads in romance novels always pined for their first love, but now she did. Such a gentle, elder-sister type first love—she could use a whole stack of them.
She stayed at the poetry gathering for a while longer until a young servant came with a message: Gu Ningning’s elder half-brother, Gu Jingchu, requested her presence inside to catch up.
Gu Jingchu was her older half-brother, fiercely protective of her, and in later events grew very resentful of those who constantly harmed Gu Ningning.
Marquis of Wuan’s Residence was large. The servant led her through long corridors and paths to a secluded courtyard.
Gu Ningning still wondered why Gu Jingchu would want to see her when she pushed open the door and saw Shen Que inside, reading memorials.
Shen Que radiated a murderous aura; his presence always carried an oppressive weight when displeased.
“Come over.”
She obediently walked to him, hesitating over whether to find a chair or boldly sit in his lap and act coy, when he added,
“Just stand here.”
“……” Gu Ningning felt like a child being punished by a teacher to stand in the corner.
She said “Oh” and, though uncertain what he was angry about, obediently stood aside.
Shen Que picked up the memorials and continued reading.
Gu Ningning, a true slacker, stood properly for a while, then gradually lost her posture. She stood beside Shen Que, stealing glances at the memorials in his hands. The classical text gave her a headache, and her mind began to wander—planning what to eat tonight.
After a while, feeling a bit tired, she rested her gaze on Shen Que’s shoulder and subtly leaned her elbow on him for support…
The room was warm. She hadn’t had a chance to loosen her clothing since entering, so she slightly opened her collar. In that posture, Shen Que could see her delicate neck, collarbones, and the gentle slope of her chest.
Gu Ningning was a beauty; he had known this since their first encounter.
Shen Que finally set the memorials down, but made no move.
These novel male leads were always written as profoundly intelligent, well-read, and inscrutable. Gu Ningning, a small cannon fodder, could not figure him out.
Unable to puzzle him out, she decided not to bother. Standing was exhausting, so she used her slender arms to wrap around his neck, leaning her entire weight on him, and coquettishly said,
“Your Highness… this concubine’s legs hurt. Please have mercy, don’t make this concubine stand any longer, okay?”
“Legs hurt?” Shen Que looked at her, half-amused.
Gu Ningning boldly rolled up her pant leg, revealing a small portion of her jade-like calf and the red mark on it.
“Your Highness, look, this concubine’s leg is injured. I cannot stand anymore.”
Shen Que glanced at the tiny scar and let out a cold snort.
Sensing that the “big boss” was in a bad mood today, Gu Ningning dared not speak. Just as she prepared to find a seat, he suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist.
She lost her balance and fell into his arms, finally realizing…
Shen Que’s deep eyes scanned her, taking in her fullness, his voice husky:
“Serve me.”