Chapter 235: Chapter 235: I’m Not Your Mother, Why Should I Care Who Your Father Is
Cui Yun met the girl’s moist and bright black eyes. They held a mischievous gleam, ill-intentions, and... dependency.
He remained silent for a moment, his right hand pulling Cui Rong away, separating her from Shen Hua.
"Alright, are you able to walk now?"
Cui Rong huffed: "Hmph!"
Shen Hua’s eyebrows danced with triumph.
Shen Hua’s arrogance had not yet subsided. Along the way, she casually looked around before quickly making a face at Cui Rong. Suddenly, from not too far away, Xie Xun’s gentle voice called, "Miss Shen."
Shen Hua looked over and saw the waiting Xie siblings.
Shen Hua stiffened. Then, the girl very properly and modestly nodded: "Heir Xie."
Then she turned to the shy Xie Yinong behind Xie Xun, and couldn’t help expressing her amazement: "You two really look alike."
"Is that so?"
"My brother and I don’t resemble each other."
Xie Xun’s hand hidden in his sleeve tightened slightly as the girl walked, kicking pebbles on the ground.
Shen Hua: "He looks like my Daddy."
Always meddling in everything. Even Shen Wei feels inadequate by comparison.
Xie Xun: ...
Soon, Eunuch Ying, who served Emperor He, approached. With a meaningful shift of his gaze from Xie Xun, he paid his respects to the group and then addressed Cui Rong.
"The Emperor has been informed of Commandery Princess’s visit and has specially ordered this old servant to come and say that he would like to see the Princess."
"Marquis Cui, what do you think..."
"Thank you for your troubles, Eunuch."
Cui Yun to Cui Rong: "Do not be disrespectful in front of the Emperor."
Cui Rong pouted, clearly reluctant as she made a complicated gesture towards Shen Hua, her hands moving in the air. Seeing Cui Yun’s stern face, Cui Rong quickly followed Eunuch Ying away.
"What was that?" Xie Xun inquired.
Shen Hua gloated, her face radiant: "She told me to wait for her to come back and then to start a massacre!!!"
Cui Yun said indifferently: "Miss Shen is frail and weak, the most delicate of all. Rong doesn’t have the slightest bit of the dignity a girl should have, always shouting about fighting and killing. I used to think the two of you were different."
Shen Hua paused, then began to feign weakness, clutching her chest, "But we are different, I am tender-hearted, clumsy with words, and soft-tempered. I’ve always been so oppressed that there’s nothing left of me."
Cui Yun, who knew Shen Hua well, was not surprised.
Xie Xun remained impassive.
Xie Yinong: "Ah?"
As she spoke, Shen Hua’s gaze swiftly locked onto her.
The girl’s exaggerated and pretentious acting was terribly ostentatious: "Lady Xie may not know, but I come from a small place, inexperienced, it’s my first time entering the palace, even seeing important people makes my legs tremble, my heart is pounding fiercely right now."
Cui Yun glanced at her.
"How long can you keep this up?"
Shen Hua stood on tiptoes, honest with him: "...Switching roles at will."
So be it, let her be.
Among the girls in Shengjing, none was as insightful and sure of herself as her.
She knew this was the Imperial Palace, what should and should not be done, the girl had her own considerations. Even if she caused trouble, most likely it was something he could handle and resolve.
On the women’s side of the seating, the Marquis Yangling Mansion happened to be connected with Duke Fu’s Mansion.
Cui Yun and Xie Xun were not fit to enter.
Shen Hua covered her frozen face, stamping her foot: "Is there anything else you’d like to instruct?"
Xie Xun was about to speak subconsciously. Then he heard Cui Yun’s bland voice.
"Light refreshments and wine will be provided at the banquet."
"I don’t drink alcohol!" Shen Hua exclaimed excitedly.
Cui Yun smiled faintly: "That’s for the best."
"I will be just across the way, with palace maids at every seat. If you need anything, you can send one to find me."
Shen Hua looked at him with a complexity of emotions.
"Cousin, at this moment——"
"Also quite resembles my Daddy."
Xie Xun felt somewhat annoyed.
Cui Yun laughed: "Miss Shen is lucky, indeed you have two more father-like figures than others."
When he and Xie Xun went to the men’s seating area, Cui Yun returned to being proper and restrained, the chilly and solemn demeanor as if the person who had just joked with the girl was not him.
Xie Xun glanced at him from time to time, full of words to say.
Cui Yun was already aware.
The man simply dispassionately flicked his robe: "If Heir Xie has spare time, perhaps consider how to reject a marriage."
Xie Xun was astonished. He looked around and lowered his voice, "How did you find out? Is the information reliable?"
Cui Yun replied calmly, "I’ve been a court official for many years, serving directly under the officials."
He had long understood Emperor He’s character.
Xie Xun fell silent, no wonder he felt something was amiss when he met with Eunuch Ying. That’s why he was prepared to advance his plans. However, he still kept Shen Hua in his thoughts.
"Why did you bring her today—"
Before he could finish, Cui Yun indifferently interrupted, "Congratulations, Prince Consort Xie."
Even someone like Xie Xun almost choked on his anger from Cui Yun’s words.
What, do you think your cousin is someone you can’t even mention?
————
The women’s area was filled with fragrant breezes while Shen Hua looked around as she followed Xie Yinong.
"Miss Xie."
"Xie..."
Hearing the greetings, Xie Yinong’s face paled, and she hurriedly bowed her head, focusing on walking further.
Shen Hua did not keep up for a moment. She wasn’t in a hurry, like she had an iron head. Instead, she paused and listened with great interest to the women’s uncontrollable exclamations.
"Did you see that? That’s Marquis Cui, and the one beside him is from the Xie Family. The two of them together are quite a sight."
"How did they end up together? Could it be that Marquis Cui is accompanying Heir Xie to escort Miss Xie here? There have been rumors that Marquis Cui is fond of a certain girl, could it be Xie Yinong?"
"Impossible! Marquis Cui interested in Xie Yinong? Her? She’s timid and foolish, Marquis Cui wouldn’t be interested in her, even before me."
As they talked, they noticed a fluffy head pop up beside them. Shen Hua’s eyes sparkled brightly.
"You—"
Silence, only because they saw the delicate features of the girl’s face.
Very quickly.
"Which family’s girl are you? I’ve never seen you before!"
The pink-dressed girl who was just boasting inquired, "I was unaware, among the girls invited by Fifth Princess, that there would be one who lacks such manners!"
Shen Hua felt slightly hurt.
Unhappy, she pursed her lips and stopped listening to the gossip, ready to leave.
"Did I say you could leave?" The person behind her was unrelenting.
"Scare me and think you can just walk away? Do you know who my Daddy is?"
Shen Hua was torn between tolerating and lashing out.
She really wanted to scold her.
She really wanted to scold her.
She really wanted to scold her.
Shen Hua resigned herself and said sincerely, "I’m not your mother, why should I care who your father is."
With that remark. The color drained from the face of the girl in pink,
A soft voice came through, trembling. It was Xie Yinong, who gritted her teeth and came searching for Shen Hua because she hadn’t kept up.
"Don’t make it difficult for her."
She said in a timid, small voice.
"Miss Tang, she’s the weakest and most fragile of all, and it’s her first time in the Imperial Palace."
The pink-dressed girl with a cold face responded, "For Miss Xie’s sake, I won’t make it difficult, but then who is she!"
Xie Yinong took a step back in fear.
Shen Hua clutched her chest, trembling.
"Oh no."
The girl in pink dress: ?
Shen Hua spoke nonchalantly, "I’m really scared too."
She was just a rich girl, why did she have to go through all this.
The girl in pink dress responded angrily, "What do you mean? You’re treating me like a shrew!"
Xie Yinong shook.
Shen Hua mimicked her, shaking as well.
Pink dress: "Tell me yourself, which residence do you belong to?"
"And what will you do if I tell you?"
Seeing that she still dared to talk back, the girl in pink, now enraged, declared, "I will discipline you!"
Shen Hua replied softly, "Alright."
Just as Xie Yinong was about to acknowledge that Shen Hua and she were of the same kind, timid and afraid of life, she saw Shen Hua, without any burden on her conscience, say, "Hello Miss Tang, I am—Wei Zhuzhu from the Minister of Industry Mansion."