Chapter 36: Trying to Make Me a Widow in Grief

Chapter 36: Trying to Make Me a Widow in Grief

Days after the Double Ninth Festival, the weather turned cold. The skies were overcast, and the chill wind made people shiver.

Lanterns and fireworks illuminated the lakeside pavilion of Drunken Wind Pavilion.

Ran Qinggu untied his cloak, and the maidservant immediately took it to be perfumed by the incense burner nearby.

He never expected that after finishing his longevity noodles, upon returning to the palace, the princess consort was still waiting for him, celebrating his birthday.

Unfortunately, today wasn't his birthday.

On the round table sat a pot of beef and mutton bone hotpot, simmered with spices into a thick, fragrant broth. Into this, slices of deer blood, thin rabbit meat, tofu, pickled bamboo shoots, and more than a dozen other meat and vegetable dishes were added...

The princess consort's sleeves were tied back to her elbows as she carried a large plate of small wontons over.

Ran Qinggu hurried to take it from her, but Shang Rongyu pressed him back down to sit: "Mother has been making these all day, just for this one plate, specially for your birthday celebration. You must eat plenty, or Mother will be upset."

The princess consort feigned anger: "Go on, your mother is the epitome of a noblewoman in Da Su, gentle, virtuous, dignified, and elegant. I'm not some man-eating tigress."

Shang Rongyu: "That's just flattery; you're taking it seriously?"

The princess consort pretended to be angry: "You're just like your father, heartless and carefree."

She turned to Ran Qinggu: "Yu'er, Rongyu said you've already had your longevity noodles, so Drunken Wind Pavilion didn't prepare... You haven't had Jiang Nan's wontons, have you? In our Jiang Nan, we like to mix them with rich broth, much more flavorful than the capital's wontons. Try them later..."

As she spoke, she dropped the wontons into the beef and mutton bone hotpot.

Ran Qinggu exclaimed: "Mother, you're..."

Only those from the southwest and northwest regions enjoy cooking wontons in a hotpot.

The climate there is harsh and cold, and they love burning charcoal in winter, setting up a stove to cook some meat and drop in some wontons, scooping them out to eat a mouthful of meat and a mouthful of wonton, warm and comforting.

In Jiang Nan, wontons are cooked and then served with rich broth, sprinkled with scallion ends, exquisite and simple.

The princess consort laughed sheepishly: "My mother was the eldest daughter of the Northwest Protectorate, but the ingredients and techniques for making these wontons are indeed Jiang Nan's methods."

Ran Qinggu: "I see."

The cooked wontons floated to the surface.

A maid used a strainer to scoop them out, then ladled them into a bowl, adding some broth from the beef and mutton hotpot, sprinkling a bit of scallion flower on top, exquisite and delicious.

"Add some meat," Shang Rongyu instructed.

The maid quickly added the beef and mutton, as well as the pre-cooked venison, from the plates beside her.

These meats were already cooked, so they could be eaten once heated. The princess consort smiled happily as she took a bite of a wonton: "Rongyu knows what he's doing. Yu'er should eat more meat, or else when you get pregnant in the future, there won't be enough nutrition. When you give birth, there won't be any milk to feed the child... After that, the child won't be close to you."

"Ahem—" Ran Qinggu choked on a wonton.

Shang Rongyu picked up a bone and gnawed on it: "Mother, Yu'er needs to slowly nourish herself. I added the meat because I wanted to eat it myself. Who's having a baby?"

The princess consort: "When you two have children in the future, you'll definitely want them. Even if you don't want them, Yu'er will... "

Shang Rongyu immediately imagined the scene at midnight, when he and the princess consort were sleeping soundly, a baby's cry woke them up, and a maid brought the child over for the princess consort to breastfeed.

Then that little brat would push him aside, forcing him to roll over to the study.

The scene changed again, the child was three or four years old, riding on his back, pulling his hair and shouting "Giddy-up", while Yu'er clapped her hands joyfully on the side: "Wow, baby is so great..."

Then, that child peed and pooped on his back.

"I don't want children," he said.

He had always hated children since he was young.

He had never thought of having White Yu bear children for him.

White Yu's health was so poor that if she really got pregnant in the future, she would surely risk her life. He didn't want to face the difficult choice of saving the mother or the child.

"You're being unreasonable. Even if you don't want them, you have to think about Yu'er. A woman without a son or daughter by her side will suffer many slights," the princess consort said.

During those three or four years when she couldn't conceive a legitimate son, she suffered no shortage of bullying from Consort Liu.

She had suffered deeply, so she didn't want the future princess consort to follow in her footsteps.

It was precisely because of this that she hadn't forced Shang Rongyu to take a concubine before White Yu had children.

Ran Qinggu silently ate the wontons.

He hadn't felt this kind of earthly warmth for a long time.

Although he wasn't White Yu and couldn't bear children, he was willing to listen.

He suddenly realized that only at times like these did he feel truly alive.

Nurse Su entered the room, lifting the curtain: "Princess Consort, the king has arrived."

Jian Zuihuan put down her chopsticks, pretending not to care: "Isn't today an odd-numbered day? Why is he coming here?"

In the early years after she first entered the palace, Liu Xuemo schemed daily to lure the king to Full Moon Court, while she, though respectful of etiquette, was certainly not a pushover.

Who wasn't raised in the inner quarters?

Who hadn't participated in the struggles within the household?

In the Jian Duke's Mansion, she helped her mother deal with that group of concubines every day...

The women of Jiang Nan were far more troublesome than Consort Liu, each one skilled in feigning distress and coquettishness.

Consort Liu played her tricks, and so did she...

In the end, King Cheng was left with a splitting headache by the machinations of his primary and secondary consorts. Even when he went to the military camp, his mind was filled with images of the two women vying for power.

So, he issued a direct order.

Of the thirty days in a month, the first twenty days would see him visiting Consort Liu on odd-numbered days and Heir Jian Zuihuan on even-numbered days. The last ten days would be spent with the various concubines in the estate.

By dividing the nights this way, no one would have cause to complain.

Thus, while open and covert struggles continued, the estate was much quieter than before.

Despite her words, a smile graced Jian Zuihuan's lips, her beautiful face glowing like pear blossoms reflected in spring water under the bright candlelight.

Due to the arrival of the Prince, Ran Qinggu ceased eating.

Jian Zuihuan stood up, pretending not to care about the Prince's visit, smiling, "You should continue eating. In your own home, what do you have to fear? I'll go out and take a look."

Nanny Su draped a cloak over her shoulders.

As Jian Zuihuan stepped out of the pavilion, she instructed the nanny, "Bring out the wontons set aside for the Prince and cook them."

Ran Qinggu watched the Princess Consort in a daze.

He suddenly saw the shadow of his mother in her.

Perhaps all wives across the world were like this.

Regardless of whether their husbands would come or how many grievances they harbored, they would always reserve a place for them.

Even if they knew that their husbands might find happiness in the arms of another woman.

Shang Rongyu placed several pieces of meat on Ran Qinggu's plate, saying, "Don't take my words to heart; I don't want to influence you."

Ran Qinggu was puzzled. "What words?"

Shang Rongyu smiled with narrowed eyes. "I don't like children. If you wish to have one, you may, but I hope it's because you genuinely like children, not because you're following the Empress Dowager's words that a woman must bear children. No one has decreed that a woman exists solely to give birth. Moreover, I'm not my father. I won't take concubines in the future... However..."

He scanned Ran Qinggu from head to toe. "You're too thin and weak. If you really got pregnant, you'd likely lose half your life. If you truly like children, there are other ways."

He paused. "You don't have to worry about choosing between the mother or child. I would definitely choose the mother, as I don't like children."

Ran Qinggu was so startled that he couldn't hold his chopsticks steady.

When had he ever said he wanted to bear Shang Rongyu's child?

Wasn't Shang Rongyu planning a bit too far ahead?

Did this mean Shang Rongyu had resigned himself to fate? Was he going to spend his entire life with him? And he was even promising not to take concubines...

Didn't he only sleep with women he liked?

Hadn't he been kind to him these past few days just to reassure the Princess Consort?

Why did it seem like...

He might, possibly, actually consider him the Heir Consort?

Ran Qinggu was in turmoil, unsure if he felt shock or worry.

He was a man.

He wasn't the Heir Consort.

He had deceived him.

He had no future.

He... didn't deserve such kindness from Shang Rongyu.

Shang Rongyu smiled and replaced his chopsticks. "Eat more. You don't need to be so moved that you can't even hold your chopsticks. Any ordinary man would choose to save the mother."

Ran Qinggu was speechless.

He felt that Shang Rongyu's raised eyebrows conveyed, "See, marry me, and you'll laugh through tears. I'm the best man in the world, capable of choosing to save the mother. Impressive, right?"

The Prince and Princess soon entered the pavilion.

Ran Qinggu hurriedly stood up to pay his respects. "Father."

The Prince smiled and gestured for him to sit. "Sit. There's no need for formality here in your mother's presence."

Ran Qinggu lowered his gaze. "Yes."

Shang Qianzhen laughed. "I could smell the fragrance from afar. It's the Princess's cooking. This Prince is quite hungry."

Jian Zuihuan chided gently. "How can my cooking compare to the secondary consort's? Didn't you have dinner at Full Moon Court, Your Highness?"

Shang Qianzhen took a few bites of the wontons. "Consort Liu was unwell. I didn't want to disturb her rest, so I came over here."

Jian Zuihuan maintained an unperturbed expression, making a casual comment. "Consort Liu has it tough too."

That vixen, always resorting to such tricks.

Jian Zuihuan cursed Consort Liu in her heart.

Lady Liu was so furious that she nearly shattered the bed frame with her pounding.

"It's clearly my turn on an odd-numbered day. The Queen Consort is being too unscrupulous, organizing a hot pot and wrapping some dumplings, using the Heir and Heiress as excuses to lure the King away."

She had a cloth bandage wrapped around her forehead, but her face showed no signs of illness.

Yet just two incense sticks ago, she was nestled in the King's embrace, with King Cheng feeding her medicine spoon by spoon.

When she complained about the bitterness, King Cheng would feed her a piece of candied fruit.

When she said she couldn't eat, King Cheng would eat a mouthful himself before coaxing her to eat a mouthful, accompanying her through her meal and lulling her to sleep.

But after she had settled down for rest, King Cheng asked his servant, "Isn't it the Heiress's birthday today? How has the estate prepared?"

The servant respectfully replied, "The Queen Consort said the Heiress didn't want a grand celebration, so she prepared a hot pot for her at the Drunken Wind Pavilion. I heard the Queen Consort even made dumplings herself."

King Cheng nodded. "I see."

Afterward, King Cheng left under the pretense that "Your health isn't good, and my snoring could disturb you. So take these few days to rest well; I'll visit you again tomorrow. Please take care and get some rest."

Lady Liu thought she had captured the man's heart, only to find tonight's efforts in vain.

King Cheng favored his legitimate son and preferred family harmony. Jian Zuihuan had used this very tactic to send King Cheng away.

Nanny Cai approached and asked, "What should we do, Lady?"

Lady Liu gritted her teeth. "What should we do? If she won't let me have peace at the Drunken Wind Pavilion, why should I let them have it? Jian Zuihuan boasts about her daughter-in-law to everyone, but it's a pity she doesn't know there's something wrong with her own daughter-in-law."

She always felt there was something off about Bai Yu.

No matter how much a person changed, their nature couldn't change too drastically.

There was something fishy about the incident with Duke Bai last time.

So she investigated, and finally, a few days ago, she met someone from the Northern City who knew the Heiress.

She wanted that person to identify her and see if this Bai Yu was really Bai Yu.

Lady Liu: "Let's go to the Drunken Wind Pavilion."

Nanny Cai: "Yes."

At the Drunken Wind Pavilion.

Nanny Su reported, "Your Highness, the Queen Consort, Lady Liu has arrived."

Jian Zuihuan looked displeased. "Wasn't she sick? Why did she follow right after Your Highness came? She's never this eager when she comes to pay respects."

King Cheng smiled. "She's not feeling well; please be understanding."

Jian Zuihuan scoffed coldly. "Am I not understanding enough? Her two daughters-in-law cause trouble for the Heiress every day in the estate. It's only because Yu'er has a good temper that she endures it silently. I've turned a blind eye to it, but if it were any other matriarch, they would have given her a dozen spankings by now."

King Cheng consoled the Queen Consort. "Calm down. Let her come in first; she's still unwell..."

Jian Zuihuan: "She can walk on her own legs. Can I stop her?"

Nanny Su bowed. "Lady Liu said that when she returned to the estate today, she met someone on the street who claimed to be from the Northern City and knew the Heiress. Therefore, she brought him back to the estate. Meeting a fellow countryman in a foreign land is fate, and perhaps he could share news about the Duchess of the Duke of Bai with the Heiress. Hearing that the Heiress was at the Drunken Wind Pavilion, she brought him along. However... he's an outsider."

Ran Qinggu shivered inwardly.

Although he lived a secluded life and few people outside the old residence knew him,

many had seen Bai Yu.

If that outsider entered, his identity would be completely exposed.

Jian Zuihuan was enraged. "How dare Lady Liu Liu Xueyue be so audacious, bringing an outsider into the estate? And even to my Drunken Wind Pavilion?"

"Sister, don't get so angry. If you harm your health, I can't bear the responsibility..." As she spoke, Lady Liu pushed aside the maidservant and entered.

Her face was pale, and she appeared ill. Upon entering, she coughed softly, looking at the King with a shy and bashful expression, her illness making her resemble the frail beauty, Xi Zi.

Behind her followed a young man dressed in a wide-sleeved green robe.

The young man was finely chiseled, with a hint of baby fat on his round face.

The moment Ran Qinggu saw Lady Liu enter, his breath caught, ready to kill that person on the spot.

Seeing Ran Qinggu's pale face, Lady Liu smiled triumphantly. "Heiress, do you recognize this person? He says he knows you."

Ran Qinggu looked at the young man in shock. "You..."

Lady Liu smiled smugly. "Don't you recognize him? Or is it that someone simply..."

Before she could finish, she heard the clear and melodious voice of the young man beside her. "Cousin, I've finally found you. Cousin Brother misses you."

Ran Qinggu looked at Bai Yu in male attire and called out tremulously, "Cousin Brother."

Shang Rongyu stared intently at his cousin, Ran Qinggu, who was rumored to be ordinary yet had captivated his Heiress, causing her to yearn for him day and night and even wish to divorce him!

Huh, he was just a little shorty. Shortness aside, he wasn't good-looking either.

Hmm, his chest is a bit bulged. Seems like he's been working out his pectorals quite a bit. A short guy paired with pectoral exercises? Muscular and robust, like a modern-day Wu Dalang...

Tsk tsk tsk, his clothes are terribly ugly, and his shoes aren't good either. Even his jade pendant and ring aren't attractive. How can someone have such poor taste?

...Ugh, his hair is split-ended.

Everyone was surprised. "Cousin Brother?"

Ran Qinggu smiled as he introduced himself to the princess consort, "This is my cousin, Ran Qinggu."

He then proceeded to introduce Bai Yu to the prince, princess consort, concubine, and Shang Rongyu.

Bai Yu greeted each with a fist salute, but when she reached Shang Rongyu, she felt an icy glint in his eyes, his words laced with veiled threats.

Had she offended him?

Cats and biscuits!

Good thing she wasn't married.

What a waste of such a handsome face.

The princess consort, seeing Liu Xuemo's dejected expression, found it amusing and said, "We've already eaten, but I'll have another table set for...a proper welcome banquet for the heir's consort's cousin..."

Ran Qinggu interjected, "Mother, there's no need for that. Cousin prefers noodles; just cook some with extra scallions, spicy, but no garlic. She's had delicate digestion since childhood, and eating too much at night can cause indigestion."

Bai Yu grinned, "My little...sister knows me so well."

Shang Rongyu's eyes widened in surprise.

How could she know her cousin so intimately?

And even know he liked noodles?

Why did this cousin have so many quirks?

If you're going to eat noodles, just eat them; why be so picky?

Extra scallions, spicy, but no garlic!

Why not just say you don't want noodles at all!

Shang Rongyu subconsciously tightened his hold on Ran Qinggu, glaring at Bai Yu challengingly, and coldly instructed, "Serve it directly to Cousin's room."

The maid nodded, "Yes."

Shang Rongyu continued provocatively, "Cousin, Yu'er isn't feeling well today. I'll take her back to rest. Another day, I'll personally host a banquet in your honor. I won't keep you company tonight."

Bai Yu looked worriedly at Ran Qinggu.

The fact that her cousin was still alive meant they hadn't consummated their marriage. If they hadn't done so, wouldn't it be obvious living under the same roof, sleeping in the same bed?

Her cousin was indeed her cousin.

She knew from a young age that there was nothing her cousin couldn't accomplish.

Ha, his eyes were practically glued to his heir's consort.

Shang Rongyu watched Bai Yu's every move.

See? Does it hurt? Your beloved is now my bedmate.

What does it matter if you two have feelings for each other?

Once the bed is shared, and children are born, even the most beautiful white moonlight becomes stale.

He was the heir's consort's husband.

He was her sky.

He was the one with the right to tell her to prioritize her health over the child!

Bai Yu nodded, "The heir and the heir's consort should go back first. Don't worry about me. I'm like a wandering cloud, just passing through. Cousin, you must take care of your health. In this cold weather, you should wear more clothes..."

Shang Rongyu gritted his teeth, "Don't worry, Cousin. I won't let my heir's consort get cold."

He emphasized the word "my" with a heavy bite.

Ran Qinggu also feared that if Bai Yu stayed longer with the prince and princess consort, the ruse might unravel.

If he and Shang Rongyu left first, the prince and princess consort wouldn't retain Bai Yu in the Drunken Wind Pavilion, as she was now considered an "outsider," not allowed to freely enter the inner quarters.

He bowed to the prince, princess consort, and concubine, "Yu'er will return first. I'll come to greet Father and Mother tomorrow."

The princess consort looked at him affectionately, "Yu'er, you don't need to greet us these few days. The prince and I aren't unreasonable. With your cousin here and the weather nice, you can leave the manor to enjoy the scenery. Take your cousin around to see the customs and sights of the capital."

The prince nodded in agreement, "The princess consort is right. Yu'er, these few days, you should take our place in looking after your cousin."

Ran Qinggu bowed, "Thank you, Father and Mother."

Bai Yu watched in silent amazement.

Was this really her cousin?

Was this the cousin who had been bedridden for four or five years, rarely leaving his chambers?

Aside from having the same face as her cousin, everything else about this person was akin to a typical refined lady of high society.

His every gesture—raising his eyebrows, lowering his gaze, sitting, standing, walking—was filled with grace and poise, even surpassing the princess consort, esteemed as a model of noblewomen.

She had always known her cousin was smart, capable of handling any situation.

But how far would someone have to go to disguise themselves so completely that not a trace of their true self remained?

Unless that person never had a self to begin with.

Lacking a self meant...

Free from the six desires, devoid of the seven emotions, and untouched by the eight sufferings.

Such a person would not love themselves, let alone others.

Who could be without self?

A dead man lying in a coffin buried in the earth, or a living corpse on a bed, numb to pain and sensation.

Her mother had told her when her cousin arrived at the old residence that he had suffered a grave misfortune and a severe injury, urging her to take good care of him and never to speak of his situation to outsiders, not even a word.

She discovered that this cousin was not the same one she had grown up with.

She knew that the cousin she had grown up with had died, without even a gravestone to mark his passing.

She had seen her mother scatter his ashes into the clear stream, sobbing uncontrollably as she knelt in the water. Every day after, her mother would kneel in the temple, praying for her deceased cousin's soul.

When she was younger, she didn't understand, only knowing that her cousin came covered in wounds, looking as if he wouldn't survive another hour.

At that time, her greatest worry was that this cousin would suddenly pass away too, so she spent every day by his bedside, telling him about the outside world.

About how the butcher on East Street liked the tofu seller's daughter, but the girl fell in love with the scholar from the private school, who turned out to be a storyteller of male-male romance novels... He preferred strong men, until one day, he met the butcher chopping pig heads...

Or how Lady Liu introduced a concubine to her husband, and the concubine treated her with utmost respect, it turned out she married Lord Liu merely to grow old with Lady Liu...

...

Whenever she recounted these amusing tales, her cousin remained indifferent, as if listening, yet also as if he wasn't.

She knew her cousin's identity was special.

Otherwise, her mother wouldn't have warned her not to reveal anything about him, telling her that this cousin was the same one she grew up with, then and now, and forevermore.

Months later, the Third Prince came to visit her cousin.

She secretly overheard their conversation and learned that his entire family was dead.

And her mother, who had been timid all her life, deceived by scoundrels and bullied by concubines, had done what many brave men dared not do.

She protected the child of her childhood playmate.

She risked the punishment of having her entire clan exterminated for the sake of her closest friend...

Never before had she admired her mother so much.

Bai Yu looked at the man before her, devoid of self, his every move like a template.

She realized, in a flash, that in the past five or six years, her cousin had never truly lived a single day.

Her eyes suddenly welled with tears.

Clearly alive, clearly handsome, and so talented...

Yet why was he no different from a dead man?

Shang Rongyu saw Bai Yu's eyes redden and felt a surge of inexplicable anger.

This shorty dared to lament the passage of time in front of him? To reminisce about the innocent, beautiful childhood days he shared with his Heir Princess right before him?

And now her eyes were red, was she about to pour out her heart next?

Did she think he was dead?

He picked up Ran Qinggu and said to Bai Yu, "Cousin, we're leaving first."

Ha, not even a glance for you!

Ran Qinggu, suddenly lifted in front of everyone, was embarrassed. "I can walk myself."

Shang Rongyu: "You walk so slowly, by the time you reach the Sinking Fish Pavilion, it'll be dawn."

Bai Yu: "..."

Why did she feel like the Heir had developed feelings for her cousin?

Ran Qinggu was carried back to the Sinking Fish Pavilion, where the servants and maids of the mansion curiously observed him.

To those unaware, it seemed something was wrong with him, being carried around like that.

Back at the Sinking Fish Pavilion, Shang Rongyu said gloomily, "In a few days is the Lantern Festival, I've taken leave from the Emperor to come back and accompany you."

Ran Qinggu hurriedly dissuaded him, "Heir, you don't need to take leave for my sake. You..."

Shang Rongyu scoffed coldly, "What? You don't like me taking leave for you?"

Was it because he was getting in the way of her and her cousin's eyes?

Did this pair of shameless lovers really take him for a dead man?

"Heir, I'm very happy that you took leave for me. I just don't want to interfere with your official duties." Ran Qinggu quickly corrected himself.

After all, he was now a "happy woman" whose husband had taken leave to be with him.

Shang Rongyu smiled, "It won't interfere much with official business, you needn't worry. Heir Princess, we've been married for a year now, it's time to consummate our marriage, after all..."

His hand reached for Ran Qinggu's abdomen. "The Empress Dowager wishes for the Heir Princess to bear more children for the prosperity of the mansion."

Despite his dislike for children.

But the Empress Dowager had said that once a woman became a mother, her heart would settle, and he needed a child to help the Heir Princess settle down.

Furthermore, once he and the Heir's Consort had consummated their relationship, it would completely extinguish any lingering thoughts in her mind.

Ran Qinggu was speechless.

Was this an invitation to share his bed?

Shang Rongyu, disgruntled, said, "I'm not asking you to share my bed tonight; don't be frightened. Choose a time when you're ready, and then we'll consummate our marriage. After all, this matter can't be delayed indefinitely..."

Only then did Ran Qinggu feel slightly relieved.

After sitting down and taking a long while to catch his breath, he said, "Heir, there's something Yu'er wants to ask for your help with."

Shang Rongyu looked at Ran Qinggu with interest. "What is it?"

Ran Qinggu: "The Lantern Festival is just a few days away. My cousin is living in poverty and likely has no money on him, while my monthly allowance hasn't arrived yet. The gold bestowed by the Emperor is too ostentatious, so Yu'er wishes to borrow some silver from the Heir. On the Lantern Festival, I want to take my cousin to the market and show him around the capital, letting him experience its customs and culture."

Even though he knew it wasn't proper for a married cousin to spend money taking her cousin to the market...

Bai Yu loved crowds, and she had come to the capital for the first time. If she couldn't return home satisfied, it would be a great pity.

Moreover, Bai Yu had done him a favor, and he truly regarded her as a younger sister.

He understood Bai Yu's character; she wouldn't come looking for someone at the manor unless she had spent all her money.

Shang Rongyu slowly poured himself a cup of tea and let out a cold snort through his nose.

Not understanding his meaning, Ran Qinggu tentatively called out, "Heir?"

Shang Rongyu: "Heir's Consort, do you have the wrong impression that this Heir is easy to deal with? Or have I spoiled you too much, allowing you to be so presumptuous?"

In the next moment, his voice seemed ready to devour Ran Qinggu whole.

"You want me to pay for you to accompany another man shopping. Don't you think that's too provocative?"

Ran Qinggu apologized, "Heir, I..."

Shang Rongyu: "Do you know what food I like?"

Ran Qinggu was baffled; he really didn't know.

Shang Rongyu didn't seem particularly picky about food.

Shang Rongyu: "Do you know what I like to put in my noodles and what I don't like?"

Ran Qinggu: "...Heir, aren't you not fond of noodles?"

Shang Rongyu thought for a moment. Yes, that was true!

Instantly, he glared at Ran Qinggu with a cold expression. "Then do you know what I like to put in my rice and what I don't like?"

Ran Qinggu frowned.

What has gotten into this person?

What else can be added to rice besides water?

Shang Rongyu urged, "Speak up."

After a moment of hesitation, Ran Qinggu pondered, "Vegetables? Or perhaps soup?"

Shang Rongyu fumed with anger, "You really don't know I love braised sausage rice, are you trying to infuriate me to the point of becoming a widow?" Ran Qinggu was left speechless.

What you're asking about is rice, not braised rice.

He found himself speechless, with an uneasy feeling that something was amiss with Shang Rongyu tonight.

Author's Note: The Consort of the Heir: Today is yet another day when the Heir is being heartless, unrighteous, and making unreasonable fuss!

Congratulations to the Heir's Consort on her successful transformation from a "pitiable woman" who was abandoned by her husband on their wedding night to a "fortunate woman" whose husband has taken leave to return and accompany (or catch in the act). I am grateful to the little angels who cast their tyrant tickets or watered the nutrients for me during the period from 2020-08-17 00:04:08 to 2020-08-17 23:42:33.

Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Xiqian, Maorongrong 1;

Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Madam, 30 bottles; AKM, 15 bottles; 46318703, Qi Guan Ruo Lian, 10 bottles; 42536145, 4 bottles; Little Thief Chicken, Lan Xi, QAQ, Xun Zi, Ye Zi Xu, Xiao Bai, 1 bottle;

I am deeply grateful for the support everyone has given me, and I will continue to work hard!