Chapter 013: You’ll End up Offending Someone Either Way

Chapter 013: You'll End up Offending Someone Either Way

Inside the Crown Prince's estate, as He An entered, he saw Ji Lingchuan sitting with his legs crossed and a smug smile. He An's mood darkened instantly.

Ji Lingchuan chuckled and pointed to the seat next to him. "Sit, sit."

Just yesterday, Jiang Ming went to the Ji residence and was told that Ji Lingchuan hadn't returned yet. It seemed that this guy just didn’t want to help, deliberately making them think he was still away. Yet today, He An ran into him unexpectedly.

Feeling uneasy under He An's gaze, Ji Lingchuan shrugged his shoulders. "You can't blame me for this. I'm a grown man, but I'm not married yet. If I had brought Liu Yueru into my estate, rumors would have spread like wildfire."

"Is anyone else at the Ji residence?"

"My parents aren't too keen on the idea either," Ji Lingchuan said, pretending to be troubled. "They don't have a good impression of Liu Yueru. When they heard your request, they rejected it on the spot. I really had no choice."

"Why do they have a bad impression?" He An frowned.

Ji Lingchuan was about to criticize He An for being ignorant but then thought better of it. Considering He An's personality, it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t know these family matters.

"Liu Yueru is the half-sister of Liu Zhongju. When rumors surfaced that her mother had an affair, she was supposed to be punished, but Liu Zhongju secretly saved her from a harsh punishment."

"Is that so?"

"It doesn't end there," Ji Lingchuan continued. "Liu Zhongju is a rough man, skilled only in leading troops. During a brief peace, he married and soon his wife became pregnant. However, a dispute with Liu Yueru led to a scuffle, and in the struggle, his wife fell and lost the child."

Sighing, Ji Lingchuan continued, "After this war ended, Liu Zhongju had decided to separate Liu Yueru from the family, but unfortunately..."

He An's frown deepened as he recalled the conversation between Liu Yueru and Ruan Qinghuan in Changchun Garden on her second day in the Prime Minister's residence.

It seemed that she was indeed quite calculating, as if she had deeper motives.

Ji Lingchuan gave him a sideways glance. "I didn't expect you to bring her to the Prime Minister's residence. How is it going? Did you upset your new bride?"

"Who upset the bride?" Before he could finish, the Crown Prince walked in, holding a thick stack of documents.

This time, Ji Lingchuan shot He An a look and sarcastically said, "Who else but our stubborn Prime Minister would bring another girl into his estate on his wedding night?"

To everyone's surprise, He An didn't argue back.

The Crown Prince didn't side with He An either. "Regardless of Miss Liu's character, you did handle this matter inappropriately. For something like this to happen, and for the new bride to not make a big fuss, it really makes me view her in a new light."

Making a scene would have been understandable, but it would have also made the Prime Minister's residence a laughingstock.

In the capital city, there were countless people eager to see the Prime Minister's family make a fool of themselves.

Ji Lingchuan agreed, "What the Crown Prince says is exactly what I was thinking. Either Miss Ruan from the Ruan family is extremely calculating and playing the long game, or she simply doesn't care about the Prime Minister at all, and nothing he does registers with her."

He An replied coldly, "If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."

Ji Lingchuan looked shocked. "Your reaction is so strong. Did I hit the mark? Did the new bride really not take a liking to you?"

As the Crown Prince discussed the relief efforts in Lu City, He An's mind wandered to his interactions with Ruan Qinghuan over the past few days. She never tried to win his favor. Even her polite smiles felt forced.

She truly seemed not to care about his opinion. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have caused a scene at the Ruan family's return banquet right in front of him.

Being ignored by his own wife, especially so soon after their wedding, left He An feeling frustrated.

Later that night, after sending her mother-in-law back to Changchun Garden, Ruan Qinghuan felt her plan was half-complete. As long as her mother-in-law stayed there for the night, He An would have to sleep in the study.

Before this, she had been an ordinary office worker who loved getting massages at a spa during her free time. She never imagined that after entering this novel, she would have to rely on this skill to survive in her new life.

Meng Suqiu lay on the daybed, feeling incredibly relaxed with Ruan Qinghuan's massage. Her fondness for her daughter-in-law grew, and she praised, "This is truly relaxing. I didn't expect Qinghuan to have such skills."

"It wasn't tiring at Fuyuan Temple, but on the way back, the old man insisted on visiting towns along the route. After a few days, I was completely drained."

Ruan Qinghuan, picking up on the conversation, said, "Mother, you're just exhausted. A single day of massage won't do much. After a few more days with me massaging you, you'll be able to eat well and feel more energetic."

"Really?" Meng Suqiu, still feeling weak after resting at home for a day, was skeptical about Ruan Qinghuan's words.

"Of course, it's true. If you don't believe me, try it. How about ten days?"

"That would be too tiring for you. Tomorrow, I'll just have the maid give me a casual massage."

"It won't work, Mother. Massage is about the acupoints. If they're not pressed correctly, it won't be comfortable and might even cause harm."

With her persuasive skills, Ruan Qinghuan finally convinced her mother-in-law to try five days of massage, which meant she would stay at Changchun Garden for five days.

In five days, that cousin of He An's should be entering the residence, right?

**

After putting her mother-in-law to sleep with a massage, Ruan Qinghuan went to the courtyard to rest and enjoy the cool air. Although she was a bit tired, the effort paid off as she successfully kept her mother-in-law.

Xia Lian had intended to send Madam back to Meixuan, but Ruan Qinghuan stopped her and scolded her for being inconsiderate.

To live well in the Prime Minister's residence, pleasing the mother-in-law was essential.

Xia Lian found this reasoning quite sensible but worried about what would happen when the Prime Minister returned.

However, the young madam seemed completely unconcerned, "In such a large residence, He An will find his place."

Just as He An arrived at the entrance of Changchun Garden, he overheard this.

"But, my lord and the young madam just got married. Isn't it a bit strange for newlyweds to sleep in separate rooms?"

Leaning on a lounge chair, Ruan Qinghuan took a bite of an apple and gazed at the stars, "You may not realize, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Spending too much time together can get monotonous."

Hearing this, He An frowned. Together all the time?

When had they ever been together all the time?

Ding Xiang: "..."

What kind of twisted logic was this? All she knew was that back in the Ruan residence, when Master and Madam were apart, he had gotten involved with Ye Fang, that vixen.

He An's eyes darkened. I can't believe she thought of inviting her mother-in-law over to avoid consummating the marriage.

Jiang Ming felt the pressure around him increasing until the Prime Minister shook his sleeves and returned to the study. He hurriedly followed.

On the way back, He An asked, "What do you think of the young madam?"

"Ah?" Jiang Ming was confused, "The young... Young Madam? The Young Madam is filial and takes excellent care of Madam."

He An: "And how does she feel about me?"

Jiang Ming paused, then forced out, "The Young Madam treats you... well, sir."

After saying this, Jiang Ming secretly glanced at his master's expression and found that his face had darkened even more.

"Jiang Ming, you've been by my side for ten years. When did you learn to lie?"

Jiang Ming was distressed. In the past, he had handled official matters. There were standard procedures for both public and private matters. As long as he followed the procedures, everything was fine.

However, when it came to the Prime Minister's and the Young Madam's private matters, he had no experience. Seeing the Prime Minister looking disappointed and frustrated, something he had never witnessed before...

Moreover, one was the Prime Minister, and the other was the Young Madam. Both were masters, and offending either side would lead to trouble.

Just then, the door sounded. Hoping the Young Madam had changed her mind and come to invite him, Jiang Ming was disappointed to hear Liu Yueru's voice from outside, "Brother He, Yueru has prepared a bowl of ginseng tea and brought it especially for you."