Published at 4th of August 2022 10:40 pm

Chapter 160: Exciting News

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

At present, the front entrance to the Jiang fu was a hive of activity. Many people were gathered round in clusters in front of Minister Jiang fu’s entrance, causing a huge congestion. All this was because the imperial decree had arrived to bestow the marriage upon Hong’an Junzhu.

Currently, Hong’an Junzhu was well known throughout the capital not only because she was a natural born beauty, but also she received the favour of the Empress Dowager. Maybe it was because the heavens were jealous of her beauty that she had repeatedly been framed and thrown into prison. Consequently she had been in the limelight for a while.

At this moment, both inside and outside of the main hall, everyone was kneeling on the floor; at the forefront of all of these people were Jiang Quan and Jiang Ruan. The palace eunuch dragged on with a piercing yet droning voice: “Today, by authority of the heavenly mandate, and the Empress Dowager’s imperial decree, the Emperor has ordered that Jinying Wang be conferred a marriage to the eldest di daughter of Minister Jiang from the Ministry of War. Eldest Miss Jiang is dignified, composed and virtuous, filial, benevolent and kind hearted, with virtues that both compliment the virtues of her lord, and will assist in running the affairs of the wangfu. To be established as Jinying Wangfei, with a marriage predestined by fate, has been decided by the Emperor himself——”

After making the announcement, the palace eunuch then peered down at the person kneeling on the floor, “Hong’an Junzhu, accept the imperial decree.”

Jiang Ruan paused slightly before she smiled and stepped forward to receive it. Bai Zhi hurried forward to pass to him a heavy silk brocade bag, as Jiang Ruan said, “I’ve troubled Gonggong[1].”

[1] 公公 (gōnggong) – eunuch.

“Junzhu is too courteous.” The palace eunuch weighed the silk brocade bag in his hand with a satisfied smile and his tone became amiable. “This is a marriage predestined by fate and I, too, have been infected by Junzhu’s happiness.” As he said this, he looked towards Jiang Quan, whose face was somewhat stiff, with an upraised brow. Word had long passed many ears about how Minister Jiang treated this di daughter of his extremely harshly, and it seemed like those rumours were not feigned at all. Empress Dowager Yi De had the heart to protect Jiang Ruan and now, Jiang Ruan would be the mistress of the Jinying Wangfu. Therefore, now she could also be considered as a personage in the Great Jin with the ability to call the wind and summon the rain. The palace eunuch had every intention of currying favour and thus took the chance to mock Jiang Quan. He quite shrewdly pointed out, “Why, this is indeed good news, but why does Jiang Daren seem a little unhappy?”

Jiang Quan was shocked and forced a smile, “This is me being so happy that I do not even know what to say. My daughter is naturally rather slow and blunt, therefore, to be connected to the Jinying Wangfu is truly a social climb for us. To have gotten Empress Dowager’s blessing is truly her good fortune.”

The palace eunuch put on a fake smile, “Jiang Daren is truly articulate. It is that she’s gotten Empress Dowager’s blessing, isn’t it? Now Empress Dowager has spoken and in the days ahead, she will be entering the Jinying Wangfu. Should Xiao Wangye not treat Junzhu well, then Empress Dowager would also aid Junzhu to leave any predicament that she’s in. Empress Dowager regards Junzhu like a beloved granddaughter of her own flesh and blood, and if anyone dares to bully Junzhu, then she would definitely give them a dressing down.”

Once these words were spoken, a flash of purple and green ran across Jiang Quan’s face. They were clearly spoken for him to hear, hammering the truth into his head such that his heart could only feel stuffy and smothered. However, despite how this palace eunuch might seem utterly unremarkable, he was still someone who served beside Empress Dowager, someone he could not lightly offend. Whatever the case may be, he still had to give him face and so, could only swallow down the frustration in his heart and smile.

After they smoothly bid farewell to the palace eunuch, Jiang Quan looked at Jiang Ruan with a cold smile, “You are truly competent!”

“Father flatters me. This too is Empress Dowager’s blessing.” Jiang Ruan hung her head with a slight smile. At once, that appearance of hers made Jiang Quan feel another spell of frustration and he hated how he could not kick Jiang Ruan out of the door. Thus, he snorted loudly and turned away, storming off in a huff.

Once Jiang Quan left, Lian Qiao furrowed her brow, “Miss, this imperial decree…” This heavenly edict came truly as a surprise without time for anyone to make preparations, making it rather impossible to defy and resist the decree. Lian Qiao could only give an inward sigh; living in an official family, one’s major social events of their lives such as marriages were not one’s own decisions- even if Jinying Wang seemed to be decent, and her own Miss did not seem to reject him. However, this direct conferral of marriage seemed to disregard Jiang Ruan’s intentions. For example, at this moment, there was not a trace of joy on Jiang Ruan’s face.

Bai Zhi also felt somewhat sad and worried. She peered at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan shook her head, “Tidy a little, and later we will take a trip to the Jinying Wangfu.”

Xiao Shao’s swift actions were something she had not foreseen, as such, there were some things she needed to ask clearly.

* * *

In the Eighth Prince fu, Xuan Li abruptly swept everything on the table to the floor. “Crackle! Rattle!” With a crisp, resounding crash, all of the exquisite porcelain had fallen into shatters on the floor and a broken shard left a tiny wound on the palm of the person standing beside him.

Xuna Li then sat back on the chair as he helplessly took a deep breath and slowly uttered, “So this, this was how he played it as Empress Dowager’s decision.”

Previously, there had been rumours in the palace about Xiao Shao seeking a conferred marriage from the Emperor but he thought that after all the various little happenings that had recently occurred, the Emperor would not be amenable to Jiang Ruan becoming Jinying Wangfei. However, now that the Empress Dowager had abruptly passed an imperial decree, Xuan Li understood in a flash. Xiao Shao never intended on getting the conferred marriage through the Emperor; the person he had always sought was Empress Dowager Yi De. The rumours that came out before were meant to just blur everyone’s line of sight. It also caused Xuan Li to be in disarray, and even agree to Xuan Lang’s clumsy plan to force a marriage. Except in the end, Xuan Lang died. He lost a useful chess piece in the palace, and he almost implicated himself in the mess at the same time.

“Xiao Shao, this prince has truly underestimated him.” Xuan Li narrowed his eyes though he continued to grace a gentle, slight smile on his lips. Yet, a sinister glare penetrated from his eyes and he spat out those words through clenched teeth as if he hated how he could not have Xiao Shao killed. For such a proud and arrogant person such as himself, what he hated most was to be played like a fool in the hands of another, yet now that he had been entirely led by the nose on Xiao Shao’s lead, how could he resign himself to such fate?

The young man sitting below him had a truly discomforting look on his face. He was missing a finger on his left hand; this was truly none other than Second Young Master of the Jiang family, Jiang Chao. With Xuan Li in such fury, how could he feel any better either. The brother and sister pair, Jiang Ruan and Jiang Xin Zhi, were the thorns in his eyes, and with Empress Dowager’s imperial edict, Jiang Ruan could now depend on the large tree that was Jinying Wangfu– as a result, it would be even more difficult to deal with her in the future.

“The matter that I ordered you to do last time, have you wrapped it up neatly?” Xuan Li changed the subject as he asked Jiang Chao.

“Replying to His Highness,” Jiang Chao hurriedly responded, “everything has been smoothly put into order. The affairs in the palace have all been settled and there won’t be any obstacles.”

“Xuan Lang truly had no brains, even in his death, he had to bring such troubles.” Xuan Li indifferently looked upon the shattered pieces of porcelain scattered all over the floor, “We will have to change the people in the palace.” Although Xuan Lang did seem incapable in the palace, on the contrary, he was a good pawn to spread information inside. Now with his death, it would not be easy to plant someone new into the palace leaving him only able to put his hands on existing people.

“Does His Highness plan to start from amongst the princes? Upon a glance, this subordinate feels that Thirteenth Prince seems intelligent and perhaps could be of some use.” Jiang Chao remarked. That day, Xuan Pei’s every action was within the eyes of everyone present. All had spoken of how this Thirteenth Prince did not show the mountains nor revealed the waters[2], yet, in fact, he was an intelligent person. Those previously wicked slaves, who attended Thirteenth Prince, were now treating him rather deferentially and even the Empreror had started to place some importance on him. Occasionally, he would also have someone to send him some gifts.

[2] 不显山不露水 (bù xiǎn shān bù lùshuǐ) – fig. to hide key facts of himself in obscurity.

However, even if Thirteenth Prince was this bright, with his birth mother having such low status, he was destined to never have any qualifications to wrest that position (of the future Emperor) from Xuan Li. This sort of person had no threatening power yet was bright, thus it would be fitting to use him as a chess piece.

“Intelligent? To be overtly bright is not a good thing either,” Xuna Li slowly shook his head, “I’m afraid he’s one of Xiao Shao’s people.”

“What His Highness means…” Jiang Chao was startled.

“Just a young fellow who is still wet behind the ears, how could he have the skill to create such a turnabout. I’m afraid that all of this was due to the methods of Xiao Shao and even with the Crown Prince, this is probably the case as well. Why Xiao Shao has not personally taken matters into hand, I am still unclear. However, this person, Xuan Pei, I do not want to use him.” Xuan Li replied.

There was still one more reason he left unsaid. He did not know why, but when looking at Xuan Pei he always felt uncomfortable, like some strange emotion stirred in his heart. Accordingly, he was extremely unwilling to even glance at Xuan Pei.

“If we cannot use Thirteenth Prince, then based on His Highness’ intentions, what sort of suitable person should we seek?” Jiang Chao had probingly asked.

“Hasn’t a new batch of talented young ladies just entered the palace?” Xuan Li looked upon his fingertips, “There is definitely someone who wishes to climb upwards, you just need to find the chance and choose wisely from amongst the crowd.”

Jiang Chao jolted and immediately lowered his head as he respectfully answered, “As you wish.”

* * *

After hearing the news of Jiang Ruan’s conferred marriage, there was not just one person who was feeling upset by the news. Presently in the Eastern Palace, standing in the garden pavilion was a despondent Liu Min, looking at the carps swimming to and fro within the pond, while his thoughts were a million miles away[3].

[3] 九霄云外 (jiǔxiāoyúnwài) – beyond the topmost clouds (idiom) / unimaginably far away.

With the imperial decree from the Empress Dowager and the preeminent benevolence of the Emperor, just one sentence was sufficient to declare that he would no longer stand a chance. The mere thought that Jiang Ruan would henceforth be known as Xiao-shi, caused his heart to swell up of an acrid bitter emotion. He was a scholar through and through and considered himself to be proud and self righteous. Over the past twenty years, he had never known the taste of love, and by the time he had come to understand his own feelings, it was already too late. However, it appeared that Jiang Ruan and Xiao Shao’s relationship was far from cursory. They were rather close and now with the Empress Dowager’s imperial decree, she….should be quite pleased.

Just as he was deep in his thoughts, he was caught totally unaware by a slap on his shoulders. Liu Min turned his head around, only to see the Crown Prince with a broad teasing smile on his face, “Imperial Grand Tutor Liu, what has made you so deeply engrossed in your thoughts?

Liu Min shook his head, “Your Highness, Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince was not at all affronted as he casually took a seat and gave him a cursory glance, “You ought to be feeling upset regarding the matter of Hong’an Junzhu.”

Liu Min was startled, as it was sacrilegious to be discussing the reputation of a young lady and just as he was about to deny it, he heard the Crown Prince state, “You don’t have to deny it, Imperial Grand Tutor Liu. This isn’t some political or policy exposition where this prince is not as good as you, but the matters pertaining to the relationship between a man and a woman, this is where you are not as good as this prince.” He propped his chin in his hand and looked curiously at Liu Min, “Actually this prince is very baffled. This Hong’an Junzhu, if one were to be upfront and comment, then all that she is, is but a beautiful face. I just don’t quite get how so many of you seem to be possessed in some way. Let’s just totally disregard Xiao Shao, that ice block, but you as Imperial Grand Tutor are someone who isn’t sentimental nor given to romantic notions, yet you are heartbroken over her. This is truly an eye-opener for this prince…”

Liu Min’s mouth moved yet he didn’t know how to counter the Crown Prince’s words. Essentially what the Crown Prince had said was without fault. Now he was depressed, but he had no intention of arguing with the Crown Prince over the matter. He wanted to say something but ultimately he tampered it down, only to reply, “No matter what, the Crown Prince did stand up for justice and was willing to lend a helping hand to Hong’an Junzhu, and for that, this subject is most grateful.”

“Forget about it. This prince didn’t just do it for you.” The Crown Prince waved his hand, although Liu Min had beseech him to think of a plan to help with Jiang Ruan’s situation. Except, under normal circumstances, he was not someone to meddle in other people’s business and instead would have been much happier to watch the excitement. If it weren’t for the appearance of Xuan Pei, in all consciousness, he would never have gotten himself involved in that convoluted pool of muddy water.

On that day, Xuan Pei had asked him if he was keen to take revenge on Fourth Prince, Xuan Lang, for betraying him. At that time, the Crown Prince was becoming truly vexed over Xuan Lang’s sanctimonious hypocrisy but was troubled that he had not been able to find the most ideal opportunity to punish him. And so, upon hearing Xuan Pei’s idea, he could not help but be tempted. Moreover, Xuan Pei further embellished the benefits that he would gain from his involvement and ultimately was successful in inciting the Crown’s Prince need for excitement. Because of this he joined hands with Xuan Pei to act out that worthy performance.

Even now, the Crown Prince was still mystified over the fact that a reticent prince within the palace like Xuan Pei could come up with such scheming ideas. That nuisance Jinling Divine Physician, Xia Qing, was not a person that anyone could request an audience with, but Xuan Pei had stated that as long as he(Crown Prince) released some medical texts from the palace, Xia Qing would definitely agree to enter the palace. And shortly thereafter, things had occurred just as expected. Previously, even though the Crown Prince could not fathom how Xuan Pei had possessed such god-like precognition, upon reflection, this seemed to be the work of Xiao Shao. Afterall, Xuan Pei was merely a child, and at his age it was too young for him to come up with such a sophisticated strategy, and to be so meticulous, hence it must be under the directive of Xiao Shao.

Therefore, while Liu Min thanked him, in reality the Crown Prince had not helped because of Liu Min. And yet, considering the emotional state that Liu Min was in, the Crown Prince could not help feeling a bit empathetic. Normally, Liu Min was consistently strict and loathsome but ultimately he was just a forthright Imperial Grand Tutor. Seeing him downcast and depressed over a girl, and considering that they were once master and pupil, the Crown Prince patted Liu Min’s shoulder in comradery, “You don’t have to be too heartbroken Imperial Grand Tutor. There are hundreds of thousands of women on this earth, why should you insist on only looking at her? It won’t be long before she will be someone else’s wife. Imperial Grand Tutor is familiar with the etiquette and ceremony, so why don’t you let me help find you some capable and nice ladies, and while they won’t be as beautiful as Hong’an Junzhu, they will not disappoint.”

Liu Min froze as he hurriedly stood up, “I am most grateful for the Crown Prince’s kind intention, but I do not harbour such desires. Your humble subject has some matters to attend to and request to take my leave.” With his parting words, he offered a respectful bow before fleeing in haste.

The Crown Prince spat out the residual tea leaves from his mouth saying, “Boring.”

* * *

On the other hand, within the Jinying Wangfu, the atmosphere was vastly different from the gloomy dismal ambience found in other places. Instead the whole fu was in high spirits almost as if it was celebrating and ushering in the new year. Since the old Jinying Master and Madame had passed away, the Jinying Wangfu had been deserted, and cold and cheerless so it was rare to see the whole fu bustling with festivity and cheer. Today, since the imperial decree from the Empress Dowager was passed, the whole fu was rushing about proclaiming the news, and even the Jinyi Guard who were scattered throughout the Great Jin and had received the news through flying pigeons were beginning to pool their resources to prepare a huge wedding gift to present to their Master and Young Furen.

Steward Lin was happily using a cloth to wipe the diorama mask till it was gleaming before putting it on his face. Dragging Jin Si with him he asked, “Do you think it’s better to use golden screen printing on the wedding invitations, or should we use natural silk embroidery?” After some thought, he shook his head, “Maybe we should write on sandalwood sticks and on the front we could stick some beads. Some time ago we brought back some exquisite ceramic glazed beads from Persia, and if we stuck them on, it would be glitzy and would appear affluent and festive. I think we should just do it this way.”

Jin Si rolled her eyes, “Lao Lin, do you have to go so overboard for just some wedding invitations? If the Old Madame were here and saw how extravagant you are, she would definitely be regretting her decision to appoint you as the steward.”

“What would a young lady like you know,” Steward Lin hated when others undermined his capabilities, and immediately he puffed up his chest and proudly self proclaimed his abilities, “Regarding this particular wedding invitation, if it is not done well, it will tarnish the reputation of our Wangfu. What our Master is doing- this marriage is of huge importance. All this time, many people have said that our Master will never be able to marry and have a wife, so our aim is to give a resounding slap on their faces. That is why this wedding needs to be done in a grand style. Moreover, do you think that the puny amount of money that will be spent on an invitation can bankrupt the household! Little Si, let this Lao Lin tell you, what our Master had given as dowry, now THAT is called bankrupting the household!”

When Jin Si heard this, her eyes lit up, but before she could even ask, she heard some rustling from above as Jin San flew down from a tree. Facing Steward Lin, she asked in excitement, “How much is the betrothal gift[4]?”

[4] 聘礼 (pìnlǐ) – betrothal gift / bride price. Bride price, bride-dowry, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry.

In traditional Chinese culture, an auspicious date is selected to ti qin (lit. ‘propose marriage’), where both families will meet to discuss the amount of the bride price demanded, among other things. Several weeks before the actual wedding, the ritual of guo da li (lit. ‘going through the great ceremony’) takes place. The groom and a matchmaker will visit the bride’s family bearing gifts like wedding cakes, sweetmeats and jewellery, as well as the bride price. On the actual wedding day, the bride’s family will return a portion of the bride price (sometimes in the form of dowry) and a set of gifts as a goodwill gesture.

“Make a guess?” Steward Lin was slow to answer, leaving the two dangling in suspense.

“7 x 7, 49 chests?” Jin Si hazarded a guess. Jin Si’s personality was more manly, so she was not clear of the protocols for marriage and betrothal gifts so she had flippantly tossed out a number.

“Pei, aren’t 49 chests a pittance only suitable to bestow as alms for a beggar?” Jin San shook her head, “For a lady, the more luxurious the betrothal gifts are, the more prestigious and impressive it is, so my guess is 9 X 9, 81 chests.” Jin San was more feminine compared to Jin Si, but no matter what, they were all trained as Jinyi guards, so they were never concerned about these matters pertaining to a lady’s family and the expectation. As such they were still rather clueless.

Steward Lin gave the two of them a look of utter disappointment, “I never would have thought that in your eyes our Jinying Wangfu was so wretched and poverty stricken. What’s 9 x 9, 81 chests. It’s a whopping one hundred and sixty eight chests!”

“A HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT CHESTS?” Jin San and Jin Si both exclaimed in unison. Jin San knitted her brows, “So how much is that?”

“I’ll let you know better later, but one hundred and sixty eight chests are more than enough to equal 3 ministerial officers’ entire household net worth and still have extra left over.” Steward Lin educated, “But that’s just the betrothal gifts. Knowing our Master’s character, after our Young Furen has married into the household, the whole Jinying Wangfu will be hers. Ai, now that our Master has grown, he now tends to his wife and has no time for us subordinates any more.” As he finished saying, Steward Lin could not help feeling laden with grief.

Three ministerial fu’s worth of betrothal gifts was extravagant and opulence beyond measure. Jin San exchanged a look with Jin Si, and from each others’ eyes, they were able to see the wonderment there. Jin San swallowed her saliva and asked, “With such extravagant betrothal gifts, hasn’t Master thought about how much is being given to the Jiang fu, and isn’t that letting the Jiang fu gain unnecessary advantage?”

Steward Lin shook his head, “Dumb indeed, how could all of those gifts be sent to the Jiang fu. Obviously they were given in entirety to Young Furen for safe keeping. You don’t need to worry about this as our Master had taken measures with the preparation.”

“Our Master is exceptionally awesome.” Jin San blinked her eyes, “If I were a girl, I would be more than willing to marry him.”

“Aren’t you a girl?” Steward Lin scorned, “Then again, our Master would never consider you as you aren’t even as beautiful as our Young Furen.”

“……”

* * *

Steward Lin was wrangling with Jin San and Jin Si so much so that they were oblivious to the fact that Jiang Ruan had entered the main gates of the Jinying Wangfu. None of the Jinying Wangfu subordinates and servants thought to alert Steward Lin as each of them were too busy welcoming the soon-to-be Young Furen. Some servants were busy leading the way, while some were busy making the introductions, and in short, everyone whom she had encountered along the way were respectfully greeting her. Each and everyone were reverently bowing and acknowledging her with a resounding “Young Furen”, causing Lu Zhu to covertly cover her mouth to mask her chuckles.

Once the person in charge of notification brought news of Jiang Ruan to Xiao Shao’s study, all the subordinates considerately excused themselves. Lu Zhu and Tian Zhu also kindly closed and locked the door behind them, leaving some alone time for the two people who received the marriage decree.

“Xiao Shao, what are you trying to do?” Jiang Ruan asked. Xiao Shao’s swift execution had indeed caught her unaware, leaving her blindsided as if she was suddenly kidnapped and thrown onboard the Jinying Wangfu’s boat.

Xiao Shao turned round and he was not attired in his usual black acourturement. Instead, he was wearing a deep red bijia paired with a changpao embroidered with a white python on the collar. Somehow, attired as such seemed to diffuse his usual demeanour to appear somewhat affable, accentuating his peerless handsomeness even more. That pair of resplendent and dazzling eyes seemed to draw you into them making one take a second look. He intensely stared at Jiang Ruan, “Are you unhappy?”

“Because of you, the whole capital is saying that I dug out the best cabbage. Do you think I am happy about that?” This was possibly the first time Jiang Ruan had outrightly expressed her emotions.

A flash of mirth flash in Xiao Shao’s eyes, “Well, I have allowed you to dig it up.”

Such a tender manner would have left anyone totally at a loss for words. Jiang Ruan glared at him, “You’re highly pleased, aren’t you?”

“I’m overjoyed.” Xiao Shao drew closer to her as he spoke in soft tones. He was naturally tall, and as he drew closer, Jiang Ruan barely came up to his chest. From afar, one would almost think that he had her completely enveloped within his chest. His inflection carried an unnoticed before indulgence and tenderness, and his voice seemed to have an ineffable magnetism as he called out, “Wangfei.”

Jiang Ruan stepped back, creating a distance between them. What was this person trying to do, randomly using his beauty and wiles on a whim and wherever he likes. As it is, he was born handsome, and when he used it to his advantage, it was definitely very useful. Xiao Shao chuckled and his voice was strangely enchanting and enticing, and at this moment it was extremely smooth, distinguished and polished like jade, utterly unlike his previous cold and aloof self.

“Why are you in such a hurry to rush the conferment of marriage?” Jiang Ruan frowned, “Are you leaving soon?”

Xiao Shao lowered his eyes to look at her, “Yes, I’ll depart in ten days’ time, so I had to settle this matter with you before I leave, and before something unexpected arises.”

What ‘settle things with her’, such litany was rather ambiguous. However those were not things that concerned her as much as the real news, “In ten days?”

“Time is pressing, and many within the imperial court are beginning to eye you covetously, so with the Empress Dowager’s decree, even when I leave, you are safely established within the Jinyin Wangfu. When I return victoriously, then we will hold the wedding ceremony.” Xiao Shao lowered his voice, “The Jinying Wangfu will be able to guarantee your safety, and our marriage is the interim stratagem. You can be rest assured, I will definitely help you. Furthermore, once we are married, I will not force myself on you.” After saying this, a blush tinted Xiao Shao’s handsome face although his expression remained as stoic and unflappable as usual.

Jiang Ruan finally became more accommodating and placid, so staring at him she replied, “Alright.” With Xiao Shao’s arrogant and haughty personality, and the fact that she was not some national beauty, there really was no need for Xiao shao to use force. On this point, Jiang Ruan was a hundred percent assured. And with this thought, she felt that her relationship with Xiao Shao wasn’t as awkward, but more like a good friend or comrade who was there to help out, and so this was really not a bad deal.

Seeing her with her head down and deep in thought, Xiao Shao pensively looked into her eyes, pursing his lips and suddenly said, “Once you’ve entered the Jinying Wangfu, you would officially be my wife, Xiao Shao’s woman, so if there is any dispute, you don’t have to take notice of them, just toss them out.” Pausing for a moment, he carried on, “Liu Min and Xuan Pei, and also Gu Yi, you don’t have to take any notice of them.”

Jiang Ruan was dumbfounded, and was rendered speechless, somehow sensing a hot flush rising on her face. In her heart, she secretly stated that Xiao Shao, a seemingly indifferent person, would always find a way to make the relationship between the two extremely embarrassing once again.

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