RPAGF Chapter 178 The Eldest Princess's Invitation
Chapter 178 The Eldest Princess's Invitation
Shen Fuhan remained silent for a long time.
He was pondering whether or not to tell her about what happened in his dream.
If I were to speak out, what good would it do besides increasing fear?
I didn't say anything last time because I was worried she would be scared, and it's the same this time.
He didn't want her to know that she died young in her dream.
It's better to know nothing than to be paranoid; you'll likely live a more carefree life that way.
He will protect her.
Seeing that he was standing there without saying a word, Wen Jiayue assumed that he was drunk and not sober, so she rang the bell.
"Ruyi, go to the small kitchen and tell them to make a bowl of hangover soup and bring it over."
Shen Fuhan came to his senses and said calmly, "I'm not drunk."
Wen Jiayue didn't believe it at all; drunk people would say that.
"My lord, please go take a bath first. Your smell of alcohol will bother Zhaozhao."
Shen Fuhan responded, but did not move, still staring at her.
Wen Jiayue felt flustered under his gaze and brought up a topic: "My lord, I want to tell you something."
"what's up?"
"Yao'er is afraid of you. He says you're always harsh with him. Remember to be gentler with Yao'er in the future, so he can learn better."
Shen Fuhan glanced at her: "I have never been mean to him."
Wen Jiayue then asked, "How do you usually teach him? What's your tone like?"
“It’s like this now,” he paused, then asked, “Where is it not gentle?”
Wen Jiayue: "..."
He may have misunderstood the word "mild".
Before she could speak, Shen Fuhan had already turned around and walked towards the washroom.
She looked at his back with a puzzled expression. Why was he acting so strangely today?
Perhaps it was because he was drunk. As the saying goes, drinking to drown one's sorrows only makes them worse, so it's not surprising that he acted this way.
Wen Jiayue didn't think about it too much and went to sleep before he came back.
When Shen Fuhan came out of the bathroom, he saw that she was already asleep, and he paused involuntarily.
She's been a bit too cold to him lately. Is it intentional, or is she planning something else, perhaps a surprise for him?
Someone knocked on the door, and Ruyi brought over some hangover soup.
Shen Fuhan drank it all in one gulp. Ruyi took the bowl, curtsied, and was about to leave when she heard the Marquis speak.
"Has Madam mentioned gift-giving to you recently?"
Ruyi paused for a moment, then shook her head. What gift should she give?
Shen Fuhan didn't say anything more and turned back to his room without uttering a word.
After pondering for a while, Ruyi finally remembered that the day after tomorrow was the Marquis's birthday!
Last year, the lady spent a whole month preparing and meticulously embroidered a pair of lotus flowers to present to the Marquis.
Now that her birthday is just around the corner, the lady has made no move whatsoever!
Ruyi was extremely anxious, and the next day, after her wife woke up, she quickly reported the news.
Wen Jiayue was also taken aback; Shen Fuhan's birthday was already here, she had completely forgotten.
In her past life, she always gave away things she embroidered herself.
She always thought that things that could be bought with money were not rare for Shen Fuhan; he lacked nothing.
So she embroidered some little trinkets for him herself, hoping he would like them.
It's clearly too late this year.
Even if she had time, she didn't want to take action; he wasn't worthy.
"Madam, what should we do?" Ruyi said in annoyance. "It's all my fault for forgetting to remind you. I should have remembered the Marquis's birthday."
Wen Jiayue wasn't in a hurry at all, and said slowly, "The day after tomorrow hasn't arrived yet, what's the rush? Helping me get dressed is the most important thing right now."
However, she couldn't leave out a birthday gift. Shen Fuhan had given her two gifts, so it was time for her to reciprocate on his birthday.
I took some time today to go to the street and buy something a little more expensive as a congratulatory gift.
After lunch, Wen Jiayue decided to go out of the mansion.
She went to a jewelry shop, picked out a jade pendant, paid for it, and left.
Ruyi asked, "Madam, shall we return to the manor now?"
Sensing that she wanted to play a little longer, Wen Jiayue smiled and said, "Let's go to the teahouse and sit down."
There happened to be a riverside teahouse nearby, where you could enjoy tea and the view – a truly pleasant experience.
Wen Jiayue requested a private room on the second floor by the window, where the sounds of flowing water and traditional music were captivating.
Tea and snacks were served. Wen Jiayue ate a few bites, then rested her chin on her hand and looked out the window.
The weather was clear today, and several tourist boats shuttled on the river. Although it wasn't as lively as it was at night, it was still a scenic view in itself.
Seeing that she was staring, Ruyi suggested, "If Madam would like to take a boat, why don't we rent one?"
Wen Jiayue shook her head: "I was just thinking that when Zhaozhao is a little older, I will definitely bring her to take a boat ride."
In her past life, Zhaozhao loved listening to her read poetry.
When she read the lines, "A small fishing boat with two children, they stow their oars and sit in the boat," she remembered them and kept reciting them.
With a look of longing, she asked, "Mommy, Mommy, when are we going to go boating?"
She always says "next time".
But Zhao Zhao from her past life will never see that next time, which seems so far away.
Wen Jiayue slowly exhaled, still feeling a pang of sorrow in her heart.
Actually, it was her own fault. If she had taken Zhaozhao out on a boat immediately, it wouldn't have become such a regrettable thing.
Fortunately, she still has a chance to make amends.
Wen Jiayue carefully wrote this down.
After drinking half a cup of tea, she was about to leave when she suddenly noticed some commotion in the crowd below.
She asked curiously, "What happened?"
If there's something interesting to see, she naturally wants to check it out.
Just as she was about to send her maid down to investigate, she spotted an exceptionally luxurious pleasure boat on the river.
The painted boat was three stories high, exuding an air of nobility, and the sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from afar, far more pleasant than those in the teahouse.
Such a pleasure boat must have been owned only by members of the imperial family.
Just as I was engrossed in watching, two men walked past outside the screen, sighing and looking on.
"As soon as His Highness saw Lord Shen, he sent the two of us here, and wouldn't even let us board the pleasure boat."
Wen Jiayue was slightly taken aback. The people on the painted boat were... Li Zhilan and Shen Fuhan?
Before she could think it through, another man said, "Lord Shen is already married. Even if His Highness likes him, he can only glance at him a couple of times. Didn't you see there's another man? He's the one we should be wary of."
“What you said makes sense. That person looks much younger than the two of us. If he really wins His Highness’s favor…”
Wen Jiayue clenched her fists tightly, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She thought Shen Fuhan was diligently performing his duties at the Dali Temple, but she never expected that he would come to accompany Li Zhilan on a boat trip.
She only witnessed it this once; who knows how many more times it will happen in private!
Wen Jiayue couldn't tell whether she felt resentment or anger. She drank half a cup of tea in one gulp to barely suppress her emotions.
Ruyi had already panicked and whispered words of comfort to her.
"Madam, please don't overthink it. Isn't there another man here?"
Wen Jiayue said calmly, "Seeing is believing. Why would I overthink it?"
She withdrew her gaze, stood up, and said, "Let's go back to the manor."
Just as I stepped out of the teahouse, a woman dressed as a maidservant suddenly came up to greet me.
The maidservant curtsied and said, "Greetings, Madam Shen. I am the personal maidservant of the Princess. Her Highness invites you to the pleasure boat for a chat."