Chapter 945 - 945 945 You Look Really Nice When You Smile
Chapter 945: Chapter 945 You Look Really Nice When You Smile Chapter 945: Chapter 945 You Look Really Nice When You Smile Liu Zhi’er’s entire being seemed on the verge of collapse.
Her complexion was deathly pale, lacking any trace of color.
Di Yelei couldn’t bear to see her despondency and quickly tried to comfort her.
“Second Sister, you are just distressed about Sisi, which has thrown you into confusion. There’s a saying, ‘too much concern leads to chaos.’ Let’s pretend that what happened just now didn’t happen for the best.”
Her cheeks burned with shame, especially upon recalling how she had just now misunderstood him, making her heartache all the worse.
“Brother-in-law, it is Second Sister’s fault. I heard someone mention that you wanted to take a concubine, and Sisi did not permit it, which led to her being confined in the manor. To prevent the news from spreading, you…”
Di Yelei furrowed his brows. “Second Sister, where did you hear these words?”
“In my small shop, ah! The diners were talking about it as they ate, and that’s why I…”
The more Liu Zhi’er spoke, the quieter her voice became. Initially, her anxiety had clouded her judgment, but at the moment, upon careful thought, she realized how complex the situation was and her complexion turned from pale to a shade of green.
Di Yelei quickly called over Old Cheng and asked him in detail, then sighed.
“It seems that indeed someone intentionally mentioned these things in your shop to throw a stone and probe the response from the Marquis Mansion.”
“I am foolish, so foolish… how could I be so naive, not suspecting anything at all…”
He glanced at Liu Zhi’er and, seeing her unsteady on her feet, ultimately couldn’t bear it in his heart. “You don’t need to worry. Those who would come to probe the Marquis Mansion at the moment are limited to a few suspects. We should discuss and see how to respond in the future. As for you, Second Sister, now that you are here, stay in the mansion. Once we confirm everything is safe, you can leave the mansion so as not to implicate Da Mao and the other children.”
Liu Zhi’er certainly wouldn’t refuse and dejectedly went downstairs.
As she passed by Old Cheng, their eyes met, and her face felt as though she had no place to put it, so she hastily covered her face and continued down.
“Old Master Marquis! This Second Lady really acts so rashly!”
Old Cheng thought about how diligently he had served the Old Master Marquis and the Princess all these years and suddenly being blamed like this had filled him with resentment.
“I, the Marquis, have seen your conduct over the years and understand it well. Second Sister is also worried about Sisi, and while she was wrong in this matter, you are ultimately older, so let’s not quarrel with a woman about such things! Later, you go to the storehouse and pick something you like, and put it on my account.”
“Old Master Marquis, you worry too much, Old Cheng is not someone who cannot understand reason. As for the Old Master Marquis’ reward, let’s wait until the end of the month to see if this old servant is still alive before discussing it.”
Indeed! No matter how good the things are, one must be alive to enjoy them.
The expression on Di Yelei’s face immediately dimmed.
–
In the Palace.
Zhao Yuanlang listened to the report from the Hidden Guard, his brows never relaxing.
Eunuch Xiao stood quietly in the corner, silently on alert. The investigation of the matter had not gone through him at all; could it be that His Majesty was starting to doubt him?
“So, Liu Zhi’er entered the Di Residence and hasn’t left since?”
“Indeed, she hasn’t. Other than sending a message home saying she would temporarily stay in the Di Residence to accompany Liu Sisi, she did not say much else. Her two small shops had always been personally run by her, and now that she has left, they are left to Da Mao, an eleven-year-old, to look after. It’s amazing how that child, despite his young age, manages everything without showing any sign of difficulty.”
The Shadow Guard who came to report sympathized with the child and purposely spoke a few words in praise before His Majesty.
“Hmm! To be so sensible at just eleven years old, it is truly hard on that child. Remember to have someone look after him to prevent any accidents from befalling the boy.”
Zhao Yuanlang issued an order.
This matter had originally stemmed from the affair of Princess Ruyu. He had used Liu Zhi’er to probe the Di Residence, gambling on whether they cared for Sisi—if they did not, she would not have been kept in the Di Residence. With this in mind, there indeed seemed to be a sense of bloodline affection.
“Yes, your servant obeys,” the Shadow Guard hastily responded.
Zhao Yuanlang got to his feet, then suddenly remembered another question, “Have your men seen Princess Ruyu? How is her health now, and can she still move about freely?”
The poison he had personally administered to Princess Ruyu had been in her body for several days now, and it was time for the antidote.
The Shadow Guard seemed to have some difficulty answering, “Your Majesty, the security at Di Residence is extremely tight. In addition to the five thousand trusted soldiers of Marquis Yongping, there is also a considerable number of Hidden Guards within the Marquis Mansion, so it is difficult for our horsemen to approach the princess without alerting the enemy. Therefore…”
“A bunch of useless fools!”
Zhao Yuanlang, infuriated, could not help but berate them.
The thought of those elite troops inside the Di Residence only added to his frustration.
Could it be another Yang Yikun?
The moment this thought crossed his mind, his suspicions grew wild like grass on the prairie, proliferating wildly! His previously softened heart instantly turned to stone again.
So be it! If it truly could solve the urgent matter at hand and get rid of those elite troops in Di Yelei’s heart, what did sacrificing a mere Princess Ruyu count for?
Having made up his mind, he pondered for a long while before issuing several more orders.
–
Liu Sisi was unaware of the upheaval in the capital city, and even if she had been, she was powerless at the moment, having been in a deep slumber.
Waking from her daze, she felt completely drained and her body limp.
The sunlight filtering through the cracks shone on her face, now unmasked, feeling so warm that it instantly dispersed the gloom in her heart.
She could not resist propping herself up and pulling open the carriage curtain, basking in the sunlight.
Gazing at the picturesque beauty outside and the villages on the edge of the horizon, she sighed deeply.
“Sisi, You’re awake?”
Zuo Xingyu, who was driving, turned his head, smiling gently at her. The clean and refreshing smile captivated Liu Sisi’s eyes.
“I never imagined you’d look so good when you smile. If you smiled more, the line of girls smitten with you would stretch from the head to the tail of the avenue, and you wouldn’t still be single.”
Zuo Xingyu’s smile stiffened for a moment, then bloomed anew.
“Do you like seeing me smile? Well then, I will make sure to smile more from now on.”
“Stop talking nonsense. It’s better to smile more often than to look like an old man at such a young age,” Liu Sisi advised, her eyes tinged with a trace of sorrow.
“Speaking of which, it is all because of me that you…”
“Nonsense! What do you mean, ‘because of you’? I did all this willingly,” Zuo Xingyu rebuked seriously, seeing the sadness in Liu Sisi’s eyes and quickly changing the subject, “You haven’t eaten anything all day. I’ve brought some grains, and we’ll stop to cook when we arrive at a place with water ahead. Would you like some pastry to stave off the hunger for now?”