Jin Xianghuan had come today specifically to watch Chen Huanyun make a fool of herself. After enjoying a lunch, she bid farewell and left.
Fu Zhen saw her off to the door. As she was watching her leave and about to turn back, suddenly she heard the sound of galloping horses.
She turned around and saw Chen Tingfeng and Xie Yan riding their horses. In the blink of an eye, they were right in front of her.
"What a coincidence," Xie Yan reined in his horse and smiled at her. "Why are you standing at the door?"
Fu Zhen pursed her lips and smiled softly. "Sister Jin from the Jin family came to catch up with me just now. She left only a moment ago."
Chen Tingfeng dismounted neatly. Seeing Xie Yan still sitting on his horse with his eyes fixed on Fu Zhen, his eyes darkened. "Xie Yan, do you want to be a door god at my family's door?"
"Don't dare, don't dare," Xie Yan flipped off his horse and tossed his whip to a servant waiting nearby.
Both of them had gone hunting outside the city today. Now in their riding outfits, they looked imposing.
The usual laziness of Xie Yan had disappeared. Now his eyes sparkled when he looked at her, like a young and handsome lad.
"Miss Jin? The younger sister of Jin Yuan?" Xie Yan stepped forward, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her.
He still carried the heat after exercise. Now that he was so close, the masculine aura hit her face. Fu Zhen blushed slightly and couldn't help taking half a step back. "Yes. Does Your Highness the Second Prince know her too?"
Hearing this title, Xie Yan paused for a moment, then smiled again. "I know her elder brother. I've met her twice before. I only remember she has a straightforward personality, but she rides a horse very well."
"Xianghuan is a straightforward person. I always feel relaxed when I associate with her," Fu Zhen said softly.
Xie Yan nodded. "I've never seen you get close to anyone before. It's really reassuring that you have such a good friend now."
These words sounded like he was concerned about her.
Fu Zhen's eyes twitched. She couldn't help looking up at him and met his smiling eyes looking at her.
Chen Tingfeng saw that after Xie Yan had just said a few words to the servant, those two over there got together. They seemed to be in love. For a moment, he felt a fire burning in his heart.
Considering they were at the door, he didn't say much. His originally somewhat cold face became even colder. "What are you all standing here for? Enter the mansion."
Xie Yan saw his cold expression and knew what was on his mind. This guy still hadn't agreed to let him get close to his beloved cousin. He couldn't help scratching his nose, but he didn't stay away like before. He just said, "The weather is nice today. How about having some tea and enjoying the flowers in the pavilion in your mansion's garden for a while? Cousin, come with us too?"
Chen Tingfeng gave him a cold look. Xie Yan still had that smiling face. He didn't dodge when their eyes met, clearly showing his intention.
Fu Zhen paused. Xie Yan didn't hide his affection for her today. Could it be...
The trick at the temple fair last time really worked.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help looking at Chen Tingfeng. Seeing him with a cold face and saying nothing, and not directly exposing her and Xie Yan, she couldn't figure out what was on his mind for a moment.
But this wasn't important. What was more important was that Xie Yan had already thrown an olive branch to her.
If not now, when?
Her eyes moved. There was a look of hesitation on her face. "This..."
Her hesitation made Xie Yan suddenly wake up. Fu Zhen hadn't left her parents' home yet. His invitation just now was indeed a bit out of line.
However... thinking that he could only see her once in a long while, he was reluctant to let this opportunity slip away so easily. So he looked at Chen Tingfeng and said, "What do you think?"
If Chen Tingfeng agreed, it would be the elder brother bringing his younger sister and a good friend together, which was quite reasonable and wouldn't cause any problems.
Chen Tingfeng glanced at him lightly. He certainly knew that Xie Yan was using him as a pretext. If he flatly refused at this moment, he was afraid that he would become the villain who separated a loving couple again.
Thinking that none of his warnings to these two had worked in the previous times, and even by accident, these two had gotten closer and closer, he couldn't help feeling a bit depressed.
Moreover, if he refused at this moment, he was afraid that his beloved cousin would give him a cold shoulder again. He had just managed to ease the relationship with her a bit, and he didn't want all his previous efforts to go to waste because of such a small thing.
Besides, he happened to have something to tell her.
With this in mind, he looked at Fu Zhen and said calmly, "Then come along together."
Fu Zhen was stunned. She really didn't expect Chen Tingfeng to agree so readily. She was a bit dazed for a moment.
A smile appeared at the corner of Xie Yan's eyes. "Zhenzhen, let's go?"
The three of them walked all the way to the garden.
Xie Yan originally wanted to get close to Fu Zhen, but Chen Tingfeng walked in between them without a trace. Xie Yan paused. Chen Tingfeng's eyes looked over. "What? Can't Your Highness the Second Prince walk?"
Xie Yan pursed his lips. He knew that this dark - bellied Chen Tingfeng would never make it easy for him. But since his goal for today had been achieved, he didn't say anything more. He just joked, "What? If I really can't walk, will our Young Master Chen carry me on his back?"
Fu Zhen lowered her head to hide the smile on her lips.
Chen Tingfeng glanced at him. "Since Your Highness the Second Prince has difficulty walking, how about I ask Fuyun to make a wheelchair for you, so as not to let Your Highness charge me with a crime of disrespect later."
These words left Xie Yan speechless. He pointed at Chen Tingfeng for a long time and only managed to blurt out, "I won't argue with you."
In the pavilion, Yuanbao had already led some people to clean it up and served the tea.
The three of them sat at the stone table. The tea in front of them was steaming. The gentle spring breeze blew across their faces. For a moment, they didn't feel like talking and just focused on enjoying the scenery.
After a while, Xie Yan tasted the tea and smacked his lips. "The tea in your mansion still tastes good."
Chen Tingfeng said calmly, "These teas are all the tribute tea you stole from the palace. How could they not taste good?"
Xie Yan was picky about tea. He couldn't get used to ordinary tea, which he found astringent. He only drank the new tea of the current season, and for the old tea, he only drank the tribute tea from the south of the Yangtze River.
In the past, Concubine Rou was in favor, and she doted on her only son. Seeing that his taste was so delicate, although she scolded him a few times, in the end, she stuffed all the good tea rewarded by the emperor to him.
Xie Yan had a thick skin. He took it with a smile, left a little for Concubine Rou, and brought the rest to Chen Tingfeng.
After all, the Marquis Mansion was almost like his second home. As long as he slipped out of the palace, he would surely come to find Chen Tingfeng.
Fu Zhen's taste was not as delicate as the two noble people present. After drinking the tea, she only felt the fragrance lingering on her lips and teeth. She vaguely thought it was good tea, but she didn't expect it to be the precious tribute tea.
Without saying a word, she took a few more sips.
Xie Yan said lazily, "The tribute tea for this year hasn't arrived yet. When it does, I'll share some with you."
He had always been generous and was never stingy with good things, especially when the recipient was Chen Tingfeng.
Chen Tingfeng naturally had no objections. After all, they had been like this since childhood. Whenever he had something good, Xie Yan wouldn't be polite either.
He said calmly, "If there's flower tea, bring some over."
Then he picked up the teapot and filled the empty teacup in front of Fu Zhen. His movements were very natural.
Fu Zhen's heart skipped a beat. She looked up at him in surprise and happened to meet his eyes.
Perhaps because of the gentle spring light, his eyes seemed to be a bit more tender. But the next second, he lowered his eyes and returned to his usual calm look.