It was one thing for Chen Tingfeng to be lazy and reluctant to get up on a winter day, but it was quite another to cut off his cousin's romantic entanglements.
As soon as Fu Zhen opened the door, she saw Chen Tingfeng holding a lover's knot and looking at her. His cold expression could not conceal his eagerness.
"..." Fu Zhen gave him a half - smiling look. "Cousin is in such a hurry. People who don't know might think you're eager to marry me off early."
These words hit a sore spot with Chen Tingfeng. His face darkened, but he couldn't get angry with Fu Zhen. So he stood at the door for a long time. It was not until Fu Zhen tried to push past him that he grunted, "If it were me you were marrying, it wouldn't be a bad thing for you to get married early, cousin."
Fu Zhen: "..."
She was really defeated by his thick - skinned audacity.
She rolled her eyes at him, snatched the lover's knot, and walked outside. Unexpectedly, Chen Tingfeng was like a shadow, following closely beside her. Perhaps out of concern for her reputation in broad daylight, he only walked beside her. On closer inspection, one could detect a hint of intimacy.
"Cousin is angry?" He leaned closer. "I've just obtained a piece of jade material. It warms up when you touch it. I'll have someone carve it into a jade pendant and send it to you in a few days. You can hold it to warm your hands when you're free."
Warm jade was extremely precious, but in his mouth, it was just like a hot - water bottle. He was truly wealthy and extravagant.
Fu Zhen gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing.
Chen Tingfeng scratched his nose and continued, "Of course, with jade, there should also be gold and silver. Although I've never seen cousin wearing a璎珞 necklace, there's a new gold and jade tasseled necklace in my jewelry store. It's made of pure gold but not too heavy. It looks extremely luxurious and would suit cousin perfectly."
Fu Zhen, who had been keeping a straight face, couldn't hold it back any longer. She looked at him with amusement. "Do you think of me as a clothes hanger, hanging everything on me?"
Although she did like these magnificent things, she was not as exaggerated as he was. If she really wore all these gold, silver, and jewels, people would say she was a nouveau - riche with poor taste the next day.
Seeing her smile, Chen Tingfeng stopped talking and a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "Even if you don't wear them out, it's worth it just to admire them in your room."
How could he not know this? He just wanted to make the beauty smile.
When they reached the door and saw that Chen Tingfeng was still following her, Fu Zhen raised her eyebrows. As if just remembering something, she said in a sudden realization, "Oh - right. I haven't sent a visiting card to the Duke's Mansion. It would be inappropriate for me to just go there unannounced. How about we go another day..."
"Coincidentally," Chen Tingfeng said with a smile as if he had anticipated this. "I just sent a visiting card to the Duke's Mansion, inviting that Young Master Wei to meet at the Yongchun Tower. Why don't cousin go with me?"
Fu Zhen looked at him with a half - smiling expression. "Cousin is really prescient."
Yuanbao, who usually followed him around, was nowhere to be seen this morning. Fu Zhen knew that Chen Tingfeng must be up to something. But she had nothing to do today anyway, and it was quite interesting to play along with his nonsense. Hadn't she just found out his plan?
She gave a soft snort and placed the lover's knot in the box held by Bi Yu. "Fine. I know you won't listen if I don't go. I'll go. But when I'm talking later, remember not to interrupt."
This man had always been unpredictable. Every time she interacted with Xie Yan, he would always be hiding in some corner, staring at them. Even if she went to meet the young master of the Duke's Mansion alone today, she was sure that he would hide in a corner again. If she found him, he might even smile at her, as if his peeping was perfectly justifiable.
Chen Tingfeng looked upright and innocent. "A true gentleman doesn't speak during a chess game. Don't worry, cousin. I definitely won't interrupt."
As for interfering, that was another matter.
Fu Zhen could tell that he was up to no good and was too lazy to argue with him anymore. She lifted her skirt and was about to get into the carriage.
Suddenly, a pair of hands with distinct knuckles reached out in front of her.
When they had quarreled in the past, he had also reached out his hand like this, but Fu Zhen had always regarded him as having ulterior motives and ignored him completely.
Although she still thought he had ulterior motives, she looked at the hand with a thin layer of calluses on the palm for a moment and then placed her hand on it.
The large and small hands clasped together. The large hand with distinct knuckles firmly held the fair, slender hand, like a dragon grasping a precious treasure. It was not until she got into the carriage that the hand slowly let go.
Chen Tingfeng mounted his horse and rode beside the carriage, just like in the past, protecting her firmly.
The Duke's Mansion.
After receiving the visiting card from the Marquis's Mansion, Wei Yuan's heart skipped a beat. An indescribable joy welled up from the bottom of his heart. He couldn't help but pace back and forth in the room a few times, and the joy on his face was hard to hide.
"Someone, prepare my horse!"
The visiting card didn't specify who had invited him. It was in the name of the Marquis's Mansion, but in his heart, he could think of no one but Fu Zhen.
In a room not far from his courtyard, a maid rushed into the room. In front of Wei Wanling's impatient and frowning expression, she whispered what had happened.
"Cousin is getting his horse ready?" She was shocked and quickly grabbed the maid's hand. "Did they say where he's going?"
This maid was her personal maid, loyal to her and smart. In just a few months, she had made quite a few connections in the Duke's Mansion.
She whispered, "They didn't say where. But the gatekeeper told me in private that it was a visiting card from the Wu'an Marquis's Mansion."
Wei Wanling's face suddenly darkened. At first, when Wei Yuan had sent things to the Duke's Mansion, she had wanted to stop him, but she couldn't find a good reason, so she had to watch helplessly as he prepared with anticipation.
She felt a little panicked. Clutching her handkerchief to her chest, she slowly stood up.
"No, we have to follow him..." she murmured softly.
Seeing this, the maid beside her quickly said, "The young master is changing his clothes now. It will probably take a while. How about we find an excuse to go over? Then we'll naturally have a reason to follow the young master out."
Wei Wanling's eyes flickered. After a moment, she said, "I remember cousin likes to drink milk. Coincidentally, cousin has been feeling listless these days. You go and fill a thermos, and we'll go and visit cousin."
The maid immediately understood and smiled. "Yes, I'll go right away."
On this side, just as Wei Yuan was about to go out after getting dressed, he unexpectedly met Wei Wanling carrying a food box as soon as he left the courtyard gate.
She beamed. "Cousin!"
Wei Yuan was eager to go out, but when he saw her, he frowned. "Why are you here?"
Seemingly sensing his displeasure, Wei Wanling's eyes dimmed. She was clearly a little disappointed, but she still managed to force a smile on her face. "I heard from the maid that cousin has been sleeping restlessly these days. Coincidentally, a pot of milk was sent to my courtyard today, so I thought I'd cook it and bring it to cousin."
Saying this, she held out the food box in her hand, inadvertently showing the red marks on her palm from the food box.
She had been pampered since childhood. Even after losing her parents, with her wealth, she had never suffered any hardships. Her hands were as soft as cream, and a slight bump would leave red marks, which were extremely eye - catching.