Two large lanterns swayed at the entrance of Su Palace, and the gilded signboard of Qing Kui had been hung above the side door again. Between the two stone lions, more than a dozen gorgeously dressed madams and young ladies gathered together. They kept looking up and chattering,
"I always thought that the Su King's heir was handsome …"
"Will the little King come out today …"
"Mother, why don't you ask Father to try to propose marriage? Maybe it will work out …"
…
The guards of the prince's mansion stood at the bottom of the stairs outside the door with a straight face. They were all the beloved daughters of the noble families, so they did not dare to be negligent. They just blocked the way like wooden statues and did not let anyone enter.
At night, a small sedan chair came slowly. When Yue Nu looked up and saw the scene, she knew that it was not good. She hurriedly asked the sedan chair bearers to turn around and enter from the back. However, she did not expect that the sharp-eyed madams would still notice it. She waved at them from a distance.
"Lady Lu."
"You're finally here. We haven't seen each other for a month, and we haven't had the chance to catch up …"
There were all kinds of chattering and trying to get close to her.
Lady Lu hid in the sedan chair. There was a hint of dissatisfaction on her mature and beautiful face, but she could not refuse. She could only get out of the sedan chair and say a few polite words to a group of familiar neighbors outside the door. Then, she hurriedly ran into the prince's mansion.
Yue Nu followed behind her quietly with a smile on her face.
"Madam, the crown prince is going to be famous all over the world this time. He is the most handsome man in Dai Yue. I wonder how many young ladies will be fascinated by him …"
Lady Lu's eyes were a little sour. Of course, she was not jealous of her baby's beauty, but she felt that Xu Danqing was blind. Empress Dowager drew her, but now she drew men but not her. She was just married, and she was not worse than Empress Dowager … In the future, her best friend would be a world-famous beauty, and her baby would also be a world-famous "beauty". She was just a nobody. How could they get along with each other …
As she muttered to herself, Madam Lu slowly walked to the study room at the back of the house. Looking up, she happened to see Ning Yuhe and Zhu Manzhi meditating in the courtyard. Her eyes turned sour again — That's right, even Master is a world-renowned beauty … Sigh … That's not right, why is there an additional servant girl …
Lady Lu frowned and looked at her. She tilted her head and whispered, "Who is that girl? There is no such maid in the mansion … "
Yue Nu frowned and looked at her. "I don't know her. She's young, but she looks fresh. Her breasts are almost as big as Madam's."
They grew up together, so Lady Lu was naturally not shy about these private conversations. She looked up and looked at her again. "She is suitable to be a wet nurse for Ling 'er's child … What did this girl eat when she grew up …" She looked down and straightened her back. She slightly tightened the belt around her waist, and there was a subtle pride in her eyes.
"Aunt Lu, what are you doing?"
Suddenly, an amiable voice rang in her ears.
Madam Lu, who was holding her breasts, shuddered. She hurriedly retracted her hands and folded them at her waist, putting on a proper posture. She snuck a glance at Xu Buring, who was standing behind her. He stuck his head over her shoulder and peered down at her. His gaze was pure, but there was some doubt in it.
"…"
Lady Lu's face turned a little red, but she quickly moved back and touched Xu Buling's waist with her elbow. "You scared me … My skirt was a little messy just now, so I tidied it up. It's okay …"
Xu Buling nodded and chuckled. He retracted his gaze and looked at Zhu Manzhi in the distance.
"She's a friend from the martial arts world. She knows my master and is staying in the mansion for a few days. Aunt Lu, don't think too much."
Lady Lu thought about it for a while and looked at Xu Buling with a slight frown.
"Why would I think too much? Do you think I can stop you from bringing a girl back to the mansion? "
"Of course not."
"Hmph. I used to criticize you because you are young and have a high status. I was afraid you would be deceived … There are many women with bad intentions in this world …"
Xu Buling put his hand on Lady Lu's shoulder with a smile. "Let's talk inside."
Lady Lu glanced at the two women in the distance and tried to pretend that she didn't care. She accompanied Xu Buling into the house and sat down at the round table. After thinking for a moment, she said softly,
"… Ling 'er, you are now … Hmm, you are different from before. There must be more women with bad intentions eyeing you. Don't underestimate women. As the saying goes,' the most vicious thing is a woman's heart '. The women who fight for power in the palace are more vicious than the men in the court …"
Standing behind Lady Lu, Xu Buling naturally moved a stool and sat down next to Lady Lu. He raised his hand and put Lady Lu's leg, together with the hem of her skirt, on his lap.
Lady Lu's words came to an abrupt halt. She held the table with her hand to steady herself and stared at him helplessly.
"Ling 'er, what are you doing?! I … "
Xu Buling's expression was calm, and there was no evil in his eyes. He raised his hand and gently pinched her two soft legs. "After coming back from Hibiscus Temple today, we walked a lot to enjoy the scenery. Are your legs tired?"
"…"
Lady Lu bit her lower lip and tried to look calm. She first stole a glance at Xu Buling's expression, and after confirming that he was only concerned about her, she felt a little warm in her heart. Then she turned to look at the door — the door was closed, Yue Nu was outside, and there were only the two of them in the room.
Lady Lu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Her legs felt comfortable after being pinched a few times, so she stopped moving. She leaned against the table and carefully looked at the side of Xu Buling's face.
Xu Buling slowly pinched her legs from bottom to top and said softly, "How am I different now?"
Lady Lu blinked and pretended to be casual. "That meddlesome Xu Danqing drew you. Although a man's ability has nothing to do with his appearance, handsome men have always been likable since ancient times. Even in the imperial examination, a man with a good appearance and temperament can get a lot of advantages … Xu Danqing's brush is very good. It's been more than 20 years since the Eight Chiefs of Martial Arts was announced, and it's still popular in the market. You'll inevitably be talked about for decades in the future, and there must be many women who want to see you …"
Xu Buling was addicted to pinching her. He shook his head and chuckled. "It's just a false reputation, and it doesn't affect the overall situation. Aunt Lu also cares about this? It's hard for other women to see me, but Aunt Lu sees me every day. I don't think there's anything good to see … "
As he spoke, his hand had already reached near her waist, and it was obvious where he was pinching.
Lady Lu looked a little strange. She raised her hand and squeezed Xu Buling's arm down without batting an eyelid. She smiled and said,
"I'm the one who took care of you. I naturally care about your good looks. Alas, it's a pity that I'll leave in two years, and it'll be hard to see you again. You don't even have a portrait with you …"
"…"
Xu Buling suddenly realized that she was here for this … Empress Dowager's darling gave him a portrait, and he was going to give it to her …
Lady Lu saw that Xu Buling didn't speak, and there was resentment and loneliness in her eyes. She looked at Xu Buling as if she wanted to say something.
In just a few breaths, Xu Buling only felt that his bones were numb. He coughed softly and said,
"It's just a copy of Pei Yulong's painting. If Aunt Lu likes it, you can take it and hang it in the house."
"Okay."
Lady Lu showed a little smile. She was silent for a while. She felt that her already sore legs were even more sore after being pinched like this. She gently withdrew her legs and said softly,
"It's getting late. You should rest early. Miss Xiao will come over in a few days, and the mansion will be busy for a while. I'll go back first."
Xu Buling stood up and said, "Take care, Aunt Lu."
Madam Lu nodded her head and very consciously picked up the painting box from the study table. Her eyes were filled with delight as she walked out …
