The person in his arms slept soundly, completely unaware of his inner turmoil.
Lu Mingxiu almost wanted to pinch her nose, but after thinking about it, he couldn't bear to wake her up, so he could only be angry with himself.
"I hope you grow up quickly!" Lu Mingxiu thought silently, his gaze tender and affectionate. "If I could completely make you belong to me, perhaps I wouldn't have to worry about this gain and loss."
Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, Lu Mingxiu felt a sense of satisfaction again.
She was ultimately only his.
******
Early the next morning, An Ran still got up to see Lu Mingxiu off. Nian Ge'er had already changed his clothes and arrived at her room early.
Today, Nian-ge'er didn't cling to her and stay in bed, but he was also very well-behaved and didn't urge her to go out. He just blinked his big eyes and looked at An Ran. An Ran had someone arrange the outing, told Biluo to watch Nian-ge'er play, and changed her clothes.
Because she was going out, An Ran dressed much more discreetly.
She wore a light yellow satin jacket embroidered with flowers, and underneath, a white pear-patterned skirt. Although she had her hair styled in a peony bun and wore several pieces of red gold and pearl jewelry, dressing as a married woman, she still retained a girlish charm.
Anran still hadn't forgotten her veil.
After the two had breakfast, Anran set off with Niange'er. Huichuntang was located on the most bustling Zhuque Street. Niange'er said that sometimes when Yu Zhou couldn't bring Yu Sili along, he would leave him at Huichuntang.
Since he could remember, Nian-ge'er had never been to such a bustling street. However, he was too well-behaved and sensible to cause trouble for others. Even though he longed for it, he could only sit obediently next to An-ran and refused to make any demands.
The bustling sounds outside the carriage were enough to capture his full attention.
Seeing this, An Ran took the initiative to lift a corner of the brocade curtain on the carriage window so that Nian Ge'er could see clearly outside.
Nian-ge'er stared wide-eyed at the bustling scene outside. Suddenly, he spotted a stall selling various painted clay sculptures and excitedly said to An-ran, "Mother, buy me a set too!"
An Ran smiled and nodded.
Huichuntang is located in the middle section of Zhuque Street. After walking and stopping for almost half an hour, we finally arrived.
With guards surrounding the carriage on all sides, the people on the street guessed that the person must be wealthy and noble. When Anran alighted from the carriage, some onlookers only saw a graceful figure, wearing a veil, stepping down. A small child then alighted from the carriage as well.
Huichun Hall.
As soon as An Ran and Nian Ge'er entered, a quick-witted waiter came to greet them. The arrival of this group was enough to attract the attention of everyone inside. Everyone turned to look in their direction.
This also includes Yu Zhou, who was exchanging herbs with the shopkeeper.
Having accumulated a lot of herbs over the past few days, Yu Zhou arrived at Huichuntang early, hoping to sell them for a good price so he could buy some tonics for his mother.
He hadn't noticed the commotion in Huichuntang until he heard a soft, melodious female voice ask, "Has Yu Zhou been here before?"
The noisy Huichuntang immediately quieted down, and her voice became exceptionally clear.
Yu Zhou was both surprised and delighted. He turned around and, sure enough, saw a pretty woman wearing a veil standing in Huichun Hall, holding a small child's hand, with guards and maids standing beside her. The child was Zhou Nian, and this woman was none other than Lady An Jiu Niang, the wife of the Marquis of Pingyuan.
Nian Ge'er also spotted Yu Zhou, and he excitedly waved to Yu Zhou, saying, "Brother Yu!"
He also liked Brother Yu very much. Before, when he and Brother Sili went out to play in the countryside, he was too tired to walk when they came back, and Brother Yu carried him on his back.
Yu Zhou suppressed his excitement and walked over with a calm expression, his voice as steady as ever. "Madam Lu." He glanced down at Nian Ge'er and said gently, "Nian Ge'er."
Seeing this, the shop assistant quickly led the two to a quieter private consultation room.
The situation inside is clearly visible from the outside, so no unpleasant comments will arise.
“Brother Yu, Nian’er said that Sili came with you. I was thinking of bringing Sili home so she can play with Nian’er for half a day.” Having already met Yu Zhou with Lu Mingxiu, An Ran felt it was impolite to speak while wearing a veil, so she took off the veil and smiled, “You can rest assured about Sili’s safety. I’ll just let them play at home and not go out.”
He recalled their first meeting, under the magnificent sunset, that stunning face. Although he knew there was absolutely no possibility between them, he was still very happy to see her.
Yu Zhou thought silently, but his expression remained completely unchanged.
"I'm at ease." Yu Zhou nodded in agreement, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect. "Sili is still playing in the backyard. I'll call him over right away."
An Ran smiled and nodded.
She waited for Yu Zhou to bring Yu Sili back so they could go home together.
Little did they know, the carriage in front of the gate had been targeted.
Chen Qian was leading Xu Hui out, and although they were in a carriage, the speed slowed down when they arrived at Huichun Hall because of the carriage from the Pingyuan Marquis's residence.
Chen Qian immediately recognized that it was a carriage belonging to the Marquis of Pingyuan's residence.
The only one who can be here right now must be An Jiu Niang!
Chapter 129
"Stop," Chen Qian suddenly said.
As if possessed, disregarding the fact that Xu Hui was also in the carriage, he had the carriage stop opposite Huichuntang.
Beside the carriage of the Marquis of Pingyuan's residence stood four guards from the Marquis's mansion, along with two old women who had accompanied the carriage. It seemed that the people inside had already disembarked. Chen Qian was immediately annoyed and irritated. Now, the prospect of seeing An Jiu again was practically impossible.
Sitting next to him, Xu Hui clearly sensed the change in his emotions and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
She knew Chen Qian well; he was a man who never showed his emotions, and although he was still young, he was never impulsive. Who, and what, could possibly stir such emotions within him?
Just before leaving, Chen Qian was in a good mood, wanting to take her to the silk shop in the north of the city to choose fabrics. Xu Hui knew that this was a business owned by the Chen family. She was also happy that she was gradually getting closer to the core of the Chen family.
Even if she can't get to know the young master of the Xu family for the time being, it's enough for her to live a wealthy life.
"Young Master Chen, what are you looking at?" Xu Hui followed his gaze and looked in the direction of his eyes. Ahead was Huichun Hall, which didn't seem particularly interesting. In front of Huichun Hall was a carriage with understated yet luxurious decorations.