Upon hearing Shen Qianmo's words, Shangguan Pian looked up in surprise at Shen Qianmo, seemingly not expecting her to help her. Her expression towards Shen Qianmo also showed less hostility. She said to Shangguan Jin, "Qianmo is right. I was just catching up with her."
"Oh? I didn't know Pianpian and Qianmo were acquainted." Shangguan Jin glanced at Shen Qianmo and said thoughtfully.
Shangguan Pian is his sister, and he knows her personality well. How could she be so kind as to reminisce with Shen Qianmo? She must be here to make things difficult for Shen Qianmo. He just doesn't understand why Shen Qianmo is speaking up for Shangguan Pian. Based on his understanding of Shen Qianmo, she doesn't seem to be the kind and gentle person she is.
Shangguan Pian felt a little flustered under Shangguan Jin's gaze and explained with some unease, "I was just saying. Now that Ba Ge is here, I'll keep your future sister-in-law company for a while. Pian Pian will be leaving now."
"Princess Pian seems to be very afraid of the Eighth Prince?" Shen Qianmo smiled as she watched Shangguan Pian leave in a hurry. How could someone as willful and arrogant as Shangguan Pian have someone she was afraid of?
“Pianpian has always been unruly, and the Empress and Third Brother dote on her. I have been leading troops outside for many years, so I am naturally a bit strict. As a result, Pianpian is somewhat afraid of me,” Shangguan Jin explained unhurriedly.
"So that's how it is. Qianmo, the Eighth Prince is so gentle with Second Sister." Shen Qianmo couldn't help but say sarcastically. She was extremely disgusted by these princes who were two-faced.
"Qianxin is my future wife, so naturally I will take good care of her." Shangguan Jin didn't know Shen Qianmo's identity and thought that Shen Qianmo and Shen Qianxin were sisters, so he said this with great confidence.
"It's truly a blessing for Second Sister to marry the Eighth Prince," Shen Qianmo said calmly.
Shangguan Jin glanced at Shen Qianmo. This woman didn't seem particularly special, but she had a certain power that attracted him, and even made him feel that he had met her before. He heard that his third brother had gone to the Prime Minister's mansion to ask for her hand in marriage, and it was just waiting for the Empress's approval.
"Whoever marries Qianmo will be blessed," Shangguan Jin said with a smile, but in his heart he was secretly calculating that he absolutely could not let Shen Qianmo marry Shangguan Che. Otherwise, if the Prime Minister did not help either side and took a neutral stance, he would lose his bargaining chip in the competition with Shangguan Che for the position of Crown Prince.
"Eighth Prince, you flatter me. I am not worthy of such praise." Shen Qianmo smiled politely. When she saw a red figure flash by behind the rockery, her smile widened and her eyes lit up. "Qianmo has other matters to attend to, so I will be leaving now."
Shangguan Jin was moved when he saw the sudden bright smile on Shen Qianmo's face. That smile was unlike any other. Although it looked faint, it touched him like a hundred flowers blooming. It was as if looking at that smile, even the winter lake water could slowly melt away.
Watching Shen Qianmo's hurried departure, Shangguan Jin smiled and said, "Shen Qianmo, I will absolutely not allow you to marry Shangguan Che!"
Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Subtle Flutter of the Heart
After leaving the palace gates, Shen Qianmo deliberately walked very fast, all the way to the outskirts of the city.
A faint smile played on her lips, carrying a hint of girlish mischief and quirky charm. Shen Qianmo looked towards the woods behind her and laughed, "Is the Blood Demon Lord playing hide-and-seek with Qianmo?"
Upon hearing Shen Qianmo's words, Mei Xue generously stepped out from the woods. In fact, he knew that Shen Qianmo had seen him while he was in the palace. Since Shen Qianmo hadn't exposed him, he was happy to play along with her for a while. With a wicked smile on his lips, Mei Xue looked up at Shen Qianmo and said with a smile, "If Mo'er likes it, how about playing hide-and-seek with you?"
“But Qianmo has never liked such childish games since she was a child.” Shen Qianmo’s lips curled up, her eyes misting over, as if she had remembered something unhappy.
Hide-and-seek. She loved it in her previous life. She remembered that when she was little, her mother and father would always play hide-and-seek with her. Later, her mother fell ill, and no one played with her anymore.
She later married Shangguan Che, who was so moved that he was willing to put aside his princely airs and play hide-and-seek with her. She became even more devoted to him.
But after her death, her soul heard Shangguan Che say to Yao Ruoqin, "That idiot Shen Qianmo actually asked me to play such a childish game as hide-and-seek with her." His tone was so disdainful and contemptuous.
"Childish? I don't think so." Mei Xue keenly sensed Shen Qianmo's emotions, walked up to her, and said with a doting smile on her lips.
Shen Qianmo looked up and met Mei Xue's captivating eyes, as deep as obsidian. The emotions within those eyes were so genuine that they touched her heart without her even realizing it.
"So, is the Blood Demon Lord interested in playing with Qianmo?" A childlike innocence appeared in her eyes, and a cunning and lively smile appeared on her lips.
It's not that she really dislikes playing hide-and-seek anymore, but rather that her reborn self doesn't allow herself to have such naive thoughts.
She is the master of the Demon Palace, the one who wants to change Qi Yue's political situation and destroy the Prime Minister's Mansion. She is not an innocent and naive little girl, so how could she have such a childish hobby?
"Then let Mo'er hide around here. I'll close my eyes for now." Mei Xue smiled indulgently and slowly closed her eyes.
Shen Qianmo looked at Meixue, who had closed her eyes, and felt an indescribable sense of emotion. To stand there with her eyes closed, so completely unguarded, required immense trust.
Mei Xue's crimson robes fluttered slightly in the suburbs, where the mountains, rocks, and forests gave off a wild and untamed feel. Yet, Mei Xue stood there, exuding the aura of a king.
Shen Qianmo hid behind a rock, quietly watching Mei Xue. Her features were sharply defined, as exquisite as the most perfect porcelain. She had her usual wicked smile on her lips. Although she seemed cynical, she also had an air of domineering arrogance.
Suddenly, I realized that Mei Xue was so handsome, so handsome that just looking at him made my heart flutter.
"Mo'er, if you don't make a sound, I will come looking for you." Mei Xue smiled confidently, and her eyes, as black as the finest jade, slowly opened. It was as if a painting that was originally colorless had been painted with color, becoming so vivid and charming.
Mei Xue's eyes and brows were filled with a smile.
Hide-and-seek was indeed a childish game for him; he had never liked playing such games since childhood. However, he was willing to play with Shen Qianmo for her sake.
Moreover, he actually felt very happy playing hide-and-seek with her. He even found the feeling of searching for her through this game of hiding and seeking to be quite enjoyable.
It's as if she was the woman he had been searching for all along, and now that she's right beside him, he's determined to find her and never let go of her once he does.
Following his heart, he walked forward step by step, the fallen leaves under his feet rustling. Mei Xue felt as if a mysterious force was pulling him forward.
Shen Qianmo hid behind the rocks, watching Mei Xue's steps approach step by step, and felt her heart inexplicably pound.
"Mo'er, this is not a good place to hide behind these rocks." Mei Xue leaned close to Shen Qianmo's ear, her gentle breath brushing against Shen Qianmo's earlobe.
Shen Qianmo felt a tingling sensation and said coquettishly, "You must have been peeking, otherwise how could you have known I was hiding here without even looking for me!"
"Mo'er was watching me the whole time, so you should know perfectly well whether I was peeking or not," Mei Xue said with a wicked smile, her tone alluring.
"You... how did you know I was looking at you?" Shen Qianmo asked somewhat embarrassedly after Meixue's question, but she was very puzzled. She had indeed been looking at Meixue and was sure that Meixue had not opened his eyes, but how did Meixue know that she was looking at him?
“Because you can feel it here.” Mei Xue gently took Shen Qianmo’s hand and placed it on his chest, her eyes filled with deep affection.
Shen Qianmo was being held by Mei Xue's hand. She instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, but Mei Xue held her hand tightly and refused to let go. Shen Qianmo was both annoyed and ashamed, so she used her other hand to punch Mei Xue's chest.
"Is Mo'er being coquettish?" Mei Xue grabbed Shen Qianmo's other hand, a seductive smile on her lips, and slowly approached Shen Qianmo.
Shen Qianmo turned her head slightly, her face flushed with an unusual blush, and her heart was pounding. Had she fallen for him?
"Mo'er, one day I will make you stand openly by my side, so that the whole world can see it." Mei Xue released Shen Qianmo's hand, pressed down on Shen Qianmo's shoulder, and said with great conviction.
Shen Qianmo looked up at Meixue. He hadn't said many tender words, and even when he made such a promise, his eyes weren't gentle and tender, but rather domineering and resolute.
He may not be gentle, and he may be somewhat domineering, but this domineering nature has a unique tenderness. Every word he speaks has a powerful force, gradually penetrating her heart.