Chapter 60 He Will Make Up

Chapter 60 He Will Make Up

The cheerful voices of Shen Nanzi and her son drifted over. Xie Yan, standing under the moon gate in the courtyard, turned slightly and saw their figures gradually approaching.

Shen Nanzi wore the red jacket and skirt she had worn when she left home that morning, with a white cloak embroidered with plum blossoms and trimmed with rabbit fur over it.

Her fair and rosy face was radiant, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere she displayed when she was with him.

She was already exceptionally beautiful, and the warm smile on her face made her look like a peony in winter, breathtakingly beautiful.

Xie Yan knew of her beauty, but no matter how beautiful she was at that time, she couldn't stir any ripples in his heart.

But now I know I wronged her.

Looking at her more closely, Xie Yan's guilt became even more intense.

Such a wonderful woman, yet he treated her like that.

His gaze shifted, and when he saw the biting wind, his fingers unconsciously tightened, and his emotions became complicated.

Lie Feng, dressed in a dark, fitted outfit, walked side by side with Shen Nanzi.

...So harmonious!

Xie Yan disliked this scene very much!

And Xie Chengze was sitting on his shoulder.

The smile on Lie Feng's face was completely different from his previous cold and hard demeanor.

Xie Yan could even see through his thoughts, which he couldn't hide.

And Xie Chengze, sitting on his shoulder, was wearing the royal blue jacket from last night, swinging his legs happily, his little face full of smiles.

The three of them laughed in unison, a laugh that felt like a warm embrace of happiness.

It was as if no one could get in.

!!

The smiles on their faces froze the moment they saw him.

Their eyes were filled with doubt and wariness, and even their footsteps stopped in unison.

It was as if I were seeing a demon.

Xie Yan's heart tightened, his breath hitched, and for the first time, he didn't know how to face them.

Previously, it was always Shen Nanzi who sought him out, while he rarely sought her out.

Standing in front of her yard now, he felt a kind of discomfort that was hard to talk about.

It was as if he were superfluous, someone who shouldn't be there and was ruining their good mood.

Perhaps he came at the wrong time.

In the future, he should send someone to investigate before coming over.

He suppressed his displeasure.

Shen Nanzi stopped in her tracks, looking at Xie Yan blocking her doorway.

Thinking back to how he had blocked her way like this morning, it seems he still hasn't given up.

He must have agreed to Xie Hongrui's request for Xie Chengze's crossbow.

They really won't give up!

Not wanting Cheng'er to see her arguing with Xie Yan, she said to Lie Feng, "I'll take him away. You take Cheng'er inside first."

Lie Feng glanced at Xie Yan and hummed in agreement.

Shen Nanzi let out a breath, strode up to Xie Yan, grabbed his sleeve, and pulled him forcefully.

"Follow me!"

Xie Yan looked at her aggressive face and knew that she thought he was there to cause trouble, so he grabbed her arm.

"I'm here to see Cheng'er."

Xie Yan was a cold-hearted person by nature. Even though he tried his best to be gentle, the words he spoke still lacked warmth.

According to Shen Nanzi, finding Cheng'er? Doesn't that mean he wants his crossbow?

"No." Shen Nanzi refused outright, then stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear:

"Xie Yan, you are a shameless scoundrel. In order to please Xue Qingning and her son, you even tried to steal the child's reward. You are utterly shameless."

Xie Yan lowered his eyes and looked at her face, which was arrogant and frightening, but he knew that she was actually afraid.

“I didn’t come here for… the crossbow,” he explained with some difficulty.

To his surprise, Shen Nanzi didn't believe him at all and warned him, "Xie Yan, you've come here for no good reason, so please stay away from us. Now, leave immediately!"

Xie Yan felt as if her heart was being squeezed when she heard her words, filled with guilt and distress.

Before, she couldn't wait to find him, but now she either avoids him or tries to drive him away.

He desperately wanted to reconcile with her and make up for what he owed her, but after eight years together, they had developed a habit.

But what came out of his mouth was, "This is the Prince Jing's residence."

As soon as he said it, he knew he had made a mistake. But the words were like water spilled on the ground.

Shen Nanzi laughed angrily: "But this is my yard. Didn't you say it was the place you found most disgusting?"

Xie Yan looked at her; he had indeed spoken harshly to her earlier.

Now he knew... he had wronged her, and his voice was so low that he felt it wasn't even his own.

"It was today when I met Cheng'er's husband. He said that Cheng'er's handwriting was not neat enough and hoped that I could supervise it."

Shen Nanzi found it strange; he seemed to be talking to her very kindly.

How she once longed for the two of them to be able to talk properly.

However, he always spoke harshly to her, as if she had committed some heinous crime, which provoked her to the point that she had no choice but to retaliate with even sharper words.

They must have ulterior motives.

Shen Nanzi chuckled, as if mocking her past self, "Cheng'er and I don't care if you come. Go wherever you want."

Xie Yan looked at her, having rehearsed his words several times before speaking: "When I was young, I also couldn't write neatly. Later, I learned from experience that Dr. Du said he couldn't quite read Cheng'er's handwriting, so I came... to teach him."

Shen Nanzi knew immediately that it was Dr. Du. She thought, "The sun must have risen in the west to come to my courtyard."

However, she doesn't care about it now.

"If Dr. Du ever mentions Cheng'er to you again, just have him talk to me. I will personally supervise Cheng'er's handwriting."

Xie Yan felt somewhat frustrated as she listened to her repeated rejections.

Then, remembering what Dr. Du had said about Cheng'er's riding skills, she thought, "Tomorrow, I can teach Cheng'er riding skills."

Shen Nanzi admired his persistence; such a humble and ingratiating manner was unlike him.

He was about to refuse, but turned around and asked Xie Chengze, "Do you want him to teach you riding?"

"No!" Xie Chengze resolutely refused.

"Did you hear that? A biting wind is enough." Shen Nanzi turned her head, quite satisfied with Cheng'er's answer. "Unsolicited kindness is either a lie or a thief."

Xie Yan felt as if a dull knife had slashed his heart when he saw her mocking gaze.

He hurt her too deeply; it's not something that can be forgiven by a small matter.

There's still time; we must proceed step by step.

He glanced at Xie Chengze, whose cold eyes looked at him as if he were a stranger.

That look made him feel even worse. He wanted to say something, but found that he didn't know how to start.

They were complete strangers.

＊

Royal Archery Range.

The sun is shining brightly today, and there are signs of spring in full bloom.

"Liefeng, slow down! Cheng'er, hold on tight!" Shen Nanzi stood at the edge of the horse farm, cupping her hands to her mouth and shouting loudly.

"I know, Mother!" Xie Chengze's voice came from afar.

Seeing that they had run quite far away, Shen Nanzi found a place to sit down.

The wind blew through her hair, ruffled her skirt, and filled her nostrils with the sweet, briny scent of withered grass about to bloom in spring.

"Princess Consort Jing, it's been a long time." Lin Ruyi arrived uninvited, accompanied by a large group of female relatives.

Shen Nanzi was displeased upon hearing her voice, "Lin Ruyi, why aren't you at the Marquis's residence attending to the sick? What are you doing out here?"

Lin Ruyi's lips twitched slightly as she retorted, "Oh! It's the guards teaching the young prince again? And Prince Jing is teaching Hongrui from the Second Princess's household again, isn't he? Are you really not afraid of gossip and want the whole of Luoyang to know that Prince Jing is infatuated with the Second Princess?"

The other women were all laughing blankly, without saying a word, yet it made people feel uncomfortable.

Shen Nanzi was speechless; they didn't leave her any free time at all.

Lin Ruyi was very satisfied. "You know, the men of this world are truly like this: a wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a stolen one, and a stolen one is not as good as one that can't be stolen!"

"The more unattainable something is, the more precious it becomes. At the Emperor's birthday banquet that day, Princess Jing stole the show."

"However, she is still not as good as the Second Princess. As long as her little prince pounces on Prince Jing, all the greenery in the garden cannot be contained."

"Lady Hou, don't you remember what I said?"

Lin Ruyi's face turned pale.

"And you lot, do you not want your husbands to have a smooth career in court, and want to suffer the mistreatment I have bestowed upon you?"

All the women lowered their heads, trembling.