Cui Yunchu had thought Xiao Yi would pull a long face, but unexpectedly, he was quite easy to talk to today.
She was somewhat surprised.
Beside them, Shen Xiabai gave a faint response, and Xiao Yi called for Cui Yunfeng and left.
Cui Yunfeng looked at Cui Yunchu, still entirely bewildered.
Eunuch Liu hurriedly followed them.
Cui Yunchu limped over and sat down at the stone table and chairs. Shen Xiabai, however, followed her and sat opposite her.
Cui Yunchu felt rather uncomfortable. "Why are you always following me?"
Shen Xiabai lowered his eyes and poured himself a cup of tea, saying seemingly casually, "Just walking around. I saw Eldest Miss Cui eavesdropping here and got curious, so I came to join the fun."
Cui Yunchu couldn't help but feel that Shen Xiabai was acting a bit strange today. Even with her speaking so harshly, he didn't lose his temper or storm off. "Since when did Lord Shen love joining the fun so much?"
Shen Xiabai leisurely finished his cup of tea before turning his gaze back to Cui Yunchu. "What is it that Eldest Miss Cui wants to hear?"
Hear what? Baffling.
"Listening to them talk, what else? Don't tell me I'm listening to the wind?"
Shen Xiabai's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, a flicker of something passing through his eyes. "Then did you hear what you wanted to hear?"
His gaze seemed lazy, but he stared intently at Cui Yunchu, wondering if the Cui family had received some news in advance.
Cui Yunchu nodded, and Shen Xiabai's grip on his teacup tightened slightly.
"I heard it, but... it's of no use."
"...Then what, to Eldest Miss Cui, is of use?"
Cui Yunchu was stumped; how would she know?
She raised her eyes to look directly at Shen Xiabai, her brow furrowing deeply. "Lord Shen, you are acting very strange today."
Taking her insults without talking back, it was as if he had become a different person.
"Just what exactly did you come to the Crown Prince's estate for?" Cui Yunchu inexplicably felt a bit of vigilance.
Shen Xiabai said, "Answer my previous question first. Once you answer me, I will naturally answer you."
The two were in a stalemate. The atmosphere fell silent for a few breaths before Shen Xiabai was the first to withdraw his gaze, saying coldly, "Out of ten sentences from Eldest Miss Cui's mouth, I'm afraid nine and a half cannot be trusted."
"..." Cui Yunchu was a little angry. "Shen Xiabai, is there anyone who belittles people like you do? Speak or don't, I'm not even eager to listen."
Shen Xiabai watched Cui Yunchu lose her temper and remained silent without saying a word.
This was the first time the two had interacted so peacefully. Though they bickered, compared to their past life-and-death struggles, it was immeasurably better.
However, Shen Xiabai's occasional scrutinizing gaze made Cui Yunchu quite uncomfortable.
But even though they weren't talking, there was at least someone sitting opposite her. It wasn't like before, where she was always all alone.
Especially since he didn't speak, Cui Yunchu inexplicably opened her mouth, "I wanted to hear how they get along."
Shen Xiabai's eyelashes trembled slightly as he looked at Cui Yunchu.
"As a person, I'm full of merits from head to toe, but the people of this world are blind and don't like me. So, I wanted to know just what kind of girl, and what kind of interaction, is worthy of being loved."
She leaned on the stone table, resting her chin in her hands.
After saying that, she suddenly frowned again. "I'm just curious, that's all. Besides, having myself is enough; I don't care for others' affection."
A long silence made Cui Yunchu a bit restless. "You don't need to laugh at me. I was just bored and walking around."
She didn't need people's sympathy or pity, and she especially didn't want others to treat her as a joke.
She just needed a person sitting opposite her, preferably deaf and mute, as long as there was someone to talk to.
After a long while, the person opposite finally spoke, "I came to the Crown Prince's estate on His Majesty's orders."
Cui Yunchu's lowered eyelashes fluttered suddenly, but she only gave an "Oh" and said nothing more.
Shen Xiabai asked, "You don't want to know the reason?"
"No. For matters unrelated to me, the more I know, the shorter my life will be."
Cui Yunchu stood straight up. "You keep sitting. I'm leaving. Don't follow me again."
Shen Xiabai didn't speak, watching her figure slowly walk away. Once she was gone, Yu Feng emerged from nowhere and stood behind Shen Xiabai.
"Master," he spoke abruptly, "perhaps... that matter really has nothing to do with the Cui family."
He always felt that his master treated Eldest Miss Cui slightly differently.
Over the years, his master had shouldered too much. At this moment, he desperately hoped that the news brought back would be unrelated to the Cui family, so his master wouldn't be so oppressed and lost.
"Mm." After a long while, Shen Xiabai only let out a single syllable and faintly withdrew his gaze.
"Where is the Crown Prince?"
"In the Crown Princess's courtyard, dining with Old Madam Cui."
Shen Xiabai didn't respond to that; instead, he murmured, "What kind of person is worthy of another's affection?"
And what kind of person could ask such a question?
The Crown Prince dined with Old Madam Cui. Not long after, Old Madam Cui left, but she left Cui Yunchu and Cui Yunfeng behind.
Tang Qingwan said they hadn't seen each other for days and wanted to chat with the two of them. The Crown Prince naturally agreed.
Cui Yunchu and Tang Qingwan escorted Old Madam Cui to her carriage.
Once she had left, Tang Qingwan asked, "Where is Yunfeng?"
Cui Yunchu didn't hide it. "She's with Prince An."
Tang Qingwan didn't say anything, and the two returned to the main courtyard together. "You haven't eaten yet. I had someone prepare food in the banquet hall. When they return shortly, go have some."
Cui Yunchu nodded. "Cousin, you don't seem very opposed to Yunfeng and Prince An's matter?"
Tang Qingwan smiled. "Passion is hard to restrain. As someone who has been through it, I understand. I also understand our sisterly bond; we won't turn against each other over this. Yunfeng won't do anything detrimental to me."
Cui Yunchu suddenly thought of that bowl of medicinal soup, only feeling a heavy block in her heart.
Tang Qingwan abruptly changed the subject. "I've heard all about what happened at the lake pavilion."
Cui Yunchu paused, then immediately sat up straight, beaming with joy. "Is Cousin going to reward me? Oh my, we're sisters, no need to be polite. Three sets of head ornaments will do."
"..." Tang Qingwan glanced at her, amused. "You girl, you're getting greedier and greedier."
In the past, it was hairpins, asking for one set at most. This time, she opened her mouth and asked for three.
Cui Yunchu thought to herself that she didn't even open her mouth to ask for a storefront.
"What I want to ask is, I heard Lord Shen spoke up for you and even followed you away."
"..."
Cui Yunchu immediately recalled what her cousin had said before, her mouth twitching. "What do you mean 'followed me away'? I'm not a human trafficker selling children."
Tang Qingwan, however, said, "Don't change the subject. What exactly is going on between you and Lord Shen?"
What exactly is going on?
She herself didn't even know what was going on, yet one by one, everyone came to ask her what was going on.
"Cousin, what kind of person I am, how could you not know? Those are just rumors."
"Oh," Tang Qingwan raised an eyebrow. "So you two... even have rumors about you."
Cui Yunchu felt like she was tainted and could no longer wash herself clean.
"Yunchu, Shen Xiabai is not like ordinary officials. If possible..."
At this moment, Cui Yunchu really wanted to hold her head and bolt out the door.
"Cousin, if I said he wants to kill me every waking moment, would you believe it?"
Tang Qingwan shook her head. "Although I've never seen the two of you interact, based on Mo'er's description, I don't believe it."
"..." Cui Yunchu immediately changed the subject. "What is the deal with Liu Wanting? From the looks of it, she seems to be quite the favorite these days."
Tang Qingwan's expression cooled. "She is nothing but a petty clown. There is no need to pay her any mind."
"The banquet should be almost ready. Let me accompany you over."
Cui Yunchu nodded. As long as Shen Xiabai was not mentioned, anything was fine.
