Chapter 171
"Zhiwei, I..." Xu Heming was not only in a sorry state but also felt deeply awkward.
"Enough. If you don't want to say it, then don't." Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Heming's demeanor and could only assume he was intent on covering up his affair with Du Qiuniang.
"Zhiwei, it's really not what you think." Xu Heming sighed. The things that had happened on his way to find Li Zhiwei were truly too shameful to tell her about.
After all, first there was the immensely strong Kong Menger who had abducted him.
Then, having barely escaped, he had jumped into the lake to save a complete stranger.
To think that he, a prince of the realm, had ended up doing such embarrassing things.
"Then, Your Highness, please tell me, what exactly do I think?" Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Heming with some sarcasm. She didn't know what he was thinking. If he didn't want to marry her, it wasn't as if she had to marry him either.
First, he gave her father fake alcohol, nearly costing him his life.
Now, right before her eyes, he rescued that Du Qiuniang who had been caught in an affair with Zhu Yunxian.
From any angle, it didn't seem like he wanted to marry her.
"Is he your father?" Shen An'an gently tugged on Xu Qingshi's sleeve and whispered.
"Yes, my biological father!" Xu Qingshi looked at Xu Heming at that moment, feeling a dull ache in his heart, though he couldn't quite explain why.
"What's his relationship with that Du Qiuniang?" Shen An'an asked, puzzled. After all, the way Xu Heming had jumped in without hesitation to save her just now made it clear to anyone that they weren't strangers.
"I don't know. I've never seen her before." Xu Qingshi glanced at Du Qiuniang on the other side, his eyes full of disdain.
He had no regard for a woman like that.
"Then what's his relationship with your pretty sister?" Shen An'an watched as Xu Heming stood before Li Zhiwei, seemingly even adopting a somewhat ingratiating posture, and was momentarily confused about their relationship.
Although she shouldn't pry, she couldn't help her gossiping heart.
"Pretty sister is Father's wife-to-be!" Xu Qingshi said, even rolling his eyes, thinking Shen An'an didn't seem very bright either.
Shen An'an's mouth fell open upon hearing this, thinking to herself that Li Zhiwei had kept this very well hidden.
Not far away, Huo Yunzhi felt it was extremely grating to see Xu Heming and Li Zhiwei standing together.
However, Qing Chuan blocked her way, not letting her approach at all.
"Sir, I just have a few words I'd like to say to His Highness. Could you please make an exception?" Huo Yunzhi said coyly.
"My prince does not like to associate with random people. Please maintain your dignity, young lady!" Qing Chuan said expressionlessly.
He thought to himself, he had seen plenty of people like this in the capital. Did they really think any stray cat or dog could gain the prince's favor?
"Third Sister, what are you doing? Have you given up on your Chen Sanlang?" Huo Yunyao hadn't expected that her own younger sister would also set her sights on the man she fancied.
"Second Sister, don't forget, you're a married woman. What right do you have to marry the prince? You'd better live properly with your husband!" Huo Yunzhi had never gotten along with Huo Yunyao.
Now that they had taken a liking to the same man, she naturally wouldn't fall behind.
After the onlookers dispersed, only the three Huo sisters, Zhu Yunxian and Du Qiuniang, as well as Li Zhiwei, Shen An'an, and the others remained in the courtyard.
"Mother, my father's clothes are all wet. Shouldn't we hurry back?" Xu Qingshi watched as the two adults just stood there, looking at each other without saying a word, and could only helplessly remind them.
Li Zhiwei frowned at Xu Heming. She originally wanted to say, what did this have to do with her?
But then she remembered that they still had a marriage contract between them, so she could only nod: "Then let's return to the manor first."
"An'an, go home for today. Tomorrow, you and your father should come to the Li family residence." Li Zhiwei knew that the Shen family currently lacked a good winemaker and couldn't deliver the goods on time, which would damage their business reputation. For merchants, reputation was paramount. Since Shen An'an had told her about the Huo family's scheme, she would help the Shen family however she could.
"Oh, okay, alright!" Shen An'an quickly nodded.
She also felt a sense of relief, knowing that Li Zhiwei must have a way to help their Shen family overcome this difficulty.
Just as Li Zhiwei and Xu Heming were about to leave with Xu Qingshi,
Du Qiuniang knelt before them.
"Benefactor, I beg you, take me in!" Du Qiuniang said, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Xu Heming.
Li Zhiwei frowned, looking at the pitiful Du Qiuniang.
She felt great distaste.
Although she didn't like Huo Yunyao either, in this matter, this woman was not innocent. She had swapped her own child with Huo Yunyao's and then abandoned Huo Yunyao's baby.
Frankly, Li Zhiwei felt being dunked in a pig cage was too light a punishment for her.
If Xu Heming dared to bring such a venomous woman back to the An Prince's Manor,
she would absolutely not marry into it.
If she could swap Huo Yunyao's child today, who was to say she wouldn't swap hers tomorrow?
Thinking this, Li Zhiwei took Xu Qingshi's hand and left first.
"Pretty sister, aren't we waiting for Father?" Xu Qingshi asked as he walked, looking back at Xu Heming.
After all, that was his father. Not seeing him for a few days, he actually missed his father quite a bit.
"If you want to be with that wicked woman, you can go with your father to bring her back to the An Prince's Manor." Li Zhiwei stopped and said calmly.
After all, Xu Qingshi was Xu Heming's child with his previous princess consort, not her own. She couldn't dictate his decisions.
"I don't want to!" Although Xu Qingshi was young, he had heard what those people said—that the bad woman had swapped babies and thrown someone's child away.
He didn't want to be swapped!
He didn't want to be abandoned!
"Get lost!" Seeing Li Zhiwei's retreating figure, Xu Heming glared furiously at the woman before him!
It was all this woman's fault, causing Li Zhiwei to misunderstand him.
Moreover, he had just heard from others that this woman was being dunked in a pig cage, clearly a consequence of her own actions.
"Benefactor, if you don't take me away, they will beat me to death!" Du Qiuniang thought that since this man had jumped into the water to save her, he must have some interest in her.
As long as she acted pitiful enough, she could definitely stay by his side.
"What does that have to do with me? Get lost!" Seeing Li Zhiwei about to disappear into the distance, Xu Heming stepped right over Du Qiuniang and went to chase after Li Zhiwei.
"Benefactor!" Du Qiuniang hadn't expected this man to act so unreasonably. Unwilling to give up, she followed behind Xu Heming.
Since he knew Li Zhiwei, he must be going to the Li residence.
Du Qiuniang felt that as long as she showed enough sincerity, she could definitely make Xu Heming keep her.
Li Zhiwei didn't wait for Xu Heming and returned to the Li residence first.
"No matter who comes later, don't let them in!" Li Zhiwei specifically instructed the gatekeeper, Zhong, as she entered.
Li Zhiwei thought that since Xu Heming had been so eager to save Du Qiuniang, the two probably had much to talk about.
The Li residence probably wasn't where he wanted to be anyway.
She would simply accommodate them (let them have their way)!
