Chapter 417

Looking at the two considerate and sensible children, Shen Ninghua felt as if the warmth in her heart almost overflowed. In her eyes, everything she did for them was worthwhile. At the thought of this, she turned to look at Baili Junyi and smiled. They held hands and walked to Qinyang Pavilion at the side. The attentive waiter immediately escorted them to the private room on the second floor.

Big Boy and Baby Girl sat next to Shen Ninghua. The chairs were taller than them. After being carried up by Baili Junyi, they swayed their tiny legs and played happily. After exploring the streets a few times, they seemed to have worn off their curiosity and interest. Other than the things they liked very much, they barely bought anything, but they had a special fondness for all kinds of snacks. Baili Junyi called the waiter and ordered a few signature dishes and snacks. Then, they waited for the dishes to be served.

Hong Ling went with the waiter and was about to check on the chefs as they prepared the food. The waiter showed Hong Ling the way with a smile on his face. A lot of distinguished and wealthy diners frequently came to Qinyang Pavilion, so the waiters understood the reason of the servants watching over the food preparation. In fact, the chefs took the opportunity to show off their cooking skills. If they could get the attention of the nobility, they would have the opportunity to work in their mansions and cook for these wealthy families. They could climb up the career ladder at a rapid speed as they would receive higher pay and tips.

Soon, the dishes and snacks were served. Hong Ling walked to Shen Ninghua and whispered, “Miss, when I went upstairs, I saw Second Prince and Princess Yonghan enter the private room next door.”

Shen Ninghua was a little taken aback, and her hand holding the chopsticks wavered a little. Then, she smiled. “What a coincidence. Well, Father Emperor has already bestowed a marriage for the two of them, so it is normal for them to meet.”

“Okay.”

Shen Ninghua ate with the two children. Big Boy and Baby Girl enjoyed the meal very much. Soon, they ate until their little bellies were round. Shen Ninghua chuckled. “Look at you. Even if you like the food, you can’t eat too much, or you’ll get an upset tummy and I won’t bring you here again.”

“We’re sorry, Mother. We understand. We won’t do it again in the future.” They also felt uncomfortable after overeating, so they nodded timidly and apologized.

Shen Ninghua nodded and looked at Baili Junyi, only to find that he was slightly dazed. “Junyi, what’s wrong?”

Baili Junyi paused and then curled his lips slightly. “I was forced to listen to a great drama.”

Taken aback at first, Shen Ninghua immediately understood what he was implying. For an expert with a powerful inner force, Baili Junyi had a great sense of hearing. Despite the exquisite private rooms, the walls between the rooms in Qinyang Pavilion were not thick in order to save space, so it was not really sound-proofing. Shen Ninghua figured that Baili Junyi must have heard the conversation between Baili Jinchuan and Bu Yonghan next door.

In the private room, Bu Yonghan and Baili Jinchuan were sitting opposite each other. There were exquisite tea sets on the table. Bu Yonghan gracefully made tea and handed Baili Jinchuan a cup first. “Your Highness, please.”

Baili Jinchuan looked at her coldly. “Why do you want to see me?”

Bu Yonghan’s eyes moved slightly. She placed the teacup in front of him and said, “Your Highness, why are you so grumpy? We’re going to get married soon. Don’t you think we should get to know each other better in advance?”

Baili Jinchuan remained expressionless. He picked up the teacup and took a sip, not answering her.

The smile on Bu Yonghan’s lips deepened. “Before I decided to marry you, I asked around briefly and found out that you didn’t intend to marry again after the previous Second Princess, Madam Zhou, passed away. It seems that you have a deep affection for Madam Zhou.”

“What do you want to say?”

“I’m just envious. You don’t have to be so wary of me. When we get married, we have to get along day by day. If you don’t trust me, how are we going to live as a couple?”

“Hah!” Baili Jinchuan sneered. “After we get married, we’ll have a good and peaceful life as a couple as long as you take up your responsibility and manage the backyard well. But if you act recklessly, we won’t be able to live as a couple even if we know each other thoroughly now.”

Bu Yonghan didn’t expect him to be so straightforward and crude. “Your Highness, you broke my heart by saying that. I thought that you were different. I thought that you were ambitious and aggressive. But now that we meet, I realize that you are no different from others.”

“If you regret your decision, it’s not too late to ask Father Emperor to cancel our engagement now.” Baili Jinchuan wasn’t provoked at all. He didn’t want to marry Bu Yonghan in the first place. In fact, he was disgusted by Father Emperor’s bestowal. However, unlike Baili Junyi, he did not have the courage to directly defy the imperial edict.

Bu Yonghan’s smile stiffened and then her smile became deeper and deeper, which made her look more enchanting. “Your Highness, you are so repulsed by the idea of marrying me. You love someone else, don’t you?”

“It’s none of your business.” Baili Jinchuan’s voice was as cold as ice.

Bu Yonghan was a well-cultured person, but at this moment, she felt a burst of anger. “I’m your future princess. Don’t you think I have the right to know if you love someone else?”

“Of course, you don’t have the right. Who do you think you are? It is your responsibility to manage the backyard and bear children for me. So, what if I love someone else? It’s none of your business. Do you think you could grant my wish if I told you the truth? Or do you plan to get rid of that person in advance?”

Bu Yonghan was annoyed. She did not expect that Baili Jinchuan would be so blatant and straightforward. Manage the backyard? Bear children for him? Did he take her as an ordinary woman?

“Your Highness, have you heard about what happened to the Third Prince recently?”

Baili Jinchuan turned to look at her. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and a light flashed in his eyes. “Did you do it?”

Bu Yonghan smiled slightly, neither admitting nor denying it. “Your Highness, managing the backyard and bearing children for you are easy tasks. Many women can do that. It’s a piece of cake. But I think you feel lonely and desperate after fighting alone for so long, right? It was even more devastating when you saw a couple working hand in hand to resist the imperial edict. Don’t you want someone who can fight side by side with you and share the joys and sorrows?”

Baili Jinchuan abruptly looked at her, his sharp eyes seemed to be able to reach the bottom of her heart. “Are you trying to say that you are the person who can fight side by side with me?”

“Of course!” Bu Yonghan looked at him with a firm gaze. “Your Highness, you may not know me yet, but we have time to slowly get to know each other. As long as you know who I am and what I’m capable of, I’m sure that you’ll see me as the one who can accompany you to the end.”

“Haha, accompany me to the end? I thought you would say that you are the one who loves me the most.” Baili Jinchuan sneered.

“Love? Do you still believe in love?” Bu Yonghan raised her lips, her eyes full of self-righteous understanding and determination. She knew that Baili Jinchuan had suffered several major defeats. He had even experienced the dramatic gap from being a mighty general to a cripple who had no martial arts skills. She was certain that after all the mishaps, his heart had long been as cold as stone. Such a person should be the last one to believe in love. In fact, when she heard that he liked Shen Ninghua, she didn’t believe it at all and took it as a joke! A proud and dignified prince loved a married woman? Ridiculous!

Looking at her eyes, Baili Jinchuan instantly lost interest in continuing the conversation. “Is that all? I’ll be leaving first.” He didn’t say much. Moreover, he hated self-righteous people. Bu Yonghan didn’t leave a good impression on him. She even paled in comparison to Yang Yingxue.

Bu Yonghan didn’t stop him from leaving. She sat back and took a leisurely sip. There was a surge of pride and smugness in her heart. The reason why Baili Jinchuan left in such a hurry was that her words poked his sore spot. Love? She had never expected such a thing to exist in the world. Shen Ninghua and Baili Junyi? Haha! She didn’t think that they would be so deeply in love with each other if Shen Ninghua wasn’t so beautiful, and Baili Junyi wasn’t so trusted by the Emperor. What a joke!

Next door, Baili Junyi, who heard the entire conversation, smiled slightly, and a trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes. Shen Ninghua spotted his expression and asked, “What’s going on?”

Baili Junyi told her the general content of their conversation and shook his head. “I thought that Bu Yonghan would have the ability to win Baili Jinchuan’s heart. Well, I’m disappointed.” She was so useless. If Bu Yonghan was a little more capable, he wouldn’t have to worry about Baili Jinchuan coveting Ninghua.

Shen Ninghua was slightly startled. “I didn’t expect Bu Yonghan to be so bold as to directly negotiate with Baili Jinchuan. It was indeed she who plotted against the Third Prince. She is a tough opponent. Although she was too self-righteous when facing Baili Jinchuan, who knows if she will grow rapidly after this lesson? We had better be careful.”

“You’re right. You are really thoughtful. Once a woman gets ruthless, she will be so strong that not everyone can deal with her. I will ask my men to keep an eye on Bu Yonghan at all times.”

Bu Yonghan had already left by the time the family of four had their rest. They went to the street again and continued to stroll. When they went downstairs, a slender figure appeared behind the window of the next private room. It was Baili Jinchuan who had left. He raised his head to look at Shen Ninghua downstairs. He clenched his fists tightly and felt a tingling pain rushing out from the center of his heart. Then, it was attached to his entire heart and torso and a slight movement would cause enormous pain.

When he went downstairs earlier, he suddenly spotted Shen Ninghua’s guards in the crowd and wondered if he could see her from a distance. Hence, he went upstairs after Bu Yonghan left. Previously, he had thought about how awful it would be to watch her snuggling in Baili Junyi’s arms. But after looking at them embracing each other, he realized that the pain was a hundred times worse than he had imagined.

Baili Junyi suddenly frowned because he could feel that someone was observing them. He turned around and wanted to look, but he found that Shen Ninghua clutched her fingers tightly. “What’s wrong, Ninghua?”

“Nothing. Let’s go. Baby Girl wants to buy the pinwheel over there.” Shen Ninghua naturally felt the intense gaze too, but she didn’t want to pay attention to it, nor did she want to have anything to do with Baili Jinchuan now.

Baili Junyi hurriedly went forward to buy the pinwheel. When he turned around and looked at the second floor of Qinyang Pavilion, he only saw an open window. He couldn’t help but sneer and mutter, “No matter how much you covet Ninghua, she is mine!”

Everyone in the Internal Affairs Department got a lot on their plates. Xiao Qi was so anxious and busy that he was about to cry. The department had to prepare for Second Prince’s wedding in October, Third Prince’s wedding in November, and Fourth Prince’s wedding in March next year. These were just weddings for their princesses. There were also weddings for the side concubines. A large amount of money was spent like water, but the things they had to prepare were enormous and filled several notebooks. Among the weddings, the one between Second Prince and Princess Yonghan was especially grand, and the time was tight. It was no wonder that Xiao Qi and the department staff were so anxious.