Chapter 74: I'll marry you

  Shen Han really wanted to take Mu Siyao's words as a joke, just to see how she would respond spiritedly, but... when she met his gaze that was indistinguishable between seriousness and sincerity, she herself became perplexed.

  "Don't use me as a joke, I'm not buying this. You'd better go fool those other girls."

  To avoid getting entangled in some inexplicable and confusing emotions, she glanced sideways, directly looking at the two colleagues who were staring at Mu Siyao, and after finishing speaking, she couldn't help but let out a slight sigh of relief in her heart. What's going on with this tense atmosphere? Why do I feel guilty?

  "Shen Han, many times you understand but choose to avoid it. I won't force you, anyway I believe your heart is clear. As for whether or not to face it, that's just a matter of time."

  "Mu Si Yao..."

  Mo Siyao didn't think Shen Huan would honestly tell him her thoughts, so after saying those words, he casually swept his gaze over the passersby in front of him. Unexpectedly, Shen Huan was out of his expectations and called out to him.

  He glanced sideways at the woman who had piqued his interest, seeing a faint flush on her cheeks with an earnestness he couldn't quite penetrate, and Mu Siyao couldn't help but feel somewhat taken aback: "What?"

  "Actually... what happened between me and Zhao Xiwei just now, you already know about it, right?"

  "Why say that?"

  Seeing the certainty in Shen Huan's eyes, Mu Siyao originally wanted to tell her that he really didn't know. Today was just him preparing to go out and explore, but he saw her rushing out of the Zhao residence with a furious expression on her face, as if warning people not to mess with her, or else they would have to bear the consequences themselves.

  He finally caught up, taking advantage of her slightly distracted attention to greet her. However, he didn't want to dampen her spirits either, so he neither acknowledged nor denied anything. The reason he knew Zhao Xiui was back was simply because of Qianfan's report. So he just smiled and asked in return, as long as she felt comfortable, it was all right.

  "The feeling is, I can actually say those words because..."

  "What's up?"

  "Hmm...that means he's not capable of trapping me..."

  "Why did he say that? It couldn't be because of me, could it?"

  Mo Siyao smiled lightly, and the warmth on his face immediately shone brightly under the sun's reflection. Those slightly upturned eyes made Shen Huan feel that it was the most perfect arc. Before, she found him quite annoying to look at, but why did she now feel a strange sense of security when standing beside him? She didn't know the reason and didn't want to figure out the reason, only wanting to be an ostrich, pretending to be silly and enjoying the unique care and protection that belonged to Mo Siyao.

  Upon hearing this, Shen Huan couldn't help but glare at him for a moment. In front of him, she had gradually become accustomed to not disguising her emotions or feelings. Whether she was happy or not, she could naturally express herself in his presence, and this kind of interaction made her feel incredibly relaxed. The Zhao family was now making her feel pressure and oppression. She pursed her lips and lowered her head, saying: "At the time, I was so angry that I couldn't take it. Clearly, it wouldn't be long before I could recover my single status and get rid of this damned 'widow' label on my head. Moreover, I had always gotten along well with my mother-in-law and younger brother-in-law. Now he suddenly appears out of nowhere, disrupting my life, not to mention being so arrogant. At the time, I really hated him to death."

  Mo Siyao quietly listened to Shen Huan's gnashing of teeth as she bitterly complained about that man's shamelessness, until the two walked under the tea house. Mo Siyao stopped in his tracks, and only then did Shen Huan look at him, turning away from her endless chatter: "What's wrong?"

  "Are you thirsty? Go sit down?"

  She looked up and saw the teahouse called "Drunken Qingfeng". Shen Huan thought the name was a bit awkward, it was clearly a teahouse but sounded like a wine house. She nodded slightly, anyway she didn't have any particular purpose, so she might as well go in and sit down. As she got familiar with Mu Siyao, she didn't mind occasionally asking him to treat her to a meal, after all, it was free food and he could afford it.

  "Isn't it curious that this teahouse has a name similar to that of a wine house?"

  "Indeed, none knows me better than Lord Shu Yu."

  "Don't call me 'sir' from now on, we're friends, aren't we?"

  She looked up at Mu Siyao, who suddenly became very serious, and Shen Huan was taken aback for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, seemingly indifferent, nodding slightly, but in fact, her heart had already been stirred by Mu Siyao's actions.

  Mu Siyao chose a seat on the second floor by the street, and Shen Huan felt that he must like this angle. Although it was a 'date' for two people, it wouldn't lead to any gossip, after all, it was just a straightforward tea-drinking session. Shen Huan suddenly thought of his previous question and couldn't help but ask: "You still haven't told me the origin of the name of this teahouse?"

  "It's actually just their signature tea, called 'Drunken Clear Wind'."

  "Huh?"

  "When the tea leaves are infused, the tender green leaves will float on the surface of the water. When you lift the cup to drink, they will automatically sink to the bottom of the cup, and when it is still again, they will float back up, which is very beautiful. The tea water has a light and refreshing fragrance, but after drinking, there is also a slight intoxicating feeling like that of wine, hence the name 'Drunken Clear Wind'."

  Shen Han nodded slightly, indicating that she had understood. At this moment, Mu Siyao was beckoning to the nearby waiter, who was familiar with him as a regular customer. Seeing that he had brought a friend along, the waiter didn't come over to disturb them, waiting for his instructions instead. With a smile, he approached: "Young Master Mu, the usual?"

  "Let's have some more dim sum."

  "Alright"

  When he finished speaking, the shop assistant immediately turned around and got busy. Shen Huan was a little surprised to see this. People say that in the capital city, there are many people and also many disputes. A place like this where rich officials often come, how can the shop assistants be so calm? It seems that Mu Siyao is indeed a person who attracts gossip.

  "Shall we continue with the previous topic?"

  "Huh?"

  "Weren't you just about to finish what you were saying?"

  Shen Han couldn't help but blink a few times, her mind was completely occupied by the teahouse, and suddenly being asked to change the subject, she found it hard to accept, and the atmosphere was gone too. She could only say reluctantly: "Actually, I just wanted to say that at that time, I was able to confront him with such momentum mainly because I thought you would help me."

  Upon hearing this, Mu Siyao's body, which had been leaning back in his chair, stiffened for a moment. He had been tapping his fingers on the table at irregular intervals, and when he suddenly stopped, Shen Huan couldn't help but feel a bit tense as well. However, she then saw him smile faintly, revealing a smile that left her somewhat bewildered: "That's only natural."

  "Uh... thank you."

  "No need to be polite, I'll definitely help if I can."

  "Mu Si Yao..."

  "Huh?"

  "Is... isn't that Princess Huai'an?"

  Mu Siyao smiled as she waited for Shen Huan's moving words, but unexpectedly, what came out of her mouth was this sentence. She couldn't help but feel a few parts disappointed and a few parts enlightened. Earlier, Shen Huan had said that she felt like someone was staring at her, and Mu Siyao also left a heart eye. As someone with his identity, he was from a family that held an important position in the imperial court, and he himself was the prince's person. As long as the prince hadn't become emperor yet, these party struggles would naturally exist. Not to mention Mu Siyao being in the capital, even when he was in Fucheng Town, he never relaxed for a moment, with Qianfan and Qianshui always following him. In fact, it was only in the capital that he could slightly relax a bit. What's more...the capital could be considered his territory, and if someone wanted to make a move on him, they would have to see if they had the guts and ability.

  "Huh? I really didn't expect her to be here."

  "I looked around everywhere when I came up just now, and didn't see her. She should have followed us here, right?"

  Shen Han glanced at Mu Siyao, seeing that he was clearly aware of the situation but still pretending to be surprised. Shen Han almost directly exposed him: "You're acting so fake."

  Mu Siyao glanced at Shen Huan and lazily turned around, directly turning his back on Princess Huai'an, almost making Shen Huan laugh out loud. He clearly saw the expectant look on Princess Huai'an's face but pretended he didn't see anything, choosing to ignore her instead. Although Shen Huan felt a thrill of excitement at Mu Siyao's boldness, she couldn't help but have a new opinion of him - he must know about Princess Huai'an's intentions, yet still dared to ignore her so blatantly. He should be aware that Princess Huai'an was the daughter of Emperor's favorite concubine and was highly favored due to her resemblance to Concubine Hui. The Emperor almost handed over the throne to her. How could Mu Siyao not fear offending this little chili pepper?

  "Hey, she's looking at you!"

  "What's it to me?"

  "Tsk tsk tsk...... I'm telling you, you're really not understanding the situation at all, are you?"

  Mo Siyao merely raised her chin slightly, meeting Shen Huan's provocative gaze with a nonchalant attitude: "Really? You're only realizing this now?"

  "It's not like you don't know the princess likes you."

  "What's it to me? Does she have a crush on me and I'm supposed to devote myself?"

  When she heard the two words "dedication", Shen Huan almost spat it out, but the consequence of holding back was that she was choked to death. Mu Siyao immediately handed her own silk handkerchief to her, while Shen Huan was busy coughing. He simply got up, walked closer to Shen Huan, gently and softly, with a hint of satisfaction and pampering smile on his face, wiping the water marks from the corner of her lips. Shen Huan was frightened, immediately fell back into the chair, opened her eyes wide and stared at him: "What are you doing?"

  "Just lending a hand since you seem so busy."

  "You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?"

  Seeing Mu Siyao's self-satisfied expression, Shen Huan couldn't help but clench her fists. However, she wasn't foolish enough to rush over and hit him at this moment, which would only give the princess watching from the side a handle to deal with her. At least for now, it seemed that Mu Siyao was making moves on her, so she had to remain calm. Getting involved with the princess herself didn't matter much, but if it affected her family members, that would be troublesome.

  "Ah, you've found out, have you?"

  "Why don't you just die"

  "Deeply hidden..."

  "Huh?"

  "Wait until you cut ties with the Zhao family, then I'll marry you and bring you back home."