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Zhennan Wang Manor (1)
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Zhennan Wang Manor.
The screen wall[1] was vermillion, the auspicious cranes lined up like a string of pearls, giving off a deep and rich beauty. The Zhennan Wangfei held Shen Lan Chi’s hand, carrying an affectionate look as she led her through the flower corridor, chatting about family matters.
The weather has already turned cold. Whenever the wangfei opened her mouth, there would be a puff of white fog. And because she was talking non-stop, the white fog in front of her never once dispersed.
“Previously, when you were sick, I was the one that went before the bodhisattva together with your mother, praying to the bodhisattva to bless you. Didn’t expect that the bodhisattva in that temple would be this effective. In a few days, you just recovered.” The wangfei’s smiling eyes slightly curved, sizing up the girl in front of her in satisfaction, “Look at you, you’re much more lively now. However, you still need to properly rest. In a bit, you just need to sit there. If there’s anything you want eat or need, just tell me.”
Shen Lan Chi thanked her, yet somewhat lacked in confidence inside. That illness of hers although came like a torrent, it also went away quickly. After waking up from the nightmare, she just swiftly recovered. At present, she was already fine.
“Oh, right, Tig…….Qi Yang is also here today and has dressed up quiet handsomely. In a bit, you must take a good look. This son of mine doesn’t have any abilities, but he has a good-looking face, liked by girls the most.” The Zhennan Wangfei happily finished talking and led Shen Lan Chi into the garden, adding, “Qi Yang is right ahead……eh?”
Before Zhennan Wangfei could finish, the remaining words in her mouth turned into bewildered and uncertain, “Eh?”
It wasn’t for any other reason, purely because the situation in front was completely different from the image of ‘her handsome son matching with her pretty daughter-in-law’ that she’d imagined.
They just saw Zhennan Wang sitting casually in the pavilion, the corner of his eyes that carried a scar flying in anger, his face filled with a fierce look. His large palm was placed on the table, crumpling a sheet of plain white paper. Lu Qi Yang was standing in front of him, with his head down, his two arms evenly raised, each lifting a large sack of sandstone.
“You little brat! To not even listen to your father’s words, are you looking for a beating, huh? Those barbarians of the Mujin clan can all get beaten to the point of pissing their pants by this old man, you think you can beat me? Randomly learned a bit of Art of War, so just think that you’re incredible?! Hold up these two sacks of sandstone and stand there till nighttime!”
Lu Qi Yang wore a well-ironed azure blue based gown, with brocade boots and a circular crown, tall and elegant. If one doesn’t look at the two dusty and dirty large hemp sacks in his hand, he was indeed a handsome gentleman. But, with those two sacks of sandstone in hand, the scene just inevitably……..
….became comical.
Zhennan Wangfei inhaled a breath of cold air, instantly flying into a rage, “Lu Xian Ren! What are you doing!”
The Zhennan Wang Lu Xian Ren’s beard was shaking, currently lecturing his ‘little bastard’ of a son. To suddenly hear this angry roar of a woman’s out of nowhere, his body instantly froze.
In the next moment, with whoosh, Zhennan Wang directly shot up from the stone stool.
“Wang, wangfei!” Zhennan Wang immediately changed face, frantically saying, “I didn’t hit him, didn’t hit him today. It’s just that this little brat is being disobedient again today. Told him to help me write a letter, but he was unwilling, saying that he has a noble guest to receive in a bit. I’m his father, would I not know that he’s lying? Where would there be a noble guest? If there’s really a noble guest, then the sky will surely pour red rain……..”
As soon as he finished saying, ‘if there’s a noble guest, then the sky will pour red rain’, in the next moment, he just saw Shen Lan Chi who was next to the wangfei.
The girl was currently in the prime of her youth, graceful and beautiful. Even if not doing anything, just quietly standing there, she was also like a hibiscus that defies the frost and snow, blooming to its greatest extent. If she were to smile, then that further made one unable to look away.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Zhennan Wang widened his eyes, blanking for quite a while.
A while later, Zhennan Wang somewhat guiltily turned around, stutteringly saying, “Isn’t, isn’t this the Shen family girl from next door? So….so someone really came……..really looks like there will be red rain……And wangfei, you should’ve given me a heads-up earlier…….”
“Who knew that your brain would dysfunction again today!” Wangfei shouted and hurriedly charged over, snatching the two large sacks from Lu Qi Yang’s hand, and also helping Lu Qi Yang brush away the dust on his sleeves. As she brushed, she smilingly said to Shen Lan Chi, “Hai! Just now, that was wangye being stupid. Lan Chi, have a look again now, is my son handsome or not?”
Lu Qi Yang lifted his head, revealing a faint smile, like a monk that has already separated from the mundane world.
Shen Lan Chi couldn’t help but feel bad for him.
She figured, if she doesn’t do something now, afraid Lu Qi Yang’s parents will be anxious to death.
Thus, she silently lowered her head and didn’t say anything, just twisting her two slender fingers together, shyly twirling around in her sleeve. A while later, she lifted her head, quickly casting a glance at Lu Qi Yang, and then turned her face away. Her cheeks hung low, and under her hair, the blush that reached the tip of her ears just happened to peek through.
Not saying a word, yet it triumphed over thousands of words.
When Zhennan Wangfei saw, she immediately used her elbow to soundlessly poke Zhennan Wang’s stomach, revealing a delighted look on her face. As she jabbed him, she even wiggled her brows and mouthed something to her husband, unknown as to what she was saying.
A good while later, Zhennan Wangfei retracted her arm that was jabbing wangye, coughing and saying, “Today, Lan Chi came to give her thanks. Why don’t you two nicely chat. Wangye and I will go sit inside first.”
After saying this, she quickly left pushing her own husband away.
Zhennan Wang staggered as he got pushed, walking along as he blurted out something in a low voice.
“This kind of good girl, how could their family be willing to let her marry our son! It’s best for you to save your energy.”
“Lu Xian Ren! Would it kill you to say less?!”
After the Zhennan Wang couple left, Shen Lan Chi lifted her head. The blush on her face had already disappeared without a trace, her expression incomparably calm. This ability to pick up and put down freely made the little heir can’t help but applaud.
“Impressive, impressive.” Lu Qi Yang praised, “This is even my second time seeing you blush.”
“You got punished by your royal father again?” Shen Lan Chi asked, “What happened?”
“Nothing big, just punished to stand.” Lu Qi Yang entered the pavilion, lifting the hem of his gown and sitting down, “My father doesn’t know how to write those scholarly letters that well. As such, he wanted me to write for him. Remembering that you will come, I randomly brushed him off with a few words, yet ended up angering him.”
“Write what letter? Why don’t you help wangye write it now?” As Shen Lan Chi said this, she glanced towards the table. Seeing that the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were all prepared, she rolled up her sleeve, suspending her elbow and lifting her wrist as she picked up that brush, “If heir doesn’t mind, then let me write it.”
“………’The soldiers suffering from an abdominal ailment, if more than three people, then must treat with caution to prevent a plague’.” After saying this, he furrowed his brow, saying, “This won’t do, need to change the phrasing……Forget it, I’ll write it.” After saying this, he extended his right hand, grasping Shen Lan Chi’s hand that was holding the brush. His long slender fingers pressed against her skin, seemingly transmitting endless warmth continuously.
“How come your hand is this cold?” Lu Qi Yang frowned, grasping her hand even tighter, “I know that you like being pretty, but now that the weather is cold, you should wear a bit more.”
This kind of position truly was hard to write in. The two of them held one brush, the body of the brush crooked, randomly sliding around the paper, scrawling out a bunch of messy marks.
Lu Qi Yang at first still had a serious look, but very soon, because of the mess on the paper, he broke down, laughing out loud.
“Stop writing, stop writing!” He shouted, “Can’t write properly like this.”
“……” Shen Lan Chi pulled back her hand, softly saying, “How I see it, you just want to take the opportunity to take advantage of me.”
Lu Qi Yang happily laughed to the side, his body leaning left and right.
A while later, Lu Qi Yang tossed the brush and asked, “Do you want to go eat wonton? Staying in my home is also quite boring. Moreover, my father keeps sticking his head out in that corner over there and looking at us. It’s quite scary.”
“How do we go out?” Shen Lan Chi asked.
“By climbing the wall!” Lu Qi Yang replied oh so very naturally, “There’s a ladder over there by that wall. I’ll flip over first, then help you. You can climb down by stepping on my shoulders.”
“Then, what do we do about your father? He’s still hiding under that flower rack looking at the two of us.” Shen Lan Chi said.
“Simple, I just need to do one thing and he will immediately leave………endure for a moment.”
As Lu Qi Yang said this, he reached out and suddenly had her picked up horizontally.
“Hey…..what, what are you doing!?”
The world spun before her, Shen Lan Chi could only grab the heir’s front collar.
“That father of mine normally appears mean and fierce, but his skin is actually very thin.” Lu Qi Yang weighed the warm soft jade beauty in his arm and smilingly looked towards the flower rack in the corner. Sure enough, Zhennan Wang who was originally holding up two leaves already shrunk back with a red face. “See, didn’t he precisely get frightened?” Lu Qi Yang said.
Although they scared away Zhennan Wang, Lu Qi Yang didn’t have the intention to put her down, instead directly carrying her to that wall.
Beside that short wall hid a ladder, perfect for letting Lu Qi Yang climb over the wall. The young heir lifted the hem of his gown and nimbly climbed up the wall, saying, “This is the place where I normally sneak out. I’ll go out first, then you come. I’ll catch you.” Next, his figure disappeared over the wall.
Shen Lan Chi shook her head, lifting her dress, stepping on that creaky ladder, and also sitting onto the top of the wall. She was pretty wild normally, and didn’t do this kind of thing any less at home. When climbing the wall, she wasn’t scared in the slightest. Once she sat atop the wall, she saw Lu Qi Yang with his arms wide open on the other side, a look of waiting for her to fall down.
“Come, come down.” Lu Qi Yang widened his arms even more, “Don’t be scared, I’ll catch you.”
“………” Shen Lan Chi lifted her brow, quietly saying, “What’s so scary about this? You really think I’m a noble young lady of the boudoir that never goes out?”
After saying this, she directly jumped down, falling into the heir’s arms.
Lu Qi Yang got slightly pushed back by the force, very quickly steadying his body.
“You going onto the streets like this won’t do. If someone sees you, perhaps there will be rumors and gossips all over the streets tomorrow.” Lu Qi Yang let go of her, saying, “Need to get you a hat or a veil to hide your face.”
“Get what veil, if the people in the capital learn that I’m deeply in love with you, isn’t that even better?” Shen Lan Chi said.
“……..” Lu Qi Yang didn’t answer. His originally fair face emerged with a suspicious color.
Very soon, he put away this expression and very seriously went to buy a bamboo hat.
A while later, Lu Qi Yang came back, having a bamboo hat with a veil slapped onto Shen Lan Chi’s head.
He ignored Shen Lan Chi’s complaints, pulling her along as they headed for the Vermillion Bird street.
[1] Also known as the shadow wall. This is a standalone wall that’s built behind the gate to act as a screen, for privacy, and also to ward of evil spirits. Generally, in traditional old architecture, the main reception hall is directly in line with the front gate, so the wall exist to prevent people from looking into the residence directly from the front gate.
T/N: A thing to note is that both Lu Qi Yang and his father don’t use the address ‘royal father'(父王) in this chapter, instead using the more common ‘father'(爹) that most people would use.
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I like his parent…especially his father 😂😂