Chapter 45: Candied Hawthorn Sticks
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Shen Mengqing had imagined that Qi Yunyan would simply refuse coldly, but to her surprise, he just looked at Shen Mengli without saying a word. Silence was a form of refusal; surely Qi Yunyan was waiting to see Shen Mengli’s misfortune. Shen Mengli was truly infuriating to Shen Mengqing; that clown always liked to show off right in front of her, utterly detestable. She casually pointed to a few pieces of jewelry she had found appealing earlier. “Just these,” she said. Letting you choose, and you actually dared to pick. Just wait until you have no money to pay and get slapped in the face. While Shen Mengqing was smugly fantasizing, Qi Yunyan took out a silver note from his purse and handed it to the shopkeeper. Shen Mengqing: ??? Who am I? Where am I? What did I just see? Was she hallucinating? How could this cold-hearted man really pay for Shen Mengli? Shen Mengqing rushed up to Qi Yunyan in disbelief. “Qi Yunyan, why are you paying for Shen Mengli? Isn’t your true love Lin Qingyu? Have you fallen for someone else?” “If you don’t know how to speak, then don’t speak. Shen Mengli is my wife-to-be. If I don’t pay for her, should I pay for you? Besides, paying for her doesn’t mean I like her; your thinking is far too narrow.” If it weren’t for the fact that Shen Mengqing was Shen Mengli’s sister, he would have put her in her place long ago. Since she was officially his sister-in-law, he could only bear it.
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“Shen Mengli, is there anything else you want to buy?” Qi Yunyan asked. “Can I just stroll around? It’s been a long time since I’ve been out.” Before she married, Shen Tao wouldn’t allow her to go out freely, saying it was improper for a young lady to be seen in public. After marriage, she hadn’t yet settled firmly in the Duke’s mansion, so she had no leisure to go shopping. Now, having a rare chance to go out, she suddenly didn’t want to return so soon, wanting to look around. Qi Yunyan had been about to refuse, but seeing the hopeful look in Shen Mengli’s eyes, the words died on his lips. Fine—considering the misunderstanding yesterday, he’d grant her this small wish. “Then let’s go.” With that, the two left directly, completely ignoring how Shen Mengqing’s heart was stirring behind them. Qi Yunyan was actually accompanying a woman other than Lin Qingyu to go shopping? How was that possible? Was she seeing things? This scene was simply unbelievable. After leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Qi Yunyan and Shen Mengli followed the crowd onto the street. Shen Mengli watched the various stalls along the roadside with great interest. “Customer, would you like some candied hawthorn? The fruit is freshly picked and very fresh,” a vendor called out.
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“Then I’ll have one,” she said. How many years had it been since she last ate candied hawthorn? It seemed she hadn’t touched it since she was a child. Today, by chance, she came across it and felt a wave of nostalgia for the innocent days of her youth. Eating the candied hawthorn while browsing the stalls along the street, Shen Mengli felt immensely joyful. Qi Yunyan, watching her cheerful smile, couldn’t help but curl his lips upward. Unexpectedly, she still had a childlike heart—still eating candied hawthorn at her age. Compared to her usual serious demeanor, this girlish side of Shen Mengli was truly rare. “Sir, please have mercy. I’ll do anything. Buying me won’t be a loss; I really need this money,” a voice suddenly caught Shen Mengli’s attention. Ahead, a girl was begging a burly man to buy her, pleading desperately to bury her father. “Buying you isn’t impossible, but since you say you can do everything, can you warm the bed?”