SGEIRS -Chapter 333 She’s Thick-Skulled

On the other side, Shen Yunzhou also noticed the people opposite. When he saw Princess Jingning talking with her friend, her gaze still flicked toward him, and her expression didn’t look very pleasant.

He instinctively glanced at his cousin, Jiang Qiyun, sitting beside him, lost in thought for a moment, before looking back at Princess Jingning.

Jiang Qiyun also noticed her cousin’s unusual expression. Following his gaze, she saw a young lady on the other side speaking to a married woman, her face full of disdain.

Curious, she asked, “Cousin, do you know that girl over there?”

Shen Yunzhou nodded. “I do.”

Jiang Qiyun thought for a moment, then, being considerate, asked, “Cousin, do you want me to go and explain?”

Shen Yunzhou shook his head gently. “No need. Go find your younger cousin first; I’ll catch up shortly.”

Hearing this, Jiang Qiyun nodded and, noticing that the girl opposite was also looking at her, gave a small nod and a gentle, friendly smile.

However, Princess Jingning naturally noticed that the girl had seen her too, but she didn’t step forward to greet them. She was about to leave, thinking to her friend that this girl was like a beautiful flower in the wrong place, when she suddenly saw the girl smile at her.

Princess Jingning froze. “???”

They were complete strangers, meeting for the first time, hadn’t even greeted each other—so why smile at her?

Seeing this, Meng Jinyao felt the atmosphere was slightly awkward. To avoid embarrassing her friend, she whispered, “A-Yan, let’s go. Let’s find a restaurant for lunch.”

Princess Jingning responded with a simple “Hmm.” Just as she was about to leave, she saw the girl walk away, and Shen Yunzhou heading toward them with a clear purpose—it was obvious he was coming for them.

She couldn’t figure out his intention, but she wasn’t one to back down. She said, “A-Yao, wait here for a moment. Let me deal with this fellow first.”

Meng Jinyao nodded in agreement. “Alright.”

Soon, Shen Yunzhou arrived in front of them. Seeing one of them standing ready with a serious demeanor and the other smiling gently, he returned a smile and greeted them: “Princess, Madam Gu, I noticed you looking at me just now. Is there something you need my help with?”

Princess Jingning scoffed lightly. “Don’t flatter yourself. We weren’t looking at you. We just happened to notice that young lady just now—she’s quite beautiful—so we glanced a bit longer.” Then, thinking for a moment, she added, “Oh, right, I almost forgot to congratulate you.”

Shen Yunzhou raised an eyebrow. “Princess, may I ask what the congratulations are for?”

Princess Jingning smiled. “It seems something good is approaching for you, Young Master Shen. That young lady looks gentle and kind—a good girl indeed—but her eyesight seems poor, as she actually set her sights on you.”

Hearing this, Shen Yunzhou shot her a peculiar glance and said with a smile, “She really is gentle and kind, but please, Princess, don’t speak recklessly. Otherwise, if my future cousin-in-law finds out, she might worry.”

Princess Jingning blinked in confusion. “Future… cousin-in-law?”

Shen Yunzhou spoke calmly, “That young lady is my cousin from my maternal side. Her mother lost a son and is in mourning. Her uncle and aunt couldn’t leave to visit, so my cousin and her younger brother came to the capital to pay respects and comfort her mother, while also seeing how her fiancé, participating in this year’s spring imperial exam, was doing. My future cousin-in-law has done well, passed the provincial exam, and is preparing for the palace examination.”

Upon hearing this, Princess Jingning recalled Shen Yunzhou’s stepmother. Originally the youngest legitimate daughter in her family, her eldest sister had passed away, leaving a son, and she married into the family to serve as a secondary wife. The Jiang family probably assumed that having a maternal aunt as stepmother wouldn’t treat Shen Yunzhou harshly. Coupled with Duke Shen’s prestigious family, marrying a secondary wife wasn’t considered unfair, so the current Madam Shen was married in.

However, it seemed that this legitimate aunt was not necessarily a good stepmother. The death of Shen’s second son, and the fact that Shen Yunzhou had previously survived a near-death incident and concealed his early return to the capital, all proved there were grudges between him, his stepmother, and his younger brother.

Since the girl earlier was Shen Yunzhou’s maternal cousin, she was Madam Shen’s niece. The niece came to the capital to visit her elders and, incidentally, find out early how her fiancé fared.

Wait—that cousin already had a fiancé? She was already promised to someone?

Princess Jingning felt an inexplicable subtle shift in her mood. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t found a husband, and Shen Yunzhou was also unattached. Feeling a sort of kinship, she cleared her throat to ease the awkwardness: “I misspoke earlier. I thought something good was about to happen for you, and I said, who would be so blind to set their sights on someone as petty as you?”

Hearing this, Shen Yunzhou looked at her strangely, saying lightly, “I’d like to know as well—who will be so unlucky to marry me someday?”

Princess Jingning replied, “If someone is blind, even if unlucky, they’ll have to accept it. As for you, you’ve gotten a real bargain.” She didn’t want to keep chatting with Shen Yunzhou and turned to Meng Jinyao, “A-Yao, let’s go.”

Shen Yunzhou said, “Princess, please walk slowly. Madam Gu, please walk slowly.”

After Princess Jingning started walking, Meng Jinyao smiled meaningfully and casually remarked, “Young Master Shen, as a man, you walk a bit too slowly.”

Shen Yunzhou was momentarily stunned, but soon understood her implied meaning. Surprised, he looked at her; he hadn’t expected that even without doing anything, she could read him. Truly, the wife of the Minister of Justice has some insight. He replied gently, “A blockhead doesn’t catch on.”

Meng Jinyao’s faint reply: “Thank you for the trouble.”

Listening to their exchange, Princess Jingning felt puzzled. She turned to Meng Jinyao. “A-Yao, why do you care whether he walks fast or not? Even if he walks like a woman, it’s none of our business.”

Meng Jinyao smiled gently. “It’s nothing. I just feel that Young Master Shen could walk faster. If he doesn’t, a bit of encouragement can help him pick up the pace.”

Hearing this, Princess Jingning glanced at Shen Yunzhou. “A nobleman like him, traveling in a carriage, why walk at all? So precious, indeed.”

Shen Yunzhou responded calmly, “I recently acquired a fine piece of wood. I’ll give it to you one day, Princess, as thanks for your help last time.”

Princess Jingning twitched her mouth in disbelief. “Shen Yunzhou, have you lost your mind? A piece of wood as a gift?”

Shen Yunzhou said, “I think that wood suits you. Carved into a sculpture, it should look beautiful, just as beautiful as you.”

Instantly, Princess Jingning’s anger surged. She glared at him, exasperated: “Shen Yunzhou, you actually said that I, a princess, match a piece of wood? What kind of eyes do you have? If I had known you were blind, I wouldn’t have cared last time. As a man, you’re afraid of a dog, and a well-behaved one at that, hiding behind a woman. Don’t you feel ashamed? I’m embarrassed for you!”

Shen Yunzhou wasn’t angered by being exposed. On the contrary, he admired her. “Princess, you are mighty. I am deeply impressed.”

Princess Jingning: “……” Suddenly, it felt like punching a cotton ball.

Meng Jinyao, listening to their conversation, laughed even more. Indeed, the blockhead doesn’t catch on. Speaking in front of her, he didn’t notice, and if she directly told him with her current attitude, he would probably avoid it.