Deng Zhenzhu smiled and spoke slowly, "Yes... and no."
Mingyu looked at her. The kettle on the stove was boiling and bubbling with steam. Through the steam, Deng Zhenzhu's face was a little blurry. "I don't understand what you mean." Mingyu said.
Yes is yes, no is no, I guess there is no middle ground.
“You may not know yet.” Deng Zhenzhu smiled slightly, with a hint of girlish shyness in her smile, “It’s really hard for me to say this… Sima Houfu and my family are discussing marriage… Mingyu looked at the gurgling kettle, his expression changed slightly, and he said nothing.
"I know he came to the court to help you today." Deng Zhenzhu hurriedly ended the topic of marriage proposal and smiled. Seeing Mingyu suddenly raised his eyes and looked at her, she said in a relaxed tone: "Don't think too much. I said at the beginning that I have no intention of targeting you or looking down on you. I am not unhappy about him coming to help you. On the contrary, I admire him for doing this."
Seeing Mingyu remained silent, Deng Zhenzhu laughed again and said slowly, "I have always had different ideas from others since I was a child, a bit unorthodox. I thought that even if you were divorced, you were still husband and wife. Such a big thing happened in your family, and even I heard about it, so he must know it too. If he didn't care about you, then he would be too unkind and too cold. Now that he has put aside the past and is willing to help you, it proves that he is a good person who cares about the old relationship. He regards you as his responsibility. In this regard, I admire him very much. He is a man who stands tall and upright."
Mingyu lowered her eyes and remained silent. She really didn't expect that Sima Hong's action would win him the heart of a beautiful woman.
"I know it's hard for you to accept..." Deng Zhenzhu said sincerely. "But you are in a difficult time now, this is not the time to save face. Besides, I don't mean to look down on you. This little money is not important to me. But it is very important to you and your family. I just want to help you, to help you on behalf of An Hou."
After saying that, Deng Zhenzhu raised her hand again and gently pushed the envelope on the table back to Mingyu.
Mingyu raised her head and carefully looked at the young lady opposite her for the first time. Her skin was fair and rosy. She was still young, and her face was still plump and had not yet opened. However, with her gorgeous and exquisite clothes and makeup, she looked like a neat and gorgeous doll.
"Thank you." Mingyu said. She wanted to smile but found her face was very stiff. "However, I really can't accept this money. I appreciate Miss Deng's kindness."
No matter how kind and sincere Deng Zhenzhu's attitude was, it could not change the fact that as the principal wife, she was condescending, looking down on Mingyu with pity and contempt, and giving alms to Mingyu.
After saying so much, Mingyu still refused to accept it. As if she had offended her, Deng Zhenzhu was a little annoyed, "Miss Xu, do you think I am so kind to everyone? No one dares to refuse to accept anything I, Deng Zhenzhu, give to anyone."
Mingyu looked at her quietly and nodded, "Miss Deng is of noble status. Mingyu dare not compare with you. But..." Mingyu laughed, "You gave me the money on behalf of Sima Hong today. Have you told him? He is a domineering and proud person. I'm afraid he won't be happy if he knows you did this behind his back. Instead of arguing with me about the money, Miss Deng should think about how to explain it to him."
After saying that, Mingyu quickly walked out of the room and gently closed the door. She could even feel Deng Zhenzhu's gaze from behind her, which made her feel like a thorn in her back.
As soon as the sound of the door closing was heard, Deng Zhenzhu, who had been kneeling with an extremely upright and graceful posture and expression, immediately reached out and swept all the teapots and teacups on the table to the ground, gritting her teeth with a ferocious expression.
The door of the compartment opened, and a middle-aged woman walked in quickly. She slapped her thigh and said with a smile, "Oh my god! You were fine just now, why are you so angry again?"
Deng Zhenzhu saw the woman, her eyes turned red, and she said with a flat mouth: "Nurse, you don't know how hateful Xu Mingyu is. It's just... it's just... I gave her money out of kindness, but she dared not to take it? And she even said some nonsense..."
The nurse hugged Deng Zhenzhu into her arms and coaxed her, "If you don't want her, then don't want her. She is always ungrateful, don't we all know that? Today, the young lady was kind-hearted and did a good deed, but she took it for granted! If she knew what was right and wrong, why would she have divorced Lord Anxi in the first place? Why are you angry with such a person!"
After being comforted by her nurse in such a gentle voice, Deng Zhenzhu felt much calmer. She snorted and nodded, saying, "That makes sense. She is mentally ill! She is just a lowly person, but she dared to offend me. Next time I see her, I will make her suffer..."
"Miss, if she doesn't divorce Lord Anxi, then Lord Anxi won't be able to become the son-in-law of our Deng family!" The nurse said with a smile, "You should be more open-minded. Why bother to argue about these trivial matters with those people who are not worthy of being on the stage? You will only lose your status in vain."
Thinking of the date with Sima Hong at the Queen's birthday banquet, Deng Zhenzhu blushed. He was such a perfect man, handsome and brave, and so loyal and responsible. What about Xu Mingyu
Seeing her young lady's shy and cute appearance, the nurse hesitated for a long time before speaking, "Young lady, I think it's a little inappropriate for Marquis Anxi to come to help that woman today... We have to be on guard against this!"
Deng Zhenzhu disagreed and said impatiently: "It's just a favor. Do you want Marquis An to pretend that he doesn't know? You think too much." Xu Mingyu is just prettier. How can she compare with her in terms of family background? Marquis Anxi is not stupid. He naturally knows what is good.
Mingyu let out a long sigh after leaving the teahouse. The sun was shining brightly in the morning, but now it was cloudy. Lixiang and Dongyuan were waiting for her at the door. When they saw Mingyu coming out, they looked depressed and asked with concern, "Miss, how is it? Did Miss Deng bully you?"
Mingyu forced a smile and said, "No. Let's go home."
People were using Sima Hong's identity as his future wife to pressure her, what else could she say? The scene of Sima Hong holding her and galloping on horseback yesterday was still vivid in her mind. She could still clearly remember the smell of sweat on Sima Hong's broad chest, which made her blush and her heart beat fast.
She even thought that Sima Hong would be able to give her an explanation when he returned this time.
The appearance of Deng Zhenzhu was like a heavy blow that woke her up.
So what is her current relationship with Sima Hong? Mingyu thought blankly, and her steps became heavy.
After walking a few steps, it began to drizzle. None of the three of them brought an umbrella, so they took shelter under the eaves of a store on the street. Mingyu looked at the sky, which was very gloomy. She was afraid that this autumn rain would not stop for a while.
A sudden downpour came, and the once bustling streets became deserted almost instantly. Not a single pedestrian or carriage was seen for a long time. The three of them waited for a long time but still couldn't hire a carriage. Dongyuan took off his outer robe and put it on his head, and asked Mingyu and Lixiang to wait under the eaves. He rushed into the rain and ran home to get an umbrella.
Looking at the rain curtain dripping in a line under the eaves, Mingyu was in a low mood. Putting aside what happened to Deng Zhenzhu just now, she was in court today because of her impatience and recklessness that she harmed Fu Lemei.
Just as Mingyu was standing there in a daze, a carriage stopped not far from Mingyu. Lu Hao leaned out of the carriage and shouted to Mingyu, "Get in the carriage. I'll take you home."
Mingyu came back to her senses and saw that it was Lu Hao. She subconsciously took a step back. Lu Hao was still elegant and steady. Even though his hair was wet by the rain and stuck to his head, it did not affect his gentle temperament.
"No, thank you Lord Lu for your kindness. My family will come to pick me up." Mingyu shook her head.
Lu Hao frowned and glanced at Mingyu, then turned back to the carriage. Mingyu thought he was leaving, but in the blink of an eye, he took an umbrella from the carriage, got out of the carriage with it, walked up to Mingyu, stared at her and asked, "Are you angry with me?"
Mingyu shook her head, “No.”
"It was my cousin who was wrong today. She insisted on coming here, and I didn't expect this to happen. Fang'er has a childish temper and doesn't understand. Besides, your brother is fine, too. Don't think too much about it." Lu Hao said patiently.
Mingyu raised her head and looked at Lu Hao, a sneer on her lips, "She is not sensible? I think she is very sensible and smart. She knows where the opponent is most vulnerable and she will hit him there."
Seeing that he couldn't explain it to Mingyu for a while, Lu Hao simply put away the umbrella in his hand and frowned, "It has already happened, what else do you want? In fact, Fang'er is just a child with a temper, and her nature is still pure..."
"I don't want to do anything, and I don't have the ability to do anything to Lord Lu's cousin." Mingyu interrupted Lu Hao, "I can't stand this kind of child's temper. If she behaves innocently a few more times, I'm afraid my whole family will be killed by her kindness."
Lu Hao didn't expect Mingyu to be so angry. He was stunned for a moment and said slowly: "You have always been sensible and reasonable. I know you are angry, but Mingye is safe, so you don't have to..."
"I don't need anything?" Mingyu's eyes were filled with tears. "Just because I am sensible and reasonable, I don't need to take these innocent little things your family did to heart? Lord Lu praised me too much. How could I be sensible and reasonable? It's because I was too stupid and foolish. I thought that even if your cousin didn't like me, she wouldn't stab me in public for the sake of our friendship. I almost hurt my brother. I was too ashamed to go home. I also hurt Le Mei and ruined her reputation..."
Mingyu took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and looked up at Lu Hao, "Master Lu, do you want to say anything else?"