Cheng Xiran pursed her lips slightly and mumbled, "You're a prince, while I'm just a commoner. How could I dare to aim so high?"
She thought Helian Duo would agree, but unexpectedly, he changed his usual slightly cold tone and suddenly asked gently, "What if you were a rich young lady and I were just a knight-errant wandering the world? Would you be interested in a man like me?"
"Nope. I don't like penniless men," Cheng Xiran replied firmly.
This earned her a contemptuous look from Helian Duo, and he scoffed, "You're really a little money-grubber."
Not really. She just liked the sense of security that money brought. All of a sudden, she realized that she could obtain all kinds of feelings, good and bad, from Helian Duo. He was handsome and wealthy, able to fulfill all her desires. If she were to be with him...
Images of her post - marriage life with Helian Duo couldn't help but flood Cheng Xiran's mind. She even didn't skip the wedding night...
The more she thought, the more excited she got. She forgot that Helian Duo had been watching her ever since he noticed her blushing face.
It wasn't until she sensed something strange. When she turned her eyes and met Helian Duo's sleepy gaze, she was so shy that she covered her face with both hands, only daring to leave a small gap to see the way.
"What are you thinking about? And why are you smiling wickedly?"
Cheng Xiran shook her head vigorously. While shaking, she tried to defend herself, "It's nothing. I just thought of something really happy. It's a girl's business. Don't ask too much!"
After saying this, she quickened her pace and finally almost ran away.
Helian Duo followed her leisurely behind. The corners of his thin lips curled up slightly, forming a perfect arc, and his eyes softened.
Mu Li beside them took all this in.
When they returned to the Cheng Mansion, the blush on Cheng Xiran's face faded completely. Thinking of what had just happened, she found it rather absurd.
She wondered what Helian Duo would think if he knew she had been having dirty thoughts.
With this in mind, she quickly slipped inside. She told the butler that Helian Duo had come and asked him to go to the gate to greet him quickly.
"The prime minister is not in the mansion at the moment..."
Before the butler could finish his words, Cheng Xiran interrupted him in a low voice, "What does it matter that Father is not here? Shouldn't we still go out to greet him as usual?"
Hearing this, the butler had no choice but to order someone to invite the old lady. He himself went to the back yard to wake up Liu Shi, who was sick in bed, and Cheng Zhiyue.
Cheng Xiran was waiting at the gate, eager to watch the show. When she saw Helian Duo walking slowly over, she pretended to be respectful and stood waiting at the side, not daring to move or act rashly.
It wasn't until the old lady and the others came that she looked in the direction of the sound. Sure enough, seeing was believing. The events of the past few days had taken a toll on Liu Shi. Without proper dressing up, she seemed to have aged ten years overnight. Her face was full of fatigue, which showed that she had been punished a lot for her mistakes.
The whole family bowed in unison. Helian Duo also nodded slightly out of courtesy, and then was invited to the front hall.
Since Liu Shi was out of sorts, the old lady took charge of everything. She served tea and water and even invited Helian Duo to stay for dinner. Basically, she took out all the good things she could think of to entertain Helian Duo.
Helian Duo didn't care about the unpleasantness during their last meeting, but the old lady still felt guilty about it.
"I was wrong last time. I hope the prince can forgive me. This time, the prince has helped our Cheng Mansion so much and solved a difficult problem for Zhiyue. We will always remember this kindness and will surely repay it in the future," the old lady said sincerely. Cheng Xiran could tell that she was truly grateful.
However, neither Cheng Zhiyue nor Liu Shi showed any sign of gratitude on their faces. They seemed to be listening to someone else's story.
"The old lady is being too polite. But actually, I do have something I fancy..." Helian Duo said bluntly, casting a glance at Cheng Xiran, who was sitting there looking bored.