Strangely enough, this person showed no sign of embarrassment even after being caught. He smiled calmly and said, "Ranran was frightened today. How about I take you to listen to storytelling?"
Since the last time at the Sun family's place, when Xie Fengran's casual remarks about Wang Yahan were spread, although she was scolded by the old lady of the Xie family, a trend of listening to storytelling had swept through the capital.
The gory love stories in the Lingfeng Teahouse were very popular among the young ladies in the boudoir. The environment there was private, and little by little, it had become a fashion.
Hearing Qin Junxing say this, Xie Fengran glanced at him and sneered, "I didn't know what kind of person Boss Cheng was before. Now that I've seen the prince consort, I understand that like master, like servant. Using one's own place to treat guests, the prince consort really has a good plan."
"If Ranran doesn't like it, we can go somewhere else," Qin Junxing ignored the sarcasm in her words and made another attempt.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I should go back now!"
As if to match her words, the carriage suddenly stopped, and Qingye's voice sounded, "My lord, the Marquis Mansion is here!"
Qin Junxing: "..."
Xie Fengran stifled her laughter and got up to lift the carriage curtain.
But before she could touch it, she was stopped.
Qin Junxing scowled. His big hand hovered slightly over Xie Fengran's wrist. "Ranran, I really want to invite you to have tea!"
As soon as he opened his mouth, there was a hint of annoyance in his tone. There was no trace of the imposing manner he had when confronting the Fourth Princess just now.
Xie Fengran laughed. "But I really have to go back!"
This prince consort seemed so real in his fluster. Unconsciously, a hint of smile appeared in her eyes. The unpleasant things that had happened today seemed to have faded away.
When Qin Junxing caught the sparkle in her eyes, his annoyance faded a bit. He sat back and said, "If I can make Ranran happy once, what I've done is worth it!"
The reason he wanted to invite her to have tea was just to cheer her up.
He knew that the Marquis Mansion was not a place that could make her happy. If there could be a place to make her happy at this time, he wished it could be provided by him.
Xie Fengran stared back blankly. When she saw the sincerity in Qin Junxing's eyes, her heart seemed to be hit by something, and it felt sour.
She asked in disbelief, "Are you... trying to cheer me up?"
Qin Junxing was also stunned. Was he trying to cheer her up?
He just wanted to make her happy. After thinking for a while, he said, "I just want you to be happy. I don't want to see you sad. If you say I'm cheering you up, then so be it!"
"I understand then!" Xie Fengran said seriously. Then she lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage without looking back.
Qin Junxing was completely confused by this sudden statement...
What did she understand?
Did he say something wrong?
What exactly did she understand?
The straightforward prince consort was thoroughly bewildered and sat there stunned in the carriage.
It was not until Qingye didn't hear any instructions for a long time and asked, "My lord, where shall we go?"
"Back to the teahouse!"
"Obe... "
"Who told you to drive the carriage to the entrance of the Marquis Mansion just now?"
" ...Your order, wasn't it you, my lord?"
Qingye felt a pang of uneasiness in his heart. He didn't know what he had done wrong again.
Qin Junxing tapped on the carriage wall, and Qingye poked his head in.
"I'll ask you a question. If you can answer it, I'll forgive you this time!"
Qingye: "..." He felt wronged but didn't know if he should voice it.
But, after all, the other was his lord.
"Please ask, my lord!"
"I want to know, if a woman knows you're trying to cheer her up but doesn't object, why is that?"
Qingye slapped his thigh. "It's obvious that she wants you to keep cheering her up. Think about it! She knows but doesn't object. This clearly means she has feelings for you too. If you make more efforts, you're sure to win her heart!"
"So, who are you trying to cheer up?"
Qin Junxing curled his fingers and tapped on the carriage window subconsciously. He replied, "Cheer... It's not me!"
"Oh! Right, right. How could you ever try to cheer someone up?" Qingye gave him a look as if he saw through everything. God knows what was really on his mind. But he just had to be a troublemaker and said, "So, my lord, have you won Miss Xie's heart?"
"Get out!"
Qin Junxing grabbed the teacup on the low table in the carriage and threw it at him.
On the other side, after Xie Fengran got out of the carriage, she saw her two maids waiting at the entrance of the Marquis Mansion. Only then did she remember that she had forgotten about them.
"You two..."
"Miss, it was the prince consort who sent us back!"
"Qin Junxing, he..." Xie Fengran stopped halfway. She remembered the serious look on his face when he said he was trying to cheer her up.
It was kind of handsome.
"Miss, your face is so red. Are you running a fever?" Hexiang reached out to feel her forehead but found her temperature normal.
"I'm fine!" Xie Fengran pushed away Hexiang's hand and walked into the mansion.
She still had Qin Junxing's image in mind. She didn't come back to her senses until Xie Chenghui came over and hugged her leg.
"Sister, sister!"
The wet nurse ran over from behind, carrying a book bag in her hand. "Young master, Miss can't carry you anymore. You have to walk by yourself!"
Xie Fengran stopped her. "It's okay. Sister can carry you for a while." Then, looking at the book bag in the wet nurse's hand, she asked, "Has Young Master Chenghui's tutor left?"
"Back to you, Miss. The tutor just left and left a lot of homework for the young master. The young master will have to stay up late again today."
Chenghui didn't seem to understand. He tilted his head on Xie Fengran's neck and refused to look up.
Xie Fengran glanced at the wet nurse, patted Chenghui's head, and said, "You go back and rest first. I'll take Chenghui back."
"Yes, then this servant will retire first!"
The wet nurse curtsied and left. After seeing her enter her own room, Xie Fengran took Chenghui back.
When they entered the room, Liuyi and Lanfang came out to greet them. "Miss, you're back!"
Seeing them busy, Xie Fengran asked curiously, "What are you two doing? Haven't you finished sorting out those clothes yet?"
"It's not that we haven't finished. It's just that today the news of your passing the literary exam came. The old lady asked the Jinyi Pavilion to send a lot of good fabric, and the madam also sent a lot of clothes. This servant is still sorting them out!"
"Does Xie Yunxi have any?"
"No, they're all here."
Xie Fengran paused for a moment and told Lanfang, "You pick out some and send them to her."
Lanfang was reluctant. "Second Miss always grabs your things. Why do you still want to send them to her?"
"Of course, it's to silence others. It's just a few bolts of fabric. I'm not doing this for her sake," Xie Fengran walked to the chair, hugged Chenghui in her arms, and sat down.
Xie Fengran waved her hand, indicating Lanfang to go and do it. She lowered her head, looked into Chenghui's big eyes, and asked softly, "Does Chenghui miss sister? Is the tutor good to you?"
"I miss sister," Chenghui buried his head in her arms again and said in a muffled voice, "I don't like the concubine!"