Chapter 85

Chapter 85: Was That All?

Sheng Zhi Wan said: “Then I won’t put on powder for now. Just use some lip balm to protect my lips.”

After they finished, An Zhi took out a White Fox cloak of excellent quality and wrapped it around Sheng Zhi Wan.

When Sheng Zhi Wan turned back, Sheng Zhi Wan’s small, jade-like face sat in the fluffy White Fox fur. The maids who were used to Sheng Zhi Wan’s usual glamorous beauty still froze for a moment.

“Princess… you’re really beautiful,” Ting Lan said blankly.

Seeing Ting Lan’s stunned expression, Sheng Zhi Wan laughed: “You’re beautiful too.”

Ting Lan’s face flushed red at once: “Princess is teasing this servant again.”

Ting Lan had always thought those sour scholars praised beauties with overblown poems that could not be trusted. But after seeing Sheng Zhi Wan like this, Ting Lan felt every word fit perfectly.

Was Sheng Zhi Wan not a fairy maiden who had stepped down from the heavens?

Sheng Zhi Wan led the two of them to Wen Xi Courtyard.

Along the way, Sheng Zhi Wan smiled, admired the flowers and scenery, and collected countless amazed looks.

People had always known the Heir’s Wife was stunning, but that kind of impact still refreshed every time they saw Sheng Zhi Wan. Today, Sheng Zhi Wan’s beauty seemed to rise another level.

The moment Sheng Zhi Wan entered Wen Xi Courtyard, Sheng Zhi Wan saw Madam Cui smiling warmly as Madam Cui held Meng Yang’s hand and spoke to her.

Concubine Lian and Concubine Ping stood behind Madam Cui. Sheng Zhi Wan glanced over and saw that Qi Shu Xian was there too.

After greeting Madam Cui, Sheng Zhi Wan sat down naturally in an open seat: “Mother called me here for something?”

From the moment Sheng Zhi Wan walked in, Qi Shu Xian’s eyes stayed fixed on Sheng Zhi Wan.

Meng Yang noticed, and Meng Yang’s face went pale. But when Meng Yang thought about what would be announced soon, a smug glint rose in Meng Yang’s eyes.

Meng Yang hated Sheng Zhi Wan’s calm, indifferent look more than anything. Meng Yang could not wait to see Sheng Zhi Wan finally lose composure.

Meng Yang spoke first: “Princess, Mother called Princess here because of me.”

“Oh?” Sheng Zhi Wan glanced at Meng Yang. “Miss Meng hasn’t been resting well lately? Miss Meng not only looked much older, but Miss Meng even had spots on Miss Meng’s face.”

As Sheng Zhi Wan spoke, Sheng Zhi Wan’s dark brows knitted in a delicate frown.

The smugness on Meng Yang’s face stiffened.

Lately, Meng Yang had been juggling the Hotpot Shop, brewing wine, and the estate’s affairs all at once. Meng Yang truly had not slept much. Those spots were pregnancy marks, and Meng Yang had carefully covered them with powder, yet Sheng Zhi Wan still saw them.

Seeing them was one thing. Saying it in front of everyone was another.

Meng Yang lowered her head in humiliation, nails digging into her palm.

Madam Cui snorted: “Sharp-tongued!”

Madam Cui’s eyes swept over Sheng Zhi Wan with displeasure. “What was the use of being pretty? You were pretty, yet you didn’t even come to greet your elders. You ignored the household accounts. All you did was run out every day.”

Madam Cui’s voice grew even harsher: “When you marry, you marry virtue. Yang’er may be of low birth, but Yang’er is filial and kind, and Yang’er is clever. Now Yang’er even has the Third Prince’s favor. This whole Duke’s estate, inside and out, depends on her to keep it running. In my view, you should learn from her!”

Madam Cui kept staring at Sheng Zhi Wan’s good color.

Recently, Madam Cui’s health had worsened again and again, leaving Madam Cui haggard. It made Madam Cui even angrier. If Sheng Zhi Wan had boiled medicine for Madam Cui and massaged Madam Cui like before, would Madam Cui have gotten sick?

Instead, Sheng Zhi Wan had angered Madam Cui time after time.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not get angry. Sheng Zhi Wan only smiled and nodded: “Mother was absolutely right. Being good-looking was indeed useless, except that it made people feel pleasant when they looked at you. But that kind of pleasant feeling was actually very important.”

Sheng Zhi Wan continued calmly: “After all, men loved beauty by nature. When beauty faded, love ran away. If you didn’t look good anymore, or if you grew old, people would no longer want to look.”

Sheng Zhi Wan smiled lightly. “Of course, Father could not be counted among those men.”

Everyone in the Qi Duke’s estate knew the Duke rarely stayed at home. If the Duke was not socializing at one house, the Duke was relaxing at another estate. There were no scandals, but Sheng Zhi Wan’s words still stabbed straight into Madam Cui’s heart.

Madam Cui was so furious that Madam Cui’s nose nearly twisted.

Sheng Zhi Wan acted as if Sheng Zhi Wan saw nothing. Sheng Zhi Wan sighed: “Mother should just tell me what I was called here for. After that, I still need to go back and take another nap. Imperial Physician Song said sleeping more also helped maintain the skin.”

“You-you!” Madam Cui clutched at Madam Cui’s chest, then pointed at Qi Shu Xian, then pointed at Sheng Zhi Wan, but could not force out a single clear sentence.

Qi Shu Xian’s voice turned dark: “Fine. From now on, the Duke’s estate’s household management will be handed to Meng Yang. Go sleep your nap. Let Meng Yang handle this estate!”

Meng Yang fell silent.

For a moment, Meng Yang did not even want the household accounts anymore. Still, Meng Yang looked at Sheng Zhi Wan, hoping to see the expression Meng Yang wanted.

Sheng Zhi Wan did freeze in surprise for an instant, just as Meng Yang hoped.

Then Sheng Zhi Wan said: “Was that all? Mother could have just sent someone to tell me. Why make me run all the way here?”

What… what?

The expectation in Meng Yang’s eyes cracked apart.

Was Sheng Zhi Wan not hearing Qi Shu Xian? In any household, the inner management belonged to the Principal Wife. If it went to Meng Yang instead, it meant the Heir Apparent and the Duchess were deeply disappointed in Sheng Zhi Wan.

Yet Sheng Zhi Wan did not care at all?

How could that be possible?

Unless Sheng Zhi Wan was pretending.

Meng Yang stared at Sheng Zhi Wan stubbornly, unwilling to give up.

Sheng Zhi Wan noticed that look and seemed to realize something: “Since Miss Meng will be managing the household, Miss Meng can’t do it without proper status. I’ll go back and send Huan Zhu’s betrothal document over.”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s tone stayed casual. “Mother can enter it into the registry. Tonight, let the two of them enter through the side gate and be carried in as concubines. What did Mother think?”