Chapter 38

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Chapter 38: Title

Gu Hengbo smiled at Shui Yan. “Thank you.”

Shui Yan hurriedly lowered her head. “This is what I should do. Does the crown princess have any other orders?”

Gu Hengbo shook her head. “No, you can go now.”

As soon as Shui Yan left, Gu Hengbo sighed in relief. She rested her elbows on the vanity and gently patted her face. Everything felt like a dream; when she woke up, maybe nothing would be left.

Gu Hengbo had not sat for long when she saw Shui Yan come in with a few maids. It seemed they were coming to tidy up the room. She instinctively glanced at the bed.

“Crown princess, the prince instructed the cook to prepare lunch and asked Qian Yue to invite you over,” a cheerful female voice announced as Qian Yue walked in with a bright smile.

Gu Hengbo looked at her water-pink dress that suited the occasion perfectly, enhancing her beauty. She pursed her lips and stood up. “Steward Feng.”

Qian Yue chuckled softly. “The crown princess can just call me Qian Yue.”

Gu Hengbo felt somewhat embarrassed. She usually had no defenses against beautiful women, especially those with kind personalities. She could only smile and nod. “Then let’s go, Qian Yue.”

This time, Qian Yue didn’t take Gu Hengbo far. Gu Hengbo secretly sighed in relief, remembering what Lian Rong had said on their wedding day. She pouted in frustration.

Entering a hall that looked like a dining area, Gu Hengbo was stunned by the long table filled with dishes.

Seeing her come in, Lian Rong remained seated in her chair and glanced at Qian Yue. Qian Yue understood, nodded, and led the maids who were ready to serve out of the room one by one.

Lian Rong gestured to the seat beside her. “Come sit here.”

Gu Hengbo said nothing and walked over to obediently sit down.

“You must be hungry. You barely ate last night,” Lian Rong said as she picked up chopsticks and placed some food on Gu Hengbo’s small plate. Then she added a piece of fish. “You just woke up, so it’s better to eat something light. This fish was prepared especially for you; it’s not greasy and tastes refreshing.”

Gu Hengbo sneaked a glance at her and quietly asked, “Are you okay?”

Lian Rong was taken aback. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Hengbo’s face turned red. "It’s nothing. By the way, where are we going today?" She heard that the late Emperor and Empress were no longer around, so who could she meet?

Lian Rong pinched her rosy cheeks. "You’ll find out when we get there. First, let’s eat."

Gu Hengbo felt a layer of cold sweat on her back. She preferred when Lian Rong playfully teased her; this gentle approach was overwhelming for her.

Gu Hengbo decided not to say anything more and focused on her food. Lian Rong occasionally added a couple of pieces of vegetables to her plate. She ate so quickly that she almost choked.

Lian Rong hurriedly served her a small bowl of soup and patted her back. "No need to rush, eat slowly. There’s plenty, and no one is competing with you."

Gu Hengbo gulped down some soup; she had indeed been very hungry yesterday. However, she thought… people in ancient times held traditional beliefs strongly. Even if they didn’t perform the rites of marriage, they were already a couple. That’s why Lian Rong treated her so well. Yes, it must be like that; otherwise, it would be hard to explain this strange scene.

Just as Gu Hengbo finished eating, Qian Yue walked in. She bowed slightly to Lian Rong. "Prince, someone from the palace has come to see you."

Lian Rong nodded. "Let them in."

Not long after Qian Yue left, a palace servant dressed in official robes entered, followed by a young girl dressed like a palace servant. Upon seeing Lian Rong, they performed a respectful bow.

Lian Rong did not act high-handed; she simply said, "Get up." As they stood, both of their gazes unexpectedly fell on Gu Hengbo, who was sitting next to Lian Rong.

"What’s the matter?" Lian Rong asked slowly, while helping Gu Hengbo with another bowl of soup, softly saying, "Drink a little more."

Gu Hengbo frowned at her, indicating that she really couldn’t drink any more. Lian Rong patted her head. "Good girl, a few sips are fine."

Gu Hengbo immediately felt goosebumps all over. Without saying a word, she picked up the bowl and prepared to pour it into her mouth, but then thought it might seem improper. So, she had to take small sips with a spoon.

Lian Rong nodded in satisfaction and turned her gaze to the two standing. "Did the Empress send you?"

The palace maid nodded first. Remembering how fatigued Her Highness looked, and glancing at the loving couple in front of her, she displayed a troubled expression. "Her Highness asked me to ensure that the Prince comes to the palace."

Lian Rong picked up a handkerchief and wiped the soup stains from Gu Hengbo’s mouth. "Go back and tell your Empress that I will take the Crown Princess to the royal tomb to pay respects to our ancestors today. We will visit the palace another day."

The two stood frozen, unsure how to respond.

"Is there anything else?" Lian Rong asked.

"No, nothing else."

"Qian Yue."

Gu Hengbo watched as the two were ‘invited’ out by Qian Yue. She pressed Lian Rong’s hand that held the handkerchief. "So we’re going to the royal tomb; it’s a graveyard!"

Lian Rong looked at her. "Have you finished eating?"

Gu Hengbo rolled her eyes at her. "I finished a long time ago."

Lian Rong smiled. "Let’s go."

In the carriage, Gu Hengbo lifted the curtain to look outside. After a while, her gaze returned to the golden fabric in her hands. The carriage looked red from outside, but inside it was all blindingly golden; it was so spacious she could roll around in it. She realized that Lian Rong’s taste was so extravagant that it made her eyes hurt; the whole thing was the very definition of a nouveau riche.

"I heard the Prince is very skilled in business," Gu Hengbo casually asked.

Lian Rong lay on the soft couch and glanced at her. "Who did you hear that from?"

Gu Hengbo was taken aback; isn’t it obvious? It’s from her admirers who are completely in awe of her. "Everyone knows that you, Prince, are the richest in Dongyin. You have businesses in silk, restaurants, ceramics, timber, herbs, and grain banks. Your trading houses extend throughout the Nine Provinces Continent."

Lian Rong smiled as she listened to her count them off. "It certainly sounds impressive; I didn’t realize I was so wealthy."

Gu Hengbo frowned. "So you don’t even know if you’re rich or not?"

Lian Rong propped her head on her arm and looked at her. "Are you saying I’m not human?"

“I didn’t say anything.”

“It was Lian Chen who told you, right?” Lian Rong pointed out.

Gu Hengbo raised an eyebrow, “Was he wrong?”

“He’s not wrong, but didn’t he tell you that I never go to the store? The people who really handle business are those I hire with my money.”

“Why? All said and done, you are still the boss.”

“I wouldn’t dare to call myself that. I really am not good at business; in the end, the credit goes to them.”

“But you still get the most profit, right? Everyone just gets what they need,” Gu Hengbo summarized.

Lian Rong looked at her with admiration, “You understand quite well.”

“Do you really need money?” Gu Hengbo asked.

Lian Rong smiled, “That’s hard to say. I just spend money to help some people support others.”

Gu Hengbo felt confused. What does it mean to spend money to help some people support others?

“Anyway, your life is indeed luxurious,” Gu Hengbo sighed.

“This is called being wealthy and extravagant; what do you know, little girl?”

Gu Hengbo felt unhappy. Little girl? She had been called that many times. “Hey, it seems like you are much older than me.”

“You are already a wife, yet you don’t even know your husband’s age. Shouldn’t you be ashamed?” Lian Rong teased her with a smile.

Gu Hengbo glared at her, “How much older could you be than me?”

“Cough, listen well. Your husband was born on the twenty-third day of the seventh month in the first year of Dongyin.”

“……” How old is that?

“I am thirty-three this year. How much older do you think I am than you?”

“Ha? Thirty-three? That’s absurd! A thirty-three-year-old guy looks like this! No, no, right now my body is seventeen, so…”

Gu Hengbo slumped against the carriage wall, opening her mouth in shock, unable to say anything. They were actually sixteen years apart! Sixteen years! What does that even mean? Although she was a bit surprised that Lian Rong was a royal uncle among the many princes and princesses, she really looked incredibly young. “Lian Yue and Lianhua must be twenty now, right?”

“These two kids are twins; they just turned nineteen this year. Except for your aunt, all those with children were married to the royal brother when he was given his title. When the royal brother ascended, Lianqing and Lianfei hadn’t been born yet, and the other kids were already walking,” Lian Rong recalled the past and couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental.

Gu Hengbo nodded along but then felt something was off. “It’s better that you didn’t mention my aunt; now that you have, how should I address her?”

Lian Rong was taken aback but soon smiled nonchalantly, “Just like me, call her sister-in-law.”

Gu Hengbo looked at her in frustration. This was so unfair! In modern times, she wouldn’t choose an uncle seven or eight years older than herself, especially since her current body was only seventeen. Sixteen years, sixteen years! Why did she always feel so uncomfortable about it?

“What’s wrong?” Lian Rong asked when she noticed Gu Hengbo wasn’t speaking.

Gu Hengbo felt downcast and couldn’t just tell her that she found her age bothersome.

“Nothing, why isn’t it here yet?” She changed the subject.

Lian Rong saw through her thoughts but didn’t press further, just smiling a little mischievously. Everyone in the entire region knew that Lian Rong was a woman, and she didn’t even know her own age. The royal brother’s current concubines, besides Gu Wan, were all brought in from the late prince’s residence, which was also common knowledge. How could she know nothing?