Not long later, it’s Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.
Shen Yue and I attended the palace banquet together. On the way in the palace, we encounter Shen Yue's younger cousin brother Zhao Yao.
Zhao Yao gets off the horse and gets on our carriage. He scans me up and down, seeming to have a lot of opinions about me. He asks Shen Yue in a displeased tone: "Elder Cousin Brother, is this your new wife?"
Shen Yue scolds him: "Have respect for your elders. You should call Elder Sister-in-law."
Zhao Yao tsks and pointedly says: "Elder Cousin Brother, I heard that when you were fighting outside, someone was eating well and sleeping soundly at home. She wasn’t worried at all?"
Shen Yue frowns: "Who did you hear that nonsense from?"
"Elder Cousin Brother, I heard from your lieutenant that you enviously gazed at the letters sent to him by his wife everyday. And you asked him every day if someone from Shen Manor in the capital sent letters over."
Shen Yue's expression instantly becomes unnatural. He glances at me and says, "Don't listen to his nonsense! No such matter."
Me:……
We had only been married for half a month when Shen Yue went to the border. I really don't have any feelings for him.
Moreover, at that time, I was no longer engaged in tea studies. So naturally I wouldn’t fake things with him.
What's more, he didn't ask me to reply to the letters he sent every month.
Zhao Yao sees our reactions and immediately understands that it is true. Therefore, wishing iron to become steel, he directs to Shen Yue: "Elder Cousin Brother, you have been at the border for so long and she didn't even write a letter! She doesn't care about you at all!」
These words trigger my green tea defense ability and I cleanly blurts out: "The war at the border is tense. I'm just afraid that the exchange of letters will distract you."
I lower my eyelids again, pretending to be disappointed. Retreating to advance. "Shen Yue, you must be disappointed that you didn’t receive my letter, right? Younger Cousin Brother is right. I am not a good wife."
Shen Yue holds my hand with gentle eyes: "No, Shanshan is the best wife. To marry you, Shen Yue is blessed from the previous life’s accumulation. Moreover, Shanshan’s and my heart are connected. I know Shanshan's thoughts. No tangible material is needed to prove it."
He immediately changes his face. Looking at Zhao Yao, his voice is cold and firm, "You heard it. Shanshan is just afraid that the exchange of letters will distract me. Isn’t she caring about me?"
Zhao Yao:......
"Elder Cousin Brother, did you lose your brain in the war?"
Zhao Yao is so angry that he jumps out of the carriage on the spot.
When we arrive at the palace, there is still some time before the palace banquet. So my Elder Sister has someone call me to her place.
She is dressed in purple palace clothes, with pearls and gold hairpins all over her head. So gorgeous and moving. It’s completely different from her previous image of a little white flower.
Seeing me looking at her in surprise, she blinks and says, "Green tea doesn't depend on what clothes or jewelry she wears, but on what she says and what she does."
After she shares her recent insights into green tea, she suddenly asks me, "How are you and Shen Yue getting along?"
I ponder about it and replies, "Still okay."
My Elder Sister raises her eyebrows and says, "Lin Yubai is back. You’ll probably see him later."
Me:……
We as green tea will always encounter one kind of person. That is, someone who can see through them at a glance.
For example, my father's love rival. For example, my Elder Sister's love rival.
But they have a high rank and have yet to meet anyone they can't handle.
I'm different. I haven’t grasped the essence of tea essence and met the most difficult person in my life. That's Lin Yubai.
He isn’t my love rival, but someone who goes against me.
We have known each other since we were very young. When I was developing tea science and distributing the aroma of tea, he could always expose me at once. This made me have no friends even until now.
Fortunately, Lin Yubai passed the exam as top scholar a few years ago and went to work as an official in other places.
Halfway through the palace banquet, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor leaves and the atmosphere of the banquet becomes much more relaxed.
There are separate seats for men and women. As I head out to sober up, I meet Shen Yue's Younger Cousin Sister Zhao Ning and Lin Yubai's Younger Sister, Lin Jingan.
Zhao Ning has no intention of paying attention to me. Instead, Lin Jingan smiles gently and says, "Madam Shen, are you here to get some fresh air?"
Green tea's sixth sense makes me subconsciously observe the surrounding environment. There is a pond here. The water is very deep, but not life threatening.
On the other side of the corridor, there are several ladies admiring the flowers.
I immediately smile even more gently than she does and reply, "Yes, I just drank some wine and have a severe headache."
Zhao Ning is feeling proud and says with a hint of thorns: "You really should have a headache. I heard that Elder Cousin Brother Shen brought back a woman from the border."
"Ah Ning." Lin Jingan interrupts her.
Zhao Ning rolls her eyes and says indifferently: "Elder Sister Jingan, this matter has spread all over the capital. She has already lost her face."
Me:?
I speak out, "There is such a matter. That female is the daughter of Shen Yue's father's old army. However, she has gone back because she misses her relatives too much."
Lin Jingan suddenly covers her mouth and remarks, "But I heard that it was you..."
She stops at this point.
Zhao Ning says: "It’s clearly you who is jealous and forced that female to leave."
I kind of know what these two people are planning. They sing and harmonize just to make me angry. They are easy to play with.
I immediately lower my eyelids and pretend to be sad, "No woman in the world is willing to share her husband with another woman."
Reaching here, I raise my head again and show a strong and aggrieved smile, as if I love Shen Yue to the core: "But if Shen Yue likes it, I will agree. As long as Shen Yue is happy, I will be happy."
Zhao Ning:......
Lin Jingan:...
Their expressions displayed speechlessness.
As the plan has failed, Zhao Ning becomes impatient.
Lin Jingan walks towards me. When she is a step away from me, I stumble and quickly find a good angle. Falling toward the pond, I have a smile on my face under the astonished eyes of the two people.
Except for the front view, no matter which direction people look from, it’s Lin Jingan who pushes me in.
Lin Jingan: "Why didn't you tell me that she is good at pretending?"
Zhao Ning: "Damn it, damn green tea!"
Just when success is within reach, a force pulls me back.
When I open my eyes, I see Lin Yubai's face. He looks at me with a half-smile.
My eyelids twitch.
Zhao Ning instantly panics and explains, "Official Lin, she jumped by herself. We didn't push her. If you don't believe me, ask Elder Sister Jingan."
Lin Jingan has a complicated expression:...
Lin Yubai says with a superficial smile, "Miss Zhao, why are you panicking? I didn't see anything."
He glances at Lin Jingan. She trembles and says, "Second Elder Brother, I've been out for too long, I should go back."
Saying that, she curtsies, pulls Zhao Ning, who wants to say something else, and leaves.
During the whole process, I haven’t said anything. After all, pretending to be green tea in front of Lin Yubai is no different from ogling a blind man.
I turn around to leave, but Lin Yubai suddenly speaks out in an irking tone: "Madam Shen, shouldn't you thank me?"
Me thank him? Without him, I would have made those two people understand what real green tea is.
I speed up. Lin Yubai steps forward and grasps my hand, saying, "Stop!"
I give an inexplicable gaze. He let go of my hand and says, "Does Shen Yue know your true face? Tell me, what will Shen Yue do if I tell him?"
I indifferently respond: "Then tell him."
Anyway, I don’t love him. Who cares what he thinks.
As soon as the words drop, Shen Yue's figure appears in front.
I quickly head toward Shen Yue. He seems a little flattered.
"Why do I feel Shanshan is so warm to me tonight?"
I perfunctorily reply: "Shen Yue, I'm tired."
"We’ll go home."
"Okay."
Just as we are getting on the carriage, Lin Yubai appears at the palace gate. He calls out to halt Shen Yue.
I sit in the carriage, clearly hearing the conversation between the two people.
Lin Yubai says, "General Shen, don't be deceived."
Shen Yue is baffled and asks, "Why does Mr. Lin say this?"
Lin Yubai smiles and explain, "General Shen, your wife is very good at lying. Be careful of being deceived by her."
Shen Yue's expression turns for worse, saying, "Official Lin seems to govern too wide."
"Don't you know, General Shen? Shanshan and I have known each other for a long time. Way before you got married."
Lin Yubai's words are so ambiguous that it’s hard not to misunderstand that I’m putting a hope hat on Shen Yue.
Sure enough, we who make green tea are most afraid of this kind of fatal enemy.
The air is silent for a moment. Shen Yue's voice soon sounded.
He says, "Why does Shanshan only lie to me and not others? She must love me."
He also deliberately emphasizes the word "others".
Lin Yubai:...
Me:……
At this moment, I have to admit that my Father has a sharp eye and can tell at a glance that Shen Yue is suitable for digging wild vegetables among many people.
Moreover, given the current scene of one-sided situations, a lunatic like Lin Yubai is helpless when faced with a love brain for the first time.
This novel is sooo funny. Thank you for picking up!
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