Chapter 50: Shen Xiuyan Has Caught Someone’s Eye!

The banquet ended, and the students gradually filed out.

Sun Yunrou could no longer sit still—she was eager to get to know that person.

She pulled a maid to her side and whispered a few words in her ear.

The maid looked terrified and hesitated, “This might not be a good idea… If the master finds out…”

Sun Yunrou cut her off, “He won’t find out, will he? Besides, even Father praised this man. He wouldn’t mind.”

Having been spoiled and headstrong at home, the young lady left the maid with no choice. Gritting her teeth, the maid obeyed her orders.

“Scholar Shen, please wait a moment.” The maid called out to him. “Our lord would like to have a few more words with you.”

Shen Xiuyan stopped in his tracks, suspecting nothing.

After bidding farewell to his friends, he followed the maid into a quiet, secluded courtyard.

The further they walked, the more wrong it felt. He stopped and asked suspiciously, “May I ask why the lord wants to meet me here instead of the main hall?”

A sweet, lively voice rang out from behind him. “It’s not my father who wanted to see you—it’s me.”

Shen Xiuyan jumped, nervously turning around to find a young maiden standing there.

Though she was fairly attractive, to Shen Xiuyan she couldn’t hold a candle to Su Mingyue.

That’s right—his wife was the most beautiful woman in the world, no arguments allowed!

He cautiously asked, “And you are?”

“I am Sun Yunrou, legitimate daughter of the Minister of Personnel. Today I was captivated by your talent and wished to make your acquaintance.”

Shen Xiuyan’s first reaction was that he’d walked into a trap. He had to leave quickly. A man and woman alone like this—even with a maid present—if someone saw them, rumors would fly.

But just as he was about to leave, her name struck a familiar chord.

Wait a minute!

Sun! Yun! Rou!

Wasn’t that the woman the original host married after abandoning his wife?!

No wonder seeing the Minister of Personnel earlier made him feel like he’d forgotten something!

That was the original host’s future father-in-law!

Oh my god, how could he be so stupid—not avoiding her immediately?!

It was all because life had been too blissful lately—he’d completely forgotten. Who would’ve thought she’d still fancy him from so far away?!

Come on, Miss Sun, can’t you pick someone else to torment…

Why does it have to be him?!

His eyes involuntarily drifted to Sun Yunrou’s belly—oh, wait, no, he pulled his thoughts back. Judging by the timeline, she shouldn’t be pregnant yet.

So at least there was no fear of being cuckolded. But why was she suddenly interested in him again?!

Unable to make sense of it, Shen Xiuyan gave an extremely awkward smile. “I thought your father wanted to speak with me, which is why I came. Since that’s not the case, I’ll take my leave. As for getting acquainted, that’s really not appropriate—men and women should observe propriety.”

With that, he tried to slip away. Unfortunately, Sun Yunrou blocked his exit.

“Oh, Scholar Shen, don’t say that. I mean no harm. I simply admire you and wanted to ask for a piece of your calligraphy.”

As expected from a young lady from a prestigious family, Sun Yunrou clearly knew how to retreat in order to advance.

Starting from praise of his talents—talking about calligraphy was sure to delight him. With some back-and-forth, familiarity would grow.

But Shen Xiuyan wasn’t falling for it. “A calligraphy request? You can just go through your father. I’ll send it to him directly.”

“You—ugh, honestly!” Sun Yunrou stomped her foot in frustration, her face taking on the innocent, pitiful expression of a delicate white lotus—truly endearing.

Unfortunately, she had picked the wrong target.

Shen Xiuyan didn’t even spare her a glance. With a swift move, he darted past her and ran.

“Goodbye.”

His voice lingered faintly in the air. Miss Sun, left behind and humiliated, clenched her handkerchief in frustration.

She was so beautiful, and yet Shen Xiuyan didn’t even look at her. Infuriating!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

She took it out on the maid beside her, reaching out to pinch the girl’s arm. “Enjoyed the show, did you? Couldn’t even say a word to help?”

The maid flinched at the pain, wanting to cry out, but knowing her lady’s temperament, she endured it.

“It’s all my fault,” she muttered, bowing her head in silent grievance.

Sun Yunrou rolled her eyes at her. “I’ll let you off this time. But you’d better forget everything that happened today, understood?!”

The maid obediently nodded in agreement.

Still not satisfied, Sun Yunrou kicked her once more before finally walking away.

The maid was left alone, rubbing her sore body and nursing her silent grievances.

She couldn’t help but feel a tinge of resentment—no wonder the scholar turned her down. Maybe he saw through her act. A woman this ruthless wasn’t someone fit to marry.

Shen Xiuyan wasn’t some mastermind.

He had simply received the plot in advance.

At that moment, having just made a quick getaway, he sat in his carriage patting his chest in relief. That woman was like a ghost that wouldn’t go away! His wife was still pregnant, and yet he’d run into this nemesis.

Why couldn’t they just stay put in Capital City—what were they doing here in Fucheng?

Wanting to avoid them as soon as possible, Shen Xiuyan decided he couldn’t stay in Fucheng any longer. The top priority was to take Mingyue and get away.

That Sun Yunrou was definitely not as innocent as she looked. According to the plot, she was a complete lunatic.

He wasn’t afraid for himself—but he had his wife to think about. He couldn’t take that risk.

Sun Yunrou was the type to always get what she wanted, no matter what.

First, he had to make sure she couldn’t find him, and give up on her own.

When he got home, he immediately spoke to Mingyue. “Wife, how about we head to Capital City in the next few days?”

Su Mingyue was surprised. “Didn’t you say we’d go after the New Year? Why the sudden change?”

That’s right, the Spring Imperial Exam was in March. Shen Xiuyan had originally planned to wait until Su Mingyue was stable in her pregnancy before setting out. As for sending her back to her hometown—that idea had never even crossed his mind.

How could a husband not keep his wife by his side? Especially a pregnant wife—she needed to be cared for closely.

Sending her back to her hometown would make him feel completely uneasy.

But now, he had no choice but to leave early—he was hiding from someone.

After thinking it over, he decided to be straightforward. After all, he had a mouth to speak with, and he couldn’t let this matter affect their relationship in the future.

What if it turned into some ancient version of “pregnant and on the run”? What would he do then?

The thought made him shudder with fear.