Chapter 51: An Empty Visit

“Well, it’s like this… Today I attended the banquet hosted by the governor…” Shen Xiuyan said with difficulty, “After it ended, somehow the Minister of Personnel’s legitimate daughter summoned me alone to a small courtyard using her father’s name. She said she wanted to get to know me. A man and a woman alone like that—it scared me so much I ran straight back…”

Perhaps feeling embarrassed, Shen Xiuyan rubbed his nose. “You don’t think I overreacted, do you…”

Su Mingyue’s eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously. “Of course not! That woman is clearly coveting your body, my husband!!!”

Afraid her head might fall off from all the shaking, Shen Xiuyan pinched her chin. “Alright, alright, little ancestor, I know you believe me. But take it easy with the head shaking—aren’t you dizzy?”

“A little.” Su Mingyue replied obediently.

But now was no time to be talking about that.

There was actually a woman shamelessly coveting her husband!

And she was the daughter of the Minister of Personnel!

But then again, with her husband’s looks, his bearing, his figure—what lovestruck maiden could possibly resist?

Thankfully, her husband wasn’t an ordinary man. His self-control was strong, and he loved her deeply. Otherwise, just based on that girl’s status as a high-ranking official’s daughter, an average man wouldn’t be able to resist such temptation!

She reached out to pat her husband’s head approvingly. “You did well this time. Keep it up.”

Shen Xiuyan nodded solemnly. “Of course. I belong entirely to my wife. No one else is allowed to touch me—can’t even look too long. I’m very self-aware.”

Su Mingyue kissed his thin lips in satisfaction.

This time, Shen Xiuyan was satisfied too.

Then Su Mingyue said, “Since we don’t want any trouble, we’d better leave quickly!”

If they couldn’t beat her, they could at least avoid her!

There was no way she’d let that woman have a chance at her husband—not even a glimpse.

“Alright then, let’s make preparations these next few days and set off early.” With that, Shen Xiuyan stood up. “I’ll write a letter to Father-in-law and Mother to explain, so they don’t make the trip for nothing.”

After finding out that Su Mingyue was pregnant, her parents had been overjoyed and were getting ready to come meet them.

Now they wouldn’t have to travel to the provincial capital. They could just go straight to the Capital City.

With their plan settled, the couple acted immediately. After two days of preparation, they set off with a grand entourage toward the Capital City.

Fortunately, they left early—otherwise they really might have been intercepted by Sun Yunrou.

It turned out that after that day, Sun Yunrou couldn’t get Shen Xiuyan’s handsome face out of her mind.

Tossing and turning, she finally told her mother the truth.

Her mother, who doted on her endlessly, didn’t scold her for being shameless—instead, she teasingly praised her for growing up and knowing how to pick a man.

Since he was a top scorer in the provincial exam, he was clearly full of potential.

And he had even been praised personally by her husband. So Sun Yunrou’s mother took it to heart.

She subtly asked around about Shen Xiuyan a few times. After confirming that he was indeed talented, she shared her thoughts with her husband.

Lord Sun didn’t know his daughter had already fallen for the man. He simply thought his wife was starting to look for eligible matches for their daughter.

After a bit of thought, he felt that Shen Xiuyan was indeed a good candidate.

So he agreed and sent someone to invite Shen Xiuyan over for a meeting.

But who would have thought they’d come up empty? Upon inquiry, they learned he had already left for the Capital.

At that moment, Madam Wu was comforting Sun Yunrou. “There, there. Don’t be upset. He’s going to the Capital to prepare for next year’s imperial exams—he has no choice. But it’s fine, we’ll be heading to the Capital soon too. You’ll see him again.”

Sun Yunrou leaned into her mother affectionately. “Mother, I’m counting on you for this.”

“Of course. Don’t you trust your mother?” Madam Wu stroked her head soothingly.

“Achoo~” Shen Xiuyan rubbed his nose.

Su Mingyue asked with concern, “What’s wrong, my love? Did you catch a cold?”

Shen Xiuyan shook his head. “No, just a bit itchy. Probably someone talking bad about me behind my back.”

To Shen Xiuyan and Su Mingyue, this incident was just a small blip in their lives. They didn’t think much of it.

After all, their thinking was simple: once they left, the whole matter would be over.

Besides, flies don’t swarm eggs without cracks. Shen Xiuyan had guarded himself so tightly that he hadn’t left a single opening. Surely the other side would take the hint and back off.

But little did they know—the whole family now had their eyes on Shen Xiuyan.

The Capital was still quite a distance from the provincial city. After hurrying along the way, they finally arrived just a day before the heavy snow.

Shen Xiuyan looked at his wife, whose delicate face had turned pale from the bumpy ride, and his heart ached for her.

“We’re finally here. Let’s find an inn to rest for now—you need to recover.”

Su Mingyue tugged at his sleeve. “No need for an inn. Let’s go straight to the Liu Residence in the south of the city.”

“The Liu Residence?”

Su Mingyue grinned. “My uncle does business in the Capital. I forgot to tell you before. Since we’re here, we should definitely pay him a visit.”

And so, two carriages pulled up outside the Liu Residence. A servant at the gate immediately stepped forward. “May I ask who you’re here to see?”

Su Mingyue smiled brightly. “I’m here to see my uncle, Liu Yuanmao.”

The gatekeeper was an old servant of the household. When he got a good look at Su Mingyue’s face, he muttered, “Young miss…”

Then, realizing what was happening, he turned and shouted inside, “The young miss is here!!!”

The shout set off a flurry of activity, and a crowd quickly rushed out—even Liu Yuanmao, who had just returned home, came out.

He exclaimed in surprise, “Mingyue? You’ve grown so much! What brings you to the Capital City?!”

Though Su Mingyue’s mother passed away shortly after giving birth to her, this uncle had always been truly good to her. No matter how busy his business got, he often traveled to Linzhu County to visit her, afraid her father might mistreat her.

Over time, seeing that Su Mingyue’s father genuinely doted on her, he gradually reduced his visits.

It had been more than two years since the last visit to Linzhu County, and he hadn’t expected that Mingyue had already grown into a graceful young lady.

Su Mingyue pouted, “Uncle! Are we really going to chat at the front gate?”

Liu Yuanmao snapped out of it. “Right, right, let’s go inside.”

It was only then that he noticed Shen Xiuyan beside Mingyue. The man was holding her arm tightly, walking with her into the residence.

He couldn’t help but frown deeply.

With so many eyes around, he didn’t say anything. Once everyone arrived at the old madam’s main hall, he finally asked, “Who is the man next to you?”

Why were they so intimate? Weren’t they the least bit concerned about appearances?

Of course, he didn’t say that out loud.

Su Mingyue smiled sheepishly. “This is my husband, Shen Xiuyan.”

“What!!! When did you get married?!” Liu Yuanmao slammed the table with a loud bang.

“That Su Dazhuang—how dare he not inform me of something this important?! Just wait till I see him—I’ll give him a proper beating!!!”

Su Mingyue walked over and rubbed her uncle’s shoulders flatteringly. “The wedding was indeed a bit rushed. By the time the date was set, there wasn’t enough time to inform you. And besides, didn’t you say in your letter before the New Year that you couldn’t leave the capital? That’s why Father and I didn’t dare trouble you.”

She had to put in a few good words for her father in advance—otherwise, when he came to the Capital, her uncle would definitely chase him down and beat him.

“Then why didn’t you tell me afterward? That’s no excuse for not informing me at all!”

Su Mingyue felt even guiltier. Ever since the wedding, she had been busy—studying with her husband, accompanying him through the civil exams—and had long forgotten about her uncle.

As for her father…

After the wedding, Xiuyan had given him several money-making formulas, and he had been too busy making money to even think about his brother-in-law.

Feeling guilty…

Too ashamed to speak…