Chapter 348 Gave a Cat for Her to Keep
In the painting was Shao Yanru. At first glance, Qin Wanru had already confirmed her identity.
Even if she became ashes, Qin Wanru could also recognize her!
Were there great differences in their social status since she was as high as cloud in the sky while Qin Wanru like mud on the earth? There was a ruthless frost in her eyes, because she had been framed by Shao Yanru in her last life. She slowly reached out to pick up the painting, on which Shao Yanru, in a light green dress, was standing at the door of a Moon Cave and raising her head up to see the plum blossom on the branches. The whole figure was so elegant and beautiful, as if she would float with the wind!
No wonder in the capital city someone said in private that Shao Yanru was the first beauty in the capital city!
They all said that she was beautiful and knowledgeable, and was thoroughly accomplished in lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting. With aristocratic family background, she not only behaved politely and decently, but also had sense of propriety, thus she could be the model of girls in the capital city.
Perfect. Yes, she perfectly fooled everyone. Had it not been her personal experience in the last life, Qin Wanru would also have thought that she was a person like this.
She glanced over that beautiful face and her watery eyes fell on the corner of the painting. Of course, she would not believe that Chu Liuchen was really pleased with Shao Yanru and she could be sure that even though Shao Yanru could deceive the world, she could definitely not be able to fool Chu Liuchen.
Then what was his purpose to send this painting? Did he want to annoy Chu Liuyue?
Were there any dubious relationship between Chu Liuyue and Shao Yanru? Then why Shao Yanru had not married Chu Liuyue in the last life, and had become a concubine of the current emperor in the palace? As for her status, it was reasonable for her to become the legal wife of Chu Liuyue. There should be some turns and twists, and this had made Shao Yanru and Chu Liuyue seemingly not be together.
But in fact, Qin Wanru could still remember clearly the scene before her death that there must be something between the two of them.
At the corner of the painting, there was a flamboyant signature. Upon seeing this signature, Qin Wanru looked as if she had been hit by a lightning stroke. She took a close look at the scroll and she suddenly cried her eyes out after seeing it clearly.
The signature of “Lay Buddhist in Weiyu Pavilion” was powerfully written with firm strokes and permeated on the back of the paper. There was something suddenly appearing in her calm eyes, which had almost had no waves before.
Biting her lip, she tried to suppress the excitement in her heart. How could she not get excited? There was a lay Buddhist of Weiyu Pavilion in her memory, but she never knew who this person was. However, when she had entered the palace as an artist, he had given some directions on her painting. Could this be him?
She did not know whether it was because he was omitted in her broken memory or she had never met him.
Her thin fingers trembled slightly.
“Miss, what’s the matter with you?” Yujie also squatted and could not help to ask in a wondering tone, looking at Qin Wanru’s excited face.
“Let’s go!” Qin Wanru stood up and turned around to go back. She wanted to ask Chu Liuchen who this Lay Buddhist of Weiyu Pavilion was. Who was this mysterious man that had treated her kindly in the last life?
When Qin Wanru returned to Chu Liuchen’s palace, the two guards at the gate of the palace calmly gave the way to the door, and did not question her as before.
Qin Wanru hurriedly entered the hall in the middle and turned around the inner hall to the back corridor. She saw Chu Liuchen leaning lazily on the couch and holding a book in his hand. Noticing that Qin Wanru had come in, he raised his shining eyes to look at Qin Wanru, and his look became gentle as before.
“Failed to exchange?” Chu Liuchen put down his book with interest, looked at the painting scroll held tightly in Qin Wanru’s hand and asked.
“Prince, who is lay Buddhist of Weiyu Pavilion?” Qin Wanru panted heavily since she had walked anxiously.
“Just an ordinary artist. What? Do you also want him to paint one for you?” Chu Liuchen casually said.
“Where is he?” Qin Wanru asked eagerly.
“He has left. He is not someone that belongs to me. I just ran into him!” Chu Liuchen became more relaxed and leaned on the cushion. There was some indolence in his laziness! He seemingly was similar to his cat.
Had left? Sure enough, he was so mysterious that she could not meet.
Gently biting her lips and suppressing her complicated thought in her heart, Qin Wanru passed the painting in her hand. “Prince, Prince Yue is unwilling to exchange this! He also said that you have no need to test him. If you like her, you can go to propose by yourself!”
“Propose?” Chu Liuchen laughed, as if he had heard something very funny.
“Prince, don’t you want to?” Qin Wanru asked.
“Do you want me to marry this First Miss Shao?” Chu Liuchen squinted and stopped smiling.
If this question was asked by someone else, Qin Wanru would still wonder whether he had any thoughts about her. But if Chu Liuchen asked this, Qin Wanru had no doubt at all, because Chu Liuchen should have known her grudges against Duke Xing’s Mansion. Being hostile to Madam of Duke Xing meant that she was also hostile to this First Miss Shao who had a good reputation.
In this case, Qin Wanru definitely did not want Chu Liuchen to marry Shao Yanru.
“No!” There was no hesitation or shyness to say this. Qin Wanru sat still on a chair aside, and looked at Chu Liuchen quietly in her watery eyes. “Prince, you should know that I do not like Shao Yanru!”
“I know, but what about that? Shao Yanru has an extraordinary status, the eldest daughter in lineal descent of Duke Xing…” Chu Liuchen reached out his finger to knock on the table and said with some meaning.
Her status was enough for several princes to fight for. Such a powerful back-up was very beneficial to the princes who wanted to fight for the throne.
“Prince, you need the background of Duke Xing’s Mansion?” Qin Wanru asked calmly.
She said in a calm and strict way.
“Need!” Chu Liuchen smiled, and his eyes were very beautiful. It could be seen that he was in a good mood.
“If Prince needs, I will send the background of Duke Xing’s Mansion!” Qin Wanru said decidedly. She held her hands tightly to maintain her calm on surface.
There was no hesitation in this statement, and no hesitation existed. She would not let Shao Yanru marry Chu Liuchen, otherwise not only her but also people she wanted to protect would die miserably.
Chu Liuchen looked at her and smiled meaningfully suddenly. He reached out his hands and waved to her. Qin Wanru stood up and walked slowly to the front of Chu Liuchen’s bed.
The white cat was lying lazily in front of the couch, and when it heard the voice of someone coming, it opened its blue eyes slightly, looked at Qin Wanru, bent its body and jumped into Qin Wanru’s arms consciously. Then it bent its tail and continued to fall asleep, being very free as if it was sleeping on the couch of Chu Liuchen.
“How about raising it for a few days for me?” Chu Liuchen smiled and looked at Qin Wanru and the cat with great satisfaction.
“I don’t know how to raise it!” Qin Wanru raised her hands. The cat was fat and heavy. When it jumped to her, it made her hands weak and she even threw it. But even she did like this, the cat was still lazily asleep and didn’t feel that it had just almost been thrown.
“Be sure to raise it well for me, and if you don’t…” Chu Liuchen narrowed his eyes to threaten her.
“Prince, I can’t plant well that Tang Qianyan you gave me too!” Qin Wanru sighed helplessly. She tried her best but she couldn’t do it well. She didn’t know what happened to this prince because he let her raise everything he liked.
“You will raise the cat well!” Chu Liuchen said with some meanings.
“Why?” Qin Wanru was puzzled.
“It likes you!” Chu Liuchen glanced at the white cat and said meaningfully.
“It likes you.” He used such a sentence to stop the words of Qin Wanru. When Qin Wanru stood outside the palace of Empress Dowager, she sighed deeply, holding this fat white cat. She really didn’t know why this cat seemed to rely on her. When she left, it even didn’t raise its head to look at its original master.
“Second Miss Qin, Empress Dowager asked you to come in!” A palace maid hurriedly came out and saluted to Qin Wanru.
Qin Wanru nodded and walked slowly into the palace. When she walked into the main hall, she saluted to Empress Dowager respectfully. “The courtier kowtow and bow to Empress Dowager!”
“This is the cat of Chen’er?” Empress Dowager looked at the fat cat with amazement.
“My Empress Dowager, yes it is. Prince Chen asked me to raise the cat for him!” Qin Wanru actually wanted to put the cat down, but the cat still slept there, and its eyes didn’t open a slit.
“Let me see!” Empress Dowager waved her hands to Qin Wanru.
Qin Wanru stood up and walked in front of Empress Dowager. Empress Dowager reached out to hold the cat from Qin Wanru’s arms.
“Meow.” The fat cat awoke and glanced at Empress Dowager lazily, and showed no affection. It leaned over and arched into Qin Wanru’s arms. It seemed that it didn’t want to be close to Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager smiled when she saw the cat, which was like a person. She waved her hands to let Qin Wanru sit down beside her and pointed her finger at this cat, “I don’t know where the temper of this cat comes from. It used to be close to Chen’er. And now it is close to you. So that would be fate!”
The thing because of which Empress Dowager was the most dissatisfied with Qin Wanru before was that said by Shao Jie’er when she entered the palace today. But Empress Dowager now figured it out that this was the fault of that First Miss in Qin’s Mansion, so she had scolded Shao Jie’er a few words for this just now. Shao Jie’er was so scared that she kneeled down and begged for mercy, saying that she just heard it from someone else.
Empress Dowager asked someone to send her back directly. As for the other person, she asked her to stay for a while and knew that she would not be the person that her grandson liked. So she sent her back.
“Answer to Empress Dowager, I also don’t know how to raise a cat,” Qin Wanru said helplessly. She had no idea about it now.
“It’s okay. This fat cat is very easy to be raised. But it has a bad temper and when it is angry, it will hurt people. You should be careful!” Empress Dowager said and smiled softly.
“I am not able to raise it well!” Qin Wanru was hesitant.
“It’s okay. If you cannot raise it well, just return it back to Chen’er. Does Chen’er give a plate to you?” Empress Dowager said and smiled slightly.
“There is a plate!” Qin Wanru took out a plate from her arms and presented it respectfully.
Empress Dowager glanced at it and knew it was that plate. She nodded secretly, and looked kindly. “Hold it first, and when you are free, come and visit me. If you have any questions when you raise the cat, you can ask Chen’er!”
“Yes, Empress Dowager!” Qin Wanru said and bowed her head respectfully.
“I have nothing to do in the palace. If you are willing to accompany me, I will be very happy!” Empress Dowager became even milder.