The Male Lead's Harem Belongs to Me (GL) - Chapter 21
Qi Ru rarely lost his composure for a moment, then burst into laughter, bending forward and backward. While laughing, he looked at Jiang Han meaningfully and said, “If that’s the case, you won’t have to fear kidnappings next time. In a year, the kidnappers should be afraid of you instead.”
Jiang Han: “?”
Jiang Han gritted her teeth and said, “How did you find out about this?”
Qi Ru pretended to think, tapping the back of his hand with a folding fan, and said, “Doesn’t Princess know? Such a major event must be reported to Father Emperor, not to mention this matter also involves a major case, so…”
Jiang Han suddenly felt a surge of unease. Could it be, could it be…
“So, the officials in the court basically all know about this. They even praised you for thwarting the kidnappers’ major plan.” Qi Ru found it very amusing to watch Jiang Han’s expression change repeatedly, finally ending with a look of utter shock.
Qi Ru said, “So, Princess, are we still opening the pastry shop?”
Jiang Han tried hard not to cry, “No, we’re not.”
Qi Ru suppressed his laughter, but began discussing the opening of the shop with Jiang Han. He had seen this Princess before, but at that time, she seemed to have her heart set only on his Uncle. She couldn’t see anyone else, always maintaining a dignified appearance, which was extremely boring. How could it be as interesting as seeing her change expressions a dozen times in a quarter of an hour?
Qi Ru didn’t know what had happened, but it was generally interesting, which made him happy to interact more with this Princess.
Because of their special status, they couldn’t stay together for long, so after a few words, they bid farewell and returned to their respective residences.
Back at the residence, the more Jiang Han thought about it, the angrier she became. She sat on a stone stool under a big tree, sulking, and was coincidentally seen by Liu Shuwei, who was out for a walk.
Liu Shuwei saw a woman sitting under an ancient tree from a distance. She sat on the stone stool, angrily pulling out weeds, her face puffed up, as if she was arguing with someone, looking cute and funny.
A smile appeared in Liu Shuwei’s eyes as she slowly approached the woman under the tree.
Jiang Han was unaware, pulling weeds while angrily saying, “It’s clearly because you men are too weak. You even think a weak woman is heavy. I’m not heavy. As long as my second brother can carry me, I’m not heavy…”
The closer Liu Shuwei got, the clearer Jiang Han’s mutterings became. Amused, she moved closer from behind. Just as she was about to speak, the person sitting on the stone stool suddenly turned around.
The sudden turn brought the two closer together. Liu Shuwei looked at the face that was only a hair’s breadth away from her own, easily seeing the emotion in her clear eyes change from fear to joy.
The two were very close. At this moment, if either of them moved a little closer, they could easily taste the other’s lips. Liu Shuwei’s gaze fell on Jiang Han’s full red lips, and she vaguely remembered the feeling from the last time.
While Liu Shuwei was lost in thought, Jiang Han happily pulled her down to sit beside her, “Sister, are you out for a walk?”
Liu Shuwei came back to her senses, realizing what she had been thinking just now. Her eyes darkened for a moment, but she quickly regained her smiling appearance and said, “Yes, sister. Did something happen today that made you unhappy?”
Hearing Liu Shuwei call her “sister,” Jiang Han smiled brightly. As for those unimportant things, she quickly shook her head and said, “It’s nothing, just some small things. I’m happy to see you, sister.”
These words seemed perfectly normal usually, but now, they made Liu Shuwei pause for a moment. Liu Shuwei quickly recovered and said, “Sister, are you short of money recently?”
Of course, Jiang Han was short of money, but she couldn’t say it. Otherwise, Liu Shuwei would think she was short of money because of the ten thousand taels she had given away. Although the ten thousand taels were indeed a large sum, she also spent money on her daily outings and trips to the Seven Treasures Pavilion with Gu Hanyun.
Jiang Han decisively shook her head, “No, I’m not.”
Liu Shuwei’s face showed nothing, she only said, “Sister, don’t worry, I will return the ten thousand taels to you in the future.”
It is said that talking about money hurts feelings, Jiang Han did not want the relationship she had finally built with the female lead……to be ruined by money, so she said, “Actually, I’d rather you didn’t return the money, so you’d always be mine.” That way, when you become the Empress, I won’t end up a corpse in the streets.
Unintentional words from the speaker, but meaningful to the listener. Liu Shuwei’s breath hitched for a moment, then she smiled and said, “If you say so, sister, I’ll take it seriously.”
“Of course I’m serious.” Jiang Han’s tears almost leaked from the corners of her mouth, “The pastries you make are so delicious, I wish I could keep you by my side and have you make them only for me.”
Liu Shuwei initially had some other thoughts, but seeing Jiang Han’s greedy cat-like appearance, she couldn’t help but laugh. Her hand moved faster than her brain, and before she realized it, her fingertips were pinching Jiang Han’s cheek.
Liu Shuwei belatedly realized what she had done. She paused, then casually pinched Jiang Han’s cheek again, before retracting her hand and smiling, “Alright, if you want, sister, I’ll only make them for you in the future.”
The soft touch on her hand lingered. Liu Shuwei unconsciously rubbed her knuckles with her thumb.
Jiang Han didn’t show any displeasure at Liu Shuwei’s action, and even puffed out her cheeks, seriously considering, “That might not be a good idea. If the prince and the other sisters in the mansion find out, they’ll surely criticize me.”
Mainly, I’m afraid of delaying the romantic plot between the male and female leads. If I take it all, what will the male lead do? It’s not right. It’s better to have Liu Shuwei secretly give me some snacks on weekdays.
Jiang Han earnestly told Liu Shuwei her thoughts. Liu Shuwei smiled in response, but her mind was somewhat absent. She repeatedly rubbed her knuckles, wondering about her unusual behavior today.
During lunch, Gu Hanyun and the other two arrived as if they had followed a scent. Fortunately, they had informed each other in advance, so the food was prepared in abundance.
While they were eating, the Empress Dowager’s personal maid suddenly arrived.
She was initially startled by the sight of several women sitting together in the dining hall, but then calmly reported, “Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has asked me to tell you and the other concubines that she will be holding a Hundred Flowers Banquet in the palace in ten days, and requests your presence.”
Jiang Han thought about the Hundred Flowers Banquet. It was simply because the Empress Dowager was often bored alone in the palace, so she used the excuse of flower viewing to gather the wives and daughters of the court officials. At that time, she could hear a lot of gossip from the married women, and arrange marriages for the unmarried girls.
It was one of the few things the Empress Dowager looked forward to in her boring days in the palace.
And this Hundred Flowers Banquet, she remembered that in the original story’s comment section, people had given it other names, such as “The Hundred Flowers Banquet: A Contest to See Who Has the Best Husband,” “The Hundred Flowers Banquet: An Exchange of Everyone’s Gossip,” and “Unmarried Girls Listening in Confusion, Resolving to Marry Later, Only to Be Arranged Marriages.”
In short, it was full of different kinds of excitement, but Jiang Han knew that her presence would surely be part of the gossip, after all, she had made such a fuss to marry the prince.
But since the Empress Dowager’s people had come, Jiang Han had no choice but to agree, and also agreed to bring the other concubines.
After the Empress Dowager’s personal maid left, Chang Qianjiao, who was sitting next to Jiang Han, sighed, “Every year, there’s always this event. Those women always ask me how the prince treats me, if he’s considerate, and so on.”
Yu Weiwan also frowned, looking helpless, “Indeed. They ask me about the prince’s special preferences and why he hasn’t had any children in so many years.”
Gu Hanyun looked miserable, “Are your questions all so subtle?”
Everyone looked at her in confusion, and Gu Hanyun continued, “Why do they always ask me how many times the prince does it in a night, and if he has any special preferences in bed…”
Jiang Han: “?”
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh at Gu Hanyun’s speechless expression. Jiang Han said, “Maybe it’s because you look obedient and unlikely to lie, and easy to get information from.”
Gu Hanyun let out a weary cry, and everyone burst into laughter.
Liu Shuwei was also laughing, but she felt like she was always separated from them by a barrier, not knowing if it was because she couldn’t go with Jiang Han, or because her status was just that of an outsider.
Jiang Han was laughing with the others and didn’t notice Liu Shuwei’s emotional changes, but Chang Qianjiao, who was sitting opposite Liu Shuwei, noticed something.
When they were about to leave after lunch, Chang Qianjiao stayed behind. Looking at Liu Shuwei next to Jiang Han, a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes, and she casually said, “I’m so envious of you, Weiwei, you don’t have to go to the Hundred Flowers Banquet this year. But next year, you won’t be able to escape.”
Liu Shuwei clearly didn’t expect Chang Qianjiao to suddenly talk to her about this. When she looked up in surprise, she saw a hint of kindness in Chang Qianjiao’s beautiful eyes.
She noticed.
A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Shuwei’s heart, then she felt warm, and a smile appeared in her eyes, “I managed to escape this year.”
Chang Qianjiao also smiled, “Yes, Sister. You can make some pastries at home, and give us some comfort when we come back exhausted.”
Liu Shuwei happily agreed, “Alright, of course.”
Jiang Han also realized something at this time. After Chang Qianjiao left, she reached out and took Liu Shuwei’s hands, blinking her eyes at her, “Sister, we’ll go and scout it out for you this year, so we can tell you who to avoid next year.”
Liu Shuwei slowly smiled, “Thank you, sister.”
That’s right, she didn’t need to worry about not fitting in with them. From the beginning, they hadn’t treated her as an outsider. Whether it was Chang Qianjiao’s unintentional help today, or Jiang Han’s words now, they all showed that they had never treated her as an outsider. It was all her own sensitivity.
Seeing that Liu Shuwei’s mood was normal, Jiang Han smiled in relief. She let go of Liu Shuwei’s hands and said, “Sister, do you have time tonight?”
Liu Shuwei asked in confusion, “What do you want to do, sister?”
Jiang Han smiled mysteriously, “Don’t you think these days are a bit boring? Tonight, I’ll take you to find something fun. There are many fun things to do in the capital at night.”
Liu Shuwei was skeptical. When night fell, she finally understood what Jiang Han meant by “fun.”
At this moment, they were both dressed in men’s clothing, standing in front of the Seven Treasures Pavilion. Even Liu Shuwei, who was usually calm, couldn’t help but twitch her lips, “Is this what you meant by ‘fun,’ sister?”
Author’s Note:
Jiang Han: “Set a small goal, take all the Prince’s wives to play at the Seven Treasures Pavilion.”
Qi Ze: “……..”