The Male Lead's Harem Belongs to Me (GL) - Chapter 7

As dusk approached, a vast expanse of fiery clouds ignited half the sky.

Jiang Han led Liu Shuwei to the largest restaurant in the capital. This restaurant had a long history in the capital, and the food there was considered delicious even in the original owner’s memory. More importantly, the restaurant had an elegant environment and was relatively quiet.

As soon as they entered, a waiter enthusiastically approached them to inquire about their needs. Jiang Han and Liu Shuwei didn’t ask for a private room, but simply sat down in the hall and ordered a few dishes.

Although it was the main hall, Jiang Han still found a discreet corner to sit. After all, the restaurant was mostly filled with men, either alone or with women. Women who came together like them were few and far between.

For safety’s sake, they also found a corner where they could see people coming in and out of the hall, but at the same time, it was not easy to be noticed.

Sitting opposite each other, Jiang Han looked around the surroundings and was very satisfied. She then took the initiative to talk to Liu Shuwei, “Sister, don’t take what my… ah, what my aunt said too seriously. I never thought that two people had to be of the same social status to be a good match…”

Before being summoned to the palace by the Empress Dowager, Liu Shuwei had already anticipated what she might face. She had already comforted herself not to care, but comforting herself was one thing, and being comforted by others was another.

However, what did this woman think of her? Liu Shuwei’s eyes moved slightly, then she felt a bit of self-deprecation. Regardless of what the Princess really thought, at least she was very respectful to her on the surface, wasn’t she? Why did she have to delve deeper?

Having seen too many people who would kick someone when they were down, she was particularly sensitive to those who extended a helping hand. She was afraid that this “coal” would eventually become a “stone” that would bury her.

Countless thoughts raced through her mind, preventing her from speaking. But both the sincere expression on the woman’s face and her deep desire for knowledge didn’t allow her to easily let go of this answer. Liu Shuwei’s eyes flickered, and finally, she spoke, “Those words are not entirely without reason. My status is indeed low, and I am not a good match for… him.”

Jiang Han was speechless upon hearing her words. The concept of social status and male dominance had been ingrained in ancient women. Her previous words seemed to have been in vain.

She originally wanted to give a perfunctory answer, but on second thought, this was the future empress of the world. So, she quickly came up with an idea and said, “How can that be? What does it matter if your status is low? At least you are thoughtful and kind. That… that man, besides having a pretty face and a good family background, what else does he have? Look at him, he has a bad temper and is fierce. He even withholds food from people. Apart from his status, how can he be worthy of you in any way?”

Jiang Han rattled off a bunch of words, then winked at Liu Shuwei and smiled, “Sister, in my heart, you deserve any good thing in this world.”

At that moment, it seemed as if everything around them had been paused. In a world of fantastical colors, she only saw Jiang Han’s sincere face, blooming with a flower-like smile, saying to her, “You deserve any good thing in this world.”

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

That was the sound of her heart beating strongly. Did she… deserve all the good things in the world?

Liu Shuwei blinked her long eyelashes, her gaze meeting Jiang Han’s before quickly looking away, as if afraid that this glance would reveal all her anxiety, nervousness, or some inexplicable joy.

Jiang Han didn’t think that much. Seeing that Liu Shuwei didn’t say anything, she assumed that her comfort had worked. Just as the food hadn’t arrived yet, Jiang Han looked around boredly.

Suddenly, two familiar figures appeared in her sight. Jiang Han was startled and looked up again, only to see those two people clearly. She subconsciously turned to look at Liu Shuwei, but saw that the other person’s expression had suddenly changed.

Her brows were faintly cold, and she lowered her long eyelashes, taking a sip of tea. Seeing her expression, Jiang Han knew what she was thinking and also lowered her head as if she hadn’t seen it.

Liu Shuwei noticed Jiang Han’s reaction and her cold brows softened slightly, then she frowned again. She hadn’t expected to meet Song Jing and Liu Ruqing while eating out with the Princess.

Liu Shuwei remembered clearly that she had been given away as a gift because the Liu family had gone bankrupt and owed a large sum of money. But now, Song Jing could actually bring Liu Ruqing to eat at the best restaurant in the capital. Where did their money come from?

“Here you go, sir. I’ve brought you all the signature dishes you ordered. Just call me if you need anything else.”

Dish after dish of delicious food was served. Liu Shuwei temporarily forgot about other things. She turned her head and saw Jiang Han staring straight at the dishes on the table, and for some reason, Liu Shuwei found it a bit funny.

Jiang Han couldn’t wait to pick up her chopsticks and grabbed a piece of meat. At the same time, she didn’t forget to remind Liu Shuwei, “Sister, you should eat more. Look at you, you’re so thin. If you eat more, you’ll be stronger!”

After saying that, a piece of crispy roast duck went into her mouth. Seeing Jiang Han’s greedy look, Liu Shuwei temporarily forgot what she had been thinking about and replied, “Okay.”

Jiang Han didn’t pay attention to her reply, and casually hummed in agreement, then turned her attention back to the food. Jiang Han ate with relish, and Liu Shuwei, who was watching, inexplicably felt a little hungry.

The two of them ate silently, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. However, soon, this harmonious atmosphere was interrupted.

Just as Jiang Han was enjoying her meal, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that two people were approaching them, and they were getting closer and closer, clearly not passing by. Liu Shuwei looked up earlier than her and, the moment she saw those two people, her hunger disappeared.

“Princess! Weiwei, it’s really you!” The owner of this voice was obviously very surprised, and her voice unconsciously became much louder, attracting the attention of many people around.

Jiang Han almost choked on her food. She had chosen such a secluded spot to avoid attention, but now, this loud voice was as if she was afraid people wouldn’t hear.

Jiang Han quickly looked up at the two people and saw that it was Song Jing and Liu Ruqing. Her expression turned unpleasant. Why were these two women here again? Couldn’t she even have a peaceful meal?

However, Song Jing seemed to have not noticed the sour look on their faces and continued to smile obsequiously, “Why are there only the Princess and Weiwei here? Where is the Prince?”

Jiang Han noticed that Liu Ruqing had been looking around since sitting down at this table, as if searching for someone. The corner of her mouth twitched, and she said, “The Prince is not here. It’s just me and Weiwei. Is there something you need?”

A hint of disappointment flashed across Song Jing’s face, but she quickly put on a smile again, “It’s nothing, nothing. Princess, I just wanted to see Weiwei.”

Song Jing looked at Liu Shuwei with a kind expression as she spoke, “Weiwei, when is the Prince going to marry you? Give us a definite answer. You can’t just wait like this, can you?”

Liu Shuwei’s expression turned cold, and she was about to speak when she heard Jiang Han speak up, “Mrs. Song, be careful what you say. You can’t just say things out of thin air. Weiwei is such a good girl, and you’re making it sound like she’s eager to get married. Perhaps this is your own thought?”

Song Jing’s expression changed, and then she patted her mouth, saying, “Look at my mouth. I’m so careless. I was wrong. Weiwei, do you still have any money?”

Liu Shuwei looked up at Song Jing and said sarcastically, “I didn’t take any money when I left home. After so long, how could my aunt think I would have any money?”

When she was about to be given away, the clothes she was wearing were last year’s old clothes. Moreover, the Liu family had just gone bankrupt at that time, and the whole family was relying on giving her away to get money. Where could she get any money?

“No?” Song Jing seemed not to hear Liu Shuwei’s sarcasm and continued to smile, “The Liu family has recently made a large fortune. If you need money, just tell me and I’ll give you some.”

Look, what a kind and considerate mother. If Jiang Han didn’t know the inside story, she might have been moved. She remembered from the original story how the Liu family had gotten rich this time and what illegal activities they had been involved in.

Moreover, they would soon lose the money they had now. Jiang Han couldn’t help but laugh gloatingly in her heart.

Liu Shuwei refused calmly, “No need. Keep the money for your daughter’s dowry.”

Song Jing hadn’t really planned to give Liu Shuwei any money anyway, so she agreed immediately. Then, her eyes rolled, and she said, “Weiwei, are you comfortable living in the Prince’s mansion?”

Liu Shuwei remained calm, “If my aunt has something to say, just say it directly.”

“Alright,” Song Jing replied quickly, “It’s just that your sister has recently caught a cold, and the doctors outside can’t cure her. I want you to bring her to the Prince’s mansion and have the palace doctor take a look at her. Can you see if he can cure her? Weiwei, you’re her older sister, you can’t bear to see Qingqing suffering from illness, can you?”

Seeing this mother and daughter’s shameless behavior, Liu Shuwei almost laughed. A common cold? What kind of cold couldn’t be cured by ordinary doctors but required a palace doctor?

She said this just to use the crowd to force Liu Shuwei to take Liu Ruqing into the mansion. If Liu Shuwei didn’t do it, wouldn’t it look like she was abandoning her own sister in the eyes of others?

Seeing the glances and whispers from the surrounding customers, Liu Shuwei frowned slightly. At that moment, Jiang Han suddenly called out, “Shopkeeper!”

The shopkeeper had noticed the commotion and was hesitant to approach due to the presence of the princess. But when he heard someone calling him, he quickly ran over: “Sir, I’m here. What can I do for you?”

Jiang Han frowned, “Did we come here to eat and be disturbed by some random people? What’s more, that woman is sick. What if she infects us? Didn’t you hear her say that even ordinary doctors couldn’t cure her illness?”

As soon as she said this, the crowd that had been whispering and watching the two women scattered, and they looked at Liu Ruqing and her mother warily, afraid that they would infect them.

Some people even echoed Jiang Han’s words, “Exactly, shopkeeper. If this person’s illness is so serious, what if it spreads to us?”

“Exactly!”

The shopkeeper was also quick-witted. Normally, customers who came to eat were customers, and there was no reason for the shopkeeper to kick someone out just because someone didn’t like them. But this was different. He had just heard that one of these two women was a princess! Moreover, since everyone around was reacting this way, even if he kicked them out, he couldn’t be blamed.

His eyes rolled, and he immediately apologized, “I apologize, sir. This is my fault. How about this, we won’t charge you for this meal as a form of apology… Come here, get these two women out of here.”

Song Jing and Liu Ruqing widened their eyes and were about to shout, but several big men suddenly appeared around them, and they were once again thrown out, just like when they had gone to the Prince’s mansion before.

Inside the restaurant, the commotion subsided, and the shopkeeper had made the appropriate compensation. Jiang Han no longer felt like eating, so she had the food packed up and prepared to return to the mansion with Liu Shuwei.

On the way, Jiang Han thought for a moment and then reminded Liu Shuwei, “The Liu family has suddenly become so wealthy. You need to be careful. If you need money, feel free to come to me. The money is clean and there’s no interest. You can repay me whenever you want.”

Liu Shuwei smiled lightly, “The Princess is so kind to me.”

Jiang Han laughed heartily and said, “We’re sisters. I’m like this to all my sisters.”

Liu Shuwei was stunned for a moment, then her eyes darkened slightly. Is she really like this to all her sisters?

Author’s Note:

Liu Shuwei (blackened): Woman, you’re only allowed to be nice to me.

Jiang Han: Huh? This roast duck is really delicious.