Water Reflects Peach Blossoms

After dinner, Nanzhi sat by the window and embroidered a screen with hundreds of birds.

The sky was gloomy and there was no sun, so she lit a few more candles in the house for lighting.

As the sky gradually darkened, Nanzhi felt her eyes a little sore. She stood up, wanting to stretch her body and go outside to look at something in the distance to soothe her eyes.

As soon as she stood up, Zhu Yan grabbed her hand and pulled her to sit in front of the bed. His slender and thin fingers pressed the acupoints around her eyes, massaging her to relieve her pain.

"I went out to do odd jobs to earn some money today," said Zhu Yan.

Nanzhi closed her eyes, feeling drowsy from his massage. "Aren't you a nobleman who can't even carry anything? Why are you wearing such expensive clothes and working as a laborer?"

"Who says I can't carry things on my shoulders or lift things with my hands?" Zhu Yan couldn't help but laugh. "I'm physically strong and can easily lift a hundred-jin boulder."

As he spoke, his tone became ambiguous: "I can even pick up Ah Zhi with one hand."

Nanzhi nodded: "Well, you are the best."

"It's true." Hearing that Nanzhi was just trying to fool him, Zhu Yan stopped massaging and took out an exquisite box with a picture of early spring branches from his clothes.

"Here you go." Zhu Yan said very seriously.

Nanzhi took it, opened the box, and saw a thumb-sized pearl with a pink color inside.

She looked at Zhu Yan in surprise: "Where did this come from?"

Thinking of Zhao Yuanzhou's peerless appearance, many wealthy young ladies were attracted to him... Nanzhi couldn't help but look serious: "Zhao Yuanzhou, you can't be..."

"No." Zhu Yan interrupted her suspicion: "If I really want to be with a rich woman, I will only be with a rich woman named Shen Nanzhi."

Nanzhi retorted: "I don't have any money."

"Don't you think you are rich?" Zhu Yan's smile deepened.

Looking at the exquisite pearls in her hand, Nanzhi asked seriously, "I'm serious. Where did you get these pearls from?"

She picked up Zhao Yuanzhou.

A month ago, she rescued Zhao Yuanzhou, who was unconscious at her doorstep. After that, he shamelessly lived in her house, claiming that he had no home.

Zhao Yuanzhou is cool and handsome, with the aura of a noble young man. Although he speaks strangely and sometimes likes to tell jokes to amuse people, it still cannot conceal his aristocratic temperament.

In addition, the clothes he wore were not affordable for ordinary people, so Nanzhi thought he was a rebellious young master of a wealthy family.

However, she used to be a powerful lady from an official family in Tiandu City, and had never seen Zhao Yuanzhou at any flower-viewing or outing gatherings.

This man couldn't be driven away. Nanzhi was soft-hearted and could only let Zhao Yuanzhou eat and drink for free at her house. Until now, he actually took out a pearl and gave it to her...

Zhu Yan explained, "Today I went fishing with the fishermen at the seaside. I was lucky and my boat capsized and I fell into the sea. While I was drowning, I found a large clam."

in fact.

————Truth line————

Outside Tiandu City, Mirror Lake.

They walked to a stop in front of a wooden house on a small island in the center of Mirror Lake. Zhu Yan, as a great demon, immediately enveloped the entire island with his murderous aura, and there was an oppressive danger everywhere.

"I agree with what you said before." Inside the house, the man in navy blue robes looked at Zhu Yan who was standing across the door and said in a deep voice, "Let's cooperate."

"This is something extra you asked for." He stretched out his hand and opened it. A round, light pink pearl emitted a warm light. Ran Yi's face turned pale and his voice became hoarse.

Pushing the door open and entering the room, Zhu Yan looked at Ran Yi curiously: "What's wrong with your throat?"

Ran Yi's eyes moved upwards, revealing his lower three whites as he rebuked Zhu Yan: "The sea water is too salty, I'm a freshwater fish."

"It's okay." Zhu Yan picked up the pearl and smiled at him: "It's all water."

"Then why don't you go down to the sea and fish for clams yourself?"

"I'm just lucky to have caught a fish. Besides, I don't like getting soaking wet."

Ran Yi: “…”

————Truth line————

Nanzhi is not easy to fool.

"Don't try to trick me." She tightened her grip around the pearl. "The sea is very deep where you fish. If you were drowning, you should have floated up and asked someone to rescue you. How did you find that huge clam? Did you dive down on your own?"

Zhu Yan's eyes lit up: "Are you worried about me, Ah Zhi?"

"No!" Nanzhi turned her face away: "I'm afraid that you will get into trouble and implicate me."

"Don't be afraid." Zhu Yan stroked her hair with his fingers and comforted her gently: "I naturally have my own way."

Nanzhi was still worried: "Don't go fishing with the fishermen. It's dangerous."

Even if I live a hard life like now, it is better than losing my life.

Zhu Yan felt warm in his heart. He squatted in front of Nanzhi, held her hand, and promised her: "Okay, I will listen to you in everything."

Pulling her hand back, Nanzhi turned her face away uncomfortably: "I don't want you to listen to me in everything... You are such an old man, but you are so shameless when you speak so openly..."

Zhu Yan disagreed: "Alas, sometimes losing face can get you something else."

Knowing that the more this person paid attention to him, the more excited he would become, Nanzhi put the pearl back into the box and placed it in the secret compartment under the bed in front of Zhu Yan.

She said, “We’ll use it when we’re short of money.”

After all, she didn't want to sell the pearl that Zhao Yuanzhou almost risked his life for.

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Seeing through Nanzhi's thoughts, Zhu Yan's smile deepened and his voice became gentler.

Nanzhi walked out of the room to soothe her sore eyes.

Miss Qi's dowry, the bird screen, will be completed within two days. When it is delivered, she will treat Zhao Yuanzhou to a good meal at the restaurant!

When she came back, the room was filled with a light and elegant fragrance, and the incense on the table was lit.

Nanzhi was once a daughter of an official. Her father, an imperial censor, held a high position. Unfortunately, ever since her father was wrongfully killed in prison, even after the injustice was overturned, Nanzhi's life as an orphan fell into a state of decline.

Her father was honest and incorruptible. Before he was wrongly imprisoned, he lived in the official mansion awarded by the emperor. Later, he died unjustly in prison and the mansion was taken back. Without her father, Nanzhi became a commoner in Tiandu City. The only private property her father left her was the small courtyard with two entrances where she lives now.

She used to love incense, but since she fell into poverty, she has never bought incense, a luxury item that only rich people can burn, in order to make a living.

But since she picked up Zhao Yuanzhou, her life has gradually improved.

Zhao Yuanzhou is a man who always takes out some expensive and luxurious things from his pocket, but he also says that he has no home and stays in Nanzhi's house stubbornly and refuses to leave.

"Where did the incense come from?" Nanzhi walked into the house.

Zhu Yan, wearing pajamas, lay on the bed, wrapped in blankets, smiling seductively: "How is it? Do you think it smells good?"

"Yeah." Nanzhi nodded.

"Then..." Zhu Yan's charming smile deepened, "Do you want to come over and sleep?"

Nanzhi looked at the display stand.

Zhu Yan was curious: "What is Ah Zhi looking at?"

Nanzhi said, "You're sick again. I'll find an embroidery needle to treat you."

"No, no, no! I'm getting down, I'm getting down..." Zhu Yan got down from the bed in fear and trepidation, and lay down on the floor obediently: "The quilt has been warmed for you, you sleep on the warm quilt, and I'll sleep on the cold one."