Quick Wear Dream Qiqi

Meng Qiqi's fingertips trembled slightly, but her face remained calm: "I don't understand what you are saying, my husband."

She picked up a piece of sea bass with her chopsticks, but the silver needle remained unchanged. "I just don't want to be looked down upon in the Duke's Mansion."

"Look down on me?" Zhao Chengye sneered and suddenly grabbed her wrist with astonishing strength. "As a concubine's daughter of the prime minister's family, with no one to rely on, what can you do to make others not look down on you? Or..."

He leaned closer to her face, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "Is there someone behind her back directing me, Madam?"

Meng Qiqi cursed inwardly, "You're sick!", but her eyes suddenly turned red. "My husband, why are you so suspicious? I've been looked down upon in the Prime Minister's Residence. Now that I've moved into the Duke's Residence, I just want to live a good life. If my husband can't tolerate me..."

She choked and tried to pull her hand back, but the silver bracelet on her wrist slipped off and hit the blue bricks with a clang.

Zhao Chengye was stunned, and seeing her tearful expression, he loosened his hand unconsciously.

Meng Qiqi took the opportunity to step back half a step. When she bent down to pick up the bracelet, the silver needle on her cuff quietly pressed against the acupoint on his knee: "If my husband doesn't believe me, I..."

"Forget it." Zhao Chengye suddenly leaned back in his chair, picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, a meaningful smile on his lips, "I was reckless. Madam, don't worry, as long as you behave yourself, the Duke's Mansion will naturally not treat you unfairly."

When he stood up, his sleeves blew a breeze, blowing the candlelight to flicker. "It's getting late, Madam, please go to bed early."

Meng Qiqi breathed a sigh of relief only after the footsteps completely disappeared.

She looked at the table full of untouched food and wine, and complained in her heart: "It's bad enough that he pretends to be a playboy, but he suddenly goes crazy and tests me. I'm afraid he's crazy!"

But recalling Zhao Chengye's last smile, she vaguely felt that this confrontation was far from over - the other party's seemingly casual probing was actually pressing forward, as if to confirm whether she had touched a taboo.

----

The morning light shone through the carved window lattices onto the corridor in the west courtyard. Meng Qiqi was leaning against a beauty chair, pruning flower branches, and the fresh fragrance of jasmine pinched by her fingertips lingered around her nose.

As Chun Tao hurried over, the silk flowers on her temples swayed violently with her steps: "Miss! The daughter of the prime minister's family is here and wants to see you!"

The pruning shears cut through the thin branches with a "click".

Meng Qiqi looked at the falling white flowers, thinking of Zhao Chengye's test last night, and a sneer appeared on the corner of her mouth - it came at a perfect time, Meng Wanqing, the "butterfly", could not hold back after all.

After passing the moon-shaped gate, I saw Meng Wanqing wearing a goose yellow skirt, standing under the grape trellis and stroking the vines.

She turned around at the sound, a gentle smile on her face, and the new jade bracelet on her wrist made a crisp sound. "Although my sister's yard is small, it is elegant."

His eyes swept across the faded window paper, and his voice was tinged with regret. "But this Duke's Mansion is too neglectful, letting my sister live in such a shabby house."

"Sister, you're so kind." Meng Qiqi raised her hand, motioning for the maid to serve tea. "Compared to the firewood room in the prime minister's residence, this place is already much better."

She deliberately emphasized the word "woodshed", successfully making the smile on Meng Wanqing's face freeze.

After the original owner's biological mother passed away early, Meng Wanqing locked the ten-year-old original owner in the woodshed for three days and three nights in the name of "teaching rules."

At this moment, the old things were brought up again, and the atmosphere suddenly became cold amid the curling tea smoke.

Meng Wanqing quickly regained her composure, took the teacup handed to her by the maid, took a sip, and suddenly frowned: "This tea...is it last year's old tea? After all, my sister is the second young lady of the Duke's Mansion, how can I not even drink new tea?"

She pulled out a gilded lacquer box from her sleeve and said, "I happened to have brought some Rainforest Longjing tea with me. Please try it, sister."

The celadon tea bowl was placed heavily on the table.

Meng Qiqi looked at the tea in the box and suddenly chuckled: "Sister, you have a good memory."

She reached out and picked up a handful of tea leaves, but the silver needle hidden in her fingertips remained unchanged. "It's just that this Longjing tea is cold in nature. Sister, have you forgotten my cold body? Mother told me many times before she died, asking me to..."

She suddenly choked up and pressed her handkerchief against the corner of her eyes. "Forget it, why bother saying these things? It only makes my sister upset."

Meng Wanqing's face suddenly changed.

When the original owner's biological mother was seriously ill, she deliberately sent her a cold medicine, which accelerated her death.

Meng Qiqi mentioned this secret lightly, and even though she was a thoughtful person, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Sister, you're being overly suspicious." Meng Wanqing forced herself to remain calm and pushed the lacquer box back. "Sister, I just feel bad for you..."

"Heartbroken?" Meng Qiqi suddenly raised her head, tears welling in her eyes. "Sister, do you know that on my wedding day, the wedding procession deliberately bumped into the people? Do you know that the Duke's Mansion withheld my charcoal, rice and flour?"

She suddenly grabbed Meng Wanqing's wrist and said, "Sister, if you really love me, why don't you persuade father not to push me into this fire pit?"

There were hurried footsteps outside the corridor.

Zhao Chengye leaned against the moon-shaped door, playing with his folding fan and chuckling: "What's going on? Sisters meeting, why are you crying?"

His eyes swept across Meng Wanqing's pale face and landed on Meng Qiqi's red eyes. His smile deepened. "If you've been wronged, just tell your husband. Why shed tears in front of your sister?"

Meng Wanqing was struck by lightning.

Her carefully prepared "concern" words fell apart under Meng Qiqi's cunning counterattack, and she never expected Zhao Chengye to suddenly appear.

She stood up hastily and bowed, even saying goodbye in a panic: "Since my brother-in-law is here, I won't disturb you. Take care of yourself, sister..."

When the footsteps faded away, Meng Qiqi finally breathed a sigh of relief and slumped in the chair.

Zhao Chengye walked forward and lifted her chin with his fingertips: "Good trick."

When he came closer, Meng Qiqi smelled a faint scent of alcohol mixed with the aroma of medicine on him. "But next time, pretend to cry. It would be better if your tears are more real."

"What do you care!" Meng Qiqi slapped his hand away, but she was secretly alert in her heart - not only did this man come in a strange way, he also saw through her acting skills.

After Meng Wanqing left, the west courtyard of the Duke's Mansion returned to silence.

However, Zhao Chengye had no intention of leaving. He wandered over to the stone table, sat down, and grabbed the unfinished tea of ​​Meng Qiqi and poured it into his mouth.

"What's wrong with you!" Meng Qiqi frowned and moved the teacup aside, "Don't you have any tea to drink?"

Zhao Chengye wiped his mouth and smiled with his eyes slanted: "Madam's tea tastes so good."

He reached out to grab the hairpin on Meng Qiqi's temples, "This hairpin is not bad either. I'll have someone make you eight or ten tomorrow."

Meng Qiqi dodged backward and almost fell off the chair.

Chuntao was so scared that she wanted to go forward to help, but she was stopped by her eyes.

"Zhao Chengye, don't go too far." Her face darkened. "I'm not one of those girls you keep in your backyard, letting you tease me."

Zhao Chengye was stunned for a moment, then laughed again: "What? Can't you take a joke?"

He leaned closer, the scent of alcohol mixed with the smell of medicine on his body drilling straight into people's noses, "Everyone in the capital knows that I, Zhao Chengye, am a playboy. Isn't marrying a wife just for fun?"

Meng Qiqi clenched her fists in anger.

She recalled the original owner's fate of being bullied to death, and the difficulties she had endured in the Duke's Mansion over the past few days. Her eyes suddenly reddened: "Fun? Do you think getting married is just playing house? Although I am the concubine of the Prime Minister's Mansion, I am not a toy to be manipulated by others!"

She grabbed the teacup on the table and slammed it to the ground, sending shards flying everywhere. "If you want to have fun, go find someone else!"

Zhao Chengye was startled by the sudden noise. Looking at Meng Qiqi shaking with anger, he felt inexplicably panicked.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the words turned into a sneer on his face: "You have a bad temper. Fine, I can't afford to offend you."

He stood up to leave, then glanced back, "But let me be frank, now that you've entered the Duke's Mansion, don't even think about leaving!"

Only after Zhao Chengye's footsteps completely disappeared did Chuntao dare to come over and ask, "Miss, are you okay?"

Meng Qiqi squatted down and slowly picked up the porcelain pieces on the ground. She didn't care that her hand was cut: "I'm fine."

She looked at the blood drop on her palm and whispered, "Next time he comes, tell him I'm sick and can't see guests."

On the other side, Zhao Chengye returned to the study angrily and kicked over the stool at his feet.

The servant came in trembling with the account book in his hand, and was scolded by him.

After the servant left in disgrace, he sat down on the chair and stared at the words in the account book in a daze.

He didn't know how long it had been, but he suddenly threw the account book away and scratched his hair irritably: "Why is this woman different from others?"

Thinking of Meng Qiqi's eyes that were red with anger just now, and the words "I'm not your plaything", he felt like his heart was scratched by a cat's claws, itchy and uncomfortable.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened. Zhao Chengye looked at his own shadow on the wall. For the first time, he felt that marrying the concubine's daughter of the prime minister's family was not as simple as he had thought.

----

Ever since the last time they had a fight, Zhao Chengye felt like he had weeds growing in his heart, and he couldn't help but want to run to the west yard.

I used to hate these trivial matters in the backyard, but now I am always worried about whether Meng Qiqi is trying to make trouble again.

One day at noon, he deliberately wandered to the west courtyard and saw Meng Qiqi sitting under the grape trellis reading a book. He deliberately shouted at the top of his voice: "Oh, our Duke's Second Young Lady is really free. She even has time to pretend to be a talented woman?"

Meng Qiqi didn't even raise her head and replied directly: "It's better than some people who just idle around all day."

Zhao Chengye was choked and speechless. He strode to the stone table and sat down. "You're quite good at talking back! I think you're just bored. If you have the time, you might as well embroider a purse for me."

"If you want to embroider, go find Yingying yourself!" Meng Qiqi snapped the book shut. "If you have nothing else to do, please go back and don't be an eyesore here."

Zhao Chengye was both angry and amused, but he still said, "With such a bad temper, no wonder you're so annoying in the Prime Minister's Mansion! It's only out of kindness that I took you in..."

Before she could finish her words, Meng Qiqi stood up and was about to leave.

Zhao Chengye panicked and reached out to pull her sleeve, but he used too much force and almost dropped Meng Qiqi into his arms.

"Zhao Chengye! Are you sick?" Meng Qiqi's face flushed with anger, and she shook his hand off. "You always come here to find fault with me, thinking I'm a pushover? If you continue like this, I'll go and ask the eldest wife to arrange a divorce!"

Seeing her angry expression, Zhao Chengye felt inexplicably relieved in his heart, but he still insisted: "Divorce? Do you think the Duke's Mansion can come and go as you please? Dream on!"

When he staggered out of the west yard, there was still a silly smile on his face.