Transmigrating into a book to save her best friend, her sickly husband vies for her affections every

A-Zhan.

That's what his grandparents called him.

Zhao Siwei only said a few words because he was disgusted by him.

Zhang Zhan swallowed hard. He felt that his complexion must be terrible, at least pale.

What does Xu Tutu mean by this?

Have I offended her recently?

He hasn't done anything to offend the powerful and influential for a very long time.

Could it be that Xu Tutu is still holding a grudge against him for not helping when he smashed Ji Anzhi's shop, and is therefore holding back to annoy him today?

No, Xu Tutu's personality isn't disgusting, it's just annoying.

Meng**, who was watching the show from the sidelines, still liked Zhang Zhan. Seeing Zhang Zhan hiding behind her, she looked at Xu Tutu with the same eyes as she looked at the female hooligan.

How strange! I've encountered a living ghost.

Isn't Xu Tutu the female lead? Shouldn't she be the one who likes Zhao Siwei the most? She never called him "A-Zhan" once in the entire book, so what's the point of her dying now?

What kind of cargo is this? What low-quality stuff! A slap on the left cheek, and an even bigger slap on the right!

Tingyao was also quite frightened by the sound of "A-Zhan".

Even in their past lives, when they were together, they addressed each other by their given names.

She felt a little nauseous, and her eyes widened in fright.

You should check the almanac before going out today; this kind of ghostly festivities aren't worth seeing.

Tingyao and Meng** stared blankly at Xu Tutu.

Xu Tutu felt much happier after being pulled along by Zhao Siwei.

Mother's heart was right. Zhao Siwei was probably angry that she tried to trick him into having physical intimacy on the day she came of age, forcing him to get engaged. In fact, he was angry that she didn't value her own life. That was what angered him.

Zhao Siwei does have feelings for her, he just needs a way to save face.

Using Zhang Zhan as a stepping stone is fine; Zhang Zhan won't get angry anyway, and besides, Zhang Zhan wouldn't dare to be angry with the Duke's mansion.

Xu Tutu turned around, snorted, and let go of Zhao Siwei's hand. "What are you doing? Don't you know that men and women shouldn't touch each other?"

She pulled her hand back, quickly walked up to the pavilion, and called out to Zhang Zhan with a smile, "A-Zhan."

Hearing it again up close, Zhang Zhan was so frightened he almost tripped. Clutching his chest, he said, "I feel my wound starting to hurt again. I'm a little cold. I'm leaving now."

Xu Tutu immediately said, "You came to see me before your injuries have healed?"

"They were brought here by your father, not by you! You're quite the schemer, aren't you?" Meng** shouted, indignant at the injustice. "Where's your face? Did it fall into the snow? Go look for it, it'll shrink when it's cold and expand when it's hot, you won't be able to find it in a moment."

Tingyao also spoke from the bottom of her heart: "Miss Xu, is something bothering you? Or do you want to see if the injury on Young Master Zhang's head has healed?"

At this point, Xu Tutu could not possibly like Zhang Zhan; anything unusual must be suspicious.

Both of them had their heads treated with medicine given by Zhong Youling. She had asked around and found out that they were using the same ointment. It's just that Zhang Zhan's wound was much shallower, and he was lucky to heal quickly.

The more you care, the uglier you are; conversely, those who don't care are like, "Oh, that's fine."

Zhong Youling whispered to her that Zhang Zhan might have injured his brain several times, so his brain was a little more prepared, which made her laugh.

Zhang Zhan followed up on Tingyao's words, saying, "We should be using the same medicine, and it will get better gradually."

He sensed something was off about Xu Tutu, but mindful of her status, he didn't want to be too aggressive. He took a deep breath and kept his tone steady, "Just stand there and say what you have to say. You just said that men and women shouldn't touch each other."

Everyone understood what was left unsaid.

Stay away from me.

“What do you mean by ‘men and women shouldn’t touch each other’?” Xu Tutu stepped forward. “We grew up together.”

Meng raised his hand as if to act as a security guard, and led Zhang Zhan back half a step. "They said, don't touch him. If you want a man, go to a brothel. There are plenty for you to choose from. Even if you want someone who looks like Zhang Zhan, you can have him if you have enough money."

"Meng**, can't you speak properly?"

"It's because you can't speak properly. Why did you suddenly sound like you wanted to strip Zhang Zhan naked and do it to him?"

Tingyao felt something was wrong, very wrong, but the current situation was not the time to think.

Zhang Zhan may seem easy to talk to, but if you really push him too far, you can't control him. Xu Tutu, on the other hand, has powerful backers.

Given the current situation, if things really escalate, Zhao Siwei will be in deep trouble, and won't even know how to cry.

Having received a signal, Zhao Siwei spoke up, "Xu Tutu, didn't you say you wanted to ride a horse? Why are you scaring Zhang Zhan?"

How did it become that Xu Tutu suddenly made a move on Zhang Zhan? That's reversed! Zhang Zhan is focused on his career right now and has no interest in women.

Xu Tutu was secretly pleased, but remembering her mother's instructions, she smiled at Zhang Zhan and said, "It's horseback riding, Zhang Zhan, take me with you."

Zhang Zhan: "I'll lead your horse, that's about right."

Tingyao saw it clearly: the way Zhang Zhan looked at Xu Tutu was no different from how he looked at someone with intellectual disabilities.

Xu Tutu: "That works too."

Zhang Zhan: ...

Tingyao lowered her head, pursed her lips, and suppressed a laugh.

Tingyao observed Xu Tutu and took the initiative to ask, "Miss Xu, is there anything you need to see Young Master Zhang about?"

"There's nothing between her and me, don't talk nonsense." Zhang Zhan ran down the steps in two strides, no longer wanting to talk to Xu Tutu, and even less wanting to stay there; he wanted to leave.

Xu Tutu reached out to grab it, but Meng** was even quicker, pulling her back. "You reached out again? Wow, are you thirsty?"

Xu Tutu didn't understand, but she felt it wasn't a nice thing to say. "Meng**, have I been too kind to you?"

"You want to fight?" Meng** said without any politeness. "Come on, whoever goes back and complains will never get rich!"

Tingyao grabbed Meng** and shook her head at her.

It's not that we don't support her fighting; if it's two against one, the two of them would definitely be able to beat Xu Tutu.

The Xu family desperately needs a scapegoat right now, and Meng** can't be sent to put out their fire.

Meng**: "I..." She looked at Tingyao's gaze, then at Xu Tutu who was bouncing over, sighed, and said from the bottom of her heart: "I just think she's sick."

Who wouldn't think Xu Tutu is crazy after seeing this?

“Zhang Zhan isn’t stupid, and there’s Zhao Siwei too, what’s there to be afraid of?” Tingyao said softly, “I had that same thought in my head just now.”

Meng** worried, "These things pose a huge threat to our later development. Zhao Siwei doesn't seem to be in a very stable emotional state..."

Tingyao pursed her lips.

No, if Zhao Siwei's emotions were unstable and his core wasn't strong enough, Tingyao felt she would have already died from the pain.

Having been an emperor before, even in this second life, he still retained some of the compassion of a saint.

Xu Tutu was going to capture Zhang Zhan, and cheerfully said, "Come ride horses with me, you have nothing else to do anyway."

Zhang Zhan dodged Xu Tutu's hand that was about to grab her, hiding behind Zhao Siwei as if he were watching a raging flood.

"I'm still injured. The doctor said to rest more and move around less. You should find someone else."

“Then talk to me.” Xu Tutu reached out and looked at Zhao Siwei, who was blocking the way. “What, can’t I talk to Zhang Zhan?”

"Hey, you just can't!" Zhao Siwei put his hands on his hips and pointed at Xu Tutu, "What's there to talk about with Zhang Zhan? When have you ever spoken to each other before? If you want to ride a horse, then ride it. If you don't want to ride a horse, then go back. Why should Zhang Zhan lead your horse? What young master in the capital would be someone's groom?"

Xu Tutu thought it made sense. There was no way to have a young master lead the horse. Moreover, she seemed to remember that Zhang Zhan preferred quiet and might not be able to ride a horse. Besides, it was windy and snowy now. If Zhang Zhan really got into trouble, Zhao Siwei would probably hate her to death.

Xu Tutu then said, "Zhang Zhan, my father likes you very much—"

"Holy crap!" Meng interrupted Xu Tutu with a beautiful Chinese phrase. Realizing she had said something inappropriate, she immediately covered her mouth and said to Tingyao, "What? Duke Xu likes Zhang Zhan?"

Tingyao found the scene unfolding before her quite exciting.

Zhang Zhan was also startled by Meng**'s shout, but he didn't think about doing the splits. Instead, he really thought that Duke Xu wanted him to be his son-in-law. "Doesn't your father like Zhao Siwei?"

He didn't like Xu Tutu; she was too noisy, unreasonable, and wouldn't listen to reason. She needed to be coaxed and pampered.

"Don't talk nonsense. What do you mean you like me?" Zhao Siwei had picked up on something else from Meng**'s words and was really losing patience with Xu Tutu. His handsome face turned cold. "Can't you speak properly? If you can't speak properly, then shut up!"

Xu Tutu puffed out her cheeks; she wasn't afraid of Zhao Siwei getting angry.

Who in the capital would dare to really go against her? Do they really think her father is a pushover?

Xu Tutu was extremely decisive, believing that using Zhang Zhan would truly provoke Zhao Siwei.

Look at her, she's become much more talkative now that she seems interested in Zhang Zhan.

"Zhang Zhan, my father likes you so much that he wants you to be my husband. I'm not bad, am I? Do you have feelings for me? My family can help you a lot."

Zhang Zhan couldn't speak; he just stared blankly at her.

Zhao Siwei burst into a tirade, “They’ve all gone mad! Have they all gone mad?! Your father’s gone mad, and you’ve gone mad too!”

Tingyao felt that Zhao Siwei had completely let his guard down...

Oh, not only that, Zhang Zhan also broke down...

At Zhao Siwei's shout, Xu Tutu immediately stood up straight, then smiled and put her hands on her hips, saying to Zhao Siwei, "My father said to send Zhang Zhan over."

Zhang Zhan's face clearly showed that he didn't want to go.

"Zhang Zhan, aren't you going to give my father any face?"

"What if I don't give it to him?" Zhao Siwei felt that something bad would happen if he went, so he simply said, "We're going to play Pai Gow, so it's not urgent. Let your father go later, and I'll take Zhang Zhan with me."

If we let this go, he'd be furious.

Zhang Zhan always maintained a "I'll do what I want, so shut up. I'm not going to hurt you" attitude towards him. If this were really true...

Tingyao immediately chimed in, "Yeah, ** said you're short one person and asked me to fill in. Are you still going to play?"

Xu Tutu didn't know how to play Pai Gow, so she immediately said, "Zhang Zhan doesn't know how, does he?" She remembered that Zhang Zhan only knew how to study.

"He can't? What can't he do?" Zhao Siwei glanced at her and ordered the guards to take Xu Tutu away. "This is none of your business, get out of here."

Xu Tutu refused to leave, saying, "Then can I learn? Zhang Zhan, would you be willing to teach me?"

"He'll teach you? Why should he teach you?" Zhao Siwei saw people constantly crowding around Zhang Zhan, and there was no way to stop them.

"I'm not leaving, I want to learn." Xu Tutu crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks. "What, are you playing something else that's not for dominoes, but for some other shady business? Then I'll tell your mother, I'll tell the Empress Dowager!"

Seeing that Xu Tutu couldn't walk anymore, Tingyao sent someone inside to make arrangements and pulled Meng** inside.

"Why did Xu Tutu suddenly say she likes Zhang Zhan?" Meng** asked, puzzled. "What happened while we were unaware? Is the princess coming soon?"

Zhang Zhan's romantic storyline hasn't progressed at all.

Tingyao was certain that the princess would not appear at the moment. "I have a feeling that a lot will happen today."

Meng** exclaimed, looking at the already set-up dominoes table, then looked at Tingyao with concern and said, "Won't your brain explode when we play dominoes later?"

Tingyao: "I don't know."

She thought it probably wouldn't happen.

It only happens when Zhao Siwei's emotions are in a particularly strong state.

Zhao Siwei wasn't short of money; he wouldn't care about playing Pai Gow.

They probably won't care...

Finally, the five of them sat down together in the room and actually started playing Pai Gow.

The door curtains were blown up by the wind, making it seem even colder.

Xu Tutu kept trying to get closer to Zhang Zhan, making Zhang Zhan very uncomfortable. Finally, Zhao Siwei sat down between the two of them.

He stopped playing and showed the cards to Xu Tutu.

The job was supposed to be "watching the cards," but it really just meant handing her the cards; she didn't care how they were played.

Zhang Zhan wanted to leave. He always felt something was off, as if something was about to happen.

Meng**: "Is there something you need, Young Master?"

“I promised my grandfather I would go back for dinner today,” Zhang Zhan said.

Meng**: "If we hurry, we'll arrive in two hours. Let's fight for a while."

If he leaves now, Xu Tutu will definitely try every means to stop him.

Zhang Zhan felt the same way, fearing that he might encounter Duke Xu on the road, which would be difficult to handle. He thought it better to stay here and let Zhao Siwei act as a shield.

only……

He was thinking of slapping Tingyao across the face, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Of the four people at the table, Xu Tutu was the one with the most money, while Tingyao was the one who was short of cash.

Tingyao lost several rounds in a row and realized that Zhang Zhan was taking revenge on her.

Under the table, Zhao Siwei kicked Zhang Zhan.

Zhang Zhan kicked it back.

What could he do? Win against Xu Tutu? Forget it, she's already insane, why make her even more insane?

We can't offend Meng too much; we have to appease her.

After all, Meng Jiasong had asked him for help. If he continued playing Pai Gow today and Meng Hongsong felt it was a rejection, he would be in deep trouble later.

Whether or not you can please these high-ranking officials who hold real power is not the most important thing; what is more important is that you absolutely cannot offend them.

Therefore, the only option left was to go to Tingyao.

Meng** glanced at Zhang Zhan under the table and gave her all the silver notes she had on her to Tingyao. She gave Zhang Zhan a very disdainful look, and her halo filter for Zhang Zhan dropped a bit.

This is targeting people!

Who is this?

Meng** sipped his tea: "Young Master Zhang is quite good at Pai Gow. I've never heard of him being able to play."

Zhang Zhan stared intently at the cards. "I know a little."

In fact, he hadn't been able to play openly for a long time; he would just occasionally accompany his grandparents for a stroll around the mansion.

Zhang Zhan actually quite enjoyed playing these games; he learned them from his companions in the palace.

He spent half a year with Zhao Siwei at that time, and only then did he realize that the other study companions didn't pay much attention to him and distanced themselves from him because they thought he probably wouldn't stay for long before leaving.

Because Zhao Siwei changed his study companions very often, he was a particularly difficult prince to get along with.

They complain that their little tutor is too slow, or that they take too long to pack up the little tutor's things, or that the little tutor is too slow to hand them a pen and grind ink, or that the little tutor is too fat and takes up too much of their space.

How could anyone complain? The companions chosen for the princes were all based on the princes' ages, preferably around the same age, but not too much younger. If they were too old, they might bully the princes or lead them astray.