Chapter 210: Chapter 210: You Don’t Like Cheng Ru?
The maid finished speaking, but received no response for a long time. She couldn’t help but look up, seeing the young lady holding a pen yet not writing, lost in thought. Hesitantly, she spoke, "Miss?"
Cheng Ru then returned to her senses and said to the maid, "It’s nothing, you may leave."
Afterwards, Cheng Ru fell into a long daze again, until Mrs. Cheng entered.
"Your eldest cousin’s marriage is settled. Alas, he still has to marry a merchant’s daughter in the end. What will happen in the future?"
Cheng Ru put down the brush, her tone somewhat resentful, "Though I have no evidence, I’m sure our second cousin is involved in this matter with our eldest cousin. He always acts so recklessly."
Mrs. Cheng was also helpless, "After all, he’s the Heir of the Marquis, with a status more noble than others, naturally doing as he pleases without considering consequences."
Such a person should marry a wife who can manage all aspects efficiently, so she can take care of the household and let him attend to matters outside without worries.
While discussing Heir Pei here, over there, Heir Pei also rarely talked about Cheng Ru’s matters.
"You don’t like Cheng Ru?" Pei Ji’an’s tone seemed inquisitive, but was actually affirmative.
Qu Fulan’s first reaction was that his eyes were indeed sharp; the second was whether her behavior was that obvious. She didn’t deny it and frankly said, "I can’t say I dislike her, but I just feel nothing, we don’t connect in conversation."
From the first time they met, she knew their energies didn’t match, even face-to-face they couldn’t connect, merely able to maintain surface friendliness, but not genuine connection.
Unlike Third Miss and Fang Yuan, who are open-hearted in making friends, Qu Fulan naturally responds to them sincerely as well.
"Then why did she specifically send a maid to greet you?" Pei Ji’an, always busy outside, was somewhat informed about family matters, but not comprehensively so.
Since he was not yet married, he couldn’t reclaim the management rights of the inner household, so he didn’t meddle with whom his second aunt appointed to assist in household management.
If it weren’t related to Qu Fulan, he wouldn’t have asked any further questions today.
"Because she’s thorough in her dealings, I suppose. Third Miss now needs to prepare her dowry, so oversights are inevitable," Qu Fulan said.
Where Third Miss left gaps, Miss Cheng filled them, making everyone pleased and harmonious, didn’t it?
But previously Cheng Ru acted very discreetly, so discreetly that Qu Fulan couldn’t even feel her presence, as the two seldom interacted.
Yet it seems that since Cheng Ru took over managing the household, she’s become more proactive, like during the event for the Double Ninth Festival, where she organized group games.
At the time, Qu Fulan thought Cheng Ru’s groupings were unnecessarily complicated, as there was a simpler method: divide into five groups, write numbers one to five on paper, then fold and place them in a dish for everyone to draw lots, randomly deciding their group.
This way, there’s no need to write names, it’s more random and fair, and more importantly, it’s effortless, avoiding the trouble of matching names to groups.
However, those present did not find it cumbersome and unanimously applauded, eager to start playing. Naturally, Qu Fulan didn’t want to disrupt their enthusiasm, or she’d come off as forcibly trying to stand out, likely annoying others: why ruin it when everyone’s just enjoying the game?
As for whether Cheng Ru didn’t think of this simple method or intentionally made it troublesome, because complicated procedures have more room for manipulation, Qu Fulan has no evidence now, thus cannot confront her.
Without evidence, Qu Fulan couldn’t recklessly speak of it, or else she’d become someone gossiping behind others’ backs.
However, due to this event, Qu Fulan became wary of Cheng Ru. If she acted unintentionally, then it’s fine; but if intentional, what’s her motive, Qu Fulan would quietly observe.
After all, a fox will eventually show its tail.
Having been in ancient times for so long, Qu Fulan had not been shunned or schemed against for the first time. From the second wife’s second daughter to Yao Xing, the two of them plotted openly, both wanting her to become a concubine. Presumably, her overly delicate face posed a threat to them, which is understandable as same-sex exclusion, isn’t it?
But that Master Lu, her aversion is rather inexplicable.
So if now there’s another Cheng Ru, regardless of the reason, Qu Fulan would respond cautiously.
Thinking like this, she picked up the tea before her to drink.
Pei Ji’an pressed the rim of her cup with a folding fan, "The tea is cold, why drink it? What were you thinking to be daydreaming this much?"
Of course, Qu Fulan couldn’t disclose that mess of thoughts, so she changed the subject, "Are we playing chess today?"
Every day when the Princely Heir visits, he plays a game of chess with her before leaving. On days he doesn’t come, she feels unaccustomed.
Coincidentally, Pei Ji’an had accompanied the emperor for a few games in the palace today, trying to let the emperor win without making it obvious while not losing too badly himself. This skillful task was quite exhausting, so currently, he had no desire to play chess, "Today, let’s skip chess. Do you have any new games that can help us relax?"
Qu Fulan, always brimming with ideas, could think up any novel game.
She pondered for a while, indeed thought of a game, but it would be uninteresting for just two people to play. Games become fun only with more participants. She was considering who to invite to join when Fang Yuan’s voice echoed from the doorway, "Second brother, I knew you’d be here, coming to play chess with Fulan again, aren’t you bored yet?"
Currently, with Third Miss busy embroidering her dowry and Cheng Ru managing the household, both being quite occupied, Fang Yuan, being the only one leisurely, didn’t want to disturb the two, so she would occasionally come to Qu Fulan for fun.
Though Qu Fulan is sometimes busy as well, compared to the two, she’s been more leisurely recently.
Qu Fulan had the servants serve tea, "No chess today, the Princely Heir wanted some games to relax, and I coincidentally thought of one. But it requires five or six people to be fun."
Upon hearing there was fun to be had, Fang Yuan’s eyes immediately lit up, "You wait, I’ll go get people."
Without waiting for a reply, she dashed off, vanishing from sight.
Pei Ji’an helplessly remarked, "She must have gone to call her third cousin and Miss Cheng, do you mind?"
Qu Fulan, "It’s just a game, nothing to mind."
Besides, she could use this game to test some matters.
Shortly after, Fang Yuan indeed brought along Third Miss and Cheng Ru.
"What game is it, Fulan? Tell us!" Fang Yuan was already eager.
The Third Miss, having embroidered to the point of fatigue, needed some relaxation as well. Though she had servants helping with her dowry, personal items held more significance when embroidered herself.
Cheng Ru, meanwhile, had tasks at hand with several housekeepers wanting to report matters, but hearing that the Princely Heir was here, naturally set everything aside and came over.