Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 178: Why Are You Guys So Awkward?

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Why Are You Guys So Awkward?

Her words startled Gu Jun and the onlookers. Such sinister words were spoken with an innocent tone, which made her sound like a devil.

Qi Yu was oblivious; she tilted her head slightly with playful mockery in her eyes, watching Li Mingjue without missing a beat.

Li Mingjue pinched her palm gently and said succinctly, "It’s not too much."

Gu Jun nearly fainted with fright.

Although Mrs. Xie did make a mistake, it didn’t warrant such a severe punishment.

Through thick and thin, a couple owes each other affection over countless days, so he couldn’t bear to see Mrs. Xie in such straits.

Gu Jun staggered to his feet, looking at Qi Yu with a pained expression, his voice trembling, "You... you really intend to kill Mrs. Xie?"

Qi Yu laughed, stepped back from Li Mingjue’s embrace, and raised an eyebrow at Gu Jun, "Uncle doesn’t think it’s appropriate?"

Feeling the sudden absence of the warm embrace, Li Mingjue’s fingers curled slightly, and he pressed his lips together, looking at Gu Jun with some annoyance.

Gu Jun, caught by his icy gaze, shivered all over and quickly nodded, "It’s fine, it’s fine!"

Without Mrs. Xie, he could simply marry another.

Qi Yu chuckled dismissively, her eyes carrying a hint of scorn.

She had thought Gu Jun had some affection for Mrs. Xie. With just one test, she unveiled his true thoughts.

It seemed that Gu Jun’s attitude toward his maternal grandfather wasn’t just about Mrs. Xie.

There was some personal vendetta involved; otherwise, how could just Mrs. Xie sway the heart of Gu Jun, as stoic as iron and stone?

However, she was too lazy to deal with these messy family affairs.

As long as Gu Jun wasn’t foolish enough to harm Gu Fengmian and Gu Jue, she wouldn’t pursue the matter further.

Qi Yu waved her hand, speaking indifferently, "Uncle, please return. I won’t lay a hand on Mrs. Xie. This is your family’s business, and it has nothing to do with me."

Gu Jun, hearing her words, still couldn’t fully relax.

Furthermore, glancing at Li Mingjue, he saw no reaction from him, trusting Qi Yu to make all the decisions. Gu Jun was somewhat surprised.

Wasn’t it said that the Prince of Qi was arbitrary and tyrannical?

Qi Yu didn’t know what he was thinking. Having dealt with the matter, she felt a bit tired.

Yawning, Li Mingjue had someone send Gu Fengmian back and then got into the carriage with Qi Yu.

Shen Xiheng didn’t move. Qi Yu looked knowingly but deliberately didn’t mention the fact that Shi Zhou had disappeared.

It was obvious that Shi Zhou, that silly lad, was currently pressuring Gu Ting to hand over the fan.

Gu Ting, an honest man, had laid out more than a dozen fans from former literati in front of her to choose at her leisure.

Without being polite, Shi Zhou picked and chose from the collection that could be considered cultural relics, finally settling on five with some reluctance.

Seeing the person hugging the fans to their chest, Gu Ting’s mouth twitched, "Miss, you’re certainly not shy."

Shi Zhou raised an eyebrow.

Pleasantries, can you eat them? She had grown up among bandits; taking a few of his fans was nothing, considering she didn’t rob them all was already merciful.

Outside the door, Shen Xiheng pondered for a moment, then asked, "Where is she?"

Qi Yu lifted the curtain and deliberately frowned, "Who?"

Shen Xiheng’s ears felt hot as he spoke hastily, "Who else but Shi Zhou?"

Qi Yu clicked her tongue lightly.

Shi Zhou indeed lacked discernment, not sure how she regarded such a disreputable man as an orchid in bloom.

She glanced at the irate Shen Xiheng and pointed behind him with a smile, "Isn’t that her?"

Shen Xiheng turned hurriedly to look, and saw Shi Zhou walking leisurely toward the door with a handsome, smiling young man by her side.

He stopped short, while Qi Yu covered her mouth and snickered, then quietly instructed the coachman to drive away.

Although watching the opera was interesting, she couldn’t be insensitive enough to stay and play the third wheel.

She leaned contently against Li Mingjue’s chest, her body limp like a boneless creature.

In her heart, she thought silently, "Shi Zhou, Shi Zhou, this is all I can do for you."

On the other side, Shi Zhou, holding her fan, left the place with Gu Ting. Before they reached the door, she spotted someone standing outside with keen eyes.

Her eyes lit up, and shoving Gu Ting behind her, she swiftly reached Shen Xiheng with her fan in hand.

Shi Zhou’s eyes sparkled so brightly that it would be hard for anyone to remain unmoved.

But for Shen Xiheng, it felt piercing to his eyes.

He gave a cold glance to the unfamiliar man, suppressing the irritation deep in his heart, he asked, "Who is he?"

"Huh?" Shi Zhou, with her mind and eyes full of the precious fans in her arms, didn’t pay attention to Shen Xiheng’s words, lifted her head, and looked at him somewhat blankly.

Shen Xiheng, unable to vent his irritation, pursed his lips and turned away.

Shi Zhou hurriedly caught up to him: "Wait for me!"

Neither of them had called for a carriage, so they walked on foot through Gusu City, where the evening moon shone brightly.

After bandits were captured, the streets started bustling again.

Along the way, many vendors called out to them.

"Young master, how about buying a hairpin?" Suddenly, Shen Xiheng’s sleeve was pulled. He turned to see a young girl, not yet of age, with a pair of buns in her hair.

The young girl pointed to the array of hairpins on the ground and looked at him eagerly: "Young master, would you like to buy a hairpin?"

Shen Xiheng’s eyes flickered, and for some reason, he did not shrug her off.

Being one to pity fragrant jade, especially such a young girl, he accordingly squatted down and carefully made a selection for a while.

Shi Zhou, with a displeased expression, coldly said to the young girl, "You, let go of your hand."

The young girl was frightened by the killing intent in her gaze and quickly let go.

Seeing her gaze fixated on the white-clothed young master, who was picking out a hairpin, she curiously asked, "Are you two together?"

Shi Zhou nodded with a proud expression, only to hear Shen Xiheng say, "No."

Her eyes dimmed, and she tightened her grip on the fan.

After Shen Xiheng picked out a hairpin and paid, he walked ahead.

After a while, feeling something was amiss, he looked back and saw Shi Zhou still standing there, looking at him with obstinate eyes.

Shen Xiheng let out a helpless sigh, thinking that he was really regressing with age, bickering with a young girl.

He walked back a few steps and said to Shi Zhou, "Aren’t you coming?"

Shi Zhou turned her head away with a somewhat hurt tone, "Why do you care, since we’re not together anyway?"

Shen Xiheng was taken aback for a moment and then, after a long pause, smiled helplessly and said, "I was wrong, alright?"

The young girl selling hairpins sat on a small stool, cupping her face in her hands, curiously watching the two of them.

One more stubborn than the other; if they were together, it would truly be exasperating.

She sighed quietly to herself. Shi Zhou glanced at her, "What are you sighing about?"

The young girl looked at their faces and said, "It’s so obvious you like him and he likes you, why are you both being so stubborn?"

Both were stunned, unable to look directly into each other’s eyes, they harmoniously shifted their gaze away.

Seeing this, the young girl giggled quietly, watching their retreating figures, one after the other, and whispered to herself, "Are all adults this foolish?"

Back at the residence, Shi Zhou threw the fans she had been carrying all the way to Shen Xiheng without speaking a word. She closed the door, covering her heart that was racing wildly.

Outside the door, Shen Xiheng stared at the additional fans in his hand for a while, then looked down and smiled softly to himself.

Indeed, it was awkward.