The daughter of the emperor is reborn to be beautiful and cool, and the King of Zhenbei loves her wi

Shen Nanzhi vaguely felt that something seemed to be about to break out from the bottom of his heart, and it was even about to be beyond his control.

She instinctively felt some resistance and opposition, and even subconsciously didn't want to think about it.

It just so happened that Liu Jingya kept chattering along the way, and Shen Nanzhi had no time to think about it.

The two of them returned all the way to the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion.

When passing by Jiang's house, he happened to meet Jiang Shiyan who had just returned in a hurry.

At this time, he should have been on duty at the Ministry of Revenue. He rushed back in such a hurry, so there must be something important.

Shen Nanzhi guessed that it might be related to the handwritten letter from Zhao Wan that she asked the secret guard to deliver to him.

However, she did not show any emotion on her face. She just opened the curtain as usual and called out from a distance, "Father, you don't look well. What happened?"

Jiang Shiyan forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. It's your grandmother's birthday. I should have come back early no matter what. But why don't you spend more time with your grandmother?"

Shen Nanzhi smiled slightly, and said in front of Liu Jingya without disguising: "I'm afraid grandma is not happy to see me, I'd better not be an eyesore in front of grandma."

Hearing this, Jiang Shiyan frowned slightly. He was about to reprimand Shen Nanzhi, but then he saw that Shen Nanzhi was sitting in the Liu family's carriage, and next to Shen Nanzhi was Liu Jingya, the most favored youngest daughter of the Liu family. The words that were originally on the tip of his tongue had to be more tactful: "After all, she is your grandmother. She is old and inevitably a little stubborn. You should be more accommodating."

If it was in her previous life when she still didn't know his true hypocritical face, Shen Nanzhi would have listened to some of it, thinking that out of filial piety, what Jiang Shiyan said was right, so even when Zhao Shi made things difficult for her, she was quite tolerant.

Hearing these words again now, Shen Nanzhi felt extremely disgusted.

As if she had sensed that Shen Nanzhi was in a bad mood, although she didn't know the reason, in order to avoid unpleasantness between the father and daughter, Liu Jingya, who was standing by, smiled and greeted Jiang Shiyan before Shen Nanzhi spoke: "Uncle Jiang, it's rare for me to come out. Today, I'll let Sister Zhizhi accompany me. Uncle Jiang shouldn't object, right?"

Jiang Shiyan naturally didn't say much. He exchanged a few polite words with Liu Jingya and then turned around and went back to the Jiang Mansion.

Shen Nanzhi also returned to the Shen family with Liu Jingya.

This was not the first time Liu Jingya came to the Shen family. Because of her aunt and because she liked Shen Changan, she had been to the Shen family many times before.

However, it was her first time to come to Shen Nanzhi's yard.

If she became friends with Shen Nanzhi because of Shen Changan in the beginning, then now she has completely fallen in love with this sister.

Both of them are the type of people who cannot tolerate any grain of sand in their eyes, and they have endless topics to talk about when they get together.

However, compared to Shen Nanzhi's shyness and resistance to feelings, Liu Jingya is at the other extreme.

She is like a fire. If she likes someone, she will admit it openly, chase after him, and fight for him.

Her feelings are straightforward and passionate. Looking across the entire Kyoto, there is probably no other girl like her.

However, even though she was of noble status, when others mentioned her attitude of flattering her, although they praised her on the surface, they mostly mocked and despised her in private.

Although she has a bold and passionate personality, she is also very delicate in mind and can naturally tell how much truth and how much falsehood there is in the eyes looking at her.

For example, at this moment, Shen Nanzhi dismissed the maid and advised her privately: "Sister Jingya, have you ever thought that your method of chasing after cousin Changan is not feasible? He is a rebellious person, and this will only push him further away? Moreover, although he is indeed very good, there are many young men in Kyoto who are better than him. Why must he be the one?"

Shen Nanzhi's eyes were sincere. He was truly standing in her shoes and considering her. Liu Jingya could see it clearly.

She sighed and said helplessly: "There's nothing I can do, I just like him!"

After saying that, she turned around and casually picked a crabapple flower that was leaning against the window and played with it in her hand, "I also know that being rejected is a very embarrassing thing. I have also thought about liking someone else, but I just can't do it."

"The moment I saw him, I felt infinite joy. All the grievances and contempt were thrown behind me. I also know that this is very embarrassing and will be looked down upon by others. However, it is precisely because everyone is not optimistic and does not agree with me that if I don't work hard to fight for it myself, my cousin Changan will really belong to someone else."

As she said this, she placed the crabapple blossoms in front of Shen Nanzhi, held her chin with both hands, and said with a smile as beautiful as a flower: "So, while cousin Changan doesn't have anyone he likes, I have to work harder. However, if he really suddenly wakes up one day and has a lover, I will never pester him. Although I, Liu Jingya, am shameless when chasing people, I still have a little pride in my bones."

This is a view that Shen Nanzhi has never heard of before.

She originally wanted to persuade Liu Jingya to let it go, but unexpectedly, she was moved by Liu Jingya's words.

Seeing her determination, Shen Nanzhi could only sigh and say, "Okay then, I'll ask Ah Si to book a pleasure boat."

If you can't persuade them, you can only help if you can.

After the Flower Festival, the pleasure boats that cruise on the lake occupy almost half of the moat on the west side of the city every night. It is so lively that you have to make a reservation in advance if you want to ride on a pleasure boat.

Fortunately, the Shen family has a large business, especially in the west of the city. Shen Nanzhi asked A Si to ask the manager of the mansion, and it was done in a short while.

The only bad thing was that it started to rain in the evening. It was a drizzle, not too heavy, but still very annoying.

After a quick dinner, Shen Nanzhi was dragged by Liu Jingya to the west of the city, as if she was afraid that if she was a little late, Shen Changan would be snatched away by someone.

But even so, when they arrived at the west pier of the city, the carriages were already packed.

The ferry is narrow and you have to queue to cross.

At this time, the sky gradually darkened and several pleasure boats had already set out on the river.

The spring breeze is blowing, the rain is drizzling, the river is flowing, and from time to time there is the sound of melodious piano coming from the various pleasure boats. With such beautiful scenery and atmosphere, it is no wonder that there are so many people.

Liu Jingya raised the curtain and looked outside, and said rather depressedly, "It looks like we have to wait at least a quarter of an hour. I don't know if cousin Changan has arrived yet."

Shen Nanzhi was about to tease her, but when she looked up inadvertently, she saw a stall selling river lanterns on the river bank not far away. The stall owner was Xiaodie, the maid who worked in the side courtyard of Wuyi Lane.

She is obviously Xiao Qian'an's person, so why would she suddenly come here and sell river lanterns?

Moreover, when Shen Nanzhi looked over, she was arguing with someone, and that person overturned her stall in a rage. The river lanterns, which were already soaked with rain, were scattered all over the ground and covered with mud. In a blink of an eye, the ground became a mess with mud.

The man turned around and was about to leave. Xiaodie, with red eyes, grabbed his sleeve and demanded an explanation.

Seeing those eyes, Shen Nanzhi couldn't help but recall the look she gave him in her previous life before she was ordered to be beaten to death by Jiang Yanran.

I feel so wronged, desperate and helpless.

Shen Nanzhi's heart couldn't help but soften a little.

At this moment, Liu Jingya suddenly exclaimed: "Cousin Changan! I saw cousin Changan!"

She grabbed Shen Nanzhi's sleeve and said, "Sister Zhizhi, please wait for me for a moment. I'll go say hello and come right over!"

After saying that, without waiting for Shen Nanzhi's response, she jumped off the carriage and hurried towards the moon-white figure on the dock.

Shen Nanzhi was afraid that something might happen to her, so he quickly called Qiuyue to go along.

She got off the carriage and wanted to see Xiaodie.

Before she even got close, Shen Nanzhi could already hear Xiaodie complaining in a tearful voice: "You can't leave! I spent three days making these river lanterns, hoping to sell them to save my mother's life! You have to compensate me!"

The other party was a big and strong man. After hearing Xiaodie's words, he did not feel guilty but said impatiently: "Who told you to block my way here? You deserve it! If you keep pestering me like this, even though you are a girl, I will not be polite to you!"

Xiaodie refused to comply, and the big man really raised his hand to slap her.

Seeing this, Xiaodie shrank her neck in fear, but still refused to let go of the man's sleeve.

Seeing that the slap was about to fall on Xiaodie's face, she knew she couldn't avoid it and subconsciously closed her eyes. Who would have thought that the cruel slap did not fall.

While still in mid-air, Shen Nanzhi easily pinched the acupoints on the sturdy man's wrist and held him down.

"What's your ability to bully a little girl?"

Shen Nanzhi looked at the sturdy man coldly: "Pay me money!"

The sturdy man originally wanted to curse at her, but when he saw Shen Nanzhi was dressed elegantly and followed by a coachman, he realized that she was a lady from a wealthy family. Of course, he did not dare to offend her and could only grit his teeth and pay the money to get the matter over with.

As soon as the sturdy man left, Xiaodie tightly grasped the silver and hurriedly thanked him: "Thank you, Miss Shen!"

Shen Nanzhi frowned slightly: "Why are you here?"

Xiaodie's eyes were red, and she lowered her head and said, "My mother is seriously ill and needs a lot of money. My monthly salary is not enough. A few days ago, the young master sold the yard and sent us servants away. Without the monthly salary, I have no way to raise money for my mother's medicine."

Shen Nanzhi remembered that in her previous life, Xiaodie had told her that she had a brother and sister-in-law and a seriously ill mother at home.

Normally, A'niang could go to the fields to work, and her brother and sister-in-law were quite nice to her. But ever since her mother became seriously ill, they completely changed their attitude. Not only did they withhold food, they were even unwilling to spend money to hire a doctor.

The little monthly salary she had was just a drop in the bucket. In order to save her mother, she was willing to take the risk and deliver a letter to the Shen family on behalf of Shen Nanzhi.

Because Shen Nanzhi promised her that after the letter was delivered, he would give her some money and arrange for a doctor to save her mother.

But she didn't expect that it would cost her life in the end.

I think, after the accident, her mother wouldn't live long either.

Because of the death of his mother in his previous life, Shen Nanzhi felt a sense of sympathy for her. In addition, she later died because of her. Now that they met again, Shen Nanzhi felt a little guilty.

Shen Nanzhi didn't have any money on her, so she casually pulled out a gold hairpin and handed it over: "Take this to pawn, it should be enough."

Hearing this, Xiaodie was stunned, obviously not expecting Shen Nanzhi to be so generous.

She stood there in a daze, not even daring to reach out to take it.

It was only when Shen Nanzhi put the hairpin in her hand that she finally reacted and immediately knelt down to Shen Nanzhi: "Thank you very much, Miss Shen, for your kindness. When I find a doctor for my mother, I will serve Miss Shen like a slave to repay her kindness."

Shen Nanzhi helped her up with one hand, but shook his head and said, "You don't have to repay me. I just felt good when I saw your river lantern, so I gave it to you as a reward."

As she spoke, she picked up a barely acceptable lotus lantern from the mess on the ground and turned to leave.

"Miss Shen!"

Xiaodie hurriedly chased after him: "I have nowhere to go now, can I ask Miss Shen to take me in? If I go home, my brother and sister-in-law will marry me to a widower to seek a dowry. I am good at work and can do any dirty or tiring work. I don't want monthly wages, I just hope Miss Shen can give me food to eat and a place to stay!"

She spoke sincerely and looked pitiful, but Shen Nanzhi did not agree. She raised her eyebrows and said, "You are so young and capable, you can get a job in any mansion. You don't have to follow me."

Although Shen Nanzhi is soft-hearted, she cannot be too sympathetic and lose her guard.

After all, Xiaodie used to be Xiao Qian'an's person.

This alone was enough to wake Shen Nanzhi up and draw a clear line between them.

She gave Xiaodie the golden hairpin as a way of fulfilling her promise to her in the previous life. As for any other involvement, there should be no such thing.

After saying this, without waiting for Xiaodie to continue begging, Shen Nanzhi turned around and left.

She walked very quickly, so naturally she didn't notice the resentment and regret in Xiaodie's eyes.

By the time Shen Nanzhi got on the carriage, Xiaodie had already turned around quickly and decisively, no longer looking at all the pitiful look she had just shown.

She moved quickly and soon reached a pleasure boat docked at the shore.

Different from other pleasure boats with bright lights and music playing in the air, this one only had a sheep-horn lantern lit on the bow, and the rest of the boat was pitch black.

Even the cabin was pitch black. Only the faint light from the ram-horn lamp on the bow shone on the curtain, and the outline of a person sitting in the shadow behind the curtain could be barely seen.

It was the seventh prince, Xiao Qian'an.

After Xiaodie got his consent at the door, she raised the curtain and went in, kneeling on the ground, and said nervously, "Master, Miss Shen refused. Master, didn't you say before that Miss Shen is the kindest and soft-hearted? But I have behaved very miserably, and Miss Shen didn't hesitate at all. However, she must have believed what I said, and she even gave me a golden hairpin, but she didn't agree to take me in."

After she finished speaking, she was met with a long silence.

Xiaodie knelt on the ground, sweating profusely.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, Xiao Qian'an finally walked out from the shadows and extended his hand towards her.

Xiaodie was stunned for a moment before she reacted, and quickly handed the gold hairpin that Shen Nanzhi had just given her to Xiao Qian'an with both hands.

Xiao Qian'an took the golden hairpin in his hand, but didn't say anything else. He went up to the deck, turned his head to look in the direction where Shen Nanzhi left, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Shen Nanzhi was naturally unaware of all this.

At this moment, the queue in front had loosened up and it was almost their turn, but Liu Jingya had not returned yet.

Shen Nanzhi was about to follow the direction Liu Jingya had just left, but before she could take a few steps, she saw Qiuyue running back breathlessly: "Girl, Miss Liu is missing!"

How come Liu Jingya disappeared just like that?

Hearing this, Shen Nanzhi's eyelids twitched.

She suddenly felt a strong sense of uneasiness in her heart.