sbdcsierra Chapter 110 The First Beauty Who Became a Substitute Bride (26)
Chapter 110 The First Beauty Who Became a Substitute Bride (26)
A glint of light flashed in Xie Siyuan's eyes as he asked, "Could it be that these fireworks are from your hometown, young lady?"
An Nuanyan asked in surprise, "How did Your Highness, the Prince of Chu, know this?"
Xie Siyuan smiled, his handsome features even more striking in the moonlight, and slowly said, "I heard about this from the Imperial Concubine. I've heard that besides fireworks, your hometown has many other ingenious and unique things."
"I am deeply intrigued by this, and thus wish to inquire about your hometown, young lady. If given the opportunity, I would love to travel there."
A hint of nostalgia appeared in An Nuanyan's eyes, and she sighed softly, saying, "My hometown is a very beautiful place, but unfortunately it is too far away from the Great Xia Dynasty, and I can never go back."
Xie Siyuan listened with a puzzled expression.
"Could it be that you are from a foreign land? But your appearance does not resemble that of a foreigner."
An Nuannuan coughed twice, trying to appear somewhat pitiful. She said in a slightly sorrowful tone, "I am indeed from the Great Xia Dynasty, but I went to live in a foreign land with my parents when I was young."
After we grew up, we returned to the Great Xia Dynasty. However, fate was cruel; misfortune befell our family, and my parents passed away. Now, I am all alone, and the road home is so long and arduous that I simply cannot go back.”
As she said this, she lowered her head slightly, her eyes glistening with tears, as if she had truly experienced immense grief.
Xie Siyuan looked at her, a hint of sympathy and pity in his eyes.
He sighed softly, his expression softening, and said in a low voice, "I have always been fascinated by strange and ingenious things, such as these fireworks, which are truly amazing."
"Young lady, would you be so kind as to become my friend? I hope to have the opportunity to discuss matters with you."
After speaking, he smiled and looked at An Nuannuan, his eyes revealing sincerity and goodwill.
Facing Xie Siyuan, who looked as handsome as a movie star, An Nuannuan blushed slightly. Could this be one of the perks of being a transmigrated woman?
An Nuannuan's heart was pounding like a deer. In modern times, she was just an ordinary college student, but she had never seen such a handsome and extraordinary man in the real world.
But then An Nuannuan suddenly thought of Shen Chumo, and Shen Chumo's face flashed through her mind.
An Nuannuan quickly came to her senses. This was ancient times, and the difference in status between herself and the King of Chu was too great. Even if the King of Chu took a liking to her, she would only be destined to be a concubine. Stop dreaming.
An Nuannuan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and said, "Your Highness's suggestion is truly an honor for me, but my status is low and I am in the palace, so there are many inconveniences."
My daughter fears that associating with Your Highness might cause unnecessary trouble, and I beg Your Highness's understanding.
Xie Siyuan frowned slightly. He hadn't expected An Nuannuan to refuse, but he had no intention of giving up.
He took a small step forward, getting closer to An Nuannuan, his deep eyes gazing at her with deep affection.
He said softly, "My lady, there's no need to worry too much. I am well aware of the rules of the palace and will act with caution."
"I only sincerely wish to become friends with you, young lady. I have no other intentions. The fascinating stories you know are like a door to a new world for me, and I really don't want to miss them."
An Nuannuan felt her heart start racing uncontrollably again. The oppressive feeling Xie Siyuan brought as he approached and the unique aura he exuded made her feel somewhat at a loss.
She was unaware that Tuanzi was broadcasting the entire scene to Shen Chumo.
Shen Chumo clicked her tongue twice in her heart, "This Xie Siyuan really has some tricks up his sleeve. With just a few words, he wanted to pull An Nuannuan to his side. But An Nuannuan isn't stupid, and she didn't give in easily."
At this moment, An Nuannuan finally managed to calm herself down. The incident with Cuiguo had taught her a lesson, and she was now wary of anyone who approached her.
Something unusual must be going on. Xie Siyuan is a prince, while she is just an ordinary female official with only average looks. Why would the Prince of Chu treat her differently?
The things she had in her hands, apart from fireworks, were all just talk and no substance. This prince must have had another purpose in approaching her.
She is now the Consort's person. Could it be that the King of Chu is approaching her in order to get closer to the Consort through her?
An Nuannuan was instantly startled, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that this was indeed the case; the way the Prince of Chu had looked at Consort Shen just now could not be considered innocent.
No way! She's a huge fan of the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine's pairing right now, and she absolutely cannot let someone with ulterior motives break up her couple!
Thinking of this, An Nuannuan looked at Xie Siyuan decisively and said, "Your Highness, I have remembered your words, but I still feel that this matter is inappropriate. Please do not make things difficult for me any further."
My daughter is just an ordinary female official and really doesn't want to get involved in unnecessary trouble.
After saying this, An Nuannuan bowed and turned to leave.
Xie Siyuan watched An Nuannuan's departing figure, his brows furrowing slightly. He felt as if he had lost something important. He hadn't expected An Nuannuan to be so vigilant and reject him so quickly.
However, this also made him even more certain that An Nuannuan was definitely not a simple woman, and there might be more secrets behind her that he had not yet learned about.
Seeing this, Tuanzi exclaimed in surprise, "Mo Mo, An Nuan Nuan actually rejected the male lead! The plot changed from the very beginning!"
Shen Chumo wasn't surprised, a smile playing on her lips as she said, "Didn't the plot change the moment we arrived?"
In the original novel, An Nuannuan was initially wary of Xie Siyuan. However, as Xie Yanhuai became increasingly bloodthirsty, Xie Siyuan plotted to have Xie Yanhuai kill one of An Nuannuan's friends.
An Nuannuan then made up her mind and stood on Xie Siyuan's side, wanting to avenge her friend.
But nothing has happened yet. An Nuannuan is no longer a bullied palace maid. As a female official appointed by Shen Chumo, she is respected in the palace and will not be deceived by Xie Siyuan's words.
After the banquet, the Shen family became a complete laughingstock. Shen Huanyu was already embroiled in the controversy surrounding her impersonating the most beautiful woman, and after the banquet incident became public knowledge...
Now everyone in Chang'an knows that although Shen Huanyu and the Imperial Concubine are sisters, one is like the moon in the sky and the other is like mud on the ground.
Shen Huanyu's reputation is completely ruined. The two families who used to propose marriage to her have all run away.
When Shen Han returned home, he angrily slammed his teacup on the ground and pointed at Shen Huanyu and Madam Xu, yelling, "Look what you've done! The situation was perfectly fine, but because of your selfish desires, not only is your reputation ruined, but the entire Shen family has also been implicated!"
Shen Huanyu was in tears; she never expected things to turn out this way.
She cried and said, "Father, I didn't want this to happen. I just wanted to make a good impression on everyone and salvage my reputation. Who knew it would turn out like this?"
Madam Xu also said indignantly, "This must be because Shen Chumo instigated the Emperor. That's why the Emperor is so angry. Our Huan'er had already succeeded. With Huan'er's looks, what's wrong with her entering the palace?"
Hearing Xu Shi still trying to argue, Shen Han was so angry that he slapped her across the face. "Stupid woman, Mo'er had already given Huan'er a reward. If Huan'er had taken the reward back, the Butterfly Dance would have been a great performance, and Huan'er could have gained a good reputation."
But she was greedy and tried to enter the palace, which led to her current predicament. And yet you're still blaming Mo'er here.