Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 184 - 170: Brother is Really Nice

Chapter 184: Chapter 170: Brother is Really Nice

A sweet call suddenly came from the alley entrance.

Chen Long paused, then turned and walked toward the girl.

Meng Qianqian stepped forward to chase.

"Brother!"

The girl laughed and called again.

Meng Qianqian clenched her fists; if only he had another younger sister...

Chen Long brushed past the girl.

A young scholar quickly approached the alley carrying a box of freshly baked pastries and spoke to the girl, "I told you to wait for me in the shop, didn’t I?"

The girl chuckled, "I was worried you might get lost."

The scholar affectionately patted her head. "I stood in line for half an hour and finally got it. Here."

"Brother, you’re the best!"

The girl cheerfully took the pastry.

The siblings chatted and laughed as they left.

Meng Qianqian stood in the alley, crying and laughing alternately.

What was she thinking?

How could her brother recognize another as his sister just because she had died?

Lin Wan’er pretending to be the Prime Minister’s daughter wouldn’t happen to Chen Long—he was a man wise and composed enough.

Confirming that he was alive made Meng Qianqian happy, but the thought of never being able to recognize him in this lifetime saddened her.

"If I can’t recognize you as a sibling, then let me become one of the Twelve Guards whom you acknowledge."

Meng Qianqian wiped away her tears with a smile, determined to practice harder.

When Meng Qianqian returned to Feng Shui Alley, Bao Shu and the neglectful father, exhausted after their quarrel, were slumped drowsily at the stone table in the courtyard. Bao Shu’s tiny head bobbed up and down like a pecking chick.

"Won’t you carry her?"

Meng Qianqian asked Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan shrugged innocently, "She won’t let me."

Meng Qianqian picked up Bao Shu.

Bao Shu glanced up at her, then obediently nestled into her arms and fell asleep.

Lu Yuan noticed her reddened eyes, scanned her briefly from head to toe, saw no injuries, and said expressionlessly, "You saw him?"

Meng Qianqian nodded, carrying the dozing Bao Shu out of Ji Li Courtyard: "It was Chen Long."

Lu Yuan continued, "Did you recognize each other?"

Meng Qianqian’s eyelid twitched. While contemplating how her bond with Chen Long might be revealed, she suddenly realized Lu Yuan was asking about recognition between Twelve Guards comrades—she was Little Yin Hu, after all, part of the same group.

She was worrying too much.

Lu Yuan might suspect her origins, but he couldn’t possibly guess she had died once before.

Meng Qianqian replied, "No."

Lu Yuan asked, "Then why are you crying?"

Meng Qianqian: "It’s nothing."

"Hmph, suit yourself."

Lu Yuan folded his hands behind his back and strode away.

Entering the Governor Mansion, Meng Qianqian carried Bao Shu to the Tinglan Courtyard.

Steward Cen grinned as he approached Lu Yuan: "Out for a stroll with the Marchioness again? It seems she’s the most resourceful; staying cooped up inside all the time might make you sick!"

Lu Yuan frowned and asked, "What does it mean when a woman cries for a man?"

Steward Cen looked surprised: "Crying? Who cried? The Marchioness?"

Lu Yuan stated, "Just answer the question!"

Steward Cen thoughtfully replied, "A woman crying for a man is either about kinship or affection. The first is easy to understand—family members see each other and get overly emotional. If it’s about affection, though, that’s troublesome, tied to unrequited love, sleepless nights... ’The fondness awaited at that moment, yet fleeting in its time’... or ’Once a maiden enters the Marquis’s gates, her lover becomes a stranger forever’..."

Lu Yuan’s glare turned sharp.

Steward Cen cleared his throat and solemnly added, "Or maybe she was just scared by his ugliness."

Lu Yuan left with a cold face.

Steward Cen gave himself a slap: "Out of all people to mimic, why emulate Shangguan Ling’s sharp tongue?"

Deep in thought about Chen Long, Meng Qianqian tossed and turned in bed at night, unable to sleep.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan sat in his study reading, ears attuned to the noise from the next room. Steward Cen’s words about "unrequited love and sleepless nights" flashed through his mind, darkening his expression.

The next day, Liu Changsheng came to the Governor Mansion and informed Meng Qianqian that someone was causing trouble at his shop on East Street. Though he reported them to the authorities, the culprits seemed to have powerful backing—the government officers didn’t detain them but surrounded his shop instead.

Since Liu Changsheng converted his shop into a matchmaking teahouse, business had boomed, naturally earning him rivals’ jealousy.

But Liu Changsheng had always handled disturbances effectively, driving troublemakers away.

For him to come to the Governor Mansion for instructions meant the situation had reached a critical point.

"Let’s go; I’ll take a look."

Meng Qianqian wanted to see if someone had succumbed to jealousy or taken advantage of the Governor Mansion’s declining status to kick them while they were down.

Only upon meeting the guest in the private room did she realize she’d entirely misjudged.

"Greetings, Princess Wanping."

Meng Qianqian courteously bowed.

Princess Wanping lounged in a Huangli Wood armchair—clearly not from the shop, suggesting her servants had personally carried it upstairs.

Meng Qianqian couldn’t help but think of Lu Yuan, who always brought his own chair and charcoal wherever he went.

Was Princess Wanping imitating her admirer’s behavior?

Her attire—pink pleated skirt, overlaid with white gold-threaded pipa-collar gauze—gave off a faintly glowing elegance. Her lithe figure complemented the ensemble, her hair styled in a light Returning Heart bun adorned with jade flowers and pearl headbands rather than golden ornaments, seemingly to evoke a youthful air of grace and charm.

Her delicate makeup featured brows like distant green mountains and lips like stained vermilion.

Objectively speaking, Princess Wanping was beautiful, and her fashion choices didn’t feel out of place.

Princess Wanping’s voice came leisurely: "Making me wait—you certainly have quite the air of importance."

Look at that—every word echoed Lu Yuan’s style.

Meng Qianqian calmly said, "Princess Wanping caused such a commotion just to force me out of hiding. Little Nine has arrived, so shouldn’t the government officers outside disperse?"

Princess Wanping raised her fingers to admire her freshly painted nails. "That depends on whether you know to play along or not."

Meng Qianqian responded indifferently, "What do you mean?"

Princess Wanping said contemptuously, "I’m not going to beat around the bush. Leave Lu Yuan—either file for divorce yourself, or let Lu Yuan send you a repudiation letter. I’ll find you another ideal husband, and I’ll even cover the dowry silver."

Meng Qianqian’s smile faded. "Princess Wanping, are you commanding me?"

Princess Wanping retorted, "What if I am?"

Meng Qianqian replied coolly, "May I ask, Princess Wanping, what right do you have to meddle in my affairs?"

Thinking Meng Qianqian was negotiating terms, Princess Wanping said, "I’ll request an ennoblement from my father and grant you a Commandery Princess title, plus ten thousand gold taels and a thousand acres of prime farmland. This ought to satisfy you, shouldn’t it? I advise you not to be greedy; upsetting me might leave you not even a copper coin!"

Meng Qianqian sneered: "A mere Commandery Princess title? My husband’s beauty rivals Pan An’s, making him the most handsome man in the world. Shouldn’t you trade your own title and entire fortune instead?"

Princess Wanping’s tone hardened: "Meng Qianqian, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a penalty! Are you aware of the current situation? My father and the Prime Minister have returned to court and plan reforms; Lu Yuan will be the first target. I’m the only one who can save him now!"

She thought that wasn’t impactful enough and turned her scorn on Meng Qianqian directly. "Don’t think I’m unaware of your sordid affairs. If not for me covering the Governor Mansion’s messes behind the scenes, the scandal of your ties to the Marchioness of Marquis An Yuan would’ve spread throughout the capital!"

So it was Princess Wanping who silenced rumors after Yu Family and Marquis An Yuan Mansion’s servant staged a scene.

Meng Qianqian said, "So you’re acting in consideration for my husband?"

Princess Wanping raised her chin high: "Naturally—no one in this world cares for him more than me!"

Last time in the Imperial Palace, she tried so hard to conceal her feelings, but now she unabashedly exposed them in front of Meng Qianqian.

Meng Qianqian sighed softly: "Princess Wanping, I appreciate your kindness on behalf of my husband, but it’s sufficient for me to accompany him through his trials."

Princess Wanping mocked: "Do you think you’re something extraordinary—achieving merit at the border? Compared to the Prime Minister and his Strategist, you’re insignificant!"

Meng Qianqian feigned shock: "Princess Wanping, I am one of the Twelve Guards. Could the Prime Minister’s side boast someone mightier than the Twelve Guards?"

Princess Wanping declared proudly: "Let me enlighten you. Chen Long, one of the Twelve Guards, has been adopted as the Prime Minister’s foster son. You’re just newly added; you’re not even qualified to carry his shoes!"

Meng Qianqian frowned slightly.

So Chen Long really became the foster son of the Prime Minister.

Strange—what was going on here? Why would Chen Long agree to be adopted?

Looks like she needs to find Chen Long again for answers.

Seeing Meng Qianqian lost in thought, Princess Wanping smirked sarcastically: "Realizing your insignificance now? If you’re smart, leave the Governor Mansion as far and fast as possible, never to appear before Lu Yuan again!"

Meng Qianqian paused, then pouted mischievously: "The Prime Minister is impressive, but that doesn’t make you impressive. Why are you flaunting borrowed feathers like they’re command tokens?"

Before, Princess Wanping would’ve scolded Meng Qianqian for her audacity.

But now, instead of anger, she laughed, as if waiting for Meng Qianqian to give her an opportunity to brag.

"The Prime Minister gifted me Chen Long, assigning him as my guard."

No wonder she was so full of confidence—she wasn’t just here to claim Lu Yuan but to flaunt her acquisition of Chen Long as well.

What a lavish gesture by the Prime Minister—to casually hand over one of the Twelve Guards, coveted by both Consort Li and the Emperor.

Of course, Princess Wanping would want to show off. Anyone would.

Come to think of it, even surrendering a Twelve Guard suggested unparalleled loyalty.

For the first time, Meng Qianqian sympathized with Lu Yuan.

Hold on—this detail wasn’t entirely bad news.

She had been worrying about how to get closer to Chen Long, and now the opportunity presented itself on a silver platter.

Meng Qianqian smiled: "Princess Wanping, why don’t we make a bet? If you win, I’ll belong to you. If I win, Chen Long will belong to me."

Princess Wanping scoffed: "Why would I want you?"

Meng Qianqian laughed. "If I become yours, you can do with me as you like—whether killing or cutting, it’ll be up to you."

Princess Wanping considered, then coldly remarked: "Your life means nothing to me. I want Lu Yuan!"

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