Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 203 - 187 Sharing the Same Pillow

Chapter 203: Chapter 187 Sharing the Same Pillow

Main Courtyard.

Meng Qianqian encountered Liu Qingyun, dressed in the attire of the Miaojiang region, inside Lu Yuan’s wing.

Consort Li was already the most beautiful woman Meng Qianqian had ever seen, but Liu Qingyun’s looks surpassed hers by three degrees.

There was an aura of mystery and spiritual charm about her that was utterly captivating.

Meng Qianqian finally understood where Lu Yuan’s stunning looks came from.

"Qianqian pays respect to Mother."

She followed protocol and performed a proper bow.

Liu Qingyun’s gaze landed on Meng Qianqian, scrutinizing her from head to toe. "So you’re the woman who bewitched my son so thoroughly that he’d rather reject Miaojiang and insist on marrying you?"

She withdrew her gaze indifferently. "Indeed, you’re beautiful. His taste isn’t bad—he inherited that much from me."

Meng Qianqian smiled slightly. "Not just his taste, but his looks too. The first time I met my husband, I thought I had seen an immortal descended to earth."

Her words ostensibly praised Lu Yuan, but in fact, she was complimenting Liu Qingyun as being celestial in beauty.

Flattery always works. Moreover, this hardly counted as flattery—their appearances truly were unparalleled.

Liu Qingyun curled her lips into a smile. "Don’t think saying this will make me like you. You’re not the daughter-in-law I chose, and I don’t accept people so easily."

Meng Qianqian stepped forward to pour her a cup of iced plum tea. "Although I wasn’t the daughter-in-law Mother chose, I will undoubtedly be the one who satisfies you most."

Liu Qingyun sneered. "Satisfy me? Aside from your looks, what else do you have to offer?"

With some creative math, this could be considered a compliment on her beauty.

Meng Qianqian spoke humbly, "I will learn to become a proper daughter-in-law."

Liu Qingyun coldly scoffed and took a sip of the tea.

Cool, refreshing, and sweet—the oppressive summer heat dissipated in an instant.

Meng Qianqian smiled, observing her silently, as if she hadn’t noticed how pleased Liu Qingyun was with the plum tea.

Liu Qingyun, unfazed, remarked, "I dislike the vase on the table."

Meng Qianqian turned to Ban Xia and commanded, "Remove it."

"Yes, Miss."

Ban Xia promptly carried the vase away.

Liu Qingyun then sipped more tea. "I don’t like the table either."

Meng Qianqian turned to Nanny Hu, saying, "Take it out."

Nanny Hu grabbed the table with both hands and carried it away.

Liu Qingyun said, "The items in Dobao Pavilion are too vulgar—they’re either antiques or enamelware."

Meng Qianqian replied, "Replace them with pieces of gold, silver, and jade!"

Ban Xia and Nanny Li methodically arranged the replacements.

"The curtains are hideous."

"Change them!"

"I’m not a scholar; I despise pretentious displays—the calligraphy paintings on the walls—"

"Take them down!"

"The dishes aren’t spicy enough!"

"Redo them!"

"The rice isn’t soft enough!"

"Make it again!"

Liu Qingyun eyed the freshly cooked soft and flavorful sticky rice dish on the table and discreetly swallowed her saliva. "The cicadas are too noisy outside; they’re unbearable."

Meng Qianqian didn’t hesitate for a moment and addressed those outside, "Capture every cicada from every tree in the courtyard."

"Understood!"

"Got it, Miss!"

Tan’er and Nanny Wan immediately grabbed sacks, with one climbing trees and the other setting up ladders, energetically catching cicadas.

Liu Qingyun wore an incredulous expression.

Meng Qianqian curved her lips into a smile. "Mother, do you have any other orders?"

"I...," Liu Qingyun cleared her throat, "I heard you had the audacity to sleep in separate rooms from my son!"

"It was for my husband’s health. Does Mother disapprove?" Meng Qianqian complied adeptly. "Ban Xia, move my husband’s belongings into my room."

"Right away!" Ban Xia sprinted off.

"By the way, Mother, do you prefer to be addressed as ’Madam’ or ’Grand Dowager’?"

"I’ll never accept ’Grand Dowager.’ It sounds old."

"Very well." Meng Qianqian nodded, then turned to Nanny Hu and the others at the door, saying, "From now on, address me as Young Madam. The Governor Mansion shall be run by Madam—you must all follow her instructions without fail. Is that clear?"

Everyone responded in unison, "Yes!"

...

Late into the night.

Yu Zichuan arrived at Tinglan Courtyard to deliver a message to Lu Yuan: "Young Madam said you can go back now."

Lu Yuan’s face darkened. "Will you die if you stop adding words?"

Earlier, Meng Qianqian insisted on handling Liu Qingyun personally, leaving Lu Yuan to wait for news with the Grand Dowager and Bao Shu.

He had already prepared for the main courtyard to be flipped upside down, yet upon entering it, apart from Tan’er and Nanny Wan catching cicadas, everything remained orderly—

No broken water vats, no damaged swings, no collapsed roofs.

"No fighting?"

He murmured suspiciously, regretting leaving Yu Zichuan and Qing Shuang behind in case Meng Qianqian suffered under his mother’s hand.

Ban Xia approached and gestured toward the couple’s marital chamber. "Master, you’re sleeping here tonight."

Lu Yuan was stunned again.

Meng Qianqian sat leisurely inside, sipping iced plum tea.

The ice was a rare delicacy, extracted during winter, stored in dark, sealed cellars, and retrieved for summer use.

Ordinary households couldn’t afford such luxuries.

Upon seeing Lu Yuan enter, she poured him a cup of plum tea. "You’ve waited long. Are you tired?"

Lu Yuan maintained his composure, sitting down to take a sip before asking, "What happened?"

Meng Qianqian recounted everything in vivid detail.

Lu Yuan listened and was even more incredulous than Liu Qingyun. "So many demands...and you put up with all of them?"

Meng Qianqian chuckled. "She doesn’t covet my wealth, nor does she plan to harm me. Instead, she praised my beauty. These were merely harmless requests, which I happened to be able to fulfill. Why wouldn’t I tolerate them? The only downside is that Grand Commander will have to squeeze into the same room with me tonight."

Lu Yuan downed several gulps of iced plum tea and replied coolly, "I’ll sleep on the floor mat."

Meng Qianqian responded, "I’ll sleep on the floor mat instead!"

Night deepened.

The last cicada was caught by Yu Zichuan.

"Three hundred and seventeen."

Yu Zichuan frowned, then climbed into the neighboring courtyard to catch one more cicada, achieving an even number. That finally made him feel satisfied.

Cre-eak—

The door to the East Wing opened gently, and a shadowy figure tiptoed out, sneaking into the newlyweds’ marital chamber.

Liu Qingyun approached the bed.

Just a glance, just one glance!

She would just glance at her son and leave.

She gradually lifted the bed canopy.

On the spacious bed, her son and that woman were sound asleep.

Naturally, she wouldn’t even bother looking at the woman.

Liu Qingyun stared fixedly at her son, refusing to blink her eyes.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Liu Qingyun finally lowered the canopy and walked away reluctantly, casting longing glances behind her with every step.

The couple let out a long sigh of relief.

Meng Qianqian was so nervous her palms were sweating.

Tonight, she had lost the debate to Lu Yuan—he was the one sleeping on the floor mat.

Fortunately, they acted quickly, sliding the mat under the bed in time.

If Liu Qingyun had seen her son sleeping on the floor mat, not only would their ruse fail, Meng Qianqian suspected Liu Qingyun might stab her on the spot.

Realizing she was still gripping Lu Yuan’s hand, Meng Qianqian hastily released it. "Out of urgency. Please forgive me, Grand Commander."

Lu Yuan responded nonchalantly with an "Mm" and stood up to return to the floor mat.

Meng Qianqian grabbed his sleeve. "Grand Commander, perhaps tonight...you should sleep on the bed. What if she comes back to check on you again?"

Lu Yuan’s lashes trembled faintly.

Meng Qianqian noticed his silence and quickly raised her hand in an oath. "Grand Commander, rest assured. I won’t do anything. I sleep very still—I promise I won’t touch you!"