Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 425 - 385: Xian’er, I’m Here!

Chapter 425: Chapter 385: Xian’er, I’m Here!

After leaving the Capital City, the group headed southward along the road.

For the first half of the month, snow blanketed the landscape, making their journey difficult. Gradually, the scenery changed, and heavy snow gave way to biting, gusty winds and a damp cold that seeped into their bones.

"Why is it both cold and hot at the same time?"

While taking a break at the posting station, Tan’er asked with confusion.

Meng Qianqian replied, "Warm during the day, cold at night. Remember to layer your clothes in the morning and evening."

Tan’er pouted, "Got it."

She bounced outside, shouting, "Xiao Bai! Time to go hunting!"

The moment Bai Yuwei climbed down from the carriage, she was roped into the hunt. "Hey, is this *your* homecoming or *mine*? How come you’re more excited than I am?"

Meng Qianqian smiled faintly and went to check on Shang Changle in the guesthouse.

The beds in the posting station were unbearably hard, so Ban Xia had laid out soft bedding from their own provisions before helping Shang Changle lie down.

"Sister."

Shang Changle’s eyes lit up with unmistakable dependence and affection when she saw Meng Qianqian.

Meng Qianqian approached and sat gently on the stool beside the bed, gazing at her with warmth.

Strangely enough, though she wasn’t typically a gentle or nurturing person, she always seemed to exude tenderness in Changle’s presence—almost as if she were unconsciously imitating the way her aunt had cared for her in the past.

"After traveling for so many days non-stop, you must be exhausted. Now that the weather’s fine, let’s stay at the station for two days to rest."

Shang Changle replied, "I’m fine—it’s not too tiring."

Meng Qianqian checked her pulse.

Her cold had cleared up, and the poison from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was temporarily suppressed by Lady Yan’s antidote. Her current pulse was stable, showing no need to treat her like a fragile patient.

Still, anyone would be weary after traveling this long. Looking at Ban Xia was proof enough.

When they first set out, the little girl could chatter away non-stop with Tan’er through the carriage. Yet over the last two days, she resembled a frost-wilted eggplant.

Meng Qianqian couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

Ban Xia asked, "Miss, are you laughing at me?"

"Yes."

Meng Qianqian nodded with a smile.

A little embarrassed, Ban Xia said, "At least this time isn’t as bad as six years ago."

Six years ago, Meng Qianqian had traveled from You State to marry into the Capital City. At the time, she was twelve and Ban Xia eleven, two half-grown children setting out on their first long trip. They both got so violently carsick that they nearly left half their lives on the road.

Meng Qianqian’s memories of this period were blurry—she couldn’t recall much of what happened. Yet Nanny Li had recounted it to her many times: when the Lu Family saw Meng Qianqian’s condition, they mistook her for being on death’s door from an illness contracted during the journey.

What had once been a heartbreaking ordeal now no longer stung upon reflection.

The soul that once faltered at the lake’s bottom had moved on.

Noticing that Meng Qianqian stayed silent, Ban Xia thought she must have brought up something upsetting and said guiltily, "Miss, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have mentioned something so sad."

"What sad thing?"

Shang Changle asked.

As someone new to their circle, she wasn’t yet familiar with Meng Qianqian’s past.

Ban Xia covered her mouth anxiously. Oh no—what was wrong with her today? Either she said something wrong or blurted out something she wasn’t supposed to!

Meng Qianqian gently patted Shang Changle’s hair. "Do you want to hear it, Changle?"

Shang Changle nodded, "I do. I want to know everything about Sister."

Pretending not to notice Shang Wuyou’s furtive listening outside the door, Meng Qianqian said, "Alright, I’ll tell you."

-

Outside the room, Shang Wuyou was utterly absorbed in eavesdropping when a hand suddenly tapped his shoulder.

Startled, he turned around to see Yu Zichuan frowning at him.

"You’re eavesdropping."

"I’m not!"

Shang Wuyou denied it immediately.

"You sound guilty."

Yu Zichuan retorted.

Shang Wuyou straightened, "I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping; the door’s open. Besides, I was just checking that she wasn’t doing anything to my sister."

Yu Zichuan replied, "Whatever she plans to do, it wouldn’t matter—your sister’s already dead."

Shang Wuyou: "..."

Yu Zichuan: "Still want to listen?"

Shang Wuyou muttered, "Who cares about her trivial stories anyway?"

Yu Zichuan’s expression was icy. "Then why haven’t you left yet?"

Shang Wuyou snapped back coldly, "Why haven’t *you* left?"

Yu Zichuan answered frankly, "I want to listen."

Shang Wuyou once again: "..."

Inside, Meng Qianqian shared her memories with Shang Changle to deepen their bond. Fully aware of Shang Wuyou’s eavesdropping, she carefully paced her story.

She couldn’t make it too sorrowful, lest Changle become upset for her.

But she needed to sprinkle in a hint of tragedy—enough to tug at Shang Wuyou’s heartstrings.

"That’s about it."

Meng Qianqian smiled lightly, as if it were nothing. "There was a time when I thought all hope was lost, that I’d spend the rest of my days quietly in the back courtyard... But you see, no obstacle is too great. If you keep going, you’ll always find the clouds part and the moon shining through."

Shang Changle’s eyes turned red, her cheek resting against Meng Qianqian’s hand as she nuzzled softly against her palm.

Suddenly, a hot teardrop fell onto Meng Qianqian’s hand.

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