Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 136 Better to Look at You

Chapter 136: Chapter 136 Better to Look at You

Zheng Congyuan remained motionless, his expression irritably filled with the thoughts of how Zheng Nianru had just turned over another page, and had turned over yet another one because the second book featured Shen Houmu whose facial features were more delicate?

"Stop it, take a good look," Zheng Congyuan felt the irritation and nowhere to vent, holding back his patience as he picked up the scattered pages and placed them again in front of Zheng Nianru.

"Why?" Zheng Nianru, still careless, flipped through the pages for a bit longer, even picking up one of them, holding it in her hand, and slowly approaching Zheng Congyuan.

"Brother Crown Prince, Brother Crown Prince."

Zheng Congyuan didn’t want to deal with it and wanted to snatch the paper in the girl’s hand.

"Brother Crown Prince, have you noticed that this Shen Houmu looks a bit like you?" Zheng Nianru held a paper next to Zheng Congyuan, happily comparing, "Hmm, the face shape is similar, the nose too..."

A nameless irritability rose in Zheng Congyuan’s heart, wanting to tear himself apart, to fly away, to break free from his control.

Resemble? So, he could be replaced and you could be this happy?

"Brother Crown Prince, are you selecting guards? Doesn’t seem like it; these people are all civil officials. Are you choosing a trusted aide?" Zheng Nianru leaned in, seemingly very happy to have guessed correctly.

"Neither, Imperial Uncle asked me to pick a few with good character, appearance, and learning, to see if you are satisfied with any," Zheng Congyuan said with a choked voice, as if that would expel the irritability with his grievance.

Zheng Nianru blinked slightly, looking at Zheng Congyuan. Aren’t you happy? At that time, Zheng Congyuan seemed unable to hide his emotions well. Why hadn’t she noticed anything then?

Indeed, in a previous life, Zheng Congyuan had done the same thing. Was he also unhappy then? But the her from that previous life hadn’t realized it, only concerned with her own unhappiness.

Zheng Nianru put down the papers, her heart much calmer than in her previous life, undisturbed.

"Bro, are you unhappy?" Zheng Nianru’s voice paused briefly in her throat before she spoke, revealing a deep and slightly husky tone mixed with a girl’s sweetness. Zheng Nianru thought about reaching out to touch him, but decided against it.

Zheng Congyuan calmed down slightly, seemingly troubled by the emotions he had inadvertently shown. Sensitive and quick, he noticed that Nian Ru had called him "Bro."

In the past, she would call him "Brother Crown Prince" when she was happy and address him directly as Zheng Congyuan when she was not.

But she had never called him that way before; had he scared her?

Why scare her? She was completely unaware, knew nothing, it was Prince Duan’s idea, Prince Duan considered marrying her off early.

"Your father is afraid of you being wronged in the palace, finding someone..." Zheng Congyuan glanced at the paper, but ultimately did not utter those words, "is also a way out of the palace."

Zheng Nianru naturally knew, even in her previous life, she hadn’t thought of any better solution. It allowed her father to still see her as before without being utterly heartbroken, and the days thereafter as if she were dead. She could also often see Zheng Congyuan again, even if it was in a way that distanced her from him, with no future.

"Is there not another way?" Zheng Nianru’s voice quivered with tremor, making the man’s heart clench suddenly. "I don’t want to leave the palace, I just want it like now, to see you every day."

Zheng Nianru had thought about it—she could also choose not to marry, to remain as the Old Princess of Nanzheng State, trapped in the Imperial Palace for life, able to see Prince Duan, able to see him. Her father couldn’t be without him, and she couldn’t be without Zheng Congyuan.

She would die if she left him. At the moment of his death, Zheng Nianru distinctly felt that all the strength in her body had been drained, continuing to live was like being a walking corpse. Zheng Nianru felt that each of her breaths was superfluous, each one questioning her why she was still alive, why she hadn’t died yet.

Even if Ju Nanyi tried however he could to win her favor, even bringing those things he despised into the palace, bringing those handsome, vibrant lives to fill her heart, to plug her wounds.

Zheng Nianru remembered, among those various young men Ju Nanyi brought back, there was one who looked extremely similar to Zheng Congyuan, that similarity was not only in appearance but also in demeanor. Zheng Nianru could even feel that the man was intentionally imitating Zheng Congyuan.

But that was not Zheng Congyuan, her Brother Crown Prince.

Zheng Nianru’s sudden sadness spread out like paper, an instant low moment, the tears not yet fully gathered at the bottom of the girl’s eyes, the books and inks, the scrolls, a table a chair in the study, all soaked with the emotion of sadness, silently spreading.

Zheng Congyuan seemed to be drenched in the rain of sadness, his previous irritability vanished without a trace, replaced by panic, regret, and self-blame.

Why did he lash out in anger, didn’t he know Nian Ru’s thoughts? Time and again testing, seeking confirmation, repeatedly questioning.

It was his selfishness, his despicable thoughts, rotting and stinking hidden deep in his heart, he dared not unveil them, for revealing them would mean facing disgrace, ugliness, irrevocable doom.

Time slowly dripped in the study, and Zheng Nianru only heard that sigh from within her heart, what was the use of being so stubborn, that stubbornness from the previous life had resulted in such an irrevocable end.

Her life had swam through, because of her own weakness, ineptitude, and foolishness, had always ended badly.

Now, why not follow her desires, not demanding, nor refusing, she couldn’t think of that many conspiracies, her mind couldn’t reach that far, thinking about it only gave her a headache, content to enjoy and feeling it was only natural, like a rice weevil raised in a rice bin, a flower in the greenhouse that had never known wind or rain.

Zheng Nianru’s gaze lowered, and there in front of her was Zheng Congyuan, very close at hand, panting, warm, capable of talking, not just a portrait.

Zheng Nianru slowly extended her hand, actively, tentatively, slowly reaching out to touch Zheng Congyuan’s hand also resting on the table.

Zheng Nianru believed the significance of this touch was different, unlike the usual unexpected, clinging, nagging touches, she fantasized about calmly sensing the warmth of this hand, meticulously tracing the fingerprint at those fingertips, feeling his heart.

Zheng Nianru’s fingertips had just touched the back of Zheng Congyuan’s hand, she could distinctly feel the man’s instinctive resistance from deep within his heart, as if all logic, all ethical high grounds were shouting. Yet, Zheng Congyuan didn’t move, his entire body as if the pause button had been pressed.

Zheng Nianru smiled slightly, composed and unafraid that the brief touch would suddenly disappear, her fingertips gently gliding over the smooth skin, feeling the peculiar sensation as two different temperatures merged into one, like a tranquil lake surface, lightly brushed by the breeze.

Zheng Congyuan suddenly turned his hand over, enclosing the "mischievous" tender yucca in his palm, the scorching heat instantly churning the lake surface like flipping clouds and rain.