She looked a bit resentful, pursing her lips. Ji'er just laughed at Zheng Lingbo endlessly.
She really likes her daughter's recent relaxed demeanor, not constantly worrying about where her brother-in-law Chengwang is, not forcing herself to chase him around, not trying to make him happy by doing things she's not good at, which in turn makes herself unhappy.
Ji'er can't remember how long it's been since she last saw her daughter's lively and playful appearance.
"That's great…"
She can't help but exclaim, "That's great!" Zheng Lingbo looks over in confusion, and Ji'er then laughs even more heartily, "I mean it's great like this now!"
Zheng Lingbo fell silent for a moment, then he smiled after a long time: "I also think it's quite good."
Because it was arranged in advance, Mu Ruo Huiyan came early in the morning. Zheng Lingbo was also looking forward to it, so he got up early to have Ji'er comb her hair. Thinking of the green water and red flowers on the lake, he chose a scene-appropriate cream yellow narrow-sleeved dress to wear. After eating breakfast, he eagerly awaited Mu Ruo Huiyan's arrival.
It's no wonder that the two of them can be friends. Things like this happen in the same way and she didn't even take a seat, Mu Rong Huiyan came to the door right away.
Zheng Lingbo saw Mu Ruo Huiyan and couldn't help but let her eyes get a bit red.
After her marriage to Liu Chengwang in the previous life, the Liu family wouldn't allow her to go out and show herself. She felt that what had happened was not something to be proud of, and even though her brother had killed Xinniang, she also felt guilty. Therefore, she gradually became reluctant to go out.
Several times, Mu Rong Huiyan visited Zheng Lingbo, but the result was not that Zheng Lingbo was sick and couldn't receive visitors, but that she was deceived by Yang Yuhuan to talk to Liu Ninglen.
Mu Ruo Huiyan was after all a princess, coming and going for some time, she also got angry, took the whip and went straight to the courtyard where Zheng Lingbo lived, intending to take her away.
However, at that time, Zheng Lingbo was completely devoted to Liu Chengwang, and with her sullied status, she believed that no one but her cousin would marry her. Therefore, she refused to leave with Mu Ruo Huiyan, much to the latter's frustration.
The two of them ended their visit in dissatisfaction.
Later, Mu Ruo Huiyan got married and returned to her fief, and did not come back to the capital again.
Now, thinking back on it, Zheng Lingbo felt both moved and ashamed. If she hadn't truly been worried about me, how could a princess like Mu Ruo Huiyan possibly have forcibly entered someone else's backyard with a whip?
Her eyes were red, and she held Mu Ruo Huiyan's hand.
Seeing her like this, Mu Ruo Huiyan's first reaction is the same as that of Shiyue Ren. Her eyebrows are raised and she asks, "Was that Liu San bullying you?"
Zheng Lingbo couldn't help but choke up.
After spending a few days at home with her family, she now feels less painful when mentioning Liu Chengwang. Instead, she has a stronger desire to avoid him, so she takes a deep breath and says, "Let's just go for a boat ride together. Bringing him up will only bring bad luck."
Mu Ruo Huiyan was shocked upon hearing this, unable to believe that Zheng Lingbo could say such words.
Zheng Lingbo, seeing her look of disbelief, felt a bit deflated for a moment: "Was I really that stupid before?"
Mu Ruo Huiyan blurted out, "Not just silly!"
After speaking, she felt that something was wrong and quickly supplemented: "I don't mean stupid. I just……" She thought for a moment and blurted out "too persistent."
It's okay to be persistent, but the key issue is that the object of Zheng Lingbo's persistence seems to be not a good person. Mu Ruo Huiyan had said something similar before, but Zheng Lingbo didn't like it, so she didn't say much about it. However, she still had strong opinions about Liu Chengwang in her heart and always felt that the man was rather cold and indifferent.
As for specific details, Mu Ruo Huiyan couldn't say. However, there was only one thing: apart from being a brother-in-law to Zheng Lingbo, Liu Chengwang was actually quite cold and indifferent towards her. After all, none of Mu Ruo Huiyan's brothers had ever treated their unfamiliar nieces in such a manner.
More than that, when listening to Zheng Lingbo's description of them growing up together, and even having saved his life, it made Mu Ruo Huiyan feel that something was wrong with Liu Chengwang.
With the conversation having reached this point, Mu Ruo Huiyan couldn't help but try to persuade her again: "I figure there are millions of good men in the world. You don't have to chase after your cousin so desperately."
Zheng Lingbo sighed: "I see, it makes sense."
Mu Ruo Huiyan looked at her in surprise and asked, "Have you suddenly had an epiphany?"
Zheng Lingbo only had one confidant, Mu Ruo Huiyan, and she didn't intend to keep anything from her. Therefore, she made a serious statement that from now on, she would really not like Liu Chengwang and would no longer follow him.
Mu Ruo Huiyan couldn't help but sigh as well: "If you can really make up your mind, that would be great."
Zheng Lingbo swore by heaven and earth again, and only then did the two of them go to Xuanming Lake.
Xuanming Lake is located within the city. It is this season of endless green lotus leaves reaching to the sky. Often, young ladies gather together to boat on the lake, and occasionally, one might encounter some scholars and beauties, reciting poetry and painting, which is quite a refined pastime.
Zheng Lingbo and Mu Ruo Huiyan have little interest in such literary pastimes. They were simply going to enjoy the flowers. In the past, they directly boarded the prepared small boat without a crew, and didn't even need a boatman. The two of them sat randomly on either side, chatting casually while allowing the small boat to float with the current.
What should have been a very comfortable scene, but unfortunately, Zheng Lingbo's luck was really bad. She happened to see someone she didn't want to see with just one glance.
Mu Ruo Huiyan noticed her suddenly furrowing her brow and couldn't help but follow her gaze, falling into silence for a moment.
In the center of the lake was a large boat, where several young men dressed in scholarly attire were chatting and laughing. A young man close to the right side of the boat was bending down and speaking to a girl. By their figure and appearance, wasn't it Liu Chengwang?
The others were conversing in pairs, but he had a girl with him, so it wasn't surprising that Zheng Lingbo saw him at a glance.
The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds, and Zheng Lingbo looked at Mu Ruo Huiyan and said, "Can't we turn a corner?"
Mu Ruo Huiyan couldn't help but smile at Zheng Lingbo's desperate attempt to avoid the situation: "Go ahead."
So Zheng Lingbo took the oar and tried to maneuver the boat.
Unwillingly, the large boat above looked down, instantly noticed this side, someone pointed to this side at once, while saying: "Oh? Isn't that the cousin of Brother Liu?"
Zheng Lingbo couldn't hear what the person was saying, but she could see their gestures. She secretly gritted her teeth, holding the oar and trying to change the direction of the boat. However, the more urgent she was, the more difficult it was to control. Accidentally, she applied too much force, causing the small boat to rotate and collide with the direction of the large ship with a loud thud.
The large ship was sturdy, and it didn't even shake after the collision.
However, the side of the small boat that had just been punctured began to sink instantly. The few young men on the large ship watched as the two people on the small boat were flung around in circles, looking very disheveled, and they laughed loudly.
Zheng Lingbo's anger boiled over in her heart. She turned her head and saw Mu Ruo Huiyan's dizzy appearance, which made her calm down a bit. She grabbed her with one hand and steadied herself with the other, shouting angrily to the people on the large ship: "You bunch of blind people! How dare you act like this in front of the princess!"
