Lan Murou lowered her eyes and said, "We'll be going back soon."
"No rush."
Li Yan said, affectionately taking Lan Murou's hand, then turned back to smile and playfully chided Tantai Ye, who was seated.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Let Miss Lan come with us to White Jade Hall. She can pick out some jewelry too. You're too rough and don't know how to dress up a lady."
These words caused various expressions among the onlookers.
Tantai Ye raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lan Murou, whose expression remained unchanged.
She was wearing a simple, elegant white dress. Her delicate face was unadorned, and her dark, beautiful hair was simply tied up with a single green hairpin, looking clean.
She was always like this, disliking ostentation.
Most of the jewelry and dresses bought for her in the manor gathered dust.
However, he liked her cool, gentle demeanor. She had grown into his heart.
"Some people are like fairies in a painting, while others are like peacocks in a garden, needing those vulgar things to set them off."
Wei Qingge couldn't stand troublemakers and directly retorted, showing no respect for Princess Qinghe.
Seeing her expression slightly darken, Wei Qingge became even more animated and continued to mock her.
"Dressed like you're fanning out your feathers. If you didn't know better, you'd think you were entering an animal competition."
Ye luan couldn't help but slightly twitch the corner of her mouth.
Li Yan's face turned extremely ugly, her palms trembling with anger.
"Miss Wei's words are truly unbecoming of polite society."
Wei Qingge sneered, "I've lived in the borderlands with my father for a long time and am used to being rough. If the Princess dislikes it, she's welcome to do as she pleases."
The first time she met Murou was at a banquet several years ago. Princess Qinghe had led the others in isolating her and even ordered someone to lock Murou in a remote and desolate ruined hall, intending to ruin her.
She hated such sordid affairs the most. She had rescued Murou and secretly taught those people a lesson with a stick. Since then, Princess Qinghe and she had been irreconcilable enemies, and the princess had often found fault with her.
She wasn't afraid, as she didn't live in the capital.
"You—"
Princess Qinghe's face was wronged, her eyes slightly red as she looked towards Tantai Ye.
She considered herself a lady of noble birth and could not utter vulgar words in public.
"Why are you looking at the General, Princess? You haven't even married into the Tantai family yet, and you're already staring at men so shamelessly. Aren't you embarrassed?"
Li Yan's face turned red when she was so directly exposed. She churned with all sorts of foul words in her belly, but she was afraid of Tantai Ye sitting beside her and couldn't curse.
She was so angry.
She was determined to kill Wei Qingge, that wretched woman.
"General—"
Tantai Ye usually didn't interfere in women's conversations, but when he heard Li Yan's aggrieved voice, he lazily raised his eyes and looked over.
Upon closer inspection, Wei Qingge was not wrong. She was dressed so dazzlingly, like a fanned peacock. And that scent of rouge and powder had choked him all the way.
He frowned without concealment. "She's not wrong. The clothes and jewelry your manor buys daily are piled up. Stop buying them and hurry back to the manor."
The old madam had called him back early in the morning, and he thought something troublesome had happened. Who knew she wanted him to accompany Li Yan.
If not for the old madam forcing him, he would have been too lazy to accompany women shopping.
Thinking of this, he looked at Lan Murou, who remained silent opposite him. Hah, she was so composed. He hadn't been back to the manor for two days, and she had the leisure to listen to stories here?
If Li Yan hadn't insisted on coming in, he wouldn't have known she was so carefree and at ease.
"Did you hear? Stop buying and leave quickly."
Wei Qingge said mockingly with pride.
Li Yan angrily bit her teeth and swallowed them.
She ignored Wei Qingge, whose eyes were almost reaching the heavens, and looked at the impatient Tantai Ye, speaking.
"The Old Ancestor instructed the General to accompany me to Jade Tower to get something before we left. Let's go get it first."
"Let's go."
With envoys about to arrive in the capital, he had a pile of official duties to attend to and had no time to be delayed with her.
"Let Miss Lan come with us, too. We can send her back to the manor on the way."
She wanted Lan Murou to see her intimacy with Tantai Ye, to let her know that only she, Li Yan, was worthy of Tantai Ye and qualified to marry into the Tantai family.
Hearing this, Tantai Ye turned back. She still kept her eyes lowered, not looking at them at all, as if she didn't care about anything.
He was annoyed in his heart. "Come here."
Lan Murou knew he was calling her. She didn't want to move, pinching her palm tightly, pretending not to hear.
Tantai Ye's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing.
"Rou'er, come here."
Although his tone sounded gentle, it inexplicably carried a chilling sharpness.
Ye luan blocked Lan Murou and said with a light smile, "General, aren't you accompanying the Princess to get something? You go ahead and attend to your business. The manor's carriage is outside. Don't worry, we'll make sure she gets back to the manor safely."
"Lan Murou!"
Tantai Ye ignored Ye luan's words, his dark eyes looking chillingly at the silent Lan Murou. Anyone with eyes could see he was angry!
Li Yan watched this scene, a vicious glint flashing in her eyes. That woman, by just standing there quietly, doing nothing, could control the General's emotions.
She truly detested this woman, even more than Liu Yueyue, and wanted her gone even faster.
Years ago, when the General brought her back, she thought it was just a temporary whim, but she never expected that after so many years, this woman was still by the General's side.
Before she had even married into the Tantai family, he was already keeping women outside. How many noble ladies in the capital were watching her misfortune?
Hateful! Truly hateful!
But she could only endure it. Her family needed the support of the Tantai clan, and she needed to secure her position. Moreover, she had loved him for so many years. How could she let this woman ruin everything?
Tantai Ye could only be hers!
"Miss Lan, are you unwilling to come with us?"
Lan Murou ignored her and looked at Tantai Ye, saying faintly, "You all go ahead and attend to your business. I'll just take the manor's carriage back later."
Hearing this, Tantai Ye looked coldly at her expression, the ferocity in his eyes terrifying.
She was always like this. She never cared about who he was with or what he was doing!
Hah!
He said nothing more. He suddenly reached out and hugged Li Yan beside him, his demeanor cold.
"Since she's unappreciative, let her be."
Li Yan was both surprised and delighted by this action. This was the first time he had held her so close.
'General, then let's go.'
Tantai Ye's eyes, as deep as a cold pool, looked at the still unmoving Lan Murou. He sneered, then walked out with Li Yan in his arms.
"This dog is too arrogant."
Seeing the two figures leave, Wei Qingge gritted her teeth and cursed angrily.
A few days ago, the capital was abuzz with rumors that the Tantai family was going to form an alliance with the Duan Prince's manor. She thought Tantai Ye wouldn't marry, but today he was out shopping with a woman, and even coming to bother their Murou.
Pah.
A fickle dog!
Ye luan lowered her eyes to look at Lan Murou. Seeing that her expression hadn't changed, she slightly licked her lips.
"Murou, sit down and chat for a while. No need to rush back."
Lan Murou didn't want to go back either. She smiled and nodded, "Okay."