A soft sigh drifted over, "Liu Lang, I'm scared."
"Xiao Yu, don't be afraid. Rest assured, I will always treat you well. Don't worry, even if I marry the princess, my heart belongs only to you. Marrying her is unavoidable. Rest assured, I will appease her and coax her into treating you well."
Yan Liu Lang's voice was deep and gentle. Jin Rong recalled his voice when he spoke to her before, so deep and tender that she longed to offer him her heart.
"But she is a princess. If she doesn't agree, neither I nor the child will survive!" Xiao Yu's voice was filled with worry.
"Xiao Yu, don't think like that. Although she is a princess, setting aside her status, she is just a young woman. She likes me, and for the sake of this affection, she should tolerate some things," Yan Liu Lang comforted her.
"The princess must be beautiful and graceful. I am just a country girl..."
"I like you just the way you are, innocent and adorable... No one else can compare to you. Xiao Yu, my dear, don't always frighten yourself. Remember, you are the one I love the most, and our child will surely be the child I love the most. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said I would place him under the princess's tutelage. Think about it, with the princess's status, if she raises our child, he will be considered a legitimate son, and everyone will look up to him." Yan Liu Lang added.
Jin Rong bit her lip tightly, preventing herself from making a sound. Her reddened eyes and trembling shoulders revealed the depth of her sorrow and anger. Yan Liu Lang had said that Xiao Yu was a mistake made in his youthful recklessness, and he could not ignore his mistakes just because he was about to marry her. Therefore, he implored Jin Rong to give Xiao Yu a place to stay. He promised that for the rest of his life, his heart would belong only to her. He would love and respect her.
Qi Zhen Zhen looked at Jin Rong with some concern. Exposing Yan Liu Lang's true nature to Jin Rong so directly and without any pretense was cruel to a young girl just awakening to love and brimming with idealistic expectations for relationships.
Jin Rong stood up. She no longer cared what Yan Liu Lang was saying to Xiao Yu, nor did she wish to hear it.
Jin Rong picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and took a bite. The sweet fragrance dispelled the bitterness in her mouth. Her cousin-in-law hadn't lied; the osmanthus cakes from Bai Wei Su were indeed more delicious than those made by the imperial chefs in the palace.
"Jin Rong..."
"Cousin-in-law, I'm fine. This osmanthus cake is truly delicious. You really didn't fool me." Jin Rong forced a smile.
"If it's delicious, eat more. When you want to eat it again, we'll come back," Qi Zhen Zhen said softly.
"Okay." Jin Rong ate another piece of osmanthus cake. Perhaps she ate too quickly, as she choked and coughed violently, tears welling up.
Qi Zhen Zhen gently patted Jin Rong's back. "There, there. Drink some water, and you'll feel better. Good girl, good girl."
The two stayed in the private room for a long time, until Jin Rong's eyes showed no trace of tears, and then they left.
Qi Zhen Zhen said she wanted to select some comfortable fabrics to make close-fitting clothes for the children and asked Jin Rong to accompany her. The Duke's mansion had plenty of good fabrics. Jin Rong knew that her cousin-in-law was trying to distract her. To not disappoint her kindness, Jin Rong mustered her strength and accompanied her in selecting the fabrics, realizing she couldn't dwell on her sorrow all the time.
The two then had lunch at Zhuangyuan Tower before heading back.
Upon their return, Qi Zhen Zhen sent someone to deliver the storybook she had written overnight to Jin Rong, to help her pass the time. In addition, she also sent a fluffy, soft, large white plush toy, which Qi Zhen Zhen had Fei Xu and the others rush to make the previous night. Holding it when she felt sad and distressed would offer some comfort and warmth.
Looking at the items before her, Jin Rong tried hard to hold back her tears. Yan Liu Lang alone was not worth such sorrow. After all, so many people genuinely cared for her.