"Naturally, I've heard of her," Zheng Wei said, recalling. "It's just, as Sima Han mentioned, she never returned to the Imperial Capital, so I never met her. In my past life, I had this long scar on my face, so naturally, nothing like this would have happened, and I wouldn't have had any interaction with Princess Zande."
"So, if you're saying that, then me helping you get rid of the scar on your face was my fault," Shen Xiaoyan said with a light laugh.
"That's natural. Who told you I was exceptionally good-looking?" Zheng Wei nodded.
"Then what should we do?" Shen Xiaoyan glanced at Zheng Wei, gently rubbed her chin, and then suddenly laughed, "How about I just scratch another knife mark on your face? Then we'll see if anyone still tries to get close." "Are you really willing to do that, Mi Mi?" Zheng Wei's eyes crinkled with a smile, showing no anger at Shen Xiaoyan's suggestion.
"Naturally... I wouldn't be willing to," Shen Xiaoyan smiled. "My husband is so handsome; to put a scar on his face would be a terrible waste. As for those who covet your beauty and want to get close to you, rest assured, I will drive them all away and absolutely protect you."
Zheng Wei looked at Shen Xiaoyan helplessly, wondering what she was talking about. It didn't sound like good news at all.
"Does my husband think this is a good idea?" Shen Xiaoyan inquired.
"Wouldn't it be too tiring for Mi Mi to do that? Let me handle it myself. If anyone dares to get close, I'll kick them away, how about that?" Zheng Wei said, looking as obedient as can be, expecting praise.
This made Shen Xiaoyan want to laugh, but she dared not laugh out loud, fearing she might wake up the triplets sleeping nearby. In no time, her face turned red from holding back her laughter.
After a while of playful banter, the two of them got serious again.
"I estimate that Princess Zande will arrive by the day after tomorrow at the latest. If anything unexpected happens then, you take the children and hide," Zheng Wei earnestly instructed.
"If we hide, what about you? And Sima Han, Sister Yue Qingxin, and Rong'er..." Shen Xiaoyan strongly disagreed. Not to mention what she had just said, even if she could bring Yue Qingxin and Rong'er with them, she wouldn't want to do it.
She had never been the type of woman who would hide at the first sign of danger, waiting for a man to protect her and save her.
"We're just discussing it. We'll see how things go then," Zheng Wei sighed, not continuing the topic.
He knew Shen Xiaoyan's personality very well. Once she made up her mind, she wouldn't change. No matter what he said now, it was unlikely to change her current thoughts. It was better not to say anything and wait until the time came.
"Do you think Zhen Wenzheng is my father?" Shen Xiaoyan's gaze was a bit distant, and her tone was uncertain.
Zheng Wei didn't know how to answer. After all, although Jiang Hong had said that Zhen Lingrong and Zhen Wenzheng had an unusual relationship, it hadn't been definitively confirmed that they were a couple.
Moreover, did Zhen Wenzheng find Zhen Lingrong?
If he didn't find her, whose child was Shen Xiaoyan?
But if he did find her, why did Zhen Lingrong end up going with Shen Cheng?
And what about Shen Xiaoming's birth?
The truth of all these matters seemed to be hidden behind a mystery, and yet, once one mystery was unraveled, another would appear behind it.
"Mi Mi, don't think so much," Zheng Wei stood up, walked to Shen Xiaoyan's lounge chair, squatted down, and took Shen Xiaoyan's hand in his.
"I know," Shen Xiaoyan smiled faintly. These things couldn't be forced. Although she really wanted to know the answers, she had to take it one step at a time.
"There's a lot going on today, and you must be tired. Get some sleep!" Zheng Wei said.
Shen Xiaoyan nodded, then closed her eyes and fell asleep shortly after.
Zheng Wei looked at Shen Xiaoyan's peaceful sleeping face, gently brushed her cheek with his hand, and finally stopped at her temples.
Shen Xiaoyan felt she had slept very soundly, as if she were in a safe embrace, giving her a sense of security.
This feeling was the same as when she slept in Zheng Wei's arms.
Shen Xiaoyan slowly opened her eyes and saw a long arm around her waist. She turned her head and saw Zheng Wei's face.
Didn't she just fall asleep on the lounge chair? When did she end up in Zheng Wei's arms?
"Mi Mi, you're awake? Go wash your face. I think the three little ones should be awake too," Zheng Wei said, seeing Shen Xiaoyan looking at him with sleep-filled eyes, her large eyes moist and incredibly cute. His voice softened even more.
"En~" Shen Xiaoyan mumbled drowsily, stood up unsteadily, and went to wash her face.
When Shen Xiaoyan returned from washing her face, she found Zheng Wei engrossed in reading a classic novel. She asked curiously, "Aren't you sleepy? Didn't you take a nap?"
Zheng Wei shook his head, reluctantly tearing his eyes away from the book. He said with some emotion, "I want to understand Mi Mi's world better, so we can understand each other more."
Hearing Zheng Wei say this, Shen Xiaoyan was deeply moved, yet also felt a sense of frustration.
She thought about when she first transmigrated. In the original body's memories, the number of characters she knew could be counted on one hand.
After she married Zheng Wei, she studied and practiced calligraphy with Shen Xiaoming, under Zheng Wei's tutelage. How long had it taken to achieve what she had today?
Even so, her calligraphy was still far behind Zheng Wei's.
But look at Zheng Wei. The first time she brought him into the space and let him read alone for a night, he could recognize all the characters by looking them up in a dictionary and guessing.
Truly, comparing people makes one die of envy.
Or perhaps, it was just her low IQ?
"Mi Mi, what are you thinking about again?" Zheng Wei asked with amusement, watching the changes on Shen Xiaoyan's face.
At the same time, he thought that this little woman loved to do this, suddenly thinking of something, and then being joyfully lost in her own world.
"It's nothing, nothing. What are you reading?" Shen Xiaoyan wasn't going to tell him what she was thinking, so she changed the subject.
"Dream of the Red Chamber." Zheng Wei closed the book as he spoke, and Shen Xiaoyan saw the three large characters "The Story of the Stone" on the cover.
"We really are a family. We all love to read Dream of the Red Chamber," Shen Xiaoyan took the book and caressed the cover.
"The Story of the Stone" was her favorite book, hands down, always the only one.
"The reasons why we like to read it... might be different," Zheng Wei said, his face looking a bit strange, which made Shen Xiaoyan very confused.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I feel that what this book describes..."
Before Zheng Wei could finish speaking, the triplets started crying loudly.
Shen Xiaoyan quickly put the book on the lounge chair beside her and hurried over with Zheng Wei.
The triplets weren't actually crying; they had just woken up and, not seeing anyone around, were using crying as a way to call for attention.
Seeing Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei's faces now, the three little ones all broke into sweet smiles.
Shen Xiaoyan reached out and picked up Ruan Ruan, while Zheng Wei held the other two. They all left the space together.
Outside the space, Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei changed the triplets' diapers.
Although they had slept for a long time in the space, very little time had actually passed outside.
The triplets were a bit hungry now, but the wet nurse had already fed them.
Shen Xiaoyan asked Zheng Wei to watch the triplets while she went back into the space to prepare some food.