Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

Chapter 118 Housewarming

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed and Liu Rusi’s house was finally “renovated”!

Chu Shiyu did not stop her from moving, and even helped her prepare a carriage to transport her luggage, but the luggage was much more than she expected.

"There's no need to move these clothes and headgear. Just put them down." Liu Rusi persuaded the maid to put the things away.

"These are bought for you. If you don't take them away, they will be idle."

Chu Shiyu leaned against the door, looking at the room quietly. Since moving into Ruliuyuan, he had never really entered the room. This was to give her space for independence so that she could feel at ease here as her home.

After he finished speaking, the hesitant maids no longer listened to Liu Rusi's dissuasion and packed up their things directly.

Liu Rusi had no choice but to watch the maid packing the things. She didn't know the price of the clothes and jewelry, but any of the five sets of headgear looked more exquisite and gorgeous than the one in the second branch of the Zhang family. At that time, Chu Shiyu estimated that it was nearly a thousand taels, and the Zhang family did not refute...

In fact, she had taken a lot of advantage of Chu Shiyu, both materially and emotionally...it was difficult for her to repay what she owed him.

And now she couldn't understand what Chu Shiyu was trying to do. These days he was simply the embodiment of contradiction.

I stayed at Guangming Temple for two days, and then I sneaked back in the middle of the night on the third day. I said I had something to do and didn’t eat with him for lunch and dinner, but I often came to ask for an extra pair of chopsticks halfway through eating…

"I'll do this myself. It won't stick well."

Liu Rusi suddenly walked towards the antique shelf, and Chu Shiyu discovered that there were three porcelain dolls on the shelf, a porcelain horse he made, Qin Hao's calf, and a porcelain cow full of cracks and incomplete...

Had she glued it together after all, carefully putting the pieces together when he wasn't looking?

"Why haven't you put the porcelain horse away yet?" Chu Shiyu was a little annoyed. She carefully wrapped up the broken porcelain cow and put the calf away, but left the porcelain horse on the shelf.

Liu Rusi paused, looked at him inquiringly, and asked softly, "Do you still want me to take this away?"

Chu Shiyu was stunned. What did she mean by this? Did she think he had given up on staying with her? He took a few steps forward, picked up the porcelain horse, put it in her box, and said softly and seriously: "Don't you want more freedom? I just want to find a distance that is more suitable for getting along with you."

"Is that so?" He had refused to loosen his hold on her no matter what he said before, but now he was taking the initiative to give her freedom?

"That's right. I told you that I would make you willing." This was not the main reason, but while sorting out his own heart, being able to relax and work hard at the same time might allow her to look at him in a different way.

After closing the box, Liu Rusi did not comment, but asked directly: "What did you find out when you went to the Imperial Observatory that day?"

"Nothing, just some supernatural nonsense." Unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn't want her to know that Qin Lie had a crush on him.

Liu Rusi said nothing more. He needed to figure out the right and wrong and the gains and losses himself. She had persuaded him countless times, and continuing to persuade him might backfire.

After packing up the things in the yard, he followed the guards carrying the boxes to the door of the back house.

"Why are there so many things?!"

Liu Rusi found that she had underestimated Chu Shiyu's generosity. He actually had seven horse-drawn carriages for transporting goods!

"These cabinets, tables and chairs are no longer needed!"

"Didn't you only buy beds in your house, and nothing else? These will be needed eventually, and there are plenty in the palace storehouse, so you don't have to buy more."

"These...are not suitable for me to use?" Liu Rusi didn't understand wood, but just by looking at the intricate and delicate carvings, she knew they were worth a lot of money.

"Don't worry, they have all been screened and will not overstep their boundaries." Chu Shiyu gave a look to the leading driver, and several cars reined in and set off.

"Wait, what's in these two boxes?" She didn't see these two boxes in the room.

"It's just some beddings, sheets, and miscellaneous utensils..." Chu Shiyu opened a box helplessly, and what was displayed was indeed some bronze mirrors, bowls and plates... But Liu Rusi inexplicably felt that these looked like dowry...

After the box was closed, the carriage started moving without stopping. Liu Rusi tried to stop it, but the driver didn't listen to her...

"Let's go, we'll take a carriage too." Chu Shiyu motioned for her to get on the luxurious carriage.

There was no point in refusing this, so she took Qin Hao into the car, but found that he did not drive Caiyun away as usual, but rode the horse on his own initiative.

Is this what he understands as freedom? He is so distant, yet he still forces what he wants to give her...

The convoy slowly and ostentatiously moved towards the new house.

Liu Rusi quietly looked out from the car and found that the scene when she first arrived in Beijing was being repeated. If the motorcade had some red silk tied on it, people would probably think it was a wedding procession!

Especially Chu Shiyu riding a tall horse, walking in front of the carriage, he has a strong presence. If he wears a red hydrangea, what is the difference between him and the groom? !

It attracted many people to watch along the way, and this time, unlike entering Prince Duan's Mansion, there were no guards blocking the road. Many people who came to watch the fun came to the door of her house to peek!

The 'bridegroom' completely ignored the strange looks from others, dismounted and strode to the carriage.

"Madam, get off the car." The expression and voice were exaggerated and deliberately soft.

Liu Rusi's indescribable melancholy was instantly dispelled!

This guy did it on purpose! He was declaring his sovereignty! He was telling others through his actions that the people in this house belonged to him, and they should not try to take advantage of him!

After taking a look at the storefront on the west side of the gate, on which a plaque with the words "Women's Medical Clinic" was hung, Liu Rusi calmed down and thought, "Never mind, just treat it as an eye-catching advertisement!"

Anyway, she doesn't plan to find a new love, so it's good to have him as a shield...

Feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, Liu Rusi got off the carriage with an expressionless face.

To her surprise, after Chu Shiyu helped her get out of the car, he picked up Qin Hao and carried him all the way to the house...

He has been very cold to Qin Hao recently. Even though he has not treated Qin Hao harshly, one can feel that he is deliberately avoiding getting close to Qin Hao.

"Crack! Snap!"

The sound of firecrackers rang out when Liu Rusi and others stepped into the new house.

Liu Rusi turned around and looked at Chu Shiyu. Who else could it be except him who arranged it?

"These are the things you should do when celebrating a new house." Chu Shiyu's tone was as gentle as ever, and he just stood one foot away from her obediently.

She nodded slightly. Apart from her home with Qin Lie, she had never had any other home and had never moved.

"Just put the big items away, I'll pack the rest myself." Liu Rusi tried to regain control of her home.

"There will be guests coming later, so we have to clean up early." Chu Shiyu winked at the servants.

"Are there any guests coming?"

Liu Rusi was led by Meihong, almost half pulled and half invited, to sit down in the front hall which had been decorated in advance.

"Yes, Changning and Fang Qiu will come to congratulate you on your new home."

"Why did you tell me so late? I haven't prepared anything..."

Liu Rusi actually didn’t want to have any more interactions with these wealthy and powerful people... She wanted to return to the common people and live an ordinary life.

"I have asked people to prepare everything. It's the first day of moving into the new house, so it should be festive and lively. Besides, aren't you going to open a women's clinic? Having these noble ladies come here will also help you gain some popularity." Chu Shiyu spoke softly and made sense.

It makes sense, but shouldn't I tell her first? Is this really her home?

The servants in the courtyard were busy, each doing their own job. In addition to the maids and guards brought by Chu Shiyu, the eight guards awarded by the emperor were also in place. However, when Liu Rusi's instructions conflicted with Chu Shiyu's, the guards would obey Chu Shiyu...

Liu Rusi looked at everything in a daze. Was she too naive?

She thought that after moving out of Prince Duan's Mansion, she would be able to live her own life independently, and even if Chu Shiyu continued to pester her, she would still have the power to be independent.

But this is like another prison called her home...

"Haohao, did you tell Mr. Yue yesterday that we are going to move to a new house? Have you invited his family to celebrate in the new house?" Liu Rusi asked with a smile.

"Yes, I wrote an invitation letter to Mr. Yue." Qin Hao looked innocent and lively.

As he was speaking, there was a noisy sound at the door, and the guests had arrived.

The first to arrive was Princess Changning Qin Zhen. Perhaps because only female guests were invited, Qin Tao did not come.

"Brother Prince Duan!"

Dressed in red, she was enthusiastic and greeted Chu Shiyu as usual, then she stepped forward, took Liu Rusi's hand and asked, "I wanted to find you a long time ago. Didn't you say you liked me? Why do you keep making excuses?"

"Well... I was busy with the new house a few days ago." Liu Rusi comforted the pampered girl and looked at Chu Shiyu with an inexplicable look.

Chu Shiyu was stunned for a moment. Changning and Fang Qiu had both sent visiting cards to Prince Duan's Mansion to meet Liu Rusi, but he had directly rejected them on her behalf. Putting Changning aside, no matter how Fang Qiu considered it, it was necessary to reduce their contact, or at least not let them meet in private.

Then there was another announcement of a visitor outside the door, and Fang Qiu also arrived.

"Liu Rusi! Hey, young marquis~" Fang Qiu first greeted Liu Rusi and Qin Hao.

Then she turned to Chu Shiyu, her handsome face showing dissatisfaction: "Your Highness Prince Duan, I know that your house never receives guests. Why don't you agree when I invite Madam Liu to play polo?"

Seeing Liu Rusi's increasingly questioning eyes, Chu Shiyu reflected for a moment. He originally invited these two people to come because he thought they were familiar with Liu Rusi. But now it seems that these two young ladies are so reckless in their words, and they should not be invited.

"Shen Yuqin, the granddaughter of the Minister of Rites, has arrived~"

This report surprised Liu Rusi, as she didn't have a good relationship with this girl. However, when she looked at Chu Shiyu, she found that he was also a little surprised.

Uninvited?

"Your Highness Prince Duan, Madam Liu, Princess Changning...Miss Fang Qiu." Shen Yuqin greeted everyone politely.

"You are not on the guest list." Chu Shiyu said coldly.

Shen Yuqin hesitated for a moment, but then adjusted her mindset. Prince Duan was in a high position and had great power, so naturally he didn't need to be polite to others. It was such a domineering man that she wanted to marry.

"I also thought about the misunderstanding between me and Madam Liu, so I brought two gifts. One is to congratulate you on your new home, and the other is to apologize. I hope Madam Liu can let bygones be bygones."

Shen Yuqin's two maids opened the gifts respectively. There was a glittering golden headdress and a small statue of the God of Wealth inlaid with jade and gold. Both looked very expensive, but also a bit vulgar.

These gifts concealed some meaning of mocking Mrs. Liu's vulgarity, but Shen Yuqin did spend a lot of money on them.

In Da Xia, where men and women are strictly separated, there are not many opportunities to meet Prince Duan. She heard that Changning and Fang Qiu were both invited, and she was unwilling to be the only one missing. How can she become the Princess of Duan?

"Aren't you a talented woman? Why are your tastes so vulgar?" Fang Qiuxian made an impolite comment.

Shen Yuqin's face suddenly turned pale. She didn't expect that this vulgar word would be easily pinned on her!

"Ms. Shen must be afraid that a small gift would not express her sincerity, so she picked an expensive gift." Liu Rusi spoke up to help. She is not afraid of vulgarity~

Liu Rusi loves money but is afraid of trouble, and the girl's sarcasm is not hurtful, which is like throwing meat buns at a dog...Woof! She accepted this kind of gift with a clear conscience~

However, just as she was about to ask Xue Fei to help her accept the gift, Shen Yuqin, who had just been rescued, took advantage of the situation.

"Thank you Madam Liu for your understanding... If you really want to reconcile with my daughter, why not wear this headpiece? It fits the festive atmosphere today and will also make my daughter feel at ease..."

Liu Rusi glanced at Shen Yuqin's expression. Was she expecting that she would wear jewelry... and make Chu Shiyu think she was vulgar? She couldn't help but laugh. Would this work?

However, it doesn't hurt to try.

Before Chu Shiyu could scold her, she smiled gently and said, "Okay, it just so happens that I'm wearing something a little plainer today."

Perhaps because she had watched too many palace fighting dramas, she picked up a hairpin and smelled it first. Feeling nothing unusual, she casually inserted it into her bun.

Shen Yuqin was very attentive and came forward to put the whole headdress on her! Liu Rusi did not stop her. The jewelry did not have any peculiar smell, but Shen Yuqing had a strong fragrance.

"It looks good! You're wearing a crimson purple dress today, which matches you perfectly!" Changning praised.

After putting on most of the twenty-odd pieces of head ornaments, Shen Yuqin, who had been working hard behind Liu Rusi, was stunned. She put on the comb in her hand and hesitantly turned to take a look at the front.

The joy of success disappeared, and Shen Yuqin couldn't control herself and almost bit her teeth!

Most people would be overshadowed by the gold jewelry they wear, and thus look vulgar and flashy... But a head full of cumbersome gold on Madam Liu's head could not take away the brilliance of her bright face! The glittering gold can only serve as a foil!

Even the rather vulgar gold ornaments neutralized her charming and seductive temperament, making her look graceful and dignified! Vulgarity has become elegance!

Shen Yuqin wanted to rush over and take off the gold ornaments she had just put on! She compared them with the virtuous imperial concubines in the palace, and couldn't help but think that Liu was even better... That meant... No way! How could a widow be worthy of being a mother!

Chu Shiyu was already amazed! He suddenly remembered Huang Yazi's evaluation. Although he was a scumbag, he was accurate in judging people... 'Dignified like a peony, and charming like a peach blossom'. In the past, he saw more peach blossoms, but now he saw peonies!

However, Liu Rusi noticed Chu Shiyu's eyes and followed Shen Yuqin's wishes. She said with some embarrassment: "This piece of gold is a bit too heavy, should we take it off?"

"Okay! I'll help you take it apart!"

Shen Yuqin came forward more attentively. Liu Rusi couldn't help laughing. This girl thought she had concealed it very well, but her bad behavior was probably not seen here. Only Caiyun and Changning could see it...

"Keep the hairpin and earrings." Chu Shiyu said.

He didn't want her to wear too heavy a thing, but he also wanted to see a few more glances at her graceful appearance... He should be able to see her again on some occasions in the future, so for now, he might as well just enjoy the half-opened peony.