"Could it be that Wen Li likes Yun Qian, and thatâs why she canât see her true feelings for Xu Changâan?"
Zhu Pingniang thought to herself.
Yun Qian didnât think so.
Although she had spent some time alone with Miss Wen, Wen Liâs thoughts were mostly about Xu Changâan, aside from teaching her the basics of cultivation.
For example, she invited Wen Li to her room to look at Xu Changâanâs calligraphy and paintings together, and Wen Li was very interested.
For example, Wen Li would occasionally brew a cup of Xu Changâanâs handmade Small Mountain Tea while teaching her.
Yun Qian couldnât quite pin down Wen Liâs personality, but she always appreciated girls who were straightforward about their affections.
Speaking of which...
Many girls did indeed turn their gaze towards her, even though... these gazes should rightfully be on her husband.
Had she taken something from her husband?
Holding the warm tea in her hands, Yun Qian took a gentle sip and then glanced at Miss Lu, who had been occasionally sneaking glances her way since earlier.
Feeling Yun Qianâs gaze, Miss Lu turned her face to pretend she was pouring tea, her earrings swinging.
This Miss Yun... is so beautiful.
She wasnât the pure-hearted type like Zhu Pingniang, but just looking at Yun Qian... she couldnât help but imagine Yun Qian and Xu Changâan having intimate conversations, which felt thrilling.
"Do you like looking at me?" Yun Qian asked.
"Pfft." Miss Lu spat out a mouthful of water, soaking her skirt.
She coughed a few times, stood up to wipe the water stains on her skirt, her pretty face blushing red: "Miss Yun, what... what are you saying."
"Did I say something wrong?" Yun Qian tilted her head, "So... you donât like looking at me?"
Miss Lu: "..."
How was she supposed to respond to that?
She looked toward the colorful flags on the ship railing ruffled by the wind and rain, and said softly: "I... I like it."
Rather than denying it out of embarrassment, she couldnât bring herself to say she didnât like it against her heart.
What left Miss Lu helpless was that Yun Qian merely asked the question, nodded to show she understood, and then said nothing more.
Why didnât she say more?
Continue questioning me.
Miss Luâs face flushed even redder.
This suddenly making her confess to liking Yun Qian without giving her a chance to explain, sounded so much like confessing to the girl.
She didnât mean it that way.
Even though Miss Lu could accept liking women, she still felt she should find a man first. Otherwise, wouldnât it waste this female body she was born into?
Yun Qian had nothing more to ask, for she had realized that all of her husbandâs associations... really liked looking at her.
From Li Zhibai calling her "sister," to Zhu Pingniang rubbing her hand, to Liu Qingluo speaking to her with a flushed face, to Ah Qing occasionally sneaking a glance at her back, and... just now, Miss Lu quickly glanced at her neck and then looked away like a thief.
No, perhaps it shouldnât have started with Li Zhibai.
It started with Gu Qiancheng, after all, she came earlier.
No matter if Gu Qiancheng was her husbandâs fateful association or a heaven-sent daughter, her gaze was firmly fixed on her husband, not herself.
It turned out that since then, all of this had started to take root.
Yun Qian blinked, lowering her head.
How did it come to this?
Originally, Yun Qian shouldnât have liked such things, but she asked Xu Changâan and learned that he wouldnât be upset about her being liked by others. In fact... he wanted to see such situations.
According to Xu Changâan, this would help her make friends.
As something that would make Xu Changâan happy, Yun Qian didnât know how to handle it.
Even in the books her husband wrote, there was no mention of what a wife should do when concubines left their husband to focus on her...
So, Yun Qian didnât know what to do.
Now it seemed, only Miss Wen was more focused on her husband than herself among Xu Changâanâs connections, so... Yun Qian thought Wen Li was doing well. At present, Wen Li was better than any girl.
Oh, and also Xiaohua.
Xiaohua also liked her husband a lot but was very afraid of herself.
But Wen Li and Xiaohuaâs relationship... was so close, yet fundamentally only Wen Li was dedicated.
At this moment, Miss Yun, holding her teacup, had a glimmer of uncertainty in her eyes about what to do.
If the other girls could be like Wen Li and only have eyes for her husband, Yun Qian thought things would be easier and sheâd be much happier.
Just like Zhu Pingniang, Yun Qian imagined if she really had a tea party with the girls, with Xu Changâan smiling and watching from the side...
He could laugh about it.
At this thought, Yun Qian was a little dazed.
She couldnât foresee her husbandâs future, so she couldnât say whether such things would happen or not.
But from what it looked like now, it seemed possible.
So at this moment, in Yun Qianâs eyes, who felt she was in trouble, Wen Liâs presence became all the more valuable.
This Miss Wen was truly a remarkable person.
If she treated Wen Li well enough, making Wen Li the most capable person, could Wen Li guide the other misguided girls onto the right path?
While Yun Qian was contemplating this, she felt a gentle tug on her clothes. She looked over to see Miss Luâs blushing cheeks.
"Miss Yun, wonât you give me a chance to explain..." Miss Luâs voice had a touch of shy annoyance.