CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: SHE FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH YOU AROUND

"Of course, it’s great!" Fu Shinian said, "In the past, sister would always go out with Xiao Fengxing, and I’d be left with my brother. It wouldn’t take long for him to lose interest in the girls’ stuff, which made it pretty dull for me too."

"How can brother be like that?" Fu Mingzhu’s heart ached for Fu Shinian upon hearing that, "This year I’ll accompany you to the Lantern Festival, so we can have a blast."

"But this letter reminded me, we need to book a room at Taste Building where we can enjoy the moon." Fu Mingzhu said, "Once we tire from walking around, we can head to Taste Building for some osmanthus wine, eat mooncakes, and enjoy the moon."

"Great!" Fu Shinian clapped her hands, "I heard that this year Taste Building not only changed its osmanthus wine, but also introduced new taro salted egg yolk and flower-filled mooncakes."

So Fu Mingzhu sent someone back to Xiao Fengxing, saying she wasn’t available, and wouldn’t be going to the Lantern Festival with him.

Upon receiving Fu Mingzhu’s reply, Xiao Fengxing finally felt something was amiss.

Fu Mingzhu wasn’t even going to the Lantern Festival with him.

Xiao Fengxing immediately went to Fu Mansion.

When she heard Xiao Fengxing had come to see her, Fu Mingzhu instinctively wanted to refuse him, saying she wasn’t there.

Instead, Fu Shinian, standing by, advised, "Even though we plan to break off the engagement, it’s not good to alert him prematurely."

"Until Father finds a way to break the engagement without harming sister, it’s best to keep him steady." Fu Shinian said.

"Alright." Fu Mingzhu had Xiao Fengxing invited into the mansion.

When Xiao Fengxing arrived in her courtyard, Fu Shinian waited inside.

Fu Mingzhu went to the courtyard to meet Xiao Fengxing.

"Xiao Lang." Fu Mingzhu called out.

For some reason, seeing Xiao Fengxing again now, why did she not feel the same excitement as before?

Xiao Fengxing’s appearance hadn’t changed, he was still the handsome man she liked, but somehow, he seemed to lack a bit of his former heroic spirit.

"Mingzhu, have you been busy lately?" Xiao Fengxing asked, "Since returning from the hunting trip, you haven’t looked for me."

"Yes, quite busy." Fu Mingzhu replied blandly, "But since I wasn’t looking for you, why didn’t you think to find me?"

"It’s because I’ve been busy too, isn’t it?" Xiao Fengxing excused, "What are you doing on Mid-Autumn evening?"

"I promised Niannian to join her at the Lantern Festival." Fu Mingzhu said.

Seeing this, Xiao Fengxing hurriedly said, "I thought it was something important, just invite Miss Second to join us then."

"That won’t work." Fu Mingzhu said, "With you there, she doesn’t feel at ease."

Xiao Fengxing: "..."

Fu Shinian doesn’t feel at ease?

Wasn’t it always Fu Shinian who would cause a ruckus whenever Xiao Fengxing found Fu Mingzhu?

He hadn’t even commented on feeling uneasy before.

"I’ve not strolled through a Lantern Festival with Niannian in a long time." Fu Mingzhu reassured him, "We’ll have plenty of chances to go together in the future, why care about this time specifically?"

Xiao Fengxing laughed coldly inside; in the future, there won’t be many chances to walk through Lantern Festivals with them.

As soon as they marry, he plans to acquire all Fu Mingzhu’s and the Cheng Family’s wealth as well.

At that time, divorcing Fu Mingzhu, he’ll certainly not bother with Lantern Festivals with her.

But since Fu Mingzhu said it like that, Xiao Fengxing, as if seeing a fool, nodded to her, "You’re right, if I disagree, it would indeed seem petty of me."

"Mm." Fu Mingzhu uttered absentmindedly.

Which choked Xiao Fengxing quite thoroughly.

What was she agreeing with?

"However, Mingzhu, you haven’t visited Aunt lately." Xiao Fengxing added, "A few days ago, Aunt was still speaking of you, praising the bird’s nest you sent her previously as delicious. She’s about to finish eating it and was wondering if you could buy some more for her."

Although he put it that way, every time Xiao Fengxing mentioned it, how could Fu Mingzhu let Aunt Liu pay for it?

Naturally, she always sent it directly.

Xiao Fengxing was now hinting that it was time for Fu Mingzhu to send something again.

"Also, Mid-Autumn is approaching, and Aunt doesn’t have suitable festive clothing." Xiao Fengxing said, "Why not accompany Aunt to the shop to pick some? Aunt really misses you."

If Aunt Liu liked something, Fu Mingzhu would have to pay for it.

Fu Mingzhu subconsciously agreed, "Sure."

For Fu Mingzhu, this had long become a habit.

When Xiao Fengxing brought it up, Fu Mingzhu instinctively agreed without thinking.

This long-standing habit isn’t easy to change.

Fu Shinian in the room heard everything clearly.

Even Fu Mingzhu’s maid, Qiu Li, was anxious, "Miss Second, what should we do? Eldest Miss was coaxed by that Second Master again. In the past, Miss used to give Aunt Liu the best golden silk snow swallow nests, which were extremely valuable."

"And as for clothes, Aunt Liu always wants the finest and buys many at once." Qiu Li complained, "Most of Eldest Miss’s money is spent on them."

Fu Shinian, however, wasn’t in a rush, calmly blew at the tea leaves floating on the tea’s surface, and said, "No worries, sister doesn’t have money right now."

"Huh?" Qiu Li didn’t immediately catch on.

Fu Shinian gestured for Qiu Li to come closer, "Come here, let me tell you."

Upon hearing Fu Shinian’s words, Qiu Li’s eyes lit up, "Miss Second, you have a way."

Just then, Fu Mingzhu called out for Qiu Li, "Qiu Li, bring me a silver note."

Qiu Li did as Fu Shinian advised, bowed her head slightly, and walked out from the room, saying, "Miss, you only have fifty silver left now."

Fu Mingzhu was surprised, "How did it get so low?"

"All the other money was spent on those teachers." Qiu Li explained, "Mr. Cheng hired tutors for the children to teach reading, accounting, weaving, and embroidery. Didn’t you say that supporting the orphanage and teaching the children skills is what you wanted to do, without letting Mr. Cheng spend money on it? So all the miscellaneous expenses together add up and you end up spending quite a lot each month; now there’s only this much left."

Fu Mingzhu: "..."

She had never carefully calculated how much money she had, as she never ran out before, but now, after spending here and there, it was down to this little.

Fu Mingzhu could only reluctantly say to Xiao Fengxing, "Sorry, I’m out of money right now. If your Aunt really wants to eat bird’s nest, I can introduce you to a shop, and you can buy it yourselves."

Xiao Fengxing: "..."

How can they afford it!

Xiao Fengxing forced a smile, "It’s okay, we can wait until you have money."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Li rolled her eyes discreetly.

Wasn’t this clearly waiting for her Miss to spend money?

For a noble son of a marquess, truly shameless.

After Xiao Fengxing left, Fu Mingzhu also looked a bit troubled at her money box, now empty with just fifty silver left, "How are we going to the Lantern Festival tomorrow? What can we buy with this much?"

Fu Shinian’s mouth twitched; fifty silver could actually buy a lot.

The trinkets at the Lantern Festival aren’t expensive.

In the past, when Fu Mingzhu went to Lantern festivals with Xiao Fengxing, who knows how much he made her spend, making Fu Mingzhu think it cost a lot to attend a Lantern festival.

Fu Shinian thought for a moment and said, "Sister, if you have to bear the costs for hiring the teachers for the children every month, then you’ll only be left with fifty silver each month, which really isn’t practical."