Chapter 68: Hello, Princess Consort Sister!

Chapter 68: Hello, Princess Consort Sister!

“She and I are both starving to death, and you only have…”

“I’ll give it to you!”

“If she and I both fell into the river, you…”

“Save you!”

“She and I…”

“You!”

Ding Suian and Ruan Ruan’s rapid-fire questions and answers left everyone else confused.

However, it was clear that Ruan Ruan had asked similar questions countless times before.

Ruan Ruan’s stern, oval face softened slightly, but before she could speak, the charming young lady said, “Husband, who is this sister?”

Wa-ya-ya!!!

The anger that had just begun to fade from Ruan Ruan’s face instantly resurfaced. “Who are you calling husband? Brother Ding Suians courtesy name, why is she calling you husband?”

Ding Suian turned and looked helplessly at Wang Xigui, Chest Hair, and the other brothers.

They all turned their heads away, signaling, ‘Boss, we can’t help you with this.’

Ding Suian withdrew his gaze, put on a serious face, looked up at the sky, and thought seriously for a few moments before saying, “Ruan Ruan, this is a custom in Southern Zhao. Over there, they call any stranger ‘husband.’ It’s different from here.”

“I don’t believe you!”

Ruan Ruan pointed at Chest Hair and said to Zhao Yan, “Try calling him husband!”

Zhao Yan looked at Chest Hair, then at Ruan Ruan, and muttered, “You girl, is there something wrong with you? Why don’t you call him husband?”

Hearing this, Ruan Ruan was fuming. She immediately raised her left hand, her thumb pressing against the Kan Palace, three fingers curled, and her middle finger standing upright.

It looked so familiar. Last year at Jintai Temple, that goat-bearded Daoist had used this move.

“Big Dipper descends upon the altar, Earth Veins connect the thunder! Lead!”

With a sharp cry, a ball of eerie blue-purple light gathered in Ruan Ruan’s right hand.

Compared to that Daoist back then, this purple light was much smaller.

And it required an incantation. Ding Suian remembered that on the night at Jintai Temple, the Daoist didn’t use an incantation; it was instantaneous.

“Ruan Ruan, put away your Divine Ability first!”

He didn’t dare let her strike Zhao Yan. If she accidentally blasted out her fox tail, it would be all over.

It was said that all evil spirits in the world feared Lightning Arts.

Zhao Yan was no exception. She quickly hid behind Ding Suian, her voice timid and coquettish. “Husband, husband, this sister is so scary. Nunu is afraid.”

“…”

This little fox, why is she acting so tea-like!

Is it an innate talent?

Ruan Ruan, who was already furious, let out a cry of “Ah!” and pushed her right hand forward. The purple light left her palm and blasted directly into the ground two feet beside her.

Boom~

A small explosion of air kicked up a cloud of dust, leaving a small, charred pit in the ground.

At least she still had some sanity left and didn’t throw it at anyone.

On the second floor of the nearby Ji Pavilion.

“If she and I both fell into the river, you…”

“Save you!”

Initially, when Lin Hansu saw this scene on the Martial Arts Field, her first thought was: Another one?

After observing silently for a while and seeing the two women at each other’s throats from the moment they met, the corners of her eyes gradually curved up, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

Yi Huan, who was serving her, was confused. “Your Highness, what are you laughing at?”

“Yi Huan, do you know what ‘exchanging pieces’ means?”

“This servant does not understand.”

Sigh, Yi Huan isn’t a good straight man; she never plays along.

Lin Hansu withdrew her gaze and turned to go downstairs.

“Where is Your Highness going?”

“Naturally, to make peace.”

A short while later.

Lin Hansu stepped onto the Martial Arts Field in Diying Garden.

Wang Xigui and the others, who were enjoying the drama, quickly paid their respects.

Although Ruan Ruan had never seen the Princess Consort, her demeanor made her guess that the owner of this place had arrived.

Thinking that Brother Ding Suians courtesy name was, after all, working in the Prince’s Mansion, she suppressed her anger and bowed to Lin Hansu. “Ruan Ruan of Xuanji Palace greets the Princess Consort. The commotion just now disturbed you; please forgive me, Your Highness.”

Lin Hansu, who was usually not very warm toward others, stepped forward and took Ruan Ruan’s hand, saying with surprise, “You are Ruan Ruan?”

Ruan Ruan looked up, her large, innocent eyes blinking like a cartoon doll’s, and asked in confusion, “The Princess Consort knows me?”

Lin Hansu smiled gently and leaned in, whispering, “Who in the Prince’s Mansion doesn’t know you? Squad Leader Ding talks about Ruan Ruan all day long, saying how gentle and considerate she is, how smart and beautiful… Everyone’s ears have grown calluses from hearing it.”

“Is that so…”

Ruan Ruan’s cheeks flushed like rosy clouds from the praise. She lowered her head shyly, her foot aimlessly kicking a small blade of grass growing between the bricks.

Then she couldn’t help but glare at Ding Suian and let out a huff from her nose.

Anyone could see that the little Daoist’s current state was more about acting spoiled than being truly angry.

“Come, I felt a connection with you the moment I saw you. Follow me to the back for some tea and a chat.”

Lin Hansu took Ruan Ruan’s arm, but the latter hesitated for a moment, seemingly unwilling to let Ding Suian and Zhao Yan off so easily.

Seeing this, Lin Hansu lowered her voice again. “Listen to me! Fighting over a man only makes him feel smug. Just ignore him and give him the cold shoulder for a couple of days.”

That makes sense!

In the inner quarters, Ji Pavilion.

Lin Hansu elegantly held the white porcelain cup lid, lightly brushing the jasmine floating on the tea. “Ruan Ruan, you are a disciple of Xuanji Palace?”

Ruan Ruan puffed out her chest. “Yes, I am!”

Lin Hansu’s eyes quickly swept over the girl’s chest. She clearly had a doll-like face, yet she was quite well-endowed.

Her expression remained unchanged as she asked casually, “I heard you and Squad Leader Ding grew up together?”

Ruan Ruan answered while looking at the luxurious furnishings in Ji Pavilion, “Yes! Brother Ding Suians courtesy name was born half a year before me. Later, we performed the marriage ceremony.”

~Cough, cough, cough~

Lin Hansu, who was drinking tea, choked. Before she could even set down her teacup, she said in shock, “Performed the marriage ceremony?”

“Yes. In the autumn of the thirty-fourth year of legitimacy, we performed the ceremony.”

Ruan Ruan kept her oval face, which still had a hint of baby fat, very serious.

“…”

Lin Hansu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. The thirtieth year of legitimacy? They were just two children then!

Playing house?

Ruan Ruan felt that the Princess Consort was a gentle and easy-to-talk-to person, so she took the initiative to ask, “Your Highness, who was that woman just now?”

Mentioning Zhao Yan, Ruan Ruan curled her upper lip and mimicked the other’s tone in a strange way. “‘The sister is so scary, Nunu is afraid,’ hmph! She’s clearly not a woman from a good family. I’ll zap her sooner or later!”

Lin Hansu chuckled, then sighed and said, “I suppose Ruan Ruan has heard that Squad Leader Ding joined the army a while ago?”

“Yes! It was because I heard about this that I asked my Master for permission to come down the mountain and see Brother Ding Suians courtesy name.”

“Well, Squad Leader Ding went through many dangers in Southern Zhao and was fortunately saved by this Miss Zhao Yan. She is an orphan with no parents. If Squad Leader Ding hadn’t brought her back, it would have seemed heartless and ungrateful.”

“Is that so…”

A cute little frown slowly formed between Ruan Ruan’s brows. After thinking for a long time, she said, “A life-saving debt should be repaid slowly. He can’t just marry her to pay it back!”

“Of course. With you, his childhood sweetheart, here, even if she wanted to use her favor to force a marriage, she would still have to be beneath you!”

“…”

From childhood to now, Ruan Ruan had never imagined another woman between her and Ding Suian.

Hearing this, she couldn’t help but feel a bit depressed.

But that seductive Southern Zhao woman really did save Brother Ding Suians courtesy name and was homeless. If they didn’t look after her, she would indeed be quite pitiful.

Fortunately, Lin Hansu’s phrase “beneath you” made her feel a bit better.

“Ruan Ruan, Zhao Yan was born in a barbarian land after all. She doesn’t know etiquette or boundaries. In the future, as her elder sister, you must teach her the rules.”

Lin Hansu guided her persuasively. Ruan Ruan thought for a moment and nodded solemnly, as if she had taken on a great responsibility.

“How about this? Zhao Yan is currently staying in Huguai Garden. I’ll arrange for you to stay with her. That way, you can teach her the rules and keep an eye on her so she doesn’t cling to Squad Leader Ding all day. Squad Leader Ding is young and promising, and he’s at a stage where he should be striving for success. If this continues, it might affect his future.”

“I…”

This method was feasible, but she was not related to the Princess Consort. Staying in the Prince’s Mansion upon their first meeting made her a bit embarrassed.

Lin Hansu seemed to see right through her and immediately said softly, “Ruan Ruan, you are pure and innocent, much like I was back then. I like you. If you don’t mind, you can call me’Sister’ from now on.”

“Ah?”

Ruan Ruan was a bit overwhelmed by the favor.

How can the Princess Consort Sister be so kind!

While speaking, Lin Hansu took a Phoenix-headed golden hairpin from her hair and looked at Ruan Ruan with gentle eyes. “This hairpin has been with me for many years. Let it be a gift for our first meeting, little sister.”

“No, no, I can’t.”

Ruan Ruan raised both hands and waved them repeatedly.

This gift was too valuable.

Lin Hansu’s expression turned serious. “What’s wrong? Does Ruan Ruan look down on me because I’m a widow?”

“No, no, that’s not it~”

She waved her hands even faster, looking even more panicked, almost on the verge of tears. “The Princess Consort is too kind to Ruan Ruan. I don’t know how to repay you…”

Lin Hansu raised her hand and gently tucked the phoenix hairpin into Ruan Ruan’s hair bun, her gaze exceptionally gentle. “Silly girl, I don’t need you to repay me for now.”

“Thank you, Princess Consort~”

Ruan Ruan was incredibly moved.

“Still calling me Princess Consort?”

“Princess Consort Sister! Ruan Ruan thanks you, Princess Consort Sister.”

“Hehe~”

“Princess Consort Sister is the best person in the world.”

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