Chapter 164 - Missing You

The next day, Shen Ziqiao felt even worse. Not only did she feel sore all over, she was also coughing loudly. She didn’t even have the energy to sit up. She just wanted to lay down and not move.

Qi Zheng glanced at her sick expression, feeling bad. He decided that he wasn’t going to allow her to be unruly in the future. He couldn’t even relax at all. She acts like a child when she plays.

Shen Ziqiao sniffled and breathed through her mouth. She looked teary-eyed at Qi Zheng who was scolding her. “I’m already sick and you’re still scolding me. Do you want to make me feel even worse so that I can’t recover?”

“What is this nonsense?!” Qi Zheng’s face darkened. “You think you can just say anything without facing consequences?”

“Ah, I feel so bad.” Shen Ziqiao hugged her blanket and rolled around, crying.

Qi Zheng’s eyes twitched. He brought her and her blanket moodily into his arms. “Where do you feel uncomfortable? Do you want me to invite the physician over again?”

“Can he give me a shot and let me drink Western medicine?” Shen Ziqiao asked, pitying herself.

“Give you a shot? What’s Western medicine?” Qi Zheng was confused. Should he find a physician who was an expert at acupuncture? Would Jiao Jiao recover quickly like this?

Shen Ziqiao pulled Qi Zheng’s arm over and bit on it. “I dreamed that I went to a place and there were carriages that could drive without horses. There were planes flying in the sky. There weren’t many people that wrote letters. They could just call one another. There’s also the Internet...Even if people get colds and fevers, they could just get an IV drip and eat some Westrn medicine to recover. It’s not like this place where everything is lagging behind.”

Shen Ziqiao couldn’t help but tear up as she said this. Sick people were sensitive and weak. She really missed the modern lifestyle.

Qi Zheng listened quietly. This was the first time he heard all of these descriptions but coming from Shen Ziqiao’s mouth, they seemed really familiar.

He could feel the reminiscing and lonely tone in her voice.

“Jiao Jiao…” Qi Zheng looked down and glanced at her teary eyes. “Are you Shen Ziqiao?”

Shen Ziqiao’s face paled. This man. Wasn’t this man a bit too smart? He could tell just like this? Or was her performance too weak?

“Jiao Jiao?” She was never good at hiding her emotions. No matter what she was thinking, she expressed it on her face. Her reaction had confirmed his guess.

He also heard of some of her past rumors. After getting along with her, he felt as if she was a completely different person from the rumors. She was basically another person.

Especially her attitude towards the Ninth Prince. Don’t mention love but she didn’t even have a favorable impression of him.

How could someone change so quickly?

“I…” Shen Ziqiao found her throat hurting even more. She lowered her head and exclaimed in a small voice, “If I’m not Shen Ziqiao, will you think...I’m really scary?”

“Silly!” Qi Zheng chuckled softly. It was unclear why but he sighed in relief. She wasn’t the original Shen Ziqiao. That meant that she never liked the Ninth Prince.

She only liked him.

“Then… What used to be your name?” Qi Zheng didn’t ask why she had become Shen Ziqiao. After all, this wasn’t important to him.

Shen Ziqiao froze while looking at him. She was unable to process why he was so calm.

At the very least, act a little afraid. If not, it was fine acting shocked as well. She didn’t feel accomplished at all seeing how calm he was.

“In the past...everyone calls me Jiaozi. It’s basically...the same as Jiao Jiao.” Shen Ziqiao froze. She used to be round and plump like a cooked dumpling. That’s why everyone called her Jiaozi.

Qi Zheng smiled. “Then I’ll continue to call you Jiao Jiao.”

“You’re not afraid of me?” Shen Ziqiao widened her eyes.

“Afraid why?” Qi Zheng smiled. “I can beat you with one hand so why would I be afraid? Even if I don’t use my hands, I have ways to get you to lie down.”

Lie. Down. Shen Ziqiao’s face flushed thinking impure thoughts.

Shen Ziqiao choked his neck. “Don’t you find this incredulous? Aren’t you afraid that I’m a ghost? And I’m here to specially...take in your aura?”

Qi Zheng laughed out loud and cupped Shen Ziqiao’s face, kissing her several times. “Just with you? Who’s the one that couldn’t even get out of bed during our wedding night?”

“Qi Zheng!” Shen Ziqiao exclaimed out loud.

“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.” Qi Zheng held her and comforted. “No matter who you are, you’re my Jiao Jiao.”

No matter where she was from, she was Shen Ziqiao right now and his Jiao Jiao. This was enough. He didn’t need to know more.

Shen Ziqiao’s heart trembled and glanced at his handsome face. She buried her face in his chest and suddenly felt the urge to cry.

Qi Zheng hugged her gently. “Okay, it’s time for your medicine. After you finish your medicine, you can get some good rest.”

Shen Ziqiao froze hearing that she needed to take her medicine. She hugged him even harder, refusing to lift her head. She hated taking her medicine.

Shen Family had gotten lively as well. Madam Zhou never thought she’d be able to act so arrogant and mighty as she did today. She was thinking about marrying her daughter off to an affluent family and she was going to. She finally got her wish.

That’s great!

Xin’er would be the Ninth Princess Consort in the future. Shen Ziqiao would have to greet her in the future, no?

Madam Zhou wanted to laugh out loud. However, she did her best to be calm. “Brother-in-law, Xin’er is marrying the Ninth Prince and he’s a prince. She can’t be like Jiao Jiao. No matter what, the wedding should be more grand.”

Shen Xiao sat on the master seat with Old Madam Shen beside him. Second Master Shen sat below Shen Xiao and the others stood.

“When is the Ninth Prince and Xin’er’s wedding?” Shen Xiao slowly asked while holding the cup of tea in his hands.

Madam Zhou immediately said, “March 8th. It’d be a good time.”

“Kai’er’s wedding is set to be the 19th of next month. We can’t renovate everything the three months after the wedding. How do you plan on renovating Shen Family’s residence?” Shen Xiao asked calmly. He laughed at Madam Zhou’s request in renovating the entire residence for Xin’er’s wedding.

“How can Kai’er’s wedding compare to Xin’er’s? Xin’er is marrying the Ninth Prince and Kai’er is just marrying Zhu Family’s young lady, no?” Madam Zhou pursed her lips. She thought that Xin’er’s status was different now and everything should let her have her way.

Old Madam Shen furrowed her brows and asked, “You’re saying that we should push Kai’er’s marriage behind and focus on Xin’er’s?”

Madam Zhou smiled. “Mother has thought this through quite considerately.”

Now, it seemed like the Old Madam had requested this.

Second Master Shen was angry hearing this. “Shut up! Xin’er is just marrying the Ninth Prince. You think that she’s marrying a deity? You dare to intervene with Kai’er’s marriage. Think! How are you acting like his second aunt in any ways?”

Madam Zhou felt embarrassed being scolded by the second master in front of everyone. She fought back, “What’s wrong with me? It’s not like I’m not letting Kai’er get married. After all, the emperor had bestowed marriage to Xin’er…”

“Jiao Jiao too. I didn’t see you being so meddlesome back then.” Second Master Shen replied livid.

“How can she compare to Xin’er? Xin’er is marrying the Ninth Prince.” Madam Zhou said moodily.

Old Madam Shen glanced at the silent Shen Zikai. She suddenly said hoarsely, “Kai’er is the eldest grandson of our Shen Family. He’s already marrying at an old age. We can’t drag his marriage on any longer.”

Madam Zhou stood up unhappy. “Mother, then wouldn’t we be making Xin’er suffer?”

“How?” Shen Xiao asked in a deep tone. “Shen Family’s ladies had never married into the royal family. The Ninth Prince doesn’t like to be flamboyant. Plus, it’s time for our Shen Family to hide under the spotlight. How can we be extravagant and waste around? What would the emperor think if he found out?”

“That’s right. Instead of wasting around on the surface, why don’t we give Xin’er some private savings?” Old Madam Shen knew that this was the reason why the Shen Family was able to tower and not fall for a long time. Even if she was muddle-headed, she was quite awake in this aspect.

No matter how she tried to word this, she was biased towards the main household.

Madam Zhou was indignant but seeing that her husband agreed with Shen Xiao, she also felt dispirited.

Two days later, Shen Ziqiao finally recovered from her cold. After her fever reduced, she immediately dragged Qi Zheng back to the capital with her.

“You’re still coughing a bit. Why don’t we stay here for a few more days?” Qi Zheng draped his overcoat over her, thinking that they should stay for a few more days before returning to the capital.

Shen Ziqiao shook her head firmly. “No, I want to go back!”

Qi Zheng sighed. He didn’t want Jiao Jiao to return to the Qi Family that soon. She wouldn’t be as comfortable as she was right now.

“What? You don’t want me back because you took in a beautiful maid at home?” Shen Ziqiao purposely asked, acting jealous.

“Who can be more beautiful than you?” Qi Zheng laughed out loud and carried her in the horse carriage.

“Right, how’s Sheng Peiyin?” Shen Ziqiao almost forgot about the arrogant female lead. She wondered if she’d be able to get out of the hidden prison.

Qi Zheng’s rough fingers rubbed against her soft face. He exclaimed casually, “News came from the palace. Sheng Peiyin seemed to be crazy.”

“Huh? Crazy? Is it for real or is she pretending?” Don’t blame her for being suspicious but after all, this woman could do anything. She might really pretend to be crazy in order to protect herself.

“What’s the difference? If someone wants her to die, she can’t live no matter what.” Qi Zheng said faintly.

Shen Ziqiao hurriedly asked, “She died?”

“No but close enough.” Qi Zheng said vaguely, not wanting to tell Shen Ziqiao the truth.

After all, as long as she didn’t come to hurt her. Shen Ziqiao didn’t care about Sheng Peiyin’s life. It wasn’t that she was ruthless but she knew that if Sheng Peiyin had come out alive, she might continue to settle accounts with them with her power or may go get revenge on the Shen Family.

After all, she was a lovable female lead.

Shen Ziqiao suddenly thought of He Chen.

If she hadn’t encountered He Chen first, would he end up liking Sheng Peiyin according to the original plan? And then use He Family’s power to help her reach the peak of the social ladder?