My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 25 What am I to you?

Shen Xing frowned and looked at Ah Hui, saying, "Hui Niang, you can't talk nonsense."

Ah Hui said, "When did I talk nonsense? It wasn't enough that she killed her fiancé before. You and she had just gotten engaged when you fell seriously ill. Isn't that all because of Lu Jinshi's curse of bringing bad luck to husbands? She has already had a child out of wedlock. How could she have the nerve to come all the way to Chang'an to bother you again!"

Shen Xing said coldly, "Ah Hui, watch your words."

Ah Hui walked up to Shen Xing and blocked his way, saying, "Brother, you must not go to Lu Jinshi again. She will really kill you."

Shen Xing frowned and said, "Ah Hui, Junior Sister Lu has already made an engagement with another man."

Ah Hui understood what Shen Xing was saying and asked curiously, "Who is she engaged to? Didn't she already have a son?"

Shen Xing said, "I'll tell you about this later, but I have to go see Junior Sister Lu right now."

Just as Shen Xing was about to head to East Street, he saw a carriage speeding towards him.

"Shen Xing."

Upon seeing the official who lifted the carriage curtain, Shen Xing hurriedly bowed and said, "Lord Wu, what brings you to my humble abode?"

Lord Wu alighted from the carriage, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, "The Hanlin Academy needs to go to the imperial palace in Luoyang to compile old histories. You shall set off for Luoyang immediately."

Shen Xing asked, "Are you in such a hurry?"

Lord Wu said, "I am in a hurry. You should go to Luoyang as soon as possible and not delay."

Ah Hui chuckled and said, "Brother, official business is important. I'll help you pack your luggage now, and I'll go to Luoyang with you."

Shen Xing said, "Ahui, you don't need to come to Luoyang with me. You stay in Chang'an and take good care of Mother for me."

Ah Hui agreed, "Okay, then I'll go pack your luggage."

"The luggage will be prepared in Luoyang. You can go there immediately." Lord Wu pushed Shen Xing onto the carriage road: "Take my carriage directly to Luoyang. Don't delay any longer."

Before Shen Xingren could react, he was already pushed onto the carriage by Lord Wu.

The coachman drove very fast. Shen Xing thought that Lord Wu's haste in sending him to Luoyang must be related to the Seventh Prince. But once he was in the carriage, he could no longer go to find Lu Jinshi.

Shen Xing could only hope that Lu Jinshi would soon discover the Seventh Prince's true colors.
-
In the courtyard of East Street.

After Lu Jinshi returned, he took a short nap because he was drunk. When he woke up, it was already dusk.

Cai Feng walked up to Lu Jinshi and said, "Miss, the date for the funeral of the old Marquis of the He family has been set in two days. The day after tomorrow, the Marquis's mansion will hold a grand funeral banquet. Would you like to attend?"

Lu Jinshi smiled and said, "Of course I have to go. If I don't go, I'll be labeled as unfilial."

She traveled a long way to Chang'an, so she should at least show proper filial piety.

The weather gets quite cool at dusk in spring.

Little Zhang'er insisted on going out, so Lu Jinshi could only wrap him in swaddling clothes and take him to play in the yard.

Lu Jinshi was thinking about arranging a marriage with the Seventh Prince when he saw the little Zhang'er in his arms babbling in one direction, so he looked over.

Rong Yi climbed up the wall of the side courtyard and was sitting on top of it.

Lu Jinshi met Rong Yi's gaze and said, "So you're the young master of the Marquis of Changping's mansion? How are you any different from a petty thief, climbing over the wall like this?"

Rong Yi said, "If you won't let me come in through the main gate to see my son, then I can only climb over the wall to see my Zhang'er."

Rong Yi leaped off the wall, landing steadily, and walked to Lu Jinshi, teasing the baby in her arms. "Zhang'er, did you miss Daddy?"

Lu Jinshi said, "Rong Yi, I've already told you, you are not Zhang'er's father. Zhang'er already has a new father. Don't bother me anymore!" Rong Yi said, "Zhang'er, call me father."

A seven-month-old baby naturally can't speak yet. Xiao Zhang'er couldn't call out "Daddy," but he smiled at Rong Yi and stretched out his hands, babbling as if he wanted Rong Yi to hold him.

Rong Yi raised an eyebrow and looked at Lu Jinshi, "You can't sever our father-son bond. Zhang'er wants his father to hold him."

Lu Jinshi frowned as she watched the little Zhang'er in her arms reach out towards Rong Yi. If she had known that Rong Yi wanted her as a concubine, she should have stayed away from him when she found out she was pregnant.

Instead of continuing her entanglement with Rong Yi, she didn't even hide the fact that she was pregnant from him.

Lu Jinshi looked at Caiyun behind him and said, "Go find Shuangxi and Shuangfu and beat the uninvited guests out with sticks."

After saying that, Lu Jinshi carried Zhang'er back to his room.

Rong Yi caught up and asked, "You just said you found a new father for Zhang'er, who is that new father?"

Lu Jinshi said, "It's none of your business who it is."

"The new father you found for Zhang'er, can he be more handsome than me?" Rong Yi looked at Lu Jinshi with a mocking gaze.

Lu Jinshi said, "Yes, his appearance far surpasses yours."

Although Lu Jinshi had never seen him, he had heard people say that the Seventh Prince's appearance was like that of a celestial being descended to earth. Moreover, he and Rong Yi were cousins, so they should not look too different.

"Besides, his character far surpasses yours!"

Rong Yi listened to Lu Jinshi's praise and asked, "Really? When will you marry him?"

Upon hearing Rong Yi's words, Lu Jinshi assumed that he did not believe that he had really found a new father for Zhang'er, so he said, "I did not know that. My grandfather just passed away, and I will have to observe mourning for a year or two."

Rong Yi then teased, "Your grandfather just passed away, and so did the Marquis of Yongxing. I saw you at the Marquis of Yongxing's residence just a couple of days ago. You wouldn't happen to be a young lady from the Marquis of Yongxing's household, would you?"

Lu Jinshi frowned and said, "My surname is Lu."

The implication was that she was not a daughter of the He family, and Lu Jinshi knew that she was the future Seventh Prince's consort and could not hide it from Rong Yi for long.

But we can keep it a secret for as long as we can.

"Rong Yi, this is my home. You should leave immediately."

Rong Yi smiled and said, "This isn't just your home, is it? My clothes and luggage are still in your room."

Lu Jinshi said, "They were all thrown away a long time ago."

Rong Yi's smile faltered. "You threw it away? You actually threw away my clothes?"

Lu Jinshi said, "I can throw away your people, so why can't I throw away your dirty, smelly clothes?"

Rong Yi entered the room before Lu Jinshi and found that what Lu Jinshi said was true; his clothes and belongings were no longer in the room.

Lu Jinshi handed Zhang'er to the wet nurse at the door, then entered the bedroom and looked at Rong Yi, saying, "I already said I threw it away, why don't you believe me? I don't even want to keep your people, why would I keep your clothes?"

Lu Jinshi said coldly, "Rong Yi, you should leave here immediately. I already have a fiancé, and you also have a wife betrothed to you. Since we are both going to have families, it is indecent for a man and a woman to be alone in a room together."

Rong Yi looked at Lu Jinshi with a deep gaze and said, "You've already settled on a fiancé so quickly. What have I meant to you these past two years?"

Two years, more than seven hundred days and nights, and a son was born. Rong Yi was really unwilling to accept that Lu Jinshi didn't really have him in her heart.

If he weren't the Seventh Prince, Lu Jinshi would probably have truly shown no mercy and kicked him away.

(End of this chapter)