Chapter 44: Paying Respects

The carriage quickly arrived at the entrance of the imperial palace.

After Feng Bai Su jumped off the carriage, she didn’t rush forward.

Instead, she turned and waited beside the carriage for Wei Jing Mo to come out.

When Wei Jing Mo lifted the curtain, he saw her standing below waiting. Before he could call Dong Qing and Dong Gua over,

Feng Bai Su swiftly wrapped her arm around his waist and lifted him down.

“Ah!”

Wei Jing Mo let out a short cry of surprise. After steadying himself, he glared at the culprit beside him.

“Your Highness, this is the imperial palace! Can’t you be more composed?”

Hugging and embracing in public like this, if someone saw them how could he ever face people again?

Feng Bai Su looked at him somewhat innocently, but her right hand insolently pinched his cheek.

Pulling his cheek closer, she said: “So many rules at such a young age, why is the young master so boring?”

Though she said he was boring, her words were full of teasing and playfulness.

Wei Jing Mo wanted nothing more than to bite her neck again, to stop her from teasing him!

Just as the two were entangled, a clear voice suddenly came from behind: “Seventh Imperial Sister?”

Feng Bai Su’s hand pinching Wei Jing Mo’s cheek paused slightly, then let go. She turned her head to look.

She saw Feng Bai Wei approaching with Shen Ruo.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, her tongue pressing playfully against the roof of her mouth.

“Fifth Imperial Sister, what a coincidence that you’re here too.”

A smile appeared on Feng Bai Wei’s face as she looked at the two with gentle eyes: “It is indeed a coincidence. I didn’t expect Seventh Imperial Sister and brother-in-law to come pay respects at this time too. Why didn’t you rest more after your wedding yesterday?”

She had a very considerate appearance, “Seventh Imperial Sister is strong and healthy as a woman, but you should also consider brother-in-law.”

As her words fell, the expressions of those present varied.

Shen Ruo stood behind her, his face slightly stiff after hearing her words. His intention to greet Wei Jing Mo also disappeared completely.

The gaze that fell on Feng Bai Wei faintly revealed hints of dimness and obscurity.

Feng Bai Su’s eyes also turned cold, her tone carrying a hint of frost: “No need for Fifth Imperial Sister to worry. With that concern, you’d better pay more attention to your husband, sister. I see his complexion doesn’t look too good.”

After speaking, without waiting for a reply, she took Wei Jing Mo’s hand and walked forward.

Left behind, Feng Bai Wei’s face stiffened slightly after hearing Feng Bai Su’s words. She turned to look at Shen Ruo behind her.

Seeing his unhappy expression, she immediately explained: “Ruo’er, don’t think too much. I was just worrying for you, aren’t you very close with this cousin?”

She lightly embraced Shen Ruo’s shoulders, pulling him into her arms.

So she didn’t see Shen Ruo in her arms softly say: Is that so?

Those things he had deliberately ignored before gradually surfaced in his mind.

—

On this side, after Feng Bai Su pulled Wei Jing Mo a distance away, her footsteps gradually slowed down.

Seeing the palace servants coming and going on both sides of the path, and thinking of his reserved and shy nature, she let go of his hand.

Wei Jing Mo had been tense inside since leaving, and when he saw Feng Bai Su suddenly let go of his hand,

His heart suddenly tightened, his voice somewhat panicked: “Don’t misunderstand! I really have no relationship with that Fifth Princess! I’ve never had contact with her, we’re not familiar at all!”

Wei Jing Mo was afraid Feng Bai Su would misunderstand him.

They had just gotten married, and he was afraid Feng Bai Su would become distant from him because of this.

Just thinking about Feng Bai Su becoming cold towards him in the future made his heart feel stifled!

Wei Jing Mo knew that even the most tolerant woman in the world wouldn’t like hearing her husband associated with other women.

Although he didn’t know why the Fifth Princess spoke so ambiguously, as if he had something with her, it was extremely annoying.

But he was afraid this would leave a thorn in Feng Bai Su’s heart.

Feng Bai Su didn’t know why he suddenly said this.

She hadn’t taken Feng Bai Wei’s words to heart in the first place. To speak of the relationship between the two of them, to be honest, she might understand it better than both of them.

She was even clearer about the twists and turns in Feng Bai Wei’s heart.

Feng Bai Su stopped in confusion, turning to look at him.

Seeing the young master’s eyes suddenly turn red, with hints of desolation and dimness in his expression.

Her heart immediately tightened, and she began to comfort him gently: “What’s wrong? Why are you crying for no reason? Of course I believe you have no relationship with her. Is this worth crying over?”

Feng Bai Su pinched his little face and lifted it up, using her other hand to wipe away his tears.

She even joked: “Has the cold young master changed his nature, is he going to become a crybaby young master in the future? Crying at the drop of a hat.”

She was usually the most impatient with people crying, even with Liu Gui Jun she mostly felt helpless and troubled.

But every time Wei Jing Mo cried, her heart always had more patience and softness, and she could even comfort him in a gentle voice.

Wei Jing Mo pursed his lips, still dwelling on her suddenly letting go of his hand earlier.

“…Liar!”

“What did I lie to you about?”

Feng Bai Su was somewhat amused and exasperated, it was the first time she knew he could be so unreasonable.

Wei Jing Mo’s eyes dimmed, and he said in a low voice: “You’ve already let go of my hand, yet you say you’re not angry.”

Hearing this, Feng Bai Su pressed her forehead rather helplessly.

She had never expected him to be upset over this!

Looking at the still sad and upset little ancestor, she was unusually at a loss for words.

She sighed softly, reaching out to hold the little ancestor’s hand again, saying helplessly: “I was just afraid you’d be embarrassed and angry because of your thin skin? You’re wrongly accusing me.”

Wei Jing Mo hadn’t expected this to be the reason.

He bit his lip as his cheeks reddened, feeling he had thoroughly embarrassed himself in front of Feng Bai Su on just the first day of marriage.

He couldn’t help but worry: Would she think he was too delicate and willful? Would she dislike him unlike the rumors said?

This was the problem with young men, they always liked to overthink and scare themselves.

Wei Jing Mo’s blank gaze fell on their clasped hands, and he inconspicuously tightened his grip on Feng Bai Su’s hand.

He thought that even if she disliked him there was nothing he could do about it now, after all he was already married to her! No returns!

Feng Bai Su pulled him towards Phoenix Palace.

Princesses who had established their own households and left the palace needed to bring their husbands to pay respects at the imperial palace on the first day after their wedding.

The new husband first needed to pay respects to the Male Empress, then go to the Princess’s birth father’s side.

As for the Princess, she had to pay respects to the Emperor.

Feng Bai Su taking Wei Jing Mo to Phoenix Palace was to send him over. After he arrived, she would have to immediately go to Xuanwu Palace to find the Emperor.

—

After sending Wei Jing Mo to the entrance, Feng Bai Su said to him: “You go in, I’ll pick you up at Fulin Palace later.”

Wei Jing Mo nodded, then entered with Dong Qing and Dong Gua.

His expression had returned to its usual coldness.

Seeing his rapid transformation, Feng Bai Su couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

She found it somewhat amusing: Her little husband’s face changed quite quickly, and he acted quite convincingly!

Her fingers itched again, wanting to pinch Wei Jing Mo’s little face.

After Feng Bai Su left, Wei Jing Mo entered the inner palace with Dong Qing and Dong Gua.

At this time, besides the Male Empress sitting in the main seat, the primary husbands of several other princesses were also present.

When everyone saw Wei Jing Mo enter, they immediately smiled at him: “Seventh sister-in-law is here!”

Wei Jing Mo smiled at everyone, then walked forward and bowed to the Male Empress in the main seat: “Greetings to the Male Empress.”

The Male Empress quickly raised his hand to let him rise, looking very gentle.

After having someone add a chair for Wei Jing Mo to sit down, he asked a few questions in a gentle voice.

Most were perfunctory questions about the wedding and such.

The other princesses’ primary husbands also chimed in occasionally, and for a time the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.

It wasn’t until Shen Ruo walked in that everyone stopped.

As soon as Shen Ruo entered, the primary husbands of several princesses exchanged glances and began to stand up and take their leave one after another.

The Male Empress was Shen Ruo’s father-in-law, so it was somewhat inappropriate for them to stay any longer.

Seeing this, Wei Jing Mo also immediately stood up to take his leave. Before leaving, he had intended to greet Shen Ruo.

But he saw him lowering his head as if he hadn’t seen him at all.

Wei Jing Mo frowned slightly, giving him a deep look before standing up and walking out.

On the way from Phoenix Palace to Fulin Palace.

Dong Gua followed behind Wei Jing Mo, muttering to himself in confusion: “Why did cousin look so cold just now?”

“What cousin! He’s the Fifth Prince Consort now.”

Dong Qing glanced at him and reminded him.

Wei Jing Mo heard the two talking, but didn’t say anything as he walked in front.

It seemed that what happened earlier had indeed caused some estrangement in Shen Ruo’s heart.

He couldn’t help but purse his lips, his long thick eyelashes lowering slightly, concealing the changing emotions in his eyes.

When Wei Jing Mo arrived at Fulin Palace, he saw a man in green clothes standing at the palace gate in the distance, looking this way.

When his eyes glimpsed Wei Jing Mo, they lit up instantly.

He hurriedly ran over: “Primary Husband, you’re here! This servant pays respects to the Primary Husband.”

“This servant is Ban Xia, who serves by Liu Gui Jun’s side. Liu Gui Jun has been eagerly waiting for you! He even specially had this servant wait for you at the gate.”

Ban Xia’s somewhat enthusiastic manner rather frightened Wei Jing Mo.

All the way here, Wei Jing Mo had actually been a bit nervous.

After all, Liu Gui Jun was Feng Bai Su’s birth father. It was his first time meeting his father-in-law, and he was afraid of making some mistake when meeting Liu Gui Jun, or causing him to be dissatisfied in some way.

Wei Jing Mo had also heard those newly married men say that when meeting their fathers-in-law for the first time, some fathers-in-law liked to lay down rules for their new sons-in-law.

Having heard so much, he naturally had some shadow in his heart.

Moreover, his feelings towards Feng Bai Su were unusual, so he naturally wanted to gain Liu Gui Jun’s approval even more!

Wei Jing Mo couldn’t help but feel his heart beating faster, looking at Ban Xia’s smiling face made his mood become somewhat strange.

He began to feel suspicious: Could this be Liu Gui Jun’s show of authority? Was this a case of courtesy before force?

Wei Jing Mo forced a smile at Ban Xia, following him into Fulin Palace with a very anxious heart.

His footsteps also became somewhat heavy.