Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 68 - 46: A Close Call with Exposure (Part 1)

Chen Wanqing no longer avoided Zhao Jing’s gaze, and she no longer felt uncomfortable under his watch.

Seeing this, a faint smile blossomed in Zhao Jing’s eyes. He cupped his hands. "I’ll listen to you, Wanqing. Whatever you say, goes." He even apologized to De’an, "I shouldn’t have been so confrontational with you just now. It was all my fault. Please be the bigger person and don’t hold it against me."

Chen De’an rolled his eyes at him, thinking this peacocking Zhao Jing was so annoying. He couldn’t be bothered with him.

「Before they knew it, they had reached the city gates.」

The three of them had each come to the city with their own business to attend to.

Chen De’an had to return to his private school, Chen Wanqing was delivering fragrances to a regular customer and opening her shop for business, while Zhao Jing needed to go to the escort agency and Moxiang Pavilion.

Both because of Chen Wanqing’s beauty and the heavy basket of fragrances she carried, Chen De’an and Zhao Jing escorted her to Qingxiang House together.

Halfway there, Chen Wanqing suddenly saw an old man with a carrying pole selling red pears. It made her think of her father, who was still working on Xiaoao Mountain. From overexertion and the fluctuating temperatures, he had not only caught a cold but also developed a cough that wouldn’t stop.

Chen Wanqing quickly called out to the old man and carefully selected more than ten red pears. She planned to steam them at home with the rock sugar her mother had made, to see if it would help soothe her father’s cough.

Zhao Jing took out some money from his purse to pay, but Chen Wanqing quickly stopped him. "Jing, I have money."

"Silver is valuable, and the old man probably can’t make change. Let me pay."

"I said I have money, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t bring copper coins. I have enough of those, too."

"Then you should keep it to spend on yourself, Wanqing."

Zhao Jing wanted to say she should save it to buy rouge and powder, but he thought better of it and held his tongue.

’Wanqing is already so beautiful, with her dark hair, bright eyes, and radiant smile. She’s a natural beauty, like a lotus blossom emerging from clear water, needing no adornment. Vulgar things like rouge and powder would only cover up her lovely features.’

The old pear seller took the copper coins from Zhao Jing with a broad smile, his gaze sweeping cheerfully over Zhao Jing and Chen Wanqing. It wasn’t clear what he’d noticed, but the old man said with a grin, "You’re all one family, so it doesn’t matter who pays. The young man is very thoughtful. Miss, you should keep your copper coins as pin money. For a young lady, having money in your own hands keeps the heart at ease."

With that, he shakily shouldered his carrying pole and left.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Chen De’an scratched his head. He’d only glanced over at his third uncle selling sesame pancakes. ’Did I miss something important?’

Chen De’an poked Chen Wanqing with his finger. "Wanqing, look. Third Uncle is watching us."

"Let him look. It’s not like we’re too ugly to be seen."

Despite her words, Chen Wanqing also glanced over at her third uncle, who was selling sesame pancakes.

Chen Lin noticed her gaze and immediately looked away, as if he hadn’t seen them at all.

When Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing were engaged, almost all the clansmen from the Chen family and the Zhao Family came to offer their congratulations, but not a single person from the old family residence showed up. Of course, they weren’t welcome anyway, and had been warned in advance by Chen Dasheng and Chen Dalong not to cause trouble for the main branch of the Chen family on that day.

Chen Wanqing calmly withdrew her gaze from her third uncle.

Because she had opened a shop and her brothers were studying, the family came to the county town quite often, and they had to pass by the sesame pancake shop every time.

But neither their grandfather, nor their third uncle and aunt, had ever offered them a single sesame pancake.

Chen Wanqing called out calmly to her brother and Zhao Jing, "Come on, let’s go to Qingxiang House."

「Their figures soon disappeared into the bustling market street.」

Only after they were out of sight did Chen Lin turn in their direction and spit fiercely on the ground.

Mrs. Li happened to come out from inside just then, carrying a bowl of porridge for a customer sitting under the canopy to the side.

The Chen family’s sesame pancake shop had a decent-sized storefront, and since the street was wide, they had set up a canopy out front. Under it, they placed a few tables and chairs, selling hot soup and rice in addition to their pancakes.

They weren’t the only ones who did this; the shops on both sides of the street did the same.

The grain sellers would display their goods outside; the vegetable vendors would set up wooden planks and lay out their produce; even those who sold wine and salt had to show off their wares. It was as if they’d lose out otherwise, as if people wouldn’t know what the shop sold if they didn’t.

"Who was just here? Was it that old beggar coming to plead for food again? Did you chase him off? Good! PAH, that unlucky old coot. You can’t give him anything, or he’ll think we’re soft and show up every single day. What a nuisance."

"I didn’t give him anything, and he didn’t come."

"Then who were you spitting at?"

Chen Lin said, grinding his teeth, "Those two from the main branch, and that Zhao Jing from the Zhao Family."