Chapter Ninety-Six: Distinguished Guests Arrive at the Door, Part Two
The Seventh Prince, hearing this, fired off several questions in rapid succession.
“You actually call your husband by his name?”
“And you address him that way in front of his parents as well?”
“They never scolded you?”
Tao Ming stared at him, genuinely baffled. “If I don’t call him by his name, what am I supposed to call him?”
“Something like ‘husband,’ or ‘sir’—that would be more proper, wouldn’t it?”
Tao Ming turned and called toward the doorway, “Su Nanning!”
Su Nanning came trotting over at once, grinning from ear to ear. “Honey, need something?”
“Nothing. Just wanted to see you.”
Su Nanning shot the Seventh Prince a glance, then said to Tao Ming in a gentle voice, “Don’t talk to him too long. You should get some rest too.”
He turned and went back to the side room.
It took the Seventh Prince a long moment to recover. Then he sighed, “If other women were like you, they’d have been cast out long ago!”
Tao Ming looked at him askance. “Would another man leave his wife alone with you?”
The Seventh Prince shook his head. “If it were me, I certainly wouldn’t be so at ease.”
Tao Ming curled her lip. “There you have it. Without even a shred of trust between you, how could you stay together till old age?”
The Seventh Prince shook his head again. “I wouldn’t trust the other man.”
Tao Ming let out a soft sigh. “Su Nanning probably doesn’t trust you either, but because he trusts and respects me, he didn’t stop you from seeing me.”
“I fall short of him,” the Seventh Prince said inwardly with another wave of admiration. Then he changed the subject. “What were you just saying about going to the northeast corner of the imperial city?”
Tao Ming lowered her voice. “Didn’t you want me to join your rebellion? That takes a lot of money! So I’m starting to make money now.”
The Seventh Prince was greatly relieved. No matter what, she had at least been brought onto his boat. For now, it looked as though she was even more eager than he was.
His voice brightened. “How do you plan to make money?”
“Su Nanning actually gave me the idea. I’m going to build a mall.”
The Seventh Prince frowned. “What’s a mall?”
Tao Ming asked in return, “Is there a market in the imperial city?”
“There’s one in the west of the city. Many people who live outside the walls come there to sell vegetables during the day.”
Tao Ming gestured with her hands. “A mall is basically a huge market, except the things sold inside are better.”
“I’m planning to build it five stories high first. Besides shops selling goods, it’ll also have places to eat and rest. And, yes, I want to open a movie theater too—to enrich the entertainment lives of the people of the imperial city.”
The Seventh Prince pondered this briefly. “What is a movie theater?”
Tao Ming took out her tablet, found a cartoon, and held it before him. “Watch this first.”
The Seventh Prince stared at the tablet in astonishment and looked up. “Are all these little children trapped inside this object?”
“I’m not a child trafficker. Why would I trap them? This is called a cartoon. It’s made in advance, and as long as there’s a suitable medium, it can be played.”
With that, Tao Ming put the tablet away.
The Seventh Prince still wanted another look, but pride held him back. Instead, he asked, “Such an object is truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen. But I can’t understand what they’re saying—what should be done about that?”
“That’s not something you need to worry about. Su Nanning can solve it. He’ll be a key figure by then.”
The Seventh Prince was startled. He lowered his voice. “You didn’t tell him about the rebellion too, did you?”
Tao Ming nodded.
The Seventh Prince asked nervously, “What did he say?”
Thinking of Su Nanning’s words, Tao Ming felt nothing but sweetness in her heart and said smugly, “He said I could do whatever I wanted.”
The Seventh Prince sighed again. “I truly am no match for him!”
“Of course not. Who do you think his husband is?” With such a husband, Tao Ming felt immensely proud.
Seeing her face written all over with delight and bliss, the Seventh Prince teased her, “The two of you really do have thicker faces than most.”
Tao Ming gave a light snort and rolled her eyes.
The Seventh Prince asked again, “And one more thing—this so-called cartoon you just showed me, it’s meant for little children that size, isn’t it?”
“There are things suitable for adults too, like immortal cultivation tales where people fly back and forth in the sky. They’re guaranteed to sell well.”
The Seventh Prince became interested. “Can I see one first?”
“Ah, not right now. I still need to go back to that other world to get one. Besides, the mall has only just begun planning. It’ll be a long time before it’s built.”
The Seventh Prince smiled faintly. “Seems you don’t know, then.”
“Know what?”
The Seventh Prince glanced toward the doorway. “He didn’t tell you? The Su family can build a whole building in no time.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Nanning came in carrying Ruanruan and Nuonuo, saying, “Honey, they’re awake. They’re fussing for their mother.”
Ruanruan was just about to speak when Nuonuo stopped her. In confusion, Ruanruan asked herself, “Why is Daddy lying and not telling Mommy?”
Nuonuo answered, “Why is Daddy lying?”
“I don’t know.”
“Daddy doesn’t want Mommy to be alone with Cousin Uncle, so he lied.”
“Then let’s ask Daddy for two more surprise eggs.”
“Okay, okay.”
...
The Seventh Prince took out two boxes and said, “Ruanruan, Nuonuo, your cousin uncle brought you something tasty!”
Ruanruan wriggled out of Su Nanning’s arms and climbed onto the Seventh Prince’s lap. “Cousin Uncle is the best!”
Su Nanning ground his teeth quietly and set Nuonuo down as well.
Nuonuo looked at Su Nanning cautiously. Seeing that, Tao Ming smiled and said, “Nuonuo, you go too!”
Only then did Nuonuo come over and call out “Cousin Uncle” as well.
With the two little ones there, there was naturally no chance to discuss anything serious.
Only then did Tao Ming belatedly realize that her parents were absent. “Cousin, where are my mother and father?”
The Seventh Prince watched the two children eat as he replied, “Uncle and Aunt have taken people to the back courtyard pond to fish.”
Tao Ming blinked. Fish? Why not go angling?
Ruanruan tugged at the Seventh Prince’s sleeve and tried to pull him outside. “I want to go fish too.”
The Seventh Prince stood up and led the two children out. After a few steps, he turned back and saw Tao Ming still seated motionless, and asked, “You’re not coming?”
Tao Ming shook her head. “I don’t want to. It’s rare for someone else to help with the children, so I’m going to slack off for a bit.”
Su Nanning looked at Tao Ming and said, “We’ll have some time alone.”
The Seventh Prince turned back and said, “Then I won’t go either.”
Ruanruan yanked on his sleeve in a little tantrum. “Cousin Uncle, take us fishing!”
The Seventh Prince bent down and said softly to Ruanruan, “Go pull your mother over. We’ll all go together.”
Ruanruan ran to Tao Ming, took her hand, and pleaded coquettishly, “Mommy, I want to go fishing!”
Tao Ming sighed helplessly. Su Nanning picked up Ruanruan and said, “Daddy will take you two. Let Mommy rest.”
Seeing this, the Seventh Prince spoke up. “I’ll take them, then.”
Su Nanning immediately stuffed Ruanruan into the Seventh Prince’s arms. The Seventh Prince had no choice but to carry Ruanruan and lead Nuonuo out.
Once Su Nanning saw the Seventh Prince leave the courtyard gate, he swept Tao Ming up in his arms and strode back to the side room. “Now that those two aren’t here, let’s make the most of our time.”
Tao Ming said crossly, “Didn’t you say you wanted me to rest?”
“That’s exactly why I’m making sure you rest properly!”
...
The Seventh Prince had not gone far with the two little ones when Ruanruan said she had forgotten to ask their mother for a small fishing net. So the Seventh Prince turned back with them and went into the main hall, but seeing no one there, headed toward the side room.
When he was still six or seven feet from the side room, he heard Su Nanning, gasping, call softly, “Honey,” followed at once by Tao Ming’s tender, soul-stirring moan.
The Seventh Prince swiftly picked up the two little ones and turned away at once, cursing Su Nanning in his heart for being utterly shameless!