Chapter 13 There's plenty of time; let's let it slowly ripen in his hands...

"what ever"

Xue Chan simply refused to drink the tea and instead reached for the cherry cake on the table, but it also ended up in Jiang Ce's hands.

Jiang Ce picked up the sweet cake, took a bite, and smiled brightly: "Thank you."

Xue Chan sat upright and remained silent, ignoring everything he said and did.

The two remained silent for a long time.

Perhaps Jiang Ce also realized he was being uninteresting, so he gently pushed the cup of sweet cake away, and the cup and cake landed steadily on another table.

Xue Chan gave a faint smile, which seemed somewhat cold.

"Since I came to the capital, I have heard people around me praise the Second Young Master for his outstanding demeanor and for being a rare fine young man. But after seeing him today, I feel that they have missed a few things."

Jiang Ce remained silent, waiting for her to say something kind.

"oh?"

Xue Chan and Jiang Ce looked at each other and smiled even more deeply.

"Second Young Master, your tongue is as long as a lotus flower, and your thin lips are full of true feelings."

Jiang Ce's smile froze, and he gripped Xi Tuan's tail tightly.

He knew she wouldn't say anything nice. But being mocked for no reason, he wasn't about to back down.

"This marriage was not my choice. I had no choice but to be bound to you. But we still need to get to know each other, become familiar, and even..."

"To get married and spend one's life together."

He leaned closer, a hint of a smile playing on his lips: "Your names... since we're engaged, could you please tell me?"

She wouldn't have bothered with him if she didn't think he would definitely try to find out behind her back.

Xue Chan wrote words on the table.

Jiang Ce rested his chin on his hand: "'Sandalwood and jade-like beauty, smooth and fresh.' It is indeed a beautiful word. The word is beautiful, but unfortunately, the person is not."

Xue Chan lifted the lid of the teapot, concealing it with her sleeve, and two small pills fell into the pot. Only after the water boiled did she slowly pour the tea.

A cup of tea was pushed in front of him: "Second Young Master, please."

Jiang Ce had long seen through that gentle facade. He wondered who was so sharp-tongued just now, and what was he pretending for now?

He wasn't buying it. In front of Xue Chan, he poured the tea into the clay stove, and white steam rose from the small tea stove. He then deftly snatched the tea from Xue Chan's hand and said, "This cup is too hot. I won't drink it. Your cup is just right."

"......"

Xue Chan's expression immediately turned displeased, and she pursed her lips even tighter.

Jiang Ce felt a surge of pleasure upon seeing her gritted teeth in anger. He simply couldn't stand her; he wanted to target her.

He's happy when she's unhappy.

His smile grew even brighter, and he drank the tea in one gulp with complete satisfaction.

"Cough cough cough cough"

As soon as the tea entered his throat, Jiang Ce choked and coughed violently. If he hadn't covered his mouth in time, he would have coughed up all the tea. Not for any other reason than that the tea was terribly bitter, so bitter that it made him want to vomit.

Jiang Ce stuffed a piece of sweet cake into his mouth, but it still couldn't suppress the bitterness.

He hated bitter things more than anything in his life.

"What did you put there?!"

"I'm still recovering, and it's time for me to take my medicine. It's just the two doses of pills I usually take." Xue Chan sneered slightly and said calmly, "Second Young Master, I poured myself some herbal tea, and you were the one who wanted to take it from me. Are you going to blame me for that?"

She seemed to laugh in exasperation and glared back at him.

"I really don't understand. I tolerated your deliberate attempts to make things difficult, but now that I've humiliated myself, it's my fault. Did I force you to drink this tea?"

Xue Chan's tone was sharp and piercing, her face flushed with anger.

"You, you,"

Jiang Ce's face flushed red to the tips of his ears at her words. He stood up abruptly, causing Xi Tuan to jump down.

The two men, one sitting and one standing, faced each other across a desk.

The maids inside the hall looked at each other, wanting to offer advice but not daring to, secretly observing and ready to go find Zheng Tan at any time.

"Second Brother Jiang..."

Just as the two were about to start arguing, Fang Youxi, who had entered the waterside pavilion, broke the tense atmosphere by speaking first.

Jiang Ce calmed down in an instant.

He stretched out his long arm, scooped up Xituan who was playing with a cup, smiled, leaned down and said softly, "My name is Jiang Ce, courtesy name Bozhou. There's plenty of time in the future, so please remember me, Miss Xue."

Xue Chan still bowed gently.

Jiang Ce scooped up the glutinous rice ball and put it on his shoulder. The others who came in with him greeted him.

After he left, Fang Youxi and the others came in, giving an awkward smile: "Did I... come at the wrong time?"

Xue Chan smiled faintly and said, "You've come at just the right time."

The group was also curious, but they didn't want to ask Xue Chan, so they suppressed their curiosity and gathered around the stove.

Xue Chan smiled, her expression calm and gentle.

Cheng Huaizhu's gaze darted back and forth between Xue Chan, a question lingering in her mind.

What's going on with these two?

She wasn't afraid that Xue Chan would find it offensive, so she tugged at her sleeve and quietly asked her.

"You two..."

Unexpectedly, Xue Chan turned her head, her smile perfectly polite, and softly uttered, "Don't ask, I'm annoyed."

ah?

Cheng Huaizhu looked at Yun Sheng, who, receiving her questioning gaze, shook his head.

Cheng Huaizhu's mind went blank for a moment: Huh? Huh? Huh?

What exactly happened?

She really wanted to know!

—

A person and a cat walked outside.

Jiang Ce was furious when he thought of Xue Chan's pretentious and sharp-tongued manner.

He knew that this person not only couldn't say anything nice, but there wasn't a single thing about him that he found pleasing.

She's plain-looking, hypocritical, cold-hearted, and even more arrogant than him. What will become of her if things continue like this?

Wouldn't I be constantly being dominated and beaten by her?

How can this be tolerated?

This is intolerable.

"hateful!"

Jiang Ce punched the plum tree, and snow fell on his neck, making him shiver with cold.

When Xituan got wet in the snow, she meowed and kicked him in the face, feeling both cold and painful.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

It ran out, but was scooped up and held in the arms of the young man who came forward.

Zheng Shaoyu rubbed against Xi Tuan's soft belly, complaining to Jiang Ce, "Why did you end up here when you were looking for a cat? You made Xiao Huaiting and me wait for ages."

Jiang Ce exhaled, punched him, and said angrily, "It's all your fault!"

"Huh?" Zheng Shaoyu found him baffling. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Xi Tuan clearly doesn't like you, but you still insist on touching it." Jiang Ce walked ahead, annoyed. "If you hadn't provoked Xi Tuan, would it have jumped out the window and run away? If it hadn't run away, would I have been able to come out? Would this whole mess have happened?"

Holding Xituan, Zheng Shaoyu followed closely beside Jiang Ce and retorted, "No, it just likes me."

"..." Jiang Ce looked at Xi Tuan, who was struggling in his arms but to no avail.

Zheng Shaoyu smiled and ruffled Xituan's hair: "Right, Xituan, do you like me? If you don't say anything, I'll take it as yes."

After another incense stick's time, Xue Chan and the others returned to their seats, just in time to find musicians performing.

The melody is melodious and far-reaching, and the sounds of the zither and bells are simple and pure.

Xue Chan and Cheng Huaizhu whispered to each other: "I've never heard this piece before; it's quite unique."

Cheng Huaizhu was initially surprised, but then remembered that Xue Chan wasn't very good at playing the zither and hadn't heard it since arriving in the capital, so she quietly explained.

"This is one of the 'Twelve Palace Musics' that Jiang Erlang's mother, together with the Empress and Consort Xue, composed when she was ordered to teach music in the palace. The piece we are playing now is called 'Searching for Plum Blossoms'."

Xue Chan responded softly, "His mother is so skilled in music?"

Cheng Huaizhu smiled and said, "You don't know this, do you? Madam Yu is a very famous music master."

"Huaizhu, have you ever met Madam Yu? Do you know what kind of person she is?"

"I'm not too sure about that..." Cheng Huaizhu shook her head.

Xue Chan teased, "You used to talk about these things so eloquently, how come you stumbled today?"

Cheng Huaizhu said helplessly, "Madam Yu has a cold and aloof personality. She has lived in a Buddhist temple for many years and rarely participates in banquets and gatherings. I have hardly ever seen her."

"Take the matter that the Dowager Princess of Huai'an requested..." Cheng Huaizhu moved closer to Xue Chan, her voice even softer.

"That was all because the Prince of Huai'an specially submitted a memorial to His Majesty to show his respect for his mother. His Majesty then issued an edict, which is why Lady Yu was able to leave the capital to attend the banquet."

Xue Chan listened quietly with her eyes lowered, seemingly lost in thought.

"Living in a Buddhist temple for a long time...why?"

"well......"

Cheng Huaizhu sighed softly: "How should I put it? I only heard about it, just heard about it."

"I heard that she and the General were deeply in love. Since he died in battle more than ten years ago, his spirit still rests in Changping Mountain. She has been immersed in grief for many years and has not been able to take care of her own children. Therefore, this Jiang Erlang is practically raised and educated by His Majesty and the prince together."

Xue Chan frowned slightly upon hearing this, unsure how to respond, and remained silent.

Cheng Huaizhu seemed very regretful, resting her chin on her hand.

"When the Empress was still alive, I heard that she would occasionally go out. After Lady Zheng married into the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion, and the Empress and the Marquis of Wu'an's wife passed away one after the other a few years ago, she completely retreated to a Buddhist temple in the deep mountains to study music."

Deeply in love and heartbroken, he neglected worldly affairs for many years, even his only child.

Such deep affection...

The sound of the zither rang out on the stage, and plum blossoms drifted down to Xue Chan's lap in the wind. She reached out and gently brushed them away.

When the music ended, the musicians withdrew.

Zheng Tantong said to Old Madam Qi with a smile, "Old Madam, Liu Lang and that child from the Xiao family have specially arranged a play to celebrate your birthday. Would you do me the honor of watching it?"

"The children are so kind, how could we not accept their kindness?" Grandma Qi smiled as well.

After he finished speaking, several makeup artists came on stage.

The script was interesting, and the performers' performances were also entertaining. A few lines of humorous singing made everyone in the audience laugh.

After the play ended, Xue Chan felt cold and went back inside.

When she circled back in from the outer room, Jiang Ce was inside the hall offering birthday greetings; she could hear his cheerful voice even through the curtain. She immediately withdrew her foot, which was about to go around the screen, thinking it best to slip away unnoticed.

"It's cold outside, where are you going?"

Zheng Tan, with her sharp eyes, immediately spotted her. The voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the room looked over.

"Xue girl, come here." Old Madam Qi beckoned to her, and Xue Chan had no choice but to walk over with her head held high.

She stood in front of him, while Jiang Ce stood to one side, his eyes slightly lowered and lips curved in a smile.

Old Madam Qi said, "Second Brother, this is Miss Xue."

Xue Chan gave a slight, polite bow with a faint smile.

Jiang Ce, holding the flowers, smiled and bowed to her.

"Hello, Miss Xue."

Grandma Qi smiled and said, "Miss Xue just said she wanted to paint a plum blossom screen for your sister Tan. Why don't you give her the plum blossom you have?"

"Very good. If Miss Xue can paint it, it will be a great blessing for this plum blossom."

Jiang Ce smiled broadly, stood up, and walked up to her.

Xue Chan lowered her eyes and saw him land in front of her.

His tall stature enveloped Xue Chan in a soft shadow as he approached, with only the rich fragrance of plum blossoms wafting through the air.

Jiang Ce lowered his eyes and bent slightly as he handed over the flowers.

"Miss Xue, please accept Mei."

Xue Chan: "Yun Sheng"

Yun Sheng stepped forward to take the flowers from Jiang Ce's hand, but Jiang Ce pulled them back, and Yun Sheng missed.

Xue Chan felt a surge of irritability and her brows twitched involuntarily.

This person is really... troublesome.

Jiang Ce's eyebrows and eyes were full of smiles, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned. He raised his long eyebrows and handed the plum blossom closer to Xue Chan.

He said it again.

"Miss Xue, please accept Mei."

The tone was light and drawn out, carrying a hint of ambiguous teasing and gritted teeth.

Xue Chan glanced at them lightly, and everyone in the room watched the two of them with smiles.

She smiled gently, extended her hands to receive the plum blossoms, and their fingertips touched as they exchanged them. Xue Chan instantly curled her fingers, gathering all the plum blossoms into her arms.

She stepped back and curtsied.

"Thank you, my lord."

He returned the gesture with a hand salute: "No need to be so polite."

Jiang Ce stepped back to Grandma Qi's side. Grandma Qi looked at the two smiling people and patted his hand with satisfaction.

"Great, that's wonderful."

Jiang Ce also lowered his head and smiled: "Yes, it's really nice."

There's plenty of time; they'll have plenty of fun to do in the future.

After presenting the plum blossoms and exchanging greetings, Xue Chan found a secluded corner to sit down. Using the plum vase as cover, she withdrew her smile and lowered her gaze.

To be honest, she was really exhausted.

Socializing with others is exhausting. Drinking at banquets leaves her feeling utterly weary by the end of the day. Now, sitting quietly, her forced composure begins to crumble.

Grandma Qi said, "Don't stay here, go and entertain the foreign guests."

After bowing to the people inside the room, Jiang Ce stepped out.

As he rounded the screen and was about to cross another curtain, he instinctively turned back. Through the gap in the screen, he saw Xue Chan sitting beneath a bottle of red camellia.

He gazed at Xue Chan for a long time, but she just sat quietly, her eyes lowered.

Xue Chan nestled against Yun Sheng's waist, her eyes opening and closing several times before finally turning to one side and dozing off.

She just... fell asleep?

That's a bit too lazy.

For Jiang Erlang, who was young, impetuous, and full of energy, and could travel all over the capital in a single day, this was an incredible thing.

Because he wouldn't understand that in this world, there are always some people who get tired of walking, tired of going out, tired of meeting guests, and even tired of eating.

Without that fake smile, Jiang Ce thought it looked even better.

Jiang Ce recalled the desolate and cold rain of that night.

In the fleeting light of the fire, her face was pale, and she endured the pain as she plunged the hairpin into her chest.

It was just a hair's breadth away from piercing her heart with the cold, sharp hairpin.

He lay at her feet, the cold, damp rain stinging his face, making it hard to open his eyes. Yet he still saw the clear indifference in her eyes before being kicked away.

Without hesitation, ruthless and merciless, without a trace of pity.

He lay in a pile of grass for three whole days before he finally crawled out, nearly dying on the back mountain of Kuzhu Temple.

If Xue Chan knew that the person that night was him, what kind of expression would she have on her face?

It's going to be amazing.

One day, he will tell her in person how heartless and despicable she is.

There's plenty of time ahead; let's just wait and see how things go under his thumb.

Jiang Ce lifted his foot and strode out of the Jihe Pavilion.

Zheng Tan glanced at the water clock and said softly, "It's time to start the dinner."

Yun Sheng shook Xue Chan awake.

The banquet resumed, and the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air until the moon rose above the eaves, at which point the music slowly faded away.

After seeing off his guests, Jiang Ce was supposed to return to his own room, but he turned into the Jihe Pavilion when he passed by.

The people inside the hall had long since dispersed, leaving only a few servants tidying up. Upon seeing him arrive, they asked, "Second Master, is there anything I can do for you?"

"fine"

Jiang Ce shook his head and was about to turn back. He stopped as he passed a screen.

Beside the screen was a tall flower stand, on which sat a celadon vase with string patterns, and several branches of red plum blossoms were quietly arranged in the vase.

He was a little puzzled. Was there red plum blossoms originally in this porcelain vase?

He really couldn't remember, and felt it was a bit strange to care about such trivial details, so he simply took Xituan back home.

As soon as the door was opened, Xi Tuan jumped down.

Jiang Ce began to remove his belt and clothes, taking off his several layers of outer robes and throwing them on the clothes rack, revealing a back crisscrossed with wounds.

The room wasn't cold because of the burning charcoal fire. He raised his hand and stared blankly at his arm, which was also covered in wounds.

Speaking of which, she had just recovered from a serious illness, so it's no wonder she looked so thin.

An unhealthy body always suffers more pain than the average person.

"well......"

Jiang Ce shook his head, thinking to himself that even if he were to fight her, he needed her to have the strength to fight back. Otherwise, arguing with a sickly person would make him look like he was bullying her.

"Clap"

The window was opened, and someone climbed in and landed on the ground.

Jiang Ce didn't turn around, and said calmly, "Chen Youyu, close the window, it's freezing."

The window was closed, and a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old walked out from behind him.

He had a somewhat cold and serious appearance, but he hadn't fully matured yet, still retaining a childlike innocence.

Yu crossed her arms and tilted her head to look at him, pointing vaguely to the long scar on Jiang Ce's chest: "What happened to you? It doesn't look like an ordinary blade wound."

Jiang Ce put on his clothes and slowly tied his belt: "It's nothing."

Yu stroked her chin: "Few people can get close to you normally. Who injured you?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ce gritted his teeth and suppressed his anger, instead managing a smile: "A female bodhisattva."

"Oh..." Yu didn't ask any further questions; she didn't care whether the woman was a Bodhisattva or a Rakshasa.

He squatted down to touch the glutinous rice ball.

Jiang Ce asked him, "How is it? Did you deliver it?"

"It's much safer outside Yunzhou. When I left, he had already continued his inspection tour south. He's added quite a few people, both openly and secretly, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

"Um"

He looked at Youyu, who was petting Xituan but afraid of being scratched, and flicked his head: "I won't be here tomorrow or the day after. You can stay home and take care of it for me."

"Who?" Yu was a little annoyed after being flicked.

Jiang Ce pointed to the group.

Youyu stood up, crossed her arms, and hid far away: "I don't want to. It's not like you need someone to take care of you."

Jiang Ce raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Anyway, you don't go out, you just sleep at home. If you don't take care of him, then Zheng Shaoyu will have to come over to visit you. He's asked me several times why you haven't come back yet. You don't want to get caught by him, do you?"

Yu Yu's hand, which was wiping the sword, froze, and Zheng Shaoyu's face appeared before her eyes.

He's the most annoying one; he talks too much and is always making a fuss.

Yu thought about Zheng Shaoyu's face, then looked down at Xituan, who was playing with his sword tassel.

Choose the lesser of two evils.

"Don't tell Zheng Shaoyu that I'm back."

Jiang responded with a "hmm".

He didn't say anything, but Zheng Shaoyu realized that it was no longer his responsibility.

After Jiang Ce finished dressing, You Yu suddenly remembered to ask him, "Where are you going?"

"Go to Jixiang Temple to find my mother."

He should have contacted her long ago, but the birthday banquet was busy, Marquis Wu'an was on inspection tour, and Zheng Tan was working non-stop, with too many things to do and no time to spare.

Yu carried Xituan back to her room. Jiang Ce lit a lamp, took a long sword from the sword rack, and began to slowly wipe it clean.

The candles were lit high, casting a dim, yellowish glow.

The wick flickered, and when it was reheated, it reflected the soft, delicate eyebrows.

Xue Chan was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open, and she almost let Yun Sheng and the others remove her hairpins and bracelets for her.

Yun Sheng combed her hair, recalling the argument between the two at the waterside pavilion, and couldn't help but worry: "Miss had a fight with Young Master Jiang today, what will happen in the future... What if they argue again next time..."

Xue Chan yawned and raised her hand to wipe away the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

There won't be a second time.

Actually, it wasn't that she couldn't tolerate it, but Jiang Ce wasn't a very loud troublemaker; he just used his gossipy and petty mannerisms.

It's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his underlings.

Annoying and bothersome.

After taking the medicine, Xue Chan got into bed, wrapped herself in the blanket, lay down, closed her tired eyes, and turned over.

Jiang Ce's face was right in front of me again.

She couldn't help but punch the pillow.

So annoying!

A note from the author:

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