Chapter 81 "I really don't know. I'll wait until you figure it out slowly."...

Two pomegranate trees stand outside the study, in the height of their lush season. Undeterred by last night's fierce winds and rain, their branches and leaves have grown even greener. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the branches, casting bright rays that illuminate the vibrant, fiery pomegranate blossoms, making them even more dazzling.

Xue Rongyue casually withdrew her gaze.

The study was very quiet, so quiet that you could clearly hear Luo Zhen and Ji Dian talking and walking outside, as well as Qin Jin's steady breathing inside.

She lifted her eyelids, meeting Qin Jin's gaze as he looked directly at her. A strange displeasure arose within her, and she demanded in a harsh tone, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Qin Jin raised an eyebrow slightly. A night had passed, and he appeared remarkably calm: "I thought you had something to say."

Xue Rongyue was very dissatisfied with this calm, as if she was the only one who felt a lump in her throat about this marriage. She observed Qin Jin's expression and continued to question him: "Did the young master sleep well last night? What time did you go to bed?"

Qin Jin lowered his eyes and said calmly, "I went back and rested, and slept until dawn."

Xue Rongyue's face darkened, and a heavy snort escaped from her nose. Before she could express her displeasure, someone outside the window was already furious.

"fart!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Dian, who "just happened to be passing by," jumped three feet high. Through the crack in the open window, she glared angrily at Qin Jin: "How can you say such a thing to me, who was scared to death by you last night! How can you justify drinking those jars of wine all night long... Ugh!"

Qin Jin's expression immediately changed, and he rushed to the window in three quick steps.

He casually grabbed a pastry from the side and stuffed it into Ji Dian's mouth, making sure Ji Dian couldn't speak for a while. Then he coughed lightly and glanced at Jing Nu and Luo Zhen not far away.

The two men, quick-witted as ever, rushed forward, scooped up Ji Dian, whose eyes were rolling back in his head from choking, and ran away as fast as they could.

With a "snap," the window was slammed shut. Qin Jin's steady breathing could no longer be faked. His strong back straightened, and even without turning around, he could clearly feel the piercing gaze coming from behind.

He stood frozen in place.

Xue Rongyue asked slowly, "How long does Your Highness plan to keep the window closed?"

There's no escaping it now.

Qin Jin turned around and met Xue Rongyue's teasing gaze. He lowered his head helplessly and sighed.

His angular face was taut, his expression cold and stern. If it weren't for the shock that came with being exposed, he would have looked rather unapproachable and aloof.

Recalling Ji Dian's words, Xue Rongyue drawled, a half-smile on her face, "Young Master, why did you lie to me?"

After giving a soft hum, she deliberately emphasized each word: "Stubborn mouth."

Upon hearing this, Qin Jin raised an eyebrow slightly and suddenly strode over.

As he approached Xue Rongyue, his thin eyelids drooped, and the lines at the corners of his eyes were sharp. Because he often kept his expression to himself, it was difficult to discern much emotion from his eyes. When he was not smiling, he always had a sharp and cold aura.

Xue Rongyue looked up at him, calmly saying, "What, is the young master so angry that he wants to teach me a lesson?"

With a slight upward curve of his thin lips, Qin Jin placed his hands on the armrests of the chair, bent down, and closed the distance between them, completely trapping Xue Rongyue in this small space, making it impossible for her to escape.

This distance was undoubtedly inappropriate and ambiguous, so close that they could only see each other in their eyes, and their warm, disordered breaths intertwined. If they took just one more step, their lips would touch.

Faced with Qin Jin's sudden action, Xue Rongyue's face went blank for a moment. She instinctively tilted her long, fair neck back, trying to create distance, but found that she had nowhere left to retreat.

Meeting Qin Jin's gaze, she refused to back down and angrily asked, "What are you doing!"

Qin Jin's pupils were an extremely deep black, like a deep pool that never reveals its depths. He often concealed his emotions very well, and only when his heart was surging with emotion could one glimpse the turbulent waves beneath the calm surface.

His gaze traced Xue Rongyue's face inch by inch, winding down from her smooth and delicate forehead, finally stopping at her eyebrows and eyes.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the paper window, leaving an extremely bright glint in Qin Jin's eyes. This gaze wasn't a scrutiny, but rather a careful examination... a caress.

With each inch she slid down, Xue Rongyue felt as if she were being gently caressed by Qin Jin's gaze.

Qin Jin's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyelids suddenly drooped. He finally answered her question: "I want to see clearly which of someone's words are true and which are false, and whether they have ever been... hypocritical."

Qin Jin's words seemed casual, but they made Xue Rongyue's heart tremble suddenly. Her breath on her chin was hot and light, as if she were being brushed by a feather.

Xue Rongyue felt unwell, turned her head away, and her breathing became increasingly unsteady.

What unsettled her even more was that she knew deep down that this discomfort didn't stem from any resistance or rejection of Qin Jin or the almost aggressive distance between them; rather, it was more about...

Her sudden, inexplicable panic.

Qin Jin's gaze was sharp and intense, as if he could see into people's hearts, leaving Xue Rongyue nowhere to hide. However, she didn't even know why she felt uneasy; she just subconsciously wanted to dodge.

She had no way to answer Qin Jin's questions, nor did she want to, and she certainly didn't want to back down under Qin Jin's "offensive".

Her neatly trimmed nails dug into her palm. After a moment of pain, Xue Rongyue took a deep breath, her long neck tensing. She forced herself to meet Qin Jin's gaze, trying to hide her panicked inner turmoil, which she didn't want anyone to know or see through: "Of course not, I never lie."

Qin Jin stared intently at her, taking in her feigned composure and underlying weakness. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he was about to say something when he heard her stubborn words. He couldn't help but lower his head and chuckle: "That's the most fake thing I've ever heard."

Xue Rongyue: "......"

Xue Rongyue was initially stunned by his laughter, but after realizing what he meant, she became furious and pushed him, saying, "That's true! Stop slandering me! Stop laughing!"

The soft, boneless hand pushed forcefully against his chest, but Qin Jin's resolute and upright figure remained motionless, feeling no pain whatsoever. Instead, an indescribable, slight itch seeped into his flesh and blood along with the force, reaching his internal organs with his breath, stirring restlessly in his heart.

Qin Jin closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. He suddenly grabbed Xue Rongyue's hand, his long, slender fingers gripping it tightly, giving Xue Rongyue no chance to break free.

His palms were large and dry, and the heat from his hands made Xue Rongyue's eyelids twitch. She struggled for a moment but found it was no use.

She even began to feel a little regretful. Perhaps she shouldn't have exposed Qin Jin's facade of calm. Once the calm was torn away, some things would become clear, leaving her in a difficult position and unable to control the current situation.

Biting her lower lip, Xue Rongyue turned her face away and cursed fiercely, "You lecherous scoundrel!"

Seeing that Xue Rongyue had stopped struggling, Qin Jin calmly tightened his grip on her hand, a smile playing on his lips: "The imperial decree for the marriage has been issued."

Xue Rongyue sensed something was amiss in his raised tone, and her suspicions immediately resurfaced. She glared at him and demanded, "Why are you looking at me like that?! Is this imperial edict really unrelated to you, Qin Jin?!"

"No, no, you can't get an answer no matter how many times you ask."

Qin Jin snorted lightly, then shamelessly asked, mimicking her words, "What expression? What tone?"

Xue Rongyue couldn't stand his behavior and immediately kicked him, gritting her teeth as she said, "The look of someone who has succeeded in his evil scheme, and the smug tone!"

Qin Jin's eyebrows curved, his dark eyes sparkling, and he denied it, saying, "Don't try to trap me, I didn't have any evil schemes."

Xue Rongyue glared at him and said irritably, "So you're feeling smug?!"

Qin Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, not denying it: "I thought it was already quite obvious."

This answer made Xue Rongyue's heart skip a beat. She pursed her lips slightly, her eyelashes trembling like feather fans. After a moment of silence, she looked up at Qin Jin and asked in a low voice, "...Why are you so smug?"

Qin Jin looked at her quietly without saying a word.

Xue Rongyue, however, was unwilling to give up so easily. Meeting Qin Jin's gaze, she straightened her back inch by inch, then leaned towards Qin Jin and asked again, word by word, "Young Master, why are you so smug?"

Xue Rongyue's round, almond-shaped eyes were clear, like a bright mirror.

As Xue Rongyue drew closer, the two grew even more intimate. Qin Jin did not flinch. After a moment of silence, he met her gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips. His usually clear voice became hoarse: "Want to know?"

Xue Rongyue nodded immediately: "I want to know."

Qin Jin feigned surprise: "I thought you would glare at me, scold me for being mysterious, and tell me to say whatever I wanted. Why did you suddenly change your tactics?"

"Then you can take the opportunity to keep quiet and cover it up?" Xue Rongyue scoffed. "Dream on, I just want to know."

She deliberately provoked him, saying, "Or is it that the young master dares not speak?"

"Another attempt to provoke me?" Qin Jin scoffed. "You're the one asking me that."

Xue Rongyue frowned slightly, deliberately keeping some distance, and looked Qin Jin up and down with her eyes, continuing to provoke him: "You're beating around the bush, it seems the young master doesn't dare to speak."

Qin Jin sighed, seemingly helpless.

Xue Rongyue asked, "Is the young master planning to admit defeat?"

Qin Jin shook his head.

Xue Rongyue raised an eyebrow: "Then what is this?"

Qin Jin said, "Do you really not know?"

Xue Rongyue was taken aback, and the provocative smile on her face gradually froze and disappeared. In the midst of their eye contact, she slowly asked, "...What?"

Qin Jin's gaze was straight, seemingly possessing an unbreakable honesty: "Do you really not know why I'm so proud?"

Xue Rongyue's breathing faltered slightly, and she lowered her eyes, instinctively wanting to evade the question: "I don't know."

"...Then I'll wait for you."

Qin Jin released Xue Rongyue's hand, noticing her nervousness. He didn't press her any further. A faint smile appeared on his usually cold and aloof face. There was no provocation, no impatience, no helplessness, but rather a patient and tolerant expression.

After being aggressive, Xue Rongyue then evaded the answer that was right in front of her.

Qin Jin said in a low voice, "I'll wait until you figure it out."

-----------------------

Author's note: Xiaoyue tends to avoid emotions, but of course, avoidance is useless!

I'm recommending my upcoming novel! Hehe, you can find it on my author page. Anyone interested? It's also a rival novel to me~ [kiss][kiss]

—"Aren't you dead?!"—

Copywriting:

In the spring of the second year of Jingming, Jiang Huanchun's assassination mission failed.

As she fled Chang'an by feigning death, she looked back from Tinglan Slope. Beneath the scattering of paper money, the funeral procession for her was slowly making its way out of Chang'an, accompanied by deafening wails.

In the pavilion not far away, there were four young men, dressed in brocade robes and jade crowns, their wealth evident.

The leader was eight feet tall, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a cold and stern face, and an unruly and arrogant demeanor.

The person next to him flattered him with a smile: "Young Marquis, what goes around comes around. Jiang Nu was no match for you in the end and died with resentment. We should celebrate properly tonight."

As soon as he finished speaking, the young marquis smiled and slowly looked at the person who had spoken, his smile icy.

Amidst the terrified gazes of the crowd, he suddenly kicked him violently to the ground, his expression gloomy and furious.

Seeing this, Jiang Huanchun only sneered, thinking to himself: I hope the gods and Buddhas will protect her and prevent her from ever setting foot in Chang'an again, and from ever seeing Qin Zhao's hideous face again!

To everyone's surprise, two years later, they were proven wrong.

Not only did she re-enter Chang'an, but she also unexpectedly became Qin Zhao's cousin, who had long admired him and was arranged by the Qin family elders to live in their mansion to cultivate their relationship!

On his first day in the mansion, Qin Zhao disappeared without a trace. Qin's mother summoned a servant to inquire about Qin Zhao's whereabouts. The servant replied tremblingly, "He went to offer incense to the deceased Second Madam Jiang again."

Upon hearing this, Mother Jiang couldn't help but sigh, "What a tragic fate!"

Jiang Huanchun: "???"

How disgusting!

***

A cousin came to Qingzhou, but Qin Zhao was in a hurry to visit the grave and only caught a glimpse of her from afar.

She wore a light green robe, with a jade hairpin tucked diagonally into her hair. Upon seeing him, she bowed slightly and called out softly, "Cousin."

Qin Zhao frowned, a feeling of displeasure rising in his heart.

The reason was simple: although he couldn't see his cousin's face clearly through the screen, Qin Zhao inexplicably felt that she looked familiar—

It resembles a deceased friend whom he can't forget, whose grave is now covered with two meters of grass.

*

[I was wondering why I seemed to recognize an old friend; turns out the old friend wasn't dead!!]