Chapter 322 Trimming her nails

Yao Qingling was asked the question.

She chuckled, didn't answer, and walked away with her wine glass.

Madam You sat alone in the courtyard for a while, watching the laughter coming from the flower hall. Someone had said something funny, and everyone was laughing like flowers.

Madam You scratched her face, as if she had made up her mind, and said, "Let's treat this banquet as a way to bring good luck!"

She got up and rejoined the group, this time eating to her heart's content.

Who knows if there will be another meal? Let's eat!

Just as everyone was eating and drinking, Lou Yue suddenly noticed something and asked, "Where did Nie Yun go? Didn't she come back with Miss?"

He scratched his head. "Strange, but I think I saw her. Was I drunk? I can't remember..."

At this moment, Lin Shiyuan sat on the rooftop, quietly listening to the commotion below.

It wasn't until late at night that everyone stumbled back to their rooms.

Yao Qingling didn't drink much; she lay diagonally on the kang (a heated brick bed) and pretended to sleep.

Lin Shiyuan came in and had just closed the door when he heard the woman ask, "Where did Nie Yun go?"

The man turned around: "Not asleep?"

Yao Qingling stood up: "I knew you would come. If I went to sleep, wouldn't I miss it?"

Lin Shiyuan curled his lips into a smile, picked her up, and sat her on his lap: "You missed me that much?"

Qingling nodded and murmured lazily, "Yeah, I've lost weight from missing you so much."

Lin Shiyuan looked at her face from both sides and pinched it again: "You're not thin at all."

She stayed in the village for half a month, away from all her troubles. With Taoye and Heyin around, how could she possibly lose weight?

Yao Qingling sighed: "It seems that pretending to be pitiful won't make you feel sorry for me anymore."

Lin Shiyuan looked at her without saying a word.

His gaze was calm, yet there was an indescribable feeling beneath that calm.

Yao Qingling felt a sudden panic as he stared at her. She lowered her eyes and asked again, "Where is Nie Yun?"

Lin Shiyuan said, "She went and beat up Zhan Xingzhuo."

Zhan Xingzhuo was skilled in martial arts, though not as formidable as the emperor's guards, he was still quite capable. Among the many young masters in the capital, he excelled in both literary and martial arts; otherwise, he wouldn't have had so many followers.

Yao Qingling thought for a moment. Nie Yun went with her to the estate. She was still angry after seeing Yao Qingling slap Zhan Xingzhuo, and went back to beat him up again.

Was she injured?

"It's not serious, it will be fine after a few days of rest."

"And what about Zhan Xingzhuo?"

Lin Shiyuan looked down at her, his face full of displeasure: "You care about him?"

His tone of voice changed from anger.

Yao Qingling quickly said, "Why should I care about him? I mean, he is, after all, an official of the imperial court. Being attacked on the road is a very serious matter."

She looked serious.

Lin Shiyuan said, "The injury is not serious."

Nie Yun only intended to teach him a lesson, but after making her move, she realized their martial arts skills were evenly matched. Nie Yun's only advantage was that she caught him off guard and successfully launched a sneak attack.

Yao Qingling breathed a sigh of relief.

That way, things won't escalate.

In these turbulent times, we must be even more cautious.

Lin Shiyuan calmed himself down and suddenly fell silent again.

Yao Qingling sensed his emotional change and her mouth suddenly went dry.

Her eyes darted around as she asked, "Are you thirsty? Would you like me to pour you a cup of tea?"

I picked up the teapot and found it was empty.

Yao Qingling then said, "I'll go add some more water."

Lin Shiyuan hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her back into his arms: "Do you need to do such a small thing?"

He put the teapot back on the table, his expression becoming even more serious.

Yao Qingling swallowed hard, scratched her head, but didn't know how to start the conversation.

The man said, "Yao Qingling, I remember seeing a scroll that wasn't completely burned before. Shouldn't you explain that to me?"

Qingling bit her lip, her brows furrowed tightly.

She could easily explain things to others, but she didn't know how to broach the subject with Lin Shiyuan.

She kept the painting a secret from him. She thought she could handle it well, but such a big thing happened, and it became a source of heartache for her.

Her lips opened and closed repeatedly, her jaw twitching several times, but the man's stern gaze made her scalp tingle.

Finally, Yao Qingling seemed to resign herself to her fate and recounted the whole story.

"...The reason I didn't tell you is because that painting is very private; it was painted for me by Zhan Xingzhuo. I don't want you to know...I don't want you to be upset."

"This was originally a small matter, who could have known, who could have known..." Yao Qingling had been putting on a brave face all day, but now her voice choked up and tears welled up in her eyes.

Lin Shiyuan felt a headache when he saw her tears. Her tears softened his hardened heart and extinguished the fire in his heart.

The man hugged her and kissed her forehead: "Of course I'm upset. But what upsets me is that you're being gossiped about because of this, that you've suffered such injustice and fear, and I know nothing about it."

"Don't I know about your past with Zhan Xingzhuo? He painted your portrait when you were newlyweds. You were so affectionate back then, why would I be jealous?"

"What angers me is that Zhan Xingzhuo couldn't even handle such a small matter, and actually let someone do something to hurt you. It's clear he's a terrible person. Your divorce only makes it clearer that he's incompetent. What a disgrace you've made!"

Yao Qingling sniffed.

He cupped her face in his hands and gently wiped away her tears with his thumb.

Qingling's voice choked slightly: "Is that really what you think? You really don't mind that painting?"

The man said, "How can I prove that I really don't mind?"

"Why don't you paint one of my pictures and stick them all over the streets so everyone can see it?"

Qingling laughed and cried at the same time, then punched him lightly: "No! You're so handsome, what if other women fall for you?"

That's where the unfairness lies.

No matter how promiscuous a man is, the world will label him as "romantic," and it will not affect his marriage or future prospects.

Lin Shiyuan pinched her nose: "Don't think I don't know your drawing skills are terrible. If you can draw even a third of me, you've improved your drawing skills."

Qingling spat at him, but his teasing made her feel a little better.

“But only Zhan Xingzhuo and I have seen this painting. Unless…” Qingling bit her lip and thought for a while, “He used a fake painting to deceive me, which means the real painting isn’t in his possession?”

She was horrified.

"So, where is that painting?"

Yao Qingling recalled the hint that Magistrate Gao had given her, "Do you think he used a painting to curry favor with someone, giving them leverage against me and tarnishing my reputation?"

"Damn it, I only just realized it now. I should have confronted him and asked him!"

Lin Shiyuan grasped Yao Qingling's clenched fist and pried her fingers open one by one.

Her palms were covered in nail marks.

He went to get the scissors.

Yao Qingling glared at him: "What are you doing with these scissors at this time? Are you going to use them to stab him to death?"

The man tapped her forehead and then grabbed her fingers: "I'll cut them all off, so you won't pinch your palms when you're angry."

Qingling tucked her fingers in; "At least in a crisis, I can use them as a weapon to scratch someone's face."

Lin Shiyuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then cut less."

Yao Qingling stopped resisting and decided to go along with him for a while.

Lin Shiyuan spoke as he cut: "I've been investigating lately... starting with those painters. Their painting skills are quite average, which means they are not famous painters. They may even be poor scholars who take on jobs just to earn some money."

With the imperial examinations approaching, many candidates have come to the capital to take the exams, in addition to those who failed the previous exams and did not return home, making the number quite large.

This explains why so many paintings appeared all at once.