Chapter 9 Swing

Cui Fufeng knew that she had made up her mind, so he said, "If the county lady needs you, you can summon Fufeng."

Qiandeng nodded and looked up at the person in front of him.

In the setting sun, his figure, as bright as pine and bamboo, was covered with a hazy glow, making him appear more independent, noble and gentle.

She heard the Queen's words again in her ears -

There are less than ten days left before the funeral. You must quickly consider the candidate and choose the one you think is the best husband, so that the funeral will not be a success and Lady Qi will not rest in peace in the underworld.

The best husband...

The man before her, born into one of the most powerful clans in the land, was known to all to have a bright future. He was the most admired young man in Chang'an, and the only one in the world with whom she shared her secret.

And now, he was within her reach.

Unfortunately, although her fate and the death of her father and grandfather were not caused by Cui Fufeng and King Linhuai alone, they were the most important links in the planning and promotion behind the scenes.

Even though they had helped her a lot, how could she forget that they were the indirect cause of her father and grandfather's death?

Perhaps the setting sun in front of him was too dazzling, Qiandeng felt pain in his eyes, and there was something hot in them that was about to be difficult to hide.

She turned her head away from him.

Just as they were in silence, a gentle voice suddenly came from the side. It was low, but it could not hide the joy in it: "County Lady, so you are here?"

Qiandeng looked up and saw Shi Jingning coming out of the kitchen carrying a food box.

He nodded to Cui Fufeng, then lifted the lid of the food box slightly and smiled at her: "I made some snacks for the county lady today, but when I heard that you were going to have dinner with Madam Dingxiang, I thought I couldn't give them to you."

Qian Deng had such a messy meeting with Madam Dingxiang that he had no mood to eat. He was already hungry at this time. Seeing the goat milk mille-feuille biscuits in the food box, he took a small piece and ate it.

The small cookies are baked to a crispy texture, and become even more fragrant and rich after adding goat's milk. They break into pieces in your mouth, leaving only a sweet taste on your teeth and cheeks.

"It's delicious." Qian Deng nodded at him, praising and thanking him. "Thank you for your trouble. You worry about me every day."

Shi Jingning said softly, "As long as the county lady likes it, I'm good at it. It only takes a moment."

His eyebrows were gentle, and his long eyelashes covered his bright eyes. The sunset turned his pupils into amber, making him look particularly gentle and quiet.

Looking at the gentle and soft-spoken lover in front of her, eating the fragrant cake in her hand, Qiandeng's heart seemed to be gently bumped by something, and some old memories swayed in her chest, as if they were about to break out of the ground, sprouting soft and long flower stems, and blooming on the edge of the lake in her heart.

if……

Qian Deng's stomach was gripped, and his heart seemed to be gripped by an inexplicable force.

She thought that if she had to choose someone in the next few days, then Shi Jingning would be a good candidate.

His father was an old subordinate of her father's; they knew each other well, having been childhood friends; he was gentle and quiet; he was a good cook; his younger siblings were all well-behaved and sensible under his guidance; if they had children in the future, he would definitely be a good father...

The most important thing is that before my mother died, she only met most of the men once, and the only person she was familiar with was probably Shi Jingning.

Thinking about it this way, the possibility that the person my mother designated was Shi Jingning was actually the greatest.

And, being with such a gentle and shy man, she didn't seem to worry about her future life. After all, it would surely be a peaceful and happy life...

Seeing her eyes fixed on him, as if she were lost in thought and trance, Shi Jingning shyly raised his hand to touch his face and asked hesitantly, "County Lady? What's wrong with me?"

Cui Fufeng looked at Qiandeng's cheeks which were dyed slightly red by the sunset glow, and coughed lightly, as if to remind her.

Qiandeng came back to his senses and stuffed the small cake in his mouth. He opened the food box in Shi Jingning's hand and took a look. He said, "There are so many. I definitely can't eat them all. Let's go and eat them with your brother and sister-in-law."

Shi Jingning subconsciously wanted to say, "If the county lady likes it, please eat more," but suddenly a thought flashed through his mind. The county lady actually wanted to go to his residence in the backyard.

He was immediately overjoyed and nodded quickly in response, "Okay, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law...are also very eager to meet the county lady. They will definitely be happy to see you."

Qiandeng motioned Shi Jingning to go together. Turning around, he saw Cui Fufeng standing there motionless, looking at them. The setting sun bathed him in golden light, but his eyes were dull and could not be shone into.

Somehow, she felt a little guilty, and her voice was a little hesitant: "Then... Cui Shaoqing, do you want to go back to the backyard with me?"

He turned his head away, not wanting to watch them walking side by side intimately. "No, I still have to go back to the government office to take care of some business."

However, no matter how he downplayed it, the wound on his chest left in the cold pond still ached slightly when he left, like a needle piercing his heart.

Liuhua Mountain House was spacious and airy. Shi Jingning's brothers and sisters were practicing calligraphy under the window. When they looked up and saw their brother bringing the county lady over, they exclaimed "Ah" in surprise, put down their pens and ran out in a hurry.

"County Princess! County Princess!" The children looked up at her with admiration in their eyes.

Qiandeng patted their heads one by one, and they sat in the hall and shared the pastries. As it was getting dark, the eldest sister Huaining took the other children to say goodbye to Qiandeng and went to the big room next door to rest.

Looking at Shi Jingning's warm orange silhouette, which softened under the lamplight, Qiandeng pondered for a moment before finally speaking, "Jingning, you and I have known each other since childhood, and our friendship is unique. I want to ask you something today. Please speak to me honestly, not as a potential husband candidate, but as an old acquaintance."

"Yes, may I ask, County Master?"

"Regarding...the people in my backyard, who do you think I should choose the most?"

Shi Jingning was stunned for a moment before speaking with difficulty, "I think...it should be Cui Shaoqing. No matter his family background, talent, future prospects, or appearance, he is a perfect match for the county lady."

"Really..." Qian Deng suppressed the smile on his face, not joking with him. "Then if there is one of the Langjuns who would harm me, who do you think it would be?"

Shi Jingning subconsciously opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but seeing Qian Deng's serious expression, he didn't dare to ask any more questions. He just went over each person in his mind one by one, hesitated for a while, and then shook his head in a daze: "I... I can't see it."

Qian Deng let out a sigh, put down her teacup, looked at him, and said, "If there's one person among you whom I absolutely trust, it's you. After all, you and I have known each other since childhood, and we have a special bond. Therefore, I want to ask you for a favor..."

Seeing her hesitant and depressed look, Shi Jingning felt a slight pang of bitterness in his chest, but he was also slightly delighted by her unique entrustment. He respectfully lowered his hands and said, "County Lady, please give me your instructions. As long as I can help you, let alone one thing, even a thousand or ten thousand things, Jingning will do his best to complete it for you."

Qiandeng nodded and was about to speak when he saw that the flower hall was open on all sides, allowing the night breeze to blow through.

She stood up and walked to the window, looking around to see if there was anything unusual in the dark night.

When she was about to turn around, she looked down and saw a few pieces of white paper scattered on the table in front of the window.

On the white paper were several familiar characters. Each stroke was rigid and stiff, with the trembling strokes of a beginner yet the rounded, mature structure, making it look particularly strange.

She stared at the words, standing stiffly and unable to move.

After a long while, she suddenly turned around, grabbed the paper and asked Shi Jingning behind her: "What is this?"