Chapter 4 I angered her today

The garden had been bustling with activity due to the arrival of the Yan siblings, but had become somewhat quiet again because of this less-than-pleasant little incident.

The guards often carried mint leaves with them, which Qian Yingyi had never noticed before. Perhaps she deliberately inhaled the scent of citrus on Yan Sanlang today, and that's when she noticed the fragrance.

Qian Yingyi glanced down at the hand in front of her.

The edges of his fingers were neatly trimmed, and he used some force when bending his finger bones. The veins on the back of his hand were prominent and slightly darker than the fair skin of others.

She had held that cup of tea before; it wasn't scalding hot, but if it were spilled on someone's skin, it would definitely leave some red marks.

The guard's tiger's mouth did indeed have a slight red tinge.

The minty scent lingered in front of her for a long time. Qian Yingyi blinked as she looked at him, her senses feeling a little chilled by the scent.

Suddenly snapping out of her daze, a surge of resentment welled up inside her, and she snapped, "Who gave you permission to act on your own? Can't you read the room?"

Taking advantage of the moment before everyone got too close, Qian Yingyi took the cup and glanced at the pale red mark about an inch wide on his hand, and instructed again, "You just need to hold off that person from before, don't worry about anything else."

As fate would have it, the young master Wu's eyes darted over, and he rushed over, asking, "Yingyi, Yingyi, how are you?"

He glared at Qin Lizheng again, "What an unruly guard! I haven't settled the score with you yet! How dare you get so close to your master?"

Unfortunately, Qin Lizheng didn't even look at him. He casually placed two fingers on his shoulder and pushed his thin body backward a few steps with a little force.

Qin Lizheng raised an eyebrow and glanced in the direction of the Yan siblings, then nonchalantly returned to his previous spot.

Wu Niansheng was repeatedly thwarted by him, and he clenched his fists in anger. Fearing that he would make a fool of himself in front of Qian Yingyi, he stood there and glared at Qin Lizheng a few times before timidly hiding behind the screen.

A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers. Two peach-faced peony parrots kept in the garden chirped twice, bringing Yan Qiuyan back to her senses. A smile spread across her face as she pulled Qian Yingyi forward to introduce her:

"Third brother, it's been years since we last met, you're still the same as before. This is Yingyi, her surname is Qian, you haven't met her before."

“Yingyi, this is Yan Sanlang. We often call him Brother Yan or Third Brother. His name is Ruheng, and his courtesy name is Qingxi. Sometimes we also call him Brother Qingxi.”

Caught off guard, Qian Yingyi was pulled forward and couldn't help but steal another glance at Yan Ruheng's face. Standing in the garden, bathed in sunlight, he seemed to be the most unique and dazzling among thousands of trees.

Upon their first meeting, she hesitated to call him "brother." Seeing him smile at her and address her as "Miss Qian," she thought for a moment, then lifted her skirt and bowed, calling out in a clear voice, "Lord Yan."

Previously, it was mentioned that he was transferred back to Jiangning, and when dealing with official business, it was acceptable to address him as "Sir".

Seeing that she was very open and generous, Yan Ruheng did not feel offended even though he knew that she had stared at his face many times. He just pursed his lips and chuckled twice. When Yan Wenying saw this, she tugged at the sleeves of several people, and everyone sat back down on the bamboo chairs in the flower pile.

During their chat, Qian Yingyi kept glancing at the screen, and seeing that upright figure made her feel a little better. She happily grabbed a slightly cool slice of melon and took a small bite.

Before long, Guo Yue started talking again, asking about the matter between Yan Wenying and Lin Yuhu.

Qian Yingyi quickly looked away, her eyelashes fluttering a few times. She exchanged glances with Yan Qiuyan and Wen Ninglan, inevitably conveying the same message:

Guo Yue really knows how to bring up the most sensitive topics; she just can't control her mouth.

To everyone's surprise, Yan Wenying didn't care. She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, covered her lips and chuckled, her eyes revealing a hint of arrogance and mockery: "Him? The day my father-in-law returned home, he heard that the people by the river had seen my nanny pull him out of the den of iniquity. He lost face and gave him a severe beating. He's still lying on the bed crying out."

Yan Qiuyan was closer to Yan Wenying after all, and couldn't help but feel sorry for her for marrying the wrong person, so she hesitated to speak for a moment.

A moment later, Yan Wenying lowered her eyes and looked at her lower abdomen, then chuckled softly, “Fortunately, I don’t have any children with him. Now that Sanlang is back, he can support me. Because of my father, the Lin family can only dote on me, so life is still passable.”

Wen Ninglan glanced at the other end of the screen and echoed, "That's true. Brother Yan has always been kind to my sister since we were little."

Qian Yingyi had seen Lin Yuhu's decadent and dissolute state before, and secretly pursed her lips, thinking to herself that with such a person by her side, there was no possibility of a peaceful life. No matter how much someone supported them, that person could not interfere between the couple.

But Yan Wenying looked relaxed and carefree, and just kept eating the melon without saying a word.

A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers throughout the garden. After chatting about everyday matters, the maids of the Yan family served some snacks. Yan Qiuyan gently pushed a plate of rice cakes in front of Qian Yingyi, saying, "Knowing you were coming, I specially asked the cook to make these. They're just for you."

Qian Yingyi smiled at her and tasted the rice cake.

Yan Wenying's gaze fell on the golden cicada hairpin on Qian Yingyi's head. She was seven or eight years older than Qian Yingyi. When she married Lin Yuhu, she didn't know that the Qian family had such a pretty young lady. It was only later, through Yan Qiuyan's introduction, that she met her. Therefore, she gave a kind smile and praised her:

"Yingyi, this hairpin is really beautiful. Your habit of liking pretty things since you were a child is still the same as ever."

Qian Yingyi straightened her back and gently shook her head, showing the others her fluttering, thin wings. She chuckled twice and said, "Sister Yan has good taste. My mother brought these from the capital when she returned to Jinling at the end of the year. They aren't particularly precious, but they are beautiful, so I kept them."

She then praised, "Sister Yan's floral hairpin is exquisite today, making her look even more beautiful. I think if all the flowers in Qiu Yan's garden were picked and given to Sister Yan, she would still outshine them all."

Yan Wenying laughed so hard she almost fell off her chair. She glanced at Qian Yingyi with a mixture of reproach and coquettishness, then suddenly leaned closer to her, her eyes glancing almost imperceptibly at the intercom screen. She asked softly:

"Since you like beautiful things, do you think my brother is beautiful when you see him today?"

Caught off guard by the question, Qian Yingyi was stunned. She knew that Yan Wenying was teasing her, but there was still something she couldn't suppress, such as her face; she was definitely blushing.

Qian Yingyi hurriedly grabbed a cup of hot tea and drank it. For a moment, she felt awkward, unsure whether to sit or stand. After pacing around in place for a while, she whispered, "Sister Yan!"

The group burst into laughter, and Yan Qiuyan put her arm around Wen Ninglan, the two of them right under Qian Yingyi's nose.

Yan Qiuyan asked, "Xiao Lan, tell her what you think of Third Brother?"

Wen Ninglan frowned: "Beautiful."

The commotion was so loud that Yan Ruheng coughed twice on the other end of the screen, looking slightly helpless.

"I knew you would make fun of me. It would have been fine in the past, but it would be bad if I scared Miss Qian today."

Qian Yingyi glanced at the group, and then Yan Wenying reached out a finger and gently lifted Qian Yingyi's slightly flushed cheek. "It was just a joke. We used to joke about him all the time, but it scared you."

Qian Yingyi blinked twice, secretly relieved, and pressed her face against the back of her hand. "I thought Sister Yan was going to say something surprising, but it turns out I was overthinking it."

Qin Lizheng remained quiet throughout, taking in all the noise from the group.

A gentle breeze and warm sunlight shone directly on Qian Yingyi's profile. Standing on Qin Lizheng's side, he glanced at her quietly and noticed that her face was even redder. He couldn't help but chuckle silently, thinking to himself that she was really easy to tease.

He then turned his gaze to Yan Wenying and Chaping, pondering to himself.

At noon, Yan Qiuyan invited everyone to lunch in the small flower hall. Yan Wenying, whose energy was not as great as the younger ladies and who had a habit of taking a nap, wanted to say goodbye to Yan Qiuyan and arranged to meet again in the spring.

Since she had left, Yan Ruheng could not persuade her to stay any longer. Guo Yue also felt bored. After exchanging a few more words of laughter with the others, she led her maid away.

Thus, the small gathering ended. Yan Wenying and Yan Ruheng boarded the carriage in front of the door. Yan Ruheng lagged behind a little. Qian Yingyi wanted to take a few more glances, so she spun around and hid behind a pillar to look at Yan Ruheng's face.

Unexpectedly, a clueless guard appeared out of nowhere and stepped onto a stone step in front of the Yan residence. Taking advantage of his tall stature, he blocked everyone's view completely.

Qian Yingyi glared at him, her eyes darting back and forth, signaling him to move away.

Qin Lizheng raised an eyebrow and stepped forward again, "Miss, are your eyes uncomfortable?"

He said, "I remember now, Miss also has the habit of taking a nap at noon. Are you sleepy?"

The Yan family's carriage had already driven away. Wen Ninglan left first, and Wu Niansheng also left, looking back every few steps. Only Yan Qiuyan remained.

With a sigh stuck in her throat, Qian Yingyi decided to stop pretending and punched the guard on the shoulder with her fist. "Why are you blocking my way!"

The blow to her shoulder was neither painful nor itchy. Qin Lizheng glanced down at her and said, "Miss, you're quite strong. You must not be sleepy. Where else would you like to go for a walk?"

Qian Yingyi's punch startled Yan Qiuyan, who quickly stepped forward to pull her away, "Why are you getting angry with the servant? Wasn't he protecting you from Wu Niansheng?"

Qian Yingyi raised her chin and ordered the guard, "You are not allowed to come home with me. I want to eat sweet potatoes from the riverbank, rice balls from Shangyuan, and sweet syrup sold by the old lady at Hongmiao. Go and buy them all for me!"

These places were all incredibly far away, and she was determined to punish him.

These words were exactly what Qin Lizheng wanted to hear. He had been teasing her on purpose, so he glanced at Xia Ling behind her and said, "Then please be careful on your way back, Miss."

After saying that, he turned his back and left.

Qian Yingyi stared at his retreating figure, then finally stamped her foot. Not wanting Yan Qiuyan to laugh at her, she composed herself, bid farewell to Yan Qiuyan, and led Xia Ling into the carriage to head home.

Qin Lizheng walked along the banks of the Qinhuai River, then turned and entered a music hall near the academy. When he came out again, he was no longer walking alone but walking with a partner.

The man standing beside him was the one who had stabbed him that day. He had a pair of affectionate eyes, was handsome and elegant, and was already holding a folding fan and waving it lightly even before spring had arrived. His name was Chu Zhiyan, the owner of this music hall, and also Qin Lizheng's subordinate.

Chu Zhiyan kept looking at his guard's clothes, and couldn't help but laugh. "That day you were picked up by a woman by some strange coincidence. I thought you were just going to obediently go home with her and become her son-in-law."

"If you don't want your tongue, I'll cut it out for you," Qin Lizheng said without stopping, heading towards the Lin family's residence. "Although I didn't enter the Lin residence, I did see the Yan family's brother and sister today. I asked you to come and investigate because I didn't have enough time."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I still need to buy her food."

Chu Zhiyan laughed so hard his shoulders trembled. It was obvious who this "she" was. He looked up at the sky and gently waved his fan. "I wonder if the Emperor would laugh at you for taking it upon yourself to have a new master."

Qin Lizheng did not reply and walked through the alley with a calm expression. After about a quarter of an hour, he arrived at the gate of the Lin residence. The two found a secluded place to hide and waited for half an hour. Sure enough, they saw the carriage from before parked in front of the Lin residence.

Yan Ruheng first lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, then turned around and helped Yan Wenying down. Yan Wenying stepped onto a slightly higher stone step and, with a kind older sister demeanor, tightened Yan Ruheng's cloak.

She was already tall, and after stepping onto the stone steps, she was only half a head shorter than Yan Ruheng. She then brushed away the non-existent dust from his shoulders, and her red lips parted slightly, "Qian Jiayingyi, what does Sanlang think?"

Yan Ruheng's voice was soft, "Sister, she is very beautiful."

“Then don’t forget your father’s instructions.” Yan Wenying smiled.

Yan Ruheng slowly nodded her chin, her particularly beautiful eyes showing concern. "Sister, I have sent someone to tell the brothel that Lin Yuhu will not be entertained when he goes there again."

"As the younger brother, I still feel sorry for my older sister."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Wenying swept her hand lightly over Yan Ruheng's body, then twirled her skirt and disappeared into the large Lin family mansion.

Yan Ruheng stood still for a long while, the smile on his lips faded, and he glanced down at the stone step Yan Wenying had just stepped on, his eyes revealing a cold expression.

A moment later, they also got into their carriage and left.

A moment of silence fell over the gates of the Lin residence. Chu Zhiyan raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Qin Lizheng. "Tsk, these siblings seem to have their own agendas."

Qin Lizheng pondered the phrase "Don't forget Father's instructions," then sneered, "It seems this brother and sister deliberately approached her today. Both of them are from the Yan family..."

"If the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture wanted to have dealings with the Left Vice Minister of Works, why would he need to go through such a roundabout way?"

Chu Zhiyan pondered to himself, "Commander, do you mean... the Yan family wants to take their relationship with the Qian family a step further? To form a marriage alliance?"

Qin Lizheng glanced coldly at the vermilion gate of the Lin residence, his tone carrying a hint of certainty: "It's not that simple."

As the sun cast its slanting shadows, Qin Lizheng turned and walked back the way he came, instructing, "Send more men to keep an eye on Yan Ruheng. We'll dig a hole out of him."

Chu Zhiyan nodded in agreement, and seeing him quicken his pace, she hurriedly chased after him, "Running so fast, the young lady only asked you to buy food, what's the big deal?"

Qin Lizheng's fingers tightened subtly around his sword. He had initially been annoyed by having to buy food from the places Qian Yingyi had specified, but upon reflection, he realized that he had only discovered the strangeness of the Yan family today because he was following her...

He had angered her first.

Only a few rays of sunlight pierced through the narrow alley, illuminating Qin Lizheng's eyes and causing his eyelashes to droop slightly. For some reason, he softened his stance, and the annoyance in his heart dissipated. He didn't stop walking, only saying:

"I have angered her today, so I will take this as an apology."

A note from the author:

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Qian Yingyi: What a handsome man! I want to look at him, then look again, and then look some more! [heart eyes]... Ouch! Who's blocking my way?! [angry]

Qin Lizheng: Hurry up and get things done, I still need to buy some food!