Chapter 52 A single orchid: Husband, aren't you going to take a bath yet?

It was late at night, and Shengjing was shrouded in darkness and silence.

The courtyard of Jixuezhai was also quiet, and the creaking of the canopy bed became more noticeable after the wind blew.

Cui Yiluo didn't know where Jiang Yunjin got so much energy tonight. He lasted longer than before and became more reckless, as if he couldn't control himself. His gaze towards her also became more profound.

Finally, fill it in.

When it ended, she was in a daze, only feeling her cheek being gently brushed by slender fingers, bringing a tingling sensation.

Then, it seemed as if her lips were lightly kissed, a fleeting touch.

Her eyes were too heavy to open, as if she were trapped in a warm quilt, and that gentle warmth seemed more like a hallucination in her slumber.

The next day, when Cui Yiluo got up, the bright sunlight shone into the bedroom through the window paper. It was already Chenshi (7-9 AM), and Jiang Yunjin had already gone to court. She looked at the empty, now cold spot beside her and felt a strange emptiness in her heart.

Cui Yilu noticed this and immediately frowned.

She didn't understand where this strange feeling came from.

And when did she start sleeping so deeply? She didn't even feel him getting up to change his clothes, whereas she had always been a light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest movement.

That's why she woke up and reacted so quickly when Zhao Jian sneaked into her room two years ago. Otherwise, given Zhao Jian's obese physique, even if she had a dagger, it would have been difficult for her to subdue him.

But these days, she can feel herself sleeping more and more soundly. It can't be because she was too tired from doing that before bed, can it?

Or perhaps, she had somehow come to trust Jiang Yunjin. Trusting someone, especially someone as cold and heartless as Jiang Yunjin, was hardly a good sign.

Cui Yiluo bit her lip. Although he trusted Yao Shi a bit when she slandered him last time for the sake of the Jiang family's reputation, he still trusted her to some extent. Moreover, he had helped her get rid of Zhao Jian.

Although Cui Yiluo was not kind-hearted, she was not an ungrateful person.

There was a light knock on the door, and then Lilan's low, tentative voice came in: "Is the young lady awake? I heard some noise inside."

Cui Yiluo lifted the covers and got out of bed. "Come in."

Lilan quickly pushed open the door and came in, only to see Cui Yiluo rummaging through the cabinet in the sunlight. She hurriedly stepped forward and said, "What is it that you are looking for, Miss? Let me help you."

But the next moment, two brocade boxes were stuffed into his hands.

The brocade box was slightly larger than her palm, filling Lilan's hand completely. Then she heard Cui Yiluo say with a smile, "Lilan, happy birthday."

Lilan immediately clutched the brocade box tightly, her eyes blurring with tears, and murmured, "Miss..."

Her hand was gently patted, and Cui Yiluo comforted her in a calm tone, "Why are you crying? You've been with me for over ten years, and you're the only person I can trust. You used to be made things difficult for Yao because of me, but now that things are finally getting better, I can't do without you."

Lilan sniffed, suppressing her tears, and smiled, "The Yao family has been sent away by the eldest young master, and they will never be able to set foot in Shengjing again. You will have no more worries now."

Cui Yilu smiled faintly, "Not necessarily."

Lilan paused, and Cui Yiluo, fearing she would worry, didn't continue, changing the subject instead: "Alright, I've ordered the kitchen to cook you some longevity noodles. Sit down and eat with me later. Jiang Yunjin isn't here, so we don't need to worry too much. And..."

Cui Yiluo then took out a bulging purse embroidered with pale yellow forsythia.

Lilan was so surprised she couldn't speak, "Miss, how come there are so many..."

Seeing her stunned expression, Cui Yiluo chuckled slightly: "You spend all day with me looking at the accounts, how come you don't know why? Don't be as frugal as before, you should also take care of yourself. After all, you can't always be with me."

Lilan's eyes welled up with tears again, and she quickly said, "What are you saying, Miss? This servant will stay with you for the rest of my life."

Cui Yiluo smiled but remained silent. Lilan knew that Cui Yiluo was too calm in her dealings and had no expectations of others, so she didn't argue further. Fortunately, she knew in her heart that she would not betray or leave Cui Yiluo.

Lilan wiped away her tears, carefully put away the brocade box, and left the bedroom. After having breakfast with Cui Yiluo, she took the opportunity to remove the jade pendant that Cui Yiluo had given her and replaced it with a new orchid jade pendant, along with the hairpin.

Cui Yiluo didn't hide the fact that she had celebrated Lilan's birthday. Lilan even changed into a new jade pendant. The jade was translucent and exquisitely crafted, clearly made by the Baoyue Pavilion in Shengjing, and was priceless. The servants of the main branch naturally envied Cui Yiluo's generosity towards Lilan, and became much more diligent in their work, just waiting for the day they could receive some rewards.

This matter naturally reached Wen Feng's ears as well.

Wen Feng waited for Jiang Yunjin to finish his shift at the Duanmen Gate. After reporting on his affairs on the way back to the mansion, he turned to talk about matters within the mansion. Previously, Wen Feng had not reported matters concerning Cui Yiluo to Jiang Yunjin, as he knew that Jiang Yunjin had always disliked listening to the gossip of irrelevant people.

But after he inadvertently mentioned it once, he immediately tensed up, fearing that Jiang Yunjin would scold him. But after a long time, he heard the young master riding the horse beside him give a soft "hmm," which seemed to indicate that he should continue.

From then on, Wen Feng tentatively reported matters concerning Cui Yiluo within the manor to Jiang Yunjin. These were all trivial matters that all the servants of the main branch had witnessed, but Jiang Yunjin listened calmly. Having served Jiang Yunjin for many years, Wen Feng was even more certain that Jiang Yunjin's reaction was not one of dislike, but rather tacit approval.

Today is no exception.

"The young mistress celebrated Lilan's birthday today. It is said that she personally went to Baoyue Pavilion yesterday to carefully select the gift. The servants were all green with envy and worked with great enthusiasm. If you ask me, the young mistress is truly exceptionally good to Lilan."

Jiang Yunjin's expression changed slightly, and his brows furrowed: "Yesterday?"

Wen Feng replied, "It was yesterday that I went with the Third Miss and Miss Yang."

It was nearing winter, and a cold wind swept by. Wen Feng couldn't help but shiver. Looking at his master beside him, his face had turned completely dark, his eyelids were lowered, and his long, distinct eyelashes were pointing downwards.

The surroundings suddenly became even colder, as if one had fallen into an ice cave.

Wen Feng was startled and quickly realized something was wrong. He hurriedly and cautiously asked, "Young Master, what are your plans for the next few days...?"

Jiang Yunjin pursed his lips slightly, his voice low and deep: "The same as before."

Wen Feng sighed inwardly and replied, "Yes."

After returning to his residence, Jiang Yunjin went straight to his study.

Cui Yiluo had long been used to the fact that the two of them didn't have much time together. On the contrary, she felt relaxed and at ease. With Jiang Yunjin by her side, if she did anything against the rules, he would remind her.

The sky gradually turned dark blue, winter was approaching, and charcoal braziers were lit early in the house at night.

Cui Yilu covered herself with a thin blanket and sat on the couch, flipping through the account book.

Unbeknownst to her, the world grew quieter. Cui Yiluo looked up from a stack of account books, glanced at the sky which was now as black as ink, and immediately frowned.

There must be a lot of business to attend to in the court today.

She bit her lip, deciding to settle into the bed first, when suddenly she saw that familiar, tall figure through the window paper. As winter was approaching, the breathable gauze she had used in summer had been replaced with thick silk, making the view in the courtyard a little blurry.

However, Cui Yiluo recognized the person immediately.

The door opened and closed again, the bamboo curtain was lifted, and the man's handsome face was revealed in the candlelight. Perhaps because he still carried the desolate chill outside, his expression looked somewhat stern, not as gentle as when the candlelight flickered last night.

"My husband."

Jiang Yunjin gave a soft hum, his gaze lingering on her face for a few moments.

Cui Yiluo was puzzled, thinking he had something important to say, but after a few moments, he only pursed his lips slightly and then looked away without saying a word.

Cui Yiluo sensed something was wrong. She then saw his gaze slowly move down, passing over the thin gauze nightgown she was wearing, and finally landing on the thin blanket covering her. His brows furrowed tightly.

Seeing his expression, Cui Yiluo couldn't help but chuckle, knowing full well what was wrong, husband?

Jiang Yunjin looked at her with a deep gaze, and after a few breaths, said, "Although there is charcoal burning in the room, the cold air is harmful to the body."

Cui Yiluo found it amusing and deliberately feigned a look of doubt: "Is my husband afraid that I will pass on my illness to him? Well, my husband is very busy every day. It would be bad if I were to be delayed because of you."

Jiang Yunjin frowned even more: "That's not what I meant."

Cui Yilu blinked, her tone puzzled: "Then what does my husband mean?"

Jiang Yunjin immediately fell silent, but Cui Yiluo insisted on forcing him to speak, her eyes, brimming with tears, staring straight at him.

He hesitated for a few moments, then simply said, "I'm going to take a bath."

Cui Yilu couldn't help but smile, her arm resting on the table. Her thin nightgown slipped down slightly, revealing her fair wrist, which looked as warm and smooth as jade in the candlelight. She rested her chin on her hand, seemingly both angry and coquettish: "Since my husband knows it's cold outside, why did you make me wait so long? Are you trying to make me freeze?"

The warm candlelight illuminated Cui Yiluo's snow-white profile, making her look radiant and beautiful. Her red lips glistened as she gently bit them, adding a touch of realism and vividness to her expression, making her even more captivating.

Jiang Yunjin's eyes darkened, and he pursed his lips, saying, "I'm sorry."

He did get back to his room late.

Cui Yiluo looked at him and felt the chill emanating from him dissipate slightly. She then curled her lips into a smile, her eyes bold and direct, and urged him in a light, enigmatic tone, "Then, my husband, aren't you going to take a bath?"

The ink in Jiang Yunjin's eyes suddenly darkened.

Cui Yiluo was just teasing him, but Jiang Yunjin, who was always the most upright person, actually took a quick bath and left the bathhouse.

He lowered the brocade curtains, skillfully covered her with them, and lowered his head to kiss her.

As he held her, he suddenly asked, "Are you still cold?"

It was because her body was trembling. Cui Yiluo was immediately annoyed and angry, and bit his shoulder and back while trembling with rage.

If she hadn't known he was such a rigid person, she would have been convinced he was doing it on purpose. He seemed to understand as well, pursed his lips and said nothing more, but instead exerted even more force.

She keenly sensed that tonight was different from last night. For some reason, his aura was much darker tonight, unlike the lightheartedness he displayed last night.

Finally, the clouds cleared and the rain stopped. Jiang Yunjin carried her, who was weak and listless, to the bathroom to tidy her up carefully, and then carried her back to the bed.

As soon as I sank into the newly changed, soft, and clean bedding, sleepiness immediately overwhelmed me, and my vision became heavy.

Cui Yiluo subconsciously moved closer to the heat source, skillfully found a comfortable position to lie down, and was about to fall into a deep sleep.

Suddenly, a man's low voice reached her ears, and her hard chest trembled slightly.

"Are you planning to leave the residence in a few days?"

His question came as abruptly as Cui Yiluo, who was already in a half-asleep state, reacted slowly. It took her a few moments to realize that he was referring to the lantern festival a few days later.

With a sliver of clarity in her mind, she mumbled softly, "My cousin will probably invite me out."

There was no more sound in the darkness.

Cui Yiluo fell into a deep sleep.

The man gently placed his hand on the woman's bare shoulder in his arms, his eyes filled with darkness.

-

In just a few days, the weather turned a bit colder again.

When Cui Yiluo paid her respects to Madam Jiang that day, she ran into Jiang Zhaoyue, and the two of them came out of Madam Jiang's room together.

Suddenly found herself outside without the charcoal brazier, Cui Yiluo subtly pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

Jiang Zhaoyue was talking to her about the preparations for Yang Jingling and Jiang Mingxun's wedding ceremony when her gaze inadvertently swept over the jade pendant at Lilan's waist, and her expression suddenly changed drastically.

Seeing the surprise on her face as she looked at Lilan, followed by a hint of panic, Cui Yiluo frowned and asked in confusion, "Cousin, what's wrong?"

Jiang Zhaoyue was so surprised that she stammered, "Cousin, the jade pendant you chose at Baoyue Pavilion that day...didn't you say it was a birthday gift?"

Cui Yiluo exchanged a puzzled look with Lilan, then said to Jiang Zhaoyue, "It was indeed Lilan's birthday a few days ago."

Jiang Zhaoyue immediately panicked even more, looking as if she had caused a disaster.

"Didn't you give it to my older brother?"

Cui Yiluo was taken aback, then realized and said, "These past few days have been my husband's birthday?"

Logically speaking, the birthday celebrations of young masters from prominent families would begin half a month in advance. The purpose of the birthday banquet is not only to celebrate the birthday, but also to facilitate exchanges between families. For example, Jiang Mingxun, who was promoted this year, began to make preparations a month in advance, including drafting the guest list and sending out invitations.

Jiang Yunjin is the only son of the eldest branch of the Jiang family and also serves as the Grand Secretary. How could there be no commotion at all on his birthday? The servants in the mansion never mentioned it, as if it never happened.

Jiang Zhaoyue explained, "Tomorrow is my elder brother's birthday. It's normal that you don't know. He hasn't celebrated his birthday since he was fifteen. I can't say the reason directly, but I think he'll tell you later. A few days ago, I thought you were going to give him a gift, so I told him about it and even said... you would invite him to the lantern festival. At the time, I saw that he seemed quite happy. If he knew that you didn't know his birthday at all, he would definitely be disappointed."

Jiang Zhaoyue, however, was the culprit who caused this mess. Jiang Zhaoyue suddenly felt a little afraid to face Jiang Yunjin's cold face from the past few days.

Upon hearing this, Cui Yiluo suddenly became clear-headed, realizing that the unusual events of the past few days could be traced back to some clue.

-

As night fell, Jiang Yunjin returned to his room at the usual time.

The candlelight in the room was still dim and warm. Behind the bamboo curtain, a petite figure would, as always, curl up on the tatami mat, intently looking at the account book.

Jiang Yunjin pursed his lips, lifted the bamboo curtain, and unexpectedly, a soft body suddenly rushed into his arms.

"Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, my husband, you don't need to wait for me, please get some rest."

Jiang Yunjin's eyes darkened, and after a few breaths, he responded with a dry, hoarse sound.

Author's note: The "playing hard to get" game is back again [doge emoji]

I might change the title tomorrow. Due to data usage, the cover won't change, so please don't forget me!

Additionally, the text includes a new segment depicting the cousin's erratic behavior [doge emoji].

[Heart] Thank you to all the lovely people who watered the nutrient solution!