Chapter 51 Misunderstanding the Little Liar, Who Only Knows How to Deceive Him.
As dawn broke, the stars were sparse. Two or three distant barks of dogs echoed from the small street, carrying a chilling, bone-deep desolation.
"Beep beep—"
Someone knocked on the door, and Song Chengzhi woke up with a start, feeling strange in his groggy state. He wasn't on duty today and didn't need to go to the painting academy, so he had arranged to meet Jinniang to look at paintings. But why was she here so early?
Song Chengzhi got up, put on his clothes, and wiped his face with cool water.
The Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet is a long scroll painting, with each section painted in a different order. He secretly painted Jinniang's scene in the Water Pavilion first, as she was the first person among those present to see the painting that day.
Thinking of the young lady waiting outside the door in the cold dew, Song Chengzhi felt both overjoyed and heartbroken. He quickly opened the door and said with a smile, "My lady, you've come so early..."
Before he could finish speaking, his smile froze on his face.
Two burly servants holding lanterns bowed slightly to Song Chengzhi. "Painter Song, our master invites you."
The carriage wheels kept turning, only coming to a stop when the morning light bathed the earth. Song Chengzhi was dizzy and disoriented. After getting out of the carriage, the sunlight stung his eyes, and he had to squint for a while before he recovered.
This is Danjin Mountain, located west of Luojing City. The mountain is towering and steep, with overlapping forests, making it both rugged and magnificent, and a favorite place for many painters to depict.
Clear sunlight shone through the mountains and forests, and dust danced in the beams of light like wild horses, among which stood a group of people in crimson and purple official robes.
Song Chengzhi had never dealt with them before, but he could tell from their clothing that they were all from the Ministry of Works.
Upon seeing Song Chengzhi arrive, an official in red robes immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his small mustache twitching three times, and said happily, "Painter Song, come quickly, we have important matters to discuss."
Originally, one of the locations chosen by the Ministry of Works for the construction of the Buddha Relic Pagoda was Danjin Mountain. However, the officials and craftsmen in charge of construction and renovation encountered a problem in choosing a location. The specifics of how to build the pagoda, where to build it, and which part of the mountain scenery it should match all required a series of selections and judgments. So they sent someone to invite the court painters to come and provide some guidance.
Song Chengzhi followed them to the temporary viewing platform. He understood what was going on as he listened to the complaints from the Ministry of Works, but his heart was still pounding and he felt like his chest was going numb.
"But... I dare not deceive you, sir. I have specialized in figure painting since childhood. As for landscape painting, many of my colleagues in the painting academy are far superior to me. Why was I chosen to come here alone?"
The official in red stroked his mustache, tilted his chin slightly, and said, "Of course, it was Young Master Meng who recommended you! You're really lucky, lad. It's a great achievement to be able to help with the construction of the Buddha's relic stupa!"
Meng Langjun.
Isn't that the house where Jinniang is staying?
Song Chengzhi's eyes lit up, and as if he had taken a magic pill, the pain in his chest instantly disappeared. He looked in the direction the official was pointing, and saw a young man in dark blue wide sleeves standing on the white marble viewing platform. A gentle breeze stirred, and the fabric of his robes billowed like waves, like the deep, dark sea. A set of white jade pendants hung at his waist, appearing and disappearing against the dark blue background as he moved gracefully, like dewdrops.
Like the stark white bones surging ashore from the sea.
Song Chengzhi was momentarily stunned, and only realized what was happening when the person approached with a smile. He quickly cupped his hands in a salute.
With a gentle lift of her wrist, the young man before her smiled and said, "Painter Song, there's no need for such formalities. I wasn't home when my wife hosted a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet a few days ago, but I heard of your superb painting skills, which is why I invited you here today."
My dear wife?
"My lord already has a wife?"
Song Chengzhi was engrossed in his painting and rarely went out. He didn't care whether any noble family in Luoyang had one more or one less person. His surprise was so innocent that he didn't notice Meng Shutai's face suddenly turn cold and his eyes dimmed.
Thinking about it carefully, the only women in the Meng family that day were Madam Meng and Jinniang. Why was the young mistress not there?
Song Chengzhi knew he was in deep trouble. How could he possibly lose face painting a picture of a banquet at someone's residence? His face flushed red, and he sincerely apologized, "I beg your forgiveness, sir. I don't know why I didn't see the young mistress that day, and now this painting of the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet..."
"Never seen it before?"
In an instant, dark clouds obscured the sun in those bright phoenix eyes. Meng Shutai calmly scanned the man before her, her overwhelming disgust frozen beneath her long eyelashes.
This person is really ugly.
Her eyebrows couldn't compare to his, her eyes couldn't compare to his, her nose couldn't compare to his; she was bland and tasteless, like roadside weeds, swaying in the wind and turning into mud underfoot.
He even shamelessly lied and said he had never seen Le Jin? What, is the wife he cherished so much just air to him?
How could Le Jin possibly be so lenient with someone like that?
The surrounding air pressure plummeted, and Song Chengzhi shuddered. Meng Langjun seemed unhappy…
He swallowed hard and quickly brought up Jinniang to prove that it wasn't his fault for being negligent. "Yes, Miss Biao can testify that the young mistress didn't attend that day, so it seems that one person is missing from the painting now."
"...Miss Cousin?"
Song Chengzhi noticed the hesitation in the young man's tone and assumed he was surprised that he knew Jinniang, so he lowered his head and smiled shyly.
"Yes, Jinniang knows."
Mentioning that clever and beautiful girl, Song Chengzhi felt a tenderness and sweetness in his heart, and the smile in his eyes made even the small mole at the corner of his eye look charming.
"My lord, please don't overthink it. In the rush at the time, Miss Biao only told me her name was Jinniang."
Jinniang, Miss Jinniang.
With just five words, Meng Shutai's bone marrow boiled, tens of thousands of evil spirits were tearing at his internal organs, his blood was gushing and surging and he could hardly bear it, and his beautiful body was trembling with pain.
He pictured a section of Le Jin's neck that was exposed when she was fast asleep at night.
She should have been strangled! She should have been strangled to death!
All that talk about waiting for her to willingly offer her flesh and blood, all that talk about scheming to make her soul convert to him, is just being bewitched... He should just strangle Le Jin in his arms, there's no other way.
Meng Shutai's body was alternating between hot and cold, his eyeballs were twitching, and even his usually gentle smile had a sense of earth-shattering force.
“Painter Song is overthinking it. I know Jinniang’s temperament best. It’s nothing to worry about.”
Her pale, jade-like hand clung to Song Chengzhi's arm like an eagle's, Meng Shutai's voice slightly hoarse:
"There are ten scenic spots in Danjin Mountain, seven of which are located in dangerous terrain. It might be inconvenient for a group of people to accompany us. How about I go with the painter Song to see them?"
——
Bao Yin knocked on Song Chengzhi's door for the fourth time and called through the crack in the door, "Is anyone home?"
Le Jin, wearing a veil, stood a short distance from the doorway steps, silently chanting in her heart: Don't open the door, don't open the door...
Although she married him with the intention of making Meng Shutai uncomfortable, to be fair, Song Chengzhi was powerless and insignificant. He could very well be crushed by the Meng family before the scandal even took off. What could she possibly offer him as a safety net after she'd offended him?
Le Jin quietly clasped her hands together in sincere prayer. They'd already exchanged flirtatious glances, so could they just stand her up this time, giving her an excuse to reject Song Chengzhi, and then go their separate ways peacefully?
Bao Yin's throat was dry from shouting, but there was still nothing inside.
Le Jin was overjoyed and was about to wave to Bao Yin to come back when the old man selling tea at the street corner suddenly kindly answered them.
"You're looking for Painter Song? He was taken away before dawn this morning, and the direction he was heading was towards Danjin Mountain."
Were they taken away? Danjin Mountain?
Le Jin didn't know the place, but it sounded vaguely familiar. It seemed that when Meng Shutai mentioned choosing a location with the Ministry of Works, Danjin Mountain was one of them?
She slapped her forehead. He had also gone to Danjin Mountain today! If those two ran into each other and exposed her affair, offending Meng Shutai, would Song Chengzhi still be able to leave the mountain alive?
Memories of past bloodshed flooded her mind, and without a word, Le Jin grabbed Bao Yin and ran back to the Meng residence.
With a loud bang, she burst open the door to Meng Shutai's study, panting heavily, and threw a veiled hat at the person next to the desk, hitting him squarely in the face.
Something was flung out with her movement and landed on the ground with a clatter.
"Did you have someone take the painter Song to Danjin Mountain? Where is he now?"
Le Jin glared fiercely at Meng Shutai, who was holding her veil and looking bewildered, and said through gritted teeth, "Where is he now!"
The veiled hat was quite heavy, and the hard brim hit his forehead, instantly leaving a bruise. Meng Shutai, with the bruise still on his face, looked at Le Jin with a resentful expression, his eyes glistening with tears.
"You're afraid I'll hurt him, so you hurt me instead, right?"
Le Jin was still panting heavily, her chest heaving, but her eyes remained fixed on him. If anger were a knife, Meng Shutai would have been riddled with holes long ago.
Meng Shutai gave a self-deprecating smirk, "Why does Ajin think I would lay a hand on him? He's just an ordinary painter, what is there about him that I would care about?"
Yes, if Le Jin is innocent, why would she be afraid that Meng Shutai would kill Song Cheng?
Le Jin opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say, so she could only look away from him.
This silence was interpreted by Meng Shutai as tacit agreement.
Was she so fond of that weed? So fond that she would abandon him less than a month after their marriage?
Little liar, always trying to fool him.
She liked and favored everyone, but she was wary of and hated Meng Shutai the most.
His heart ached like it was being stabbed, a pain so intense it felt like it was pricking him, a pain that made his bones feel brittle and crumble into dust in Le Jin's eyes.
He was unwilling to accept it.
“If Ah Jin wants to find someone, she can turn Luojing upside down and search for him. I don’t know where he is.”
"you!"
Le Jin was furious and wanted to rush up and slap this madman twice. Outside the door, a maid trembled and said, "Young master, young mistress, the painter Song has sent over the painting of the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet."
What!
"He delivered it himself?" Le Jin couldn't believe it.
The maid, holding a scroll, nodded to Yue Jin. "He's still waiting for Bao Yin outside the gate. It seems he has something to say to her. Would you like to call him in now, young mistress?"
Le Jin stumbled, staring in disbelief at the scroll in the maid's hand and then at Meng Shutai, who had been beaten.
No way... she's wronged him this time?
Meng Shutai bent down to pick up the object that had just flown towards him with the veil.
His personal seal.
At this moment, a corner of it was already chipped, turning it into a broken piece of jade. In a short time, both the owner and the object were destroyed.
Le Jin grabbed her sleeve in regret, saying that one day this ancient style of wide robes and sleeves would lead to a big incident!
Holding the jade seal, Meng Shutai murmured, "I will keep my promise to you, but what about what you promised me..."
Le Jin's wrists trembled uncontrollably, causing her shoulders to shake as well.
The words of apology were on the tip of her tongue, but when she saw the bruise on Meng Shutai's forehead, she suddenly felt that no words could undo the damage.
What goes around comes around, and now she actually owes Meng Shutai a debt.
Did he know about her relationship with Song Chengzhi?
Meng Shutai took the scroll from the maid and handed it safely to Le Jin.
“Song Chengzhi sent you a thrush, which is a gift after all. I recommended him to the Ministry of Works so that he could go to Danjin Mountain as a way of returning the favor.”
As he spoke, he suddenly gave a poignant smile.
"Are you so angry because you're worried he'll follow in Feng Yu'en's footsteps? Or are you angry that I sent him away and ruined your meeting?"
He knows.
Le Jin held the scroll as if it were a hot potato, and her guilty conscience made her sound like a mute trying to speak.
"I, I..."
Meng Shutai seemed to have no strength left, and left the study before she could utter a complete sentence.
Le Jin stood there watching him go, with only one tragic thought in her mind:
Being a "scumbag" woman is really not something you should do... Now I'm burdened with debts on both sides of my hands!
-----------------------
Author's note: Meng Shutai: You hit me for him?
Le Jin: Oh wow...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
