Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Tasting the Fruit
Xue Ningzhen's expression froze in disbelief.
She took a deep breath. This was ridiculous. It was a complete coincidence that had unintentionally led to a huge mistake.
Bi Tao didn't understand the twists and turns inside, but just thought that Xue had misunderstood what she was doing, so she explained: "The young lady has always disliked the concubine, and that night she wanted to teach the concubine a lesson and locked her up for a night. It really has nothing to do with me."
She fell to her knees and said, "I am yours now, and what I say is absolutely true."
Xue Ningzhen said calmly, "You get up first. Who else knows about this?"
"Besides this servant, there's the young lady and Madam Zheng who is by her side."
Xue Ningzhen smiled and said, "Of course I trust you. From now on, you will stay by my side and be my personal maid."
Bi Tao was flattered: "Yes."
After He Qingyun came out, Xue Ningzhen said goodbye on the pretext of having something urgent to do at home. He Qingyun did not suspect anything and personally saw her out the door and then went into the He Mansion.
She was a quick-talker and liked to tell the county lady everything. When she entered the house, she found that her brother was also there.
"Brother, Sister Xue just left." He Qingyun hinted at something.
He Anting glared at her: "In the past, you went back to your parents' home two days out of seven, but now you come back three days out of five. Even if your mother-in-law is not around, you should still consider Lord Lingyun and his wife."
He Qingxuan curled her lips: "Then Gu Shi doesn't like me, who wants to be embarrassed? Mother, what do you think?"
The county lady doted on her daughter and said, "She's back if she wants to. My daughter is getting married, not sold to their family. If she wants to go back to her parents' home, she has to see what they think."
He Anting had no intention of arguing with them.
When He Qingyun talked about Xue, she first praised her a few words, and then said that Xue was so nostalgic that she was a little obsessed. She thought the maid beside her looked familiar, so she asked for her.
The Pingyang County Lady snorted coldly, "She's only met you once, how dare she ask for a maid? It's obvious she has no sense."
This made He Anting pay attention, but he didn't think much about it. There are so many people with strange personalities in the world.
His expression was indistinct. "It's Mother's birthday in a while. We should go to Fayun Temple to pray for blessings. I'll ask the abbot to hold a ritual for her."
The county lady's expression brightened a little: "You are so thoughtful." Then she continued, "A'ao, has Jing taken the medicine yet?"
When this was mentioned, He Qingyu was not as resistant as before: "I took it. I took it yesterday. Will this medicine work?"
He Anting's brows were gloomy and he said nothing.
"Whether it works or not depends on the prince. Has the prince returned home in the next few days?"
He Qingxuan said reluctantly, "I was very busy. I stayed at Lanxiang Pavilion yesterday and left again today."
The county lady frowned and said, "That won't do. Without the prince here, even the elixir will be useless."
He Qingxuan's face flashed with displeasure, and she muttered, "If he doesn't come back, can I still force him?"
The county lady glared at her and said, "You little girl, what can I say about you? That child will be yours in the future, how can you be so careless? So, today, send someone to send Jing to the government office, and don't come back tonight."
With a bang, the teacup on He Anting's table fell over, and the hot tea spilled onto his clothes. He smiled and said, "Mother, I'm still sitting here. What do you think a government office is? A brothel? Or a brothel?"
The county lady didn't take it seriously: "You have no right to butt in here. Your sister is in dire straits, and you haven't offered any help. You've been busy with official business all day long."
"The government office has official residences, and there is no rule that family members are not allowed to go there. Let's do it this way." The county lady made the decision.
The word "family" sounded so harsh to He Qingxuan that she couldn't help but have tears in her eyes, but for the sake of her child, she had to grit her teeth and agree.
She felt very uncomfortable. She had been taking those bitter and unpalatable medicines for three years. The imperial physicians had said that there was nothing wrong with her body, but she still couldn't get pregnant.
He Anting lowered his eyebrows and wiped the tea off his clothes indifferently.
Jing Yao felt like the sky was falling apart after she was summoned.
She panicked and tried to make excuses, but Ningxiang wouldn't listen. She said impatiently, "Auntie, please stop wasting time. Even if you're not feeling well, you should endure it. For the sake of your offspring, there's nothing you can't endure. Don't be so ungrateful and act so arrogantly."
Ningxiang felt that she just didn't know her own worth and became complacent after receiving a little favor.
"Aunt, please don't forget your mother."
Jing Yao suddenly lost her temper and got on the carriage obediently.
In the evening, the twilight was fading, and Zhongning Street was deserted. The carriage was shaking. Jing Yao, holding the tonic soup in her hand, couldn't help but sniff, praying that the carriage would go slower and slower.
"We're here, please get off, my aunt." The coachman stopped the carriage and said.
Jing Yao's heart sank.
The lanterns on the government office door emitted a faint glow. Jing Yao got off the carriage, holding up her skirt, feeling a little scared.
There was a guard at the door. When he saw the person coming, he asked, "Who is coming?"
"I'm here to look for Lord Ye." Jing Yao said in a low voice.
She looked timid, and in the hazy light, one could vaguely make out she was a beauty. The guards exchanged glances and understood: "Madam, please wait a moment. I will go in and make the announcement."
After saying that, the guard ran in. Jing Yao was waiting outside with a food box.
Soon the guard came out: "Young Madam, please follow me." Jing Yao followed him into the yamen.
Jing Yao didn't see anyone along the way, and didn't dare to look around. She was obediently led to the official residence by the guards.
"This is Lord Ye's official residence. Madam, please go in."
Jing Yao thanked him and looked at the pitch-black room and asked, "Master... Master Ye hasn't come back yet?"
The guard smiled and said, "Lord Ye is busy with official business. It's not even late yet, so naturally he hasn't returned yet."
Jing Yao said "oh" dryly and pushed the door open and walked into the house.
She put the lunch box on the table and stood there at a loss, not knowing where the light was. She could only sit on the edge of the bed in the dark, yawning and waiting sleepily for Ye Yunzheng to come back.
It was dark all around her and she felt more and more sleepy. She closed her eyelids, leaned against the soft pillow and fell asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Jing Yao was finally woken up by the suffocation.
She felt a little breathless, and her misty eyes suddenly opened, but she felt the soft touch of her lips and the tip of her nose was covered by the hot air.
Jing Yao was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but stick out her tongue to lick it. The person in the darkness paused, seemed to react, and distanced himself.
He Anting felt that he was out of his mind, but he still had some rationality. He temporarily assigned a task to Ye Yunzheng, while he sneaked into the house to taste the fruit.
"Prince, is that you?" The timid and soft voice with a slight nasal tone obviously mistook him for Ye Yunzheng.
He stood up calmly without saying a word.
He was wondering how to explain it, whether to go along with the mistake or reveal his identity.
Jing Yao was a little flattered. Was the prince just eating her mouth?
He'd never had one before.
Her mouth was a little sore and felt like it was swollen.
"Prince, I can't see. Can you light a lamp?" She sat up and asked uneasily.
He Anting was silent. Is this how she usually acts like a spoiled child?
No wonder Ye Yunzheng likes it.
The cold moonlight slowly stained Jing Yao's sleeves. Her hair was slightly disheveled, her clothes were slightly open, and she exuded a sweet fragrance. A pair of feet poked out from under her skirt.
He Anting held her jade feet accurately.
As she thought that day, the broad palm just wrapped around her feet, and she played with them in her hand. They felt smooth and soft, the arch of her foot was just right, the sole of her foot was warm, and her ankle was slender and long, like the finest mutton-fat jade.
Jing Yao was a little surprised, and felt even more uneasy.
The prince has never been like this before.
He was restrained and gentle, but tonight he seemed a little strong and exuded an aura of indifference.
Jing Yao felt danger for no reason.
"Prince, please light the lamp." She reached out and shook his arm.
He Anting remained silent and motionless, staring at her quietly through the darkness.
The silence was unbearable, and Jing Yao realized belatedly that something was wrong.
This is outside, not the Earl's Mansion. How can she be sure that the person coming is the prince? If it is the prince, why did he not answer and ignore her?
Realizing this, Jing Yao was startled and withdrew her hand.
She couldn't help but shrink back, but she forgot that her feet were still in the other person's hands. The tingling in the soles of her feet made her soften: "Prince, is that you?"
The black outline still did not respond, like a silent response.
"no."
A low voice suddenly sounded, like a bowstring quietly drawn in the night.
Jing Yao's breath was choked. She froze on the bed, her mind slowing down: "You, you are He..."
Although there were only two words, for some reason she blurted them out subconsciously, and then she suddenly covered her mouth and the sound stopped abruptly.
Her body was trembling slightly.
He Anting released her foot: "Yeah."
He didn't explain, not a single word, and was so calm that he didn't seem like a normal person. Jing Yao took her frightened hand away and trembled: "Why are you here?"
He Anting said casually: "Wrong way."
Did he go the wrong way? So he had just bitten his own mouth, touched and pinched himself, had he recognized the wrong person?
Jing Yao was shocked and angry, but she dared not say anything. This was too much of a bully.
She was so angry and felt very wronged. Why was he like this? Although she was a concubine and not very popular, she just wanted to live an honest life, not be greedy for money, and not provoke anyone.
Why do you always pick on her?
She bit her lower lip tightly, tears falling onto the bed. She was too embarrassed to cry out loud, as it would seem hypocritical, and she might even be laughed at by the other party for taking herself too seriously.
He Anting was silent for a while, and wanted to reach out and wipe her tears based on his instinct, but Jing Yao dodged, so he withdrew his hand.
Jing Yao's voice was hoarse, and she said in what she thought was the most ferocious tone: "Hurry up and leave, this is my house."
He Anting did not feel any mercy towards her tears. This was a punishment for her, a punishment for her disobedience.
If it happens again, it won’t be so simple.
He stood up and reluctantly gave her a warning: "You didn't listen to what I said."
After saying that, he left.
Jing Yao was left alone, confused as to what he had said. She suddenly remembered what he had said that day, telling her to stay away from Ye Yunzheng and not let him touch her.
But the prince really didn't touch her, and Jing Yao felt even more aggrieved.
No, why should she listen to him?
Her mind was in a mess and she couldn't think deeply about the meaning of his words. She just covered her mouth and cried softly.
Not long after He Anting left, the door was pushed open. Jing Yao was startled: "Who?"
Ye Yunzheng paused: "It's me, Yao'er."
Prince? Jing Yao's heart finally settled down. Without a second thought, she got out of bed and, barefoot in the dark, tried to throw herself into his arms. At that moment, her desire for dependence had reached its peak.
As a result, she accidentally tripped over the chair leg and her soft body fell into Ye Yunzheng's arms.
Ye Yunzheng was a little flattered. He lit the lamp first. The dim candlelight illuminated the room and Jing Yao's pitiful and messy face.
Her cheeks were messy, and her collar was slightly open, revealing her milky spring scenery, especially her eyes, which were swollen like peaches, her eye sockets were watery and red, and her curled eyelashes were stuck together by tears.
It was obvious that he looked like he had just been bullied.
Ye Yunzheng's gaze froze, falling on her slightly swollen mouth: "Yao'er, what's wrong with your mouth?"
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