Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Shallow Lust
Jiang Hexue didn't feel resentful at all.
She just found it more and more interesting, and wanted to shake the head of the young lady in front of her to listen to the sound of "splashing water".
How could he show off in front of the queen on the first day of the wedding?
It wasn't her who forced Shen Qingchen to marry her.
It was Shen Qingchen who was willing to marry her. Even if her brother Zhaohua had any feelings for her, it was impossible for him not to know her at all.
Could it be that she couldn't see it or figure it out?
"What a pity." Jiang Hexue smiled nonchalantly. "Why, if you have the ability, you can ask him to divorce me and marry you?"
"You!" Su Ling'er hadn't expected her to react like this, her face flushing. "I'd rather tear down ten temples than ruin a marriage. Even if you're a woman of commoner rank, don't you think you don't understand this?"
"When did he promise you?" Jiang Hexue asked lazily.
"This, this doesn't need to be explained, it's all tacitly understood!"
"Is it a tacit understanding, or is it that I have feelings for you but you are not? Miss Su, don't you understand?"
Jiang Hexue didn't want to waste any more words with her, so she lifted her skirt and was about to leave. But just as she took a step, she was stopped by Su Linger again.
"I'm just warning you, don't think you've won me over just because you married into the palace," she said bitterly. "After all, Brother Zhaohua and I were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love. He's just a temporary novelty for you."
"A sparrow flying onto a tree branch cannot become a phoenix."
Jiang Hexue really didn't understand.
Are all the noble ladies in the capital so brainless?
She was about to open her mouth when she heard the rustling of footsteps in the distance, accompanied by the eunuch's shout: "Your Highness, we have found the princess!"
The young man was wearing a light red wedding suit and a moon-white fox fur coat. He walked quickly towards her and stopped in front of her.
He pursed his lips slightly, said nothing, and glanced her up and down. Seeing that her clothes were neat and there was nothing wrong with her, he relaxed a little.
"I saw that the flowers here were blooming beautifully, so I admired them for a while longer. I forgot to send my servants to tell you, and I'm sorry to have made you worried." Jiang Hexue smiled.
Shen Qingchen shifted his gaze and said "hmm" very softly.
"It's my fault. I won't do it again next time." Jiang Hexue held his hand and shook it slightly.
Shen Qingchen's expression relaxed a little again, and he said "hmm" again.
"I knew you wouldn't be angry with me—" Jiang Hexue glanced at Su Ling'er, whose face was ashen, and spoke word by word. "Zhao, Hua, brother, brother."
Shen Qingchen didn't shake off her hand, but just pursed her lips uncomfortably, her eyes showing vigilance.
Jiang Hexue raised his chin and said, "I learned it on the spot."
Only then did Shen Qingchen look directly at Su Linger.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Su Linger said politely.
Jiang Hexue raised his eyebrows with interest.
"No need to be polite." Shen Qingchen said calmly.
"Your Highness? Why are you so distant from him now?" Jiang Hexue took his arm and blinked innocently. "Aren't you and your brother Zhaohua childhood sweethearts, deeply in love?"
Su Linger clenched the handkerchief into a ball in her hand, glanced angrily at Jiang Hexue, then glanced at Shen Qingchen, whose eyes were puzzled, and said softly: "Cousin, I went to Lingxu Temple with my aunt to pray for blessings a few days ago. I was unable to attend your wedding banquet. Please forgive me."
Shen Qingchen pondered for a long time, and finally cast a questioning look at Jiang Hexue.
"It's the Duke's youngest daughter, Su Ling'er." Jiang Hexue stood on tiptoe and spoke softly. "The eldest daughter's maiden name is Min'er."
"It's okay." Shen Qingchen remembered and said to Su Linger.
"Cousin, don't you remember Ling'er?" Su Ling'er felt a burning pain on her face, forcing a smile. "I think it's because my cousin has been traveling around studying in recent years, and Ling'er has been accompanying my aunt in the palace the whole time. We haven't been together for so long, and the feelings we had for each other a few years ago have faded."
"This prince has never had close contact with any of his cousins." Shen Qingchen's tone turned cold. "How can you say that we have a weak relationship?"
"I'm sorry for being rude. I'll take my leave." Su Linger lost the last bit of smile on her face and turned around and left in a hurry.
Among the plum branches covering the ground, she staggered and her figure trembled.
"You made your little cousin cry because of the cold." Jiang Hexue was not kind and deliberately glanced at Shen Qingchen.
"She was the one who insulted you first." Shen Qingchen pointed down and held her hand loosely. "And I'm just telling the truth."
"You really don't remember?" Jiang Hexue asked suspiciously.
"Um."
"You're so forgetful that you even remember my nickname is Qiong Qiong." Jiang Hexue shook his hand back and teased him. "Why are you so concerned about me?"
Shen Qingchen didn't respond, and she didn't want to make herself unhappy, so she pulled him out.
"Are you not looking for Rongchang anymore?" Shen Qingchen asked.
"Let's do it another day." Jiang Hexue's tone was slightly lower. "Let's put it aside for now."
"What do you want for lunch?" After a moment of silence, Shen Qingchen asked. "Go back home, or go to the restaurant?"
"Are you trying to coax me again?" Jiang Hexue raised her eyes. "I'm unhappy, but I can't hide it from you."
She thought that she would not get a response from him like last time, so she just asked lightly and was about to let go of his arm and walk out with him.
Unexpectedly, the young man beside her hummed softly, stopped, and gently tugged at her sleeve: "Now you have an identity."
"If you want, you can come and hug me."
The flower shadows are fragmented, and the small light yellow petals appear translucent and warm in the warm winter sun.
The young man's eyes were as clear as wintersweet petals, and as warm and soft as amber.
Jiang Hexue's nose felt sour, but without hesitation, she stretched out her arms and threw herself into his arms, her hands slipping through the fox fur and wrapping around his thin waist.
The cool fragrance of cedar wafted into his body, mixed with the sweet fragrance of plum, which inexplicably made people feel a little depressed.
Jiang Hexue blinked hard, suppressing the tears welling up in her eyes, and muttered, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Shen Qingchen chuckled. "We are husband and wife."
"It's okay to cry." He pulled the fox fur coat over her and protected her tightly.
The taut heartstrings suddenly broke.
Jiang Hexue buried herself in his arms again and sobbed.
Amidst the sound of slight sobs, the young man raised his hand and gently stroked her shoulders.
Once, once, awkwardly coaxing.
-
Jiang Hexue originally wanted to go to the restaurant for dinner, but when she saw the clothes on Shen Qingchen's chest wet with tears, she was forced to change her mind and go back home with him.
There were 298 dishes for lunch. She washed her hands and counted them again, but found that one dish was missing.
She glanced at Shen Qingchen doubtfully, and counted the dishes on the table again: "Which one was removed?"
"Coriander and mutton soup."
"You don't like cilantro and lamb either?" Jiang Hexue curled her lips. "What a coincidence! I don't like them either."
Shen Qingchen didn't answer, but moved a plate of vegetarian tripe in red oil in front of him and picked up the coriander in it with his chopsticks. "I don't like pepper yet, I prefer spicy and sweet."
"I know."
Jiang Hexue paused with her chopsticks. "When did you know my preference?"
Shen Qingchen didn't answer, but moved a few spicy dishes in front of her and said, "I don't eat spicy food."
"I remember." Jiang Hexue understood and smiled. "I will keep your taste in mind."
"Not only the taste, I will take every single thing about you to heart." She spoke sweet words without hesitation.
Shen Qingchen didn’t respond: “Don’t talk while eating.”
"I absolutely want it." Jiang Hexue stared at the tip of his red ear and smiled as she picked up a piece of almond tofu for him. "Husband, how many days of marriage leave did you take?"
"Ten days." Shen Qingchen compromised and did not touch the almond tofu on the plate.
"Do you want to stick with me so much?" Jiang Hexue asked more and more aggressively.
"...Who wouldn't want to take a lazy vacation?"
"Don't explain, I understand." Jiang Hexue pretended to cover her ears and nodded at the almond tofu on his plate. "Eat it."
Shen Qingchen paused for a moment, then finally picked up his chopsticks and slowly swallowed the piece of almond tofu.
Soft, tender and slightly cool.
But she used her own chopsticks, which seemed to have the floral scent of her lip balm, covering up the sweetness of the almonds.
It looked just like her lips when she kissed me.
Shen Qingchen's ears turned red, and after a while he whispered: "If you pick up food for others, remember to use serving chopsticks."
"Don't..." Jiang Hexue dragged out the last word, deliberately teasing him. "I understand. I'll use my own chopsticks."
Shen Qingchen stopped talking again.
"Zhaohua, what are you ashamed of?" Jiang Hexue reached out to pinch his earlobe, but he dodged, not getting angry. "If you were so clean, you should be annoyed, not ashamed."
"So, Zhaohua, are we on the same page?"
Shen Qingchen saw her bend her lips little by little, revealing her fine, white teeth like porcelain: “When you kiss, your lips feel better than almond tofu.”
"I want to kiss you again."
She is always like this, straightforward and bold, without any concealment.
Keep shallow lust in your eyes.
In stark contrast to his restraint, she was completely unrestrained.
"Qiong Qiong." Shen Qingchen pursed his lips and said in a low voice.
"Here!" Jiang Hexue seemed unaware of his surprise, her smile deepened, her pupils as clear as the finest purple glass.
Shen Qingchen stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly raised the corner of his lips helplessly, unable to utter a word of rebuttal.
He thought she was a little cute, like a kitten with its claws bared and teeth bared.
He seemed to find it difficult to refuse her.
"Let's exchange." He then said.
"Tell me why you are sad."
-
Jiang Hexue was very satisfied with her lunch. She put down her chopsticks and asked Shen Qingchen to go for a walk together to digest the food: "I'm full."
After walking two steps side by side, she itchyly climbed up Shen Qingchen's wrist and held it.
He didn't struggle, so Jiang Hexue rubbed her fingers down, put her hand into his palm, and held his hand.
There was a thin layer of calluses on his hands, not as rough as those of a military general, nor as soft as those of a scholar. It was a little itchy when rubbed on the back of his hands, but it didn't hurt.
The palm was a whole circle larger than hers. Jiang Hexue used her other hand to bend his fingers over and wrap her hand tightly.
"Why are you unhappy?" Shen Qingchen did not resist her little action, but just asked.
"Aye has lost his memory. I don't know if we should recognize each other." Jiang Hexue told Meilin everything he had heard, but he concealed Jiang Heye's current identity... suspected to be the princess's lover.
"If he has made up his mind not to recognize me, I will not stay in the capital after he goes to Qingyuan. I will travel around and find a comfortable county and buy a small courtyard to live in." She said to herself.
Shen Qingchen lowered his eyes and looked at her relaxed and smiling face.
He thought of the knot of love they had last night and her words, "Don't waste such good intentions on her."
After a while, he whispered, "What about me?"
"If you don't recognize me anymore, will you divorce me?"
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