Chapter 10 "If I say I don't want to, my cousin will be heartbroken..."
"Since Your Highness has spoken, let alone two vases of flowers, we have enough for two cartloads, even two thousand cartloads."
Hearing him spout off, Zhou Yu smiled gently, a slight curve to his lips.
He was already handsome, with pale and elegant features like mountain clouds and mist. His smile added to his gentleness and made him completely non-threatening.
Ji Chengnin stared at Zhou Yu for a few seconds, then suddenly lowered his voice and said seriously, "Your Highness, you should laugh less."
Zhou Yu looked bewildered. "Why?"
“Because,” before he could finish speaking, Ji Chengnin burst out laughing, “because hahahaha…”
Zhou Yu knew perfectly well that he couldn't say anything nice, but his curiosity was still piqued, and he couldn't help but urge, "Why? Tell me quickly."
Ji Chengnin couldn't stop laughing and had to cover his mouth with his sleeve.
Behind the dark purple sleeves, a handsome face with striking features was partially revealed. He smiled, his cheeks slightly flushed, "Because Your Highness is as beautiful as gold and jade, and your smile is enough to captivate a nation. If you bewitch my eyes, I will not be able to find any more beautiful flowers tomorrow."
Zhou Yu was taken aback, but after realizing what he meant, he immediately put on a stern face. "How dare you make fun of me?"
"I am merely speaking the truth. If I were to say something against my conscience, such as Your Highness's appearance being average, I would not do it even if I had a hundred mouths—"
The beaded curtain rustled, its jingling sounds echoing.
Ji Chengnin's smiling voice suddenly stopped.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure standing outside the curtain, head bowed, saying respectfully, "Your Highness, the time has come."
The bright sunlight fell on the young eunuch's expressionless face, making him look like a statue coated with tung oil, silent and ghostly.
Zhou Yu's face suddenly darkened.
Upon seeing this, Ji Chengnin immediately stepped forward.
He least wanted to see Zhou Yu angry.
In his heart, His Highness the Crown Prince was a precious glass doll, so delicate that even a strong wind could break it. Ji Chengning's sharp eyes darted around mischievously as he whispered to Zhou Yu, "Why do I come to see Your Highness like a bride visiting her family? And it's my husband's family, which is notoriously difficult to deal with, that specially sent a wicked servant to remind me of the time."
Wh...what did you say!
Before Zhou Yu could even get angry for half a second, Ji Chengning had already thrown his emotions into disarray.
Beneath her black hair, her fair earlobes were faintly tinged with red.
He glanced helplessly at Ji Chengnin, "Don't talk nonsense. It's because I'm stupid. His Majesty specially invited the most learned scholars of our time to teach me."
Judging by the time, the gentleman should already be waiting in the study.
Upon hearing that he had important business to attend to, Ji Chengnin said, "Your Highness is busy with official duties, and I will not disturb you further. Please allow me to take my leave."
Zhou Yu remained silent for a few seconds, looked at Ji Chengnin, and slowly nodded.
"Guards, escort the young master out of the palace."
The Crown Prince's personal attendant stepped forward and respectfully waited beside Ji Chengning.
The young marquis, having exchanged greetings, was about to leave when he turned back to Zhou Yu at the curtain, smiling solemnly, "Your Highness, I will certainly send you the finest blooming flowers."
Zhou Yu felt his heart soften and he smiled, "I understand."
"珰——"
The jade beads collided and swayed, wavering uncertainly.
Ji Chengning was no longer in the hall.
...
"Miss Cui."
As soon as Cui Yao stepped into the gate of the Cui residence, he paused upon hearing the sound and looked toward its source.
The speaker was a young man, around twenty years old, with an elegant demeanor, who was currently riding a tall horse and standing not far away.
If one could ignore his prominent cheekbones due to his thinness, this young man could be described as handsome.
Ji Chengan is one of Ji Chengning's cousins.
"Fourth Young Master".
Ji Cheng'an's gaze swept up and down, scrutinizing Cui Yao thoroughly.
“I should have paid my respects to you sooner, young lady, since you have been here for half a month. Unfortunately, I had some business at the Ministry of Revenue and was mindful of the difference between men and women, so I was unable to do so.” He said politely, “Today I have the pleasure of meeting you, young lady. You are indeed exceptional in appearance and character. No wonder someone as temperamental as Lian Chengning values you so highly.”
He looked at Cui Yao with a smile.
Cui Yao nodded, "You're too kind, Fourth Young Master."
Although Ji Cheng'an was being polite, he didn't show any sign of being flattered; on the contrary, he accepted it as if it were perfectly natural.
Ji Cheng'an's smile froze for a moment, then he said, "Miss Cui, did you just return from outside the manor? I saw that it was Cheng Ning's usual carriage, so I thought it was Cheng Ning who came forward, but I didn't expect it to be you, Miss Cui."
He looked around as if searching for Ji Chengnin, his tone tinged with a hint of affectionate reproach, "Did he let a young lady like you come back alone?"
Cui Yao smiled and said, "The Crown Prince did not accompany me. He went to the palace at the invitation of the Crown Prince."
These words, when they reached Ji Cheng'an's ears, were tantamount to directly boasting about how much the Crown Prince favored Ji Cheng'ning.
He gripped the reins tightly with his fingers, his knuckles turning white, yet he still smiled. "His Highness the Crown Prince has always doted on Cheng Ning. But then again, with Cheng Ning's beautiful appearance, anyone would like her a little more."
Cui Yao's eyes suddenly turned cold.
"It is indeed delightful to associate with the Crown Prince," Cui Yao stepped forward and looked directly at Ji Cheng'an. "Is there anything else, Fourth Young Master?"
Just now, Ji Cheng'an was standing on the steps, and Cui Yao was below the steps.
At this moment, Cui Yao slowly ascended the steps, and Ji Cheng'an suddenly realized that Cui Yao was much taller than he had imagined. Despite being just an orphan with no one to rely on, her aura at that moment startled him.
He couldn't help but take two steps back, and when he came to his senses, his anger intensified.
Gritting his teeth, Ji Chengan forced a smile and said, "I'm fine. I just heard that Miss Cui and Cheng Ning are on good terms, and I'm quite worried about Miss Cui. Cheng Ning has been spoiled and pampered, so he may have been impudent. If he has really offended you, I, as his brother, will apologize on his behalf."
"I appreciate the Fourth Young Master's kindness. The fact that the Fourth Young Master can apologize on behalf of the Heir Apparent shows how close the relationship is between the Fourth Young Master and the Heir Apparent."
His tone was extremely gentle, but Ji Cheng'an felt as if he had been slapped hard across the face.
“I was just worried about you, Miss. Why are you being sarcastic?” Ji Cheng’an felt that Cui Yao’s words were harsh and every word was mocking the difference in their social backgrounds. He sneered, “You’re protecting him now. Do you know that Cheng’an is born with the Seven Killings star in his destiny? He’s the one who caused the old Marquis’s death. If you get any closer to him, you’ll regret it later… Ah!”
He hadn't finished speaking.
With a loud bang, something exploded, hurtling through the air with a rapid and sharp sound like thunder.
A flash of fire shot out from Cui Yao's sleeve, startling Ji Cheng'an's black horse. Its hooves lurched upwards, violently throwing Ji Cheng'an off the horse.
"ah!"
In the blink of an eye, something crashed heavily to the ground, sending dust flying everywhere.
The young master Ji, who had just been looking down on everyone, was now lying on the ground.
"You, you, you, you..." The servant was stunned and pointed at Cui Yao for a long time without being able to say a word.
Has Cui Yao gone mad? How dare a mere visiting cousin lay a hand on the Fourth Young Master!
Cui Yao lowered her hand.
The servants abruptly took two steps back.
The muzzle of the gun still emitted wisps of gunpowder smoke.
Ji Cheng'an's face stung with pain. He struggled to sit up and shrieked, "How dare you! Guards! Guards!! Drag this country bumpkin away!"
The servants hesitated to step forward, but the next moment, a smiling voice said, "Oh, it's been a few days, and Fourth Brother's temper has grown."
Ji Cheng'an felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
He turned his head sharply and saw a tall, slender figure leaning against the flower stand.
Ji—his pupils constricted instantly; it was Ji Chengnin!
When did he get back? How much did he hear?
Ji Chengning stepped forward and lifted Cui Yao's hand. The latter seemed to be frightened; her fingers were colder than usual, as if they had been carved from ice.
Ji Chengning went to see Cui Yao.
Cui Yao's eyes were red-rimmed, and her clear eyes trembled slightly, leading Ji Chengning to naturally assume that his gentle cousin had no choice but to fire the gun and was now terrified.
Ji Chengnin inspected the musket and praised, "My cousin's aim with a gun is getting better and better."
While calming Cui Yao down, she casually tugged at his sleeve, "Come on, let's go back and talk."
Ji Cheng'an was both afraid and angry.
Cui Yao nearly beat him to death, and Ji Chengnin was still praising Cui Yao's aim!
Ji Cheng'an dared not speak out in anger, his reddened eyes glaring fiercely at Ji Chengning.
Ji Chengning never held a grudge overnight. Since his cousin had already taught Ji Chengan a lesson by firing a gun, he couldn't be bothered to pay any more attention to her.
However, Ji Cheng'an's gaze was so intense, like that of a young man in love, that he couldn't ignore it even if he wanted to.
He stopped in his tracks, surprised, and said, "Fourth Brother has been copying scriptures for half a month, yet he's still so irritable. It's clear he hasn't put in enough effort. How about this, I'll go talk to Second Uncle and ask if Fifth Uncle and Fifth Aunt can also become vegetarians and copy scriptures together?"
Hearing his blatant threat, Ji Cheng'an hissed with anger, "You...!"
Cui Yao turned her head silently and looked at Ji Cheng'an.
Ji Cheng'an's breath hitched.
Those were clearly the most elegant eyes, yet they exuded a chilling, murderous intent.
The eyes of the young master did not resemble those of a typical nobleman raised in a secluded mansion; rather, they seemed like those of a demon who had just crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Ji Cheng'an felt a chill on the back of his neck and instinctively stepped back.
Seeing that he was shrinking back, Ji Chengning felt bored and walked away.
The servant cautiously approached, "Fourth Young Master, should we summon the physician from the manor?"
"Smack!"
Ji Cheng'an slapped him across the face.
"We hired you here so you could watch the show!"
Over there, Ji Chengning and Cui Yao had already walked quite a distance.
A hand gently landed on Cui Yao's shoulder.
Cui Yao was still in shock when her skin suddenly tensed up, becoming so hard it felt rough to the touch.
Ji Chengnin softened his voice, "Did I scare you?"
Cui Yao seemed about to nod, but when she met Ji Chengning's gaze, she slowly shook her head.
He didn't want to mention what had just happened, and only said softly, "Your Highness, I have a request."
Ji Chengnin teased, "Since you know it's an unreasonable request, then don't say it."
Cui Yao indeed shut up.
For the first time, Ji Chengning realized that even someone who was obedient and sensible could make him so angry he wanted to laugh.
He lacked patience; hearing someone pause halfway through their sentence felt like having a cat scratching at his heart. So he commanded imperiously, "While I'm in a good mood, hurry up and say it."
"Tomorrow is the Flower Festival. I've heard that the Flower Festival in Luoyang is extremely lively and quite different from other places. I wonder if Your Highness would be willing to go out for a walk with me tomorrow?"
After speaking, Cui Yao lowered her eyes, seemingly somewhat embarrassed.
Ji Chengnin paused in his steps.
His original intention was to find Qu Pingzhi and Zhou Mufang to play with, but since Cui Yao rarely asked him for anything, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
He was about to agree, but his bad temper once again took over.
She turned her head to look at Cui Yao, her moist, deep red lips curving upwards, then upwards again.
It was like a flower that had reached its most beautiful and decadent state, now exuding a fading fragrance.
The young marquis, deliberately using a cryptic tone, asked, "If I say I'm unwilling, will my cousin be heartbroken?"
The sweet fragrance wafted and spread as he moved closer.
Cui Yao's eyelids twitched slightly as if pricked by a needle.
Meeting the boy's intrigued gaze, he said softly, "Yes."
The other person's long eyelashes trembled slightly, delicate and fragile like butterfly wings.
Ji Chengning stared at the two dark butterfly wings for a long time, itching to touch them, but in the end he didn't impulsively reach out and stroke them.
He then smiled and said, "Alright, alright, it's because I'm soft-hearted and can't bear to see my cousin heartbroken."
A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Cui Yao's porcelain-white eyes.
Ji Chengning had been to the Flower Festival several times. "Cousin, the Flower Festival is most lively at night. There is no curfew for five days before and after, so you can play until dawn. The flowers are in full bloom and the city is filled with lanterns. I will come to pick you up at 2:45 tomorrow afternoon. How about it?"
He made thorough and proper arrangements, so Cui Yao nodded and said, "Okay." His tone was soft and slow, slightly low and husky, which made Ji Chengning's earlobes itch a little. "As you wish, Your Highness."
Ji Chengning liked that he was always obedient and submissive, and seemed to rely heavily on him. It was inevitable that the young marquis, who was the youngest, would also have the idea that it would be nice to have a younger brother or sister like him to play with.
He thought it, and he said it. The young marquis looked at Cui Yao with tender eyes, his tone softening, "A Yao, I don't have a sister. Now it seems that you are like my own sister."
For a moment, Cui Yao doubted her ears.
What?
Seeing that he didn't react, Ji Chengnin raised an eyebrow. "What?" He snorted. "Of course, if you don't want to, I won't force you. I'm not that short of sisters."
He said he didn't care, but his still slightly round cheeks were puffed up with anger.
This time it didn't resemble a dog, Cui Yao calmly assessed in her mind, it resembled a pufferfish.
He deflated the prince's anger at just the right moment, replying, "I am extremely honored and overjoyed."
Ji Chengnin was finally satisfied. "I'll pick you up tomorrow," he said, his tone rising with smugness. "Don't forget."
Cui Yao smiled and said, "Okay."
They chatted and laughed all the way, and Ji Chengning personally escorted Cui Yao back to her courtyard before returning to his own room.
He was naturally carefree and didn't have eyes in the back of his head, so he couldn't see the gaze that had been fixed on his back ever since he turned around.
Sticky and soft.
The boy's long hair, tied up high, swayed behind him as he walked.
Cui Yao covered her lips with a book.
If you ignore the upper half of his face, the scene would appear gentle and serene.
Her pale, almost transparent eyes stared unblinkingly at the direction Ji Chengnin had gone, a strange smile playing on her lips.
Elder brother.
He chewed on those two words repeatedly, as if they were some kind of tempting honey, his sharp teeth cutting into them and crushing them to pieces, then his tongue rolling over them to piece the broken words back together.
Cheng Ning.
laugh.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com