Chapter 35: Li Kanyuan Su Guanqing rarely became tough, but...
"Tongtong, I'm afraid I'll never be able to paint again in this lifetime, so why are you using those things to seduce me?"
"Don't say angry words to me. You were obviously very happy when we were talking about painting." Jiang Tong has seen countless people. How could she not tell whether Su Guanqing was really happy or just pretending to be happy?
Su Guanqing gave a bitter smile: "Maybe I am happy during the day, but at night when everyone is alone, I can't help but feel sad and miserable."
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. Jiang Tong's excitement instantly disappeared. "You mean, you don't want to talk to me about painting anymore?"
He wanted to! Of course he wanted to!
But as long as he heard Tongtong's voice, as long as Tongtong was nice to him, he couldn't help but want more.
He still remembered that at the beginning, when he was in the music class, his only hope was that Tongtong would come to him occasionally. He would be happy for many days just by hearing Tongtong's voice.
Later, when he arrived at the Jiang family, he thought that as long as Tongtong no longer hated him, he would be satisfied.
But gradually, he wanted more and more——
He wanted to chat with Tongtong every day, discussing the past and present. He wanted to travel with Tongtong arm in arm, exploring the mountains and rivers together. He wanted to paint a picture with Tongtong. He wanted to see Tongtong's smile, to look into those watery eyes again. He wanted...
He wants too much.
Perhaps even God couldn't stand his greed and gave him a blow, so he suddenly woke up from his sweet dream.
Why does he want this and that?
He had never been favored. His mother died when he was born. He tried his best to win his father's favor, but his father didn't even care about his life.
Tongtong... How could Tongtong like herself? Tongtong never liked herself in the first place.
He shouldn't let himself dream.
He was really afraid that if Tongtong was still willing to say those words to him and was still so nice to him, he would sink again.
Besides, he had promised Aunt Zhong.
So, he finally answered with difficulty: "Yes, I don't want to."
In the dim stove fire, Su Guanqing clenched the fire stick tightly, and his knuckles turned white.
Jiang Tong's expression darkened completely. "Have you thought it through? You really don't want to talk to me about that anymore?"
"...Think it over carefully. Don't tell me those things anymore. I really don't want to hear them." Su Guanqing said each word with difficulty, but he still said it.
After he finished speaking, he felt an unbearable pain that started from his heart and quickly spread to his internal organs. He could not help but bend forward subconsciously.
...If I had said something like that, based on Tongtong's temper, she would have been so angry that she would have turned around and left, never refusing to speak to me again.
…It took so much effort for Tongtong to finally pay attention to me, it took so much effort for Tongtong to finally be willing to chat with me, it took so much effort for them to finally have the closeness they have today…
Just as he was desperately waiting for the sound of Jiang Tong's footsteps leaving, a force grabbed his shoulders and forced him to stand up.
A subtle emotion passed through his heart, and Jiang Tong's voice, suppressed with anger, came to his ears:
"Su Guanqing! What do you mean?! Ever since that day when we were admiring paintings together, something has been wrong with you. Tell me clearly, what exactly do you want? Are you going to get angry with me just because I didn't accept your invitation?"
Su Guanqing obediently let her clamp him. He tilted his head slightly, his unfocused eyes filled with unobstructed misery. "Tongtong, there's something I've always wanted to ask you. You redeemed me, took care of me, accompanied me to see the peach blossoms, treated my illnesses, made me clothes, and even stood up for me... Why are you so protective of me? Why are you so good to me?"
His voice was very soft, interwoven with the crackling sound of the fire in the stove. He sounded like he was talking to himself, or more like he was afraid of getting an answer.
His eyes were wide open, as if he wanted to see Jiang Tong's expression clearly, but the emptiness in his eyes betrayed him; he could see nothing.
Jiang Tong was burned by the pain revealed in his eyes, and her anger suddenly dissipated.
"Because you've been so good to me," Jiang Tong heard herself say. "When my family was in the most difficult time, all the other relatives and friends avoided us, but you were the only one who helped me. I should repay you, right?"
The corners of Su Guanqing's lips twitched, and that was probably a smile that he couldn't force out: "I just lent you a few copper coins. You have already repaid this favor a long time ago."
"It can't be paid off," Jiang Tong let go of him and went to lift the lid of the pot. The hot steam suddenly rushed out, blurring her vision. "How can it be paid off?"
Su Guanqing felt even more heartbroken. He had been so sentimental that he mistook gratitude for love.
He exhaled slowly, and almost in a state of self-abandonment, he spoke words that hit the most painful point:
"What is there to repay? If there is anything you can't repay, you redeemed me from that dark place, and you are my benefactor. You also helped me heal my eyes and helped me get ahead. Your kindness to me is what I will never be able to repay. I was wrong to have such delusions before. From today on, I will remember my identity."
The more Jiang Tong listened, the more he felt something was wrong. His face darkened and his voice became deeper. "Who are you?"
"I am a servant bought by the Jiang family."
"Su Guanqing! Are you really going to force me?"
Su Guanqing shook his head: "Sorry, Miss, I definitely didn't mean that."
Jiang Tong grabbed his collar and asked, "What did you call me?"
"...Miss." Su Guanqing was a little short of breath due to the tightness of his clothes and said with difficulty.
Jiang Tong was so angry that he was furious, but Su Guanqing was unusually tough and refused to change his mind, just like when Jiang Tong forced him but he refused to cancel the engagement.
The joy of this evening's show of sincerity ended in an unhappy ending.
If before, Su Guanqing would find the excuse of doing housework to avoid Jiang Tong, then after that, Su Guanqing avoided Jiang Tong without any concealment.
He even stopped eating with the Jiang family and ate alone in the kitchen.
Jiang Tong was unwilling to come and call him, and only sent Zhao Quesheng to help him.
When Jiang Tong was retouching the painting, Su Guanqing refused to return to the study.
There were one or two times when Jiang Tong deliberately stayed in the study at night, and Su Guanqing would rather hide in the kitchen and feed mosquitoes than come in.
Jiang Tong spent the whole night sharpening the horseshoe knives facing his empty bed, but did not come out to call him. Until both knives were sharpened to a shine, she had nothing to do, so she put the knives back on the rack and returned to her room angrily.
Su Guanqing was in the kitchen. When he heard Jiang Tong slam the door, he silently stood up from the small stool and walked towards the study.
In the main room, Zhong Wanci was doing needlework and was startled by the sound of Jiang Tong slamming the door. She subconsciously looked at her husband who had already fallen asleep.
Sure enough, Jiang Huaishan had been woken up.
Jiang Huaishan had always had a light sleep after his illness. He woke up with a splitting headache and pressed his solar plexus. "What on earth did you say to Guan Qing that day? Why did they end up like this?"
Zhong Wanci came over, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to massage his head. Her voice was a little aggrieved: "What can I say? I just want to remind Guan Qing that Tongtong treats him differently. I didn't say a single harsh word."
Jiang Huaishan was also helpless: "These two kids are simply enemies!"
…
Ever since the quarrel with Su Guanqing, Jiang Tong has fallen into a state of working day and night again. This time, Su Guanqing just avoided her and didn't say a word of persuasion.
Jiang Tong completed the restoration work of "Early Spring Picture" in just half a month.
The speed was so fast that Zhao Quesheng was completely unable to cope with it. Just as she remembered one key point, the next one came up, and her little head almost exploded.
She was afraid that she would not be able to answer the questions when Jiang Tong tested her, so she lived on thin ice all day long.
During the meal, Su Guanqing heard her mumbling back and forth: "Repairing silk is different from repairing paper. When repairing, you must pay attention to aligning the warp and weft of the silk... Splicing can be divided into dry splicing and wet splicing..."
Su Guanqing did not ask her what stage of Jiang Tong's recovery had reached, but by listening to the new parts added to her recitation every day, he could guess a thing or two.
The master and the disciple tacitly understood each other, one reciting the text over and over again while the other listened in silence, and neither of them took the initiative to communicate anything.
When it came to the stage of continuing the painting, Jiang Tong slowed down. She first carefully studied and copied the original painting, and after fully understanding the original painting's brushwork, she completed the piece of paper that had been completely peeled off, and then continued the painting on the core of the painting.
When it was finally framed, there was indeed no sign of restoration.
Xu Gong was so happy that he wanted to increase Jiang Tong's remuneration, but she refused sternly and only took the remaining two hundred taels of remuneration that had been agreed upon.
As a result, Jiang Tong became completely rich. She redeemed all the dowry that Zhong Wanci had pawned that day, and also found a two-story courtyard in the city.
Strictly speaking, it was Jiang Huaishan who found the yard, but it was Jiang Tong who handled the business. In the entire transaction, Jiang Huaishan did not get a penny.
Jiang Huaishan was very angry about the fact that his daughter treated him as a thief, but he didn't have the courage to complain to Jiang Tong. He just complained to Zhong Wanci behind her back, and Zhong Wanci retorted, "Why don't you blame yourself?"
After buying a new yard, Jiang Tong hired a few servants, and after everything was ready, he planned to move his whole family in.
It was at this time that Jiang Tong took the initiative to talk to Su Guanqing.
However, when Su Guanqing heard about the move, he showed no joy at all. He just asked, "Tong... Miss, after we move in, how will we arrange this courtyard?"
"Sell it," Jiang Tong was too lazy to correct Su Guanqing's address. "When you move in, you'll have your own room. You won't have to hide in the kitchen with me anymore."
Su Guanqing said: "Selling a house is not something that can be done overnight. During this period, someone must always look after the house."
Jiang Tong's expression turned ugly again. She crossed her arms and glared at him, "What do you mean?"
Su Guanqing couldn't see that Jiang Tong's expression was wrong, but he could hear the bad tone in her voice. However, he still insisted: "What I mean is that I can stay here for a while to look at the house."
"Don't you want to move with us?" Jiang Tong's face was dark, darker than the bottom of a pot.
Su Guanqing's voice was low, and his tone was still gentle, but with a rare stubbornness: "Since the eldest lady has hired maids and servants, I guess she won't need me anymore."
"Do you really want to hide from me?!" Jiang Tong's voice rose a few notches.
Su Guanqing held a pile of clean clothes that he had just collected, did not answer, and his thin lips were pursed into a tight line.
She glared at him and he hung his head.
In two lifetimes, Su Guanqing had always been chasing after her. She had gotten used to his infatuation, enjoyed his preference, and indulged in his indulgence. Now he was suddenly taking it back.
Everything about him had long become an inseparable part of her life, integrated into her bones and blood. The moment he left, it was as if he had taken away a part of her life. Her heart suddenly felt empty and she felt very uncomfortable.
Jiang Tong took a deep breath, but couldn't suppress the unspeakable feeling in his heart.
A thought inexplicably appeared in her mind - could it be that I have fallen deeply in love with Guan Qing and cannot extricate myself?
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