Chapter 31: Solo 12 He looked up at her, his eyes...
How can there be such a beautiful thing in the world?
Chen Jinshi stood in front of the wardrobe, his nose almost touching it and sniffing hard.
The scent in this cabinet is more intoxicating than the embraces of ten Shen Yings combined.
But he remained calm.
Chen Ying looked at his back and didn't notice anything unusual.
She said to him, "It's in the third drawer. Don't rummage around. It's hard for me to sort it out if you mess it up."
He suppressed his breath and said, "Amu, if it's messy, I'll help you sort it out."
The scent of cotton and linen lingered on her clothes, like a quilt dried in the spring sun. His fingertips brushed against them gently as he rummaged through her closet, his hand brushing against a skirt, a robe, a bellyband...
She glanced at him briefly, then picked up a simple lilac-colored dress and turned around.
"Em, how about wearing this tomorrow?"
Chen Ying glanced at him, but didn't notice his other little actions. She just thought that he had some bad habit again and was deliberately ordering her around.
She looked at him calmly and shook her head slowly.
No matter whether she wants to wear that tomorrow or not, there is no reason for her to do whatever he says.
She wasn't so indulgent towards him now.
But I didn't expect him to plead with me right after that: "Please, just wear this."
She narrowed her eyes, and there was that quiet, warning look in them.
Warning him that he was out of bounds.
"Emm, wear this tomorrow."
He approached her with the clothes in his hand. She slowly backed away until her back was against the wall, using her eyes to stop him.
He completely ignored the boundaries she had established.
His eyes clearly said: Chen Ying, as long as I get close to you, you will be helpless.
Chen Ying lowered her eyes, leaned her back against the wall, and said coldly: "Chen Jinshi, I am warning you."
"What did Eminem warn me about?"
She raised her eyes and looked at him steadily: "If you take one more step forward, I will pack up and leave tomorrow."
Chen Jinshi indeed stopped.
His breath hitched, still holding her clothes in his hands.
"Amu, I just wanted you to wear this dress. I don't know what I did wrong."
He took two steps back, allowing her to breathe freely.
She reached out to take the clothes, walked around him and put them in the closet, then asked him coldly, "Have you picked out the handkerchief you wanted?"
"I've chosen it."
He stretched out his hand, and on his palm lay a light green silk handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms.
It was an old one she had worn out.
"Don't you have a new one? Why are you using the old one?"
He put the handkerchief into his arms: "I like this."
Chen Ying turned her back, frowned slightly, and leaned against the table. From his perspective, he could only see her slightly thin silhouette.
"Since everything is fine, you can go back first."
Chen Jinshi nodded. "Yeah. Mom, I'm going back to continue my studies." He paused, his voice softening. "If you leave before next year's Spring Examination, I think I'll go crazy. You won't let me go crazy, right?"
Chen Ying didn't answer, her frown deepening.
He walked out obediently, and before closing the door, he said again: "Chen Ying, at least I didn't do anything tonight. I'm really sad that you treat me like this."
Chen Ying turned back in confusion, opening her mouth to argue, but the man closed the door and left quickly, leaving only the sound of the door panel "clicking", which blocked her words in her throat.
As for the second room, there were two large tables filled with dishes in the main hall, and the family was waiting for Chen Jinshi to invite Chen Ying and Chen Jinyun over.
There are two eight-person tables side by side, with more than 20 dishes piled up close together, which is considered a very high-end banquet.
The old man sat at the top, refilling the hot water in the white porcelain teacup beside him several times, his brows furrowed more and more.
"It's been so long, why hasn't Shi Ge'er come back yet?"
The Second Wife was picking at her fingers with a silver stick, and she curled her lips and said, "I knew that with Miss Shen's temper, she would definitely not want to come, but the old lady took it seriously and sent someone to invite her..."
Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by her husband's look.
Chen Jinxing stood beside the old man, his brows furrowed. Didn't that kid Chen Jinshi want to run away a long time ago? He found an excuse and simply left without coming back.
He was left alone to face it.
Although they all have no parents, Chen Jinxing sometimes feels that he is the loneliest one in the family.
A few youngsters huddled at the corner of the table, munching on candies. My aunt's youngest son secretly reached for the almond pastry on the plate, but his mother slapped his hand and said, "You're eating before everyone's here! That's rude!"
Seeing the table full of exquisite dishes but unable to eat them, the child burst into tears: "Wow - I'm so hungry -"
The old lady was annoyed by what she heard, and she felt sorry for her grandson, so she said, "Eat first, don't wait for them."
The old man dumped the teacup on the table and said, "Brother Shi is the star of tonight's party, and he's not even here. Listen to what you're saying!"
Then he shouted outside, "Hurry up and have someone check what this bastard is dawdling about!"
Chen Jinxing stood up upon hearing this and took the initiative to say, "I'll go."
The old man waved his hand at him and said, "Go, Jinxing, and be sure to bring those three people here."
The old lady felt distressed: "Go quickly, the food on the table is getting cold."
When Chen Jinxing returned to the main house, Chen Jinshi had already returned to his own room, Chen Ying had gone to bed, and Chen Jinyun had already fallen asleep. The entire courtyard was silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
What was he doing here? To wake them up one by one and then call the two people who were already full over?
Chen Jinxing sighed, went back to his room, covered himself with the quilt and lay down.
Lian Xin was too lazy to ask someone to report back to the second house.
Fortunately, the old man was smart this time. He asked a servant to follow from a distance. When he saw that the old man went straight back to his room and lay down to sleep, he was also puzzled.
The guy was a timid man. Seeing that the lights in the master's room were off, he didn't dare to disturb him anymore. He ran to the second room with his neck shrunk, feeling worried.
When I entered the main hall of the second house, I saw the old man kicking the second wife, as if they had just had a quarrel.
Just as the guy was about to speak, the old man yelled at him, "Where are the people? Where are the four people? All four of them are gone?"
The waiter replied in a trembling voice, "Old Master, the eldest master has gone back to his room to sleep. He must be tired today. The second master has also gone back to his room to sleep. Miss Chen and the third lady have also gone to bed. All the lights in the main house and courtyard are out."
The guy said this tremblingly.
The old man grabbed the empty bowl on the table and wanted to smash it: "Do you guys still have me, your grandfather, in your eyes?"
With his hand mid-air, the second master hurried forward to hold him down: "Dad, calm down. This isn't the first time those people from the first house have been against us. They've always been against you since my eldest brother's generation."
The old man was breathing heavily, his eyes swept across the table full of cold dishes, and he was so angry that he almost fainted.
This banquet was originally prepared for Chen Jinshi, but now he doesn't even want to come, and the whole table, including the people and the food, has become a joke.
The Second Wife has always been a talkative person, so she immediately said, "Brother Shi is no longer the same as before. Even if the old man is angry, he has to endure it. Now it's not us who take care of them, it's up to them whether they are willing to take care of us or not."
These words were like a needle that pierced the whole room's decency.
The Second Wife continued, "I think we shouldn't wait any longer. Look at my aunt's brother, he's so hungry he's seeing stars. Come on, pick up your chopsticks and eat first."
The old man was worried about where to vent his anger. He had raised the teacup several times, but he didn't know where to throw it. So he grabbed it and threw it at the second wife.
The teacup flew past her temples and shattered on the door frame with a clang, splashing tea all over her body.
"You are a troublemaker! You are the one who talks too much." The old man pointed at the second wife's nose and cursed.
The Second Wife was terrified and quickly hid behind her husband. "Back when my brother and his family lost their mother, I suggested I take the children in and look after them for a few years. But the old lady said, 'The family was divided a long time ago, why give away a few more sets of bowls and chopsticks? Their father is a promising man, he earned such a huge fortune, but he didn't give any to the family, so why bother with his children?' These are the old lady's own words. Humph, now you're desperately trying to establish a relationship with him. Who the hell is Chen Jinshi? If he passed the imperial examination, he'd be so proud of himself. Why would he even take you two old guys seriously..."
"Shut up!" The second master hurriedly covered her mouth. He knew that his wife didn't think before she spoke, but she was the only one who had the ability to offend the whole family with just one word.
Everyone knows how difficult those years were for the eldest wife. Things didn’t get better until Chen Ying came.
Chen Jinxing was fine, wearing the same fuzzy blue shirt over and over again. Chen Jinshi, on the other hand, wandered around every day in short sleeves and trousers. How could these two brothers care for such things? They had money but nowhere to spend it.
Only Chen Jinyun had several wet nurses around her who were sent by the Jiang family and they took good care of her.
The Second Wife naturally had no interest in the children of the eldest brother and his wife. Their aunt had initially wanted to, but she was married, so she could only persuade the Old Wife to take charge. The Old Wife refused, saying that if the First Wife gave them half of the family property, she would take the children to her and raise them. Shi Ge'er was completely unwilling to do so, saying that he would rather starve to death than come to their house.
No matter how much the second room quarreled, or when dinner was served, Chen Jinshi lay in bed, his bedding soft and snug. His mother had chosen the most comfortable fabric for his skin, from the sheets to the mattress, all made by his mother herself, using the same fabric and pattern. The neatly stacked clothes and shoes in the closet, from spring shirts to winter jackets, were all made by his mother herself.
He took the handkerchief he had taken from her and covered his face with it.
The material was ordinary fine cotton, the edges carefully hemmed with the same color thread, and it felt warm and soft to the touch. Gently covering my face, a faint scent, like soapberry mixed with goat's milk, filled my air. The scent lingered on my nose, filled with her gentle breathing. The Chen family's main room was quiet, everyone slept quietly until dawn.
Chen Jinshi got up to study, while Chen Ying prepared to take Chen Jinyun to the shop. Chen Jinxing also had important matters to attend to. The eunuch from the Empress Dowager's palace had come to Nanjing to discuss the Empress Dowager's pulse diagnosis. After he drafted a prescription, the eunuch took it back to the palace for the Empress Dowager to review. Only with the Empress Dowager's approval could he enter the capital for an audience. This was ostensibly a test of medical skill, but in reality, it was entirely a matter of personal preference.
The old man was angry, but he didn't dare to vent his anger on Chen Jinshi. He couldn't hurt Chen Ying either, so he could only ask someone to come and invite Chen Jinxing again.
As soon as the housekeeper Chen from the second house arrived, Chen Jinxing hurried over to meet the Princess of An.
"Master, Master, what's the matter that requires you to leave in such a hurry?"
Butler Chen stopped him and said, "The old man was very angry yesterday. Master, you owe him an explanation."
Chen Jinxing smiled at him: "I have something important to do today, we'll talk later."
Butler Chen didn't retreat a single step. He straightened his hunched body, his face wrinkled with embarrassment. "Master, it's not that I want to stop you, but the old man hasn't been feeling well since last night, and he barely ate a bite of breakfast today..."
The smile on Chen Jinxing's face faded a little. "Please explain for me. Just say that the eldest room is used to going to bed after the evening hour. Last night, everyone went to bed as soon as they got back. I'm really sorry. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
As he spoke, Chen Jinxing walked around him and left. Chen Zhong stumbled as he was led around by him. He hurriedly tried to pull him back, but he tripped over the threshold of the main room and fell heavily to the ground.
"What kind of thing is this? Are all the people in the first wife crazy?"
Butler Chen covered his chest and thought that he had to go to Miss Shen for this matter. Miss Shen could always give his old man an explanation.
Miss Shen is easy to talk to and reasonable, and she is always polite to the people from the second house.
Thinking of this, Chen Zhong walked towards Tinglan Garden.
Chen Ying dressed up and put on a lilac dress.
As soon as I opened the door, Chen Jinshi was standing there with a lunch box in his hand.
"Good morning, Am."
The hem of her lilac skirt hung at her feet, fluttering gently in the morning breeze, and the early morning light made her face look even paler.
She blinked as she looked at Chen Jin.
Chen Jinshi smiled and handed the lunch box forward: "Mom, I guess you want to eat candied osmanthus cake this morning. I made it early in the morning."
"Ah?" Her voice was very soft, slightly hoarse from just waking up, and a bit confused.
She took the food box, opened the lid, and could tell that it was made by him, the same kind she had eaten before.
She had eaten...
The smile in his eyes was so clear that she didn't dare not eat.
The sweet fragrance of osmanthus wafted out, and she stood in a daze at the door.
When Chen Jinshi saw clearly what she was wearing today, his smile deepened.
He was a full head taller than her. He stretched out his hand and placed it on top of her head. In order not to damage her braids, he said softly, "Amu is very good."
Chen Ying held her breath. The hand on her head was very light, but it was this light touch that made her ears turn red.
She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyes, and the food box in her hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
The sweet fragrance of osmanthus mixed with the fresh scent on his body made her feel a little dizzy.
"I...thank you, Shi Ge'er, I will eat it."
Chen Jinshi withdrew his hand. He saw her red ears and the smile in his eyes deepened a little.
"Then eat it quickly. It's freshly steamed and won't taste good if it gets cold."
Chen Zhong just came from the front yard, thinking that he would have to have a good talk with Miss Shen later.
It is partly her responsibility that the two children are so ignorant now.
Chen Jinshi watched Chen Ying sit down at the table. The osmanthus cakes were neatly arranged, and the rice-white cakes were sprinkled with golden sugared osmanthus flowers. The steaming hot air hit her nose.
He stared at her all the time with an admiring, nostalgic and greedy look.
How could someone's gaze be so lingering and sticky, clinging to people, leaving them nowhere to hide, and making them feel numb and sticky all over.
Chen Ying tightened her grip on the bamboo chopsticks slightly, picked up a piece of cake, brought it to her mouth and ate it in small bites.
As long as it wasn’t stuffed by him… the aroma of soft and glutinous rice mixed with the sweetness of osmanthus spreads on the tip of the tongue, it’s delicious.
"How is it?" Chen Jinshi's voice was filled with smile, his eyes fixed on her face.
"……tasty."
She whispered, taking another small bite.
"If you like me, I'll make it for you every day."
Chen Ying paused her chopsticks in mid-air and looked up at him. He leaned over, his hands on the table, looking down at her condescendingly.
She leaned back slightly until her back rested against the back of the chair.
"Brother Shi, your current task is to review your studies and prepare for the exam next spring."
She spoke in a soft and slow voice, leaning back in her chair, and although she was looking up, she did not look down upon him.
She looked at him quietly, her eyes clear and a little scrutinizing.
Even though she wore the skirt he asked her to wear yesterday, and then ate the pastries he made without any objection.
But this doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean that she is giving in, it doesn't mean that she is allowing him to go further, and it doesn't mean that she is afraid of him.
There were footsteps coming from outside the courtyard gate, getting closer and closer.
Chen Jinshi straightened up slightly, moved a little further away from her, and slowly raised his eyes to look towards the door. The expression in his eyes suddenly became cold and stern.
Everyone believed that he could kill someone with one kick.
The footsteps didn't seem to be Chen Jinxing's, until Chen Zhong stopped outside the door and knocked.
“Miss Shen, are you there?”
The two people inside looked at each other. Chen Ying looked away and spoke first: "Come in." Her voice was calm.
Chen Zhong pushed the door open, and just as one leg stepped over the threshold, Chen Jinshi put one arm against the door frame, blocking him.
Chen Zhongyi met his eyes, trembling with fear, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve: "Second Master, why are you here?"
Chen Jinshi's face was cold and hard, his eyes fell heavily on him, his gaze was as sharp as a knife, and Chen Zhong couldn't help but feel a chill on the back of his neck.
"What's the matter? Tell me! Just stand here and tell me."
Chen Zhong put on an embarrassed smile, tilted his head slightly, and looked at Chen Ying who was sitting at the table. She was sitting upright with a calm expression.
Chen Ying asked him, "Butler Chen, what do you want?"
You are asking this question even though you already know the answer. What else could it be that the people from the second house have come to my house for?
In this family, apart from Chen Jinxing, she is the only one who is easy to talk to.
For the first time, Chen Ying was thankful that Chen Jinshi came early in the morning to let her eat cake.
Chen Zhong hesitated and didn't speak. Chen Jinshi lost his patience and pushed the door open, saying, "Get out if you have nothing to do!"
Chen Zhong hurriedly said: "Something's going on! Something's going on! The old man asked the eldest or second master to go over there. Second master, if you don't want to go, you can let Miss Shen go this time -"
Before he could finish his words, Chen Jinshi sneered, his eyes becoming even colder. He took a half step forward, his tall figure completely covering Chen Zhong: "Get out!"
Chen Zhong's legs went limp, and he kept waving his hands: "I'm leaving, I'm leaving. I'm leaving right now."
Chen Ying gently put down the teacup with a crisp sound, and looked at Chen Jin with a calm gaze:
"Brother Shi, you should go there."
Chen Jinshi spread his hands and said, "I have a heavy workload and don't have time to go."
Chen Zhong stood outside the door in a daze. Seeing that Miss Shen had no intention of leaving, he walked back embarrassedly.
After Chen Zhong left, Chen Ying stood up and walked around Chen Jinshi.
"I'm going to the shop now. You go back to the study."
He watched her walk away and said loudly, "Got it."
The second wife had already spread the word that when Chen Jinshi passed the imperial examination, the old lady would personally host the banquet and entertain the guests. Every day, she led the maids to plan the menu and draw up the guest list, inviting not only the relatives and friends who usually visited, but also the nobles who had no contact with her before.
Although the old man is still angry with Chen Jinshi, no matter how angry he is, he cannot let go of the matter of using his name to hold the banquet.
He also told the old lady to: "Do it well! Do it with style!"
The second wife was a smart one. She brought her niece to show the old lady: "Look, old lady, time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, Shi Ge'er has reached the age where he should get married. He has no parents, and Miss Shen said she will not care about him anymore. Shi Ge'er's marriage still needs the attention of our second wife."
The old lady glanced at her and scolded: "You are good at using an abacus!"
Shi Ge'er is on the verge of becoming an official. At the very least, he can become a county magistrate. A juren, how rare! Although he hasn't even reached adulthood yet, he's only seventeen this year. I'm afraid that after this banquet, the door will be chopped off by those seeking marriage proposals.
The second wife smiled and said, "Bring the girl to the old lady first. If she likes it, we can talk more."
The old lady looked up and saw the girl with her head lowered. She was wearing a water-green dress and looked a bit like a beautiful girl from a small family.
"Old lady, take a look. Is she worthy of Shi Ge'er?"
"It's none of your business to worry about Shi'er's marriage," the old lady said, rolling her eyes at the second wife, and then added, "It's the old man's decision as to what kind of family is suitable for Shi'er."
The smile on the Second Wife's face froze, and she continued, "Master's marriage was arranged by Miss Shen. Master is determined by Miss Shen. Old Madam, if you don't take this matter seriously, Shi Ge'er will also be determined by Miss Shen. If you arrange a marriage for him casually, there will be no regrets."
No matter how domineering and undisciplined Chen Jinshi was, he could not go against the elders when it came to marriage.
The old lady was almost persuaded by her, but even if such a good thing happened, she already had a good girl in her own family, so why should she let her second daughter-in-law take advantage of it? So she said, "I have other arrangements for this matter, you don't need to say more."
The second wife was also anxious. Although Shi'er was a little young now, and they didn't believe he could really become a Jinshi next year, what if? If he passed, he would be unable to get rid of the marriage that was promised to him.
On the day of the banquet, the old man personally sent people to invite him several times, and also said that Chen Jichuan's former friends in the officialdom would also come, but he was worried that Chen Jinshi, the main person, would not come. No one could figure out his habits, and if he said he would not come, he really would not come.
Early that morning, Chen Jinshi blocked Shen Ying's door again.
Chen Ying finally opened the door and looked at him coldly.
"Amu, you finally woke up."
Chen Ying saw that he was wearing a brand new sky-blue brocade robe embroidered with bamboo patterns, which made his already upright figure look even more like a pine or bamboo.
Her hair was still tied in a ponytail with a headband, with a few strands hanging in front of her forehead. Her pupils were coated with a layer of light gold against the light, and her youthful spirit was overwhelming.
Chen Ying's hair was blown by the wind, and his smiling eyes fell right between her eyebrows.
The nose bridge is high, the lip lines are clear, and the corners of the lips are slightly upturned.
"What are you standing here for? You should go to the second room earlier today and don't make them wait anxiously." Her voice was still light.
"I haven't decided yet whether to go or not."
He followed her into the house.
Chen Ying paused as she was straightening her skirt, then glared at him, "Don't mess around. You have to go to this event today."
Chen Jinshi leaned on her soft couch, pulling the hem of her skirt that was hanging on the couch and playing with it: "Why?"
Chen Ying choked. Why? Why did she have to say it?
"Amu, do you want me to go?"
The morning light filtered in through the window lattice, falling on his straight nose and into his star-like eyes.
Chen Ying looked at his half-smile, her heart skipped a beat. She reached out and grabbed the hem of her skirt: "Whether you go or not is none of my business."
Chen Jinshi threw his legs over her soft couch, resting his head on his arms, and lay down completely: "Then I won't go."
Chen Ying had no way to deal with his rogue behavior, but his eyes kept looking at her.
"Chen Ying, I won't accompany anyone else today except you."
The man on the soft couch half-closed his eyes, the morning light trickled down the corners of his eyes, softening that roguish smile, his clothes rising and falling gently with his breathing.
Her voice was heavy: "Whatever, get up from my bed first, you are dirty."
"Chen Ying, what will happen if you coax me?"
He suddenly turned sideways, his eyes seemed to be filled with water.
Chen Ying was startled: "..."
He looked up at her with tears in his eyes, as if he was looking at his god.
She softened her heart, turned her face away, and softened her voice: "...Go, Shi Ge'er, I want you to go."
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