Chapter 35◇
◎Duan Jingchuan Leaves the Prefecture◎
But Feng Ran didn't think she had done anything wrong and eagerly tried to take credit for him, which left Duan Jingchuan quite helpless.
He could only secretly warn Feng Ran not to reveal her extraordinary strength.
Although Feng Ran didn't quite understand, she was obedient and would agree to whatever Duan Jingchuan said.
When Duan Jingchuan told her she shouldn't be afraid, she became indignant, her eyes widening. "Why shouldn't I be afraid? What if my mother gets angry and kicks me out? I've heard that mothers-in-law have the right to divorce their daughters-in-law! Life at the Prime Minister's mansion is miserable; I don't want to go back at all."
Duan Jingchuan's gaze was deep, and he became more certain of the immature suspicion in his heart, but he did not show it on his face.
"Don't worry, Madam, you won't go back, and you won't be kicked out."
"Really? Even if I can't learn the so-called rules?" Feng Ran insisted on a definite guarantee.
Duan Jingchuan paused slightly, then changed his words, "Even if you are no longer in this mansion in the future, I will ensure that you have enough to eat and drink and that you will not suffer any grievances."
Feng Ran's eyes lit up. "Husband, does that mean I can follow you forever?"
Duan Jingchuan's ears burned, and he nodded.
"My husband, you are so good to me."
While giving out the "good guy" card, Feng Ran didn't forget to bury her head in Duan Jingchuan's chest and rub against him vigorously. She could hear his heart pounding irregularly inside her chest, as if it was about to jump out. Feng Ran's body stiffened. "Husband, are you feeling unwell? Your heartbeat is wrong."
At this moment, Duan Jingchuan really wanted to throw the woman in his arms out. He had never seen a normal girl dare to casually throw herself into a man's arms and rub against him, and then ask without any sense of unease: Why are you so aroused?
Silently, he tried to convince himself that the lady was inexperienced and didn't know much, which was understandable.
What else can we do? Spoil them!
"I'm not feeling unwell, it's just too stuffy in the room. Let me take you for a walk!" Duan Jingchuan definitely didn't want to stay in the room any longer; if he lingered there any longer, he might want to do something else.
Feng Ran hadn't forgotten about Qin Lianhua, "Then what about the cleaning issue?"
"I will send someone to tell Mother not to worry, no one will be able to get into Jinghua Courtyard." He could guarantee that.
Duan Jingchuan stood up and straightened his clothes, and Feng Ran finally stopped clinging to him.
"Where should we go? There's nothing fun to do in this manor." Feng Ran said listlessly.
She had explored the entire Dingbei Marquis's residence, but there was really nothing interesting there. Jinghua Courtyard was like a little paradise to her.
Seeing Feng Ran's face instantly lose its vitality, Duan Jingchuan felt a pang of pain in his heart. He said gently, "I'll take you out of the manor for a walk today. Weren't you thinking about the snacks in the east of the city a few days ago? Eat whatever you want today."
Feng Ran's listless expression instantly perked up, and she circled around Duan Jingchuan, "Really? Really? You're going to take me out! Okay, okay, you've never taken me out before. Let me tell you, every house in the east of the city is delicious. It would be a real shame not to try them."
Duan Jingchuan was originally a quiet person. He would become restless and anxious at the slightest sound around him, wishing that everyone in the world would disappear. But after Feng Ran came, the chattering around him never stopped, yet he never felt annoyed. Instead, he was deeply immersed in it.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "It's true. I'm sorry to have troubled you, Madam, to stay cooped up in the manor with me all this time. I'll accompany you anytime you wish to go out."
Feng Ran happily tugged at Duan Jingchuan's sleeve, tearing open most of his neatly straightened clothes again. "Husband, have you noticed that you're not afraid of people much lately? I told you, I could definitely cure this problem of yours."
Duan Jingchuan also felt a little emotional. He didn't know how long it had been since he had fallen into self-doubt. All his negative emotions now came from the person in front of him. He was afraid that she would dislike him, afraid that she wouldn't eat well, and afraid that she would be wronged. However, the person in front of him always lived like a little sun, always smiling, which made his world feel sunny as well.
Even if the lady in front of him was not the same person from the Prime Minister's mansion, or even if he didn't know if she was human, he would accept her.
"Yes, Madam is wonderful."
Feng Ran raised her little head, looking proud. "That's right, I am definitely the greatest philanthropist in the world. It's hard to be a good person. If you don't do many good deeds, you'll be struck by lightning."
If someone else said that being a person is difficult, Duan Jingchuan would naturally think that this person must have encountered hardships in life to express such a sentiment. But when Feng Ran said that being a person is difficult, he truly believed it.
He didn't quite believe Feng Ran's identity from the beginning, thinking she was a spy. He never imagined that she might be a wandering ghost possessing this body, afraid of divine retribution, and constantly doing good deeds. Being kind to him might also be considered a good deed.
Duan Jingchuan suddenly asked, "Madam, would you like to do more good deeds?"
"Of course I want to, my husband, do you have any ideas?" Upon hearing that there was an opportunity to accumulate merit, Feng Ran's eyes lit up with anticipation.
There was something Duan Jingchuan had been doing in private for a long time, and very few people knew about it. Now was the perfect time to take Feng Ran out and see if she liked it.
But before that, he wanted to tease Feng Ran a bit, "So, do you want to eat delicious food today, or do you want to know how to do good deeds?"
Feng Ran hesitated for only a breath before decisively saying, "Do good deeds."
This was Duan Jingchuan's second time leaving the Marquis's residence. The last time was when he accompanied Feng Ran on her homecoming visit. However, this time he walked out openly and honestly, instead of hiding in the sedan chair trembling with fear.
Once you understand something, you realize it's not so bad. But the opportunity to understand it isn't something everyone is lucky enough to encounter; he was very fortunate.
At the end of the year, everyone was busy preparing for the New Year, and the streets were bustling with people. It was not convenient to go out in a sedan chair, so Duan Jingchuan took the initiative to suggest walking.
The moment Duan Jingchuan stepped out of the Marquis's mansion, it seemed as if some shackle in his heart had shattered. Looking back at the three majestic characters of "Dingbei Marquis's Mansion," this was the first time in his life that he had seriously looked at these three characters from this angle.
Seeing Duan Jingchuan stop and turn around, Feng Ran assumed he was uncomfortable and quickly asked with concern, "It's okay if I don't go out. Are you feeling unwell?"
"Hahaha." Duan Jingchuan suddenly burst into a very flamboyant laugh.
Just then, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and dappled sunlight fell on Duan Jingchuan, its rays reflecting in his bright and spirited eyes.
Feng Ran couldn't describe the feeling. It was as if a once calm sea suddenly had a few fish poking out of the water. Finding no danger, they called to their friends and flew over the Dragon Gate together.
Deeply influenced by Duan Jingchuan, Feng Ran also revealed an extremely bright smile.
Only now did Duan Jingchuan truly feel the changes that had occurred to him during this period.
It's not just that he might take the initiative to step out of Jinghua Courtyard, or that he can talk freely with people in the mansion, but that he is no longer afraid of unfamiliar environments.
Duan Jingchuan looked down at the small bag Feng Ran was carrying, which looked quite heavy, and reached out to help her carry it.
Feng Ran looked at Duan Jingchuan's outstretched hand with a puzzled expression. His ten fingers were slender, fair, and strong. She stared at it for a while, not understanding what was going on. Suddenly, something flashed through her mind, and she smiled and put her small hand in.
Duan Jingchuan's fingertips trembled as he looked at the small, soft hand that had appeared in his palm, playfully hooking it. Helpless, Duan Jingchuan tightened his grip on Feng Ran's hand, and they naturally ended up holding each other's hands.
He knew perfectly well that this silly girl in front of him didn't quite understand the meaning of intimacy, but he couldn't help but overthink it. Driven by selfishness, he didn't want to teach his wife about the proper separation of men and women; this was fine as it was. If he could recover, sooner or later, his wife would be his.
Xiong Qi and Xiu'er, who were following behind, tried to keep their presence to a minimum, silently trailing behind the two at a distance.
Holding Duan Jingchuan's hand, Feng Ran couldn't shake her habit of jumping around. She didn't think there was anything wrong with being held by someone's hand in public. She even exclaimed, "Husband, have you noticed that your hand is much warmer? Before, your hand was so cold when you went out that I didn't even want to touch it."
Duan Jingchuan chuckled and asked good-naturedly, "So, do you want to touch it now?"
Feng Ran shook her head honestly, "I don't want to either."
Duan Jingchuan paused, wondering what to do if he wanted to throw his wife away again. "You don't want to touch me, yet you put your hand in mine?"
However, there were people following behind them and outsiders around. The two were holding hands, which wasn't very noticeable because of their wide robes. If outsiders saw them, they would inevitably be pointed at and gossiped about.
Feng Ran was completely oblivious to Duan Jingchuan's displeasure and asked curiously, "Husband, husband, where are we going? What good thing are we doing? Do I need to prepare anything?"
Duan Jingchuan really wanted to say, "Do you always call me 'husband' because you've forgotten my name?" But he didn't ask that question in the end.
Although he is now willing to interact with outsiders, he is not as talkative as Feng Ran.
The further they walked down the street, the more people there were. Feng Ran and Duan Jingchuan got closer and closer. Even Xiong Qi and Xiu'er, who were trailing behind, rushed forward to protect their two masters from the left and right.
In his memory, this was the first time Duan Jingchuan had experienced the warmth and humanity of everyday life.
Jinghua Courtyard is usually cold and quiet. If it weren't for Feng Ran's presence, it's likely that no one would make a sound for ten days or half a month.
He had thought he would feel a little uncomfortable walking on this street, but to his surprise, surrounded by Feng Ran's chatter, he found himself surprisingly comfortable with the noisy environment.
"Don't worry, you don't need to prepare anything, I've prepared everything. Just follow me."
In fact, Duan Jingchuan didn't know the way either, and he had to rely on Xiong Qi to guide him from the front.
The map of the capital city had always been imprinted in his mind, and now that he was actually setting foot on this land, Duan Jingchuan felt a sense of fondness for it.
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