Chapter 75◇
◎Husband, are you being naughty?◎
Feng Ran placed her hand where it belonged, feeling satisfied. Remembering the things that had been troubling her during the day, she felt incredibly stifled and, without mincing words, asked directly.
"My lord, I heard you're going to become an official, is that true?"
Duan Jingchuan's eyes darkened. After a moment's thought, he realized that this was information revealed by Chunyu Lan. It was not easy to evade the question, so he could only nod and say, "I do intend to find an official position."
Feng Ran propped herself up on one side, her brows furrowed in worry. "But you don't like it! Why do you want to do it?"
Feeling the heat emanating from his body, Duan Jingchuan shifted uncomfortably, but he couldn't resist Feng Ran's relentless pursuit. His abdomen tightened, and his voice was somewhat hoarse as he said, "I don't dislike it."
Feng Ran pinched his hand hard. "Liar."
Hmm~
Duan Jingchuan couldn't take it anymore. He held Feng Ran's small hand tightly, interlocking their fingers to stop her from doing anything wrong, and pulled her into his arms.
Before taking any further action, Feng Ran said quietly, "If you don't tell the truth, I won't cooperate."
Duan Jingchuan had already raised his upper body an inch, but upon hearing this, he slammed it back down with a loud bang, and then exclaimed, "You were born to torment me."
Feng Ran lowered her head and took a bite. "Don't change the subject. I know you're smart, but you can't keep fooling me."
Now that her hand had been pulled out, Feng Ran didn't intend to put it back. She buried her head in Duan Jingchuan's neck, indulging in the familiar scent, which made her feel somewhat lightheaded.
Duan Jingchuan paused in patting Feng Ran's head, then said casually, "It's nothing. I'll have to find a job eventually; I can't stay cooped up in the manor forever."
Feng Ran gently bit his neck again, her face full of disbelief. "Although it sounds a bit narcissistic to say this, I feel that you did it for me. But I don't remember ever saying that I liked people who wanted to be officials."
Duan Jingchuan straightened up, and the two of them sat up. He reached out to help Feng Ran tidy her hair, and then looked directly into Feng Ran's eyes. "It wasn't Madam's request; it was my own idea. Madam doesn't need to worry about it."
When someone doesn't want to tell the truth, you can't stop them no matter how hard you try to pry their lips; it's all a waste of your energy.
Feng Ran was clearly not the type to do things in vain, so she changed her approach and asked, "If I said I don't like being an official, would you give up?"
Feng Ran's thoughts were too straightforward, so Duan Jingchuan, unusually wanting to tease her, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "What will you do if I don't give up?"
Feng Ran rolled her eyes in annoyance, then used her little hands to give Duan Jingchuan's chiseled face a good rub, saying in a cute but fierce tone, "What do you mean, 'What should I do'? You should be thinking about what should you do!"
A simple sentence touched the softest corner of Duan Jingchuan's heart, making his heart ache with a bittersweet feeling that he couldn't suppress.
His eyes stung, clearly something was about to burst forth. Duan Jingchuan tried to widen his eyes, wanting to suppress those emotions, but he couldn't. He could only hold Feng Ran tightly in his arms, a hot tear falling onto the back of his hand, speechless for a long time.
The sudden excitement stunned Feng Ran for a moment, and then she patted Duan Jingchuan's back awkwardly. "No matter what you made that choice for, I think that person will be very touched by your high regard for him. But husband, one cannot live in the eyes of others. Your background is already much better than that of many people who have no choice. You have a strong support system to make the choice you like."
Although Feng Ran's words were ambiguous, Duan Jingchuan understood the meaning she was trying to convey.
No one has ever treated him with such care. Even though he doesn't like to speculate, he can always sense his unhappiness immediately and always help him find a way out of the mess.
The room was quiet, with only a couple embracing tightly, seemingly blending into the surrounding scenery.
After a long while, Duan Jingchuan regained his voice and exclaimed, "Madam, you are truly a strange person. Sometimes I feel you are like an innocent child, and sometimes I feel you are like an enlightened immortal."
Hearing that Duan Jingchuan had the leisure to sigh, Feng Ran knew that he had changed his mindset. She pushed Duan Jingchuan away and said, "Alright, I'm trying to be a good person. Why should I be like others? Stop being so sentimental. I'm starving."
Duan Jingchuan chuckled. Indeed, the lady was still the lady; one shouldn't judge her with simple adjectives.
Feng Ran shuffled out of the room with tiny, quick steps, a smug smile on her face. In her heart, she was screaming, "This is absolutely my moment of glory! The number one anti-pretentious queen! A hundred thumbs up!"
She encountered a chubby little sparrow reading a book as she went out. She poked his head and said in a mature tone, "Study hard, and you can support your older sister when you achieve something in the future."
Huang Que's lips twitched, thinking to herself, "Your husband is holding a mountain of gold, how could you possibly be supported by an outsider?"
However, he was truly grateful to Feng Ran, who not only took him in but also had Duan Jingchuan teach him to read, instead of making him work as a servant. So he nodded solemnly, even if he couldn't earn money for Feng Ran in the future, he would try to live a few more years to take care of her in her old age and see her off in her final days.
Feng Ran: Thank you.
Duan Jingchuan followed him out, glanced at Huang Que, and as if remembering something, said to him, "A Mr. Fang has volunteered to teach you all the time."
"Mr. Fang? Are there any people with the surname Fang in our household?" Feng Ran turned her head and asked curiously.
A dark glint flashed in Duan Jingchuan's eyes as he explained softly, "He said he was a student who had nowhere else to turn. I rescued him a few days ago, and he wanted to repay me. After thinking it over, I couldn't think of anything he could do, except for the child in his family who needed a tutor. So I asked him if he would be willing, and Mr. Fang naturally accepted."
The yellow sparrow was also surprised and hurriedly refused, "Did you teach me that? No need, I don't need anyone to teach me, raising me isn't that troublesome."
Duan Jingchuan glanced at him and said, "What can a child of your age do if he doesn't study? Consider this my good deed for the day. As long as you grow up to be an upright person, that will be my way of repaying you."
Huang Que had been suspecting that Duan Jingchuan might know something, but he dared not test him for fear of making things worse, so he had no choice but to accept the arrangement.
Feng Ran gloated from the side, "Little Yellow Sparrow, you can't do without studying. Otherwise, when you want to repay me in the future, all you can do is serve me tea and water and run errands for me."
The Marquis of Dingbei's mansion is finally going to have another happy event, and it's one after another.
First, Duan Yuze and Duan Yuche got married, then Duan Yuxia got married, and in the blink of an eye, only Duan Yutang's marriage was still undecided. Duan Jingyin was too young to be in a hurry.
“Most military families don’t place much importance on formalities and rules, especially in the manor. Marriages are often arranged by fate, and elders may make the decisions. The order of seniority isn’t that important,” Duan Jingchuan patiently explained to Feng Ran.
"By the way, didn't you say a few days ago that Wu Fengqing was going to marry into the Crown Prince's household? What day was it?" Feng Ran had been thinking about this person for the past few days.
“She’s been taking the wrong medicine lately, so she’s been going to the urinal more often. In order not to miss the auspicious time, she can be carried into the Crown Prince’s residence in a small sedan chair in a few days. She’s just a concubine, and the Crown Prince’s principal wife has only been in the household for a short time, so naturally she doesn’t want the prince to make a big fuss.” Duan Jingchuan said this with a calm expression, as if it were none of his business.
"Husband, are you being naughty?" Feng Ran smiled maliciously. Just a few days ago, Wu Fengqing was still showing off his status as a concubine, so how come he has suddenly become so corrupt? There's obviously something fishy going on.
Duan Jingchuan continued to smile gently, looking as innocent as could be.
Understanding the implied meaning in the music, Feng Ran didn't ask any more questions. Some things are safest left unsaid, but the admiration in her eyes almost drew Duan Jingchuan in.
Duan Jingchuan coughed twice. “Sometimes diarrhea can also cause many illnesses and damage one’s appearance. In order to avoid offending the Crown Prince’s concubine, you don’t need to take the initiative to see her in the future. She has no reason to summon you without cause.”
Feng Ran nodded like a chick pecking at rice. There are many days ahead. Killing many mice in one go is not fun. After a cat catches a mouse, it usually finishes it off in one bite after it gets tired of playing with it.
Feng Ran's obedient appearance was really cute, and Duan Jingchuan couldn't help but pat her head. Feng Ran even rubbed against him in response.
Duan Jingchuan was charmed by her cuteness and kept stroking Feng Ran's head. Feng Ran's face darkened, and she put on a gloomy, dead fish face. "Are you researching whether this fat pig is fit to be slaughtered and eaten?"
With a chuckle, Duan Jingchuan pressed his index finger against the corner of his eye, feeling that fine lines were about to appear there. He hadn't stopped smiling lately. "How can you make fun of yourself like that?"
Feng Ran pinched her throat and said in a coquettish voice, "I just wanted to make the beauty smile~"
Duan Jingchuan shook off the goosebumps all over his body and quickly got down to business, "My eldest brother's wedding is set for early July, my third brother's wedding for mid-October, and my second sister's wedding for the end of December. Just so you know."
"Oh dear, so getting married means rushing between venues? Which families have you booked? Won't some of them cause you trouble?" Feng Ran's impression of this family was rather so-so. They were all like smiling tigers. If she didn't see them on ordinary days, that would be fine, but once she did, they would become androgynous, always ready to secretly laugh at her.
"I don't know the two young ladies I'm marrying well. They said my mother helped me find them, and my father and aunt both agreed. Madam, you don't need to worry. Even if they marry into the family, we won't live in the same courtyard. We'll only see each other during festivals and holidays." Duan Jingchuan didn't care much about the two young ladies' marriages. It wouldn't affect him who he married.
Feng Ran, bored, tugged at Duan Jingchuan's sleeve. "I'm afraid they'll come and provoke you. What's there to be afraid of if they provoke me? I could probably take them both down with one punch."
"Am I that fragile in your eyes?" Duan Jingchuan raised an eyebrow. Although he was pleased with Feng Ran's favoritism, he felt a little uneasy. Did his wife really need to worry about such a small matter?
Feng Ran stood on tiptoe, her clear black and white eyes reflecting Duan Jingchuan's current appearance. "See? In my eyes, you are weak and helpless."
In the reflection, Duan Jingchuan saw his own self-conscious and hesitant face. He subconsciously wanted to smile, but he couldn't bring himself to do it when he met Feng Ran's knowing gaze. He closed his long eyes, concealing the emotions in them, and blamed himself, saying, "It's my fault for making Madam worry."
Duan Jingchuan thought Feng Ran would continue to tease him about the past, and he could immediately change his expression, as if this moment of emotion had never happened.
But Feng Ran didn't.
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