Chapter 101◇
◎A Question for the Soul◎
To prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, Duan Jingchuan gritted his teeth and weakly offered his opinion to Feng Ran: "Madam, please don't do this outside in the future."
Feng Ran said confidently and righteously, "Didn't you invite me?" Then she tilted her head and pretended to be innocent.
Duan Jingchuan couldn't help but recall the scene from just now. He had indeed pressed Feng Ran's head against his neck, intending to use the warmth of his neck to prevent her face from being irritated by her rough clothing. He never expected...
Well, he smiled helplessly, admitting he was in the wrong.
Seeing that Duan Jingchuan's expression had softened, Feng Ran, still wanting more, hooked her little finger around his and swayed it back and forth like a spoiled child.
"Husband, you're so fierce!"
The sweet, soft voice went straight to Duan Jingchuan's heart, making him feel tingly and numb. He couldn't help but wonder if his tone had been too harsh just now.
He said apologetically, "My tone was not good, please don't take offense, Madam."
In front of Duan Jingchuan, Feng Ran always pushed her luck, "If I hold your hand in the future, will you blush and refuse?"
Before Duan Jingchuan could make a promise, Feng Ran pressed on and brought up old grievances, "Before, you were afraid of people and couldn't hold my hand. Later, you were still afraid of people and couldn't hold my hand either, but I just wanted to hold your hand."
Memories of the past kept flashing through his mind. At first, he was not used to contacting strangers, so he avoided Feng Ran at all times. Later, he was able to go out, but he could never be as oblivious to others as Feng Ran and could freely engage in intimate acts on the street.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt guilty towards Feng Ran. It was clearly his fault, yet she had repeatedly given in to him.
Suddenly feeling ashamed and overwhelmed with guilt, he took Feng Ran's hand, bent down slightly, and, ignoring the occasional glances from afar, gently kissed the corner of her lips.
"It was my fault for not doing well before and making you sad. From now on, you can do whatever you want, wherever you are."
Feng Ran's left cheek twitched rapidly. Facing the obedient Duan Jingchuan, she nodded arrogantly, then confidently grabbed his arm, lowered her head, and grinned foolishly, a hint of triumph in her smile.
Duan Jingchuan tried hard to suppress the blush on his ears, his eyes curved into a smile, and finally he couldn't help but kiss the top of Feng Ran's head again.
Some things are learned naturally without a teacher, and once some barriers are crossed, there's no stopping them. Today, Feng Ran seems to have succeeded, but she certainly can't imagine what a huge, clingy baby this success will add to her future.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the group has been busy in Ancheng for more than a month.
The scorching sun at the end of May posed a great threat to people's skulls, and even Feng Ran, who loved sunbathing, had to temporarily avoid its blazing heat.
Ancheng has changed dramatically in this period of time.
The trees transplanted a month ago have already shown their vigorous vitality, firmly taking root in the soil of Ancheng. Coincidentally, not long after the group finished planting the trees, a timely rain fell from the sky, a sight that Ancheng had never seen before, which made it convenient for the people to plant their spring crops.
The barren hills east of the city have been cleared, and new trees have been transplanted on them, giving the source of the Songjiang River a renewed vitality.
After a spring rain, not only did tender grass grow on the mountain, but it also attracted small animals to rebuild their homes.
If anyone could look down on the entire city of An, they would find that the once barren and desolate land has long been covered with lush green grass.
The fish in the river are chasing each other and are very lively. Although they are only the length of a finger now, it is not hard to imagine how plump and tender they will be by the end of the year.
Feng Ran counted the time on her fingers, then suddenly turned to Xiu'er and said, "Indeed, springtime makes people more sentimental. It seems I can't keep you here." She then sighed dramatically, as if she were very regretful.
Xiuer blushed immediately and stammered, "Princess Consort, I didn't."
Feng Ran looked at Xiu'er, who was about to bloom, and examined her from head to toe with great interest. Suddenly, she turned to the outside and shouted loudly, "Xiong Qi, if you don't make a move, I'll betroth Xiu'er to someone else!"
It's unclear from which corner Xiong Qi appeared, but he suddenly knelt down in front of Feng Ran with a thud, crying out, "Princess Consort, you absolutely mustn't!"
Feng Ran calmly replied, "Why not? Do you think I can't make decisions for Xiu'er?"
Upon hearing this, Xiong Qi was startled and, in a panic, immediately kowtowed, pleading, "Please, Princess Consort, marry Xiu'er to me."
Xiuer blushed and said nervously, "Who wants to marry you? I want to serve the Crown Princess for the rest of my life."
Feng Ran looked at Xiong Qi with a smile and said, "Did you hear that? Xiu'er said she doesn't want to marry you."
After being hit by Feng Ran's series of punches, Xiong Qi was completely out of his mind. All he could think about was that Xiu'er was going to marry someone else, that Xiu'er didn't want to marry him, and that the Crown Princess didn't agree to betroth Xiu'er to him. His face turned pale and then red.
Xiuer's face grew increasingly red. She looked at Xiong Qi and Feng Ran, hesitant to speak, and opened her mouth as if to say something, but then lowered her head, revealing only her tightly clenched lips.
How come these two were so affectionate just a moment ago, but now that they're being pressured into marriage, it's like they've misunderstood each other?
Feng Ran was wondering if she had gone too far with her joke and how to save face when Duan Jingchuan's voice came to her rescue like a god.
"What happened? Did Xiong Qi make a mistake and anger Madam?"
Duan Jingchuan wore a moon-white long robe with a royal blue belt around his waist, looking extremely refreshing and instantly extinguishing Feng Ran's irritability caused by the hot weather.
Feng Ran was still reflecting on her actions, but as soon as Duan Jingchuan arrived, she seemed to have found her backbone. Pointing her little finger at Xiong Qi, she began to complain, "Your subordinate is not marrying Xiu'er."
Dazed and confused, Xiong Qi felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. In disbelief, he shouted, "I'll marry her!"
Feng Ran gave him a stingy look, then immediately looked away as if he were looking at something dirty. "Oh, then it's even more useless. Our Xiu'er rejected your marriage proposal."
Seeing that the matter had escalated to the point where Xiong Qi was roasted over a fire, Xiu'er found herself in a dilemma, opening her mouth to explain something.
Feng Ran immediately made a shushing face at her, and shook her head, saying, "A young lady should know how to be shy. It's right that you didn't agree. This guy asked me to marry you, but he didn't propose to you. It doesn't seem sincere."
Duan Jingchuan understood from these few words that Feng Ran was deliberately causing trouble for the young lovers, and was not angry at all, so he added fuel to the fire.
"Xiuer is getting on in years. Why don't I ask General Chen to find a good one in the army so that Xiuer can marry him off in a grand and respectable way?"
Xiuer was about to cry. This was the first time the young master had taken the initiative to care about her, but it was in the wrong direction.
She was so frightened that she knelt down on both knees with a thud, her voice trembling with tears: "Xiuer doesn't want to get married, she only wants to serve the Crown Princess for the rest of her life!"
Hearing Xiuer's heartfelt words, Xiong Qi felt as if all his strength had been drained away. His straight back went limp, and he pursed his lips, remaining silent.
Feng Ran's brow twitched. This was really going too far. She asked Xiu'er seriously, "Tell me the truth, do you not want to marry Xiong Qi, or do you not want to get married at all?"
If someone doesn't want to get married, she naturally won't force them; she will respect their choice.
Xiuer kowtowed, her lips trembling as she said, "This servant does not want to get married."
Could it be that she wants to marry Xiong Qi? Feng Ran frowned, unable to understand what Xiu'er was thinking.
She really didn't understand the intricacies of human nature, so she could only tug at Duan Jingchuan's clothes for help.
Duan Jingchuan was not happy. Outsiders occupied too much of Feng Ran's thoughts. He just wanted to get to the point quickly and said to Xiu'er sternly, "If you have any concerns, you might as well speak them directly. If you continue to hesitate like this, I will send you out of Jinghua Courtyard."
Xiuer's back stiffened, and she felt as if she were in an ice cave. She said with difficulty, "If I get married, I can no longer stay by the Crown Princess's side. I want to serve the Crown Princess forever."
The Crown Princess was incredibly kind to her; without her, she wouldn't be living such a comfortable life and would probably still be washing clothes somewhere.
Why does not wanting to get married have anything to do with her? Feng Ran looked puzzled and asked, "Does that mean you won't need to earn money to support your family after you get married? Or are you expecting to be a parasite like me, waiting for a man to support you?"
As expected of someone who's a master at ruining the mood, Xiu'er, who was still lost in the self-inflicted sorrow, heard these words and her eyes welled up with tears, letting out a blank "Ah."
Duan Jingchuan coughed lightly and winked at Xiong Qi: "You two go down and discuss it."
Xiong Qi's lost brain finally came back. He jumped up excitedly, carefully helped Xiu'er up, and pulled her by the sleeve to run outside.
Xiuer was also half-confused. She was pulled out like this, and only after she was out of sight of the two masters did she gradually find her voice again, "Does the Crown Princess mean that I can continue to stay by her side?"
Xiong Qi smiled憨憨傻傻的, "Xiuer, will you marry me? You can manage all my private money, and you can do whatever you want. I will never stop you."
Regardless of what the final outcome for those two was, Duan Jingchuan wanted to banish their affair from Feng Ran's mind, and teased, "Are you happy being supported by me, you lazy bum?"
Feng Ran shook her head seriously, "I'm quite happy during the day, but sometimes I'm not so happy at night."
Duan Jingchuan's palms were burning, but he pretended to be calm and said, "Then I'll make you happy tonight."
Having been away for nearly two months, it was time to go back. During this time, Feng Ran hadn't been in high spirits. Duan Jingchuan felt sorry for her and thought that Feng Ran didn't want to go back to that cage, so he suggested, "How about we go to other places? It's okay if we don't go back."
Feng Ran shook her head listlessly, "Father has already written to urge us to go back. Besides, my elder brother is getting married soon, so we should stay."
Having been married to Duan Jingchuan for so long, Feng Ran's mindset is no longer as indifferent as before. Duan Jingchuan always obeys and accommodates her, doing his best to protect her from being wronged. She should also try her best. Even if she can't be a perfect princess consort, she should at least pass!
The more Duan Jingchuan looked at Feng Ran, the more he felt something was wrong. He coaxed her in a low voice, "It's okay, Father will understand. It's getting hotter and hotter. How about we go for a walk by the sea? Don't you like seafood?"
Feng Ran didn't know what was wrong with her; she was always listless, and only felt a little better when she was near Duan Jingchuan.
"Don't worry, it's just too hot. I'm feeling a bit sleepy. Jinghua Courtyard is quite cool, it's a good place to spend the summer."
Duan Jingchuan touched Feng Ran's forehead with concern. She was indeed sweating a little. He picked up a fan and gently waved it beside her. "Since you're feeling hot and uncomfortable, why don't you have Xiu'er come and fan you?"
Feng Ran twitched the corner of her mouth, "These two young lovers have finally talked things out. They need time to nurture their feelings!"
A note from the author:
A thought-provoking question: Why did I buy counterfeit millet peppers? They're not spicy at all, and besides looking nice, they have no other function. I want to eat chili peppers.
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