Chapter 3: She will definitely make him forget etiquette and abandon etiquette
"Young lady!" Li Lan exclaimed, barely able to hold back her voice. "Who could it be? She just arrived in Shengjing and doesn't know anyone at all."
"Yeah," Cui Yiluo's voice seemed to be blown away by the wind, light and floating, with a hint of amusement in her thoughts: "If I hadn't prepared someone to inform Jiang Yunjin in advance today, I would probably have died there."
Lilan thought for a moment and guessed, "Miss, could it be Cheng Jiancheng's enemy?"
"No," Cui Yiluo denied flatly, her tone sarcastic. "Cheng Feng is just a sixth-rank official, barely a prominent figure in Shengjing. Half his body is almost buried. He went to such great lengths to send experts just to kill his unmarried second wife. Who would do such a losing business?"
It's no wonder Lilan guessed that way. After all, even when Cui Yiluo had hired several people to impersonate bandits to assassinate him, she had used the name of Cheng Feng's son. A filial son who missed his deceased mother couldn't stand his stepmother who was about to marry into the family. The thought of the cup ring, the mourning of heaven and earth, was a very suitable excuse.
Li Lan's expression changed: "Miss, could it be someone from the Jiang Mansion?"
Now, apart from Cheng Feng, the only people related to Cui Yiluo are those from the Jiang Mansion.
"If they were from the Jiang residence, Jiang Yunjin would not have come."
Lilan understood instantly. If they were from the Jiang Mansion, how could they not know that they had arranged a guard from the Jiang Mansion to inform Jiang Yunjin?
But the fact that she didn't was actually the truth, which made Lilan even more anxious. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "Miss, when we return to the city tomorrow, I'll have someone go find those people and ask them about this."
Cui Yiluo shook her head. "That's impossible. If they could easily replace the person, how could they let us find any clues? We are outnumbered, so we have to let Jiang Yunjin investigate this matter."
Since the other party was able to send such a master to kill her, he must be very powerful.
Li Lan, however, didn't quite believe Jiang Yunjin and asked hesitantly, "But Master Jiang is so indifferent, will he really handle this matter?"
Cui Yiluo said firmly: "He saved me today, which means he was involved in this matter. He will send someone to investigate."
It's just a pity. If this person hadn't interfered, this would have been a great plan.
She knew that Jiang Yunjin often went out of the city to handle official business recently, and that the road back home from Baoming Temple and Jiang Yunjin's road back home would be the same main road.
She arranged a good show accordingly.
The group of gangsters hired in the name of Cheng Feng's son could not take her life, but they could also deal with the Jiang Mansion guards for a while and delay until Jiang Yunjin came to rescue her.
She bribed a guard from the Jiang Mansion and waited in advance on the way Jiang Yunjin was returning home. When Jiang Yunjin passed by, she pretended to have accidentally seen him after breaking out of the siege and asked Jiang Yunjin to rescue her. She then stayed in the temple because it was late.
No matter how reluctant Jiang Yunjin was in his heart, for the sake of her aunt, who was also his aunt, he would not turn a blind eye to her distress and ruin his reputation as a gentleman.
Even if the Jiang family interrogated those people in the underworld afterwards, they would only confess that it was Cheng Feng's son who tried to kill her. Maybe she could take this opportunity to make a scene and cancel the marriage directly.
But her plans were all disrupted.
The martial arts people who were not good at martial arts were replaced by real assassins. They showed up at the agreed location on time, so that Cui Yiluo didn't realize anything was wrong at first. Otherwise, she would not have gotten off the carriage, but would have directly taken Lilan away in the carriage.
Fortunately, Jiang Yunjin arrived in time. The process was a bit bumpy, but the result was not too bad after all.
Recalling what happened today, Cui Yiluo suddenly couldn't help laughing.
When she hugged him from behind, she naturally felt his whole body stiffen instantly, but she deliberately hugged him tighter, eager to see how the cold and polite gentleman would react when he was so close to her and couldn't push her away.
So she could clearly see his waist and abdomen that were tense due to discomfort, his sharp and clear jawline, and his hands that tried to push her away several times but had no chance.
He was indeed the person she chose at first sight.
The Jiang family was of noble birth and had many close ministers for generations. He was the only son of the eldest wife and was appointed Minister of the Central Secretariat at the age of twenty-one. He held a high position of power and was deeply trusted by the emperor. He was a man of extraordinary talent and was admired by many. It was said that he had never been close to a woman, so he was the most suitable candidate.
Cui Yiluo strived for the best in everything, so naturally she deserved the best husband to match her. She chose him to help her escape from the Cui family, from that disgusting couple, and from her younger brother, who didn't even want to call her sister and shared the same blood that disgusted her.
But she didn't expect that there would be some extra fun in actually implementing it.
Lilan saw her suddenly laugh and shrank her shoulders: "Girl, what are you laughing at?"
Cui Yiluo smiled. "I was just thinking, no matter who the other party is, it would be good if he could stir up some trouble, so that I don't have to rack my brains to think of how to get close to Jiang Yunjin."
She only had two months.
Li Lan was horrified: "Girl, you are crazy! That man wants to kill you!"
"Don't worry, I certainly won't put my own life at risk. It's just that the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light. We have no clue what to do now. We might as well wait and see. The more he attacks, the more flaws he will reveal."
"But the girl injured her foot today. If later..."
"The foot was injured, but it wasn't entirely his fault."
Lilan's eyes widened: "What the girl means is..."
Cui Yiluo nodded calmly.
She deliberately took advantage of the momentum to fall to the ground. She could easily avoid it when Jiang Yunjin retreated, but she didn't.
At that moment, the pain was so severe that she almost fainted, but in the few moments when her consciousness was blurred, she became uncontrollably excited again.
Jiang Yunjin is the most polite person. Since he injured her foot, he would definitely not ignore her. This is a bargaining chip for her, which can come in handy more than once in the future.
Lilan was even more shocked, but after the shock, she felt extremely distressed. Looking at Cui Yiluo's thickly bandaged ankle, her eyes reddened. "Miss, you will definitely get what you want. It's all because of that Yao family's cruelty, and the head of the family. How could he sacrifice you to pave the way for the young master? The young master is his biological child, but does that mean you are not? If the lady were still alive, she would definitely not treat you like this!"
Cui Yiluo patted Lilan's hand and said, "Just like you said, Mother will not be able to bear to see me suffer. She will protect me from below."
Lilan sobbed and said, "Miss, you are just trying to comfort me. When did you ever believe in ghosts and gods?"
Cui Yiluo smiled and said, "Since you know I'm trying to comfort you, why are you still crying? We still have things to do tomorrow, so get some rest. By the way," she held up the rabbit, "this rabbit Huizhen found is very cute and well-behaved. Remember to thank him."
Cui Yiluo handed the rabbit to Lilan. Lilan bent down and let the rabbit go. The nimble white rabbit burrowed into the grass and disappeared in a flash.
Lilan burst into laughter and said, "Of course. Huizhen is very clever. If he hadn't told us Mr. Jiang's whereabouts, I'm afraid there would be a lot of trouble. I knew it without you telling me."
The door creaked open and closed, and the sound gradually dissipated with the wind.
As dusk turns to morning and the sun rises, the mountain top is still covered with thick and damp fog in the morning.
"Sir, everything is ready. We can return to the city now."
Jiang Yunjin had finished his meal early in the morning and was now sitting upright reading Buddhist scriptures in the temple. Even in private, his back was still as straight as a pine tree.
His mind was much clearer now. He slowly closed the Buddhist scriptures and asked, "Where is my cousin?"
"Miss Cui seems to have gone to the main hall early in the morning."
In the spacious hall, wisps of green smoke curled up, and the statues of gods and Buddhas were solemn and majestic. The sunlight shone clearly on the back of a slender woman kneeling on a cushion.
Cui Yiluo knelt in front of the Buddha statue, clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes with great piety.
There were footsteps in the corridor. Cui Yiluo raised her eyelashes slightly, then closed them again.
"May the gods and Buddhas of heaven bless me. I, Cui Yiluo, have only two wishes. One is that my mother rest in peace in heaven. The other is... that I may marry the man of my heart and live with him forever. If this is granted, I will spend a large sum of money to recreate the golden statues of the gods and Buddhas in the temple."
Every word was so powerful that anyone walking outside the hall could hear it word for word.
Wen Feng felt something was amiss and asked his master in a low voice, "Sir, my cousin and Cheng Jiancheng..."
Jiang Yunjin lowered his eyes slightly and said in a low voice: "Don't talk about others casually. This matter has nothing to do with us."
Hearing this, he shut up in embarrassment.
Jiang Yunjin raised his hand and signaled the maids behind him to enter the hall.
Several maids followed the order and stepped into the hall carefully, "Greetings, cousin."
The woman kneeling on the mat trembled her shoulders and looked back. Cui Yiluo looked very flustered because her most private wish was seen by others.
The leading maid explained, "The young lady has a foot injury and is unable to walk. We are ordered to help her return home."
On orders? It was unclear whether it was her aunt's order or Jiang Yunjin's. But after she pulled his hand, she told him to avoid her like the plague.
Cui Yiluo smiled politely at the maids, her smile so bright that it blended into the sunlight, dazzling the maids. After they came to their senses, they hurried forward to help her up.
After she stood up, Jiang Yunjin, who had been standing outside the hall, naturally came into her sight. The wound on his hand had been treated and was wrapped tightly with a bandage.
Cui Yiluo pretended to have just realized he was standing outside and opened her mouth in surprise: "Cousin, when did you get here?"
She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and the word "tension" was written all over her body, and she inexplicably revealed a strong sense of guilt.
Wen Feng, who was standing behind his master, suddenly reacted. After taking a closer look, he saw that Cui Yiluo's face had turned red with anxiety.
"Cousin...did you hear anything just now?"
Jiang Yunjin's face was as cold as ever, as if he hadn't heard the woman's thoughts or feelings at all, or as if he was indifferent and didn't notice her little movements at all.
"No. Have you packed your bags?"
Cui Yiluo watched him lie with a straight face, sneering inwardly, yet also feeling a bit of resentment. But outwardly, she feigned relief and replied obediently, "I packed it early this morning, fearing I'd miss my cousin's trip."
Jiang Yunjin nodded and turned to walk out.
Cui Yiluo suddenly called him: "Cousin."
Jiang Yunjin asked with his eyes.
Cui Yiluo glanced at the people beside her with a worried look on her face. "Can you please send them away?"
Afraid that he wouldn't agree, she said seriously in front of everyone, "I have something in my heart that I want to tell my cousin."
Jiang Yunjin's eyes turned sharp, as if they could penetrate people's hearts.
The people around him looked at their noses and their hearts, all with their heads down and no words spoken. The air seemed to be frozen, so quiet that one could almost hear their heartbeats.
Cui Yiluo had pleading eyes, her pearly teeth biting her soft lips repeatedly, her eyes sparkling with water, and she looked extremely nervous.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Yunjin finally spoke.
"Everyone, step back."
Several people quickly retreated a few feet away.
Jiang Yunjin glanced at her indifferently, indicating that Cui Yiluo could speak.
Cui Yiluo's eyelashes trembled nervously: "Cousin, are you still angry with me about what happened last night?"
"You're overthinking it, cousin."
His voice was cold, like the sound of jade colliding.
"My cousin is clearly still mad at me."
Cui Yiluo was quite emotional, and Jiang Yunjin frowned slightly when he heard it.
"You're overthinking it..."
"I'm sorry, cousin."
He was much taller than she, so she had to tilt her head slightly upwards to look at him as he spoke. From the angle above, she could clearly see the corners of her eyes suddenly flushed with grievance, and the helpless mist in her beautiful eyes seemed to be unintentionally captivating.
"Cousin, I was reckless last night."
Cui Yiluo lowered her eyes as she spoke, her tone dejected: "Maybe I lost my mother's belongings yesterday and found them again. In my excitement, I forgot my manners. I hope my cousin will forgive me."
There was silence again.
After a moment, he said, "Remember what I said last night?"
Cui Yiluo quickly responded: "I remember, cousin."
Of course she remembered that he asked her to observe the strict rules between men and women and not to overstep the boundaries.
His eyes fell lightly on her face, his expression was a little stern, not much softer than before.
In the end, out of courtesy, he didn't argue any further, his voice cold and emotionless: "Don't forget etiquette again in the future."
Cui Yiluo was immediately delighted, staring into his eyes and smiling brightly, "Thank you, cousin."
"The doctor has been sent for."
Jiang Yunjin glanced at her feet vaguely, turned around and left without waiting for her to answer.
The maidservants in the distance saw the two of them finish their conversation and quickly rushed forward to support her, "Cousin, let us take you back."
Cui Yiluo seemed to have let go of a huge stone in her heart, and even her body relaxed a lot: "Thank you."
The maids immediately felt a liking for it and said with a smile, "This is our duty."
My cousin's appearance is one of the most beautiful even in Shengjing. People always find it difficult to take their eyes off her face. Not only is her appearance impeccable, but she is also so gentle and polite in her dealings with others, making them feel like they are in spring breeze.
It’s just that my family background is a little humble.
The maids silently felt sorry for Cui Yiluo.
They lowered their heads, carefully watching the road beneath their feet, kicking away stones and branches to prevent Cui Yiluo from tripping. If anyone looked up, they would have seen that the cousin, whom they considered delicate and frail, was now staring intently at the man's back, the smile on her face not one of joy, but of determination to get her prey.
Don’t forget etiquette again?
He was a man of propriety, and though he was offended by her, he still asked someone to call a doctor for her. It was not out of pity, but simply because he adhered to the gentlemanly etiquette.
In his eyes, a gentleman is well-versed in literature and governed by propriety. Without propriety, people cannot survive, things cannot be accomplished, and the country cannot be at peace.
But she would definitely make him forget etiquette and abandon it.
The author has something to say:
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After a while, Wen Feng said: This matter has nothing to do with us [rolling eyes]
"A gentleman is well-versed in literature and governed by propriety" is from the Analects of Confucius.
"Without courtesy, people cannot survive; without courtesy, things cannot be accomplished; without courtesy, the country cannot be at peace" is from Xunzi.
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