Chapter 52: A Branch of Orchid: Isn’t your husband going to take a bath yet?
It was late at night, and Shengjing was plunged into darkness and silence.
The Jixuezhai courtyard was also quiet. After the wind blew, the sound of the bunk bed shaking became more obvious.
Cui Yiluo didn't know where Jiang Yunjin got so much energy tonight. He lasted even longer than before and became more reckless, as if he couldn't control himself. The look in his eyes when he looked at her became deeper and deeper.
Fill up at the end.
When it was over, she was conscious and only felt her cheek being gently brushed by slender fingers, which brought a slight numbness.
Then, the lips seemed to be kissed gently, and then separated.
Her eyes were too heavy to open, as if she were trapped in a warm brocade quilt, and the softness and warmth seemed more like an illusion in her sleep.
The next day, when Cui Yiluo rose, bright sunlight streamed through the window paper into her bedroom. It was already noon, and Jiang Yunjin had already gone to court. She stared at the empty, cold seat beside her, feeling an inexplicable sense of emptiness in her heart.
Cui Yiluo noticed it and immediately frowned.
She didn't understand where this strange feeling came from.
And since when did her sleep become so deep? She didn't even feel him getting up to change clothes. Previously, she had always been a light sleeper, waking up at the slightest movement.
That's why she woke up and reacted so quickly when Zhao Jian sneaked into her room two years ago. Otherwise, with Zhao Jian's fat body, it would be difficult for her to subdue him even with a dagger in her hand.
But these days, she could feel that she slept more soundly. It couldn't be because she was too tired after doing that thing before going to bed.
Or perhaps it was because she had actually developed trust in Jiang Yunjin. Trusting someone, especially someone as cold-hearted as Jiang Yunjin, was not a good sign.
Cui Yiluo bit her lip. Although Yao had slandered him in front of him last time for the Jiang family's reputation, he still had some trust in her. What's more, he helped her deal with Zhao Jian.
Although Cui Yiluo has a bad heart, she is not an ungrateful person.
There was a light knock on the door, followed by Li Lan's subdued, tentative voice: "Are you awake, young lady? I heard some movement in the room."
Cui Yiluo lifted the quilt and got off the bed, "Come in."
Lilan quickly pushed the door open and came in. She saw Cui Yiluo rummaging through the cabinet in the sunlight. She quickly stepped forward and said, "Miss, what are you looking for? Let me help you."
But the next moment, two brocade boxes were stuffed into his hands.
The brocade box was slightly larger than Lilan's palm, filling it up completely. Then she heard Cui Yiluo say with a smile, "Happy birthday, Lilan."
Lilan immediately clenched the brocade box, her eyes blurred, and she murmured, "Girl..."
The back of her hand was gently patted, and Cui Yiluo comforted her in a calm tone, "Why are you crying? You've been with me for more than ten years, and you're the only person I can trust. In the past, the Yao family made things difficult for me, but now that life has finally gotten better, I can't do without you."
Lilan sniffed, suppressed her tears, and smiled, "The Yao family has been sent away by the eldest master. They will never be able to set foot in Shengjing in this lifetime. Miss, you no longer have to worry about anything."
Cui Yiluo smiled faintly, "Not necessarily."
Lilan was stunned for a moment. Cui Yiluo didn't want her to worry, so she didn't continue talking. She changed the subject and said, "Okay, I'll ask the kitchen to cook longevity noodles for you. Come sit down and have dinner with me later. Jiang Yunjin is not here, so you and I don't have to worry too much. And..."
Cui Yiluo took out a bulging purse embroidered with goose yellow forsythia.
Lilan was so surprised that she couldn't speak, "Girl, why are there so many..."
Seeing her stunned look, Cui Yiluo laughed faintly: "You accompany me to look at the account books all day long, how come you don't know why? Don't be as frugal as before in the future. You should also take care of yourself. After all, you can't always be with me."
Lilan's eyes were sore again, and she said hurriedly, "What did you say, young lady? I will accompany you for the rest of my life."
Cui Yiluo just smiled and said nothing. Lilan knew that Cui Yiluo was too calm and didn't expect anything from anyone, so she didn't argue. She knew in her heart that she would never betray Cui Yiluo.
Lilan held back her tears, carefully put the brocade box away, and left the bedroom. After having breakfast with Cui Yiluo, she immediately took off the jade pendant Cui Yiluo had given her and replaced it with a new orchid jade pendant, also wearing the hairpin.
Cui Yiluo hadn't concealed the fact that she'd celebrated Lilan's birthday. Lilan also wore a new jade pendant. The jade was crystal clear and finely crafted, clearly from the Baoyue Pavilion in Shengjing, and priceless. The servants in the main house naturally envied Cui Yiluo's generosity towards Lilan, and they worked much more diligently, anticipating the day they'd receive a share of the reward.
Naturally, this matter also reached the ears of those who heard it.
Wen Feng was waiting for Jiang Yunjin to get off work in front of Duanmen with his horse. After reporting on the affairs on the way back to the mansion, he turned to talk about the things inside the mansion. Before this, Wen Feng had not reported the matters related to Cui Yiluo in the mansion to Jiang Yunjin. He knew that Jiang Yunjin never liked to listen to the gossip of people who had nothing to do with him.
But one time, he mentioned it unintentionally, and when he realized it, he immediately tensed up, fearing that he would be scolded by Jiang Yunjin. But after a long time, he heard the young man riding the horse beside him gently hum, which seemed to mean that he wanted to continue.
From then on, Wen Feng tentatively reported to Jiang Yunjin about Cui Yiluo's affairs within the mansion. These were trivial matters witnessed by all the servants in the main house, yet Jiang Yunjin listened calmly. Having been by Jiang Yunjin's side for many years, Wen Feng was even more certain that Jiang Yunjin's actions were not aversion, but rather tacit approval.
Today is no exception.
"Young Madam celebrated Lilan's birthday today. It's said she personally went to Baoyue Pavilion yesterday and carefully selected the items. The servants are all so excited and working so hard. Let me tell you, Young Madam is truly exceptional in her treatment of Lilan."
Jiang Yunjin's expression changed slightly, and his brows furrowed. "Yesterday?"
Wen Feng replied, "I went there yesterday with Miss Yang and the other girls."
It was approaching winter, and a cold wind blew by. Wen Feng couldn't help shivering. Looking at his master beside him, his face had become completely gloomy, his eyelids drooped, and his long eyelashes were clearly visible pointing downwards.
The surroundings suddenly became colder, as if falling into an ice cave.
Wen Feng was startled, and quickly realized that something was wrong. He quickly spoke carefully, "Sir, what are your plans for the next few days..."
Jiang Yunjin pursed his lips lightly, his voice low and deep: "As usual."
Wen Feng sighed inwardly and replied yes.
After returning home, Jiang Yunjin went straight to the study.
Cui Yiluo had long been accustomed to the days when the two of them did not have much time to spend together. Instead, she felt relaxed and comfortable. With Jiang Yunjin by her side, if she did anything against the rules, he would point it out to her.
The sky gradually turned dark blue, winter was approaching, and at night, charcoal braziers were lit early in the house.
Cui Yiluo covered herself with a thin blanket and sat on the couch, looking through the account book.
Unconsciously, the world became quieter. Cui Yiluo raised her head from a stack of account books, glanced at the sky that was already as dark as ink, and immediately frowned.
I think there are a lot of affairs in the court today.
She bit her lip and decided to go to bed first when she suddenly saw a familiar, tall figure through the window paper. As winter was approaching, the breathable and ventilated summer gauze used in the summer had naturally been replaced with thick silk, and the view of the courtyard had become slightly blurred.
However, Cui Yiluo recognized the person immediately.
The door opened and closed again, the bamboo curtain was lifted, and the man's handsome face was revealed in the candlelight. Perhaps it was still due to the cold and bleak air outside, his expression looked a little cold, not as gentle as when the candlelight flickered last night.
"Husband."
Jiang Yunjin nodded lightly and kept his gaze on her face for a few moments.
Cui Yiluo didn't understand what was going on and thought he had something important to say, but after waiting for a few breaths, he just pursed his lips lightly and turned his eyes away without saying a word.
Cui Yiluo had a feeling that something was wrong. She saw his eyes slowly move down, passing over the gauze pajamas she was wearing, and finally landing on the thin blanket covering her. His sword-like brows were tightly furrowed.
Seeing him like this, Cui Yiluo couldn't help but chuckle, and asked knowingly, "What's wrong, husband?"
Jiang Yunjin looked at her gravely, and after a few pauses, he said, "Although there is charcoal burning in the house, the cold air is harmful to your health."
Cui Yiluo just found it funny and deliberately showed a puzzled look: "Husband, are you afraid that Yiluo will pass on her illness to you? Well, husband, you are very busy every day. If Yiluo delays you, that would be bad."
Jiang Yunjin's brows furrowed even further: "That's not what I meant."
Cui Yiluo blinked and asked in a puzzled tone, "What does my husband mean?"
Jiang Yunjin fell silent immediately, but Cui Yiluo insisted on forcing him to speak, staring at him with a pair of clear eyes.
He pondered for a few breaths and said, "I'm going to take a shower."
Cui Yiluo couldn't help but raise her lips, resting her arms on the table. Her gauze nightgown slipped down slightly, revealing her fair wrists, which were as smooth as jade in the candlelight. She held her chin with her hands, as if she was angry, as if she was acting coquettishly: "Since my husband knew it was cold outside, he still made me wait for so long. Aren't you deliberately trying to freeze me to death?"
The warm yellow candlelight shone on Cui Yiluo's snow-white profile, making her gorgeous and beautiful. Her red lips were glistening with water as she bit them lightly. Her expression was more real and lively, making her even more captivating.
Jiang Yunjin's eyes darkened, and he pursed his lips and said, "Sorry."
He was indeed late in returning to his room.
Cui Yiluo looked at him and felt that the coldness around him had dissipated a little. Then she raised the corner of her lips again, her eyes bold and direct, and urged in a gentle tone: "Then my husband, why don't you go take a bath?"
The darkness in Jiang Yunjin's eyes suddenly became darker.
Cui Yiluo was just teasing him, but Jiang Yunjin was always a very serious person, so he took a quick shower and left the bathroom.
The brocade curtain was lowered, and he covered it skillfully, lowering his head to kiss her.
As he held her in his arms, he suddenly asked, "Are you still cold?"
It was because she was trembling. Cui Yiluo was immediately annoyed and angry, shaking with anger and biting his shoulder.
If she hadn't known that he was such a conservative person, she would have believed that he did it on purpose. He seemed to understand, pursed his lips and stopped talking, but instead worked harder.
She keenly noticed that tonight was different from last night. For some reason, his aura was much darker tonight, not as cheerful as last night.
Finally, the clouds cleared and the rain stopped. Jiang Yunjin carried her exhausted body to the bathroom, cleaned her up carefully, and then carried her back to the couch.
As soon as I fell into the soft and clean new bedding, I felt sleepy immediately and my vision became heavy.
Cui Yiluo subconsciously moved closer to the heat source, skillfully found a comfortable position to lie down, and was about to fall asleep.
Suddenly, a man's low voice came to my ears, and my hard chest shook slightly.
"Are you going to leave the house in a few days?"
His question was sudden. Cui Yiluo was already half asleep and half awake, so her reaction became slow. It took her a few breaths to realize that he was talking about the Lantern Festival in a few days.
Relying on her clear mind, she whispered vaguely, "Maybe my cousin will invite me out."
In the darkness, there was no more sound.
Cui Yiluo fell into a deep sleep.
The man's hand gently rested on the lonely shoulder of the woman in his arms, his eyes dark.
-
But within a few days, the weather turned colder.
When Cui Yiluo paid her respects to Old Madam Jiang that day, she ran into Jiang Zhaoyue, and the two of them came out of Old Madam Jiang's room together.
Suddenly arriving outside the house without the charcoal brazier, Cui Yiluo pulled her cloak closer almost imperceptibly.
Jiang Zhaoyue was talking to her about the preparations for Yang Jingling and Jiang Mingxun's wedding ceremony when her eyes inadvertently swept across the jade pendant on Lilan's waist and her expression suddenly changed.
Cui Yiluo saw her looking at Lilan with surprise, and then a bit of panic, and she couldn't help but frown and asked in confusion: "Cousin, what's wrong?"
Jiang Zhaoyue was so shocked that she stuttered, "Cousin, cousin, the jade pendant you chose that day at Baoyue Pavilion... didn't you say it was a birthday gift?"
Cui Yiluo looked at Lilan in confusion, then said to Jiang Zhaoyue, "It was indeed Lilan's birthday a few days ago."
Jiang Zhaoyue suddenly became even more flustered, looking like he had gotten into trouble.
"Aren't you giving it to Big Brother?"
Cui Yiluo was startled for a moment, then realized what was happening and asked, "Is it my husband's birthday these days?"
Logically speaking, the birthdays of young men from prominent families would be arranged half a month in advance. The purpose of a birthday banquet is not only to celebrate the birthday, but also to facilitate family interactions. For example, Jiang Mingxun, because he was promoted this year, started making arrangements a month in advance, drawing up a guest list and sending out invitations.
Jiang Yunjin is the only son of the eldest son of the Jiang family and is also the Minister of the Central Secretariat. How could there be no movement on his birthday? The servants in the mansion never mentioned it, as if it had never happened.
Jiang Zhaoyue explained, "Tomorrow is Big Brother's birthday. It's normal that you don't know. Big Brother hasn't celebrated his birthday since he turned fifteen. I can't tell you the reason directly, but I think Big Brother will tell you later. But a few days ago, I thought you were going to give Big Brother a gift, so I told him about it and said... you would invite him to the Lantern Festival. At that time, I saw that Big Brother was quite happy. If he knew you didn't know his birthday at all, he would definitely be disappointed."
But she, Jiang Zhaoyue, was the culprit who caused this mess. Jiang Zhaoyue suddenly felt a little afraid to face Jiang Yunjin's cold face in the past few days.
After hearing this, Cui Yiluo's mind suddenly became clear, and the abnormalities in the past few days could be traced back to their cause.
-
The night was quiet, and Jiang Yunjin returned to his room at the usual time.
The candlelight in the room was still dim and warm. Behind the bamboo curtain, a petite figure would curl up on the couch as usual, looking at the account book intently.
Jiang Yunjin pursed his lips and lifted the bamboo curtain, but unexpectedly, something soft suddenly broke into his arms.
"Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival. My husband, you don't have to wait for me. Go to bed early."
Jiang Yunjin's eyes darkened, and after a few breaths, he responded with a dry throat.
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The author has something to say: Playing hard to get again [dog head]
I might change the title tomorrow because of traffic issues. The cover will remain the same. I hope my dears won’t fail to recognize me.
In addition, the copywriting has added a part of the scene after the cousin went crazy [dog head]
[Red Heart] Thank you to the babies who irrigated the nutrient solution
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