Chapter 57: Mr. Raoshan Qiu was like that last night... I'm a little tired
Jiang Yunjin propped up half of his body with his arms, and looked at her from his side. The crisp bamboo scent mixed with the same subtle scent of bath beans as on her body completely covered her under him.
"What happened tonight?"
Jiang Yunjin's voice was as low and cool as a quiet spring flowing slowly in the darkness. His dark eyes fixed on hers, revealing a hint of strength, as if he was determined to hear the answer from her.
Cui Yiluo knew his sensitivity very well. Last night she was celebrating his birthday and had a wild night in his private residence, but tonight she simply left him aside and refused to say a word.
What she discovered today was too unexpected for her. She was still useful now, but when she lost her usefulness, how would she protect herself? Her mind was in turmoil and she had not yet figured out a way out.
Right now, she couldn't alert the enemy. If she showed it too obviously, Jiang Yunjin would definitely investigate what she had done today. She had replaced the contraceptive pills in the white porcelain bottle with other pills. While it was hard to tell at first glance, if Jiang Yunjin became suspicious and examined it carefully, he would definitely find the clue.
Jiang Yunjin frowned, pursed his lips, and spoke again: "Why don't you say anything, but Grandmother..."
"No."
Cui Yiluo blinked her long eyelashes to relieve the dryness in her eyes.
She suddenly interrupted, and Jiang Yunjin's gaze became even more urgent. For a moment, Cui Yiluo almost thought he was concerned about her.
Her tone suddenly revealed a hint of complaint. She looked at the man with clear eyes, flashing with a hint of grievance, "My husband, what happened last night... I'm a little tired."
Jiang Yunjin's expression instantly became uncomfortable, mixed with guilt, and he pursed his lips, "Where does it hurt?"
Cui Yiluo had thought she could get through the night by using the excuse of being tired, but she hadn't expected him to press her so seriously, perhaps motivated by his moral compulsion as a gentleman. She had no choice but to continue with her story.
"waist."
"Feel sorry."
He said in a low voice.
The next moment, he tentatively placed his big palm on her waist and began to massage it slowly.
Cui Yiluo was so burned by his scorching palm that she almost shrank subconsciously, but he reacted extremely quickly, holding her waist in his palm neither too lightly nor too hard, and massaging it with moderate force.
He fixed his eyes on her face, observing her reaction. He saw that she looked a little dazed, but she didn't show any discomfort. "Are you feeling better?"
Cui Yiluo lowered her eyes and said softly, "Much better."
She was not feeling unwell in the first place, it was just an excuse.
A soft sound of response came from the top of her head, but his hands did not stop moving. His slender fingers held her waist and continued to massage it evenly. The heat came through the thin layer of pajamas and was almost indistinguishable from the contact with her skin.
There was no desire or ambiguity in his actions. He probably just wanted to relieve her soreness and pain. However, Cui Yiluo rejected any contact with him in her heart.
Her lowered eyes darkened, and she grasped his strong wrist, "Okay."
"good."
He responded.
Cui Yiluo was secretly breathing a sigh of relief when her waist suddenly felt tighter. The hand that should have left her did not leave, but stretched forward slightly and took her into his arms.
Cui Yiluo's body stiffened slightly.
Although the man holding her looked uncomfortable, he didn't think there was anything wrong with them falling asleep in each other's arms. Instead, he tentatively tightened his arm around her waist.
"Go to sleep."
His chin rested slightly on Cui Yiluo's head. Cui Yiluo watched his Adam's apple roll slightly, and her mind finally returned to normal. Lately, she seemed to fall asleep in his arms, especially since the weather started to get colder. Although she was the one who took the initiative every night, he didn't refuse. Instead, whenever she approached, his arms would skillfully wrap around hers.
That's why he thought she would hold him in her arms tonight. Habits were the most terrifying, and even Jiang Yunjin couldn't avoid them.
It had been like this for a while, and she couldn't push him away tonight, so she had to let him hold her as she fell asleep. However, even after closing her eyes, she still couldn't fall asleep. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, Cui Yiluo slowly fell asleep.
While I was drowsy, I felt as if a pair of warm lips touched my forehead and kissed me gently.
Until after breakfast the next day, Cui Yiluo still couldn't tell whether the kiss on her forehead at the end of the night was real or just a dream.
But it took her a long time to fall asleep, so he couldn't be awake too. It was just that she was hallucinating because she was half asleep.
"Miss, are you going to wear this dress to the palace banquet tonight?"
Lilan's voice broke the silence and brought Cui Yiluo back to her senses.
Cui Yiluo looked over and saw Lilan hanging a dress and cloak neatly on the wooden clothes hanger in the room.
The skirt, embroidered with large, beautiful and blooming crabapple flowers in crimson, hangs down, looking delicate and bright, while the edge of the cloak on one side, which is slightly darker than the dress, is sewn with a circle of fine, snow-white rabbit fur, which is perfect for keeping warm in the early winter season.
Lilan always knew Cui Yiluo's preferences. Cui Yiluo replied, "Let's go with this one."
Lilan responded and looked at Cui Yiluo worriedly: "Why have you been distracted these past two days, young lady?"
Cui Yiluo was slightly stunned. "Why do you say that?"
Lilan pointed at the account book spread out in front of Cui Yiluo and said, "Young lady, you have been looking at this page for a long time. Normally, your abacus makes a constant sound, but today it is much slower."
Cui Yiluo paused as she lightly tapped the beads with her fingertips.
Li Lan frowned and asked, "Miss, are you worried about the palace banquet tonight?"
Cui Yiluo shook her head. She didn't want to make Lilan worry. Besides, she was still useful to Jiang Yunjin and the others at the palace banquet tonight, and he would not let her get hurt.
"It's just that I've been a little tired of looking at the account books lately."
"Miss, you're working too hard." Lilan felt even more distressed when she saw Cui Yiluo's absent-minded look. These days, Cui Yiluo not only looked at the account books, but also went to the shop in the farm every few days to check. She was very attentive, but she still couldn't satisfy Old Madam Jiang, and Young Master Jiang's attitude was also indifferent. Although Cui Yiluo's life was much better now than before, and she had dealt with the Cui family's people, Lilan still felt sorry for Cui Yiluo.
But she also knew that Cui Yiluo had her reasons. Lilan sighed several times in her heart, and finally said, "I will ask the kitchen to stew some refreshing tonic for you later."
Cui Yiluo smiled and said, "Okay."
Speaking of tonight's palace banquet, Cui Yiluo thought of Cui Qi and asked Xiang Lilan, "By the way, is there anything unusual happening with the Cui family?"
Cui Yiluo bribed the guards selected by Jiang Yunjin and asked him to pass on the news of the Cui family's return to Ningzhou to them.
Li Lan recalled, "Since I sent you a reply last time, there has been no new news in the past few days. Would you like me to send you a message to ask?"
Cui Yiluo was naturally worried, "Let's send a message and ask."
Soon after, a snow-white carrier pigeon, carrying a scroll of paper, flew out of the Jiang residence, heading towards Ningzhou. Lilan stood by the window, counting the days.
You should receive a reply within six or seven days.
The carriage stopped at Shunde Gate, closer to the palace. Cui Yiluo, Lan Hui, and Jiang Zhaoyue shared a carriage. Jiang Yunjin had been working at the government office in the imperial city during the day, so he didn't need to return home and could go directly to the palace. But tonight, when they returned home after the banquet, they would definitely share the carriage.
Thinking of this, Cui Yiluo's heart sank again.
The carriage slowly stopped.
Cui Yiluo put her thoughts aside and prepared to get off the carriage.
The carriage door slowly opened, and the scene outside slowly came into the eyes of the people inside. The most abrupt thing was the corner of the crimson robe that first caught their eye.
Cui Yiluo instantly recognized the owner of the robe. She stood at the door of the carriage, not knowing whether to get off or not.
But Jiang Yunjin, who was not far away, seemed to have seen her long ago. The carriages of noble families would hang tokens to indicate their status, and Jiang Yunjin had good eyesight, so he naturally recognized her from afar.
Cui Yiluo couldn't just stay in the carriage and not get off. When she stood at the door, Lan Hui and Jiang Zhaoyue behind her must have sensed something was wrong.
She had no choice but to step on a stool to get out of the carriage.
A steady force came from her forearm, and Jiang Yunjin lightly supported her arm, but in an instant, after she got out of the car and stood firmly on the ground, he withdrew his hand.
Their eyes met, Jiang Yunjin looked at her, and she felt that his dark eyes seemed to linger on her for a moment longer, and his gaze brightened slightly.
"Thank you, husband," she said softly.
Jiang Yunjin looked calm, as if his previous action was just a casual one. "Nothing."
Lan Hui and Jiang Zhaoyue behind him also got off the carriage. When they saw Jiang Yunjin, a hint of surprise flashed across their faces, and then they smiled at each other.
Seeing that the man next to her didn't seem to notice the teasing in their laughter, Cui Yiluo greeted them indifferently.
Jiang Zhaoyue obviously assumed that Jiang Yunjin appeared here specially to pick her up, and it seemed that he couldn't wait to meet her. After greeting her, he found an excuse to take Lan Hui in front and went through the palace gate into the palace.
Before leaving, Lan Hui smiled at Cui Yiluo with relief.
Cui Yiluo knew that her aunt had always worried that Jiang Yunjin was too busy with official duties and not a considerate person, and she was worried that Cui Yiluo would suffer some kind of grievance after the marriage. Jiang Yunjin's presence in front of the carriage today had clearly led her aunt to misunderstand her and assume that she and Jiang Yunjin were deeply in love.
I don’t know what my aunt will do if she and Jiang Yunjin really divorce in the future.
Cui Yiluo walked on the wide and long palace road, looking down at the stone bricks under her feet, feeling a little worried about her aunt.
"What are you thinking about?"
The deep and pleasant voice of the man beside her brought her back to her senses.
Cui Yiluo subconsciously raised her eyes and saw that he was just looking straight ahead with an indifferent expression, as if he had just asked casually.
"Why was my husband at the palace gate just now?"
She did not answer directly, but changed the subject. But for some reason, Jiang Yunjin's expression suddenly became brighter.
He explained slowly, "I had to go out on business in the afternoon, so I ran into him when I came back."
So that's how it is.
After all, how could Jiang Yunjin make a special trip to wait for her at the palace gate? He only wanted to spend all his time on official duties.
Cui Yiluo should have breathed a sigh of relief, but a strange, inexplicable feeling rose in her heart. She didn't want to dwell on it.
"Did you find anything you left in the study yesterday?"
He spoke again, and Cui Yiluo's heart tightened instantly. She raised her eyes and looked at his reaction carefully and calmly, but saw that his expression was still normal, as if the words he just asked were just a casual question.
But he was always so frugal with words, rarely speaking, so why would he suddenly ask about her study? And with the door wide open, the guard shouldn't have reported it to Jiang Yunjin, considering the minor incident of finding something yesterday. Was it Jiang Yunjin who took the initiative to ask, or was it the guard's cautiousness, reporting every detail to him, that aroused his suspicions?
But whether he was testing her or just casually mentioning it, she couldn't let any clues slip. She knew him too well. Jiang Yunjin was extremely intelligent. He had already keenly noticed the incident between the Cui family and Zhao Jian. If she didn't answer well this time and dispel his suspicions, he would definitely investigate further.
Cui Yiluo curled her lips as usual and smiled, "It's the peony hairpin you wore when you went to look for your husband last time. Maybe... I accidentally dropped it last time, but I've found it now."
Cui Yiluo bit her lip deliberately, revealing a hint of shyness. She specifically brought up what happened last time, without saying it explicitly, but the two of them knew it all, both of them knew what she had done in the study the last time she came to see him, and how they had gone on to do something inappropriate.
Jiang Yunjin's expression suddenly tensed, and his eyes darkened. He pursed his lips lightly and didn't ask any more questions.
After all, there were people coming and going on the palace road. Tonight, the palace banquet was being held to entertain the ministers and their families. The officials and their wives who were attending the banquet were everywhere, and the palace servants were busy and hurried.
Cui Yiluo chuckled softly inwardly. He was a man of integrity and courtesy, yet she tempted him time and again into lust. Every time they did something like that, he'd probably spit on her.
Extremely contradictory.
When they arrived at the palace where the banquet was held, the palace servants acted quickly and orderly, and she and Jiang Yunjin were respectfully led to their seats.
Jiang Yunjin was of a higher rank, so naturally he sat closer to the front than Jiang Wen, who was the Minister of Revenue. He was almost just a short distance away from the emperor.
Not only the emperor, but also Yuan Ling, who was guarding beside the emperor, and Concubine Qiong and the fifth prince below him were even closer.
The dark, damp, and cold gaze immediately caught up with her, carrying with it a cold and oppressive hatred, as if wanting to eat her alive, but also a bit of inquiry and interest, all intertwined in an extremely complex way.
It seemed that the other party had no intention of letting her go, but he had lost some power in the court and was unable to take care of himself. He also had to take care of Jiang Yunjin, so he didn't take action for the time being.
Cui Yiluo's brows turned cold, like ice.
Jiang Yunjin beside him suddenly moved forward a few inches, and his tall and slender figure immediately blocked the view from the left.
The cold gaze disappeared.
Cui Yiluo's heart skipped a beat. She looked at him and met his gaze. His narrow, dark eyes were heavy, and he was obviously a little unhappy, but he still gave her a comforting look.
He didn't say anything, but Cui Yiluo understood what he meant tacitly. After a moment, she slowly nodded.
At tonight's palace banquet, all the female members of the family sat together with their husbands or families. There was constant chatter all around, but Cui Yiluo and Jiang Yunjin were the only ones who hardly spoke, attracting the attention of others.
But everyone only saw that Jiang Yunjin had an indifferent expression and did not take the gazes of outsiders to heart. Although his wife beside him came from a humble background, she was very calm and composed sitting in the front. She did not seem timid or nervous when facing the various gazes of the crowd. She did not have the courage that a daughter of a minor official would have.
Cui Yiluo looked normal. She simply didn't want to talk to Jiang Yunjin. Since he didn't speak first, she didn't have to bother pretending to be the same as before and felt at ease.
Soon after they sat down, it was time for the banquet. As the eunuchs sang, the palace maids presented delicacies and fruits, and the dance and music played, no one had the heart to pay attention to Cui Yiluo and Jiang Yunjin.
After three rounds of banquets, officials socialized among themselves, and Jiang Yunjin drank quite a bit of wine. Cui Yiluo wasn't familiar with the officials' families around her. Although she was adept at socializing, she didn't really enjoy such occasions. After a few rounds of socializing, she found an excuse to leave the hall.
There is a banquet in the palace tonight, and there are many palace servants coming and going. As long as she doesn't go to a too remote place, Xiao Zheng probably won't dare to take action here.
Walking along the corridor, you can smell a faint fragrance, and the beautiful hibiscus is blooming under the candlelight of a few palace lanterns in the dark night.
Cui Yiluo stood here for a while, and just as her slender fingers touched the tender petals, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.
Cui Yiluo's heart tightened, and she quickly turned around, holding the dagger in her sleeve tightly in one hand.
But under the octagonal glazed palace lantern, a man in black clothes embroidered with cloud patterns slowly walked out from the corner of the corridor.
"Miss Cui is still so vigilant."
Yuan Ling had a playful smile on his face.
Cui Yiluo loosened her dagger, straightened her sleeves, and sneered, "Master Yuan still likes to stalk people as always."
Yuan Ling chuckled and said meaningfully, "I came to see Miss Cui because I wanted to ask, have you considered the deal we made last time?"
The last deal was that he would help her find out her background. At the poetry meeting, Jiang Yunjin's appearance suddenly interrupted their conversation, and the matter was put on hold.
Cui Yiluo remained noncommittal: "What does Lord Yuan want?"
Yuan Ling replied with a half-smile, "I haven't made up my mind yet. Why don't you just owe it to Miss Cui?"
Cui Yiluo smiled, but her eyes were cold. "Master Yuan is cunning. How can I know what conditions he will propose in the future? I won't do a deal without clear terms."
Yuan Ling seemed to find her words particularly amusing, and his smile deepened. "Then Miss Cui, please wait until I have considered it carefully. We can talk again later."
Cui Yiluo nodded slightly but didn't reply. She didn't want to stay with Yuan Ling any longer. She gave a rough greeting and said, "Excuse me."
Yuan Ling was still smiling and didn't say anything. He just turned sideways to make it easier for her to leave. However, his eyes were deep, and he seemed determined to win.
After walking a few steps, she bumped into Yuan Ling. Cui Yiluo's interest immediately faded. Not wanting to stay outside any longer, she returned to the banquet along the same route.
In the spacious and bright palace, there was still the sound of laughter and chatter, people were socializing and the scene was very lively.
As soon as she sat down, the deep voice of the man next to her rang in her ears.
"Where did you go just now?"
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Author's words: As mentioned before, my cousin can easily tell whether Luo is asleep or not [狗头]
Thanks to the babies who irrigated the nutrient solution [heart]
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