Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Yue Bai starts eating meat
The air suddenly became very quiet. Yue Bai felt as if ants were crawling on his body, but he enjoyed the feeling.
Somehow, I fell to the ground with her in a daze.
The lights flickered slightly, casting a messy shadow on the ground.
The next day, as the sky was getting light, the sound of people working at the construction site began to rise.
Ji Yang stood in front of a newly established stake, frowning as he looked at the small plan on the drawing. Yue Bai, standing next to him, looked dazed. He held the drawing loosely in his hand, and his eyes drifted away from time to time, as if he was weighed down by something. Even his posture was more casual than usual.
Ji Yang stretched out his hand and gestured to him: "Drawings."
Yue Bai didn't react.
Ji Yang frowned and called out again, "Yue Bai."
This finally brought him back to his senses. Yue Bai shuddered and hurriedly handed over the blueprint, his voice a little panicked: "Here, here it is."
Ji Yang took it, glanced at him calmly, and said calmly: "What's wrong with you today? You have been absent-minded since this morning."
Yue Bai's ears turned slightly red, his eyes were a little evasive, and he replied in a low voice: "Ah... maybe I didn't sleep well last night."
Ji Yang didn't ask any more questions, only humming a "hmm," then averted his gaze and lowered his head to study the blueprint. Sunlight streamed down from the dilapidated eaves, illuminating his shoulders, his hard, cold outlines clearly visible.
Yue Bai lowered his eyes and let out a breath quietly, his palms still retaining the warmth of that moment last night.
In the evening, the noise from the construction of Ningling gradually died down.
The workers unloaded their hoes, and the Dongyang army was also counting supplies. The sky was dyed with a layer of light purple clouds, and crows flew over the roofs in the distance.
Ji Yang took off his gloves, put away the blueprint, looked up at the sky, and said to Yue Bai beside him, "Let's stop here for today. Leave the finishing touches to the few people on duty. Return to the mansion."
Just as he turned around, a gentle voice came from behind him: "Commander-in-Chief."
Ji Yang paused and looked back. It was Xie Guijing.
Xie Guijing bowed, his face calm, "I wonder if Ah Ci is feeling better? I plan to go see her later."
Ji Yang was silent for a moment. He knew they were old acquaintances, and if he tried to stop her, it would only make him look petty. He put away the blueprints and nodded, "She's healed a lot, and the wound isn't a big deal. She just needs to rest for a few days. If you're interested, it wouldn't hurt to go see her."
Xie Guijing smiled and said, "Thank you, Commander-in-Chief."
The two of them left.
Xie Guijing returned to the inn, changed out of his dusty old clothes, ordered someone to bring hot water for a bath, and then took out a small incense burner from the brocade box and lit the spices that Jiang Ci had given him when he went hiking in the mountains with her in his early years. The room was soon filled with a light and subtle fragrance.
He stood before the table and opened a silver-inlaid lacquer box. Inside lay a smooth jade pendant, tied with a strand of green tassels. It was a gift from Jiang Ci when he came of age, and he had kept it with great care.
He took out the jade pendant, gently stroked the tassel at the end, and his eyes fell on the candlelight, his eyes dimmed slightly.
The county magistrate's office.
Ji Yang returned early, took off his coat, hung it on the side of the couch, and cleaned himself up before walking out of the room. He rarely took the initiative to ask, "What are we having for dinner tonight?"
Wanniang was tidying up leaves in the yard when she heard a voice, somewhat surprised: "The governor is having dinner at the mansion tonight?"
Ji Yang nodded: "Yes."
Wan Niang paused, then smiled and agreed: "Then I will prepare some more, including the braised beef that the governor likes."
As they were talking, Jiang Ci walked out of the house. The bandage on her forehead had been removed, leaving only a faint scar diagonally across her temple. Her skin was snow-white, and the slight scar made her features look even clearer.
Ji Yang was standing in the corridor. When he saw her, his originally calm expression suddenly froze.
Jiang Ci smiled at him: "The governor is back."
Ji Yang turned his face away, as if he didn't want her to notice his staring eyes.
Jiang Ci sat down at the stone table in the yard. Just as he sat down, Yin Shuang came over with medicine.
Just as she was about to approach, Ji Yang suddenly heard someone calling out from outside the courtyard. He took the medicine bowl and said calmly, "I'll do it."
Yin Shuang was stunned. She looked up at him, then at Jiang Ci. Although she didn't understand, she nodded and stepped aside.
Jiang Ci glanced at him sideways, and said with a smile: "Commander, did you eat something unpleasant today?"
Ji Yang held the medicine and sat down in front of her, saying, "Thank you for your hard work in Ningling these days. The people are grateful for your kindness. Now that the construction is stable, I will leave some people to continue supervising the work. In two days, we will return to Fengdu."
Jiang Ci didn't say anything, but just lowered his head and took the spoon handed to him with his mouth.
At the gate of the courtyard, Xie Guijing happened to arrive.
He was quite calm and was about to go in to greet people, but he stopped at the corner.
The scene in the courtyard is clear to the eye——
Ji Yang sat beside Jiang Ci, holding the medicine bowl in his hands, feeding her mouthful by mouthful. Jiang Ci frowned slightly, but didn't refuse. Instead, she lowered her head and drank obediently. After she finished, Ji Yang carefully wiped the remaining medicine from the corner of her lips and gathered the collar of her shirt around her shoulders.
The sunset glow made the two figures appear very close to each other.
Xie Guijing stood outside the door, the jade pendant hanging around his waist swaying gently.
He clenched his hands, his heart seemed to be pressed down, but he did not retreat. He took a deep breath and put the expression on his face into place.
A gentle smile appeared on his lips again, and he strode into the courtyard.
"Aci, I'm here." He walked towards her, pretending that he hadn't seen anything.
When Jiang Ci heard the voice, she looked up and saw Xie Guijing standing at the gate of the courtyard. He was dressed neatly, with a gentle look, still the same as she remembered.
She lowered her head to glance at Ji Yang who was sitting beside her. He was still holding the medicine bowl in his hand, but his movements were stiff and his lips were tense. He was always as calm as a mountain, but now he looked like he had done something wrong. His eyes flickered and he finally lowered his gaze.
Jiang Ci's heart moved slightly, his eyes moved between him and Xie Guijing, and he had already understood a little.
She didn't reveal anything, but turned to look at Xie Guijing, a gentle smile on her lips: "You're here."
Xie Guijing took a step closer and said gently, "I heard you're feeling better now. I've been thinking about you, so I came to see you."
Jiang Ci nodded gently and raised his hand to signal him to sit down: "I'm fine now, but you've been busy from early morning to evening, why don't you take a break first."
"I'm glad you're alright." Xie Guijing smiled, sat down on the stone bench, and said in a gentle voice, "Don't worry about anything else. The governor is at the construction site and doesn't let me do any work except oversee the repairs. Just focus on recovering."
Ji Yang sat aside without saying a word, simply placing the medicine bowl back on the plate. He didn't leave, as if he was deliberately sitting there, pretending that he was supposed to be there.
The two of them exchanged pleasantries, and he listened quietly. Occasionally, Xie Guijing would ask a question, and he would just nod slightly in response, his face expressionless, but his palms had clenched into fists without him noticing.
At this time, Chu Yao was holding a basin of old clothes and was about to go to the well to wash them. When she reached the corner of the corridor, she saw the scene of three people in the courtyard.
She subconsciously paused, her eyes sweeping over Ji Yang, Jiang Ci and Xie Guijing who were sitting and talking opposite each other. The atmosphere was gentle but a little weird.
Chu Yao stood behind the pillar, her expression calm, but an indescribable emotion slowly spread in her eyes.
She looked down at the wooden basin in her arms, her grip slowly tightening, her knuckles turning white from the strain. Her gaze never left the courtyard.
It was not until Yue Bai's voice sounded behind her that Chu Yao came out of the scene in the courtyard.
"Miss Chu?" The voice was low and hesitant.
Chu Yao was startled and turned around, but she had put on a gentle and innocent look, with the corners of her lips curved, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with her: "Brother Yue."
Yue Bai stood behind her, his eyes somewhat unnaturally avoiding the direction she had just been staring at, his voice a little cramped: "There are so many clothes, let me help you."
Chu Yao looked down at the heavy wooden basin in her hand, and without any refusal, she handed the basin to him without any hesitation. Her slender fingers brushed across his knuckles, a gentle touch that seemed unintentional, yet intentional.
"That's great. I'm going to the backyard to wash." She smiled innocently.
Yue Bai stood there holding the wooden basin, feeling slightly hot behind his ears, but he could only nod in agreement.
The two walked around the corridor and went to the backyard.
The light by the well was dim, and the wind rustled the branches. Chu Yao squatted down, placed the wooden basin on the ground, lowered her head, and rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair and slender wrists. Her movements were slow, but with a certain grace.
Yue Bai stood aside, at a loss, but forced himself to remain calm. He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He just took off his coat and bent over to help her wring out the wet cloth.
Chu Yao tilted her head to look at him, her eyes slightly curved, a smile hidden in the corners of her lips, and suddenly she called out softly, "Brother Yue."
Yue Bai said "hmm" without raising his head.
Chu Yao placed her palm against his, her palm was slightly cold, but it wrapped around his entire body.
"Thank you." She said, her voice soft as a spring breeze.
He was startled for a moment before he raised his head, but in the next moment, he felt her leaning towards him, their breaths intertwined, and her breath brushed against his ears and neck, with a subtle and captivating feeling.
Under the eaves, the door of the originally empty woodshed was quietly closed. The dim light shone on the window paper, revealing a pair of figures approaching and entangled with each other. The belt with the sachet hanging on it slipped from Yue Bai's waist and fell to the ground.
The wooden basin beside the well was standing quietly, with the wet water marks still not dried up, looking particularly lonely.
After a long time, the door of the woodshed was gently pushed open.
Chu Yao lowered her head to adjust her clothes, and before she could even take a firm step, she heard a hesitant low call from behind her.
"How about...I go and tell the governor that I want to marry you?"
She paused, her expression changing slightly. After a moment, she slowly turned around, her brows clear and her eyes calm, but her voice was a little soft: "Brother Yue, don't tell the governor and his wife for now... I don't want them to know about us yet."
Yue Bai frowned, took a step forward, gently held her shoulders, turned her around, and said seriously: "You are a girl, and you have given me your innocence. If I don't take responsibility, my conscience will not be at peace."
Chu Yao looked up at him, her eyes calm but her tone sincere: "Madam doesn't like me yet, and I don't want her to know. Let me spend more time with her, and then find a chance to tell her and the governor, okay?"
Yue Bai was silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "I respect you."
After saying that, he returned to the well, rolled up his sleeves, picked up the wooden basin on the ground, bent down and started washing clothes.
Chu Yao also squatted down, and just as she stretched out her hand, she was stopped by Yue Bai.
He whispered, "I'll come, the well water is cold."
She smiled and withdrew her hand without arguing anymore. She sat aside, tangling her hair with her hands, and looked at Yue Bai who was busy rubbing clothes without any emotion.
Yue Bai wrung out the last piece of clothing and hung it on the line. His fingers were slightly red from being soaked in the well water. He stood up, patted the hem of his clothes, and said, "I'm going back first."
Chu Yao nodded with a gentle look in her eyes.
Yue Bai glanced at her, as if he had something to say, but in the end he just turned and left without looking back.
After his back completely disappeared, Chu Yao slowly bent down, picked up the empty wooden basin, and walked out of the backyard step by step.
The moonlight was faintly shining on the stone road. She took a few steps and suddenly heard voices coming from the front yard.
Some people were talking and laughing, the sound of cups being pushed together was mixed with the crisp sound of porcelain cups colliding with each other, and their words were familiar and gentle, without a trace of distance.
She paused and stood at the corner door.
The lights in the courtyard were dim. Ji Yang, Jiang Ci and Xie Guijing sat around a table. They all looked relaxed and natural while talking. Occasionally, Jiang Ci's laughter could be heard, soft and clear.
Chu Yao stood in the shadows holding a wooden basin, watching them. For some reason, the laughter was like a needle, piercing her eardrums and making them numb.
After dinner, the three of them were still sitting in the yard. Chu Yao came to Jiang Ci's room with a newly changed quilt in her hand, walked to the bed, and spread the bedding layer by layer.
After laying out the clothes, she was supposed to turn around and leave, but for some reason, her eyes fell on the half-open clothes chest not far away.
She looked around and saw no one coming in, so she walked forward, put her fingertips on the edge of the cabinet door, and pushed it gently.
Inside, several of Jiang Ci's favorite clothes were neatly hung. Most were plain in color, but made of excellent material, with the cuffs and hems embroidered with fine, subtle patterns. Chu Yao's eyes lit up slightly, and she reached out to pick up a light-colored piece of clothing, walked over to the bronze mirror, and gestured at herself in the mirror.
The clothes hung in front of her, and although she had not put them on, she seemed to have suddenly changed her identity in the mirror.
She turned her face slightly and smiled at the mirror.
Then she looked at the dressing table.
There were several pieces of jewellery on it. She reached out and took down a hairpin inlaid with small beads, inserted it into her hair, compared it with others, and glanced at herself in the mirror, her eyes lingering.
But in just a moment, that expression slowly faded away. She lowered her eyes, took the hairpin from her hair and threw it on the table, then hung the clothes back in the chest.
When she came out of the house, she saw Xie Guijing saying goodbye to Jiang Ci and Ji Yang.
Mr. Xie seemed to have drunk some wine, and his steps were a little unsteady. After saying goodbye, he walked out of the mansion with a slightly unsteady gait. Chu Yao saw him and quietly followed him.
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