Chapter 43 Chapter 43 It feels so good to slap someone
Ji Yang thought of the night when Jiang Ci suddenly retched, and the thought that had been suppressed in his mind surfaced again.
The corners of his mouth unconsciously raised into a slight arc, and his expression revealed an indescribable lightness - could it be that she is pregnant with my child?
I didn't expect that what was just a ridiculous night would actually become the final word.
Thinking of this, he suddenly became restless and turned around to tell Yue Bai: "Take some sour food with you on the road."
Yue Bai was rummaging through the boxes while muttering to himself, "I didn't even know when the governor started liking sour food." Although he was secretly complaining, he didn't ask any more questions. He just grabbed a small bag of old plums from the jar, wrapped it in silk cloth, and handed it to Ji Yang.
Ji Yang casually stuffed the package into his arms with a calm expression.
He stood outside the County Magistrate's Mansion, waiting with his posture erect. As the door opened, Yin Shuang supported Jiang Ci and they slowly walked out.
Jiang Ci was dressed in a plain dress, her expression cold and calm, a hint of the tranquility of a journey. She turned back to look at Yin Shuang and whispered, "You can go back. We'll only be staying there for a night or two. Don't worry. The governor is very skilled in martial arts, so he'll be fine."
Yin Shuang reluctantly held Jiang Ci's hand, glanced at Ji Yang beside her, and finally handed Jiang Ci's bag to him. Ji Yang took it without saying much.
As Jiang Ci descended the stairs, Ji Yang reached out to help her, but his hand stopped mid-air, an inch away from her. He didn't move again, waiting for her to approach.
Jiang Ci ignored his outstretched hand, stood before him, and looked around: "Why is there no carriage?"
Ji Yang put his hands behind his back with a calm expression. "The land route is long and the carriage is too bumpy. Let's take a boat first and go over by water. After we land, we can change to another car and go into Liangzhou City."
Jiang Ci nodded and said nothing.
The two men walked out of the street one after the other and headed towards the ferry in the west of the city.
The street was bustling with people. Ji Yang deliberately stayed half a body length behind her, his arm slightly raised, protecting her from behind, keeping a vigilant eye on the people passing by, afraid that someone might accidentally bump into her.
Just as they reached the west gate of the city, Jiang Ci suddenly stopped. Ji Yang paused and looked in the direction of Jiang Ci's slightly changing expression.
At the street corner over there, a man wearing a conical hat was leaning against a blue brick wall, holding an unsheathed long sword in his arms. He stood quietly, looking straight at them.
It's Lou Qi.
He was waiting for her.
Jiang Ci recognized him at a glance and stopped suddenly.
Ji Yang also noticed something was wrong, and his brows furrowed. He whispered, "What is he doing here?"
Jiang Ci turned to Ji Yang and said, "Wait for me here."
Ji Yang reached out and grabbed her wrist, his tone slightly sinking: "What are you going to do? You are the wife of the governor, it's best not to get entangled with other men."
Jiang Ci turned to look at him, his eyes clear and indifferent, without a trace of warmth: "Personal grudge."
As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled her hand out of his palm, turned around and walked straight towards Lou Qi.
Ji Yang stood there, watching her figure go away. Although he looked unhappy, he could do nothing about it.
Lou Qi looked at Jiang Ci approaching, smiled and stood up, his tone carrying his usual frivolous and arrogant tone: "I was waiting for you here, I want to say hello to you..."
Before he could finish his words, Jiang Ci raised his hand and slapped him in the face with a loud and crisp slap, directly slapping back his greeting.
This slap not only shocked Lou Qi, but even Ji Yang in the distance raised his eyebrows, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Lou Qi covered his face, looked at her in disbelief, and opened his mouth: "You...why did you hit me? I..."
Jiang Ci didn't let him finish his words, and the second slap followed, hitting his other cheek mercilessly.
Lou Qi raised his hands to cover his face, his eyes filled with shock and anger.
Ji Yang stood there, looking at Lou Qi who was stunned by the blow, and couldn't help laughing softly. His smile was filled with a hint of gloating and a bit of inexplicable pride.
Jiang Ci's expression remained unchanged as he spoke in a cold voice, "The first slap was because you bullied me; the second slap was because you harmed the people."
She paused, her eyes cold as ice, "If you still have any conscience, get out of Tingzhou and Liangzhou, and don't let me see you again."
Lou Qi wanted to speak again, but was silenced by the coldness in her eyes.
He said nothing and stood there.
Ji Yang was watching with great interest. When his eyes met Lou Qi's, he even raised his eyebrows and smiled arrogantly. Lou Qi's eyes froze, and he wanted to swing his sword right there.
Jiang Ci walked back and calmly took the bag from Ji Yang, saying, "Let's go."
Ji Yang raised his hand to protect her to his side, but a smile flashed in his eyes, and he whispered teasingly: "I didn't expect you to be so powerful when fighting."
Jiang Ci said calmly, "This is how you treat shameless people."
Ji Yang chuckled, his steps becoming a little lighter, but his heart couldn't help but feel slightly warm.
The river was surging, and the ferry cut through the waves, carrying the two people away from Ningling City.
The wind was blowing hard at the bow, and the river was vast. Jiang Ci stood on the deck, the wind blowing her hair. She stared at the increasingly blurred Ningling city walls between the water and the sky, her eyes bright with expectation.
Liangzhou is finally approaching.
That was her root, her home, and the place she had dreamed of countless times.
She knew the land's unique landscapes and rich human warmth, the woven willow trees of ancient trees in the south of the city, and the time when she spent her childhood fishing and chasing butterflies with her father along the Yuguan River. Now, standing in the wind, her eyes reflecting the light of the sky and the water, a smile unconsciously played at the corners of her lips.
But Ji Yang behind her remained silent.
He stood at the side of the cabin, looking at the Liangzhou territory in the distance which was gradually becoming clear, but completely different emotions were surging in his heart.
The three years he spent as a hostage were years he never wanted to look back on. Liangzhou wasn't a place to return to, it was a nightmare.
At that time, he was still a teenager, but he was forced to bow his head and submit, and endured humiliation and indifference. He was poorly clothed and hungry, living in a stable, eating leftovers that were worse than those of pigs and dogs.
In the dead of winter, barefoot and wearing a thin shirt, he was driven through the snow. Beside him were groups of captives, fighting each other for a bite of cold, rock-hard steamed bread. He curled up in a ball, relying on the warmth of his horse, and fell asleep. When he woke one night, his hands were bruised and his cheeks still bore the marks of whiplash.
He had been called a wild dog, and even the horse slaves would point at him from the top of the wall, mocking and cursing him, and throwing stones at him. He could only lower his head, hide in the corner, his teeth clenched and trembling, and endure it silently.
It was the most humiliating situation in his life.
He never imagined that one day he would set foot on this land again. Now he returned, not as an avenger, but as Jiang Ci's husband, to accompany her back to her homeland.
That smiling face before him, Ji Yang didn't know for a moment whether it was ironic or ridiculous. He withdrew his gaze, slowly lowering his head, his eyes settling on Jiang Ci's lower abdomen. That still invisible spot weighed heavily on his mind.
If she really was pregnant...it would be the Jiang family's flesh and blood.
He slowly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. The joy that flashed through his mind was instantly replaced by a cold, complex emotion. He suddenly didn't want to look at her anymore, as if just one more glance would awaken the humiliation that had been suppressed for years.
He turned and went into the cabin, sat down in the cramped room, and closed his eyes, as if he wanted to lock those memories back deep in his heart.
An hour later, the boat docked.
The river breeze, wrapped in the dampness, blew in, and the border of Liangzhou was already ahead. Jiang Ci stood at the bow, watching the familiar silhouette of the city grow clearer as it approached, her joy evident in her eyes. She was about to call Ji Yang out of the cabin when, unexpectedly, the curtain was lifted and Ji Yang had already stepped out.
He stood by the side of the ship, his eyes as indifferent as usual, and his steps slightly slow.
The boat rocked slightly, and just as Jiang Ci was about to disembark, she took a step and stumbled, her body tilting. Ji Yang in front of her instinctively reached out and grabbed her wrist.
But the hand did not pull her up immediately. Jiang Ci's body was suspended in the air with water behind her.
At that moment, Ji Yang had a terrible thought. If he let go of her hand and let her fall, perhaps the baby in her belly would be gone.
A bloodline that shouldn't exist, a surname that brings him humiliation, and a hatred that can never be erased.
The thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
The two of them just stood there in a stalemate on the side of the boat, the river wind blew the corners of their clothes, the boat swayed slightly, Jiang Ci's eyes moved slightly, and she realized that Ji Yang's gaze suddenly became strange - at that moment, the way he looked at her was as if he was looking at a stranger who had nothing to do with him, calm, restrained, and even a little resistant.
He didn't let go in the end.
Ji Yang pulled Jiang Ci ashore with all his might and helped her stand. He then let go of her hand expressionlessly without saying anything.
Jiang Ci pursed his lips, thinking back to the warmth in his eyes just now, which had truly disappeared. It wasn't habitual indifference, but rather a suppression of some hostility that was about to explode.
She suddenly couldn't understand him.
After reaching the shore, Ji Yang walked silently ahead, and Jiang Ci followed him quietly. The carriage was already ready, and the two of them boarded, one in front and one behind, sitting opposite each other, but they were silent all the way.
Yuguan County, Liangzhou.
As dusk fell, the carriage finally passed through the city gate and slowly stopped in front of an inn in the city.
Ji Yang lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage, followed by Jiang Ci. The innkeeper came forward and, upon seeing the two men's impressive demeanor, gave them a flattering smile. "Dear guests, would you like one room or two?"
Before he could finish his words, Ji Yang raised his hand to interrupt: "Two upper rooms."
The shopkeeper was startled, then quickly smiled and accepted the order: "Okay, please follow me, both of you."
Jiang Ci stood behind him, looking at his back, a hint of emotion flashing across his eyes.
He seemed to... push her heart, which wanted to get closer to him, away a little more.
Jiang Ci returned to his room, packed his belongings, and placed them at the foot of the bed. He removed his hairpin and rested for a moment on the couch. The sun was shining brightly outside the window. The wind in Yuguan County was different from that in Ningling, with a dry and crisp air.
After resting for only a cup of tea, she got up and left the room.
As soon as she walked out of the inn, she saw Ji Yang waiting at the door. He was standing at the bottom of the steps, his back to the inn, his eyes calmly gazing at the street ahead.
Jiang Ci walked down the stairs and came to his side, saying softly, "Let's go. I've been here once before. Why don't I take you around?"
Ji Yang tilted his head to look at her and replied softly, "Yeah."
He slowly followed her into the street.
Jiang Ci walked ahead, his steps brisk, pointing at the shops and people along the street, introducing them one by one to him: "That's the candy shop run by Old Hu's family in the north of the city. I loved their sweet bean cakes when I was a kid... That's the tailor shop in front, my mother said their craftsmanship is the best..."
Ji Yang listened silently, his eyes fixed on the smile at the corner of her lips, but his mind never really settled.
He just felt that these voices were a bit noisy to him. It was not Jiang Ci who was noisy, but this entire city. All these memories about Liangzhou left him nowhere to hide.
But he still restrained himself, only saying "hmm" again and again, without showing any impatience.
Jiang Ci could hear the uneasiness in his mood, and there was a gloom in his eyes. She felt a slight stir in her heart, but she didn't continue speaking. Instead, she changed the subject: "Come on, I'll take you to eat noodles."
"I ate at this noodle shop with my father when I was a kid. I vaguely remember the location... I hope it's still there."
As she spoke, she suddenly turned around, gently pulled his sleeve, and led him to the side of the street.
Ji Yang lowered his eyes, looking at the white, slender fingers clutching his sleeve, and suddenly a complex feeling welled up in his heart. He did not struggle, nor did he respond, but simply followed her footsteps silently.
The two were walking to a corner when they suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves and a fast horse came galloping out from the side alley!
Jiang Ci was stunned and subconsciously stopped. The horse had already rushed in front of her, raising dust and raising its hooves high. She staggered and was almost caught in the oncoming hooves.
“Be careful!”
Ji Yang's eyes darkened, and he almost instinctively took action, pulling her into his arms.
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