Chapter 7 Chapter 7 "She hasn't woken up yet. She was up late last night...
Jiang Ci did not argue, but just nodded in agreement. She quietly untied her hair in front of the dressing table, and her black hair fell down, highlighting her slender shoulders and neck.
Then he stood up, took out a thin quilt from the cabinet, and spread it on the carpet beside the bed, his movements were gentle and not disturbing.
Ji Yang was lying on the couch with his back to her, wrapped tightly in the quilt, his posture stiff, as if he was guarding against something.
Jiang Ci glanced at him without saying a word. He just turned off the last lamp and lay down.
It was late at night and everything was quiet. The two of them lay back to back, like two silent stone statues, each guarding their own corner.
Jiang Ci, however, still couldn't fall asleep. She curled up on her side, staring blankly at the desk not far away.
The spring rain in Zichuan City, her father's eyes, and the image of Xie Guijing chasing her through the bamboo forest when he was a teenager emerged unconsciously in her mind.
Those, like an old dream, can never be returned to.
Suddenly, a faint whisper came from the couch.
She was startled, sat up and listened attentively.
Ji Yang frowned, his face was pale, his expression was painful, and he was mumbling something incoherently.
Jiang Ci stood up and moved closer, only then could he hear him repeating over and over again: "It's so cold... so cold..."
She thought he was suffering from the night chill, so she turned around and took another quilt from the cabinet and quietly covered him with it.
But even after adding more quilts, he still murmured those two words, his voice trembling, his knuckles clasped tightly against the corner of the quilt, as if he was afraid that someone would drag him into the abyss.
The candlelight was still burning, and Jiang Ci could clearly see a tear slipping quietly from the corner of Ji Yang's eye and sinking into the pillow.
She was slightly stunned.
That's not fear of the cold, that's fear of...
It was a nightmare that brought him back to the old nightmare of being a hostage for three years.
She suddenly understood that what stood between them at this moment was not the previous opposition between them, but the wound that he might never be able to erase in his lifetime.
She squatted down, lay in front of the couch, and gently covered his chest through the quilt, stroking it with her palm bit by bit, as if to dispel the deep-buried coldness for him.
She whispered: "It's not cold anymore... It's not cold anymore..."
"You're already home."
The voice was gentle and almost inaudible, like a wisp of wind or a stream of spring water.
She recited it patiently over and over again, her voice getting lower and lower, but more and more determined.
After an unknown amount of time, Ji Yang's brows finally relaxed, his face returned to calm, and his breathing gradually became even.
Jiang Ci breathed a sigh of relief, gently withdrew his hand, returned to his bed, and said nothing more.
Ji Yang's heart was covered in armor, but it was full of wounds.
She closed her eyes and felt a pang of heartache.
The next day, at dawn, the grayish-white morning light filtered through the window paper into the room.
Ji Yang opened his eyes, still looking a bit tired. When he turned over and sat up, he found that he had an extra thin blanket on him. The color was different from the original one, and the edges still had a faint fragrance of a woman.
He frowned slightly and looked down at the ground. Jiang Ci was curled up on a small mattress beside him, lying on his side, with his hair scattered and his expression calm. He was actually still sleeping soundly.
Ji Yang curled his lips in displeasure, pulled off the quilt, shook it open, and threw it back at her. Although he didn't say anything, his actions revealed a bit of impatience.
He got out of bed quietly, put on the clothes that he had hung on the back of the chair last night, walked to the door, pulled the bolt, and sure enough, it was open.
Outside the door, Wanniang and Yinshuang were waiting early.
Ji Yang had just taken a step when he suddenly stopped and said in a low voice, "Wait a moment."
The two were stunned, not knowing what he meant.
Ji Yang closed the door, turned around and went back, stood beside Jiang Ci, stretched out his hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally bent down and gently picked her up.
She trembled slightly, but did not wake up.
He put her back on the bed safely. His movements were not very skillful, but he subconsciously avoided her hands and feet, as if he didn't want to touch her at all.
He rolled up the mattress and quilt on the floor and stuffed them into the cabinet beside him. His movements were sloppy and contained some hidden annoyance.
After finishing his work, he opened the door and walked out again, muttering to the two people standing at the door with an expressionless face:
"She hasn't woken up yet. She was up late last night."
"You guys wait outside the door first."
After saying that, he stood at the foot of the stairs and stretched casually. His joints made a "click" sound, his eyebrows raised, and a faint arc appeared at the corners of his mouth.
Of course he knew that his mother would not ask Jiang Ci in person how he did last night.
But she would definitely find out from the servants.
Since this was the case, he had set up this plan in advance, which not only met his mother's expectations, but also blocked her idea of continuing to lock the two of them in a room.
After taking a few steps, his expression remained unchanged and his steps were as usual, but for some reason, he felt inexplicably depressed in his heart.
Inside the house, Jiang Ci opened his eyes as soon as he heard the noise outside the door.
She turned over and sat up, lowered her head to tidy up her hair, and called out, "Wan Niang, Yin Shuang, come in."
The two men pushed the door open upon hearing the sound, looked at the messy marks on the bed, smiled, and their eyes were filled with uncontrollable teasing and joy.
Yin Shuang suppressed a smile and went forward to help her fix her hair, while Wan Niang spread out the clothes and said jokingly:
"Our Ah Ci is now a serious grown-up girl."
Jiang Ci could hear the hint in her words and was about to explain when he was interrupted.
A maidservant from the mansion walked in from outside the house, bowed with a smile and said:
"Madam Ji said the water is ready and told us to help the Second Madam bathe, saying she was tired last night and deserved a good soak."
Jiang Ci paused and swallowed back the words he was about to say.
She murmured, "Thank you for your hard work."
After everyone left, she turned around and glanced at the large bed. She sighed softly, but a helpless smile slowly curled up the corners of her lips.
"Forget it, no need to explain. At least tonight, I don't have to sleep on that hard, cold floor."
Jiang Ci washed and dressed, then walked out of the courtyard, slowly walking towards the courtyard where Madam Ji lived. The morning light was just beginning to rise, and birds were chirping among the branches and leaves, making the journey peaceful and tranquil.
As they reached the courtyard, they could see from a distance several servants moving things back and forth, carrying large boxes and small baskets to the carriages outside. A carriage had already been parked in the front yard. Madam Ji was standing on the steps, giving instructions one by one, her expression calm.
Jiang Ci was slightly surprised and quickly stepped forward, bowed, and asked gently, "Mother-in-law, are you going out today?"
Madam Ji turned around when she heard the voice and saw her. Her brows softened a little. She walked down the steps and personally reached out to hold her hand, her tone revealing concern:
"You must have been tired last night. Why did you get up so early? You're a new bride now, so you should get more rest."
Jiang Ci replied softly, "I woke up early and wanted to come and pay my respects to my mother."
Madam Ji smiled, patted the back of her hand gently, and said, "You've come at the perfect time. I need to go to the Taiping Marquis' Mansion. Zisu's cousin has been ill recently, and I'm thinking of going over to take care of him for a few days. I estimate I'll need to stay for half a month."
Jiang Ci was startled and said softly, "It's so sudden."
"We have agreed on this a long time ago, but I have a bad memory and only remembered it when I got up today." Madam Ji said as she ordered someone to carry the prepared incense burner into the carriage.
Jiang Ci stood aside, her eyes calmly scanning the items being carried out, but a sense of inexplicable anxiety rose in her heart. She knew that in this vast Dongyang Marquisate, Madam Ji was her only support. Although she seemed gentle and kind on a daily basis, the fragile relationship between her and Ji Yang was barely maintained, thanks to Madam Ji's mediation.
But if this mistress leaves...
As if she had seen through her thoughts, Madam Ji turned around and looked at her, her tone soft but with a hint of unquestionable certainty:
"Don't worry. Since you've married into this family, this mansion is your home. When I'm away, you'll naturally have to make decisions on many things. Men can handle the ups and downs of life outside, but how can they understand the trivialities of the inner house? If Zisu bullies you, just write a letter and have someone send it to the Taiping Marquis's Mansion. I'll always be able to deal with him when I return."
Jiang Ci's heart moved, and he forced himself to raise his lips and whispered, "I'll remember that."
Madam Ji's eyes slowly swept over her face, and after a moment's silence, she added:
"Between husband and wife, one person must always take the first step. Zisu...his temperament is cold, but he is not heartless."
The words fell, sounding like an unintentional remark, yet also like an intentional reminder.
Jiang Ci was slightly startled, then lowered his head and replied, "My daughter-in-law understands."
Madam Ji said no more. Seeing that the carriage was ready, she turned and got in. Jiang Ci walked her all the way to the mansion gate and watched the carriage slowly drive out until the dust cleared.
It was spring, and the sycamore trees outside the courtyard wall rustled in the wind, like whispers that echoed endlessly.
She finally sighed softly and turned back to her own courtyard. Before her skirt could even reach the door, she heard a familiar and clear voice coming from the corridor:
“Sister Jiang——!”
The voice was as cheerful as ever, mixed with the unique attachment of a child.
Outside the door, Ji Yunfan stood on tiptoe at the bottom of the steps, looking longingly at the house, holding a not-so-neatly folded kite in his hand. Seeing this, Zhu Niang gently patted his shoulder and whispered a reminder:
"Young Master, the Second Madam is now your Second Aunt. You can no longer call her Sister."
Ji Yunfan raised her little face, frowned slightly, and said seriously: "But she looks very young, I still want to call her Sister Jiang."
Seeing his stubborn tone, Zhu Niang smiled and said nothing more.
Ji Yunfan hugged her waist, raised his head and smiled:
"Sister Jiang, I miss you so much! Can you play with me today?"
Jiang Ci smiled slightly, leaned over to straighten his collar, and said softly:
"So what does Afan want to play?"
"I want to fly a kite!" he said without hesitation.
Jiang Ci's smile deepened: "Okay, then let's fly the kite."
After breakfast, Zhu Niang came over with the packed kite and bowed, saying:
"Second Madam, the Governor has already ordered that the young master must not leave the mansion. Of all the open spaces in the mansion, the only one that's most suitable for flying kites is the open space behind the eldest son's courtyard. There's no shelter there, and the wind is good."
Jiang Ci nodded slightly and said, "In that case, let's go there."
There is an open space in the bamboo forest, with a bright breeze and gentle sunshine.
Jiang Ci rolled up his sleeves and was teaching Ji Yunfan how to fly a kite in the open space. The young master was running happily, and the kite was flying very high. The tail line was pulled straight by the wind, winding like a blue dragon in the clouds.
The sun shone down, illuminating Jiang Ci's profile. She gently held Yun Fan's shoulder, her brows curved, a faint smile playing on her lips, her eyes reflecting the clear light of the sky. Not far away, in the corridor, a figure stood quietly.
It was Ji Xu, the eldest son of the Ji family.
He was originally half-leaning on the couch, quietly reading a medical book, when he suddenly heard bursts of laughter coming from outside the courtyard - not like the usual laughter of servants, but with the brightness of a child and the gentleness of a woman.
He looked up, turned slightly sideways, and asked the servant beside him, "Who's in the open space at the back?"
The servant left in response, and a moment later returned with the report: "My Lord, it was the Second Madam and the Young Master flying the kite."
Ji Xu smiled lightly upon hearing this, closed the scroll in his hand, and spoke in a light tone with a sense of comfort he hadn't felt in a long time:
"It's really nice weather today, it's time to go out and get some fresh air."
He stood up and put on his clothes. Although his steps were not hurried, they were very steady.
He walked through the corridor and along the path shaded by bamboos. When he reached the edge of the backyard, he saw women and children running and laughing in the open space. Kites were hanging high in the sky like clouds. The spring light was bright and the figures were dancing.
He slowly stopped in front of the blue brick corridor.
From a distance, Jiang Ci's clothes were fluttering, her hair was rising, and there was a smile between her brows. She did not look like a reserved bride, but rather like a young girl.
The sun was shining brightly, she looked up at the sky, her eyes as clear as water.
Ji Xu stood behind the pillar, without making a sound or disturbing anyone, just watching the scene quietly.
The indifferent expression between his eyebrows seemed to be slightly moved by this moment.
He whispered, "I didn't realize...she looks so beautiful when she smiles." After saying this, he suddenly realized that he had been rude and immediately stopped smiling.
The wind blew through the bamboo shadows, and he stood among them, his eyes gentle, but there was a trace of unwavering emotion between his brows.
As I was running and laughing, I suddenly heard a soft "pop" sound.
The kite string broke.
The kite that was originally flying high suddenly lost its restraints, spun in mid-air, and flew away with the wind, flying higher and higher, and farther and farther.
Jiang Ci and Ji Yunfan stopped together and looked up at the afterimage that was moving away diagonally.
The light in Ji Yunfan's eyes dimmed, he lowered his head, and a look of loss appeared on his little face.
Jiang Ci leaned down, gently stroked his soft head, and comforted him softly:
"It's okay, I'll draw you another one later. What kind do you want?"
Ji Yunfan was stunned when he heard this, blinked, and asked tentatively: "Really? Anything is fine?"
Jiang Ci nodded, smiling softly: "Of course."
The young master's eyes lit up, as if his interest had been rekindled:
"Then I want an eagle!"
"My second uncle has an eagle, it's so fierce and majestic, I want one too... I want to be like him and become a majestic general!"
Jiang Ci responded softly: "Okay."
She stroked his hair with her fingertips, a soft light in her eyes.
Just as he was about to say something else, he looked up and suddenly saw a slender figure standing under the eaves.
The man was wearing light-colored casual clothes, with his hair slightly tied up. He stood tall and elegant, looking at her and Ji Yunfan silently, his eyes as gentle as the autumn water under the moon.
It was Ji Xu.
He did not say anything, nor did he avoid her. He just stood quietly in the corridor, as if he could not bear to disturb her, or as if he had been waiting for this look.
Jiang Ci was startled for a moment, then subconsciously lowered his sleeves, leaned forward, and bowed:
"Meet Big Brother."
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