Chapter 15 Chapter 15 He had doubts about her feelings
Facing her doubtful question, Zhang Jingxuan retracted his gaze, lowered his head and continued to wipe the table, and replied nonchalantly:
"nothing."
The labor that was unfamiliar to her a few days ago has become much more familiar to her now. Her white and slender knuckles holding the rag look pleasing to the eye.
While wiping the table, he asked casually:
"Why do you suddenly want to learn from me? Don't you hate me? Asking me to teach you means I'll criticize you, and you'll have to interact with me and talk to me all day long."
Xue Yuanyin felt that he was looking down on her and snorted:
"How could I be the kind of person who gives up halfway? They say that learning has no boundaries, yet you and I are so clear about the difference. Could it be that you are hiding something from me, afraid that I might defeat you in the future?"
Zhang Jingxuan cleaned the rag and put it back in its place before saying, "The six arts of a gentleman are too numerous to mention: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. You can only choose one."
Xue Yuanyin said casually, "Then let's paint. It's what you're best at."
Zhang Jingxuan looked at her for a moment with his light brown eyes, then nodded and said, "Okay."
When Xue Yuanyin heard that he really agreed, she was a little surprised that he agreed so easily, and felt dazed for a moment.
In fact, she herself couldn't explain why she had to ask Zhang Jingxuan to teach her something. It seemed like a habit ingrained in her bones. This was how he taught her in the days of their deep friendship.
She was three years younger than him and he was tall. When no one was taking care of her, he bent down, held her hand, and taught her how to hold a pen and write.
But later she learned from someone else and changed her writing style, so no one noticed that her handwriting was a bit like his.
There were many things that the Xue family had never taught her. She had learned them bit by bit from Zhang Jingxuan.
So much so that for a long time after they became estranged, she couldn't adapt to the fact that he would never come to teach her again.
Now that I'm pestering him to teach me, the sense of familiarity seems to be returning.
Xue Yuanyin frowned, came to his senses, and reflected on himself.
What was she thinking just now? She was actually thinking about Zhang Jingxuan, this hypocritical and arrogant hypocrite! She must not be awake yet!
Zhang Jingxuan cleared away all the dishes and tables. It was already dark, so he stood up and went into the house. Before closing the door, he paused and looked sideways at her:
"From now on, I will be painting for the bookshop in the morning and afternoon. After lunch, I will come to teach you in an hour."
He concealed the thoughts in his eyes and said calmly, "Let's start from tomorrow."
-
Xue Yuanyin followed Zhang Jingxuan to learn painting on a whim, but after a few days of instruction and understanding his abilities, she really wanted to learn painting well.
Putting aside his stance, he is indeed a very good teacher. What he says is concise and clear, easy to understand. His white and slender fingers casually write a freehand painting full of charm. As his Adam's apple rolls up and down, his voice flows down from the top of his head, gentle as jade falling on a plate.
She jokingly said to Zhang Jingxuan, "When I'm done with my studies, I'm going to paint a picture. That way, if His Royal Highness Prince Yu fails in his bid for the throne, I can sell the painting, make money, and run away."
This was the first time she brought up the topic of their conflicting positions in front of him.
Zhang Jingxuan raised his eyes and looked at her deeply. He snorted meaningfully and said, "Then your kung fu is still far from perfect."
I don't know what kind of kung fu he was talking about, the kung fu of assisting His Royal Highness Prince Yu in seizing the throne, or her kung fu of painting.
Xue Yuanyin was unconvinced: "One day, I will surpass you and make you look at me with your chin held high!"
Zhang Jingxuan put down his pen and immediately put away the ink, saying, "That day will never come."
Putting down his brush, he pointed at the furry little fox she had drawn and said, "The limbs aren't drawn well. Try again. I'll come back tonight to test your results."
After saying that, he didn't wait for her answer, picked up his bag, and went to the bookstore.
Xue Yuanyin had been painting the fox for the whole afternoon. From being criticized as worthless to being lifelike, she didn't know how many drafts she had wasted, and this was the one she was most satisfied with.
She originally wanted to show off, but she didn't expect that he could find fault with her!
"Ahhh Zhang Jingxuan!" She angrily threw the drawing paper at him. It slipped from his sleeve and landed lightly on the ground. She said angrily:
"I just used the painting to secretly call you a cunning fox, and you actually used it to take revenge on me! You mean-spirited hypocrite!!!"
"It was you who insisted on learning Danqing from me. Don't give up halfway, Miss Xue."
He left this sentence and walked out the door.
Xue Yuanyin glared at his back: "You!"
She just wanted to avenge herself for losing to him in the prison exam. Why was he so petty?
What made her most angry was that he had seen through it a long time ago, but he had remained silent all along, and only now exposed her little trick, as if he was teasing her.
Xue Yuanyin curled her lips, crumpled up the waste manuscript and threw it away.
…
Zhang Jingxuan went straight to Songbai Bookstore.
The owner of Songbai Bookstore immediately welcomed him into the private room upstairs upon seeing him, replaced the pot with a new tea, and said with a smile, "Mr. Li is here? Didn't you just say you'll give me the painting at the end of the month? Why did you come all the way here?"
Zhang Jingxuan, using the alias "Li," smiled gently at the shopkeeper and made up an excuse: "I want to borrow another pen."
The shopkeeper said "Okay, okay" repeatedly, went to get a brush, and chatted for a few more words: "For someone with such superb painting skills like Mr. Li, it's really a waste of talent to stay in my small bookshop. You should go to a bigger city to see the world! Maybe if you go to Beijing, you will be appreciated by some dignitaries!"
Zhang Jingxuan knew about his painting very well, so he did not answer but just listened with a smile.
The shopkeeper had already figured out Mr. Li's temperament yesterday - he knew when to advance and when to retreat, was too gentle, but not close enough. He chatted with him for a few words and then left.
After the shopkeeper left, Zhang Jingxuan opened the bundle, spread out the blank scroll, and turned a brush in his hand, but had no intention of writing.
After a moment, he took out the portrait of the little fox from his lapel and looked at it for a while.
In fact, he didn't need to go to the bookshop to work. He just had to hand over the paintings to the bookshop owner at the end of each month.
I came out today just to find a place to take a look at the portrait she drew.
To be honest, the little fox was painted very lifelike, with pointed ears, beautiful fur and body, lazily nestled on the hill. It was completely unlike anything he had ever drawn before, which made him suspicious.
He doesn't know how to paint, but he can draw a little fox...which only means he has done it privately.
Who is she referring to when she draws the fox?
What kind of thoughts are you hiding in your mind when you follow him to learn painting?
The remarks he heard in the school resurfaced in his mind, but this time he did not ignore them. Instead, he pondered over all the details that he had not paid attention to recently or even in the past.
He had never thought that he would associate her with anything romantic. Who was she? She was the sister of his long-time friend, a childhood sweetheart with whom he had a pure friendship.
But who can blame him for being so perceptive? Perceptive people are naturally suspicious.
"Tsk, Miss..."
Zhang Jingxuan suddenly raised the corners of his lips and snorted with ambiguous meaning.
-
To contact the caravan, one needs to hunt furs first, which is not something that can be done in a hurry. During the days when Xue Yuanyin was learning painting with Zhang Jingxuan, she would go out for a walk when she had free time and secretly inquire about the news of Qin Fang and others.
At that time, they were too deep in the forest and it was definitely too late to turn back. Moreover, the emperor did not want more people to know about this matter, so Qin Fang and others must have gone into the forest.
I just don’t know where they hid and whether they are safe now.
Xue Yuanyin went to a teahouse to eat melon seeds and chatted with an old sister-in-law. He asked about the whereabouts of the patrols that had come to search for the thieves. He only heard the old sister-in-law complain:
"I don't know what the officials are looking for. They've searched the whole town and haven't found a single fly. They've made us so scared. It's really unlucky!"
After chatting for a while, Xue Yuanyin had an idea in mind. He gave the remaining melon seeds to his sister-in-law and got up to leave the teahouse.
They went to the pork vendor, the old man buying vegetables, the grocery store, etc., and the information they got was similar - the patrol team searched the whole town and found nothing.
Xue Yuanyin pondered, so Qin Fang, Zhang Zimo and that classmate surnamed Shen were not caught?
She had some guesses about Chen Lu. He was probably a poor boy who had joined the prince's army. She heard that he had some abilities. She didn't have much contact with him on a daily basis. She only knew that he only interacted with Zhang Jingxuan.
Su Mian, Guan Zhong and Gao Songlin all highly praised this man, claiming that he and another poor boy named "Liu Minyan" in the Imperial College were the two proud children of the poor families in the Imperial College. If they could join the ranks of His Royal Highness Prince Yu, they would definitely be a great help.
Zhang Zimo was born into the Zhang family and was also quite knowledgeable.
In addition, Qin Fang is good at martial arts, and the three of them are proficient in both civil and military skills, so it is very likely that they are hiding somewhere.
Why does it feel like Zhang Jingxuan's friends are much more reliable than her friends...
Xue Yuanyin collected his thoughts and returned to his own deserted yard.
Normally, Zhang Jingxuan hadn't finished work at this time. Today, when she stepped into the yard, she subconsciously picked up the broom and started sweeping the floor. When she looked up, she saw Zhang Jingxuan already sitting at the table, seemingly waiting for her.
She walked over with a broom in hand and asked in surprise, "You're back so early? The bookstore doesn't allow you to work anymore?"
It’s only been over half a month, it shouldn’t be that serious!
Zhang Jingxuan's paintings are being sold for over a hundred taels of silver in the capital. Is the bookshop owner so short-sighted?
Zhang Jingxuan frowned, took out half an ounce of silver from his sleeve and placed it on the table, saying calmly, "I handed in a painting and got my monthly salary paid in advance."
Xue Yuanyin:?
She widened her eyes in shock and picked up the silver coins, looking at them from left to right in curiosity.
After examining it for a while, she saw that it was indeed half an ounce of silver. She curved her eyes and said with a hint of a smile, "You did a good job! Was the silver confiscated?"
Hearing this, Zhang Jingxuan raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze lingering on her unnoticed face for a few seconds before nodding, "Yes. Although it's not enough to rent horses and bows and arrows, it's enough for other things."
Xue Yuanyin suddenly thought of something and became excited: "You mean..."
Zhang Jingxuan nodded slightly: "Tomorrow morning, shall we go to the human traffickers and pick out a suitable servant?"
Xue Yuanyin was so happy that she almost screamed. She threw away the broom and raised her hand to pat him hard, causing the thin skin under his coarse clothes to rub against her. He suddenly looked over, but she didn't notice. She smiled and withdrew her hand, her eyes curved like crescent moons:
"Finally, we don't have to sweep the floor, do laundry, cook, or wash dishes anymore! You're amazing!"
Zhang Jingxuan brushed the wrinkled clothes on his shoulders and nodded calmly.
Xue Yuanyin even hummed a song. She didn't know what Zhang Jingxuan was thinking with those dim eyes, but she almost cried with joy!
-
Going to the human traffickers to pick up people is their current top priority, and its importance can be compared to hunting for furs. Not to mention Zhang Jingxuan, Xue Yuanyin takes it very seriously anyway.
She deliberately got up half an hour earlier and dressed up. Although there was nothing much to dress up, she looked more energetic than usual.
Because she was so happy, Xue Yuanyin spent all her money and used the remaining change to buy two sumptuous breakfasts. She gave one to Zhang Jingxuan, which made him look up at her several times.
After breakfast, Xue Yuanyin and Zhang Jingxuan went out together to the dental clinic.
Arriving at the door of the pawnshop, Xue Yuanyin looked at the manager who came out to greet them. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked:
"What kind of servant are we going to find later?"
She and Zhang Jingxuan are a woman and a man, so it is not appropriate for them to have servants or maids.
In this world, most women serve men, and it is rare for men to serve women. Besides, if a man serves her, she herself would not be happy.
Xue Yuanyin thought about it and said, "Why not find a little maid to serve us?"
Zhang Jingxuan raised his eyebrows slightly and said meaningfully, "Find... a little maid?"
Xue Yuanyin nodded, feeling somewhat bewildered by his question. "What's wrong?"
Her face was full of confusion, making Zhang Jingxuan feel as if he was looking at a stupid cat. He looked away and said, "Nothing."
If she hadn't looked serious, he would have almost suspected that she had suggested this on purpose to test him.
Find a little maid to serve him? She really dared to think about it.
Xue Yuanyin looked at Zhang Jingxuan, feeling that he must have said something bad about her in his heart, and said inexplicably:
"Hey! I find that you are really not honest. Can't you just tell me the whole story?"
Zhang Jingxuan glanced at her with complicated eyes, sighed softly, and reached out to rub her head. Her hand felt soft, just like a cat's.
Before her eyes widened and she was about to explode, he withdrew his hand, walked in first and said:
"Let's go in and take a look first."
The author has something to say:
----------------------
I'm so impressed! Why did I open another pre-collection? Is there any reader who can tell me which book I want to read next? QAQ
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
