Chapter 16 Staying Overnight: "The lady won't be back tonight."
"Is Madam not at the manor now?" After not finding the figure in the room or the garden, Yan Zhenxi asked the servant behind him.
The servant bowed and replied, "Yes, sir, the lady left the manor this morning."
"She hasn't been home lately?"
"The lady has been spending little time at home during the day lately."
Was it because he was tired of playing at the manor? He hadn't seen her for the past few days, and Yan Zhenxi felt a little depressed. It seemed like he would feel uncomfortable if he didn't see her for a while.
Jiang Zhiyao was in the teahouse at the moment, listening to the storyteller absentmindedly.
Ji Wanqing had something to do today, so she only arranged to meet Cheng Mingzhu at the teahouse, but Cheng Mingzhu had not yet arrived.
She hasn't invited Ji Wanqing and Cheng Mingzhu to her residence these past few days.
Lately, for some reason, I've always felt an undeniable gaze upon her.
But every time I look in the direction I feel, I can only see pillars or other trees.
Sometimes that gaze would linger on her for a long time, and sometimes it would be very brief, leading Jiang Zhiyao to believe that it was just an illusion.
A few days ago, when Jiang Zhiyao was playing in the garden with Ji Wanqing and the others, she noticed that gaze again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure in moon white behind the flower bushes not far away.
The motionless figure was faintly visible through the flowers, and at first glance it was somewhat eerie.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Yan Zhenxi. Why was he standing there? Yan Zhenxi was facing her directly. For a moment, Jiang Zhiyao became suspicious, but then she remembered the veil covering his face and chuckled.
How could it be him? Perhaps it's because Yan Zhenxi usually seems so composed that Jiang Zhiyao sometimes forgets about his blindness.
Jiang Zhiyao ignored it, thinking she must have been being too paranoid lately, and continued playing with Ji Wanqing. But the gaze became even stronger, making Jiang Zhiyao feel a little uncomfortable.
After a while, when Jiang Zhiyao looked in that direction again, Yan Zhenxi's figure had already disappeared.
Could it be because it's too noisy? Jiang Zhiyao wondered. Although the garden was a bit far from the study, she had heard that blind people have exceptionally sharp hearing.
Although Yan Zhenxi hadn't mentioned it to him, it must have affected him. Come to think of it, he'd never seen Yan Zhenxi invite his friends to his residence.
Thinking about this, Jiang Zhiyao couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, so she's been going out to play a lot lately.
"Yaoyao." It was Cheng Mingzhu's voice. "You always come so early."
Seeing that Cheng Mingzhu looked a little tired, Jiang Zhiyao asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night? Would you like some sleep-aid sachet?"
Cheng Mingzhu sat down, poured herself a cup of tea, and yawned: "It's okay, no need."
"Chu Yu hosted a banquet last night, and it ended quite late."
After taking a sip of tea, he said, "I thought you would go too. I saw the invitation at your residence last time. I didn't expect to find you at the banquet, but I only found Ji Wanqing."
"Miss Chu?" Jiang Zhiyao thought for a moment, "It seems that an invitation was sent, but it was for Yan Zhenxi."
"Has she not given up yet?" Cheng Mingzhu was wide awake at the mention of this. "Hey, I think I did see Yan Zhenxi last night."
At that time, she was still wondering with Ji Wanqing why Jiang Zhiyao hadn't come along.
"Doesn't that mean he not only didn't bring you to the banquet, but he also didn't tell you?!" Cheng Mingzhu's voice gradually rose.
“How could he do this? What about Chu Yu…” Cheng Mingzhu became more and more angry as she spoke.
It was common knowledge in the capital that Chu Yu admired Yan Zhenxi.
Unlike others who express their love timidly and reservedly, Chu Yu is always bold and passionate. Although Yan Zhenxi rejects her every time, she persists and often expresses her love to Yan Zhenxi at banquets or other public occasions.
After Yan Zhenxi's eye was injured, Chu Yu gradually calmed down, which may also be because Yan Zhenxi didn't attend many banquets afterward.
"No, this Yan Zhenxi, he always declined to attend the banquets my father held before, so why did he go to Chu Yu's banquet?"
"I don't know either...maybe something's wrong," Jiang Zhiyao said, shaking her head.
She knew Chu Yu; she had witnessed Chu Yu confessing her feelings to Yan Zhenxi at a banquet before.
The girl's smile was so bright that even Jiang Zhiyao was momentarily stunned.
Jiang Zhiyao felt envious, envious of Chu Yu's boldness and confidence. Although Yan Zhenxi calmly and composedly refused, Chu Yu did not seem to have any regrets or disappointment.
If Yan Zhenxi had agreed back then, Jiang Zhiyao probably wouldn't have thought anything of it. She would have just thought the two were a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. If Jiang Zhiyao had known, she would have just clapped and congratulated him.
At that time, Yan Zhenxi and she had no interaction whatsoever; only Jiang Zhiyao harbored a beautiful fantasy and youthful infatuation in her heart.
But now, knowing that Yan Zhenxi had gone to her banquet alone, Jiang Zhiyao felt a pang of bitterness that she herself found repulsive, though she quickly suppressed it.
She knew that Yan Zhenxi must have gone there for something. Given Yan Zhenxi's personality, there was absolutely no way he and Chu Yu would have any private relationship. Although she knew this, Jiang Zhiyao still felt a little depressed.
"He didn't say he should avoid suspicion, but he should at least have told you, right?" Cheng Mingzhu's impression of Yan Zhenxi had plummeted to rock bottom at this point.
"It's alright, he must be busy with his own things," Jiang Zhiyao changed the subject. "The teahouse has a new storyteller today. You're late; he's telling the story of the one that just came out..."
-
As dusk approached, Jiang Zhiyao and Cheng Mingzhu had lunch out today, and it was now time for Jiang Zhiyao to return home, as usual.
"Yaoyao, dear Yaoyao," Cheng Mingzhu said, shaking Jiang Zhiyao's arm. "I don't want you to leave."
"I can only see you two or three times a week, I wish I could be with you every day."
It's such a pity. If only Jiang Zhiyao were my sister, Cheng Mingzhu often thought.
"Since you usually sleep in separate rooms from Yan Zhenxi, why don't you come to my residence for a meal and stay overnight?"
Seeing that Jiang Zhiyao hesitated rather than refuse outright, Cheng Mingzhu knew she had a chance. She continued to coax her, "Just this once, okay? We haven't chatted together at night in so long."
Sure enough, Jiang Zhiyao agreed after a short while.
It shouldn't be a problem to go just once, right? She really enjoys spending time with Mingzhu, and for some reason, she doesn't really want to go back right now.
"Yaoyao is so nice." Cheng Mingzhu smiled, her eyes crinkling.
In the past, it was always Cheng Mingzhu who stayed overnight at the Minister's residence. Today is the first time that Jiang Zhiyao has come to stay overnight at the Cheng residence.
After dealing with her parents, Cheng Mingzhu lay down in bed and started chatting with Jiang Zhiyao: "Yaoyao, do you know? I heard that family..."
They didn't fall into a deep sleep until dawn.
"Well, you two have been doing this behind my back."
When Ji Wanqing pulled her out of bed, Jiang Zhiyao was still a little groggy: "Sister Ji..."
Because the two of them went to bed late last night, they naturally woke up late this morning. Ji Wanqing went directly to Cheng Mingzhu's residence. Their relationship was close, and everyone in both households knew this, so Ji Wanqing only needed to announce her arrival.
Cheng Mingzhu, sitting to the side, said, "It's your own fault for not being with us yesterday."
"You took Jiang Zhiyao home as soon as I wasn't there?" Ji Wanqing asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Alright, we've already slept," Cheng Mingzhu said with feigned flippancy. "How about the three of us sleep together tonight?"
Jiang Zhiyao blushed at Cheng Mingzhu's words.
"All you ever do is tell these kinds of jokes," Ji Wanqing said with a light reproach.
"How about we go to a brothel today?" Cheng Mingzhu suddenly said, her eyes lighting up.
"No." Jiang Zhiyao immediately shook her head. "I have to go back now."
"Oh dear, Yao Yao." Cheng Mingzhu put her hand on her back. "No one is rushing you back, why are you in such a hurry?"
"Speaking of which, I really do want to go," Ji Wanqing said, stroking her chin. "It's been a long time since I've been there; the last time was a month or two ago."
Jiang Zhiyao hesitated. She actually wanted to go, but staying out all night made her feel uneasy, as if she had done something wrong.
"Didn't Yan Zhenxi go out to do something without telling you?" Cheng Mingzhu saw through Jiang Zhiyao's thoughts and continued to persuade her, "You can go back tonight."
Recalling the delicious pastries and the sweet, soft girls in the brothel, Jiang Zhiyao wavered.
Oh well, I've already spent one night outside, so it won't matter if I go back a little later.
"Then let's go," Jiang Zhiyao finally agreed.
-
"Has Madam not returned yet?" Yan Zhenxi asked, sitting at the table, which was covered with delicious-looking dishes.
After not seeing Jiang Zhiyao during the day, Yan Zhenxi decided to invite her to dinner again.
Even when Jiang Zhiyao goes out to play, she always comes back when it's time for dinner.
If Jiang Zhiyao refuses the person he sent again, then he will personally invite her. Yan Zhenxi is very confident that he will be able to dine with Jiang Zhiyao tonight.
The dishes on the table today were carefully selected by Yan Zhenxi. He even invited the best chef in the capital, hoping that Jiang Zhiyao might like the taste of the dishes and dine with him again.
But the only thing that surprised him was that the attendant behind him shook his head: "Not yet."
After waiting another quarter of an hour, a servant came in through the door: "Madam sent someone to say that she is staying at Miss Cheng's house tonight and will not be returning."
Yan Zhenxi paused for a few seconds and asked, "Are you sure?"
"It was a maidservant from the lady's side who came back and said so," the servant replied.
Beneath her veil, Yan Zhenxi looked down at the slightly chilled dishes in front of her and said, "I understand."
Are they all unwilling to return home now?
"Take all these dishes away." Yan Zhenxi got up and left.
"Yes." The servant stepped forward and removed all the dishes.
Looking at the untouched sweet and sour pork ribs, lychee pork, and other dishes on the table, the servant felt a little regretful. Unlike Lord Yan's light taste, these sweet dishes were what the lady liked to eat.
Previously, after each meal with his wife, Lord Yan would be more gentle than usual, and the servants would feel less pressured.
Although Lord Yan was very generous and usually appeared gentle, he always gave people a sense of authority without anger, and the servants couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive in front of him.
Lord Yan's mood is probably not good today either.
The servant sighed softly, hoping that the lady would return soon.
Yan Zhenxi returned to his study, but found it difficult to concentrate on the letters in his hands.
She has a really good relationship with those two people.
Yan Zhenxi felt a strange mix of emotions. It was one thing for her to always be so cheerful in front of them, but now they were even staying overnight.
Oh well, it's just a place to stay overnight. Anyway, Jiang Zhiyao will go home sooner or later.
It's just one night, Yan Zhenxi thought calmly.
For no apparent reason, Yan Zhenxi suddenly thought of the scene he had witnessed that day, where Jiang Zhiyao was acting coquettishly towards Ji Wanqing.
In the pavilion by the pond, Jiang Zhiyao tugged at Ji Wanqing's sleeve and said softly, "Sister, please let me have one more piece."
Ji Wanqing remained unmoved, but Yan Zhenxi, who was nearby, heard and saw this and only wanted to personally bring the plate of hibiscus cakes to Jiang Zhiyao.
Not only did Yan Zhenxi take a step forward, but when she was almost in their sight, she realized that Jiang Zhiyao was already having some indigestion but was still indulging in food.
Yan Zhenxi abruptly stopped in her tracks, stood there in a daze for a moment, and then turned and left somewhat stiffly.
Now alone in his somewhat deserted study, he recalled Jiang Zhiyao's coquettish tone and expression that day. Jiang Zhiyao had always been polite and distant in front of him, and this was a side of her that Yan Zhenxi had never seen before.
Jiang Zhiyao didn't actually do anything; she just said something softly, which didn't make Ji Wanqing agree, but it made Yan Zhenxi, who had inadvertently witnessed it, unable to forget it.
The three of them have such a good relationship, is she sleeping in the same bed with another person tonight?
Thinking of this, Yan Zhenxi unconsciously crumpled the paper in her hand.
If Jiang Zhiyao hasn't returned by tomorrow morning, he will go to find her.
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