Chapter 29 Plucking Flowers Under the Moon: Qin Jin's indifferent expression shattered completely.
Willows sway gently, wild peaches bloom brightly, wisps of thin clouds drift lazily across the azure sky, and the dark blue bricks and tiles of the deep alleys shimmer with glittering gold.
Liu Ruyu staggered backward, her body crashing heavily into the gnarled peach tree with a loud bang. The verdant peach branches trembled violently, and countless spring blossoms fluttered down, covering their clothes and spreading a thin layer of rouge on the ground.
Liu Ruyu clearly heard the sound of his teeth breaking, and the taste of blood instantly filled his mouth. Before he could even cry out, another punch came flying!
A wave of excruciating pain washed over him. Blood and froth mixed with broken teeth spurted from his lips. Liu Ruyu trembled uncontrollably from the pain, his stomach churned, and he vomited. He felt dizzy and lightheaded.
With a gust of wind, his fist slammed heavily towards Liu Ruyu's jaw. His eyes were cold and icy. Qin Jin was as imposing as a mountain, his strength as hard as iron, showing no sign of restraint.
Liu Ruyu had no strength left to fight back, and even the strength to call for help was scattered.
With a "thump," he uncontrollably knelt down on the ground.
Seeing the blood gushing out, Qin Jin frowned, took two steps back to avoid it, and let the blood spray onto the swaying willow branches.
"Are you worthy enough?"
His deep, cold voice paused slightly, and Qin Jin's casual, sarcastic words, with a slight rise in the tone at the end, revealed his undisguised pickiness and disgust, as well as a few inexplicable, complex and subtle feelings that Liu Ruyu couldn't understand.
What does it even deserve?
The excruciating pain felt like a rusty knife cutting through flesh and bone, spreading throughout my entire body.
Liu Ruyu's throat spasmed, and his mind went blank. He couldn't even understand the meaning of the sentence, but that didn't stop him from being enraged by the contemptuous tone.
With his last breath, he pulled out the short blade hidden in his deerskin boots, roared, and stabbed it fiercely towards Qin Jin!
A short, cold sneer escaped from his throat. As Liu Ruyu charged forward with her sword, a mocking glint flashed in Qin Jin's eyes, but he did not move an inch.
He turned slightly to the side, raised his hand and grabbed Liu Ruyu's vulnerable wrist. His long, slender fingers clenched and bent down, and with a "clang," he easily disarmed Liu Ruyu of the short blade in her hand.
The blazing sun shone down, outlining Qin Jin's firm and fierce profile. He raised his well-proportioned leg and kicked Liu Ruyu in the heart without any mercy.
Liu Ruyu coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
With her limbs limp, Liu Ruyu lay panting on the bluestone slab, unable to even lift her fingertips. The precious brocade robe she wore was soaked with blood, which gushed down, mixed with three clearly visible broken teeth.
He struggled to lift his head, barely managing to open his left eye a crack, trying to see the thief's face through the hole in the sack.
Stepping forward unhurriedly, Qin Jin half-squatted down. As if sensing his intention, a contemptuous smile curled his thin lips, and he raised his hand to take the sack off.
His voice was lazy and arrogant: "Remember this clearly, I'm the one who beat you today."
"Qin, Jin!"
Shock and anger made Liu Ruyu's blood rush to her head, and she gritted her teeth: "When did I offend you that you would treat me so cruelly!"
Qin Jin stood up, his tall and sharp figure striking. He lowered his eyes, a half-smile on his face: "I've already told you, I can't stand you."
Liu Ruyu slammed her fist on the ground in anger, her eyes filled with malice: "I will not let you get away with this."
That's great.
With a slight twitch of his brow, Qin Jin chuckled casually, "Then you better not mistake my enemy for someone else. I'll be waiting to see how you're going to make your way out of this."
Watching Qin Jin's arrogant figure gradually disappear into the distance, Liu Ruyu was both angry at his arrogance and worried about the consequences of offending him. Overwhelmed with anger, she coughed up blood again, her head slammed to the ground, and she lost consciousness.
When Xue Rongyue arrived with her men, Liu Ruyu's face was half swollen and bruised, and she was lying on the ground like a wild dog whose spine had been pulled out. Her hair ornament had rolled off somewhere, and her face was covered in blood.
"Huh?"
Xue Rongyue circled around the unconscious Liu Ruyu in astonishment: "Which righteous person who hates evil so much did this?"
Luo Zhen was meticulous in his work, having found a high pavilion in advance. Xue Rongyue witnessed Liu Ruyu's intimate moment in the courtyard. Unfortunately, it was too late to celebrate today, as things had come to an end.
Even if she couldn't set a trap for him today and ruin his reputation, she didn't want to swallow this insult.
The imperial court explicitly forbade officials from visiting prostitutes. As a successful candidate in the imperial examination, Liu Ruyu dared not cause trouble at this critical juncture. Therefore, even if she beat him up severely today, as long as no one saw it openly, Liu Ruyu's lewd behavior would be seen as a prior offense. For the sake of her career, she could only swallow this bitter pill and dared not report it to the authorities.
Unexpectedly, in the short time it took to rush over, Liu Ruyu had already been beaten by an unknown righteous person.
Jingnu was also dumbfounded and asked in a low voice, "Madam, should we still do it?"
Liu Ruyu is no good person. Although he is good at disguising himself, he must have offended many people. Perhaps he is being sought revenge by others.
Xue Rongyue didn't quite understand, but that didn't stop her from trying: "Of course! I'm still angry. It won't stop me from taking action if someone else hits him. As long as he's not seriously injured, I can kill him."
She had also prepared a generous gift for Liu Ruyu, waiting for the right moment to give it to him. He couldn't afford to get into trouble now, much less die.
Luo Zhen lifted Liu Ruyu's heavy head, stuffed a strip of cloth into his mouth, put the sack over his head, and then retreated to the alley entrance to help Xue Rongyue keep watch.
After stretching her wrists, Xue Rongyue drew a long whip from her waist and let out a cold laugh.
Settling both old and new grudges, with a "smack"—
Liu Ruyu's body trembled violently, and he opened his eyes in pain. Before he could react, the second whip lashed hard across his back!
Liu Ruyu stared wide-eyed in fear, like a fish swept ashore by the waves, her body thrashing and struggling weakly.
Who is this?!
Who did he offend this time?!
Could it be that his last provocative words angered Qin Jin, and Qin Jin turned around and beat him up again?
Why use a sack then? And why are they using a whip this time?!
He tried to call for help, but his painful cries were completely muffled by the thick cloth, and only a few broken, trembling sounds could be heard.
After being beaten a second time, he was too weak to struggle anymore. He lay flat on the bluestone slab in despair, like a lump of rotten flesh, letting the whip lash his back again and again. In the end, he even felt a subtle and strange pleasure in the numb pain, and a light breath escaped from his mouth.
Xue Rongyue controlled the force, and after Liu Ruyu fainted again, Jingnu stepped forward to check his breath and confirmed that he was still alive.
Fearing a repeat of the Wang Jinhu case, Xue Rongyue ordered Luo Zhen to clean up the surrounding area, ensuring no trace was left before lying in wait to ensure Liu Ruyu was brought back alive by the Liu family.
After explaining the aftermath, Xue Rongyue was about to put away her whip and leave when Jingnu, with her sharp eyes, noticed something hidden among the fallen petals under the peach tree.
She jogged forward to pick it up, and Xue Rongyue took a closer look, raising an eyebrow involuntarily.
The afterglow of the sunset is magnificent, and the swallows and sparrows that skim the river carry the last rays of light into the distance. The clouds are ignited by the setting sun, and the colors of gold, red, crimson and purple are splashed and spread like ink, covering the pavilions and houses inch by inch, and leaping onto the eaves and bronze bells.
At the residence of Princess Yu'an, servants lit rows of lanterns, their dim yellow light invading the crabapple trees in full bloom.
When Qin Jin entered the mansion, he bumped into Xue Rongyue, who was looking up at the flowers, deep in the corridor.
As the saying goes, one can admire a beauty under the lamplight and appreciate flowers under the moonlight.
A clear evening breeze swept through the corridor, and the silk lanterns on both sides rippled with light in the night. Her pomegranate skirt rippled slightly, and the rustling crabapple blossoms fell among Xue Rongyue's hair. She tiptoed, her slender white fingers reaching out to pluck the swaying crabapple branches. Her wide sleeves slipped down to her elbows, revealing a section of her fair, pearl-like forearm.
Stray hairs floated across her beautiful profile, the light casting a faint blush on her eyebrows and eyes, her luscious red lips reflecting a hazy floral shadow, and the hairpin at her temple swayed gently with her movements, causing Qin Jin's Adam's apple to bob.
He slightly clenched his fingers, coughed softly, and looked away.
Hearing the noise, Xue Rongyue turned her head to look at Qin Jin, raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Would the young master be willing to help?"
Xue Rongyue has been acting very strangely lately, Qin Jin thought to himself.
Her recent actions have been unexpected, creating a very unfavorable situation that could cause him to lose control of the current circumstances. He must be vigilant and avoid making another mistake that could lead to an outcome he does not want to accept.
Therefore, he must be resolute and not allow the boundaries to be crossed again, nor allow himself to become too entangled with Xue Rongyue.
Xue Rongyue seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere, ignoring the hesitation on his face, and took a step back to maintain a proper distance from him.
Then, she tilted her head and looked at him, as if waiting for him to come forward.
Firstly, Xue Rongyue did not bring any servants with her.
Secondly, the servants who should have been constantly coming and going in the Princess's mansion were all nowhere to be seen at this moment, leaving only him and Xue Rongyue here.
Thirdly, Qin Jin's gaze shifted to the crabapple branches hanging from the eaves—
This crabapple tree is indeed very tall, so it's normal that Xue Rongyue couldn't reach it.
Qin Jin hesitated before stepping forward.
It was just picking flowers; it was a trivial matter. Considering all the external factors and conditions, Xue Rongyue really had no way of picking this crabapple branch.
Moreover, regarding the jade plate incident, he misunderstood Xue Rongyue.
Moreover, he is currently an ally of Xue Rongyue.
Moreover, Xue Rongyue had brought him hangover soup at the tavern.
Moreover, when he was being punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall, Xue Rongyue brought him a bowl of vegetarian soup.
And moreover, Xue Rongyue thanked him last night.
Moreover, he and Huaijin were close friends, and he should take care of Xue Rongyue on behalf of his deceased friend.
He only helped her because of these uncontrollable reasons.
He did not let his guard down, nor did he waver in his resolve; he simply had no other choice.
Leaning out, letting the fragrance of crabapple blossoms from outside the corridor invade unchecked, Qin Jin asked in a low voice under Xue Rongyue's expectant gaze, "Which branch?"
The crabapple branch drooped over his shoulder, and his pupils were a pure, cool black, like the finest Huizhou ink. Paired with the clean whites of his eyes, they made his sparse eyebrows and eyes appear exceptionally bright.
Xue Rongyue, who was secretly smiling, stopped smugly upon hearing this and stepped forward, her round, pearly shoulders pressed tightly against his clothes. She pointed to the crabapple tree high up and said, "Here."
The faint scent of ink emanating from Xue Rongyue replaced the floral fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose. Her soft fingertips brushed against the back of his hand as she lifted it up, and her delicate eyebrows and eyes appeared even more radiant in the dim light.
Qin Jin was momentarily stunned, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly: "What?"
"Lower your body a little."
Xue Rongyue said with dissatisfaction, "You're so far away from me, of course you can't hear me clearly."
Where is it far?
He could even clearly feel the warmth coming from her shoulder and smell the fragrance of pear blossoms in her hair.
This is really troublesome.
Qin Jin stiffly bent over.
With a deeper smile in her eyes, Xue Rongyue suddenly reached out and grasped his hand, which was resting on a crabapple branch, guiding him to pluck the crabapple blossoms that were overflowing with spring colors.
Her breath hitched, and Qin Jin's eyelids suddenly lifted, her long eyelashes trembling violently amidst the swirling fallen red petals.
Xue Rongyue's warm breath brushed against his skin, causing a shiver to run through him. The hairpins jingled softly in his ears, even drowning out his thunderous heartbeat.
As if hanging on the edge of a cliff, his heart was being tossed around repeatedly. His mind went blank for a moment, and he lost the ability to hear. In his blocked breathing, only the tinkling of the hairpin continued to ring in his ears.
...This is the second time.
Qin Jin gritted his teeth.
Before he could pull his hand back, Xue Rongyue had already released her fingertips and taken a step back. Although the voice was right next to his ear, Qin Jin felt it was indistinct.
Seeing him standing frozen in place, Xue Rongyue urged, "This is the branch, Your Highness, please help me break it off quickly. Be very careful, I need it for flower arranging."
Qin Jin suddenly clenched and then loosened his fists, suppressing his rapid breathing, his taut jaw slightly stiff.
"Your Highness?"
Xue Rongyue feigned doubt.
He hastily lowered his eyes, and after calming the darkness in them, Qin Jin raised his hand and broke off the crabapple branch.
Xue Rongyue scrutinized his expression: "Where did the young master go today?"
After a moment of silence, Qin Jin said in a cold tone, "There's no need to report to Madam Xue."
Xue Rongyue pursed her lips: "It's not that I want to investigate the Crown Prince's whereabouts, it's just that we are still allies, and there are some things that we naturally need to understand."
She asked, "Has the young master gone to continue tracking and investigating Liu Ruyu?"
"No."
Raising an eyebrow, Xue Rongyue said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions: "Then the young master must not slack off. With two murder cases on your hands, you must be more diligent."
Qin Jin placed the broken crabapple blossom on a chair by the corridor, turned around, and said in a cold tone, "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
"etc."
Xue Rongyue suddenly called out to him, walked quickly to his side, looked up to meet his gaze, and smiled undisguisedly.
Qin Jin's brow twitched, a strange sense of unease creeping into his heart: "Is there anything else?"
With a sly wink, Xue Rongyue raised her hand, and the jade pendant engraved with auspicious dragon patterns silently slid down her fingertips: "Young Master, even when you're hitting someone, you should keep your personal jade pendant safe."
Qin Jin subconsciously reached for his waist, only to find it empty.
Meeting Xue Rongyue's mocking gaze, Qin Jin's indifferent expression shattered completely.
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Author's Note: Moreover
And moreover
And moreover
And and moreover
And and more
And and more
What is this? These are the Crown Prince's steps. [doge emoji]
Qin Jin: Staying away from Xue Rongyue is my principle, but I generally don't follow it. [Transformed]
I originally planned to write all the way up to the preview in the previous chapter today, but I overslept. [Chin resting on hand]
Definitely tomorrow! —The King of Boasting, Springtime on the Eaves
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