Chapter 23
Jiang Mian wasn't hungry. She ate a few bites and then put away her bowl and chopsticks. It was still snowing today. The monks in the temple brought her some charcoal. Because she was going to see Shen Ji, she specially changed into a light and bright dress. The jade-colored ruqun was sewn with lifelike daffodil decorations, and she wore a light blue cloak over it.
She looked at herself in the bronze mirror, a look of satisfaction in her eyes.
Jiang Mian wondered what such a distant and indifferent person would be like if he fell in love.
The ground was a bit slippery after the snowfall, and Jiang Mian carefully stepped on it. Today, in order to show off her slender and delicate figure, she did not wear many clothes, so when a cold wind blew by, she unconsciously pulled her arms closer.
But when she thought that everything she had done was to seduce her cousin, a glint of light appeared in her shimmering eyes.
After passing through the courtyard, we soon arrived at the back mountain.
The red plum blossoms are in full bloom, covered with a layer of pure white snow, like fresh blood falling on a white cloth, drawing one's gaze to them.
Jiang Mian frowned. If she remembered correctly, her cousin was afraid of the cold, so why would he ask her to meet him in this place?
A doubt arose in her heart, and a flash of inspiration struck her. Jiang Mian suddenly pursed her lips. The note was unsigned. Was it possible that it wasn't her cousin who had asked her to come?
But if it wasn't my cousin, who else could it be?
In this temple, the only person she knew was her cousin, and moreover, the handwriting on that piece of paper was clearly identical to her cousin's.
Just then, a gust of cold wind blew away the fine snow on the bare branches. She took a step back and suddenly bumped into a broad, warm embrace.
Almost instinctively, she jumped forward and turned around to see an unfamiliar face. The person was fairly good-looking, even somewhat handsome, but the two dark circles under his eyes disrupted the balance and gave him a somewhat malicious air.
Jiang Mian looked at him cautiously.
She didn't know him.
"Young lady, you've gotten lost. The snowy roads are difficult to navigate, so please be careful."
A look of amazement flashed in Bai An's eyes. He had never seen such a beautiful woman before. Her skin was like cream, her face like white jade, and her dark eyes were captivating. At this moment, she looked like a startled rabbit, making people feel a sense of tenderness from the bottom of their hearts.
Moreover, he did not overlook her graceful figure.
From the moment she arrived, he immediately noticed that the naked body wrapped in the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) must be an absolute beauty.
Bai An had never been so excited. That day, just a glimpse of her back had haunted his dreams, and he had spent a whole night of pleasure with Yao Niang, yet he still couldn't relieve the restlessness within him. Now, the beauty was right in front of him, and as he got closer, he could almost smell her fragrance.
A gleaming desire flickered in his eyes, and he became aroused again.
A hint of impatience flashed in Jiang Mian's eyes. The person in front of her was somewhat similar to the people she usually encountered. She had seen many people with that undisguised look in their eyes before. She didn't want to get entangled with him, so she turned around and left.
Bai An was not about to let her off so easily. He raised his hand, and the servants behind him surrounded her.
A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he took a step forward.
Jiang Mian's eyes showed caution. She had been careless, and in her excitement, she had forgotten to confirm whether the letter was written by her cousin.
It seems difficult to achieve this situation now.
The back mountain is quite a distance from the front courtyard, and there's a high wall separating them. The monks rarely come here unless they have something to do, let alone now that it's snowing. I wonder if anyone will hear her when she shouts loudly.
As Jiang Mian pondered a solution, she quietly retreated.
"It's such a cold day, and our meeting here is surely a blessing from heaven. I think it would be better to have a drink in the pavilion over there. I've already prepared some hot wine, which will help you warm up."
Bai An approached, speaking as he suddenly reached out to grab Jiang Mian's wrist.
Fortunately, she was quick-witted and nimble, and Bai An failed to succeed. However, he was not angry. In his opinion, a beautiful woman with a bit of a temper was more exciting than those who were submissive. He just wondered if she was just as unapproachable in bed.
Bai An looked at her long, beautiful, snow-white neck and suddenly felt a little thirsty.
Since arriving in Jeju, she had never met anyone like this before, and unfortunately, she was all alone at the moment.
She turned her eyes, realizing that her only option now was to feign compliance and wait for an opportunity to escape.
Bai An got closer and closer to Jiang Mian, and seemed to smell her fragrance. He was excited. Although she dodged his attempt to touch her, he did not give up. Instead, he liked her more and more.
Seeing the beauty's slender figure, he ruthlessly took off his cloak and draped it over Jiang Mian.
A hint of disgust flashed in Jiang Mian's eyes, but she did not refuse. When she looked up again, she smiled gently at him: "I appreciate your kindness, young master, but my brother is waiting for me to go back in the front yard. If I leave with you now, he might worry."
Bai An stared intently at her, only seeing her lips opening and closing, as if even her breath was fragrant, and he couldn't hear what she was saying at all.
elder brother?
That's such a warm and affectionate way of addressing them.
Wouldn't it be more appropriate to call out in bed?
"It's alright. My elder brother is also at the temple. I'll send someone to tell your brother that you're admiring the plum blossoms in the back mountain. I think your brother is magnanimous and won't hold it against you."
“This…” Jiang Mian lowered her head, silently biting her lower lip. She had not expected that the person in front of her would be so difficult to deal with. She thought that by bringing up Shen Ji, he would restrain himself, but it seemed that he was determined to keep her here and would not give her a chance to leave.
Moreover, this man not only had so many servants, but judging from the exquisite and luxurious fabrics of his clothes, he was clearly not an ordinary rogue, but rather a high-ranking official.
I'm afraid I can't afford to offend them.
While Jiang Mian was quickly thinking of a solution, she pretended to deal with him. When Bai An saw the originally cold beauty suddenly smile at him, he was overjoyed and wished he could take her back immediately.
"Don't be afraid, young lady. I am not a bad person. The snowy road is difficult to travel now. A cup of warm wine will not only dispel the cold but also warm your lungs. Later, I will personally send someone to escort you back."
Although Bai An spoke sincerely, his narrow eyes betrayed that he did not think so.
Jiang Mian pursed her lips. She absolutely could not leave with him like this. Putting aside what was in that wine pot, with this kind of situation, if he suddenly turned on her, she would definitely not be able to escape.
For now, the only option is to continue dealing with him.
Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the young novice monks in the temple would come to the back mountain to sweep. Today, with such heavy snow, she quickly glanced at it. The thick snow was pure white and had not yet been stained by dust. Except for the area where they were, which was covered with footprints, the rest of the place was still intact.
It appears that it has not been cleaned yet.
Perhaps it was because the monks were lazy today, or perhaps it was because of the heavy snow, that the monks were late. Although Jiang Mian was unsure, she knew that she couldn't confront this person directly. After a moment's thought, when she looked up again, she had already adopted a gentle demeanor.
"To be honest, I hit it off with you at first sight, but now is not the right time. My family rules are strict, and if my brother sees that I haven't returned for a long time, he will probably punish me, and then I won't be able to see you."
Bai An's eyes suddenly lit up, her mind filled with what she had said about feeling like old friends at first sight.
It turns out she had feelings for him too!
But he wasn't stupid. The woman who had just been avoiding him was now suddenly becoming enthusiastic. After the initial excitement subsided, he cautiously asked, "You're not lying to me, are you?"
"Why would you think that, young master?" Jiang Mian squeezed out a few tears, her almond-shaped eyes looking pitiful and misty. She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth and sighed after a long while, "I have a lowly status at home and am not valued. Judging from your clothes, young master, you must be from a wealthy family. If you really have feelings for me, I would be grateful. Why would I lie to you?"
“Unless you don’t care about me and are only after my looks…” As she spoke, Jiang Mian felt a great sadness, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Seeing the beauty weeping, Bai An felt a sudden surge of anxiety. For some reason, he felt he was wrong. Such a beautiful person had said she was devoted to him, yet he only wanted a one-night stand with her. He felt he was being inhuman.
Although his elder brother told him not to act recklessly, he didn't say he couldn't take a concubine. The young woman in front of him was crying with tears streaming down her face, which was quite heartbreaking. He was just pretending to be concerned, but she was already infatuated with him. It was clear that she didn't know how she lived at home.
Why don't he take pity on them and welcome them in?
Firstly, she was quite to his liking in appearance, and secondly, even if he didn't like her anymore in the future, he wouldn't get tired of her body.
After a moment's thought, reason prevailed over the excitement, and Bai An sighed with feigned regret: "Since that's the case, then I won't keep you any longer, Miss. You should go back quickly so as not to anger your elders. However, at Hai Shi (9-11 PM) today, I will prepare some wine in the west wing. You can come secretly without anyone noticing, and your brother will not find out and will not punish you."
Bai An raised his hand, and the attendant stepped back.
Jiang Mian lowered her eyes, a hint of disgust flashing in them.
This guy is shameless; he actually tried to seduce her into meeting him secretly at night.
But she dared not complain in her heart. Seeing that he was not easily swayed, she hurriedly prepared to leave, fearing that he would change his mind if she lingered any longer.
"etc."
Suddenly, Bai An spoke up, looking at the girl's slender back, a hint of reluctance in his eyes.
Jiang Mian froze, thinking he had realized what was happening, and quickly thought of a solution.
A voice suddenly came from behind.
"I forgot to introduce myself. My surname is Bai, and my given name is An. If you want to find me, you can come here with this waist token."
After saying that, he took off his waist tag, took Jiang Mian's wrist, and placed it in her palm. Finally, he reluctantly squeezed her fingertips.
A shiver ran through her body, and she struggled to push him away.
“I understand, young master.”
Jiang Mian smiled, and Bai An was captivated by her smile. Seeing him staring blankly, she quickly backed away, said goodbye, and ran off without looking back.
This person is the same one who had illicit relations with others in the Buddhist hall that day!
He truly is a hypocrite with a sanctimonious facade.
My cousin is the best. Suddenly, I miss him a little.
Jiang Mian ran forward quickly, but just after turning the corner around the artificial hill behind the mountain, she suddenly bumped into someone. She covered her nose and backed away. After a few steps, her eyebrows furrowed deeply, thinking that Bai An was still up to no good and had brought people to ambush her again.
Unexpectedly, when she looked up, she met a pair of dark, misty eyes. She was stunned for a moment, and whether it was the pain from the bump on her nose or something else, her eyes suddenly reddened.
"Brother, I'm so glad to see you."
Jiang Mian blurted out the name without realizing the strangeness of her form of address. As if she had escaped death, her fingertips were still wrapped around his waist from the moment they touched.
Shen Ji frowned slightly, and when he saw the unfamiliar cloak on Jiang Mian, he suddenly pursed his lips.
These are... men's clothes.
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