Chapter 29
Since being with Shen Ji, Jiang Mian has felt happy every day. Her cousin is gentle and considerate, and thoughtful in everything he does. She feels that she can't live without him, and a little melancholy arises in her heart.
Her relationship with her cousin was illicit from the start. Not to mention how to face her maternal grandmother, she had seduced her most outstanding grandson into this state. Even if the truth were to be revealed in the future, it was uncertain whether the Shen family would tolerate her.
As a woman from a different family, she could never compare to a legitimate son.
Now we're just taking it one step at a time.
The most urgent task is to deal with the coercion from his aunt.
Jiang Mian was unwilling to become a stepping stone for him. Rather than marrying a complete stranger whose character she did not know, she preferred to stay by her cousin's side, at least his face was pleasing to the eye.
Thinking of this, the gloom that had been hanging over her heart dissipated considerably.
As the sun shone brightly outside, Jiang Mian felt much better after figuring things out. The snow on the road had melted considerably, and it seemed that they would be able to return home in just a few days.
In these last few days, she had to spend every single day with him.
Jiang Mian went to look for Shen Ji, but was told that he was not in the courtyard. After asking, she learned that he had left an hour earlier without saying where he was going.
Jiang Mian nodded and was about to return the way she came when she encountered someone just as she reached the artificial hill.
Not far away, Bai An sat lazily to the side, fanning himself with a folding fan. When he saw her come out, his eyes lit up and he went straight for her.
"My dear lady, I've finally waited for you."
Jiang Mian never expected to run into him here. These past few days, she had been so immersed in the immense joy of being with Shen Ji that she had completely forgotten about him. She thought he had already left, so why was he still here? It seemed that he had come specifically to find her.
Jiang Mian pursed her lips tightly, quickly thinking of a solution.
Bai An's greedy gaze lingered on her face. After not seeing her for several days, she was still as beautiful as ever, even more alluring than when they first met.
That night, he waited for her for a full hour, his heart filled with a mixture of anger and resentment. He wanted to go find her directly, but remembering his brother's instructions, he suppressed his anger. Only afterward, when he summoned his concubine, did he manage to calm himself down.
Later, after calming down, although he was angry that the woman had deceived and cheated him, he could not deny that she was indeed capable of making him unable to forget her, and even feeling an erection whenever he thought of her.
Now that the real person was standing before him, he was blinded by lust and had forgotten how angry he had been that night.
“Young Master…” Jiang Mian slowly bowed, revealing her long and beautiful neck, which was as white as jade. Bai An reached out to touch it, but she subtly dodged it.
"Young lady, I waited for you for so long that night, but you stood me up. How should we settle this score?"
"Please don't be offended, young master. I had something come up that day and didn't mean to neglect you." Jiang Mian glanced around. Bai An wasn't alone; there were about seven or eight guards behind him. She couldn't confront them directly. For now, she could only stall for time and pray that her cousin would return soon.
“Alright, since you’ve said so, I’m not an unfeeling person. Why don’t you come back with me? My family owns hundreds of acres of fertile land and a fortune. If you’re willing, I will certainly not treat you unfairly.”
Jiang Mian secretly spat, thinking, "Who would want to be with a lecher like you? You're disrespectful to gods and Buddhas in public and act absurdly. You're obviously a good-for-nothing. Even if I were blind, I would never date someone like you."
But how to get rid of his entanglement has become a problem.
"What are you hesitating about, young lady? Your brother is currently discussing matters with my brother and will not be back for a while. If you want to stall for time, you should give up that idea as soon as possible."
Bai An was smug. Although he acted eccentrically, he was somewhat wary of Jiang Mian's cousin. Firstly, he was someone the Crown Prince had taken a liking to, and secondly, his elder brother had repeatedly instructed him to treat him with courtesy. If it weren't for his elder brother's reputation, he would have forcibly taken Jiang Mian that very night.
Now that things have been dragging on and on, his already limited patience is almost exhausted.
Today, his elder brother was discussing matters with Shen Ji, so he seized the opportunity and couldn't wait to come and find Jiang Mian.
She can't escape today.
Jiang Mian took a half step back, feeling a sense of unease. She had initially thought this person was blinded by lust and wouldn't care about anything, but she hadn't expected him to be so shrewd, deliberately choosing to come looking for her when his cousin wasn't around.
Unfortunately, she was powerless to resist at that moment.
Jiang Mian felt somewhat desperate; how had she ended up provoking this scoundrel?
She had only met him twice in total, and each meeting disgusted her.
“Young Master Bai, I did not mean to delay. Marriage is not a game. It requires the consent of parents and the words of a matchmaker. I am, after all, a daughter of a respectable family. How can I follow you without a proper understanding?”
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Bai An felt as if his heart was being pulled apart, wishing he could immediately lick her tears clean. So what she wanted was a title, huh? That's easy to do.
Although he cannot treat her with the respect due to a principal wife, he will certainly not mistreat her as a concubine, provided that she is sensible and knows when to stop. What kind of person would keep him hanging on for no reason?
"I've already made all the preparations for what you mentioned. As long as you agree, I'll send someone to the Shen residence to propose marriage tomorrow."
Jiang Mian cursed under her breath, "Is this guy a monkey? Why is he in such a hurry?"
“No.” Jiang Mian shook her head.
"Tomorrow... isn't that a bit too rushed?" Jiang Mian's fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve. Why hadn't her cousin returned yet? If he didn't come soon, she was afraid he would start to lay a hand on her.
"Where did you get this idea? You and I are in love and it's a match made in heaven. Tomorrow we'll propose, the day after tomorrow we'll consummate our marriage. After the ceremony, you'll be mine. As long as you serve me well, I'll treat you very well."
Jiang Mian had mentally complained about him countless times, but on the surface she pretended to be troubled, looking conflicted and hesitant.
She was about to say something to ease the tension when, unexpectedly, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang out: "Mian'er, what are you doing there?"
Her eyes lit up instantly—her cousin was back!
My cousin is finally back!
Jiang Mian walked up to Shen Ji and then noticed that he was not alone. The person beside him was Bai Lie, Bai An's older brother, whom she had met that day.
She hid behind Shen Ji, feeling a little more at ease.
"An'er, what are you doing here?" Bai Lie frowned. His younger brother was always unreliable. If he wasn't worried that his pregnancy might cause an accident if he stayed in the capital, he wouldn't have brought him with him.
"Brother." Bai An didn't expect his brother to come back at this time, and he didn't expect Jiang Mian to be so eager to hide behind her cousin. He felt as if a thousand ants were gnawing at his heart. He had to get Jiang Mian.
Thinking of this, Bai An stepped forward: "I get along extremely well with this young lady. Since both of our families are here today, why don't you, Brother Shen, grant me Miss Mian?"
Bai Lie pursed his lips, and for some reason, he felt a chill beside him.
Jiang Mian was in a state of confusion. She never expected that Bai An would so bluntly reveal her excuse from earlier. She couldn't help but tug at her cousin's sleeve, praying that he would not believe Bai An's nonsense.
Shen Ji didn't respond from beginning to end. His brows and eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of frost. When he looked at Bai An, there was an even more subtle fierceness in his eyes.
After a long pause, he asked again, "Given to you?"
Jiang Mian immediately protested: "No, cousin."
Bai An gave her a reassuring look and continued, "Miss Jiang herself said that she fell in love with me at first sight, and I also like Miss Jiang. It's a beautiful thing that we both want, Brother Shen, please don't let it go."
Bai Lie coughed lightly, sounding unnatural.
Based on his understanding of his younger brother, he suspected that it was he and his servants who coerced and bribed them into speaking in his stead.
He sighed silently. His younger brother had been spoiled since childhood. Because he was wounded in a vital spot on the battlefield, he was unable to carry on the family line. The Bai family bloodline was entrusted to Bai An alone, so no matter how much he misbehaved over the years, he had indulged him.
But he can't be allowed to act recklessly in this matter.
Shen Ji is an unfathomable man, and is highly regarded by His Highness. If he could recruit this man for His Highness, then the Bai family would not be hindered by others in the capital. Moreover, he had a feeling that the relationship between this young girl and Shen Ji was not so simple.
He was about to interrupt his brother's thoughts when, unexpectedly, the person beside him suddenly spoke.
How did she fall for you at first sight?
At first glance, there seems to be nothing wrong with what he said, but seeing the lack of warmth in the young man's eyes, one can tell that he is actually angry.
Shen Ji almost rolled the words over his tongue, speaking slowly and deliberately. His voice was very soft and indifferent, as if it were just an ordinary question. But if you listened carefully, you could sense that beneath that soft tone was an endless chill spreading.
“Miss Mian said that if her family hadn’t forced her to choose, she would definitely have married me.” Bai An looked at Jiang Mian with longing. He was getting anxious, afraid that others wouldn’t believe him, so he pointed to the token on Jiang Mian’s waist and said loudly, “That is our token, which I gave to Miss Mian myself.”
Jiang Mian was startled and lowered her eyes. She had casually tied this thing around her waist when she went out today and had forgotten that it was given to her by Bai An that day.
She immediately retorted, "Cousin, that's not how it is. Let me explain."
Fearing that Shen Ji would not believe her, she quickly stepped forward to prove her innocence.
“Young Master Bai, we have only met twice. How could we have reached the point of discussing marriage? If Young Master Bai has misunderstood something because of what Mian Niang said unintentionally, then Mian Niang apologizes to you. I hope you will not bother me in the future.”
Entanglement?
Bai An looked at Jiang Mian in disbelief. In his view, the two of them had already pledged their lives to each other. Why had it become his entanglement? Pain flashed in his eyes. Then he suddenly pointed at Shen Ji and said, "Was it him who made you change your mind? Mianniang, tell me. My brother is here today. Don't be afraid. I will support you."
"Enough!" Bai Lie couldn't stand the scene any longer. He ordered his men, "Take the Second Young Master back. Without my permission, he is not to step out of the courtyard."
The people behind him swarmed forward, pressing Bai An down tightly. Just as they were about to leave, he persisted, saying, "Mian Niang, don't be afraid, I will definitely marry you."
Helpless, Jiang Mian could only secretly and affectionately scratch Shen Ji's hand to show that she had no such intentions.
Shen Ji raised his eyes and looked in the direction Bai An had left, his eyes filled with intense, dark emotions.
Bai Lie apologized as if to smooth things over: "Young Master Shen, please don't be offended. My younger brother is spoiled. If he has caused any trouble for Miss Mian, I will apologize to Miss Mian right away. Please don't take his words to heart. I will deal with him properly when we get back."
Since Bai Lie had said that, Jiang Mian had no choice but to reply, "Not at all. It was my carelessness that caused Young Master Bai to misunderstand."
The matter was thus resolved peacefully, and Bai Lie left.
Jiang Mian felt uneasy. During her conversation with Bai Lie, Shen Ji had not expressed his thoughts at all, so she was unsure whether he was really angry.
She called to him softly, "Cousin, I have no feelings for Bai An at all. How can someone like him compare to you?"
Shen Ji strode forward, and Jiang Mian had no choice but to follow.
She felt uneasy, having never seen her cousin like this before. He looked as if he had been pulled out of an ice pool, so much so that she wasn't sure if he was really jealous.
Jiang Mian followed Shen Ji into the room.
Unexpectedly, the young man reached out and locked the door. Suddenly, he turned around and pinned her against the door frame. His usually indifferent eyes were now heavy and dark, like a bottomless pool of black water. He could hardly suppress his emotions. Just now, when Bai An coveted her, he had a ridiculous idea: he wanted to hide Jiang Mian away so that only he could find her.
She's so wonderful, she can only be hers.
She said it herself: she liked him.
It would be better to hide her away completely, so that no one can find her, and that way, she won't have the chance to be coveted by others.
Shen Ji was unaware that he had completely lost his rationality at this moment, with a faint glint of excitement in the corner of his eye, simply because of that one thought he had just had.
He thought the idea was brilliant.
She also worried that she might get tired of seeing him every day.
A struggle spread across his face; he was losing control of himself, completely unaware, his grip on Jiang Mian's fingertips tightening.
until--
"Cousin, you're hurting me."
The little girl's eyes glistened with tears as she gently bit her lip, looking at him with a pitiful and touching expression.
Shen Ji seemed to wake from a dream, his scattered rationality returning, and he subconsciously let go of her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
