Chapter 68 Even in Emptiness, Let's Get Married
"How should it be calculated?"
Jiang Geyun opened her mouth slightly, but said nothing.
She is still caught up in complicated emotions and has not yet come out of it.
For a moment, she had many things she wanted to say to Cheng Xi: about the liveliness of the place, about the kind girl she had just met, about... about the not entirely just trial she had recently conducted.
If the white-clad ghost's resentment is allowed to fester, it will inevitably lead to a more serious disaster. But how can it be said that her act of revenge, which she allowed to proceed, was entirely without selfishness?
Jiang Geyun and Zhang Jing talked for a long time before leaving the Cui residence. They knew what to do next.
From the initial idea to the actual action, and then to the final conclusion, there were too many unexpected possibilities along the way. Whether Zhang Jing was truly trustworthy was enough to make her think deeply. Now, how could she feel at ease?
Even if no one is on her side, she still has a trump card...
Jiang Geyun snapped out of her brief reverie, moved closer to Cheng Xi, and looked up at him.
Cheng Xi's previous words were clearly not taken seriously.
After not seeing each other for many days, he looked at her intently, making her feel a little inexplicably nervous. However, both his tone and the smile on his lips convinced her that the person in front of her was still the same gentle and loving man she had always known.
She casually thought of a topic to ask him how the lotus flowers in his mansion were blooming when a commotion suddenly came from afar.
"That's the person!!"
"Quickly, grab that person! Don't let him get away!!!"
A commotion broke out in the crowd. People who had dispersed gathered in twos and threes, their faces showing panic, whispering among themselves. The lively atmosphere was almost instantly transformed.
Jiang Geyun's heart tightened, her brows furrowed slightly, and she looked towards the source of the sound.
Was it that Zhang Jing didn't handle it well, or did the news leak out?
Subconsciously, Jiang Geyun had already formed a hand seal, ready to escape at any moment should the situation turn sour. However... she glanced back at Cheng Xi.
In an instant, she made her decision.
A faint sigh escaped from her lips.
She took Cheng Xi's hand and led him to the railing on the bridge, away from the center of the bridge and the crowd. Cheng Xi followed her without asking any questions and let her do as she pleased.
When she stopped at the railing, she looked down intentionally or unintentionally, her gaze sweeping over the lanterns and boats on the river, and finally returning to a spot on the less populated riverbank.
Turning around again, the noise had stopped.
Jiang Geyun tightened her grip on Cheng Xi's hand and looked up.
It seemed that someone was being held captive by officials, but they were hidden among the crowd and could not be seen clearly.
After a while, the man was taken away by the officials, and the surrounding area gradually returned to its bustling and lively atmosphere, as if the farce had never happened.
Seeing her serious expression, Cheng Xi slowly explained, "Perhaps someone at the lantern festival was dishonest and was caught by the officials. This is not uncommon. At such a lively occasion as the Qixi Lantern Festival, the officials are always patrolling the area. They won't affect us. My lady, don't worry."
It turned out to be a misunderstanding.
Jiang Geyun relaxed her guard and slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she realized that the two of them were still holding hands. She had previously prepared to escape with Cheng Xi, but now she didn't need to.
She quickly withdrew her hand, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Just then, a lantern vendor passed by the two of them.
A variety of lanterns swayed on the wooden frame, like a wall of light, shining on the two people and their cheeks. The red color seemed to have a legitimate reason to hide in the grand light.
Jiang Geyun's action of withdrawing her hand made Cheng Xi pause.
He was still smiling, his hand hovering in the air for a long time before slowly lowering it. His emotions showed no sign of anything amiss, only his dark gaze peering at her from beneath the mask.
Noticing Cheng Xi's actions, Jiang Geyun was immediately thrown into a deeper state of confusion.
She felt she should explain what she meant, but she didn't know what to say or how to say it. All the attention she had given to the case was now focused on the present moment, and she even felt her brain starting to overheat from working at such a high speed.
Jiang Geyun lowered her head and said, "My lord..."
Before she could finish speaking, something blocked her view, plunging her into darkness.
The next moment, Cheng Xi adjusted herself and slowly fastened the strap.
Brightness returned to her.
“If there is anything you do not wish to say, my wife, I will not ask,” he said, focusing on adjusting the ties, and whispered in her ear, “You know how to express it.”
She knew for certain that it was three knocks, each carrying the scent of plum blossom wine.
But this time, she was going to make it clear.
Jiang Geyun looked up and reached out to touch the thing on her face. It was a mask—he had just withdrawn his hand to take a mask from his bosom and put it on her.
This touch caused her to come into contact with Cheng Xi's hand again before he could retract it.
This time, however, she raised her other hand as well, clasped her hands together, and wrapped his hands in hers.
Meeting Cheng Xi's gaze, she said, "I'm just a little... uneasy. I will face my own affairs with all my might, but I can't control others. What is right for me may not be right for others..."
As if the distance between them was still not close enough, and therefore he hadn't heard her words clearly, Cheng Xi took another step forward, closing the distance.
Jiang Geyun's unfinished words were swallowed up by the sound of fireworks rising into the sky.
He leaned down gently and said, "It's alright, my wife can at least confirm my love for her at any time."
The fireworks reached the sky and exploded with a loud bang.
Then, the sound of rain, like the rustling of falling stars, or the applause echoing in a huge theater after a musical performance, accompanied by a faint smell of sulfur, permeated the entire world.
The air seemed to thin, and she had some difficulty breathing.
Jiang Geyun took a deep breath and held his hand tightly until she could feel his pulse.
This action was by no means unintentional.
She looked back steadily, and then said, "My lord, let us get married."
The moment she uttered those words, she felt her body temperature rise, and she could clearly hear her heartbeat gradually quickening amidst the continuous explosions of fireworks.
At the same time, she also felt Cheng Xi's pulse in her hand.
He looked down at her, his mask covering half his face, making it impossible to discern his current state of mind. Yet, beneath her touch, his pulse was beating faster than her own.
This can't be faked, she thought.
Then she asked: "What is the target's current favorability rating?"
After a series of buzzing sounds indicating a connection problem, the familiar mechanical voice returned after she inquired, [Question detected: "What is the target mission's current favorability level?" The host wants to check the mission progress. I should answer the host's question. The answer is—the target mission's current favorability level is 0, and there are less than 2 months remaining. Host, keep up the good work!]
Amidst the mechanical voice that practically announced her death in two months, Jiang Geyun felt a sense of peace for the first time.
There are just too many strange things happening.
How could the Cheng family's dagger be related to the main villain? Why could she encounter Cheng Xi in Chao Wujiu's incomplete painting? Similar contradictions kept appearing, making it hard for her to even keep up the pretense.
Thank goodness.
At this moment, the feelings between her and him were undeniable. Whether it was the rising body temperature, the rapidly beating pulse, or the burning gaze, this synchronized resonance, if it were truly an act…
She had no choice but to accept defeat.
The system's responses are genuine. Even though the previous system offered some human-like service—which wasn't actually human and might lie at certain points—this current system, which is useless except for answering specific questions, wouldn't have such advanced functionality.
Her Mr. Cheng was just her Mr. Cheng.
Previously, she had been worrying unnecessarily.
Thinking about it this way, her previous guesses and suspicions even seemed a bit inexplicable.
How ridiculous! How could that be? How could she have thought that way before?
She can rest assured now.
The original plan to take back the promise after saying "Let's get married" now seemed unnecessary.
While dismantling the remaining systems and escaping the villain's schemes, she will protect the people in front of her, and she is capable of protecting them.
Regarding the case of the White-Clad Ghost, even if Zheng Yi knew about it and would most likely choose to turn a blind eye, if someone really wanted to make a fuss...
The "mechanism" she left inside Gutulu Ur was not completely eliminated.
Jiang Geyun had heard jokes about programmers and civil engineers. Running programs that are too stable and structures that are too robust and durable point to unemployment. For her, the idea of something eternal that requires no maintenance is not a good thing.
The sudden death of Prince Tu Lan, leaving behind a message pointing directly to the Great Zhou Dynasty, is a situation that probably no one wants to see.
Of course, Jiang Geyun didn't want things to come to this.
Such a thing could very well lead to war, which she absolutely did not want to see. However, she was only using it as a threat. How to choose between the two sides was not a question she needed to consider. Governor Cui was too little of a bargaining chip. Ur was not so easy to kill.
In addition, her experience of falling into illusions twice, coupled with the "exorcism" performed on the white-clothed ghost, gave her some insights into how to create illusions to influence people's minds.
Just like before. Once you've seen it, you'll understand.
Liu Zhuozhi's choice to die was due to her past experiences. Jiang Geyun had no intention of commenting on other people's choices, but in any case, Jiang Geyun would not choose death voluntarily.
She wouldn't choose a path that leads to death without anyone's help; even without Zhang Jing, she would still handle the situation well.
She knows what she wants, and she will naturally find a path to achieve her goals. She will protect both Cheng Xi and her own life.
Jiang Geyun fell into thought, her heartbeat gradually slowing down.
At that moment, Cheng Xi suddenly lowered his head and touched her forehead.
Jiang Geyun always felt that the distance between the two was close enough, but in the next moment she realized that it could be even closer.
Their eyes met, and as if burned, Jiang Geyun blinked rapidly.
But Cheng Xi smiled deeply.
He seemed very, very happy with what he saw before him.
Jiang Geyun couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so happy?"
He said, "What I see and hear is too dazzling and mesmerizing."
Jiang Geyun didn't fully understand his implication, but a blush kept rising on her face, and she remained silent for a moment.
He added, "Just as you said, madam."
What did she say...?
Jiang Geyun's mind went blank for a moment.
However, she quickly realized that Cheng Xi must have replied with that sentence when she said, "Let's get married."
Wait, is this for real?!
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Author's Note: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, adults! Happy Qixi Festival too! (Forced)
I've been catching up on sleep like crazy during the holiday, reaching new highs in sleep duration. I dreamt about a bunch of side story ideas, but when I woke up I couldn't remember any of them! Ugh! But there will definitely be bonus side stories after this book is finished, probably various epilogues focused on giving out sweet moments~
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