Chapter 70 In a split second, they were extremely close, their breaths mingling.
Jiang Geyun withdrew her gaze from Mu Jin and whispered to the servant who had come to report, "Please trouble you to invite my lord to rest here for a while."
The servant obeyed and left.
Lianzhou is a pleasant place all year round. Although it is summer, it is definitely not the "bitter summer" that Mu Jin mentioned. It is just a little warmer and more humid than usual.
Mu Jin's explanation for staying in the sedan chair for so long, citing "summer heat," was merely an excuse that everyone understood.
As soon as the servant who had come to announce her left, Mu Jin couldn't help but continue recounting the "romantic tales of the capital" that she had only just begun.
She tugged at Jiang Geyun's sleeve slightly, her eyes brimming with excitement, and said, "Sister Jiang, you must know His Highness the Crown Prince, right?"
Jiang Geyun said, "...Yes, I know."
“Indeed, then I don’t need to explain any further.” Mu Jin became completely engrossed in talking about these things, like a chattering little sparrow, and said with great interest, “Our Crown Prince of the Great Zhou, in the past, people only said that he was handsome, upright, and highly talented. I’m sure Sister Jiang is already tired of hearing that. What I want to say is not that. In my opinion, these evaluations are not entirely accurate.”
Mu Jin narrowed her eyes slightly and shook her head, making a mysterious expression and keeping everyone in suspense.
Having already put the question in this way, Jiang Geyun naturally had to follow up with further questions: "What do you mean?"
She was indeed curious about how Mu Jin would evaluate Su Heng.
She was probably the only one in the world who knew that the villain was the villain. In everyone's eyes, Su Heng and Mu Jin were no different from what they had said during the setup. Now, finally, Mu Jin was going to offer some different opinions. Even if it wasn't to fit the topic, she still wanted to ask.
To Jiang Geyun's surprise, Zhang Jing, who was standing to the side, also turned his gaze over silently, seemingly curious about what Mu Jin was going to say.
The conversation proceeded smoothly, and Mu Jin said with satisfaction, "My elders in the family are officials in the capital. I have met His Highness the Crown Prince before, and at that time I was thinking of climbing the social ladder... uh, I mean, some girlish infatuation."
As the conversation flowed freely, Mu Jin couldn't help but let her true feelings slip out, and she touched the tip of her nose, looking slightly embarrassed.
Jiang Geyun replied, "That's only human nature."
“Yes, that’s only human nature!” Mu Jin put down her hand, regained her composure, and said with great interest, “I’ve seen His Highness the Crown Prince at some banquets. I originally wanted to try to at least have a chat with him, but he’s a very secretive person. Let alone developing any private relationship, it’s impossible for us to even ‘bump into’ or ‘meet’ each other in private.”
"Some noble ladies say that His Highness has self-control and high moral character, but I think that although His Highness the Crown Prince is a first-rate person, he is really unfathomable. Over the years, no one has been able to clearly say what he likes and dislikes."
"If he could remain calm and composed in one or two matters, or keep his preferences a secret for a year or two, that would be one thing. But to go to this extent, to be so cold and indifferent, I always find it a bit... scary."
Mu Jin gradually lowered her voice, until finally she was almost whispering to Jiang Geyun.
Jiang Geyun nodded slightly in agreement, thinking to herself that Mu Jin was quite perceptive, directly treating the main villain as a ghost story.
Having finished explaining the "background" and "setting," Mu Jin sighed softly, shook her head, and slowly offered her opinion: "So, I used to think it was a pity, but now that I think about it, people still have to grasp what they can grasp... I wonder what kind of character the Crown Princess is, to be able to subdue that kind of person."
Jiang Geyun didn't pay attention to what was said next.
Because Cheng Xi had already been led to the door.
She looked up and they met eyes, both of them smiling.
Mu Jin asked in confusion, "Why is Sister Jiang laughing? Is this funny?"
Jiang Geyun then realized that she was smiling.
She coughed lightly and said, "The story itself is not very interesting; it's Xiao Jin who makes it interesting."
Mu Jin seemed encouraged, her eyes lighting up as she said, "Really? Then let me think of something else interesting... Oh, right, this Third Prince Su..."
The servants had already led Cheng Xi into the main hall, and the distance between them and the others gradually shortened.
Zhang Jing, who had been listening silently for a long time, suddenly stopped her, saying, "Miss Mu! We should not discuss matters of the imperial family!"
Her tone was not as emotionless as usual; on the contrary, it was tinged with a clear urgency.
Feeling puzzled, Mu Jin looked up at Zhang Jing, then turned to look at Jiang Geyun.
Jiang Geyun was also somewhat surprised by Zhang Jing's reaction.
But Zhang Jing is right; it's best to say as little as possible about these kinds of things.
Besides, Jiang Geyun wasn't really keen on discussing the main villain's story in detail.
In the days to come, she will either have to find a way to kill the main villain and end the possibility of a world-ending bad ending in the original story, or she will have to find a way to survive under the main villain and not be turned into a ghost by him. The more she knows about the main villain, the more likely it is to affect her thinking.
The fact that the villains in the illusion sacrificed themselves to save her has left an indelible mark on her heart.
Even if she had the chance to kill the main villain in the future, she would... hesitate for a moment.
Jiang Geyun made a "shh" gesture to Mu Jin and said softly, "She's right, Xiao Jin, be careful what you say."
Mu Jin then fell silent, shutting her mouth in a wronged manner.
Just then, Cheng Xi arrived.
Ignoring the others, he walked up to Jiang Geyun, leaned forward, and said, "My lady, would you like to return to the manor with me?"
Seeing him approach, Jiang Geyun looked up at him, heard the question, then lowered her eyelashes and pondered for a moment.
Cheng Xi's shadow fell on her, almost completely covering her.
A smile lingered on his lips as his gaze lingered on her, openly and honestly.
Jiang Geyun invited Cheng Xi in so that he could wait indoors, lest he be affected by the scorching summer heat. Her husband was a little weak, so she had to be extra careful.
According to the plan, most of today's time was supposed to be spent dealing with "Miss Mu". Unexpectedly, "Miss Mu" turned out to be Mu Jin. And unexpectedly, Mu Jin was exceptionally friendly to her.
Right now, there really isn't anything else to deal with.
We can't just leave Cheng Xi waiting while she continues to chat with Mu Jin about things like the Crown Princess, can we?
She couldn't bring herself to make her family wait on the sidelines for some meaningless "social engagement."
Jiang Geyun said, "Is the young master feeling unwell? Would you like to rest in the hall for a while?"
This was also her original purpose in having the servants bring Cheng Xi into the hall.
Cheng Xi shook his head and said gently, "It's alright, thank you for your concern, Madam."
After Cheng Xi approached Jiang Geyun, Mu Jin, who hadn't thought of any new topics, glanced at him. Then, seeing the interaction between the two, she seemed to realize something and looked at Cheng Xi with a hint of resentment.
Mu Jin asked, "Is Sister Jiang leaving already...?"
Mu Jin didn't show any different emotions towards Cheng Xi.
Not only did he not show the obvious closeness he had when facing Jiang Geyun, but he was also somewhat dissatisfied because Cheng Xi wanted to take Jiang Geyun away.
Just as Jiang Geyun was about to explain her arrangements, Zhang Jing said respectfully, "Lord Jiang may leave first. I will deliver the documents that need your review to your residence. You need not worry."
Mu Jin said, "Then..."
Zhang Jing said, "I will discuss the Cui family's affairs with Miss Mu. I am the one directly in charge of this matter, and Lord Jiang is not as familiar with the details as I am."
These words seem to suggest that Jiang Geyun is unaware of the situation, but a more suspicious person would probably be wondering if Zhang Jing has ulterior motives.
Firstly, Jiang Geyun is the Night Watcher, not the new governor, so she has no conflict of interest with Zhang Jing. Secondly, after spending time together, the two have come to know each other's personalities. Zhang Jing has no ulterior motives, so Jiang Geyun will only think that Zhang Jing is right and will not harbor any resentment because of this.
Jiang Geyun nodded and said, "That's right. We've been so grateful to Lord Zhang these past few days."
After saying this, she stood up and bid farewell to the two of them.
Zhang Jing subtly diverted Mu Jin's attention, casually mentioning that he wanted to retrieve information about the various villas of the Cui family for her.
Mu Jin was very good at the subject of Ming Suan (calculation) and had always liked mathematics and physics. Moreover, even though she was reluctant to part with it, people are always more concerned about the good things that are about to be obtained. In just a few words, she changed her state, put away her gossipy interest, and began to talk solemnly with Zhang Jing.
At the same time, Jiang Geyun followed Cheng Xi into the Cheng family's sedan chair.
Rather than saying it was the Cheng family's sedan chair, it would be more accurate to say that the sedan chair and the entire villa were now under her name.
For her, there was no difference between before and after.
The people in the villa still obeyed her orders, and the carriages were still at her beck and call. When Cheng Xi was occasionally unable to come, she would be the only one in the carriage.
However, most of the time, even when he was handling business in the swaying sedan chair, he would still spend the journey with her.
Once inside the carriage, Jiang Geyun noticed that Cheng Xi had picked up something and was looking at it again, which stirred something within her.
This time, instead of sitting in her usual spot, she moved closer to him, wanting to see what he was looking at.
Cheng Xi's fingers tightened subconsciously, but when she realized it was her, she quickly relaxed and showed no sign of distress.
Jiang Geyun didn't intend to read the contents carefully, but glanced at them and saw something like "Several acres of lychee orchards, nourished by the rains of last year, and blessed with favorable weather this year," "Fine fruits ripen in competition, their color like the morning glow," and "A rustic man offers his sincere offering of sun-dried fruit"...
She casually asked, "Does my husband like lychees?"
He was looking at something about ripe fruit; she had thought it was some kind of classic text on the imperial examinations or a popular storybook.
Cheng Xi placed the document in his hand on his lap and said softly, "I wouldn't say I like it. What about you, my wife?"
Jiang Geyun said, "I'm fine too."
“I see,” Cheng Xi said with a smile. “I wonder what kind of food you prefer, my lady? I’ve noticed that you don’t seem to have any particular preference when it comes to food. Is it because the chefs in the courtyard aren’t very good? There’s no need to hide anything from me.”
Jiang Geyun subconsciously replied, "The people in the courtyard did a very good job. It's just that I don't have any particular preference for food."
Facing Cheng Xi at this moment, she certainly wouldn't deliberately hide anything.
She doesn't show any particular preference for food because she doesn't have any preference to begin with.
Upon hearing this, she suddenly understood why the cooks in the courtyard had been preparing various styles and flavors of food for her every day.
She had initially thought these people were showing off their skills to her, their new boss, but it turned out they were just trying to curry favor with her.
Being a working person isn't easy either.
But... something just doesn't feel right?
She casually asked, "What are your preferences, my lord? That way I can ask you to prepare more for me in the future."
As soon as she finished speaking, she instantly understood the source of that chill.
Cheng Xi, why do you know so much about what she ate and whether she has any preferences?
He probably didn't eat with her more than a few times, did he?
Jiang Geyun slowly raised her eyes and looked at the person beside her.
They were very close, their breaths mingling, an undercurrent of tension between them.
The air inside the sedan chair seemed to freeze for a moment.
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Author's Note: A pleasant surprise! Yesterday I thought I'd be too tired to finish writing today, but it turns out I was actually quite tired. Surprisingly, I finished it, so here's a little surprise, hehe [rose emoji]
Also: I remembered a funny story I read before. It was about a minister who ate a mango and thought it was delicious (or maybe it wasn't a mango at all). He wanted to present it to a Qing Dynasty emperor, but the first time he sent it, it was spoiled, and the emperor said it wasn't tasty. The second time he sent it, he still didn't time it right, and the emperor again commented, "It's not tasty, don't send it!" Hahaha. Anyway, not all memorials are serious matters; some are really quite amusing. Sweeping through seemingly mundane yet vast amounts of information is a very difficult task indeed. (Thinking.jpg)
Youyou: While slacking off at work, I hand-wrote a new cover for my pre-order novel, "Tyrant," hehe (I wasn't slacking off to write because writing requires brainpower, and when I'm slacking off, I don't have a brain, sob sob). Gentlemen, please take a look, isn't it pretty good? [pleading]
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