Chapter 112 A Night for Three
The further north we went, the higher we went.
Passing through the layers of wintersweet trees, the view suddenly opens up.
There actually stands an octagonal pavilion here, with tables, chairs, chess tables, a dry well with vines around it, and a long rope swing beside it.
The most special thing is that the wintersweets here are the extremely rare green-calyx wintersweets!
"Mr. Cui, where is this?"
Shen Jiasui was surprised and couldn't help asking. His clear voice was particularly pleasant to the ear in the silent night.
Just this one sound made the person hiding under the dry well tremble all over and look up suddenly.
His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were full of spring. It was Jiang Xun who had arrived here earlier.
Cui Mingjue saw the surprise in Shen Jiasui's eyes, his heart softened, and he said softly:
"Ms. Shen, to be honest, I have only been here once."
"Back then... when Crown Prince Xianhuai was still alive, he specially planted green-calyx plum trees here and ordered people to build a viewing pavilion."
"I was lucky enough to come here once with my cousin, Prince Rui. It was snowing heavily that night. My cousin, Prince Xianhuai, Prince Xiang, Jiang Xun and others sat around the stove, toasting each other and chatting happily."
"I was too young at the time and could only drink tea, but I poured wine for them all night."
"I felt tired at the time, secretly complaining to my cousin that he shouldn't have brought me here, but now when I think about it, that night was an unforgettable good time in my life..."
As Cui Mingjue spoke, he looked at the already deserted viewing pavilion, and there was a hint of melancholy in his voice.
Shen Jiasui listened attentively and looked towards the pavilion.
As Cui Mingjue described, she felt as if the lights in front of her eyes turned back on, heat rose, and vaguely a very lively scene reappeared.
Those who gathered here that night were some of the most noble young men in the world.
Perhaps there were not so many calculations back then. Even if there were, they must have been forgotten in the falling snow, the mist of wine, and the subtle fragrance of wintersweet.
They held their glasses and chatted and laughed, and when they were excited, they pointed out the mountains and rivers and made bold statements. How high-spirited they must have been...
Jiang Xun stood quietly in the dry well.
At this moment, in front of him, the layers of dead vines were pulled apart, revealing a dark hole half a person's height.
He was about to step in, but Miss Shen's voice suddenly rang out, causing his heart to flutter, and he stopped for some unknown reason.
Hearing what Cui Mingjue said at this moment, even though the heat in his body was boiling, Jiang Xun couldn't help but be entranced.
That was a fireside gathering organized by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Perhaps at that time, His Highness had already anticipated that he would not be able to stay together for long, so he was so impatient that he invited them all on a snowy night.
Brothers are friendly and respectful to each other, and blood relatives are close to each other. This is what His Royal Highness wants to see in his life. In the royal family, it is ultimately just a flower in the mirror and a moon in the water...
“Miss Shen, please come to the pavilion.”
Cui Mingjue waved at Shen Jiasui, and his face now looked more youthful.
Upon hearing this, Shen Jiasui followed and walked into the pavilion, then saw Cui Mingjue pointing behind her.
She turned her head and saw wintersweets all over the mountains in the falling snow, which complemented the lanterns dotted in the forest, like a galaxy falling into the world.
She opened her eyes slightly, unable to hide the surprise on her face.
Cui Mingjue and Shen Jiasui stood side by side. Shen Jiasui was looking at the scenery, while Cui Mingjue was looking at her with sparkling eyes.
It has been quiet outside for a long time.
Jiang Xun lowered his eyes slightly, his heart was in turmoil at this moment.
He held back his heavy breathing, the heat rising from his body finding no outlet and spreading into his limbs and bones.
He had prepared the antidote at the other end of the secret passage, but because of his hesitation, he had lost the opportunity to enter the secret passage.
Any action taken at this moment would definitely make noise, but the secret passage must not be discovered by Cui Mingjue.
This was a dilemma, but Jiang Xun was not panicked. Instead, he felt more ashamed.
Because he has realized that he actually wants to stay.
The hot and humid air seemed to have grasped his rationality, which he had always been proud of, and also blocked the gentlemanly way that he had been trying to practice.
Don't listen to anything indecent.
Just because it was Miss Shen standing outside, he couldn't help but do the despicable act of eavesdropping.
"Ms. Shen."
Cui Mingjue's voice finally rang out.
"Mr. Cui, please speak."
Shen Jiasui responded quickly.
After hearing Shen Jiasui's voice again, Jiang Xun couldn't move a step further.
The dark dry well was damp due to the falling snow. Jiang Xun leaned against the cold well wall, his face flushed and his long eyelashes trembling.
Every breath he exhaled turned into a cloud of white mist. He tilted his head back and let the snowflakes fall on his face, hoping that this slight coolness would bring him back to his senses.
But in the end, he could only shake his head in self-mockery.
After all, he became a villain who eavesdropped and tried every possible means to find excuses for himself.
If Miss Shen knew this, she would find that he was really not worthy of the "moon in the sky" as she called it.
He is selfish, he is mean, he really...can't help himself.
"Miss Shen, I asked you to come here because I have something important to discuss with you."
Cui Mingjue spoke carefully, but he didn't dare to speak straight away. At this moment, he covered his long eyelashes and was even so nervous that he didn't dare to look directly into Shen Jiansui's eyes.
Shen Jiasui nodded immediately and said seriously, "Mr. Cui, I know everything. I came here for this very reason."
Cui Mingjue looked up suddenly when he heard this, his eyes full of disbelief, but then a strong joy surged out.
If Miss Chen knew his feelings and still came as scheduled, would it mean...
"Ms. Shen, I——"
"I know Master Cui is also in a difficult situation."
The two of them spoke at the same time, but Cui Mingjue was stunned.
"Difficult?" He repeated in a daze.
Shen Jiasui nodded and explained sincerely, "During the day, Concubine Shu summoned me to meet her. Although she didn't say it explicitly, her words seemed to indicate that she wanted to bring us together."
"I think Master Cui must have been under pressure. Since neither you nor I have this intention, why don't we discuss it and persuade Her Majesty to give up this idea as soon as possible."
"Master Cui took the initiative to invite me here, but do you have a plan in mind?"
The surroundings suddenly became quiet.
Cui Mingjue stared at Shen Jiasui, trying to see even the slightest hint of insincerity on her face.
But, no.
Her eyes were so clear and bright that they would never lie.
Cui Mingjue opened his mouth, his face suddenly turned pale, and a hint of pain welled up in his eyes.
Shen Jiasui was not incapable of reading people's expressions. She was startled and said, "Mr. Cui, what's wrong with you?"
She frowned, vaguely sensing something was wrong.
Cui Mingjue hung his head and remained silent for a long time. When he spoke again, the bitterness in his words could no longer be concealed.
"Miss Shen accepted my invitation because of the summons from Concubine Shu?"
Facing Cui Mingjue's gaze, Shen Jiasui nodded frankly.
Cui Mingjue couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh when he saw this. He clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides, unwilling to give in. He suddenly took a step closer to Shen Jiasui.
Shen Jiasui took a step back suddenly, his face alert, "Master Cui, what are you doing?"
Under the well, Jiang Xun could no longer hold back when he heard these words, and he immediately stood up against the wall.
Because of this sudden movement, the heat that had been suppressed for a long time suddenly exploded in the body.
He considered himself a man who could endure great pain, but at this moment, his accumulated desires could not be relieved. He frowned and bent over in pain.
The sleeves rubbed against the wall of the well, making a very slight sound.
But in the silent night, it cannot escape the ears of people with great martial arts skills.
Shen Jiasui's heart moved, and he couldn't help but glance sideways in that direction, but there was no figure in sight.
She suspected that it was the sound of snow falling from the branches, and immediately regained her composure, but then she heard Cui Mingjue whisper:
“Miss Shen, what if I say I’m interested?”
Shen Jiasui was stunned when he heard this and didn't react for a moment.
Seeing this, Cui Mingjue took another step closer, his eyes filled with eagerness and anticipation, and he mustered up his courage and spoke word by word:
"Miss Shen, I'm telling you, I like you and want to marry you."
"I, Cui Mingjue, am sincere and Miss Yu Chen has no calculations or trade-offs. As long as Miss Chen is willing, I will only stay with you for the rest of my life. Is that okay?"
In the end, Cui Mingjue's voice gradually softened, and he looked straight into Shen Jiansui's eyes with great earnestness.
When Shen Jiasui heard the voice, he looked confused and thought he had heard it wrong.
She opened her mouth and wanted to say something to confirm, but what responded to her was Cui Mingjue's scorching gaze.
Shen Jiasui could no longer conceal his shock and took a step back unconsciously.
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