After Xiao Jinglin arrived in Wuzhou, he took over all matters as stated in Xiao Jingxi's letter.
At this time, the imperial court and Liao envoys also arrived in Wuzhou one after another. Xiao Jinglin handed these people over to Min Wenqing to deal with them. She herself sent people to secretly investigate Xiao Jingxi's whereabouts.
The Yanbei Palace had an official residence in Wuzhou, and Xiao Jinglin had lived there since arriving. Although Yun Wenting had always been with Xiao Jinglin, he didn't live there with her. Instead, he stayed at the Wuzhou post station. During the day, he would help Xiao Jinglin with some official business. The paperwork that Xiao Jinglin hated the most was now handled by Yun Wenting. To avoid suspicion, he also consciously handled only mundane matters.
Xiao Jinglin was also somewhat at a loss for what to do with Yun Wenting. Although Yun Wenting was always around her, he simply worked without saying a word, being extremely tactful and hardworking. Even though Xiao Jinglin was a little annoyed at first, she gradually lost her temper. So, Yun Wenting had a very accurate grasp of Xiao Jinglin's temper.
Until one day, Xiao Jinglin couldn't help but said to Yun Wenting, "If you leave now, you can still go back in time to get married."
Yun Wenting just smiled when he heard this and lowered his head to look at the documents again.
Xiao Jinglin was feeling a bit irritated. She walked over and knocked on the thick, plain elm desk Yun Wenting was temporarily using, looking down at him. "Useless Yun Wenting, you'd better get out of here right away! You're just wasting your time here, and it won't change the outcome at all."
Back in Yunyang City, Xiao Jinglin, under the influence of Ren Yaoqi and the princess's restraint, remained very polite and courteous. This was a result of the constraints of her environment. Now, here, constantly mingling with the people of the barracks, rude words came naturally to her. Although Princess Xiao usually tried to avoid using vulgar language whenever possible, she was considered the most graceful general in the Yanbei Army, aside from Min Wenqing.
Yun Wenting looked up at Xiao Jinglin, then handed her a cup of bitter gourd tea he had brewed earlier and said calmly, "I didn't want to change the outcome."
Xiao Jinglin raised an eyebrow: "So you've been here purely to do good things lately?"
Yun Wenting looked at Xiao Jinglin and smiled when he heard this: "No."
"What's that for?" Xiao Jinglin rolled his eyes secretly.
Yun Wenting thought for a moment and said, "Because I'm happy."
Xiao Jinglin: "..."
Xiao Jinglin never knew that Yun Wenting also had the ability to choke people.
"Isn't it a pleasant thing to be with the one you love and do what you can?" Yun Wenting asked back.
Xiao Jinglin was stunned. She didn't blush or feel her heart skip a beat because of Yun Wenting's confession. Instead, she remembered what Ren Yaoqi had said before. Ren Yaoqi told her, "Besides sacrifice, dedication, and no regrets, the most important thing about liking someone is happiness. Otherwise, it's not love, but obsession."
Xiao Jinglin couldn't help but ask: "Yun Wenting, how long have you liked me?"
Yun Wenting wasn't surprised by Xiao Jinglin's bluntness. But the question was difficult to answer. He said awkwardly, "A long time."
Xiao Jinglin nodded: "Have you been happy these years? These years since you left Jiajingguan."
Yun Wenting was slightly stunned, and this time he was silent for a long time.
Xiao Jinglin just stood there looking at him, not urging him, but there was a hint of complexity in her eyes, and she didn't know what kind of answer she wanted to hear.
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