41 Shy
◎Flirting between young couples◎
"That's good!" Madam Yan was delighted. "What couple doesn't quarrel? Let's not dwell on the past. Live a good life from now on, loving and harmonious."
Yan Qizheng: "Mother is right."
Wei Ziyan: "..."
With the expectation of blessing, Mrs. Yan left tactfully, leaving the two of them alone.
Wei Ziyan hadn't yet recovered from the sudden change in her demeanor. She'd finally mustered the courage to confess everything, but not only had she failed, she'd only deepened Madam Yan's misunderstanding.
Did Yan Qizhen do this on purpose?
"Now is not a good time." Seeing her suspicious look turning to him, Yan Qizhen took the initiative to admit it.
"So much has just happened, and it's taken so long to calm down. If I confess now, it's bound to cause another uproar. I'm afraid my mother and your parents won't be able to bear it."
This was indeed very reasonable, Wei Ziyan reasoned. The elders on both sides finally breathed a sigh of relief. Provoking them further at this point would be difficult for them to accept.
For example, if she returned to her parents' home at this time, she would have to reveal her injuries. Her parents were already distressed by her bump on the head, so wouldn't they be even more anxious if they knew the truth?
Besides, a grain of sand makes a mountain of sand. The lies she had told had accumulated one by one, becoming a giant lie. If one or two were exposed, all the lies would be exposed, and the consequences would be...
Wei Ziyan didn't dare to imagine further.
Yan Qizhen was more thoughtful than her.
only--
"Then...then you..."
"I'm not in a hurry, why are you in a hurry?" Yan Qizhen said lightly and went straight to the study.
Wei Ziyan: "..."
The words "Then you don't have to be too hard on yourself when you pretend" were on the tip of my tongue, but I had to swallow them back.
With that said, should he be more anxious than her?
Why is he in such a hurry?
Just this inexplicable sentence made Wei Ziyan ponder from time to time. Was it just something Yan Qizhen said casually, or did he have a deeper meaning?
But how could she figure it out? She was just bored and looking for something to do.
That afternoon, while I was also leaning on the chaise longue, feeling bored, Xing'er suddenly came in with a large box. "Young Madam, the embroidery shop sent a pair of shoes. They said they were custom-made for you."
"My custom-made shoes?" Wei Ziyan sat up in surprise. "When did I ever have custom-made shoes?"
Qiu Luo, who was standing by, also looked puzzled: "I don't have any impression either."
"Open it and take a look." Wei Ziyan said to Xing'er.
As soon as the lid was opened, a pair of men's boots was revealed inside, and Wei Ziyan's memory was instantly triggered.
Isn’t this the men’s style that I saw with my mother at the embroidery shop before?
At that time, Yan Qizhen had just left home, and his mother asked her to make a pair of shoes as a gift to give Yan Qizhen a surprise.
But didn't she even throw away the order? Besides, she didn't send any old shoes for measurement later, so how could the embroidery shop still produce a pair of shoes for her?
Feeling puzzled, Qiu Luo thought of asking Aunt Lengxiang.
After a while, Qiu Luo came back and said to her with a half smile and half anger: "Miss, you ordered shoes for your son-in-law, how come you completely forgot about it?"
“…” Wei Ziyan was still confused.
Qiu Luo recounted what he had just learned from Du Juan.
"The young lady decided on a design at the embroidery shop and said she would send some old shoes over for reference. The embroidery shop didn't receive the shoes, so they sent someone to the mansion to inquire about the eldest master's shoe size. The young lady wasn't at the mansion at the time, so Dujuan took care of it on her behalf."
…
Wei Ziyan was almost stunned when she heard this!
I didn't expect the follow-up to be resolved in this way. It was another coincidence.
How do you explain this?
How can this be explained? Anyone would think—
"My dear son-in-law, when he comes back and finds out about this thoughtful gesture from Miss, he will definitely be very happy!"
“…”
Wei Ziyan looked at Qiu Luo, who already had a happy expression on his face, in a daze and with some fear.
That’s right…
Yan Qizheng should also think so...
Wei Ziyan's heart tightened. She felt a little embarrassed that Yan Qizhen had misunderstood her!
No! He can't know about this!
Thinking about it, Wei Ziyan told Qiu Luo to put the shoes away and not to say anything. Now it was Qiu Luo's turn to be confused: "Young lady, why should I be embarrassed for being nice to my son-in-law?"
"I'm not being nice to him!" Wei Ziyan hastily denied, "I didn't intend to make shoes for him."
Qiu Luo muttered, "Young lady always says one thing and means another. Even though my son-in-law is away on a long trip, she clearly misses him but refuses to admit it."
"I……"
Wei Ziyan was speechless for a moment, too lazy to argue with her: "Just take it back when I tell you to."
Qiu Luo thought her daughter was just being shy, and didn't think anything else about it. She kept her mouth shut and quietly went to collect the shoes. If she was told not to make a sound, she would naturally obey, but others might not necessarily do so.
Leng Xiang and the other two were bedridden, and Xu Ji was responsible for coordinating many of the courtyard's chores. He frequently visited the side rooms, and when Qiu Luo came to ask about the shoes, Xu Ji happened to be there and heard everything clearly.
I didn't expect that the young lady missed the eldest son so much during the time he was away.
Xu Ji would carefully consider what he said to others, but when it came to his son, he was quick to speak! He would blurt out whatever he heard, like spilling the beans!
As soon as Yan Qizhen entered the courtyard, Xu Ji greeted him enthusiastically.
"Is the eldest master back?"
"Um."
Yan Qizheng did not stop walking, and Xu Ji followed closely beside him, his eyes constantly glancing at the ground.
"Is there something?" Yan Qizhen glanced at him sideways, still walking without stopping.
"How long has it been since you made new shoes, young master?"
Yan Qizheng frowned and glanced at him sideways this time: "If you have something to say, just say it."
"Oh," Xu Ji said, not wanting to keep the secret any longer, "I heard that the young lady made a new pair of shoes for the eldest master."
“…”
Yan Qizhen's steps suddenly stopped.
Inside the house, Wei Ziyan was uneasy. After hiding her shoes, she felt a sense of guilt. To mask her emotions, she asked Qiu Luo to find her a book.
"The eldest son is back."
"Well, where's the young lady?"
"The young lady is reading in the inner room."
Wei Ziyan pricked up her ears and heard the conversation outside clearly.
Then she heard footsteps and quickly sat up straight, opened the book she had found temporarily, and focused her attention on the pages.
"What are you looking at so fascinated?" Wei Ziyan raised her head in pretended surprise when she heard the expected question.
"You're back..."
What book?
Wei Ziyan closed the book and quickly glanced at the title - "The Story of Yingying and Her Husband".
…
Yan Qizheng also glanced at the book in her hand, with an exceptionally bright smile on his face, and said gently: "I have quite a few books in my study. If you are interested, just go and find some to read."
"……good."
Wei Ziyan managed to make a sound from her throat, but the person in front of her did not walk away.
When she looked up, Yan Qizheng's smiling gaze met hers from top to bottom. There seemed to be a kind of expectation in his sparkling eyes, as if he was waiting for something?
Ah, Wei Ziyan thought of it.
He put the book down and stood up slowly: "Let's eat first."
However, after the two of them sat down around the table, Yan Qi Zheng did not start eating immediately. Instead, he slowly served her a bowl of soup, picked up some food for her with chopsticks, and then looked at her with his sharp eyes.
Could it be...
Wei Ziyan had no choice but to follow suit and picked up some food for him and poured him a bowl of soup.
…
Yan Qizheng lowered his eyes and looked at it quietly, as if he was satisfied, but also dissatisfied. When he raised his eyes again, he seemed to want to say something but stopped, then he smiled and said, "Let's eat first."
Wei Ziyan ate her meal silently.
Even though he lowered his head, he could still feel the burning gaze on his forehead.
What's wrong with him today? Why is he acting a little strange?
It was just the beginning of autumn, and the nights were still not too cold. Using the excuse of digesting her food, Wei Ziyan finished her meal and let Qiu Luo support her as she took a slow walk in the yard.
Not far away, Xu Ji was accompanying the eldest son who looked puzzled.
"Are you sure you heard correctly?"
"It can't be wrong!" Xu Ji said with absolute certainty, "The shoes have been delivered!"
"And it's custom-made to your measurements, Young Master. There's no way the Young Madam would give it to anyone else!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the eldest son's cold gaze swept over him, and Xu Ji quickly changed the subject: "What I mean is that the young lady must be giving it to the eldest son, so... maybe she is waiting for the right time?"
Yan Qizheng frowned. Do I have to wait for the right time to send a pair of shoes?
"Birthday!" Xu Ji slapped his forehead, "Would the young lady like to give it to the eldest master as a birthday present?"
Yan Qizheng's frown deepened.
It's only July now, and his birthday is in September!
"It seems... impossible!" Xu Ji also felt that it was a bit outrageous and murmured with a wry smile. "Then... maybe it's a Mid-Autumn Festival surprise?"
That's possible.
Yan Qizheng's frown finally relaxed, and Xu Ji quickly took the opportunity to offer a suggestion: "Then should the eldest young master also secretly prepare a gift?"
With a "snap" sound, Yan Qizhen snapped his fingers.
“That makes sense!”
A few days later, Leng Xiang and the other two recovered from their injuries and returned to serve in the house. The maids that Madam Yan had sent over, including Xing'er, were naturally called back, and Wei Ziyan finally felt at ease.
"Ping'er Ping'er, pour me a cup of tea quickly."
"Du Juan's bun is still unique."
Qiu Luo pouted beside her: "Young Madam, this is a compliment in disguise, you think I'm not doing a good job of combing my hair."
Wei Ziyan sat in front of the dressing table, looking at her in the mirror with a smile.
"You already relish my compliments about Du Juan. If I continue to praise Leng Xiang for being sensible and capable, will you be unable to stay in this room any longer?"
Several maids started to laugh secretly.
Leng Xiang walked behind Wei Ziyan and said, "I will massage the young lady's shoulders to see if she is still as good as before."
Wei Ziyan was horrified when she heard this and waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, it will definitely be fine, it will definitely be fine..."
The master and servant chatted and laughed, and the house became lively again.
Wei Ziyan felt really bad for causing the three maids to be beaten with sticks. She held an "apology banquet" in the courtyard that night to apologize to them.
At first, the three maids refused to come, but Qiu Luo persuaded them one by one. However, even though they came and sat down, they didn't dare to accept her apology.
Sitting at the same table with the master is already a serious offense, so how can the master apologize to the servant?
"Don't worry! It won't shorten your lifespan, nor will it reduce your blessings!"
Wei Ziyan laid out her reasoning: "Although there are differences between high and low, there is no distinction between right and wrong. I was wrong, so I should apologize to you. That way, if you do something wrong in the future, I will be able to hold you accountable."
Not far away, under the corridor, Xu Ji nodded continuously: "Young Madam, what you said seems to make a lot of sense."
Yan Qi, who was standing next to him, pursed his lips slightly but remained silent.
"Lengxiang, don't you think so?"
The other two maids obeyed Aunt Leng Xiang, and Wei Ziyan stared at Leng Xiang intently. Unable to stop, Leng Xiang nodded, "Young Madam is right."
"That's right! Come on, come on—" Wei Ziyan excitedly raised the "wine glass" in her hand, "I'll drink tea instead of wine, everyone, drink it up!"
Ping'er was worried: "But I can't drink, I'm afraid of getting drunk."
Dujuan also said, "If this servant gets drunk, I won't be able to comb the young lady's hair tomorrow morning."
"I won't get drunk, I won't get drunk." Wei Ziyan waved her hand and pointed at the wine pot on the table. "I specially prepared this sweet wine. It's not intoxicating at all."
Even someone like her could drink, but it was not appropriate for her to drink at this time——
Oh, never mind!
Wei Ziyan suddenly put down her tea and picked up a glass of wine: "I'll drink with you!"
"No—" Qiu Luo hurriedly stopped him, "The eldest master said you can't drink!"
Leng Xiang also hurriedly advised when she saw this, "Young Madam, you don't have to accompany us. Let's just do it."
"Yes, yes." Ping'er and Dujuan also echoed.
"Oh, I just think 'tea instead of wine' is such a bummer! This isn't Luofuchun, it's just a little bit of sweet wine..."
"Not even a little bit." A cold voice came from behind Wei Ziyan.
"Young Master..."
Following the maid's voice, Wei Ziyan turned her head back.
Yan Qizheng, who had come to her side at some point, stretched out his arm and took the wine glass from her hand: "Young Madam is not in a position to drink. I will do it for her."
After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank all the wine in the glass.
Hearing this, the three maids stood up from their seats nervously, looking at each other. The eldest master was usually very serious, so when he took over, the pressure suddenly increased a lot...
"Don't just stand there, drink it!" Wei Ziyan was happy that someone was drinking for her.
The three of them had no choice but to drink the wine silently, and Wei Ziyan quickly asked Qiu Luo to pour more wine.
"Sit down, sit down, sit down and drink."
Wei Ziyan arranged for Yan Qizheng to add a chair, and Xu Ji quickly brought one over and asked weakly, "Young Madam, can I have a glass of wine?"
"Why not? Bring another chair."
"Okay!" Xu Jile happily moved the chair away.
An octagonal table, with seven people sitting around it, looks lively.
The moon on the 15th is full on the 16th.
The moon in the sky tonight was big and round, a beautiful day. Wei Ziyan happily asked everyone to raise their glasses: "Just drink and eat to your heart's content tonight, and don't worry about tomorrow."
Xu Ji took the lead and shouted, "Okay!"
Wei Ziyan added, "On the fifteenth of next month, we'll set up another table here."
"Okay!" After saying that, Xu Ji asked, "Do we set up a table every fifteenth day of every month?"
Leng Xiang replied, "It's okay in August, but it gets cold in September, and it's too cold to sit in the winter."
"Why is that so difficult?" Wei Ziyan didn't see any problem. "In winter, we can just move inside and eat a different way. We can light a stove, grill some meat, and drink some wine. Wouldn't that keep us warm?"
"Good idea!" Xu Ji gave a thumbs up. "Young Madam is truly amazing. I respect you."
Naturally, Yan Qizhen drank the toast for her.
Every time Yan Qizheng clinked glasses at the table, he would drink double. Wei Ziyan watched him drink one glass after another without changing her expression, and secretly gave him a thumbs up in her heart.
Xu Ji was a sweet-talker, and even sweeter after drinking the sweet wine, and he praised the young lady to the skies. After hearing this, Wei Ziyan was too embarrassed to listen any further and told him to stop forcing her praise.
We talked about this and that, and somehow ended up talking about that night at Guanyun Villa.
"I heard it was very thrilling. Could you tell us about it, Madam?"
"That was quite thrilling!" Wei Ziyan could still satisfy Xu Ji's request.
"Just imagine, there is a large pond next to us..." As she spoke, she stretched out her hand and drew the open space behind her, imitating the style and tone of the storyteller in the teahouse.
"Sister Liu and I were sitting there, drinking and roasting peanuts, when suddenly several men in black rushed in, wielding machetes, and charged towards us with ferocious intent!"
"The guard took us and ran, out the back door, but there wasn't even a path! It was pitch black, we couldn't see a thing, and we could only run blindly. As we were running, we suddenly missed a step, and before I could react, I was tumbling down the valley."
"It must be very painful, right?" Ping'er frowned.
"Yeah, it hurt so much that I almost fainted!" Wei Ziyan also frowned. That feeling was really unbearable to recall.
Xu Ji continued to press the story: "What happens after you get out of here?"
"Then it got even more thrilling! The men in black actually caught up to me again!" Wei Ziyan counted on her fingers as she recalled, "Six men in black! Each one was so ferocious, one of them could kill me a hundred times!"
Xu Ji and the others looked nervous. Leng Xiang asked, "What should we do then?"
"What can I do? I can't let them find me! So I quickly hid in the jungle, and guess what?"
"What's the matter?" Qiu Luo replied flatteringly.
"They really didn't notice me!" Wei Ziyan said proudly, and then slammed the table regretfully.
"What a shame... those people were about to leave when suddenly a giant snake darted out from under my nose, spitting red venom into my face..."
Her tone and actions were a bit exaggerated, which really caused a few hissing sounds. Ping'er screamed in horror, "Oh my God!"
"I was so frightened that I forgot everything. I screamed 'Ah' and ran out..."
Xu Ji frowned: "Doesn't that mean we've been discovered?"
"That's right!" Wei Ziyan sighed, "Those men in black turned around and chased after me. They surrounded me in just a few steps..."
Xu Ji and Ping'er couldn't wait any longer: "And then?"
"Then your eldest son showed up."
Wei Ziyan still feels that the scene of Yan Qizhen falling from the sky was like a dream.
"I thought I was going to be killed by the knife, but the knife didn't hit me, and the person who wanted to kill me fell down."
"Isn't this just like the hero saving the damsel in distress in the play?" Xu Ji's lips curled up when he heard this, and his words elicited several "yes, yes"s of agreement.
"The eldest son is very brave and brave, killing a few petty thieves is no problem for him."
What Xu Ji said was correct.
Wei Ziyan didn't even have time to see clearly before he killed everyone.
"What happened next?" Ping'er opened her big eyes, full of anticipation.
later……
"Who told you to run around without saying a word?"
"Don't cry!"
“Wow, I’m so scared…”
"Wow, you're mad at me..."
"Woo woo woo, you're still yelling at me at this time..."
Wei Ziyan's face flushed, she lowered her head, and her voice became weaker: "That's all..."
Xu Ji, perhaps having drunk some wine, had become more courageous, and he made up a story: "According to the script, at this point the young lady should excitedly throw herself into the arms of the eldest master."
Several maids covered their mouths and laughed out loud.
Wei Ziyan turned her head awkwardly and winked at Yan Qizheng, who was sitting next to her, meaning, "Take care of your people."
When she was telling the story just now, Yan Qizheng's eyes had been fixed on her face. It was the first time he saw her so lively and excited. Now, he felt embarrassed.
"Why isn't there a later date?" Yan Qizheng really wanted to tease her, "Your young mistress cried like a clown..."
Halfway through his words, someone stepped on the instep of his foot silently under the table. Yan Qizhen paused and met the young lady's warning eyes.
With her kicking strength, it was like scratching an itch.
Yan Qizheng curled his lips and continued as if nothing had happened: "I told her to stop crying, but she kept crying--"
"The thrill is over. There's nothing good to hear anymore. Let's drink."
Seeing that the warning was useless, Wei Ziyan stood up suddenly, forcibly changed his words, picked up the wine jug and filled everyone's glass.
"But I want to listen..." Ping'er raised her hand timidly.
Qiu Luo and Du Juan: "We want to listen too."
Xu Ji: "I want to listen too."
Wei Ziyan: "..."
They are all so gossipy!
Yan Qizheng suppressed his laughter and cleared his throat: "Your young lady is really crying too much. It gave me a headache. I had no choice but to-"
Shut up! In a hurry, Wei Ziyan turned sideways and blocked his mouth with the wine glass in her hand.
Half of the wine spilled outside, and half went into her mouth. Yan Qizheng grabbed her wrist and swallowed the wine in his mouth with a roll of his throat.
"I had no choice but to carry your young lady back to the villa."
“…”
The four eyes met, two up and two down.
Wei Ziyan was sitting above, her eyes filled with shame, anger and surprise.
Yan Qi was looking down, his eyes cunning and complacent.
“Nonsense!”
Realizing that he was teasing her, Wei Ziyan tried to pull her hand away, but Yan Qizhen held it tightly and pulled it down hard, almost falling on him.
The distance between the two people suddenly shortened, with only half a fist between the tips of their noses.
Yan Qizheng raised his lips and chuckled, saying jokingly: "Wasn't it me who carried you back to the villa?"
…
Today's sweet wine was made from rambutan, its delicate fragrance and sweet taste permeating my nostrils along with the heat of their conversation. The last time he was this close was that night when he used his mouth...
Wei Ziyan had not drunk any alcohol, but at this moment she looked like she had, with her cheeks burning and her chest pounding.
"You...you won't let go?"
Seeing her face flushed red, Yan Qizhen was afraid that if he really angered her, it would be disastrous, so he had to loosen his fingers.
Wei Ziyan's hands gently supported him, pulling away from the ambiguous position. Turning around, she saw everyone looking at her with an auntie's smile...
…
"I, I feel a little dizzy...I'm going to rest first."
Wei Ziyan left in a hurry, and Qiu Luo immediately followed her when he saw her.
"Young Madam, let me help you."
"The young lady is shy." Xu Ji looked at his eldest son with a smile.
Wasn't the interaction between the two just a bit of flirting between a young couple? The eldest son even had a smile on his face!
Yan Qizheng raised the corners of his lips, his eyes turned slightly, he lowered his head and rubbed his fingertips, making a light and smiling sound.
"Um."
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