Chapter 20. He publicly declared his love for her.
Wen Qiyan had seen this person's portrait in the Censorate's office.
He was there too.
Wen Qiyan's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of coldness barely perceptible.
Today, I returned to my parents' home with Ji Wanyuan, and this man was actually at the Ji family residence. Did someone from the Ji family summon him, or did he come on his own?
With this thought in mind, Wen Qiyan did not show it on his face, but his gaze swept over the other party in a very cold and indifferent manner.
At the same time, He Xun was also looking at him.
The two men's eyes met unintentionally. On the surface, they appeared calm and unperturbed, as if it were an ordinary meeting, but in reality, they were wary and probing.
Although they were both in Liangjing and knew of each other's existence due to official duties at court, this should be considered the first time the two had a proper encounter.
Over the years, the emperor has been using checks and balances to secretly restrain various powerful families. The Ji family is the most powerful among the censors, while the Wen family serves in the Censorate to supervise all officials. In fact, the two families are hostile to each other.
If it weren't for the Emperor's decree to arrange the marriage between the two families, it would have been impossible.
Wen Qiyan would probably never visit the Ji family again, let alone meet He Xun under these circumstances. Even if he did meet him, he wouldn't be as respectful as he is now, simply nodding in response to He Xun's greeting.
"..."
The man before her was a prominent figure from a prestigious family in the capital. He had achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations at a young age, becoming the youngest top scholar in Liangjing's history.
Without relying on his family, he relied entirely on his own strong and capable skills to be promoted to the position of Vice Minister of the Censorate in his second year of official service. This was unprecedented in the entire court.
Not to mention that he was so young, and his appearance and physique were exceptionally outstanding. He could be called a jade-like gentleman, the most handsome man in Liangjing.
With such a stunning and exceptional person establishing herself in the capital, He Xun understood why Ji Wanyuan didn't even glance at him, or rather, looked down on him at all.
It wasn't just because of his poor family background. Rather, it was because Wen Qiyan, whom she had her eye on, was too outstanding. Such a prodigy could probably outshine even a true prince.
But... is being too outstanding all good?
After giving it a brief glance, Wen Qiyan looked away.
He first greeted Madam Ji, then went forward to greet his father-in-law, Prime Minister Ji, and his brother-in-law, Ji Lingyue, and exchanged pleasantries and words.
Ji Lingyue and Wen Qiyan have always been rivals and don't get along well. The smile that appeared on his face when he called Ji Wanyuan had disappeared, and he gave a lukewarm "hmm" without any enthusiasm.
Instead, Prime Minister Ji smiled and nodded at Wen Qiyan, "It's good that you've arrived. We've been waiting for you two for a long time."
"Please wait for me, Father-in-law."
"Greetings, Your Excellency." He Xun spoke, and Wen Qiyan looked up, cupped his hands, and replied with a simple "Your Excellency."
The Ji family offered no explanation for He Xun's arrival.
To be honest, the son-in-law that the Ji family chose for Ji Wanyuan, although steady and reliable, seemed... just so-so to him.
His father and Lin Ssu-nien actually praised and flattered him so much?
What about Ji Wanyuan? What does she think of this man? Does she know he's her son-in-law?
He Xun was merely someone supported by the Ji family. Since he wasn't explicitly called a live-in son-in-law, he wasn't even a retainer. He was just a retainer taken in by the Ji family, so how could he live in the main courtyard of the Ji family?
On the important day of their daughter's homecoming, they actually came to visit? What does the Ji family mean by this? Could it be that Ji Wanyuan instructed them to see him?
Thinking of this, Wen Qiyan unconsciously glanced behind him.
The delicate young woman was still clinging to Madam Ji's arms, acting coquettishly and reluctant to leave. She said she was tired and hungry, as she hadn't eaten anything that morning. Madam Ji coaxed and cuddled her as they moved up the steps.
Faced with her dawdling, Prime Minister Ji deliberately put on a stern face and said that she was already a wife and a mother, yet she was still acting like a child, which was outrageous.
Even though she knew that Prime Minister Ji wasn't really scolding her, Ji Wanyuan still had to save face in front of everyone. She immediately broke free from Madam Ji's embrace, stood up awkwardly, and called out "Father" and "Brother" in a sticky, mushy voice.
Then, she looked at He Xun but didn't say anything.
After a while, he still puffed out his cheeks but didn't call out to anyone, and simply looked away.
Wen Qiyan naturally didn't miss the surprise in her eyes; she clearly didn't know why this man was here today.
That shouldn't be because she called him, or because she wanted to see him.
Thinking of this, the strange, inexplicable concern in his heart disappeared, and he began to feel relaxed and carefree. "..."
"Let's go inside and talk," Madam Ji said, directing everyone to move to the main hall.
The food had been laid out long ago.
After sitting down, as soon as the meal began, Ji Wanyuan ignored everything else, grabbed her silver chopsticks, and started eating.
Madam Ji was taking care of her, serving her food and telling her to eat slowly. Prime Minister Ji scolded her for not behaving like a proper young lady, but he was also busy serving her food.
Wen Qiyan looked at the girl who was almost burying her face in the bowl and suppressed the urge to frown.
She ate so much! Could it be that marrying into the Wen family has deprived her of food?
But then she remembered that she didn't like eggplant back then, and she forced a smile and swallowed it with a bitter taste.
Prime Minister Ji and his wife doted on their daughter, so the meals they prepared were always her favorites.
Thinking of this, he looked at the table full of food...
After noting down the details, he belatedly realized, "Why did he write all this down?"
But then his thoughts wandered again, realizing that to get closer to Ji Wanyuan, he naturally needed to understand her.
"Yuan'er is spoiled and unruly, it's all because of me and her mother. Has she caused any trouble for the Wen family these days?" Prime Minister Ji asked Wen Qiyan.
He replied, "Father-in-law, you are overthinking it. My wife is lovely and lively, and everyone in the Wen family likes her very much."
"Is that so?" Prime Minister Ji raised an eyebrow. "Since you say it's the entire Wen family... then you also like my daughter?"
Wen Qiyan paused, glancing at the person next to him who was engrossed in eating, noticing that their movements had slowed down and their ears seemed to have perked up.
Seeing how concerned she was, she finally snapped out of her wolfing down her food and looked at him.
That insincere remark didn't seem so hard to say after all.
He met Ji Wanyuan's gaze and replied to Prime Minister Ji's words.
"…like."
Upon hearing this, it wasn't just Prime Minister Ji who looked at Wen Qiyan for a while.
Everyone present looked over. They said they believed the man's words, but... no, they were just surprised. Wen Qiyan had just said it like that. They thought he would avoid the question or give an irrelevant answer.
Wen Qiyan has always disliked Ji Wanyuan, so how could he possibly fall in love with her just because of their marriage three days ago, or because of this unexpected child?
Everyone knows the origin of the child, and it was Ji Wanyuan who was behind it all. He should hate Ji Wanyuan even more.
So, it's just polite talk.
Everyone sees through it but keeps quiet.
Ji Wanyuan was also quite surprised by Wen Qiyan's "cooperation" in front of her father, and looked at him with astonishment.
The man met her gaze, his expression indifferent, his eyes devoid of any emotion, suggesting that he was not as he seemed to be.
If you really like someone, how could you have such a flat expression? Shouldn't you be stammering, blushing, and having a racing heart?
Ji Wanyuan recalled that years ago, out of curiosity and boredom, she followed her cousin Qingru, disguised as a man, to the famous Pear Blossom Immortal Courtyard in the capital for the first time.
At that time, she imitated her cousin Qingru and flirted with a young man, asking him if he liked her. He blushed and dared not look at her, stammering that he liked her, that he liked her very much.
That's what I like, isn't it?
What does Wen Qiyan like? He can just rattle off a story!
Despite her surprise, she knew very well that Wen Qiyan had only said those words to appease her, and also to win her over through "love" and use her to dismantle the Ji family.
What a scumbag!
If I continued reading, I was afraid I would feel disgusted and nauseous to the point of vomiting. I had eaten too quickly and too much when I sat down, and I was feeling a bit unwell. In addition, she had been showing signs of morning sickness lately.
Fearing she would lose face, Ji Wanyuan immediately lowered her head and chewed at a slow pace.
Seeing his daughter blush and lower her head in embarrassment upon hearing the man's words of joy, she even slowed down her eating to become more ladylike.
Madam Ji couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Even if it was a lie, as long as her daughter was happy, that was all that mattered.
"...A while ago, Yuan'er wrote to say that there were some problems on your wedding night."
Wedding night?
Wen Qiyan's first reaction was... Ji Wanyuan complained? That day she was wailing and howling that she would send her personal maid home to complain, and that she would have Prime Minister Ji tear her to pieces, dismember her, and throw her to the dogs.
The moment Prime Minister Ji spoke, she also raised her face, her cheeks bulging with uneaten food.
She was utterly unrefined and lacked any ladylike manners, yet she didn't evoke any aversion. Instead, he found her genuine, lively, and uninhibited.
He was lying so convincingly that he subconsciously believed she was genuinely cute.
Wen Qiyan didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he fell silent.
But he didn't expect that Prime Minister Ji would then say that Fang Chao had instigated Yu Hui to get the medicine from the brothel and had bribed the doorman to put the medicine in his tea.
So, it wasn't Ji Wanyuan who did it.
Did he misunderstand her?
Wen Qiyan frowned and looked over. Ji Wanyuan hurriedly swallowed the food in her mouth and said to him in a hurry, "I told you that day that I really didn't do it."
“I…I sent a maid to deliver a message to my father, and ordered someone to investigate.”
Why was Wen Qiyan looking at her like that? Although it was shameful to talk about what happened in the bedroom, she didn't want to take the blame, so she had to get someone to investigate.
If she did it, she'll admit it; if she didn't, why pin it on her?
But really, couldn't my father have said that in private?
Why say it in person? There are outsiders here.
Ji Wanyuan avoided the man's gaze and glared at Prime Minister Ji, indicating that he was being too direct.
Knowing what his daughter meant, Prime Minister Ji raised an eyebrow and said, "After your mother mentioned this matter, I asked He Xun to investigate it. He came here today because of this matter."
Should we send He Xun to investigate?
Ji Chengxiang really treated this man like family, not as an outsider at all. Now that he can't be a live-in son-in-law, will he become a second adopted son? Or... will he always remain a live-in son-in-law?
Wen Qiyan's slightly furrowed brows did not relax.
However, Prime Minister Ji did not mention He Xun again. Instead, he said that he had already dealt with the Yu and Fang families and told them not to worry and not to let this matter cause any rift between them.
If the Ji family makes a move, even if these two families don't die, they'll be severely injured. For example, during his first time with Ji Wanyuan, Prime Minister Ji didn't know what was going on and thought he had threatened or warned Ji Wanyuan during their meeting.
To avenge Ji Wanyuan, he dealt with the Wen family's collateral branches as a warning. During those days, the Wen family uncles went to his father every day to complain, wondering who they had offended. But he knew very well why, he just didn't say anything and silently cleaned up their mess.
"Qi Yan, what do you think?" Prime Minister Ji asked.
"I have no objection." The matter has been investigated and dealt with; what else could he say?
"Because of what happened before, I know you have a deep misunderstanding about Yuan'er. Although she's mischievous, she knows her limits. For the sake of me and your mother-in-law, please be more lenient with her..."
The matter from before, though not named by Prime Minister Ji, is known to everyone.
“Yes, you should be more accommodating to her,” Madam Ji chimed in.
Even Ji Lingyue, who hadn't spoken before, looked over.
Faced with the Ji family's combination of "soft" and "hard" pressure, Wen Qiyan remained neither humble nor arrogant.
He replied, "Father-in-law and mother-in-law, you are too kind. If we really take this matter seriously, it was my fault. I should apologize to my wife."
As soon as the man spoke, Ji Wanyuan, who was drinking soup, coughed.
Madam Ji said, "Why are you panicking? There's still soup left."
She secretly glanced at Wen Qiyan, but Madam Ji thought she was embarrassed and poked her forehead in exasperation.
"It's good that there's no more distance between us from now on." Ji Cheng nodded in satisfaction at his reply. "Let's continue with our meal."
"..."
Wen Qiyan was deep in thought.
Perhaps Ji Wanyuan really didn't do this, and what Prime Minister Ji said wasn't meant to excuse Ji Wanyuan.
He misunderstood her, but what about last time? It wasn't a misunderstanding.
What's the difference between once and twice?
But... this incident might be a breakthrough to bring him and Ji Wanyuan closer together, and he could use it to subtly agree with her "playing hard to get" strategy.
After the meal, Ji Wanyuan followed Madam Ji, and they chatted about women's private matters. She asked Madam Ji how she was doing and whether the Wen family had mistreated her.
Ji Wanyuan said it was all good, "The Wen family didn't bully my daughter."
She couldn't ruin the relationship between the two families, so she had to speak against her conscience.
"That's good." Madam Ji didn't suspect that she was lying, because Ji Wanyuan wasn't one to hold back her temper.
"Seeing you like this, your mother is relieved. I'm sure your pregnancy will be soon..."
Ji Wanyuan was preoccupied with her own thoughts and didn't listen attentively.
After giving a few perfunctory replies, she realized that she couldn't tell her father directly about being wary of the Wen family and the Emperor, because her father was with Wen Qiyan, her brother, and He Xun, and they might reveal their secrets.
So she changed her strategy and told her mother to pass the message on to her father.
Taking advantage of Madam Ji's questioning tone, Ji Wanyuan said that she had been very happy these days, and felt that this marriage was strange and hard-won. She wondered why the Emperor had bestowed the marriage upon her, and she was very grateful to the Emperor.
She...she really liked Wen Qiyan and wanted to live a good life with him. She also wanted her father to be a good official in the future, to be grateful for the Emperor's grace, and not to anger the Emperor or the Wen family.
Because she didn't want any unexpected changes to lead to a divorce from Wen Qiyan.
After I finished speaking, I couldn't help but feel nervous.
Madam Ji poked her forehead, "You told me before that you didn't want to get married and that you didn't like Wen Qiyan anymore, so why do you like him now?"
That means no one suspects anything, right?
"Oh dear, daughter, that was...that was..." What did she say before? Wen Qiyan was too rough on the bed...um...she can't say it now.
"I don't care about my daughter!"
"Mother, you have to promise me you'll talk to Father for me!" she said with a serious, stern face.
"Let Father do a good job as an official! To repay the Emperor's great favor! Don't... don't offend the Wen family, after all, they are my husband's family."
"I know." Madam Ji pinched the tip of her nose and said that she had only been married a few days ago, but her patrons were already starting to side with outsiders.
"Mom~" Ji Wanyuan snuggled into her arms, burying her head against her chest, "I didn't..."
As the sun set, Ji Wanyuan, accompanied by several cartloads of return gifts, returned with Wen Qiyan.
Before parting, Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but shed tears.
On the way back in the carriage, she was still in low spirits. Wen Qiyan glanced at her twice, but she didn't respond.
I don't know if I was really that sad, or if I was just putting on an act for him to comfort me.
"..."
Upon arriving at the Wen family home, Wen's parents were relieved to learn that Ji Wanyuan had not complained.
He gave them a few words of advice, saying they must be tired today and should get some rest.
Before leaving the main hall, Madam Wen gave Wen Qiyan an extra instruction: remember what he had said during the day and do not repeat what happened yesterday.
He glanced casually at the person next to him and said, "Hmm."
Ji Wanyuan was also annoyed. She was already tired, and now she had to deal with Wen Qiyan.
He wanted to stay overnight, and she couldn't get rid of him!
well.
But he couldn't possibly take her to bed today, could he? Probably not. At most, she'd just rest on a bed, keeping her distance from him.
Neither of them spoke on the way back to the courtyard.
He remained as cold as ever, which slightly relieved Ji Wanyuan.
Once inside the courtyard, she quickly went to wash up. Wen Qiyan was bathing in the side room today, so she didn't have to wait for him after she finished washing.
But Ji Wanyuan never expected that after bathing and extinguishing the candles, all the maids would leave.
After she climbed onto the bed, he looked down at her and said...
"I misunderstood that day. I used too much force in my anger. Let me check if your injury is alright."
Ji Wanyuan froze, looking...looking at what?
A note from the author:
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Here it is! [Milk tea emoji]
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