Chapter 189 Extra: Liu Mingan x Jiang Ning (Part 2)
Liu Mingan and Jiang Ning left Beijing one month after their marriage.
Lan Xu knew their plan long ago, and after kindly reminding them to "be careful on the road", she said that it was boring for her to stay alone in such a big house, so she wanted to live in Fuling Temple and wait for them to come back to pick her up.
Jiang Ning sent a guard to send her to Fuling Temple, and then went to Zhou's house with Liu Mingan to say hello to Zhou Yi.
Before Nangong Muyan married Zhou Yi, she followed him to see all the houses in the capital, and finally chose the old house on Xichun Road, because there were flower beds everywhere in this house, and there was even a garden behind the house, which made Nangong Muyan, a flower and plant lover who couldn't even keep a cactus alive, very excited.
When the two of them arrived at the courtyard through the gatehouse, they heard the sound of a piano. It was still the familiar "Fishermen's Song at Dusk", but the tune was messy, like a beginner.
Jiang Ning listened to the piano music from a distance, wondering why Nangong Muyan's level had dropped so much. Was she stupid because of pregnancy? Or was it Zhou Yi who was playing the piano?
After walking through the archway and entering the inner courtyard, looking at the scene in the pavilion, Jiang Ning realized that she was a little naive.
It was indeed Nangong Muyan who was playing the piano, but her attention was not on the piano. Zhou Yi sat aside, propping up his chin and looking at her with a smile, and from time to time he picked up grapes from the fruit plate and fed them to her.
Nangong Muyan likes to tease people as always. Every time a grape is brought to her lips, she will bite Zhou Yi's fingertips, and then wink provocatively, which makes Zhou Yi come up and kiss her charming face.
A charming laugh starts, and the piano music becomes chaotic...
Jiang Ning quickly looks away. It's impossible for her to play well.
Noticing someone coming, Nangong Muyan takes her hands off the strings, pushes away Zhou Yi who still wants to kiss her, and turns her head to see Jiang Ning and Liu Mingan.
"Brother Liu and his sister-in-law are here," Nangong Muyan said quickly, pointing outside the pavilion, and then hooked Zhou Yi's palm with an ambiguous tone: "Receive the guests first, and kiss you later."
Zhou Yi looked in the direction of her finger. Outside the pavilion, Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning were holding hands side by side, but their eyes fell on a bunch of chrysanthemums on the roadside at the same time, and did not look here.
Zhou Yi's ears suddenly blushed, and he looked at Nangong Muyan a little embarrassedly, with a little complaint in his expression, but he saw that person came over and pecked his lips with a smile, then looked at the two people outside the pavilion and said calmly: "Brother Liu, sister-in-law, come in and sit down."
The two moved at the sound, and stepped under the table in the pavilion with a normal look.
"Brother Zhou, sister-in-law." Liu Ming'an nodded to the two people.
Zhou Yi stood up and carried the zither to the railing, then returned to the table and poured a cup of tea for each of them, and pushed the fruit plate in their direction.
"Brother Liu, are you not busy recently?" Zhou Yi smiled and chatted.
After Liu Ming'an passed the imperial examination and became the top scholar, he was given a marriage and became a royal consort. He took a position in the Hanlin Academy, dealing with historical books and classics, not involving the intrigues of the court, and not being involved in the various forces, which suited his personality very well.
"Not busy, quite free," Liu Ming'an replied, and then explained the purpose of his visit: "Aning and I came here today to say goodbye to you two, and we have to go back to Lotus Village."
"Ah? So soon?"
Zhou Yi was very surprised. He knew that Liu Ming'an would definitely go back to Lotus Village. He was born and raised there, and now that he has a family and a career, he must go to the grave of his parents to comfort them.
But he didn't expect it to be so soon.
"Zhang Shun sent me a message a few days ago, saying that he was going back to the capital. Now that you're gone, the three of us brothers won't be able to get together again," Zhou Yi said with regret, "I wanted to take you fishing together, it's really... Alas!"
Liu Ming'an smiled when he heard him talking about fishing, knowing that his knot was untied: "Brother Zhang won't leave easily when he comes back. We're all in the capital, and there's plenty of time in the future."
Nangong Muyan saw that they were chatting happily, and she and Jiang Ning couldn't talk, so she held her stomach and got up: "You two brothers can talk here, I'm a little sleepy, sister-in-law, you can take me back to the room."
Jiang Ning said "um", walked to Nangong Muyan and held her arm.
"Muyan, how about I find a maid to take you." Zhou Yi got up as well, he was always a little worried when the two of them were alone.
"Brother Zhou, it's okay, you guys chat, and call us when it's time to eat."
Jiang Ning said and took Nangong Muyan to her room. Zhou Yi was still looking around worriedly. Liu Mingan walked to his side and looked at the backs of the two people, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"Brother Zhou, don't you think they actually look alike?" After a moment, Liu Mingan asked softly.
That day in the Taiji Palace, one of these two killed Yuwen Jin and the other killed Chang Jian. Liu Mingan looked at them among a bunch of people at that time, and saw the murderous intent on their bodies, and felt that they were the same person.
Although Jiang Ning had never told him anything, based on his understanding of Jiang Ning, Nangong Muyan tortured her so badly, but after she returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion, Nangong Muyan was unharmed. Even when she went to support her just now, the faint concern in her eyes did not seem fake.
There is a connection between the two of them that he cannot understand, and this connection is very deep.
Liu Ming'an always chooses to believe Jiang Ning. If she doesn't want to say, he won't ask.
Zhou Yi was also a little stunned when he heard this question. After the two figures disappeared, he turned around, looked at Liu Ming'an and said what he was thinking: "Brother Liu, I always feel that Mu Yan is not the kind of person who would hurt his sister-in-law."
Liu Ming'an didn't know how to respond. After all, he knew Jiang Ning's situation at the time.
Zhou Yi continued, "Do you still remember the time she climbed over the wall into your yard? In fact, when I came home later, she knocked me out and kidnapped me."
"That's true? Did she hurt you?" Liu Ming'an asked anxiously.
Zhou Yi recalled the situation that time. Nangong Muyan threatened him that she would tie him to a tree and freeze him to death. Should this be considered an injury? After all, he was really scared.
But now Nangong Muyan is his wife, so there is no need to say these words. Zhou Yi avoided the question and only replied, "Her main purpose was not to hurt me, but to ask me some questions."
"What did she ask? About Aning?" Liu Ming'an guessed logically.
Zhou Yi shook his head: "She was asking about you."
"Me?" Liu Ming'an frowned, not understanding why Nangong Muyan would ask Zhou Yi about him.
"Well, she asked how old you are, what you do for a living, your family situation, whether your parents get along well, whether you are mean, whether you have many rules, whether you will make things difficult for your daughter-in-law, and also asked..."
Zhou Yi paused, and finally asked the last question: "She also asked if you have ever visited a prostitute."
"This..." Liu Ming'an didn't know what to say.
"Brother Liu, do you think these questions are questions that an enemy would ask?" Zhou Yi looked at Liu Ming'an dimly and asked.
"No, these are questions that only family members or close friends would ask."
Liu Ming'an's eyes were dark and unclear, and he couldn't see the relationship between the two people clearly.
Zhou Yi patted his shoulder and sighed: "Brother Liu, I thought she was a vicious woman at first, and I avoided her as much as possible, but after getting along with her more, there was always a voice in my heart telling me that she was not that kind of person. But I don't know why she would do that to my sister-in-law..."
"If you think I'm lying to you and clearing her of the charges, then you don't have to believe it. Brother Liu, I'm sincere--" Zhou
Yi was interrupted by Liu Ming'an before he could finish his words: "Brother Zhou, I believe you!"
Liu Ming'an sat down at the table again, picked up the tea and took a sip, and seeing that Zhou Yi still looked uneasy, he comforted him: "Brother Zhou, I don't believe this just because of you, I also believe in Aning, I believe in her decision. I only know that you are my brother and Nangong Muyan is my sister-in-law. As for the past, no matter what hidden secrets there are, they don't want to say, let's not ask, just let it go."
"Brother Liu!" Zhou Yi was moved again.