Chapter 17 Chapter 17 That glance made his ears gradually turn...
A thin spring mist hung in the air, and willows swayed in the breeze. A rain drizzled all night, and the person buried in the quilt opened their eyes, propped themselves up on their arms, and looked somewhat dazed.
Qian Yingyi remained silent, staring blankly at the pink gauze curtains for a long while. She had drunk quite a bit with Qian Qiyu last night, and remembered going to find Lin Zheng. After exchanging a few words with Lin Zheng, she couldn't remember much else.
It seems to be hot and cold for a while.
Hearing the commotion from the outer room, Xia Ling quickly pushed open the door and came in, placing the breakfast on the table. She then turned and pulled the bed curtains up for her. "Miss, you're awake. Are you feeling unwell? I told you you shouldn't drink like that with the young master. You're a woman, how could you..."
"Don't talk about that yet," Qian Yingyi interrupted her softly, her eyes filled with suspicion, "How did I get back last night?"
Xia Ling answered truthfully, "When I finished preparing the water, I saw Miss lying on the couch."
"Yeah?"
Xia Ling nodded, "It couldn't be more real."
Qian Yingyi, having dismissed the strange feeling in her heart, glanced down and looked around. In an instant, she threw off the covers and jumped off the bed. "Xia Ling! I went to bed wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday. How dirty! Why didn't you wake me up!"
“You’re sleeping too soundly…” Xia Ling pouted, looking a little aggrieved. “Your servant and Chuntang took turns shaking you, but you still couldn’t wake up.”
Qian Yingyi suddenly felt unwell. Although her stomach was empty, she didn't even bother to eat breakfast. She hurriedly asked Xia Ling to prepare water and then opened the window to instruct two maids to come in and change the bedding.
Half an hour later, after a refreshing bath in the tub, I felt as if I had come back to life.
Because she had drunk alcohol the night before, Xu Jun was worried that the two children's stomachs would be upset, so she personally stewed two bowls of light jade pearl soup and a bowl of chicken wontons early in the morning. Qian Yingyi ate some of it and sighed comfortably.
A few birds chirped softly under the eaves. Qian Yingyi remembered that she had spoken with the guards last night, so she turned her head and asked, "Where is Lin Zheng? Call him over, I have something to ask him."
Xia Ling agreed verbally, and soon after, she packed up and left.
As the morning light peeks through the clouds, it illuminates the lush greenery. Inside the Cloud Pavilion, the crabapple blossoms begin to show their deep red tips, and in the blink of an eye, spring is in full bloom.
Qian Yingyi still remembered how wicked Yu Minsen was. She was hunched over her desk, drawing him with a hideous face, his bright red lips opening and closing intermittently. She secretly cursed him to fall when he went out, choke on water, and have trouble breathing when he slept.
Just as he was happily painting, a shadow appeared on the table.
"Miss, are you looking for me?" The voice was low, and upon closer listening, it sounded somewhat gentle.
She glanced up and couldn't look away.
The robes that had been made earlier were delivered a couple of days ago. The owner of the tailor shop said that when making the guards' uniforms, there wasn't enough black material, and they were short one set, so they had to make up for it with other colors.
At that time, she only sent two guards to speak with the master herself.
The young man wore a silver robe with dark patterns, his forearms were taut under the sleeves and he wore leather wristbands. His shoulders and back were still upright. He stood in front of her with the backlight on, his eyes were bright and his eyebrows were sparse. Even though the two of them were separated by the thick window frame and were not close enough to be considered to be scrutinizing him closely, Qian Yingyi still felt that he was handsome and dashing.
It gave her the illusion that he shouldn't be her bodyguard, but a chivalrous and unrestrained wanderer of the martial world.
A moment later, Qian Yingyi suddenly came to her senses, put down her paintbrush, and began folding the paper again, lowering her eyes to hide her unease. "I... I called you here to ask you what I said to you last night?"
The guards seemed to fall silent.
This small space was eerily quiet. After a long while, Qian Yingyi finally heard him speak.
"Miss doesn't remember anything?"
She hurriedly said, "I only remember talking to you, but I don't remember what we said. I was just asking, were you... were you alright yesterday?"
Qin Lizheng turned slightly to face her, the half-sunlight shining on his profile, making his eyes sparkle. A laugh suddenly escaped from his lips. "It's nothing important. Miss asked me last night that I wasn't injured."
"...Oh, what else did I say?"
He glanced at her with his head bowed, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Miss said she cares about me."
Qian Yingyi's heart skipped a beat, and her fingertips, which had been lingering on the drawing paper, stopped.
She has a habit after drinking: she becomes somewhat intimate with everyone.
A pair of orioles flew down from the treetops, their chirping making Qian Yingyi's heart pound. She secretly reached out and closed the half-open window a little, and after a long while, she came up with a clumsy explanation for herself, "I always act like this after drinking. As my guard, it's only right that I care about you after what happened yesterday. I often care about Little Tortoiseshell too."
Qin Lizheng slightly raised his chin, smiled at the sun, and said nothing.
Qian Yingyi didn't know what else he had said, and wanted to question him further. Her eyes darted around, and she happened to catch sight of the glass incense bottle on the dressing table.
Thinking of how he single-handedly fought off ten men yesterday to get this for her, Qian Yingyi suppressed that nameless panic. Of course, what did she have to panic about?
His skill enabled her to defeat Yu Minsen.
It's perfectly normal for her to care about him.
So she stopped thinking about it and put on a smiling face. Suddenly, a wicked thought came to her mind, and she said to him, "I never knew you were so skilled. After what happened yesterday, Yu Minsen and I will definitely be at odds from now on. Tell me, if he ever offends me, do you dare to put a sack over his neck, grab him, and take him to a secluded place to give him a good beating?"
The oriole was still singing, but Qin Lizheng felt her delicate voice stood out even more, and her eyes became even brighter when she talked about plotting to beat someone up. He chuckled and leaned to the side with his arms crossed. "So eager to hit him?"
Qian Yingyi couldn't help but clench her fist and raise it slightly, "He's even more annoying than Wu Niansheng!"
Qin Lizheng's smile gradually faded, as if the name "Wu Niansheng" was unlucky, yet his tone still carried a hint of barely perceptible indulgence, "Should we beat those two together?"
Speaking of this, Qian Yingyi pursed her lips and chuckled, as if the miserable state of the two men with bruises and swelling were right before her eyes.
She glanced at the guard, then belatedly said to him, "Thank you."
Her gentle smile made Qin Lizheng momentarily recall the previous night, and he unconsciously focused his gaze on her lips.
That one glance made his ears gradually burn.
He abruptly looked away, turned around hastily, and was about to leave when a person suddenly rushed out from under the courtyard gate. It was Qian Qiyu, who had come to find Qian Yingyi to play with.
The young master originally wanted to talk to his older sister, but upon seeing the guard, his eyes immediately lit up. He quickly turned to the guard's side, his gaze filled with admiration and hope, and asked, "Lin Zheng, Lin Zheng, can I learn some moves from you?"
Qin Lizheng glanced down at him and smiled, "Martial arts training is tough, can young master endure it?"
"I can handle it, I can handle it," Qian Qiyu said with a fawning smile.
Qin Lizheng turned around and stared at Qian Yingyi, who had come out after hearing the sound. "Miss?"
Qian Yingyi listened intently to their conversation, glanced at Qian Qiyu, and then waved her hand, "He's always looking for something new. Just teach him a couple of moves; you don't need to ask me."
Qin Lizheng simply followed her advice and began to casually instruct Qian Qiyu.
Fragrant trees and exotic flowers basked in the spring sunshine, which grew ever brighter. Qian Qiyu, gripping a sword and practicing the moves, was already drenched in sweat.
Just as noon approached, someone suddenly came looking for them outside the door. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the old woman who served Xu Jun, surnamed Zhao.
Zhao's mother straightened up and curtsied to Qian Yingyi, then took a handkerchief to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead, saying that Xu Jun had sent her to deliver a message.
Young Madam Lin brought gifts and came to apologize to her.
Qian Yingyi was watching the maids making knots under the shade of a tree when she heard the sound. She was slightly startled and had no choice but to get up quickly, purse her lips, and walk outside.
Upon arriving at the flower hall used for receiving guests, Qian Yingyi heard laughter and chatter inside. She smiled, lifted the curtain, and went in, only to discover that Yan Ruheng had also come.
Upon seeing her, Yan Wenying rushed over to shake her hand. "Yingyi, it rained all night yesterday, and I didn't sleep well either. I kept thinking that you didn't have enough fun at my house."
As she spoke, Yan Wenying glanced outside and then looked back, whispering, "It's all that little tyrant's fault for ruining this spring banquet. I'm here today to apologize to you. Are you still angry?"
This matter had nothing to do with Yan Wenying. She was a few years older than Qian Yingyi, so how could Qian Yingyi put on airs and follow her lead? She could only pat her back and soften her tone, "Sister Yan, I'm not angry with you at all."
Yan Wenying's delicate face finally broke into a smile. She turned around and beckoned Yan Ruheng, saying, "I think I misunderstood. Yesterday, Qingxi told me that you didn't seem very happy, and I thought you were angry with me, your older sister."
Yan Ruheng immediately bowed to her, "Miss Qian, it was all a misunderstanding. Please forgive me."
He was wearing a light blue robe today, and spoke with gentle elegance. He also had his usual bright eyes and white teeth, so Qian Yingyi couldn't help but steal a few more glances at him.
She smiled politely at him, "Why aren't you at the yamen today, Lord Yan?"
"I am out on business today, so there is no need for me to return to the government office."
Xu Jun secretly observed from the side, thinking to herself that Yan Sanlang was indeed born with a handsome face. If she were ten or twenty years younger, she would probably want to marry him.
Fortunately, she still remembered her father-in-law's earlier advice not to get too involved with the Yan and Lin families. So Xu Jun rolled her eyes left and right, raised her chin and glanced at the sky outside, and said politely, "Young mistress and Sanlang, please stay for a simple meal."
He then gave Qian Yingyi a wink, saying, "Yingyi, your grandfather said earlier that he would come back for lunch. Is Yu-ge'er with you? Send someone to find him and ask him to meet your grandfather at the door."
Qian Yingyi gleaned the meaning from her words and immediately smiled, "Okay, I'll be right back."
"Wait a minute!" Sure enough, upon hearing that Qian Lanting wanted to go home, Yan Wenying quickly stopped Qian Yingyi and replied politely, "How could we possibly have the nerve to eat at your house? It would only make us seem more ill-mannered."
Qian Yingyi turned to look at Xu Jun.
Xu Jun looked troubled. "You are guests, how can we not invite you to stay for a meal?"
After thinking it over, Yan Wenying still declined, "It's not necessary. Sanlang has some trivial matters to attend to this afternoon. How about we just take a stroll in the garden?"
Considering that there were maids and servants all over the house, and that they could only wander around for a short while, Xu Jun relented and nodded with a smile, "Alright, Yingyi, go and call Yu-ge'er. The young mistress and Sanlang are honored guests, how can he be impolite and hide from them?"
Taking a casual stroll around the park, with that mischievous monkey around, seems to be the safest way to pass the time.
It wasn't that Xu Jun deliberately went through all that trouble; it was just that the Qin family tragedy had really made her feel uneasy. She also regarded Qian Yingyi as her own daughter, and she heard that the young lady who was engaged to the eldest son of the Qin family was still unmarried. She was inexplicably afraid.
Since the Yan siblings had taken the initiative to visit, she couldn't be too distant. It was just a few unnecessary misunderstandings, and she wanted to avoid them if possible.
At this time of year, the garden is full of spring colors. Xu Jun loves flowers, so she has planted many different varieties in the large garden.
A fragrant aroma wafted through the garden, butterflies fluttered their wings, and Yan Wenying, holding a fan, gently waved it and exclaimed, "Oh, the flowers in Madam's garden are truly beautiful. I must take a good look at them and plant some at home later."
As he spoke, he deliberately quickened his pace, leaving Qian Yingyi and Yan Ruheng behind.
Qian Qiyu, his vest still damp with sweat, followed Qian Yingyi at a distance, pretending to be taking a leisurely stroll.
Perhaps it was because a new face had suddenly come to the house, but the maids serving in the corridor couldn't help but glance at Yan Ruheng.
One person said, "So handsome, so beautiful."
Another answered, "Hey, didn't you notice that he was standing next to our young lady...?"
The maid didn't say the rest; she just covered her mouth and chuckled.
"What are you thinking about?" Little Tortoiseshell stood under the veranda, glancing into the garden from afar. Seeing the person beside her deep in thought, she nudged him twice with her elbow.
Qin Lizheng stared intently at the other side, a hint of coldness flashing in his usually indifferent eyes. He secretly scoffed at the Yan family, thinking they were truly like a piece of dog skin plaster, sticking back on even after being torn in half.
He had overheard what the maid had said.
How about standing together? Are they a good match?
He glanced down at himself, then suddenly spoke, "Little Tortoiseshell."
The little hawksbill turtle turned its head, puzzled. "What are you doing?"
"Where exactly is the book stall where you bought 'The Romantic Tales of Jinling'? Do they have any other books?"
Little Tortoiseshell glanced at him suspiciously, and seeing that he wasn't joking, she looked at Qian Yingyi again, as if she was gradually understanding something. Her eyes widened, "You, you, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, only a muffled whimpering sound remained.
Qin Lizheng covered his mouth, his gaze falling on Qian Yingyi's back, and smiled meaningfully, "Just bought it to take a look."
Buy him some shows he wants to see, like...how to please a woman.
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Author's Note: Qin Lizheng: Gloomy.jpg
Qian Yingyi: 0v0
I need to make it onto the 1000-word list on the 19th, which is a very important list, so there will be no update on the 18th. There will be a double update at 11 pm on the 19th.
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