Chapter 28: This kiss is unforgettable.
What a joke! What does she have to be ashamed of? Who does he think he is?
Although Qian Yingyi was thinking this resentfully in her heart, she couldn't help but stare at him through the hustle and bustle. They stood at opposite ends of the street, seemingly so far apart that they were practically unreachable. She didn't even hear Qian Linye urging her three or four times in her ear.
"Little sister!" Qian Linye lowered his voice and gently poked her soft cheek.
Qian Yingyi then composed herself, trying to calm the turmoil in her heart. She must have been frightened by the dog to be so flustered.
After a moment, she smiled at Yan Ruheng and said, "I'm sorry, I came out with my family today. If I have the chance in the future, I'll try the Fengyang pastries you mentioned."
She then stopped talking and laughing with him, and followed Qian Linye away.
Yan Ruheng reached out to try to stop her, his eyes filled with reluctance, but he could only watch as she followed his brother away.
The appearance of the puppy startled the other three, as they all knew Qian Yingyi was afraid of dogs. Seeing Qian Linye return with his sister, Qian Yuxing patted his chest and then stroked Qian Yingyi's forehead three times, saying, "Her soul is here!"
Then, Qian Yuxing suggested that they turn back home.
Qian Yingyi waved her hand and said it was fine, while smiling and taking her arm. "If I had known, I wouldn't have gone that way. Let's go in a different direction. There are still many stalls I haven't visited along the way. Let's visit them before going home."
Seeing that she was unharmed, the group had no choice but to turn around and walk in another direction. Ren Yuqing rarely came to Jinling, so she was quite curious about this place and looked around at it.
Qian Yingyi loved pretty things, and at one of the stalls, she took a fancy to a thin silver chain. It was less than the width of a finger, with tiny, sparkling silver balls hanging from it every half-knuckle, making it quite dazzling.
Ren Yuqing teased her, "How are you going to use this chain after you buy it?"
“It’s hanging down on my waist,” Qian Yingyi said, not caring much. “My second aunt made me a few new long vests. One of them is suitable for autumn. The color is a bit dark, which goes well with this.”
The others just laughed at her, saying she was a young woman who loved beauty.
After half a day, Ren Yuqing gradually grew tired. Seeing that it was getting late, the whole family got into a carriage and made their way back to Pipa Lane.
As for Qian Yingyi's encounter with the puppy tonight, she told Xu Jun, who was still waiting for them, as a funny story.
After a moment of worry, Xu Jun covered her face with her handkerchief and smiled. She sat quietly for a while, then urged the others to go and rest early.
This "interesting incident" then faded into the quiet of the night and was never mentioned again.
In the dark house, only one light was on. Ren Yuqing tossed and turned in Qian Linye's arms, which made Qian Linye hug her tighter and kiss her. He asked softly, "Can't sleep? If you can't sleep, get up and I'll walk around with you."
After saying that, he made a move to stand up, but Ren Yuqing hurriedly stopped him.
Ren Yuqing found a soft pillow to put behind her back, hesitated for a moment, and then told Qian Linye about the slight changes in Qian Yingyi during the day. She added, "My lord, don't you feel that my sister treats this guard named Lin Zheng a little differently?"
Qian Linye's eyes flickered slightly. "How is it different?"
Ren Yuqing analyzed logically: "Look, since we came back, has my sister asked Xiao Daimao to do anything for her? She came this afternoon to deliver a crib, saying that she was happy to be an aunt and wanted to make one in advance for our child. The crib was made by Lin Zheng. When she talked about him, her words were full of praise. Judging from her tone, it wasn't like a mistress praising a servant, but more like a woman praising a man..."
Following her gaze to the exquisite little bed, Qian Linye paused for a moment, then turned around and patted her head, saying, "Qingqing, you're overthinking it. You know how much your sister loves novelty."
Ren Yuqing was still suspicious, but Qian Linye kissed her on the lips. Now she was embarrassed and didn't care to investigate further. She buried her face in the quilt.
As Sheng Qianlinye settled down, he glanced coldly at the small bed, a hint of unease flickering in his eyes. "Pretending..."
He scoffed, but fearing Ren Yuqing would hear, he quickly suppressed his words and went back to sleep with his wife in his arms.
Time flies, and in May, the pomegranate flowers are like fire. Wen Jianzhou, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Southern Zhili, sent out a wide range of invitations, saying that he was preparing to hold a peony banquet.
Qian Linye had already set off for Yangzhou yesterday. Before leaving, he hugged Ren Yuqing with reluctance, and blushed for no reason. He then quietly pulled Yu Cheng aside and instructed him to keep a close eye on Qin Lizheng before leaving with peace of mind.
When the maid brought in the invitation, Ren Yuqing was taking a nap in the room. Qian Yingyi and Qian Yuxing were hiding in the corridor, doing cat's cradle.
Qian Yuxing took the invitation and glanced at it. She curled her lip, not taking it seriously, and said, "These officials' wives in Jinling really live a comfortable life. I've never received so many invitations in the capital."
Perhaps it was because Yu Cheng was appointed Governor of Jiangnan, or perhaps because Qian Yuxing was too fierce that day. Ever since she stood up for Qian Yingyi at the Yan family, most of the wives of officials in Nanjing had already figured it out and secretly thought that they had been foolish before.
Therefore, one day they would send an invitation to Qian Yuxing to bring his younger sister to their home to play, and the next day they would invite Qian Yuxing to bring his younger sister to admire the flowers.
In short, the attempt to ingratiate himself was too obvious.
This post is probably being subtly orchestrated by those ladies behind the scenes. They're just hoping that Mrs. Wen can persuade Qian Yuxing to join them, given the connections between the Wen and Qian families.
Unfortunately, Qian Yuxing often acted unpredictably. She tossed the invitation aside and said to her maid, "Have the servants from the Wen family left? If they haven't, go and tell them that I'm busy and can't get away."
The maidservant quickly responded and spun around, heading outside.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Qian Yingyi called out to stop the maid, picked up the invitation, flipped through it, and turned to Qian Yuxing, saying, "Sister, Lanlan's mother passed away early, and the current Madam Wen is someone her father married later. Lanlan has been working for Madam Wen since she was ten years old. Madam Wen is not a tolerant person. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her for a while. Let's go."
The cicadas kept chirping incessantly, making Qian Yuxing, who was already impatient, even more agitated.
She looked up at her sister. The shade was thick, but a few rays of light shone through the leaves onto her sister's back and shoulders. As the light shone, it was as if she could see the often tender heart in her sister's chest.
Actually, the fact that she declined the invitation meant those women should be wondering every day how she would settle scores with them. Only by slowly grinding away at their flesh with a dull knife can they be truly frightened.
If they did attend, the ladies would gradually feel that the matter was simply swept under the rug during the subsequent banquets.
Seeing her younger sister's hesitant look, Qian Yuxing sighed softly, stood up and pinched her cheek, "Fine, whatever you say."
How could she not know? Her younger sister also understood the reasoning; she simply wanted to make her best friend's life a little easier. Her younger sister was always too soft-hearted.
Therefore, after a few days of travel, the two sisters dressed up beautifully, leaving Yuqing at home to be taken care of by Xu Jun, and then went to the Wen residence in Lingzhuang Lane for a banquet.
Just before boarding the carriage, Qian Yuxing gave the young guard a strange look and asked, "Little Tortoiseshell? Is that you? Where's that Lin Zheng?"
These days, Xiao Daimao and Chuntang are getting along very well. With a beaming smile, she said, "Second Miss, isn't the young master on an inspection tour in Jiangning these days? There are a few cases of lawsuits against landlords in Jiangning, and they're quite serious. The young master happened to see them and took over to handle them. Lin Zheng is very skilled; he can intimidate people just by standing there. The young master transferred Lin Zheng to put on a show."
Upon hearing this, Qian Yuxing nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Qian Yingyi knew about this and couldn't describe how she felt.
The audacious guard left her side, seemingly leaving behind a chilling aura in her Cloud Pavilion, which sometimes made her feel desolate.
Upon hearing his name, Qian Yingyi hesitated slightly, then silently climbed into the carriage.
The carriage finally arrived at the Wen residence, and a servant quickly led the two inside. The Wen residence was bright and luxurious, just as Mrs. Wen had described on her invitation, with peonies in full bloom throughout the garden.
The banquet was set up in the garden. As soon as Mrs. Wen saw the two of them, she quickly led her two children over to greet them.
Mrs. Wen had a beautiful face and a plump, full figure; she was a stunningly beautiful woman. As she approached, she smiled and said, "Oh my, what a distinguished guest! Miss Qian... no, Mrs. Yu, we've finally been waiting for you!"
She was married twice, and she had a son and a daughter, twins, born to her previous husband. Her husband had passed away from illness years ago, and when she married Wen Jianzhou, the twins naturally came with her.
The daughter's name was Wen Xinyan, and the son's name was Wen Zhuonan. Mrs. Wen quickly and gently led the two to Qian Yuxing, introducing them to each other. She then smiled at Qian Yingyi and said, "Yingyi, good child, you know Sister Yan and Brother Nan, so I don't need to introduce you again, do I?"
Qian Yingyi had spoken bluntly in her younger days and offended several young ladies, including Wen Xinyan. Qian Yingyi and Wen Xinyan disliked each other, but they smiled politely and said, "Yes, we know them both."
"Mrs. Wen, you're too kind. Just call me Yuxing." Qian Yuxing smiled and led Qian Yingyi towards a four-cornered pavilion. "My younger sister was bored at home today, so I accompanied her to take a look."
Hearing this, Mrs. Wen's expression darkened slightly, as if she had been publicly humiliated, but she still smiled and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Yingyi and Lanlan always play together. Yingyi, Lanlan is entertaining guests over there! I'll go find her to keep you company!"
As soon as they sat down, several ladies brought their daughters over to make small talk, their words laced with flattery. Qian Yuxing merely glanced at them and commented, "Oh, from what you ladies are saying, it seems that these younger sisters have a good relationship with my little sister, and that the other day was just a misunderstanding?"
The ladies nodded in unison.
Qian Yuxing blinked, but smiled without saying a word.
The ladies choked, realizing she wasn't going to respond, and after sitting awkwardly for a moment, they had no choice but to return to their seats dejectedly.
Fortunately, Wen Ninglan was leading her maid over. After exchanging greetings with Qian Yuxing, she sat down next to Qian Yingyi.
Qian Yingyi glanced at Mrs. Wen, who was mediating among the guests, and said, "Your 'mother' is too selfish. You listened to those ladies' instigation and wanted to curry favor with my sister, but you only brought her two children. If I hadn't come, I don't know how she would have laughed at you today. She would probably say that you and I have been hanging out together for so many years for nothing, and that I didn't even give you face."
Although Wen Ninglan was timid in public, she was also resilient. But now at home, she was living under the care of Mrs. Wen, and with the twins weighing on her, she seemed particularly frail.
Hearing this, she glanced at Mrs. Wen and forced a smile. "I'm used to it. I don't have a biological mother, only a wet nurse by my side. Now my father has become someone else's father. Sigh, even in this situation, I can still eat and drink without worry, and I'm content."
Then she added, “Yanyan didn’t come today, so it’s not right for me to take you to play alone. You don’t need to worry about what my ‘mother’ is thinking. If you don’t come, she can’t do anything to me. At most, she can make a few sarcastic remarks, but I don’t take them seriously. Just sit here for a while and then go back with Sister Yuxing.”
Qian Yingyi gently nodded her delicate chin, picked up a cup of tea and held it in her hand. "I'll sit a little longer so that your stepmother knows that my sister and I came here because of you, and she won't make things difficult for you."
Wen Ninglan felt grateful and then smiled at Qian Yuxing.
The flowers were in full bloom, and the banquet was about to begin. After chatting idly for half a day, a sudden exclamation came from the garden. Qian Yingyi turned her head to look and saw several ladies with disgust on their faces, twisting their handkerchiefs tightly under their noses and keeping a distance from the two figures.
The next moment, a faint fishy smell wafted into her nostrils.
Wen Ninglan's nominal eldest sister, Wen Xinyan, seemed to have the most sensitive sense of smell and hurriedly said, "Oh dear, what's that smell? If someone in the family is sick, they shouldn't be out and about."
The two figures looked embarrassed, their faces flushed, and they remained silent.
Qian Yingyi frowned slightly, nudged Wen Ninglan's elbow, and asked, "Lanlan, whose lady or young lady is that over there?"
Wen Ninglan was pushed out by her stepmother to greet the guests, so she recognized the two people and whispered, "They are from the family of Lord Fan, the Water Conservancy Officer of the Ministry of Works. The woman is his wife, and the young lady is his only daughter, named Fan Baozhu."
At this point, Wen Ninglan pulled out a handkerchief and lightly covered her lips, her voice becoming even lower: "Do you know about this? Your grandfather must have told you, right? When I was talking to them earlier, I smelled this fishy smell, like fish, or like they had been soaking in the river for a long time. Everyone says that Lord Fan's strange illness is probably incurable. The reason why Madam Fan and Fan Baozhu have this smell is because they have been taking care of Lord Fan at his bedside."
Qian Yingyi looked slightly surprised. She had heard her grandfather mention it a few times before, but he only said it was a strange illness, not something that would make her feel ashamed in front of everyone.
A gentle breeze carried Wen Ninglan's soft voice to Qian Yingyi's ears, accompanied by the sound of the wind, and seemed to contain a hint of a sigh, "Lord Fan is very honest and upright, and he doesn't have much wealth. Going back three generations, they were all poor scholars. He has spent all his savings seeking famous doctors. I heard that this disease is incurable."
"I suppose that's the reason why Lord Fan sent his wife and daughter out. After all, it's not good for them to stay by his bedside all day. Fan Baozhu is a year older than you and me and she's not engaged yet. If she doesn't come out and socialize soon, she'll probably become an old maid."
Wen Ninglan said, "My stepmother's invitation was not sent to the Fan family. It was Mrs. Fan who was on good terms with other ladies and heard the news that she asked that lady to bring her and her daughter along."
Qian Yingyi looked back into the distance and saw that Mrs. Fan and her daughter were very reserved and avoided by others. She felt very sorry for them.
"Hey, don't look anymore, I'll go over there." Perhaps finding a trace of shared misery in Mrs. Fan and her daughter, Wen Ninglan softened her heart and quickly got up to walk to Wen Xinyan's side.
From afar, all that could be seen was Wen Ninglan smiling and trying to persuade her, while Wen Xinyan raised her chin high, turned her head and glared at Wen Ninglan, then stopped mocking Mrs. Fan and her daughter.
"Hmph, it's not his own child, yet he's putting pressure on his own daughter," Qian Yuxing said coldly from the side. "This Vice Minister Wen has lived for decades in vain; even a beast would be better than him."
Qian Yingyi quickly covered her mouth, alarmed, and said, "Sister! We're in someone else's house, it's not good if someone hears us!"
Qian Yuxing rolled her eyes upwards, this time truly losing her patience. She stood up and said, "Wen Xinyan is intolerant of people, and I'm sure she's bullied you quite a bit. I won't put up with this. Come on, come back with me!"
Having said that, Qian Yuxing lifted her skirt and headed out. Seeing this, Mrs. Wen hurried over to persuade her to stay, "Oh dear, Yuxing, the banquet hasn't even started yet, and you're already leaving?"
Qian Yuxing glanced at her with her almond-shaped eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Mrs. Wen, when I was in the capital, I attended several palace banquets. Her Majesty the Empress loved lake fish, and at one banquet, she even personally slaughtered a fresh fish for each of us officials' wives. At that time, we could only praise it, and even if it had some taste, it didn't matter. Such food and entertainment were common in the capital."
These words frightened Mrs. Wen, whose well-maintained face gradually turned pale.
"Even if the Emperor knew that Lord Fan was ill, he would still ask him a few questions. But Lord Wen and Lord Fan lived together in the Six Ministries of Southern Zhili. When Mrs. Fan and Miss Fan came to visit, Mrs. Wen allowed her daughter to publicly humiliate her by smearing her with the smell of blood. Mrs. Wen and Miss Wen are indeed more noble than the Empress!"
"It is true that Miss Wen is sensible. If she returns to the capital one day and Yu Xing attends the banquet in the palace again, she will surely tell the Empress about Miss Wen's good deeds as a good story. The Empress will surely like it."
Qian Yuxing gradually lost her faint smile. "I am straightforward by nature, and I fear that staying any longer will only annoy people. I shall take my leave now."
She didn't mention filing a complaint, but only said that she would praise Wen Ninglan in front of the Empress at that time.
Firstly, it was a veiled warning to Mrs. Wen that if she harbored resentment towards Wen Ninglan after today, it would be tantamount to opposing the Empress. Secondly, it was also a way of telling Mrs. Wen that she would never again set foot in a place like the Wen family, which was so obsequious and condescending.
The other officials' wives had already been listening intently, and now they looked embarrassed. Hearing that the Empress was involved, they quickly suppressed their discomfort and smiled as they invited Mrs. Fan to sit down next to them.
Some clever young ladies surrounded Wen Ninglan, and this reversal left Wen Xinyan standing aside, stomping her feet in anger.
Seeing that the intimidation had worked, Qian Yuxing withdrew his cold gaze and stopped arguing with Mrs. Wen. He then led Qian Yingyi outside.
As they entered the carriage, Qian Yuxing saw Qian Yingyi peeking out from behind the curtain. He sighed and said, "Don't worry, Lanlan's stepmother won't dare to make things difficult for her anymore, and Mrs. Fan and her daughter won't be treated coldly anymore."
Qian Yingyi peeked at her through the curtain and said with a smile, "Sister really understands me. You not only stood up for Lanlan, but also helped Mrs. Fan and her daughter. Sister is so kind."
How could Qian Yuxing not know her? Indifferently, she leaned her shoulder against the carriage wall, letting a ray of sunlight shine through the curtain onto her chin, and said lazily, "I've seen plenty of opportunists in the capital. It's just that those ladies in the capital are all incredibly shrewd, good at putting on a show, and can talk the dead back to life with their words."
“Unlike Jinling, these ladies occupy this land and are far from the center of imperial power, so naturally they are not afraid of this or that. Otherwise, why would they dare to bully you? It's just because they see that Grandpa is indifferent and you don't have your parents by your side.”
Qian Yuxing glanced at her for a moment, then nudged her younger sister with her knee, saying, "With your older sister here, even if you want to walk sideways in Jinling in the future, no one will dare to say anything to you. If the sky falls, your older sister will hold it up."
Hearing this, Qian Yingyi felt a warmth in her heart and suddenly tickled Qian Yuxing's waist, and the two sisters immediately started playing around.
Upon reaching the banks of the Qinhuai River, they realized they were both quite hungry, having left the Wen family home before the banquet even began. Qian Yuxing generously booked a pleasure boat, and the two of them enjoyed a delightful river cruise and meal.
When I finally made my way home, it was already dusk. Half the sky was ablaze with red light, a vibrant and beautiful sight.
As Qian Yingyi followed Qian Yuxing through the corridor, she ran into Yu Cheng, who was returning.
Qian Yingyi glanced at the guard standing behind Yu Cheng and saw that he still had a cold face. She habitually wanted to talk to him, but thinking of his previous overstepping of boundaries, she gritted her teeth and remained silent.
The last time they spoke seemed to have been on that night at the temple fair.
What did he say? Oh, he escorted her to the outside of Yunteng Pavilion, then turned and left, only saying that Miss should rest early.
Later, she was busy running after her older brother and sister and seemed to have forgotten about him for a moment.
Then her brother went to Yangzhou, and her brother-in-law came to borrow people from her.
...They haven't spoken to each other for so long.
The two sides met at the corner. Qian Yuxing, who had eaten and drunk her fill, had a rosy face. She squeezed next to Yu Cheng and asked, "My lord, are you hungry? Have you eaten?"
Yu Cheng, under Qian Linye's orders, deliberately moved Qin Lizheng away from Qian Yingyi's side. When he saw the two of them meet, he kept a close watch on them. After glancing at them, he smiled and said, "Not yet, they're on their way to the small flower hall. Second Aunt has prepared the meal."
Qian Yuxing nodded slightly with amusement, "Then I'll go with you to get some."
Therefore, the couple headed towards the small flower hall. Qian Yingyi kept stealing glances at the guard, clenched her fist, and suddenly tried to make conversation, "You..."
Unexpectedly, Yu Cheng turned his face to her, smiled and waved, "Little sister, come on, let's go over together, there are dishes you like to eat."
Qian Yingyi's heart skipped a beat, her eyes showing a hint of panic. She turned around as if Yu Cheng had caught her red-handed, and after a moment, she forced a smile, "I'm here!"
Although she lifted her skirt to catch up, her steps were slow, as a thought inevitably arose in her mind. She had already spoken to him, so he should follow up as promptly as before.
Qian Yingyi quietly turned her head, and out of the corner of her eye, she could catch a glimpse of the guard's figure. He stood motionless like a cold piece of wood, just like that night at the temple fair.
Qian Yingyi suddenly felt annoyed, stomped her foot in frustration, and quickly left.
Her skirt quickly spun into the corner of the corridor and disappeared, followed closely by Qin Lizheng's wolfish and predatory gaze. He still remembered that night when she almost fell into Yan Ruheng's arms, and Yan Ruheng had even touched her arm.
He wasn't very close at the time, and he could have rushed over to stop her if he wanted to. But he didn't want to frighten her, nor did he want to make her feel awkward or embarrassed in front of his older siblings.
The case of the Jiangning people suing the landlords was related to taxes. When Yu Cheng came to see him, Chu Zhiyan's intelligence was being delivered to him; the landlords' backers were none other than the Yan family.
This proved that the Yan family's influence was far greater than they had imagined, so he had no choice but to agree to go to Jiangning with Yu Cheng to handle the situation.
He was happy to see her, but the jealousy that had been simmering in his heart for days intensified.
The sunset cast a dim and indistinct shadow over Qin Lizheng's profile.
Just then, the little hawksbill turtle passed by humming a little tune, and was suddenly stopped by him.
Little Tortoiseshell tilted its head, looking bewildered. "Lin Zheng, did you call me?"
Qin Lizheng lowered his eyelids, suppressing the emotions in his eyes, "You'll switch shifts with me tonight, you'll work the second half of the night."
Little Tortoiseshell and Chuntang have already confessed their feelings for each other. Last month, Chuntang advised him to stay on duty and he switched back with Qin Lizheng. Now that he heard that he wanted to switch, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why do you want to switch?"
Qin Lizheng's eyes seemed to burn with a fire, and he simply said, "You can change it."
After uttering those words, he turned and left. He walked silently to the outside of Yunteng Pavilion, looked around, and stood quietly beside a square stone.
He then headed towards his bedroom, where servants greeted him with smiles along the way, but he only nodded slightly, his expression remaining indifferent.
After closing the door tightly, Qin Lizheng lit the silver lamp, then pulled open the hidden drawer of the table, picked out an ordinary dagger, smiled under the window, and suddenly slashed a gash on the right side of his waist.
Spots of blood seeped from his clothes.
As dusk fell, stars began to appear in the sky. Qian Yingyi spent a long time chatting with Qian Yuxing and his wife in the small flower hall, drinking several cups of flower tea to quench her thirst. When she came out and didn't see any guards, she pursed her lips, muttered a few curses under her breath, and then led her maid toward Yunteng Pavilion.
By the time they reached the courtyard gate, it was completely dark. Xia Ling led the way with a lantern, and the two were about to head into the Yun Teng Pavilion when Qian Yingyi suddenly exclaimed, "Eh!"
Xia Ling asked blankly, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Qian Yingyi asked her for a lantern, carried it to a rock, and after stopping, bent down and picked up a booklet from under the corner of the rock.
Xia Ling leaned in and couldn't help but chuckle, "Who left their storybook here? So careless."
"What kind of storybooks do you usually read?" Qian Yingyi asked with a smile, casually flipping through the "storybook." When she saw the contents of a certain page, her smile immediately froze.
Xia Ling noticed her strange expression and peered at her hands. That glance startled Xia Ling, who widened her eyes in shock and blushed slightly. "Miss, what is this...?"
It was a journal filled with his infatuation with Qian Yingyi. Xia Ling didn't see the other contents, but that one page alone was filled with what clothes Qian Yingyi was wearing, how beautiful she was, and how many extra bites of pastries she had eaten that day. He was delighted and remembered it all.
Xia Ling had her own guesses about this "him," and her heart grew increasingly uneasy.
Qian Yingyi stared intently at the handwriting, scanning each line of text extremely slowly. When she reached the bottom, she hurriedly flipped back two pages before finally throwing the page to the ground in frustration. "He didn't use clean ink when writing, and his handwriting is crooked and messy. I'll drag him out right now!"
She turned and walked away, her anger outweighing her shock, and she acted recklessly. Halfway there, she was suddenly tripped up by Xia Ling's call.
Xia Ling picked up the note with trembling hands and stuffed it into Qian Yingyi's arms, whispering, "Miss, this servant... this servant thinks... this might be Lin Zheng's note."
Qian Yingyi suddenly looked up, her nerves, which were somewhat panicked, were stirred at this moment. Perhaps she had the answer in her heart, but she dared not think about it in detail. Now that Xia Ling had exposed it, she gritted her teeth even more, snatched the note and walked out!
Holding a yellow gauze lantern, the girl angrily went to find the "culprit". She rarely came to the room where the guards rested. She finally stopped in front of the door and could vaguely see light inside, but she also had the intention of running away at the last minute.
What exactly does he want to do? Is he so audacious because he's never really driven him away? Qian Yingyi breathed heavily, closed her eyes, and then suddenly pushed open the door.
The room was dimly lit by candlelight and filled with a faint smell of blood. The young man was shirtless and wrapped gauze around his waist and abdomen. When he saw her, he seemed not to see her and continued to work.
His shoulder and back muscles were very firm, he had a few old scars on his arms, his skin was not exactly smooth, but his figure was too beautiful.
Qian Yingyi was a little stunned. She subconsciously stepped into the room and asked in a very soft voice, "Are you injured?"
Remembering what the little hawksbill turtle had said during the day, and knowing there were troublemakers in Jiangning, she took two more steps forward. "Say something!"
She could even see the veins on his arm more clearly with that glance. As if she had just come to her senses, she hurriedly twirled her skirt to avoid him, saying, "Excuse me, I'll go out first."
But as soon as she turned around, he got up from the couch and walked towards her step by step. Her heart jumped, but he simply walked past her and closed the door that let in the moonlight.
The next moment, he stopped in front of her, his strong chest pressing against hers. He lowered his eyes, his gaze landing on the top of her head. "What brings you here, Miss?"
Qian Yingyi avoided his gaze, not daring to look at his body. She could only lower her eyes to look at his belt. Upon seeing it, she couldn't help but curse, "You bastard, you scoundrel! Can't you tie your belt properly?!"
"Hmm?" He simply said, "Miss hasn't answered me yet."
What are you doing here...? Qian Yingyi gripped the note in her hand, suddenly realizing she was there to question him! So she slapped the note on his shoulder, her face growing redder with each question, "I also want to ask you, what...what did you write?"
Qin Lizheng smiled and casually flipped to a page of the journal in front of her, his voice husky, "Didn't Miss read it? I'll read it to you again: March 25th, dreamt of Miss, woke up to a bizarre scene; March 26th, Miss ate a couple more pieces of hibiscus cake, I'm sure you liked it, I'll keep an eye out for it in the future; March 27th, Miss copied a book by the window, so beautiful, I was delighted; March 28th..."
"Shut up!" Qian Yingyi couldn't listen anymore and suddenly interrupted him, holding the lantern and backing away in a panic. "What are you trying to do!"
"You wrote all this, and you even secretly drew my portrait..." She blinked, her eyes welling up with tears. "I hate you!"
She immediately threw the lantern to the ground, lifted her skirt, and ran outside.
Unfortunately, Little Tortoiseshell pushed the door open and came in. Qian Yingyi was suddenly pulled into a hot embrace, her back against the wall, her face pressed against his chest, and her head was tightly wrapped in a black arrow-patterned coat.
Then, he coldly said, "Get out."
Qian Yingyi hid between his body and clothes, frozen and afraid to move. She was forced to inhale the minty scent on his body; his chest rose and fell slowly, and her heart rose and fell with it, as if it was about to jump out of her chest.
After a while, the sound of the door closing was heard.
Qin Lizheng slowly opened his body, lifted his arrow-patterned coat to reveal her startled face, but his arms remained on either side of her, and he suddenly smiled, "Don't you hate me? Why are you blushing?"
Qian Yingyi blinked, but didn't cry after all. She puffed out her cheeks and pushed him away, saying, "Get away from me!"
The push aggravated his injury, and she heard him hiss softly in pain. She abruptly changed the position of her hand that was about to fall, placing her palm on the center of his abdomen. The hardness under her hand made her want to pull her hand back, but he grabbed her wrist.
The candlelight in the silver lamp had gone out, and only the bright moonlight filled the room. Qin Lizheng leaned down and gently scanned her expression, his eyes no longer concealing their desire.
"Yes, I admit it. I drew your portrait and wrote about you in my journal."
His breath was so close it seemed to mingle with hers. "Now that you've come looking for me, you already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"
Qian Yingyi stared blankly into his eyes, and in that instant, she finally realized what he meant, her voice trembling slightly, "You led me here?"
Her gaze slowly shifted to his waist and abdomen, her tone both certain and astonished, "The injury was also intentional?"
Realizing this, Qian Yingyi didn't even bother arguing with him about the notes anymore, and broke free from him to run outside.
He pulled her back into his arms, and she fell straight onto his hard lap as he sat down on the chair.
Qin Lizheng held her waist, using the moonlight to observe her increasingly anxious expression, and suddenly pressed her head down, tilting his face to kiss her cheek.
Before she could react, he moved a series of kisses from her cheeks to her lips.
Their breaths paused for only a moment, and the instant their lips touched, they both trembled slightly. Qin Lizheng's kiss was gentle, merely a light touch on her lips, as if to soothe her after his offensive act.
After a pause, he gently stroked the back of her neck with his fingertips, gradually deepening the somewhat awkward kiss. He used his supple tongue to lightly sweep across her, and the gentle sucking became a little heavier with each change of breath.
He stared at her trembling eyelashes and saw his own reflection in her eyes. He had no choice but to release her waist and place his hands over her eyes.
Qian Yingyi was stunned by his kiss, and the arms that were tightly wrapped around the back of her neck forced her to press her lips against his.
The room was completely silent. She could hear her own slightly panting breaths and his soft swallowing sounds.
After being blindfolded, she could hardly tell whose hot breath was coming from.
Feeling as if her lips were enveloped in a hot spring, Qian Yingyi suddenly snapped back to reality, fiercely biting his lip. When he released her, she slapped his face hard, yelling, "Are you crazy!"
Her emotions were about to erupt and she was about to pull away from his lap, but he simply scooped her up from both sides, held her on the table, wiped the blood from his lips with one hand, and then kissed her face in his hands.
This time, it wasn't a slow licking. Qin Lizheng bent down to kiss her, with a hint of fierceness, as if he wanted either himself or her to remember this kiss forever.
Fearing she might struggle and fall, he tightened his legs to hold her back. A faint taste of rust lingered on his lips. These minor pains were nothing compared to his overwhelming jealousy.
When the kiss reached its limit, she was forced to open her mouth to gasp for breath, and he took the opportunity to rush in.
Qian Yingyi was completely unable to move, and could only struggle with him on the lips and tongue, her breathing becoming disordered along with his. Both of them felt itchy and wet because of the kiss.
Finally, Qin Lizheng's lips loosened, and he released her, tilting his head to kiss her trembling chin, his voice low and tender, "Don't run away."
Qian Yingyi was on the verge of tears.
Qin Lizheng held her hand and pressed it against the wound, not giving her a chance to think, and suddenly asked, "If you think I'm crazy, then you should have left when you saw me bandaging it. If you didn't leave, are you crazy too?"
Seeing that she didn't answer, he softened his voice and said in a low voice, "Yes, I did it on purpose. I even guessed that Xia Ling would tell you. I deliberately waited for you here."
He cupped her face in his hands, looking directly into her eyes, searching for his own reflection in her moist pupils. "You can hit me, you can scold me, it's all up to you. I also want to ask, what are you concerned about when you see me injured?"
“Since you know it’s me,” he said, “you’ve come here to scold me, or to get an answer, or perhaps to say that you actually like me too?”
Qian Yingyi's eyes darted around, but she finally realized she could only lower them. Her heart had been in turmoil all night, and she suspected she would die if she stayed any longer, so she struggled to get up again.
"You still want to run away!" Qin Lizheng pressed her down, and seeing her stubbornly turned her face away, his heart softened again and again. He leaned closer to her face, gently rubbing their noses together, and said in a tone full of grievance, "I'm really going crazy with jealousy, Yingyi."
The moment he saw Yan Ruheng touch her, he could no longer suppress his feelings.
"Dare you say that you haven't wanted to see me these past few days?"
Gradually, his voice grew softer and more seductive, finally lifting the veil between them, "Think it over carefully, do you really... not like me?"
Qian Yingyi was jolted back by his touch, and after a long while, she finally spoke, her voice still trembling slightly, "Why should I like you?"
"Just because of the journal, because you liked me, and because you kissed me," she was always stubborn, so she simply laid it all out, "So I have to like you?"
She kept trying to avoid him, so Qin Lizheng simply let go of her. His gaze lingered on her face for a long time.
He suddenly took a deep breath, casually put on the arrow armor he had previously tossed on the table, and as he spoke, the wound on his lip rose and fell with it, "Fine, give me a deadline."
Qian Yingyi was taken aback.
Qin Lizheng lifted her off the ground, and amidst her gasp, he said, "Give me a deadline. If I fail to make you fall in love with me, you don't need to rush me; I will disappear completely from your sight."
Qian Yingyi glared at him with a laugh, "This is my home. I can kick you out whenever I want. Do I need to make this agreement with you?"
Qin Lizheng looked down at her, his gaze lingering on her cheek, noticing the lingering blush. He raised an eyebrow. "You don't dare?"
How ridiculous! Qian Yingyi couldn't stand being provoked like this, so she immediately distanced herself from him and sneered, "What wouldn't I dare to do!"
Her lips still felt tingly and numb, and Qian Yingyi couldn't help but purse them. Unconvinced, she raised her chin and said, "Let's establish three rules first!"
Qin Lizheng's lips curved into a smile. Relying on his excellent eyesight, he stared intently at her in the dim moonlight, then gently nodded his chin. "You go first."
Qian Yingyi clutched the hem of her skirt tightly, her heart still pounding wildly. After thinking for a moment, she said, "First, you are not allowed to get too close to me. If you want to talk, you must be at least three zhang away."
Qin Lizheng: "I can't do it."
"Then, then you're not allowed to stare at me like that! And you're not allowed to just..."
Qin Lizheng: "I can't do it."
"You!" Qian Yingyi was both ashamed and angry, so she rushed forward and punched him twice. "Then I'll hit you first to vent my anger! You can't do this, you can't do that, what kind of rules are these three agreements!"
Qin Lizheng had long seen through her coyness and insincerity. Therefore, he smiled and indulged her hitting herself. When she stopped panting, he bent down, picked up the yellow gauze lantern from the ground, and relit it.
He then gently took her hand and led her outside, saying, "I'll take you home first. As for your three rules and the deadline, you can think about them slowly."
"Give me a chance, hmm?"
His hands were very warm. Qian Yingyi was pulled forward a couple of steps before she snapped out of her daze. When she opened the door and felt the night breeze outside, her expression showed complete astonishment.
She struggled to break free, but he was stronger than her. She clearly came to settle scores with him, so why did things turn out like this?
Lowering her gaze, she lightly swept it over his hand holding hers. Considering that she had essentially agreed to his request, Qian Yingyi thought that she was probably just as he said.
They've gone mad too.
-----------------------
Author's Note: A person driven mad with jealousy
One is that he's incredibly stubborn.
Let's go through a period of adjustment and competition.
Dear reviewer, I'm writing very honestly. [Please!]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com