Chapter 40 "Oh, what's going on? Who promised to..."
Summer is still here. It's only been less than half a month since the Qixi Festival, and there are still many young men and women strolling through the streets with their sweethearts. The girls are dressed in light and delicate dresses, their skirts fluttering like butterflies. With each step, they stir up the hearts of those who are constantly beating.
In this magnificent world, the only constants are the pomegranate blossoms that bloom in fiery red along the banks of the Huai River, and the guests on the several painted boats who never feel that drinking and relaxing is a waste of time.
On this day, the 18th of July, the sun shone golden, shining through the magnificent gates into the house and onto Wen Ninglan.
She was walking arm in arm with her wet nurse down the corridor, chatting idly.
The wet nurse muttered in dissatisfaction, "Look at this house now! You're clearly the master of the house, but the four of them ignore you all day long, making you feel like an outsider. If the madam were still here, with her unforgiving nature, she would never let these scoundrels bully you like this."
This refers to an incident that happened a few days ago.
Wen Zhuonan and Wen Xinyan had made it a habit to bully Wen Ninglan, often using despicable means to tease her.
When news of this "minor squabble" reached Wen Jianzhou, he was drinking with his wife on the couch. Upon hearing this, he simply waved his hand and said, "Isn't it normal for sisters to bicker? Why is it that in other people's homes they are all harmonious, but in ours you have to set up a courtroom and force a judgment on who is right and who is wrong?"
The wet nurse was furious upon hearing this and turned to question Wen Jianzhou about whether he still cared about his biological daughter, Wen Ninglan! In the end, Wen Ninglan stopped her.
At this point, Wen Ninglan silently fanned herself without uttering a word.
Just as the wet nurse was about to speak, Wen Zhuonan happened to head towards the study from the other side. Wen Ninglan, with her sharp eyes, spotted him and raised a finger to signal the wet nurse to be quiet. She then prepared to follow him to see what was going on.
The twins came into the family with Mrs. Wen. Wen Zhuonan, taking advantage of being the only male in the family, often flattered Wen Jianzhou to the point of being overjoyed.
One moment he says he will go to the capital to become a high-ranking official and then take Wen Jianzhou there to live out his days in comfort; the next moment he turns around and asks Wen Jianzhou for money, often a hundred taels at a time.
Wen Ninglan never asked about Wen Zhuonan's life outside, feeling it was none of her business, except for this one thing. The Wen family's current status was inseparable from the generous dowry her mother had brought back then.
Wen Jianzhou was just a poor scholar back then, while Wen Ninglan's maternal grandfather's family was a well-known merchant family in Yangzhou.
It's not fair to say that a merchant's daughter and a scholar are mismatched, since Wen Jianzhou is full of knowledge but his family is so poor that they can't even afford to cook, while his maternal grandparents' family has no shortage of gold and silver.
The matchmaker spoke to both sides twice, and the marriage was thus arranged.
Back when Wen Jianzhou went to the capital for the imperial examination, Wen Ninglan's mother, Ningyang, secretly bribed him.
Wen Jianzhou passed the imperial examination and was transferred back to Yangzhou to start as a minor clerk. If it weren't for Ning Yang's flattery and paving the way for him with her silver, how could Wen Jianzhou have risen so high in just eight or nine years, first to Yingtian Prefecture, and then to his current position as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Southern Zhili?
Thinking of this, Wen Ninglan took off running and soon followed. If Wen Zhuonan were to ask Wen Jianzhou for money again, she would still make a fuss as before, even though she was a little timid.
It was late afternoon, and only birds chirped in the garden. The two walked around to the study, where the wet nurse smiled and pulled a few servants aside to drink. Wen Ninglan approached quietly and then stood outside the study listening.
"Father, what do you think of my method?"
With the doors and windows tightly shut, there was silence in the room for a long time after Wen Zhuonan spoke.
Wen Ninglan frowned and waited for a long time before Wen Jianzhou spoke, his tone slightly troubled, "Zhuo Nan, it's not that your father wants to refuse you, it's just that cheating... is really too dangerous. Have you thought about it? If you are caught out by accident, your father's position as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel will be over, and our family will not have a good life."
Cheating? Wen Ninglan's brow furrowed tighter and tighter. When she came to her senses, she remembered that Wen Zhuonan and others were preparing to take the imperial examination after spring. She was immediately horrified and cursed him inwardly for his audacity!
The sounds inside the room continued. Wen Zhuonan snorted, somewhat displeased, "Father, do you not want me to become an official anymore?"
Wen Jianzhou said, "...That's not exactly what I meant. The imperial examination is all about timing, location, and people. I hope you will bring glory to our family, but I also hope you will be well. The officialdom is treacherous. I've been in it for so many years, do I know the ins and outs better than you?"
He sighed, "If you are truly not destined to be an official, your father can still support you for the rest of your life."
This was hardly a subtle way of putting it; the refusal was quite obvious.
Wen Ninglan smiled coldly, thinking to herself that her father still had some sense when it came to his own interests and wasn't being led by the nose by Wen Zhuonan.
"Father!" The commotion inside grew louder, sounding like Wen Zhuonan had knocked something to the ground. "Even Mother has agreed to this! I've secretly gone to find that poor scholar. All I need is some money, and he'll surely keep it a secret. When he passes the exam, we'll give him the money, and..."
"No way!" Wen Jianzhou suddenly interrupted sharply.
This time, it was a blatant rejection.
Wen Zhuonan asked in surprise, "Father?"
Wen Ninglan curled her lips into a sneer, pushed open the door and went in. A hint of disdain and mockery flashed in her eyes. Although her voice was soft, it wasn't pleasant to hear. "Brother wants to find someone to take the exam for you? How could you dare to do something like that, which could lead to the confiscation of your property if discovered?"
Upon seeing it was her, Wen Jianzhou frowned and asked, "Lanlan, were you eavesdropping again?"
Wen Ninglan didn't take it seriously and showed no respect for Wen Jianzhou. "If I don't listen, how will I know that my brother is coveting the money my mother left behind?"
"Wen Ninglan!" Wen Zhuonan pointed at her with a finger. "What do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'your mother'? There's no mother here. Doesn't the whole family belong to your father?"
Wen Ninglan didn't dodge or evade, and said, "Brother, don't forget that this family was built up by my mother. The three of you can live such a luxurious life today because of my mother's dowry. My mother owns half of everything in this family! Brother, do you want to find someone to take the exam for you and ruin this family?"
She suddenly raised her voice, "No! Now that I know about this, if you still want to do it, I will go to the government office beforehand!"
Seeing Wen Zhuonan's eyes redden with anger, she sneered again, "Your childhood problem is incurable. Staring at me until I'm pierced won't help. Don't you know why your father changed his tune? Because your father was a poor scholar back then."
She spoke the last sentence very softly, and before Wen Zhuonan could even feel agitated, Wen Jianzhou slammed his hand on the table and stood up, staring at Wen Ninglan with displeasure. "What did you say!"
Wen Ninglan shrugged, unconcerned. "Didn't you say that it's no big deal for a family to have a little argument? Dad, I learned that from you."
Having said that, she didn't intend to say anything more to the father and son, only saying, "Father, you must not agree to this matter, otherwise, I will go to the government office to expose my brother first. Losing face is better than... having my house confiscated."
She then swept her skirt aside and walked out, leaving Wen Jianzhou in the room, her expression uncertain. She knew that if the topic of confiscating the property came up, even if a knife were held to Wen Jianzhou's neck, there would be no possibility of Wen Jianzhou nodding to Wen Zhuonan again.
She hadn't cared much about how Wen Zhuonan had bullied her in the past. But when it came to this "family," even if there was only a tiny bit of connection between this family and her mother, she would fight back.
As she walked into the garden, she was in a good mood. However, when her gaze fell on the flowerbed, she noticed that her carefully tended jasmine had been damaged again, and her expression immediately turned cold.
She finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked her wet nurse, "Mama, how much realgar do we have left from the snake and insect repellent we brought from home?"
After thinking for a moment, the wet nurse replied, "There's about half a packet left."
Wen Ninglan looked into the distance at the several large water vats in the garden, where Wen Zhuonan had caught lake fish from who-knows-where. She grunted and raised her chin toward them. "Sprinkle all the realgar into them, then have the cook catch the fish. Cook the fish in a separate pot, and invite him to a poisoned fish feast tonight to scare him."
The wet nurse immediately perked up, feeling relieved that her daughter had finally picked up her skills to fight back, and hurriedly went to do the job.
Sure enough, when Wen Zhuonan saw the table full of blackened fish soup and stew at dinner time, he learned that Wen Ninglan had poisoned several of his fish tanks. He immediately stood up and was about to settle the score with her.
Wen Ninglan, however, laughed while holding the bowl. "You dare to destroy my flowers, so I can't poison your fish? At least I did it openly this time. Brother, I am also a member of this family. If you don't restrain yourself, next time, I might just do it secretly."
Wen Xinyan watched the commotion from the sidelines, knowing full well that her brother was someone who couldn't suppress his volatile emotions.
She already disliked Wen Ninglan, so she added fuel to the fire, crying and saying, "These are live fish! Lanlan! How could you poison them all without consulting your brother? You really don't respect him at all!"
She immediately pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and cried towards Wen Jianzhou, "Father, so many years have passed, and Lanlan still can't accept me and my brother being alone. She...she's so domineering, how can I live like this..."
Such acting skills are really too clumsy. Wen Ninglan ate slowly and carefully, secretly rolling her eyes during the process. After eating half a bowl of rice, she said, "Am I domineering? If I were domineering, would I have let you bully me at home for so many years?"
This family has long been incomprehensible. After saying this, Wen Ninglan didn't even look at Wen Jianzhou and Mrs. Wen's expressions, as if she had suddenly come to a realization.
He immediately got up, scooped a spoonful of fish soup, and put it into Wen Zhuonan's bowl.
Then she threw down her chopsticks and walked out, saying, "I'm full, brother, please enjoy your meal."
Seeing that Wen Zhuonan's eyes were red, his breathing was rapid, and a dense rash was starting to appear on the back of his neck, Mrs. Wen was terrified. She quickly said a few words to Wen Jianzhou and pulled Wen Zhuonan outside.
Once they reached a secluded spot by the wall, she pretended to hit Wen Zhuonan, pulled a medicine bottle from his pocket, and fed him a pill, saying, "You brat! Why are you getting angry with that little bitch? You almost had a relapse, you know that?"
Wen Zhuonan has had a problem with uncontrollable irritability since he was a child, which he inherited from his biological father. It's not a pleasant thing to say, so Mrs. Wen has been suppressing it with medication, keeping it a secret from Wen Jianzhou for many years.
A moment later, the pill took effect. The rash on the back of Wen Zhuonan's neck faded, but he still had a stern face and a sinister look in his eyes. "Mother, when can I kill her? I'm not bad at fighting. Crushing her is as easy as crushing an ant."
His anger wasn't entirely due to the fish tanks; the real issue was that Wen Ninglan had interfered, causing his plan to find someone to take the exam for him to fall through.
Next year he will have to take the exam himself. If he fails again, who knows how his classmates will laugh at him!
Mrs. Wen was startled and quickly glanced around before slapping him hard again. "What kind of talk is this, shouting 'kill'? She's your nominal sister!"
Seeing Wen Zhuonan's extremely gloomy face, Mrs. Wen's eyes flashed with arrogance, and she said, "What's the point of killing her? I am her mother, and her marriage is in my hands. When the time comes, won't she be at my mercy? It would be much better if she could marry into a 'good family'."
The mother and son talked for a while by the wall. Seeing that Wen Zhuonan's emotions had gradually calmed down, Mrs. Wen twirled her skirt and went into the flower hall.
Wen Zhuonan clasped his hands behind his back, closed his eyes, and turned to walk outside.
He found the private house in the alley, but the children kept there were acting up again. Wen Zhuonan held one of them down for a while before he looked a little more at ease.
Then, leading two servants out of the alley, one of them told him that there was something exciting to see at the Confucius Temple, so he prepared to go there for a look.
Throughout the journey, Wen Zhuonan pondered how to deal with Wen Ninglan.
He just couldn't stand the way she stared at him. Back when he first entered the Wen family, she stared at him with that kind of look, as if she disliked him and thought he wasn't worthy of stepping into the Wen residence.
Thinking of her, he couldn't help but feel a little angry again.
After a long pause, the faint sound of gongs and drums could be heard from the other side of the Confucius Temple. Wen Zhuonan composed himself and followed the servant into the street entrance when two toddlers suddenly darted past his feet.
One of the little girls had a tattered silver necklace around her neck, which happened to snag on his robe.
Wen Zhuonan slowly lowered his eyes, his gaze falling heavily on her.
"Xixi! Hurry up! If you don't come soon, you won't be able to see the lion dance!" another toddler shouted from ahead.
A man and a woman, both filthy, looked exactly like beggars from somewhere.
When Wen Zhuonan saw the little girl looking up at him, his previously gloomy face softened instantly. He slowly untied the hooked corner of his robe and said softly, "That's enough."
The little girl smiled at him and said, "Thank you, brother," before running off to another little boy.
Wen Zhuonan's gaze quietly followed the two short figures.
A moment later, a glint appeared in his icy gaze as he turned to the servant and said, "Follow him."
.
With the bright sunshine and the Qixi Festival over, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching in August. From the ladies in their homes to the pretty dealers in gambling dens, all the women who love excitement are running outside.
This also allowed savvy vendors to make a fortune. Small trinkets such as silk flowers and sachets were popular with women, and clay sculptures and lanterns shaped like rabbits also sold very well.
Upon hearing that they were going out of the city to pick up the wedding dress from Hua Xiuniang, Xia Ling eagerly volunteered, and with a twirl of her skirt, she left the city with the other guards from her household.
When he returned, he was carrying a basket in his arm, which clearly indicated that he had been to the market. The basket contained either storybooks, handkerchiefs, or silk flowers.
When Huanxixi sent people to carry the chest containing her wedding dress into Yunteng Pavilion, Qian Yingyi was staring at the phoenix crown she had won in front of the mirror.
The area was lush and shaded, and a cool breeze swept through the air. A few leaves drifted into the porch, and Xia Ling picked them up and put them in her basket before heading into the main house with a grin.
"Miss, I've brought your wedding dress. It's absolutely gorgeous. It makes me want to get married too."
Qian Yingyi sat up and smiled at her, "Don't envy Chuntang. When you get married, I will make sure you are a glamorous and beautiful bride."
She glanced at Xia Ling's basket twice, then spread her hands and said, "What did you buy? Let me see."
Xia Ling chuckled to herself, placed the basket in front of her, picked out the items one by one, and then took the storybook. "Miss, this storybook is for me to read. If you want to read it, you'll have to wait patiently."
Qian Yingyi raised her arched eyebrows, determined to snatch it, "I don't care! What kind of precious storybook is this? Let me see it first!"
She jumped up and down to snatch it, but Qian Yingyi immediately slammed it shut again.
She suppressed a laugh, her cheeks flushing red. After a moment, she tapped Xia Ling's forehead with her finger. "Oh! You learned this from Cui Cui, didn't you? You secretly bought these kinds of storybooks!"
Xia Ling, however, did not hesitate. She snatched the dress from her and gently pulled her sleeve to lead her outside. "Oh dear, don't talk about others. Miss, go and see your wedding dress. Chuntang is picking flowers in the garden. I'll go and call her!"
As he was leaving, Qin Lizheng came in to greet him.
The box was placed in the courtyard. Qin Lizheng glanced at it briefly, but did not stop walking. When he reached Qian Yingyi, he took out two Mohele (a type of snack) with his hands tied behind his back.
Qian Yingyi was surprised that he bought this. She took it and looked at it from head to toe. After a while, she threw it into his arms with a look of disgust. "Ugh, it's so ugly. I don't want it."
Qin Lizheng laughed, pointed at one of the figures, and said angrily, "Don't you think it looks like you?"
Qian Yingyi glared at him fiercely and punched him, "You're so mean. In your eyes, am I really that ugly?"
The two were standing under the tree, with the maids huddled around the chest. No one was paying attention to them. Qin Lizheng held her chin with his thumb and forefinger, lifting her face slightly. "Did I say you were ugly? I said it looks like you, all puffed up when it's angry. If you don't like it, I'll just throw it away."
Qian Yingyi, trembling with fear, pushed his hand away and warned in a low voice, "Sit up straight!"
Qin Lizheng straightened up, his shoulders and back ramrod straight, and his gaze drifted off into the distance, no longer looking at her.
“...I didn’t ask you to put on such an act,” Qian Yingyi said with a blush on her face. She quietly touched his fingertips, snatched the two ruby rings back, and muttered, “Since you gave them to me, I’ll keep them. They are a bit ugly.”
The fact that the two had reached a consensus was unknown to everyone except their two maids, their elder sister and sister-in-law, and Little Tortoise.
The thrill of touching hands or hooking chins in the sunlight was very enjoyable for Qian Yingyi. She had to pretend to be serious while indulging herself in the moment.
Just as I was feeling happy, the maids started making a fuss, "Sister Chuntang is back!"
"Sister Xia Ling, quickly pull Sister Chun Tang over here, let's all see how beautiful this wedding dress is!"
Qian Yingyi suddenly snapped out of her daze, and as if she hadn't been paying attention, she brushed against Qin Lizheng's fingertip before abandoning him and heading in that direction.
As soon as she walked over, Qian Yingyi was dazzled by the wedding dress. Beneath the phoenix and dragon motif and the beaded shawl was a red dark gauze round-necked robe, and the skirt was embroidered with dragon and crane patterns stitch by stitch, with beads of all sizes inlaid on it. In that instant, she seemed to see Chuntang wearing this wedding dress.
Chuntang only then realized that her mistress had prepared a wedding dress for her. As the days went by, she felt a lump in her throat thinking about how she would no longer be able to serve her mistress.
Then she suddenly turned around, opening her eyes wide, as if letting the wind dry the moisture in them.
Qian Yingyi smiled and grabbed Chuntang's shoulders, pulling her back. She then used sign language with Chuntang, and after a few exchanges, Chuntang stopped crying and started laughing. She quickly wrapped her arms around Qian Yingyi's and hugged her tightly.
Qin Lizheng watched from afar, unable to understand what Qian Yingyi and Chuntang were saying, but he could sense what Chuntang was conveying from her expression. He sighed inwardly at her pure kindness and smiled along with her.
At this moment, Little Tortoiseshell came in from outside, holding a handful of pom-poms to give to Chuntang. Upon seeing the wedding dress, she was also very moved and hurriedly bowed to Qian Yingyi to express her gratitude.
Qian Yingyi glanced at him and suddenly asked, "Little Tortoiseshell, have you found a house yet?"
Little Tortoiseshell shook its head and laughed, "Of course, I was just about to tell you. It's a brand new house over there, near Qingping Bridge. It was bought by a merchant who knew my parents. He moved north to do business this year and settled down. A few days ago, he came to ask my parents to help him sell it. By sheer coincidence, I bought it!"
"Miss, why don't you go and take a look too? Give Chuntang your opinion?"
These words were exactly what Qian Yingyi wanted to hear. She quickly told the maids to close the trunks tightly, went back to her room to look at herself in the mirror, and straightened the scattered items on the table. Then she came out happily and said, "Of course I'll go!"
The group went outside together, passing through several corridors and corners. Suddenly, Qian Yingyi saw Xia Ling secretly take out the storybook and show it to Chun Tang. She wasn't ashamed at all!
Qian Yingyi coughed lightly, and the three girls huddled together, gesturing wildly.
Little Turtle and Qin Lizheng walked behind. Little Turtle couldn't see clearly what they were saying, but she smiled and looked at Chuntang's back of the head.
When Chuntang blushed and stomped her foot, Qian Yingyi rolled up the storybook and pretended to lightly tap Xia Ling's head.
She leaned her head behind Chuntang and whispered to Xialing, "You're going astray! Don't show her this storybook. It's too exaggerated. Like 'ten times in one night'? I'm warning you, if Chuntang believes it and has any misunderstandings about Xiao Daimao on their wedding night, you'll be the culprit!"
Little Tortoiseshell wasn't as skilled as Qin Lizheng, nor was his hearing as good. He could only watch from afar as his mistress and Xia Ling talked while carrying Chuntang on their backs. He then turned to Qin Lizheng and asked, "Do you know what they're saying?"
Qin Lizheng glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.
After getting a car, Qian Yingyi headed towards Qingping Bridge, turned into the main street, and walked a short distance further before she saw the new house that Xiao Daimao had mentioned.
The second courtyard, once you pass through the hanging flower gate, is enveloped in dense shade, instantly bringing a refreshing coolness. Beyond that is a covered walkway, with spacious east and west wing rooms, and even more so the main house.
This time, Qian Yingyi didn't find fault. She followed along and watched, occasionally nodding her chin slightly, genuinely happy for Chuntang.
Behind the courtyard was a sparse bamboo grove. Little Tortoiseshell led the group to look at it one by one, then slapped his forehead with a grin, "Hey, look at me, I didn't prepare any fruit or snacks, but I do have tea. Come with me to the front to rest and cool off!"
Qian Yingyi laughed along and followed her, grabbing her skirt as she went.
Before she could take a single step, her waist was suddenly embraced, and she was instantly enveloped in shadow, shielding her from the golden sunlight.
Qin Lizheng tilted his head and kissed her cheek, remaining silent for a moment. She quickly looked around and raised her hand to push him away, saying, "We're outside."
Qin Lizheng lowered his chin, smiled, and rubbed his fingertips against her hand. "What was the meaning of rubbing my hand earlier?"
Upon reflection, Qian Yingyi realized she had completely forgotten that little flirtation. Feeling a bit guilty, she feigned a struggle before gently raising her chin to look at him and whispering, "I... I just accidentally brushed against you, I didn't mean anything by it."
Xia Ling called out from the front, "Huh? Where's Miss? Miss!"
Then came the little tortoiseshell's laughter, "Oh dear, Miss should be looking carefully from the back. Xia Ling, you're close to Chun Tang, why don't you come and take a look and see what you think of this house?"
Xia Ling muttered a couple of things, then fell silent again.
The bright sunlight swept across Qin Lizheng's profile, revealing even the finest downy hairs.
He brought the sun, which was on his shoulders, closer to Qian Yingyi. His eyes first fixed on the glistening in her eyes, then fell on her lips, which were rouged with lipstick. He openly grabbed her and kissed her in the sunlight.
He then rubbed the lip rouge on his lips and asked, "Have you read a lot of those kinds of stories?"
This bamboo grove is neither too big nor too small. Coincidentally, there is a thin crack at the base of the wall at the back, leading to a hole about the size of a bowl, through which one can vaguely see passersby.
Qian Yingyi nestled in front of him, feeling a bit hot, but enjoying the refreshing minty scent from his embrace. She snorted, "What storybook? You mean the one Xia Ling showed to Chun Tang? You heard that? I rarely read those kinds of books, they're not interesting."
"Why isn't it interesting?"
Qian Yingyi was startled. She glanced left and right, then suddenly tiptoed up and hooked her arm around his neck to pull him down.
She looked very serious. “I didn’t understand this before, but I do now. Those stories are too exaggerated. If you actually followed them, you’d be drained dry in just one night. Stories about love between men and women are not realistic. What’s the point of reading them?”
Qin Lizheng was silent for a moment, then asked, "...When did you learn so much?"
Qian Yingyi chuckled softly, emboldened a bit, and reached out to poke his shoulder. That secret excitement swirled between them. She changed the subject and whispered, "It's so exciting to do this sneakily."
Before Qin Lizheng could speak, Qian Yingyi slowly waved her fan, her posture languid, "Around the Mid-Autumn Festival, my brother will be back. I've been thinking, why don't we tell Grandpa about our affair on the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Qin Lizheng was also planning to reveal his true identity to her during the Mid-Autumn Festival. No matter how she reacted, he was determined not to let go. The melancholy that had been weighing on his heart for some time also subsided.
He raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing her, "What if they don't agree? Are you still going to marry me?"
Qian Yingyi blushed slightly, but opened her eyes wide and looked back at him, "Oh, who promised to marry you?"
Qin Lizheng's gaze fell on her gently swaying fan; every move she made tugged at his heartstrings. So he slowly leaned down, his thin lips hovering near hers. He could immediately discern the moment her breath caught in her throat, and the expectation she swallowed unconsciously.
He smiled but didn't leave a lip print on her lips.
Instead, he brushed aside her clothes, lowered his head with the sunlight streaming down his back, and gently bit and rubbed against that small patch of her delicate, fair skin. Though the force was light, the hot breath he exhaled seemed to entice him with endless greed and possessiveness.
Qian Yingyi suddenly gripped the hem of her skirt, gasping, "A-Zheng...no..."
"Is it not allowed?" he mumbled twice, his lips still moving.
Qian Yingyi's face changed color as the beam of light swept over her. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She gritted her teeth and remained silent, but her feet tiptoed up slightly.
After a long pause, Qin Lizheng finally lifted his head from her neck, staring at the dark red mark. Seeing that she seemed to be burned, he suddenly sighed, "With this mark on you, it's hard for you not to marry me."
Qian Yingyi looked up at him, her cheeks puffed out, looking almost exactly like Mohele.
Qin Lizheng always liked to tease her. He gently took her hand and kneaded her five fingers back and forth. "Don't be angry. Actually, you like this too, don't you?"
Strangely enough, ever since they fell in love, he always liked to ask her if she liked it. Although they hadn't gone all the way, when their feelings were so intense that she couldn't speak, he would still ask her if she liked it. If she didn't speak, he would subtly press her for an answer.
Qian Yingyi immediately pulled her hand back, covering her face with the folding fan to block the light, but the skin under her clothes was burning hot. "Oh dear, you're not allowed to say anything more."
It was probably under broad daylight that she felt particularly shy, making her feel as if the wall behind her was burning hot, and her whole body felt like it had fallen into a bonfire.
Just as Xia Ling finished looking at the house, she called out to her from the front.
Qin Lizheng tugged at the fan, but couldn't budge it. After thinking for a moment, he didn't force it open, but instead stared at the golden cicada hairpin in her hair. Just as he was about to go inside himself, he suddenly turned back.
He breathed softly against her cheek, "Don't be angry. Those storybooks aren't very interesting. When we get back, I'll show you something more interesting."
"To make you happy."
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Author's Note: Two more chapters and Wen Zhuonan will be written out of the story [angry]
Qian Yingyi: How exciting!
The next second Qian Yingyi: Don't do this!
Qin Lizheng: I don't understand. I only know that you like it very much.
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