Chapter 34 "Don't move, let me sleep for a while too."
Gradually, the sound of fireworks subsided. That impulsive, reckless impulse also dissipated in Qian Yingyi's heart.
She had confidently set a three-month deadline. How could she possibly have fallen for him so quickly?
Despite her reserved thoughts, Qian Yingyi felt much more relaxed. She smiled and looked down at him, "Hey, did you hear that? They're all looking for me."
Qin Lizheng looked back at her without speaking. In the past, when he didn't speak, Qian Yingyi would stomp her foot and impatiently urge him to say something, but now she didn't care about that, because his deep eyes only reflected her image.
She didn't bother arguing with him about such trivial matters. She simply turned and walked out, saying, "Don't stand here like a wooden pestle. Take me back to Yunteng Pavilion."
The front yard was bustling with activity; everyone was searching for her, but she wanted to spend some time with him in this noisy world.
Qin Lizheng followed her away, knowing that something was subtly changing between them. He didn't mention it, simply following behind her quietly as before.
He would turn in the direction she turned.
She had her own ideas, and he wasn't in a hurry. He was just thinking that whether she wanted to take it slow or hold out until the last day of the three-month period, as long as she was willing, he could wait, and he was willing to respect everything she said.
As the moon rose above the treetops, the two walked slowly, one after the other. The beautiful scenery made even the flowers climbing on the two sides of the east wall seem to extend their branches, waiting only for a gentle touch to intertwine with each other.
The maids of Yunteng Pavilion have all gone to the garden to watch the fireworks, leaving only an empty courtyard.
Qian Yingyi suddenly sensed something, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, she suddenly brought her face close to his eyes and pressed him for an answer, "You still haven't told me, am I beautiful today?"
Qin Lizheng's breath hitched slightly as his gaze swept over her heavily made-up face. Noticing the slight smudge of lipstick on her lips, he pursed his lips and pressed his thumb against them to wipe it away. "Beautiful."
"Hmph, you have good taste," Qian Yingyi waved his hand away, pointed to the tree where she often sat in the shade, and said with a grin, "I want to build a swing there. Summer is still long. Could you make one for me?"
Qin Lizheng raised an eyebrow slightly, "Not afraid of insects anymore?"
Qian Yingyi suddenly couldn't laugh anymore and quickly suppressed her laughter.
Qin Lizheng thought that his words had angered her, so he hesitated for a moment before saying something nice to coax her.
But she lowered her head and whispered, "I'm nineteen, you know that? I think after my sister-in-law gives birth, I should go back to the capital with them. So what if there are worms? I want to leave more happiness in Nanjing."
Qin Lizheng secretly calculated the day she would return to the capital. Thinking that he would have already closed the net by then, he half-jokingly asked, "Would you like me to go back with you?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Lizheng saw her eyes gradually brighten and her lips part slightly, clearly pleased to hear this.
But perhaps out of embarrassment, or perhaps because she couldn't bring herself to do it, she simply turned her head away and scoffed, "Shameless."
Qin Lizheng could always keenly perceive her hidden emotions. While she was reluctant to leave Jinling, she was also anxious to return to the capital. Ten years had passed, and the capital was as unfamiliar to her as Jinling was ten years ago.
He racked his brains for countless vows of eternal love, wanting to assure her that even if he went back, he would still be by her side. Just as he had fantasized countless times, he wanted to be her lady's bodyguard for life.
But after searching high and low, he suddenly realized that the vow was too empty. So he simply turned the vow into action, stroked her forehead, and said in a deep and reassuring voice, "Okay, I'll make you a swing. What else do you want? Just tell me."
Qian Yingyi, having her anxiety soothed by him, looked up at him and smiled again. "It's still early. I haven't thought of anything yet. As for that swing, I want to wrap it with lots and lots of flowers. I want the most beautiful one in all of Jinling."
Footsteps and laughter gradually rose in the distance, likely the maids returning in groups. Qian Yingyi twirled her skirt and stood under the eaves, turning back to gaze at him for the first time ever.
Their eyes met, and neither spoke. It was as if neither of them had said anything, yet it was also as if they had said everything that needed to be said.
Qin Lizheng smiled, "Go to sleep early. The moon is beautiful tonight, and you'll have sweet dreams."
Qian Yingyi then smiled broadly, and her figure gradually disappeared.
Qin Lizheng withdrew his gaze and turned to walk away. Avoiding the maids, he happened to run into Xia Ling and Chun Tang carrying the birthday gifts at the other end.
Xia Ling exchanged a few words with him, and the two brushed past each other. Xia Ling seemed to have lost her grip on the brocade boxes, and one of them fell to the ground with a "thud".
Xia Ling didn't even turn her head, but a meaningful voice came out, "Hey, Lin Zheng, can you help me pick them up and see if there's a pair of golden butterflies inside? I remember this was a gift from the Yan family to Miss, and I still need to take it to Miss to count them!"
Qin Lizheng remained silent for a moment, then picked up the brocade box, opened it, and saw that it was indeed a pair of exquisite and small golden butterflies.
He sneered, took out the pair of golden butterflies and examined them in his palm. After a moment, he exerted force in his palm, and the golden butterflies immediately twisted into a ball, making it impossible to see their full appearance.
What about the Golden Butterfly, what about the Yan family? Without his permission, they should all stay away from her.
As Qin Lizheng had said, the moonlight was exceptionally beautiful tonight. Qian Yingyi, feeling a tingling, sour sensation, lay down in her tent, her face resting on a soft, four-cornered pillow, staring at the slanting moonlight streaming into the room, and slept comfortably through the first half of the night.
As dawn approached, the distant Yingtian Prefecture office resounded with the sound of drums. Someone was beating the Dengwen Drum before daybreak, the sound deep and muffled.
Zhen Deqian Yingyi suddenly sat up in the tent, took a long breath, and then turned her head to lift the gauze curtain, her voice hoarse as she called out, "Xia Ling, what happened outside?"
Before dawn, Xia Ling entered the room with a bewildered expression, holding a silver lamp in her hand to light the lamps. "Miss, did you also hear the drumbeat? I didn't know either. At this time, the drumming must mean that the people have some injustice that they can't wait to plead for."
How many years has it been since the Dengwen Drum in front of the Yingtian Prefecture Office sounded like this? The drum was still ringing, though it could only be faintly heard. Qian Yingyi immediately lost her sleepiness and simply got out of bed. "Grandpa has always been a light sleeper, so he must have heard it too. I'll go to the front and take a look."
Qian Yingyi tidied her appearance, and with Xia Ling carrying a lantern in front, the two of them arrived at the main hall in the front courtyard after about half an incense stick's time, where they bumped into Xu Jun, who had just gotten up.
Upon seeing Qian Yingyi, Xu Jun hurriedly said, "Oh dear, curious cat! You were woken up too? Go back to sleep quickly, and your aunt will come to talk to you at noon."
As they were talking, Qian Lanting also turned from the corner of the corridor, his face very serious.
Qian Yingyi hurried over and said, "Grandpa, it's the Dengwen Drum that's sounding."
Qian Lanting had served as an official for decades and had seen many cases, but he rarely saw anyone beating the drum to appeal for justice at this hour. For no reason, he felt uneasy, sensing that a major case had occurred. He hurriedly ordered his steward, "Go outside and find out what happened."
The butler nodded repeatedly, twisted his shoe, and was about to leave when he bumped into Qian Yuxing returning from outside.
Qian Yuxing and Yu Cheng have been married for several years. One is self-disciplined and respectful of propriety, while the other is unrestrained and radiant. It is mostly Yu Cheng who indulges and pampers her. The young couple has maintained a habit for the past few years: to get up early and take a walk outside, ostensibly to dispel the turbidity in their bodies.
Seeing the butler turn to leave, Qian Yuxing hurriedly called out to stop him. Her pretty face was no longer smiling; half of it was filled with shock, and the other half with an indescribable sense of bewilderment.
She hurried forward and gestured for the group to sit in the main hall. Having probably run all the way back, her temples were damp with morning dew, and she was a little thirsty, so she grabbed some cool tea from the table and drank it.
After catching her breath, she looked at Qian Lanting and said, "Grandpa, something happened to the Lin family."
Qian Lanting's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stood up. "Tell me carefully!"
Yesterday was Qian Yingyi's birthday. Lin Yuhu and Yan Wenying had indeed played the role of a loving couple at the Qian family home.
Since Yan Qiuyan and others stayed at the Qian residence to have fun, Yan Wenying and Lin Yuhu also stayed behind.
Lin Yuhu still had that flirtatious look in his eyes. In the afternoon, he drank some wine with others, but it was just fruit wine, and he was quite sober.
That evening, the couple returned to the Lin family home. Lin Yuhu stopped pretending and left Yan Wenying behind, going to a courtyard to see his maid, Lü Fei, who was pregnant with his child.
If Green Jade were more sensible and acted cute in front of Yan Wenying, perhaps Yan Wenying would turn a blind eye and let it pass.
After showing concern for Lin Yuhu, Lü Fei came to talk to Yan Wenying again, looking timid.
It was as if Yan Wenying was a demon who had crawled out of the underworld, capable of swallowing her whole with a single open mouth.
Yan Wenying finally let out her pent-up anger after half a day. She stared at Lü Fei for a long time, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Lü Fei, let me be frank with you. I am the legitimate wife of this family. Although I haven't given birth to a son or daughter, you think you can surpass me by having a child? Let me tell you clearly, you can't. I advise you to behave yourself and stop hanging around me. Otherwise, I can't guarantee that one day when I'm in a bad mood, you might accidentally lose the child in your belly."
These words were so blunt that a hint of malice appeared in Green Jade's lowered eyes. She timidly agreed, but then turned around and spoke to Lin Yuhu.
She was beautiful and shameless in bed, so Lin Yuhu took a great liking to her and immediately went to the main room to find Yan Wenying.
Yan Wenying was sitting in front of the mirror disassembling hairpins and rings. Hearing the noise, she glanced at him indifferently and said sarcastically, "What, are you going to lecture me again on behalf of your precious Green Jade?"
Perhaps because he had drunk some wine earlier, Lin Yu's anger gradually dissipated when he saw her beautiful face so close to his.
He pinched her chin, looked her up and down for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Are you jealous again?"
As a young couple, Yan Wenying inevitably felt a little wronged, but she was strong-willed by nature and would rather swallow her grievances than let him see them. So she turned her head away and said, "Get out."
Lin Yuhu suddenly changed his tune, took her hand and kissed it twice, then pulled her close and looked at her in the mirror. "What are you angry about? Don't I understand you? If you had given in to me earlier, said things I wanted to hear, and did things I wanted to see, why would I have gone out and looked for those lowlifes?"
Seeing that the two were about to shake hands and make peace, the maids hurriedly withdrew.
Lin Yuhu pulled Yan Wenying onto his lap, pressed his warm lips to hers, and said indistinctly, "You're angry that she got pregnant first, so you should try harder and get pregnant too, get pregnant with our child."
His words were nothing but empty flattery, but perhaps the more you care about something, the more you want it. Knowing he was lying, Yan Wenying still couldn't help but tilt her head back, letting her long-parched self tremble as he approached.
The two rolled onto the bed, and a wave of red waves surged through them.
Yan Wenying leaned against his arm, feeling the old feelings of affection about to surface, when Lin Yuhu suddenly said, "Yingying, I think you are sometimes too serious."
His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, pulling Yan Wenying back to the present moment. She pushed him away without hesitation, wrapped her bodice around her waist, dressed herself neatly, sat on the edge of the bed, and no longer looked at him, saying, "Lin Yuhu, what do you mean by being serious?"
Lin Yuhu had just finished enjoying herself and didn't care much about what she was thinking. She smiled indifferently with her eyes closed, "You hold on to everything too tightly. I can't breathe in your palm. For example, this sentence, I just said it casually, and you took it seriously. Be good, lie down with me for a while longer. I still have to go to my mother's place later. She was talking about making a gold necklace for her unborn grandson a couple of days ago. When she returned home earlier, she sent someone to find me and asked me to go and take a look."
Yan Wenying sat alone on the edge of the bed for a long time, a sense of sorrow gradually spreading in her heart. She suddenly whispered, "Did you ever love me?"
"I loved."
Yan Wenying chuckled softly, her voice trembling slightly. How could someone who had loved her go from being a young couple to this? How could someone who had loved her hit her? How could someone who had loved her allow a maid to ride roughshod over her?
She said, "Lin Yuhu, let's get a divorce."
Lin Yuhu chuckled and rolled over. "Divorce? Our fathers are bound together, and so are we. We'll never be separated for life. Why keep thinking about things that make you unhappy? Aren't you just angry that I'm spending all my time on other people?"
"You asked me if I ever loved you, and I'll tell you honestly, I did love you. But Yingying, I'm the kind of person who's never been controlled. That love of mine almost completely disappeared when you started restricting me from doing this and that. Wouldn't it be better if we just pretended not to know and lived our lives together? You stay with me, and I'll stay with you. At worst, you can go out and keep a few handsome young men. I don't care."
After he finished speaking, he was probably a little tired and too lazy to turn Yan Wenying's shoulders to see what her expression was. He also didn't want to argue with her, so he simply covered himself with the quilt and went to sleep.
Completely unaware of how insulting and torturous these things were for Yan Wenying.
Yan Wenying glanced back at him and suddenly smiled.
She walked indifferently to the mirror, staring at the still beautiful face in the mirror, feeling both unfamiliar and familiar.
When did she transform from a bright and beautiful young lady of the Yan family into the bullied woman she is today?
They're all in the same boat, so why should she have to use her whole life as a rope just because her elders are tied to her? She absolutely refuses to tolerate this any longer!
Yan Wenying sat there in a daze for a moment, then suddenly remembered the words Qian Yingyi had used to comfort her during the day.
Yes, she has to live for herself.
Yan Wenying's gaze gradually drifted to a corner of the dressing table, where the scissors that the maids had dropped while working during the day were placed.
She coldly picked it up, abandoning everything in that moment, and treating this shattered marriage as a nightmare that she was now going to sever herself.
She gently lifted the curtain and stared intently at the sleeping Lin Yuhu. As she looked, a few tears welled up in her eyes, perhaps as she reminisced about the tender and affectionate man she once knew.
After wiping away her tears, she yanked back the covers and stabbed him with a pair of scissors.
In his hazy state, Lin Yuhu only briefly felt a chill beneath him. Gradually, his brow furrowed tighter and tighter, and a dull pain swept through his body. He opened his eyes in a daze and looked down at himself, then suddenly howled like a wild beast, screaming in pain, "Yan Wenying! How dare you! How could you dare! Someone! Someone—!"
Yan Wenying wiped away her tears, which mingled with the blood in her hands. With her hair disheveled, she truly resembled a demon from the underworld.
She raised her eyes in disdain amidst his desperate cries for help, her gaze remaining ever humble. "In your eyes, I've always been a crazy woman, haven't I? It doesn't matter anymore. In my eyes, whether I'm crazy or lucid, I am who I am."
"I married you with high hopes back then, but you only frequented brothels and indulged in pleasure! You trampled on my dignity! I wanted to live a good life with you, but your heart is not with me."
"Lin Yuhu, you have no heart."
Hearing the commotion, the maids pushed open the door and entered, but dared not approach. They could only hear Lin Yuhu's screams and Yan Wenying's accusations.
Yan Wenying smiled with unparalleled elegance, "You have no heart, yet you dare to dream of keeping me by your side? What makes you think you can?"
As she spoke of this, her voice grew increasingly shrill, “Why should the peace between the Yan and Lin families be maintained at my expense! Why can’t I get a divorce! Why am I kept in a cage like a bird!”
"Lin Yuhu, everyone says that marrying into a better family is like swallowing needles, but my family background is better than yours. After being married to you for so many years, I still feel like I have holes all over my body. Don't you feel cold?"
Just then, a sharp-eyed maid spotted the horrific scene inside the tent. Her eyes widened in horror, and she screamed as she ran out, "Young mistress has cut up the young master's treasure!"
The maids scattered immediately, screams rose and fell, and more and more people poured into the courtyard, their footsteps becoming increasingly chaotic.
Yan Wenying stood alone outside the tent, as if the chaos outside had nothing to do with her. She glanced around and laughed, "I'm not reconciled. I'm not the same person I used to be. Why should you be the same person you used to be? From now on, you'll experience what it's like to be bound to the same spot by an invisible thread. Let's see how you'll face people then. You'll be trapped in this cage for the rest of your life!"
Having said that, she burst into laughter, holding the pair of scissors, and rushed out, shouting, "What young ladies, what high-ranking officials' wives, all of you, die! From now on, I am just Yan Wenying. No one can lock me up, and no one can make me suffer!"
At this point, Qian Yuxing's eyes widened as he murmured, "Yan Wenying escaped in the chaos. The Lin family has been searching for her everywhere but to no avail. Right now, there's a huge crowd in front of the Yingtian Prefecture government office, all from the Lin family. Madam Lin is personally beating the petition drum, acting like a madwoman, and threatening to send Yan Wenying to prison."
Upon hearing this news, Qian Yingyi opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't utter a word. She was horrified and tightened the cloak draped over her shoulders.
Qian Yuxing continued, "My husband and I heard the commotion and rushed over, but when Madam Lin saw him, she blocked him in front of the government office, saying that she would report to the court and punish Yan Wenying for attempted murder of her husband! My husband then told me to come back first."
"How could it suddenly turn out like this..." Xu Jun asked in disbelief, "They were both perfectly fine yesterday..."
Qian Lanting's thoughts were much further ahead. His brow furrowed slightly, and after pondering for a while, he asked, "When you spoke with Yan Wenying yesterday, did you say anything you shouldn't have?"
Qian Yingyi's heart skipped a beat, and a flash of inspiration struck her. She hurriedly said, "Yesterday she had a misunderstanding with my sister-in-law because of the child. Yan Yan and Lan Lan were both comforting her, and I also comforted her a little."
He then told Qian Lanting what he had said.
Qian Lanting, with his profound foresight, gradually lowered his voice, "Madam Lin has already taken this matter to the yamen, and we don't know how it will end. The Yan and Lin families are bound to fall out. Let the outside world make a fuss. You should all stay at home quietly these next few days. If you want to buy or eat anything, just have your maids and guards buy it for you. The couple came to our house just yesterday. If some people who don't know the truth start spreading rumors outside, it will be difficult for our family to clear things up."
Qian Yuxing then composed herself and nodded seriously, "I understand."
It was still early. Seeing that Qian Yingyi had only her hair tied up in a low bun, Qian Yuxing knew that she hadn't slept well and was afraid that she would overthink things. So her voice softened a little, "Alright, don't be afraid, it's nothing serious. Grandpa is just being cautious. He always likes to think about the worst possible outcome. You know that, right? Go back to sleep. Look how pale your face is."
Xia Ling hurriedly pulled Qian Yingyi's sleeve and led her outside.
As they rounded a corner in the corridor, Qian Yingyi's pent-up fear finally surfaced. Grabbing Xia Ling's wrist, she softly asked, "Where's A-Zheng?"
Xia Ling pursed her lips and replied, "Miss, Second Miss is right. It's just a matter of a word. Don't be afraid. Go back to sleep first. He has changed shifts with Little Tortoise and must be resting now. I'll go find him right away."
Qin Lizheng could not possibly be unaware of such a major event. He and Chu Zhiyan were guarding the alley opposite the Yingtian Prefecture Office, watching as Lin Bianhong's wife, Xun Yun, exhaustedly beat the Dengwen Drum.
Chu Zhiyan also looked incredulous and muttered, "Heavens above, just as we were about to send our men back to the capital to make our move, the Yan and Lin families have caused such a huge incident. It's truly Heaven helping us out."
After saying that, he glanced down at himself and clicked his tongue repeatedly, "This Yan Wenying is really a ruthless person."
He then looked at the ever-closed gates of the government office and asked, "Commander, do you think Yan Yu will personally arrest Yan Wenying?"
Qin Lizheng's eyes flashed as she turned to look at him. "Where Yan Wenying is, you and I know. If it weren't for our people intervening, she wouldn't have escaped the Lin family's pursuit. Whether Yan Yu catches her or not, at this point, she shouldn't appear in front of everyone anymore. The more she doesn't come out, the more anxious the Lin family will be, and the more they will feel that the Yan family is protecting her."
He glanced back at the Lin family members standing in front of the government office, and smirked, “Aren’t they going to report this to the court? Let’s give them a hand. Write a letter and send it to the Imperial Study as fast as possible, so that the Emperor knows about this case. Then we’ll see how far Yan Yu and Lin Bianhong can fight.”
After a moment of silence, Chu Zhiyan said, "Pei Ji has made no move. Once we find out where his account book is, we can sit back and watch the tigers fight."
Qin Lizheng closed his eyes and didn't reply. He just leaned his back against the wall behind him, his thick eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if he hadn't rested well.
After a long pause, Chu Zhiyan spoke again: "It's also very quiet on Prince Rui's end."
When Prince Rui was mentioned, Qin Lizheng raised his eyelids and said calmly, "This man only knows how to pick up profits. After the lesson he learned from Prince Heng, he will never dare to show his face again. Although he is in the same boat as the Yan and Lin families, given his cautious nature, the more chaotic things get, the less likely he is to make any moves."
He asked, "Have you found the person?"
It refers to the strategist under Prince Rui who escaped by faking his death.
Chu Zhiyan nodded. “I found him. I was just about to tell you that Liang Tu never left Jinling. He’s really bold. However, he has changed his appearance and disfigured himself. He rented a shop in Sifu Lane behind the Confucius Temple and runs a dessert business. Over the years, he has also taken in a daughter from a beggar’s den and raised her by his side. It seems that he plans to hide in the shadows for the rest of his life.”
Qin Lizheng immediately turned and left, saying, "I understand. Let the Yan and Lin families make a scene. I'm leaving."
Upon returning home, Qin Lizheng first climbed into Qian Yingyi's bedroom. Seeing her small figure huddled under the covers, his heart softened. He placed the food box on the table, then leaned against the canopy bed and tapped it lightly with his fingers.
Qian Yingyi immediately sat up and stared at him from inside the tent. "You... how did you come in during broad daylight?"
"Don't worry, something happened outside, they've all gathered in the garden to talk," he said, picking up her dress from the chair and handing it to her with his eyes closed. "Are you hungry? I bought some wontons and sweet soup."
“Xia Ling was just saying she couldn’t find you,” Qian Yingyi said. She was also wearing her nightgown, but she still felt uncomfortable. She wanted to urge him to leave first, but the panic made her unable to speak. So she ordered, “Turn around.”
Qin Lizheng chuckled and turned around.
A moment later, Qian Yingyi, dressed neatly and wearing embroidered shoes with magnolia flowers, came out and couldn't help but ask, "You went out? Is it really that noisy outside?"
Seeing her bend over and sit in front of the mirror, Qin Lizheng followed suit, picked up her black hair with one hand, and started braiding it for her. His gaze, which had been cold just half an hour ago, softened, as if she was the only important person in the world at this moment. "Hmm, it'll look bad if we braid both sides or braid a thick one together?"
Qian Yingyi was slightly taken aback. Looking at his face in the mirror, she saw that he looked serious, which gave her the illusion that she and he were already married and that this was just an ordinary morning.
She refused to admit that her heart was pounding again, and quickly lowered her eyelids, saying, "I'll just make it up."
A moment later, a long braid hung down behind her head. Qian Yingyi smiled and went to wash her face and clean her teeth. Then she sat down at the round table outside the beaded curtain, propped her chin on her hand, and looked at him. "What did the government office say?"
Qin Lizheng took out a bowl of wontons and a cup of lychee syrup from the food box, gently pushed them in front of her, and said, "The government office is still closed. The two families involved are not ordinary households. It is still early. I suppose some officials have not yet started their shifts, and those who have not yet finished their shifts are inside discussing how to deal with the situation."
Qian Yingyi picked at the meat in the wontons and ate it, then asked, "So...did you see Lin Yuhu?"
Perhaps thinking of what Lin Yuhu had suffered, her gaze fell from Qin Lizheng's face down, as if she could see him through the round table.
Qin Lizheng's ears turned slightly red. He cleared his throat and pushed the sweet soup in front of her. "Take a sip. Aren't you tired of eating only meat?"
"I haven't seen him. He's injured, so why would he be outside the government office?"
Qian Yingyi suddenly snapped out of her daze, realizing she shouldn't have stared at him so directly. She quickly buried her face in the sweet soup, took several sips, savored the taste, and exclaimed, "Delicious! Where did you buy it?"
"Over at the Confucius Temple," Qin Lizheng pointed to the wontons again, "there's still half a bowl left, finish it."
Qian Yingyi pouted, reluctantly taking back the bowl, muttering to herself while seemingly enjoying his concern, "I'm not a child, why are you telling me what to do about eating?"
When Qin Lizheng climbed in through the window, he closed all the doors and windows tightly, leaving the two of them alone in the room. He suddenly smiled, leaned forward, and carefully examined her face. "You've lost weight. You should eat more."
"Hey, why are you staring at me like that!" Qian Yingyi quickly covered her burning face, expertly trying to cover it up, "I don't have much of an appetite in the summer, so it's normal to lose weight. Does that mean I'm not pretty if I'm thin, and you don't like me...?"
Her words abruptly stopped. She always seemed too shy to openly say "I like you" in front of him, so she abruptly changed the subject, "Don't worry about me. Grandpa told me this morning that it's best not to go out, and after thinking about it carefully, I think he's right."
After speaking, she scooped up a piece of wonton meat and put it in her mouth. She chewed slowly for a while before telling him the words she had used to comfort Yan Wenying yesterday.
Qin Lizheng was slightly surprised, thinking that Yan Wenying's sudden madness must have come to some understanding, but unexpectedly, it was by chance that she had "added fuel to the fire".
However, she was intimidated by this matter, so he certainly couldn't praise her.
The aroma of ling ling (a type of Chinese liquor) filled the room, growing stronger, as if inviting him into a soft, warm dream. Watching her finish the entire bowl of wontons, Qin Lizheng took out a handkerchief and handed it to her, smiling, "Perfect timing! Shall we finish the swing in the next few days? Go pick out some wood?"
Qian Yingyi put down her spoon, glanced at him, and said, "I haven't had enough sleep yet."
Qin Lizheng thought for a moment, nodded, then got up to scoop her up and carried her to the other end of the canopy bed, saying, "Then sleep a little longer."
Qian Yingyi was terrified as he held her, her arms limply draped over his shoulders. She hurriedly tried to jump down, crying, "You, you, put me down!"
It was fine to hold her at night before, and it was also barely acceptable once outside the city, but now it's broad daylight, and this is her boudoir!
He even carried her to the bed...
Upon hearing this, Qin Lizheng chuckled twice, his gaze lingering on her face. "What are you afraid of? Aren't you always been very bold?"
Qian Yingyi lowered her head, her two feet dangling, and one of her embroidered shoes, which she was only lightly stepping on, slipped off. In a few breaths, he placed her on the edge of the bed, his expression serious, and looked her up and down by lifting her chin, commenting, "Hmm, your eyes are a bit bluish, you definitely haven't rested well."
Qian Yingyi was forced to look up at him.
Hearing him say that his eyes were bluish, she immediately became unhappy. She carefully examined his face, and without admitting defeat, she sneered smugly, "You don't look like you've had a good night's sleep either."
Qin Lizheng suddenly stood up, turned around and walked out without saying a word.
Qian Yingyi secretly rolled her eyes, feeling pleased with herself for gaining the upper hand, when suddenly she heard a series of "clattering" sounds.
He turned back to the door and locked it from the inside. Then he walked towards her step by step and locked the windows as well.
Qin Lizheng walked up to her, saw her slightly surprised expression, quietly smiled, and reached out to undo his leather belt. "You're right, I need to rest too."
Qian Yingyi was horrified and quickly got up to push him, "Are you crazy?"
He was like a solid wall, impossible to move. Before Qian Yingyi could speak again, he had already taken off his outer robe, revealing a snow-white nightgown, and then pulled her into his arms.
The intense heat immediately emanated from the thin fabric, and Qian Yingyi was pulled down along with the large gauze curtains as she was embraced around the waist.
The next moment, a hand gently pressed down on the back of her head, and her face was immediately pressed against his hard chest.
He held her close, restraining her struggles, and a soft sigh of weariness escaped his lips. "Don't move, let me sleep a little longer."
The deep voice penetrated Qian Yingyi's ears in this small space, making her limbs feel slightly weak. She placed her hands on his chest, wanting to push him away again.
Forced to listen to his rapid heartbeat, Qian Yingyi was momentarily stunned.
It turns out he was nervous too.
The last piece of gauze curtain fell at this moment, and the pink curtain made the surroundings somewhat dim. Qian Yingyi's body gradually relaxed.
Huddled between him and the blankets, she thought for no reason that she was being a bit too bold. Was this really a good thing?
But simply thinking about it is one thing. Qian Yingyi took a light sniff of the minty scent on his body and actually caught a hidden thrill in the intertwined scents.
After a while, she gently closed her eyes.
The whole room began to feel unfamiliar, especially the bed beneath him, which suddenly felt like an abyss called Forbidden.
She tried to escape, but because she was above, she could only watch helplessly as she sank downwards.
Never mind, let him be.
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Author's Note: Today is Dingdangyi's...
Although Yan Wenying is a slightly villainous character, I still want to say—congratulations on escaping this sea of suffering!
Yan Wenying: I don't care about you, Miss, Grandma, or Madam. I've been suppressing myself long enough. I'm not putting up with this anymore! Go ahead and make a mess of things! [Okay]
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