teasing
After Jiang Yi transmigrated, her concept of time became increasingly vague. She only recognized day and night. As for the specific time, she really couldn't distinguish what hour it was. Every time she heard someone say something like "one quarter of the hour of Chen" or "two quarters of the hour of Zi", she would get a headache.
I noticed that the General's Mansion seemed to have become quite lively recently. I asked Xia Zhi and found out that it was almost Chinese New Year and everyone was buying things to prepare for the holiday.
Even the Luoying Academy sent people to make arrangements in advance.
He Wei and He Yu were unable to return in time. They requested permission from His Majesty early in the morning and also sent a letter to Qi Shuangyun, saying that heavy snow had blocked the roads at the border and they could only make plans to return to the capital next spring.
In addition, there was another thing that shocked the entire General's Mansion.
It was expected and understandable that Qi Shuangyun would go to the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager at the New Year's Eve banquet, but He Lin was also among those invited to the banquet.
It should be noted that only imperial concubines, princes, and relatives of the emperor like the First Madam were allowed to attend the New Year's Eve banquet. Who would have thought that He Lin, the son of a concubine from a general's mansion, would also be seated there?
Surprisingly, when the chief eunuch of the emperor's side came to invite He Lin, he was flatly refused!
What's even more audacious is that he coldly uttered only two words—"I'm not going."
Hiss! Who does Li Sheng, as the chief eunuch, represent? He represents the Emperor! To put it bluntly, He Lin is blatantly challenging imperial authority and disobeying imperial orders!
Li Shengquan choked for a moment, as if he had already guessed this outcome. Instead of making things difficult for He Lin, he respectfully withdrew and took his leave.
The Qinxiangyuan Garden was bustling with activity, with red lanterns hanging throughout the courtyard. Although there weren't many people, it was still very lively.
When Qinglian invited He Lin and Jiang Yi over, everything was almost ready.
"Yi'er and Lin'er, come quickly, the hot pot is ready, we're just waiting for you."
Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat when she heard the word "hot pot".
What?! Hot pot?!
I ran inside and saw a copper hot pot on the table with a small piece of charcoal at the bottom. The water was boiling and steaming. There were thinly sliced meat and various vegetables on the plate next to it.
Jiang Yi swallowed the saliva that had welled up in her mouth, then turned to Su Tong in surprise and asked, "Mom, is this... hot pot?"
Su Tong narrowed her eyes into slits and smiled: "Yes, it's Chinese New Year, so we have to eat hot pot. It symbolizes good fortune and prosperity. Don't just stand there, sit down."
He Lin took off his cloak and handed it to Qinglian beside him, then went over to take it off for Jiang Yi, his long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles moving a few times in front of her neck.
He asked, seemingly casually, "Haven't you ever had hot pot at home before? Why are you so surprised?"
Jiang Yi's eyes darted around twice before she quickly looked away.
"No, I am a concubine's daughter. How could I be entitled to eat such good food in the Jiang family?"
Jiang Yi discovered for the first time how useful the identity of a concubine's daughter was; she could use it as an excuse for almost anything without arousing suspicion.
The system had warned her to be careful to hide her modern identity and not to tell anyone that she came from a world thousands of years in the future, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
Upon hearing Jiang Yi's words, Su Tong looked at her with a face full of affection, her eyes radiating maternal love, making Jiang Yi feel embarrassed.
"Yi'er, come and sit next to your mother."
Su Tong kept piling food and meat onto her plate, as if she wanted to make up for all the meals she hadn't had before.
"That's enough, Mom, I can't eat this much."
"Not enough, not enough. Listen to your mother, you should eat more. You're still too thin. Your mother is looking forward to holding her grandson next year."
Jiang Yi's lips twitched, her eyelids twitched, she gave an awkward laugh, and then buried her head in her rice. Su Tong just assumed she was shy and embarrassed.
Under the table, Jiang Yi stepped on He Lin's foot and secretly winked at him.
He Lin understood, and then served Jiang Yi and his mother each a piece of cooked food, saying with an unchanged expression that this matter would be resolved naturally and there was no use in rushing it. Su Tong scolded him a few times, but in the end, she didn't say anything more.
Jiang Yi then moved her foot down.
Previously, the incense in their room had been replaced with aphrodisiac incense. He Lin said he would investigate, but nothing came of it, leaving only an apology. At that time, Jiang Yi vaguely guessed that the aphrodisiac incense was probably made by someone close to him. Otherwise, given He Lin's methods, he would have personally dragged that person to her...
Now it seems that it was undoubtedly He Lin's mother who did it.
To be honest, Jiang Yi understands Su Tong's desire to have a grandson, but that doesn't mean she agrees with this approach.
Look, the first signs of conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are already appearing, and He Lin is even trying to cover for his mother. Humph, a woman's sixth sense is frighteningly accurate!
After spending so much time together, Jiang Yi realized that Su Tong wasn't the kind of unreasonable, wicked mother-in-law. It was just that people who stayed in the inner quarters all the time were bound to overthink and come up with random ideas. It seemed that she should take Su Tong out shopping more often in the future. Maybe that would subtly change something. Once Su Tong understood this, she wouldn't be in such a hurry to have a baby anymore.
Jiang Yi thought to herself that although she and He Lin shared a room and even slept on the same bed after they became intimate, they had never done anything inappropriate other than touching and kissing each other.
Linglingyi said that the original owner of this body was dead, and now she could use it and do whatever she wanted with it. However, Jiang Yi still couldn't get over the hurdle in her heart. No matter what, she couldn't change the fact that this was someone else's body. She couldn't go all the way with He Lin, even though she was attracted to his body.
She herself is fine, but He Lin is not easy to calm down, so Jiang Yi rarely takes the initiative to provoke He Lin now, in order to avoid "getting burned." It's a pity that the two of them haven't even lost their virginity yet. If word gets out, they might be laughed at.
Jiang Yicai didn't care what others thought or thought. He only knew that as long as she clearly refused, He Lin would rather take a bath to cool down than force her to do such a thing. In this respect, he was already better than most men.
Su Tong pulled out two heavy red brocade pouches from somewhere, one for He Lin and one for Jiang Yi.
"Here, this is the New Year's money that your mother prepared for you."
Jiang Yi was taken aback and turned to look at He Lin, as if asking him whether she should accept the gift.
"Thank you, Mother."
Hehe, I can accept it!
Jiang Yi immediately beamed with joy and followed He Lin's words, "Thank you, Mother."
"Bang bang—"
The sound of fireworks could be heard outside.
Su Tong's smile deepened as she said, "After you finish eating, go for a walk on the long street. I heard there's a grand fireworks display tonight. The First Madam is celebrating the festival in the palace, so there's no curfew tonight. You can all have as much fun as you like."
Jiang Yi nodded vigorously, replying repeatedly, "Okay, Mother will go with us."
Su Tong said, "I'm not going. I'm getting old and I get sleepy as soon as night falls. You young people should go have fun. But let's make it clear first, you're not allowed to come back until you've spent all your money."
Wow, it's so good to be rich! She talks so arrogantly. This is the first time I've seen someone force her to squander money recklessly. Hahaha, so satisfying!
Jiang Yi appeared strong and calm on the surface, but inside she was overjoyed.
Once outside the General's Mansion, Jiang Yi jumped onto He Lin's back, making him carry her on his back, her uncontrollable laughter ringing in her ears.
He Lin glanced at him and asked with a smile, "Why are you so happy?"
"Of course! Didn't you hear what Mother said? With the Madam not here, we can play as long as we want. That's what nightlife is all about!"
After saying that, Jiang Yi gave He Lin a hard kiss on the cheek, stretched out one arm and waved it wildly, almost falling down.
"Let's go! I want to see fireworks!"
He Lin lifted her up slightly, and Jiang Yi gasped in surprise. She dared not waver or sway anymore, and quickly hugged He Lin's neck tightly. She laughed so hard that her eyes were almost closed, and punched his chest with her fist.
Why are you scaring me?
He Lin carried Jiang Yi for two steps forward, and before she could react, he suddenly spun around a few times. Jiang Yi's loud laughter echoed everywhere in front of the General's Mansion. He Lin laughed along with her, almost making the servants on New Year's Eve at the gate drop their jaws in astonishment. Was this really their second young master?!
How come he seemed like a completely different person as soon as he stepped out of the General's Mansion? He was nothing like the cold-faced, expressionless Second Young Master he always was. The gatekeeper was utterly puzzled. He Lin and Jiang Yi had already walked far away...
On the long street, Jiang Yi found everything novel and interesting, and dragged He Lin to various stalls along the street, strolling around for a long time without getting tired.
Jiang Yi bought two strings of candied hawthorns, and the two went to the second floor of the teahouse and found a window seat. Inside, there were storytellers and singers, and outside, there was a bustling crowd. It was also a great viewpoint for watching fireworks.
"Give."
Jiang Yi handed He Lin a string of candied hawthorns. He Lin glanced at it, then poured tea and said softly, "No need, you can keep it for yourself."
"No, it would be a waste if we couldn't finish it. Besides, there was already one skewer for you, so don't try to pass it all on to me."
He Lin glanced at her helplessly, but finally reached out and took it. When he took the first bite of the hawthorn, Jiang Yi noticed that his brows furrowed slightly.
"What do you think? Is it delicious?"
"Sour."
"Hawthorns are supposed to be sour. They're coated in sugar, you know. They're only good when they're sweet and sour. You don't like it?"
He Lin looked down at the candied hawthorn in his hand. "I don't like it, but it's alright."
Jiang Yi's gaze passed over He Lin's shoulder, and she grinned, "Wait for me."
Jiang Yi got up and walked to a table not far away. She gave her candied hawthorn to a little boy who was crying and making a fuss. It was unclear whether he was begging his parents to go home or go downstairs to buy something. He was crying and tugging at his mother's sleeve.
Jiang Yi squatted down and said something to him. The little boy nodded obediently, wiped his nose, and focused on eating the candied hawthorn. The boy's mother stood up gratefully and said a few words to her. Finally, Jiang Yi smiled, patted the boy's head, and turned back.
As Jiang Yi passed by He Lin, she bent down and took a bite of the half-eaten hawthorn in his hand. Then, under his gaze, she walked to the opposite side, sat back down, rested her chin on her hand, tilted her head, and smiled.
He Lin's ears turned red, and he looked at Jiang Yi with a deep and complicated gaze.
This guy flirted with her and then left, taking no responsibility whatsoever. The worst part is, he couldn't do anything to her.
He Lin slowly shifted his gaze to the fireworks outside the window. One after another, they seemed to explode in his heart, blooming into colorful, everlasting little flowers...
Jiang Yi deliberately teased him, saying, "Wow, He Lin, your Adam's apple is so sexy."
Upon hearing this, He Lin couldn't help but clear his throat and cough lightly: "Don't look at me, the fireworks have started."
The location was a bit far from where the fireworks were being set off, so the explosions weren't particularly loud. Inside the teahouse, storytellers were mostly speaking, occasionally eliciting applause and cheers from the audience. Therefore, the two people could hear each other talking.
Jiang Yi glanced out the window, a sudden inspiration struck her, and she uttered a sweet nothing: "You are more beautiful than fireworks."
He Lin's heart tightened, and the candied hawthorn almost fell from his hand. He had never heard such words before, and no one had ever been as bold and straightforward as Jiang Yi in saying that they liked him.
"...I'm telling you, there are plenty of handsome men in the capital, but not many are as good-looking as you. I really do have the best eye."
He Lin turned his head to look into her eyes and said, "You really are different from others. You're so glib and smooth-talking, just like a female hooligan and a lecher."
Jiang Yi was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Oh, really? You really think so? This is exactly the effect I wanted!"
"What effect?"
"Just teasing you."
He Lin: "..."
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