Chapter 41 Mingyue knew that he was somehow different to her...
Cui Yilu chuckled softly and turned her back.
The sound of robes rustling behind him was deliberately suppressed by the movements.
Although they had been intimate many times, he still couldn't undress in front of her when they were in bed together.
In the past, she would have teased him until he was tense and breathless before she would stop, but the situation was different today. If she delayed his changing of clothes and he missed the start of the play, it would be troublesome if he had to go back to the Jiang residence.
"alright."
His voice rang out amidst the bustling noise of the crowd streaming through the car window, sounding exceptionally cold and clear.
Cui Yiluo turned around. He had already changed his clothes. Even though he was changing in the carriage, he wore his robes as neatly and properly as usual, and his hair was not messy.
But the robes he wore were personally chosen by her, as if they had formed some kind of intimate connection. Cui Yiluo's gaze fell on the moon-white outer robe, and a strange and complicated emotion arose in her heart.
Jiang Yunjin sat upright, his eyes lowered, seemingly lost in thought.
Cui Yiluo opened the window and glanced at the scene outside. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the streets were filled with carriages and horses. Cui Yiluo was not used to the hustle and bustle, so she closed the window again.
She asked casually, "Have you seen any plays before, my husband?"
There was a moment of silence beside him, followed by a barely perceptible pause in his voice: "No."
Cui Yiluo was stunned.
Previously in Ningzhou, she occasionally had the opportunity to take Lilan to see plays, or with other girls she knew. While she was still in Ningzhou, and under the control of the Yao family, she still managed to get some opportunities. Shengjing was the most prosperous city, with opera troupes from all over the country flocking there, but Jiang Yunjin had never seen a play. She had assumed that he just went very infrequently.
She suddenly couldn't understand how much his parents had disciplined him before. The strict rules and etiquette, the emphasis on diligence, seemed to have been ingrained in his blood since he could remember, and could never be separated from him again.
The atmosphere inside the carriage suddenly became somewhat somber.
After a while, Cui Yiluo suddenly rested her hand on the small table, supporting her beautiful face, and smiled at Jiang Yunjin, saying, "So, my husband's first time watching a play was with Yiluo?"
The sparse golden rays of the setting sun cast a slanting glow on her slender, snow-white shoulders and neck, yet her smile shone even brighter. Jiang Yunjin turned his head, the dark depths in his eyes slowly dissolving.
"Um."
It seemed like a helpless situation, yet one that had to be acknowledged.
Cui Yiluo chuckled, "So, many of my husband's firsts were with me."
The first contact, the first kiss, the first embrace—she completely invaded his life. Every day and night, every little detail, every thread of their entanglement, left an indelible mark on him. No matter how well he followed the rules, how much he restrained himself, he could not erase it.
But it's not just him; isn't she the same?
Although she admitted that she didn't love Jiang Yunjin, she couldn't deny that he was somehow different to her.
Her gaze darkened, and she parted her red lips slightly: "Then, to my husband, am I the most different?"
She stared at his cold, sculpted profile and asked softly, her tone as light as if it were just a casual question.
Jiang Yunjin paused, his thin lips pursed, and he turned his face, his dark eyes meeting hers. The atmosphere froze as their eyes met.
Just as he was about to speak, Cui Yiluo suddenly smiled and stopped him from answering, teasingly saying, "After all, only I have seen what my husband looks like that no one else has seen, right?"
The fact that others have never seen it clearly points to something else.
Jiang Yunjin's expression changed, seemingly helpless yet also dissuading, and he tapped the table with his fingers as a warning.
"Cui Yiluo".
Cui Yiluo chuckled softly.
He was calling her by her full name, but he showed no intimidation whatsoever, just like the last time she sat on his lap.
The atmosphere suddenly relaxed considerably. A few moments later, the carriage stopped outside Fenghua Tower, and Cui Yiluo stepped down from it.
The new play at Feng Hua Lou tonight seems to be causing quite a stir in the capital, attracting many high-ranking officials and nobles, with numerous luxurious carriages parked in front. It seems that the young actor is indeed very popular.
As Cui Yiluo walked to the door, she realized that Jiang Yunjin had not followed her.
She turned around and saw Jiang Yunjin standing tall and elegant beside the carriage, quietly instructing Wen Feng on what was going on. His face was ashen, and his aura was sharp, even revealing a ruthless edge, a feeling different from his usual calm and imposing presence, which she had never seen before.
The sharp, aggressive attack struck with deadly force, causing Cui Yiluo to freeze involuntarily.
As if sensing something, Jiang Yunjin lowered his eyes, glanced at the corners of his eyes, quickly gave Wen Feng a few instructions, and then stepped forward.
Holding the wooden plaque given to them by Jiang Zhaoyue, the servant immediately and attentively led them into the private room, where they proceeded without any hindrance.
The private room faced the stage directly, offering an extremely wide view. Cui Yilu thought to herself, "No wonder Jiang Zhaoyue chose this spot."
The room is separated on both sides by extremely tall landscape screens and beaded curtains, creating a strong sense of privacy. Although you are very close to the person in the next private room, you can't actually see their figure clearly.
Fresh pomegranates and grapes, plump and fresh, were laid out on the table, along with exquisitely styled pastries. As if to cater to the different preferences of different guests, the incense burning in the Boshan incense burner had only a light and pleasant fragrance.
"What kind of tea would our distinguished guest like?"
Jiang Yunjin did not speak, but looked at her, as if he would listen to her choice.
"Junshan Silver Needle".
Jiang Yunjin's eyes darkened.
Cui Yiluo smiled at him, "Isn't this tea your favorite, husband?"
Jiang Yunjin pursed his lips, his lips slightly pressed together, "Thank you."
“My husband is being too polite. Your affairs are of utmost importance, and I always keep them in mind.”
She laughed heartily, looking at Jiang Yunjin, only to find that his expression was not as uncomfortable as she had imagined, but rather slightly darkened, as if he was suppressing a conflicted and tangled emotion.
"What's wrong? Don't you believe Yi Luo, my husband?"
“No,” Jiang Yunjin said, his expression settling down. “We are husband and wife, so of course I trust you.”
You believe me too, don't you?
He looked up at her, his deep gaze seeming to penetrate her heart, revealing a hint of dominance.
Cui Yiluo hesitated for a moment before smiling and saying, "Of course, how could Yiluo not trust her husband?"
She was just teasing him, but he took it so seriously, replying to her in a rigid and formulaic manner. This intensified her strange feeling, completely killing any remaining interest she had.
The man lowered his eyes, his gaze darkening.
Suddenly, a startling gong sound rang out downstairs, completely silencing the noise inside the building.
As the show began, the surrounding chatter completely fell silent, and everyone focused intently on the stage. Cui Yiluo also turned her attention to the stage.
This play is indeed very novel. It tells the story of a poor scholar who falls in love with a noblewoman from a wealthy family. Despite breaking through the constraints of social norms and the opposition of their elders, they eventually become a couple.
The plot was full of twists and turns, and many spectators sat in front of the stage, applauding and cheering from time to time.
But the private room was completely quiet.
Cui Yiluo glanced at Jiang Yunjin discreetly. She hadn't learned about the play beforehand and hadn't expected it to be this one. He was such a person who valued etiquette, he certainly couldn't stand such a love story between a man and a woman who broke free from constraints, and might even think that staging this play was immoral.
But Cui Yiluo was somewhat surprised to see him calmly looking at the stage.
She really admired him for being so serious about everything he did.
While he was engrossed in watching the play, Cui Yiluo quietly shifted her gaze back to the scholar who was confronting the noblewoman's grandmother in the play.
Is this the hottest, exceptionally handsome young man that my cousin Zhaoyue was talking about?
Cui Yiluo frowned and began to examine the face closely, trying to figure out the man's appearance beneath the makeup.
But no matter how she looked at it, she felt it was nothing special.
His nose bridge wasn't high enough, unlike Jiang Yunjin's straight nose; his eyebrows and eyes weren't as dashing, not as handsome as Jiang Yunjin's dark, aloof eyes.
Cui Yiluo looked him over inch by inch and felt that he was not handsome enough in any way. Although Jiang Yunjin was rigid and boring and insisted on rules, Cui Yiluo felt that she had never seen a man more handsome than Jiang Yunjin.
She couldn't deny that this was one of the reasons she chose him in the first place.
Thinking about it, Cui Yiluo raised her eyes slightly and glanced at the man sitting upright beside her with his back straight. The noble air of a scion of a high-ranking family and the imposing aura of a ruler were perfectly integrated in him, as pure as snow on a mountain.
Looking at the young male actors on stage with their makeup on, they were clearly far inferior.
Cui Yiluo was looking at the stage and obviously didn't notice that the man next to her had lowered his head.
The young man was handsome. On the way to the private room, he had heard many young ladies and gentlemen discussing him. Jiang Zhaoyue had also mentioned this matter yesterday, so they were obviously there for this young man.
But she seemed to be observing him, afraid that he would find out.
Jiang Yunjin picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and felt the delicate fragrance of Junshan Silver Needle tea permeate his mouth.
The play was halfway through, and the stage was reaching a tense climax, with everyone in high spirits. Suddenly, even the sounds of people drinking tea in the building became much quieter.
"girl."
Suddenly, Lilan entered from outside the door, walked behind Cui Yiluo, and called out softly.
Her voice was drowned out by the loud singing on the stage. Cui Yiluo glanced at Jiang Yunjin and saw that he was staring intently at the stage, as if he was engrossed in it. Reassured, she made a quieter move, got up and left the private room with Lilan.
With their backs to the stage, the singing in the corridor quieted down considerably, making it much more peaceful. Cui Yiluo looked around and saw that everyone was in their private rooms, and the audience downstairs was also sitting attentively watching the play. No one noticed the two people who suddenly appeared in the corridor.
"What's wrong?"
Since they were outside and there were places that couldn't be seen, Cui Yiluo cautiously lowered her voice.
“Miss, the people from Ningzhou have been taken to Luoyun Lane. When they saw that I had brought guards, they knew they couldn’t resist, so they were quite sensible.”
Upon hearing this, Cui Yiluo felt slightly relieved.
“But…” Lilan added.
Cui Yiluo frowned.
"The Yao family is indeed cunning; they have already written a letter and sent it to the eldest son in advance. I wonder if it has arrived in the last couple of days. What should we do?"
If Yao wrote a letter to Jiang Yunjin, then Jiang Yunjin, with his upbringing, would naturally not ignore his wife's parents. Moreover, they had never met before their marriage, and now that they had come all the way to Shengjing, even if they were not staying at the Jiang family home, they would definitely have to meet them.
If they actually meet, Cui Yiluo will likely find it difficult to control the situation.
After all, Jiang Yunjin and she weren't on the same page. If they were an ordinary couple, she probably wouldn't need to worry so much.
Therefore, she originally planned to deal with that family privately, so that Jiang Yunjin would never know they had been there.
She calmly instructed, "Be extra careful these next two days, make sure he doesn't receive that letter."
"yes."
Cui Yiluo glanced around again; it was empty and deserted, with no one in sight.
She felt a little relieved; having been out for too long, it was inevitable that Jiang Yunjin would notice something amiss.
She hurried back to the private room.
As she sat down, Jiang Yunjin clearly noticed her departure.
"What happened?"
His eyes appeared somewhat dark in the bright candlelight, and his aura was low and oppressive.
Cui Yilu smiled brightly, looking quite at ease: "It's nothing, I just drank too much tea, so I'm going to change my clothes."
Jiang Yunjin stared at her for a few moments, his eyes darkening further.
After a few breaths, he gave a soft "hmm" and turned his eyes away.
Seeing that he was watching the play intently again, Cui Yiluo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had just thought he was about to find out.
Author's note: That's it. [shrug]
[Heart] Thank you to all the lovely people who watered the nutrient solution!
I'm having a bit of writer's block today, I'll write more tomorrow, sorry everyone.
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