Chapter 53 My Husband, Shining Star, Happy Birthday
The next day, as dawn broke and winter approached, daylight came later and later. A brocade curtain hung over the couch, sealing off the spring scenery within. In the dim light, a tall, slender man stood beside the couch, fastening his jade belt.
The room was silent, except for a soft click as the jade belt tightened, perfectly outlining the man's lean waist and abdomen.
When Cui Yiluo lifted the brocade curtain, she happened to see this scene. Her gaze followed the noble official robe in crimson and purple. The man's handsome face still looked dashing and noble in the dim light.
Hearing the noise, Jiang Yunjin looked over and frowned slightly, saying, "Did I wake you up?"
Cui Yiluo lay on the edge of the couch, her head resting on her arm, her black hair cascading down. Because the charcoal brazier in the room was burning brightly, her snow-white cheeks were tinged with a rosy blush.
"My husband, please don't forget that I'm going out with my cousin Zhaoyue to the lantern festival today. After you return to the room, please take a bath and get ready."
Her red lips curved into a smile, her moist eyes still carrying the mist of morning, languid yet lively, staring unblinkingly at Jiang Yunjin standing before her.
Jiang Yunjin's eyes darkened slightly, and he parted his thin lips slightly: "Okay."
Cui Yilu listened to his indifferent tone, not mentioning that it was his birthday from beginning to end, nor did he seem to care at all, as if today was just an ordinary day. It seemed that he truly didn't care whether he celebrated his birthday or not, after all, Jiang Zhaoyue said that he hadn't celebrated his birthday since the fifteenth.
But why? Jiang Zhaoyue remained tight-lipped, likely because it was related to something Jiang Yunjin had done out of line, something she had mentioned long ago. Cui Yiluo was genuinely curious; how could someone so rule-abiding do something so outrageous?
After a brief silence, Jiang Yunjin said again, "Take good care of the guards and don't miss the curfew."
Upon hearing this, Cui Yiluo scoffed inwardly, but remained calm on the surface and said, "Don't worry, my husband."
If he says that, then she's even more likely to miss out; it would be best if he couldn't return home.
"I'm going to court. It's still early. You can sleep a little longer."
Last night's events didn't end early, and Cui Yilu couldn't understand how he could get up on time every day and focus on his work all day long. It seemed like only she was tired, but it was clearly him who did the work.
"Husband, wait."
Cui Yiluo curled her lips into a smile, then suddenly threw off the covers and got out of bed. Jiang Yunjin, however, didn't leave. He stood there watching her approach. Without the quilt to cover her, her high-waisted nightgown couldn't hide the few ambiguous red marks on her snow-white collarbone. The man's eyes darkened.
Jiang Yunjin stood not far from the couch. Cui Yiluo easily approached him, skillfully hooked her arm around him, kissed his thin lips, flicked her tongue lightly, and then quickly withdrew when the man was about to open his lips to capture hers.
"See you tonight, my husband."
Her tone was meaningful, and Jiang Yunjin's eyes immediately turned deep.
Cui Yiluo felt the pressure against her lower abdomen, and the corners of her lips couldn't help but turn up even higher. Her beautiful and captivating eyes curved slightly, and then she pulled away.
The fragrance, along with the warmth, suddenly vanished.
Jiang Yunjin stiffened slightly, looked away uncomfortably, turned his body to the side, gave a low and short "hmm," and then lifted the bamboo curtain to leave the room.
Cui Yiluo lay back on the couch, watching with great interest the figure behind the bamboo curtain who should have opened the door and left, but instead stood in front of the door for a long time, seemingly trying to calm down.
After a while, a soft creaking sound was heard, and the bedroom fell silent again after the door opened and closed.
-
Cui Yiluo stayed in the mansion for a day, and the mansion was no different from any other day. It was completely different from the liveliness of her birthday celebration with Jiang Mingxun. Apart from the old people in the mansion, the other servants obviously did not even know that it was Jiang Yunjin's birthday today.
Even though Jiang Yunjin didn't want to celebrate her birthday, everyone in the mansion tacitly avoided mentioning it. Even when she paid her respects to the old lady today, the old lady didn't say a word and seemed even more downcast and silent than usual.
This is rather strange. It seems that if Jiang Zhaoyue hadn't told her, she wouldn't have known Jiang Yunjin's birthday.
It seems I'll have to ask Jiang Zhaoyue again in the future.
As dusk fell, Cui Yiluo timed it perfectly and ordered a carriage to be prepared and leave the mansion. When the carriage arrived at Duanmen Gate outside the imperial city, it was just the time for officials to finish their shifts.
Tonight, there is a lantern festival in Shengjing, and there are many more carriages waiting outside Duanmen Gate. The dazzling afterglow shines on the magnificent Duanmen Gate, lengthening the shadows of the officials on the stone ground.
But after wave of officials poured out, the crowd gradually thinned out. Only three or four people occasionally emerged from the vast Duanmen Gate, and all the carriages around had driven away. Cui Yiluo still hadn't seen Jiang Yunjin.
As dusk settled and the last rays of sunlight shone on the magnificent gate, familiar figures finally appeared within the imperial city.
The man stood upright with steady steps. Even after a full day of official duties, his official robes remained perfectly in place, not a single detail out of place. His face was as handsome as jade, showing no signs of fatigue. Only his dark eyes were lowered, as if he were lost in thought.
Cui Yiluo stood in the dim light, not calling out to him, but just staring straight at him, waiting to see when he would notice her.
The next moment, Jiang Yunjin stopped in his tracks and quickly looked up.
In an instant, a hint of surprise appeared in his dark, deep eyes. Seeing his slightly stunned expression, Cui Yilu couldn't help but smile and look at him with a hint of smugness, as if she had gotten amusement from teasing him.
His slow, deliberate steps suddenly quickened, and he reached the car in just a few steps.
"Why are you here?"
His voice was low and soft, as if he was suppressing something.
Cui Yiluo didn't answer, but raised her voice slightly, whether out of anger or coquetry, she said, "Husband, are you making me wait so long on purpose by getting off work so late?"
Jiang Yunjin pursed his lips, his expression guilty: "I'm sorry, I didn't know you would come. In the future..."
He uttered two words, then realized something, his eyes darkened slightly, and he didn't say anything more.
Cui Yiluo looked at him with interest, smiling, and deliberately said, "In the future? My husband doesn't mean I have to come and pick him up again in the future, does he?"
"No."
Seeing his expression, Cui Yiluo's lips curled up even more, and she deliberately took his hand. Although it was getting dark and most of the officials had left, there were still a few people around, not to mention the guards on duty at the Duanmen Gate.
In public, she was so bold as to hold his hand; he would surely be angry again. After all, last time she had merely linked arms with his, and he had reprimanded her for not being intimate outside the palace gates.
But the next moment, he grabbed her hand, and the moment his well-defined fingertips pressed against the back of her hand, Cui Yiluo was stunned.
She looked away from their clasped hands and turned to him, only to see him deliberately avoiding her gaze, but still holding his hand firmly.
"Get in the car."
After the two got into the carriage and sat down, the carriage started moving steadily.
Jiang Yunjin's gaze fell on the familiar wooden box on the table.
"Husband, please change quickly."
Jiang Yunjin, always intelligent, clearly understood now. His face showed no further surprise; on the contrary, the dark look on his face when he walked out of the imperial city gate had suddenly and silently faded away.
"Turn your back first."
Seeing his slightly uncomfortable expression, Cui Yiluo chuckled softly, but instead of turning around, she propped her chin on her hand and stared straight at him.
His tone carried a hint of helplessness, and his eyes warned, "Cui Yiluo."
Cui Yiluo's gaze lightly swept over his waist and abdomen, then stopped and turned away.
Inside the carriage, there was a soft, restrained rustling sound of fabric; he changed his robes very quickly.
"Didn't you have an appointment with Third Sister?"
Cui Yilu smiled playfully: "Isn't it a bit too late for my husband to ask after he's changed his clothes?"
Jiang Yunjin pursed his thin lips and remained silent.
Cui Yiluo looked disappointed, and her tone became a little lower: "My cousin has some things to do and can't go out, so I'll have to trouble my husband to come with me. My husband doesn't not want to come with me, does he?"
Indeed, both this time and last time were acts of desperation.
Jiang Yunjin lowered his eyes: "No."
After traveling for a while, the carriage came to a steady stop. The carriage door opened, and the scene and noise outside suddenly rushed into the carriage. Under the dark blue, thick, and silk-like night, the lake water flowed gently, and the lakeside was crowded with people releasing lanterns, talking and laughing noisily.
A painted boat was moored on the shore, its lanterns lit, their reflections on the clear lake surface like twinkling stars.
Cui Yiluo boarded the painted boat, only to find the man behind her staring at the crowd by the lake.
She looked in that direction and saw Jiang Zhaoyue squatting by the lake with a man, releasing lanterns. The man was tall and stood out in the crowd.
Cui Yilu was startled. She naturally knew who the man was, and Jiang Yunjin must have had official dealings with the Prefect of the Capital, so it was impossible for them not to know each other.
Although the current social customs are open, and there are many men and women strolling together by the lake today, it's one thing for others, but Jiang Zhaoyue is the third daughter of the Jiang family and is not yet engaged. Jiang Yunjin, a rigid person, will definitely not tolerate it. If he scolds her, it will cause a scene in front of her aunt...
Suddenly forgetting what they had said in the carriage, Cui Yiluo quickly took his hand and urged him casually, "What are you looking at, my husband? Aren't you coming up?"
Jiang Yunjin gave a soft "hmm" and said nothing, then turned around and boarded the painted boat.
Cui Yiluo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps it was because the lakeside was dimly lit, and the man had his back to them, making it impossible to see his face clearly, and his tall figure also obscured most of Jiang Zhaoyue's features, so Jiang Yunjin did not dare to make a hasty judgment.
After entering the inner room of the painted boat, Cui Yiluo secretly observed the man's expression again by the bright candlelight. She saw that he did not seem angry. On the contrary, his expression was even more cheerful. She wondered if it was because the inner room was bright.
In any case, Jiang Yunjin clearly hadn't discovered Jiang Zhaoyue's affair.
The boat was released from its ropes and began to drift slowly along the lake, heading straight for the center of the lake.
Cui Yiluo sat by the window, a lotus lantern on the table, and lanterns were also hung outside the window to match the occasion. The lanterns swayed gently, and the light made the room even brighter, creating a warm atmosphere.
Suddenly, Cui Yiluo recalled the scene by the lake earlier, and an absurd thought popped into her mind: the Lantern Festival has always been a place for lovers to meet, an occasion with a somewhat ambiguous atmosphere. She and Jiang Yunjin did indeed seem to be on a romantic outing.
Why don't you go to the lake and release lanterns?
Cui Yilu smiled and said, "Doesn't my husband dislike crowded places? Besides, it's just the two of us on this pleasure boat. There are some things I want to say to my husband alone."
Jiang Yunjin's gaze deepened as he looked at her.
The painted boat had drifted to the center of the lake and slowed down considerably, but there were still many lanterns floating on the lake all around.
"What's up?"
He asked in a low voice.
Looking into his deep, dark eyes, Cui Yiluo seemed to have guessed what was going on, and deliberately asked with a smile, "Husband, what day is it today?"
A complex expression immediately welled up in Jiang Yunjin's eyes. The flickering candlelight only made the darkness in his eyes appear even more intense.
Suddenly, Cui Yiluo pulled a small wooden box from a hidden pocket in her sleeve.
Inside was a woven forsythia flower, blooming freely and full of vitality.
The candlelight shone brightly on Cui Yiluo's beautiful face, and a smile flickered in her clear eyes. She looked at Jiang Yunjin, who slowly took the wooden box and stared intently at the forsythia flowers inside.
"My husband, happy birthday."
Author's Note: [doge] It was so satisfying again! The rule of "no second time" just won't hold true anymore.
[Heart] Thank you to all the lovely people who watered the nutrient solution!
I'm recommending my best friend's novel, *Delicate Poison (Double Rebirth)* by Guihua Yuyuan. It features a voluptuous beauty and a lewd, sensual king. The male lead is incredibly lewd and stimulating, and also very fragrant. [heart emoji]
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