Chapter 70 Plum Blossom Intoxication: I want to stay with you.
Cui Yiluo sensed something was wrong and wanted to test her again, but Old Madam Jiang was unwilling to keep her any longer.
But even after returning to Jixuezhai, she still couldn't figure it out. Old Madam Jiang wouldn't bring up something that didn't exist for no reason, unless Jiang Yunjin said it himself.
Why would he say that? Cui Yiluo carefully searched her memory, but there was no trace of Jiang Yunjin. She couldn't recall ever having met Jiang Yunjin before she arrived in Shengjing. He was a chosen one, born and raised in Shengjing, while she had grown up in Ningzhou; there was no way they could have had any interaction.
Unless, he had been to Ningzhou.
Cui Yiluo suddenly remembered that when she first arrived in Shengjing and was still trying to seduce him, she had unintentionally mentioned Ningzhou once, and he had unusually spoken up.
But if he had really been to Ningzhou and met her, given his looks and demeanor, she could not possibly have forgotten him.
Just as Cui Yiluo was carefully recalling the events, Lilan entered.
"Miss, the Third Miss has arrived."
Jiang Zhaoyue arrived just in time, and Cui Yiluo quickly had someone invite her to the flower hall.
"I heard from Grandmother that you went to Qingzhou. How come you're back so soon?"
Before Cui Yilu could answer, Jiang Zhaoyue teased, "Did your elder brother invite you back? I knew it! He treats you differently, so how could he marry someone else?"
When Jiang Zhaoyue mentioned it before, Cui Yiluo felt it was impossible. Jiang Yunjin only had the Jiang family and the court in his heart, how could he possibly have feelings of love for her?
Cui Yiluo's smile turned slightly helpless as she failed to refute him.
"But cousin, has my husband ever left Shengjing before?"
The conversation took an abrupt turn, and Jiang Zhaoyue paused for a moment, then her expression became somewhat strange, as if she had remembered something.
Why are you suddenly asking that?
Cui Yiluo remained calm, saying, "I'm a little curious."
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled and said meaningfully, "Being curious about someone's past means that he is special to you. It seems that you and your brother are very much in love."
Cui Yiluo gave her a helpless sidelong glance, feeling somewhat anxious, and then pressed Jiang Yunjin again to ask if he had ever left Shengjing.
Jiang Zhaoyue's strange expression deepened, and she hesitated to speak, but in the end, she gave in to her cousin's beautiful eyes filled with pleading and said, "My elder brother has been strictly disciplined by my uncle and aunt since he was a child. He has almost never gone out with his classmates and friends, let alone traveled outside."
Cui Yiluo's eyes darkened slightly upon hearing this. She had known a little about Jiang Yunjin's strict discipline by his parents before, but hearing it again now, the image of him studying hard in his study all day long was particularly vivid in her mind.
Even the last time she lured him to watch a play in order to prevent him from knowing that the Cui family had come to Shengjing, he said that it was his first time watching a play.
Before entering officialdom, most young men would travel for a while. Even Cui Jun had traveled. Jiang Yunjin came from a prominent family and was outstanding in his studies from a young age. He should have traveled all over the country and seen the world. However, apart from official business, he had never even left Shengjing.
Thinking of this, Cui Yiluo felt a tightness in her chest.
Jiang Yunjin has ever left the mansion?
When he was fifteen, Cui Yiluo was only eleven or twelve. She had never heard of any young master from Shengjing in Ningzhou, let alone seen him. Moreover, Ningzhou was just a small town that was not particularly wealthy, and it was far away from Shengjing. Even if Jiang Yunjin left Shengjing, it was unlikely that he would choose to come here.
After Jiang Zhaoyue finished speaking to her, she became somewhat certain that she had indeed never met him.
But she always felt that something was missing.
Winter days are shorter. By mealtime, the sky outside the window is already dark. The octagonal palace lanterns hanging from the ceiling turn in the wind. The hall is brightly lit, yet very quiet, with only the sound of bowls and chopsticks clinking softly.
On the dining table, a variety of dishes were served, including Four Happiness Meatballs, Shengping Roasted Meat, and Golden Millet Salad. The dishes were colorful and fragrant, making one's mouth water.
Cui Yiluo lowered her eyes, and suddenly saw slender fingers holding chopsticks, placing a bright orange-red shrimp into her bowl.
Cui Yilu subconsciously looked up and met the man's dark and deep eyes. He stared straight at her, seemingly not feeling uncomfortable about serving her food.
But that's normal, considering that during those five days in Qingchi Lane, he even held her and fed her.
"What are you thinking about?"
He asked seriously, and Cui Yiluo smiled and said, "Didn't my husband say, 'One should not speak while eating or sleeping'?"
He never adhered to the rule of not speaking while sleeping, but he always insisted on not speaking while eating, and his dining habits were almost no different from dining alone.
Despite being teased by her, Jiang Yunjin remained calm, as if he no longer cared about the rules at all. Unlike before, when he would feel somewhat uncomfortable after breaking the rules and being ridiculed by her, he did not remind her not to mention it again.
"Would you like to come to the study tonight? I've had the bookshelf renovated, and a desk has been placed there, separated by a screen. I've also added a few more candles. It's more spacious and brighter there than in the bedroom when you're looking at the account books."
Since Qingchi Lane, his personality has changed drastically. He always tries to keep her with him, sometimes forcefully, sometimes cleverly. He sends someone to inquire about her going to his study at night to look at the account books almost every day.
The bedroom is, after all, a place for living. During the day, Cui Yiluo would still be in the accounting room looking at the account books, but at night, she could only leave the account books in her bedroom and often sat on the couch.
The table and desk on the couch were naturally much smaller than those in Jiang Yunjin's study.
"My husband has considered everything so thoroughly, how could I possibly refuse?"
Cui Yilu smiled, and just as Jiang Yunjin's expression brightened slightly, she changed the subject again, "But I don't want to go."
Jiang Yunjin's brows furrowed instantly, and his eyes darkened as if stars had fallen.
He said in a deep voice, "You really don't want to be with me."
Cui Yiluo chuckled softly, as if she were the one who rigidly adhered to the rules and was indifferent. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at him with interest: "It's a pity that there are too many rules in your study, husband. You're more comfortable in the bedroom."
His study was so strict that even tea was forbidden, and there were countless other rules like these.
Jiang Yunjin paused for a moment, seemingly not expecting this reason.
After a few moments, he pursed his lips, his expression as if he had made a great concession, "What do you want? I'll have someone bring it to you."
Cui Yiluo's smile deepened, her eyes shimmering in the candlelight. "My husband, you want to be with me so much now that you even need me by your side when you're looking at official documents? Do you have any sense of propriety left?"
Jiang Yunjin neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying, "The bedroom is dimly lit, which is bad for your eyes."
Cui Yiluo softly said, "Don't worry, my husband. I will have someone add more lamps later, so it won't hurt your eyes."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yunjin's expression darkened further. He stared at her intently for a few moments with his dark eyes, his jaw tightened, and he said in a muffled voice, "Yes."
Cui Yiluo pretended not to know, "What is it?"
Jiang Yunjin looked somewhat helpless, but still answered her question: "I want to stay with you."
Even when he was working in his study, he wanted to be with her, even if they were separated by a screen, even if he could only see her silhouette reflected on the screen by the candlelight.
Cui Yiluo smiled, her eyes shining with increasing pride, as if she had won a great victory in a fierce battle.
“Of course I won’t refuse my husband’s request. Tonight I would like to have Golden Milk Pastry…” Cui Yiluo listed several types of pastries in a row. Seeing that Jiang Yunjin was listening silently and seemed to be making notes, she was about to call Wen Feng, who was guarding outside the dining hall, to have someone prepare them for her.
The octagonal palace lantern on the roof suddenly swayed, and the lights in the dining hall flickered on and off in an instant.
Cui Yiluo's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly straightened her expression.
"I don't need anything, Junshan Silver Needle will do."
He couldn't possibly attract insects and ants that would damage his treasured books.
Jiang Yunjin paused for a moment upon hearing this, seemingly understanding her intention, and a deep ripple spread across his dark eyes.
But then he hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but didn't. After a few moments, he finally spoke up and advised, "It's hard to fall asleep if you drink tea at night."
Cui Yiluo calmly replied, "Then that's fine. There's tea in the bedroom."
Jiang Yunjin looked at her, his expression changing several times in an instant, but he finally nodded in agreement.
-
As darkness fell, only a few stone lanterns illuminated the bluestone path in the courtyard, while the study was brightly lit, the candlelight filtering through the thick silk, making the corridor so bright that everything was clearly visible.
Behind the screen, Cui Yiluo was somewhat surprised. Jiang Yunjin had truly gone to great lengths; the furnishings were complete, of course, but he had even paid attention to the placement of the charcoal brazier and candles, and the height of the armchair and desk. The screen blocked her view, completely separating her from him. Although they were in the same room, it was practically the same as being apart, and he didn't want to disturb her.
Cui Yiluo gazed at the embroidered bird screen in front of her. His figure sitting at the desk was faintly visible, too blurry to see clearly, but she could still feel his focus as he read official documents.
She rested her chin on her hand and gazed at him, when suddenly she heard his voice coming from behind the screen.
"What's wrong?"
Cui Yiluo was taken aback. Even through the screen, he was able to so keenly notice that she was looking at him.
She would never admit it, only saying, "My neck is a little tired from looking down at the accounts."
That's why she looked up at him; she wasn't looking at him intentionally.
A low, almost inaudible chuckle came from behind the screen.
Cui Yiluo didn't know if he had seen through her, so he didn't press her further. Instead, he said, "If you feel tired, you can browse the books on the bookshelf next to you."
The place where Cui Yiluo was sitting originally had several tall and wide rosewood bookshelves, all filled with his treasured books, which were regularly organized, cleaned and aired. However, in order to make room for this semi-open space, his bookshelves had been moved to the side, squeezed together in a somewhat cramped spot.
Cui Yiluo glanced at the bookshelf crammed together beside her and responded.
She was indeed tired of looking at the account books. Jiang Yunjin's bookshelf was densely packed with books, and Cui Yiluo was a little curious about what other books he read besides those on the principles of a gentleman.
By the time I realized what was happening, I had already moved to the bookshelf.
Each book had a wooden tag with its title carefully marked. Cui Yiluo gently stroked a wooden tag; the handwriting on it was bold and elegant, yet possessed a certain strength. She recognized it at a glance—it was his handwriting.
He even personally labeled all the books.
Cui Yiluo casually glanced at the wooden sign, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and she pulled out the book.
As my fingertips traced the pages, the book opened, revealing the three characters "迷仙引" (Mi Xian Yin) written in ink.
To its left was a detailed description of the prescription and its effects, exactly the same as the one she had read before.
On the far right, there is a vertical inscription in smaller characters:
"The fragrance is subtle and delicate."
That's his courtesy name.
Cui Yiluo was startled.
Suddenly, she felt a tightness around her waist, and a warm sensation covered her back as a long arm pulled her straight into his embrace.
He embraced her from behind, and whispered in her ear, "What are you looking at?"
Author's Note: Aro's pupils were in shock [doge emoji]
The plot of "Bewitching Fairy" jumps to Chapter 18 [Sunglasses]
Sorry I'm late.
Thank you so much for the nutrient solution and landmines, everyone! [heart emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
