Li Hua tried his best to dispel the images in his mind that shouldn't have appeared in this situation with the pain. Every bite of his meal was clearly a delicacy, but he found it tasteless.
Because he was preoccupied with his thoughts, and the more considerate and kind Gan Qiongying was to him, the more he felt overwhelmed with guilt as he thought about his appointment with Zhongli Zhengzhen that night.
Reason told him that he shouldn't easily trust Gan Qiongying, shouldn't forget what she had done in the past, and should quickly provide Princess Duanrong's network of influence to rescue his subordinates who were being held captive in Jinchuan.
In the latter half of the banquet, the two had almost finished eating. Gan Qiongying was certain that Li Hua had eaten the maximum amount he could eat, so she stopped looking after Li Hua and turned her attention to Wen Xueling, continuing to tease her and say sarcastic things.
There was nothing she could do; after all, she was the villainous supporting character, while Wen Xueling was the female lead. She originally wanted to hide, but now that she had a younger brother, she couldn't hide anymore.
Even if it's just so that Gan Lin in the palace can remain safe and sound as in the story, she still has to stir up trouble and cause chaos for Wen Xueling.
However, she wouldn't actually hurt Wen Xueling; she wasn't some kind of devil. She was a model citizen of the 21st century, advocating for a prosperous, civilized, and harmonious society.
Her main point is that the toad on her foot is not meant to bite but to annoy people.
She moved closer to Wen Xueling, tugged at her skirt, and said, "Hey, which shop did you get this dress made at? I'm telling you, don't go there anymore. It doesn't look good on you; you look like a big radish flower."
As she spoke, she pointed to the exquisite carvings on a plate in front of Wen Xueling and showed them to her.
The stunningly beautiful dance costume that captivated the world in Wen Xueling's storyline was reduced to a decorative item on a plate in Gan Qiongying's words.
The key point is that Wen Xueling looked down at the finger she was pointing at, and then she could never go back, because it really looked incredibly similar.
Wen Xueling looked pale and sickly. Gan Qiongying moved next to her seat and said in a friendly tone, "I'm telling you, you shouldn't dance anymore, okay?"
"I was too embarrassed to say anything because there were so many people around. What kind of well-bred, noble princess would be learning to dance for no reason?"
Wen Xueling didn't want to listen to Gan Qiongying's nonsense; she wanted to run away.
But the banquet wasn't over yet, and she couldn't escape even if she wanted to.
Gan Qiongying was a bit taller than her, and leaned towards her in a very intimidating way, almost whispering in her ear, "You haven't been in Yindu for long, so you may not know that the ladies of prominent families in Yindu don't learn dancing, which is something that uses the body to please men."
At first, Wen Xueling seemed to ignore the nonsense, but her expression quickly became serious.
Gan Qiongying said, "The noble ladies who play with you flatter you, but no one dares to tell you the truth. In Yindu, only concubines and courtesans use their dances to please others."
"When people raise young ladies, they value a virtuous and capable woman who can manage a household well. A seductive mistress might bewitch her son, causing him to become addicted to sex and neglect his studies, and he would not be able to find a wife."
“The skills of playing the zither, chess, calligraphy and painting are not easily displayed unless it is a very formal occasion or when playing for an elder.”
Gan Qiongying then pointed to the musicians playing music in the distance and said, "Every nobleman's residence employs musicians. You've been to many people's banquets, haven't you? Have you ever seen a family entertain guests by having their daughter play the zither for them? Unless they want to give their daughter away as a concubine."
Wen Xueling was quickly and completely fooled by Gan Qiongying.
However, everything Gan Qiongying said was true. These were all things from Princess Duanrong's memories. Although Nanzhao was a place with open customs and less strict separation between men and women, these things were all customary agreements between clans and nobles.
As Gan Qiongying spoke, she put her arm around Wen Xueling's shoulder, using the friction of their skin to deepen the trust between them.
Seeing that Wen Xueling was starting to believe him, he changed his tune and began to sow discord between her and her father.
"Why do you want to learn to dance? You may be too young to understand these principles, but your father is the King of Jingxi, and he must have countless concubines in his household, right? He wouldn't have his principal wife dance for him for no reason, would he?"
“King Jingxi has been in the capital for many years, and he must know about the custom of these clans marrying their principal wives.”
"If he wanted to find you a suitable husband, why didn't he tell you these things beforehand?"
Gan Qiongying looked genuinely puzzled, but she didn't say the rest of her words. Every raised eyebrow seemed to question the King of Jingxi's "malicious intentions." She was implying that the King of Jingxi wanted to give away his precious daughter as a concubine.
This implies that the King of Jingxi did not cherish Wen Xueling as much as he thought.
In reality, she wasn't that precious. In the story, the King of Jingxi used Wen Xueling as a tool for a political marriage. When he learned that she was involved with several men at the same time, he laughed and praised his daughter for her ability, encouraging her to keep them all hooked.
After hearing this, Wen Xueling was stunned for a long time, but her expression quickly changed. She glared at Gan Qiongying and looked like she wanted to strangle her!
She wasn't stupid; she realized that Gan Qiongying was trying to sow discord between her and her father!
Her father loved her so much, how could he possibly harm her!
Her father had clearly stated that he would grant her wish to marry whomever she desired!
Wen Xueling nudged Gan Qiongying, sat up straight, and then ignored her.
Princess Duanrong is truly hateful.
Gan Qiongying touched her nose, not expecting her to sow discord between Wen Xueling and the King of Jingxi with just a few words.
She knew when to stop. She dared not say anything else, but as long as she went back and inquired a little, as she had been told, the noble ladies indeed did not dance. From now on, it would be impossible for her to confidently step onto the stage and perform a dance that would captivate the world.
How could such a proud person not feel resentful once they realize that what they are learning is for the purpose of pleasing others?
Her game is now completely over.
Gan Qiongying moved back to her small table, feeling that her move deserved a chicken leg.
While she was pondering the next part of the plot with her head down, Li Hua kept looking at Gan Qiongying.
In fact, Li Hua often felt that the current Gan Qiongying and the former Princess Duanrong were completely different people.
When did it begin?
It started two months ago when he went to the mansion to deliver silver, was routinely beaten and scolded and driven away, but was inexplicably taken back.
At that time, he thought Princess Duanrong was lusting after him.
But after sharing a bed for so long, apart from wanting to hug him while sleeping, she never did anything inappropriate. Once, when the two were hit by a car at the market and accidentally fell together, she was even more embarrassed than he was.
Ironically, at that time Li Hua thought she did it on purpose.
Looking back now... he'd rather she'd done it on purpose.
If she were truly doing this on purpose, and was only after his looks, then he wouldn't be so fixated on her.
The longer he spends with Gan Qiongying, the more he finds it hard to admit that he is always hoping she will touch him.
Whether it's just touching fingers or rubbing shoulders.
This secret expectation, which cannot be told to outsiders, tormented Li Hua every moment.
He cursed himself more than once in his heart for being so pathetic, for why he should expect someone who had once trampled him into the mud to extend a hand to him.
But... he couldn't control himself.
Because what Gan Qiongying gave him was something he had never even imagined in his life, not even in his dreams, something so meticulous that it broke his heart.
What could Li Hua do?
Even though he knew it was all a mirage, he still wanted to be an ignorant monkey and try his luck in the water.
So when the banquet ended in the evening, I went back to the courtyard, washed up, and went to bed.
Gan Qiongying closed her eyes, lay down peacefully, and folded her hands together, as always, very properly.
But after closing my eyes for a while, I felt a burning sensation from a gaze.
She opened her eyes and looked at Li Hua, who always had his back to her and faced the bed every night, but tonight he was facing her and watching her.
Gan Qiongying glanced at him. Li Hua's gaze was normal, as if he were looking at her, or as if he were staring blankly through her.
So she closed her eyes again.
He opened his eyes again a moment later.
It's normal, it's normal. I sleep facing the inside of the bed every day, and my head has become tilted to one side.
It opens its eyes, then closes them again.
It's normal, it's normal. Sleeping on one side all the time can cause numbness in your body.
It opens its eyes, then closes them again.
No, I can't sleep.
Gan Qiongying opened her eyes, turned to look at Li Hua, paused, and asked tentatively, "Do you need to get out of bed to use the restroom?"
"It's okay, just step over me."
Li Hua rested her head on her arm, looked at her, and shook her head. "No."
"So you... have insomnia?"
"Do you have trouble sleeping in a particular bed?" Gan Qiongying suddenly realized. "Is it because the beds here aren't as comfortable as mine?"
“I knew it! My quilt was a tribute, a special gift from His Majesty.”
“But you’re used to sleeping here, and there’s nothing we can do for now. There’s no way we can get any tribute here. By the time we go back to get it, it will be dawn. Tomorrow is the summer hunt, so we’ll have to stay here for another two days.”
"Can we send someone back to get it tomorrow?" Gan Qiongying didn't find Li Hua troublesome at all. After all, he was the God of Wealth, so it was normal for him to have some requests after descending to earth.
Li Hua remained silent, simply looking at her.
His gaze had been complex for the past few days, and Gan Qiongying couldn't decipher it.
In fact, Li Hua's eyes were always very complicated. He was too thoughtful. However, Gan Qiongying understood that geniuses are all thoughtful. As the saying goes, the business world is like a battlefield. A good businessman is like a battlefield commander. He must have many worries and thoughts.
"Or should I have Manyue have someone cook you a bowl of calming soup?" Gan Qiongying continued to ask.
Li Hua remained silent.
Gan Qiongying was getting a little anxious. She suddenly reached out and touched his forehead, which made Li Hua tremble. He suddenly gripped the quilt tightly.
"She's not sick, she just can't sleep?" Gan Qiongying's patience with Li Hua was like a surging river, endless.
"Mm." This time, Li Hua responded with a soft "Mm."
Gan Qiongying sat up, thought for a moment and said, "How about this, I'll go to my aunt's place and see. She must have some soft quilts there. Even if they're not tribute items, they must be top-quality ones."
"Wait for me, I'll be right back."
She was willing to put aside her pride and make sure Li Hua slept well tonight.
Li Hua grabbed her clothes as she was putting on her shoes.
"Don't go, it's not about the blanket." Li Hua's voice was extremely tense, almost trembling.
Gan Qiongying turned to look at him and asked, "What happened?"
Li Hua looked at her, then closed her eyes after a moment, her fingers still clutching a corner of Gan Qiongying's clothes. When she spoke again, her voice was extremely low and hoarse: "Because you hold me every night when you sleep. I can't sleep if you don't hold me."
Although his voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, Gan Qiongying still heard him clearly.
But she thought she was hallucinating.
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