Chapter 109 The delicate flower in her hair, Li Zhao's laughter sent chills down her spine...
Meanwhile, at the Zhuang family residence, the entire family gathered again that day to celebrate the disaster relief efforts in Liyang.
"Sister Zhao Zhao, I heard that you will be returning to Songshan Town soon."
Li Yang grunted in response, unsure of her meaning.
Zhuang Jielong smiled and said, "That's good. I'm sure you're not used to the capital. Take advantage of these few days to buy some jewelry. I'm sure Songshan Town can't find such skilled craftsmen. The kingfisher feathers from Liuli Fang, the rouge from Helian Zhai, and the lip rouge from Gui Fang are all excellent."
Li Yang closed his eyes and ate his food with a disgruntled expression. He should have known better than to listen to such nonsense.
Madam Ling reprimanded, "You shouldn't talk while eating! That's unruly!"
Zhuang Jielong was about to whine to her mother again, but Zhuang Jieling spoke sternly, "Long'er, Songshan Town is a prosperous place in Jiangnan, and the craftsmen there are even more skilled than those in the capital. Don't talk nonsense and make a fool of yourself."
She remained silent throughout the meal, but as her sister's disrespectful remarks drew a dark look from everyone at the table, they had no choice but to reprimand her sister first.
Seeing her younger sister's defiant expression, she was helpless. This younger sister had been spoiled rotten by the family since childhood, and with a prime minister as her grandfather, no one dared to say a word to her in the capital.
But this younger sister is really going too far. This is our grandfather's house. Although I don't understand why my grandfather treats this Mr. Chen and his wife so well, they are my grandfather's guests. How can my sister speak so rudely?
Zhuang Jielong shouted, "Sister!"
The scene was somewhat awkward. Zhuang Shutong was also a little angry because Zhuang Jielong had treated Li Yang so badly, so she didn't try to smooth things over and just told her niece to save face.
Li Yang felt a little embarrassed. "I didn't really browse these shops when I was in Songshan Town. These days, there are so many different kinds of jewelry in the jewelry shops in the capital that I've never seen before. I should really take a look around. Thank you for the suggestion, Miss Long'er."
Chen Junbo frowned and picked up some food with his chopsticks.
After Li Yang finished speaking, he looked down and saw a piece of braised chicken fall into his bowl. He turned his head and smiled gently at him.
Because of Zhuang Jielong's inappropriate words and actions, the meal was unpleasant for everyone, so the two said goodbye and left early.
Chen Junbo instructed that the carriage had reached the main street before pulling Li Yang out of the carriage.
Li Yang: "What's wrong?"
Chen Junbo: "Let's take a look around."
Li Yang was amused by his matter-of-fact manner, and chuckled. She stood on tiptoe and leaned closer to look at him, "Want to go for a stroll?"
Being stared at so closely made Chen Junbo feel very uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and glared back at her defiantly.
What the heck!
Chen Junbo is usually not talkative. These days, the two have become more familiar and he talks more, but when he can't win an argument with her, he falls silent again.
"Then let's take a look around." Li Yang snorted and turned to leave, but then turned back to look at Chen Junbo, clapped his hands and said, "Did you bring enough money?"
Chen Junbo stood with his hands behind his back, staring at her intently, his smile gradually warming. "That's enough."
The two strolled hand in hand to a stall where candied hawthorns and sugar figurines came in various shapes.
Li Yang held a string of candied hawthorns and a sugar figurine of a maid, unsure which to choose. Chen Junbai had already placed some loose silver on the ground and bought both. The shopkeeper took the silver but was worried about not having change; who would spend three taels of silver on a sugar figurine? Chen Junbai waved his hand at the shopkeeper, indicating that he didn't need change. The shopkeeper grinned from ear to ear, calling him "esteemed guest" repeatedly.
Li Yang ate two candied hawthorns, which were so sour that he frowned. He then switched with Chen Junbo and took a candied hawthorn from the maid, sipping it bit by bit, his eyes crinkling with sweetness.
Chen Junbo watched the little girl walk with a bouncy gait, followed behind her, and took a bite of the candied hawthorn in his hand. Ouch, it was really sour.
The two arrived at a jewelry shop, and Chen Junbo took Li Yang's hand and said they should go in and take a look.
Li Yang had been buying a lot of gold and silver jewelry with his mother these days, but he wasn't very interested. He was just surprised that Chen Junbo, a grown man, wanted to go to a jewelry store. By the time he wanted to refuse, they had already arrived at the store.
Chen Junbo picked up a gold and gemstone hairpin, held it up to her head, and then handed it to her, asking, "Do you like it?"
Li Yang handed the sugar figurine to Chen Junbo, picked up the hairpin and examined it closely. The hairpin was made of pure gold, with a round, large, light pink gemstone in the center, about the size of a thumbnail. It was adorned with red, orange, and emerald green gemstones, with fine beads on both sides. At the top, there was another pink peach-shaped gemstone, about the size of a thumbnail, set in the center of a flower-shaped design carved from jade.
A large pearl adorns the base of a pink peach-shaped gemstone. The hairpin has a simple design, but the gemstone's brilliance makes it very appealing to him.
"Try it." Chen Junbo held two strings of candy in one hand and took the hairpin from her hand with his right hand, gently inserting it into her hair bun.
The waiter was very perceptive. Seeing that the two were dressed in fine clothes, he immediately praised, "This hairpin looks absolutely beautiful on your hair, madam. This young master has excellent taste. The hairpin looks simple and elegant, but the peach, stone, and jade on it are all top-quality materials. It was carefully carved by the craftsman and it complements your beauty perfectly."
The waiter launched into a torrent of praise, leaving Li Yang feeling dizzy. Chen Junbai, seeing her looking back and forth in the bronze mirror without saying a word, handed over the silver and bought the hairpin.
Upon seeing the silver, Li Yang exclaimed in a low voice, "Too expensive."
Good heavens, fifty taels of silver for a hairpin, and now she has a whole box of hairpins.
At this sound, the waiter's hands, which had just received the silver, were caught in a dilemma.
Chen Junbo gestured with his chin to the waiter, only helping Li Yang adjust the hairpin in her hair, "It's not expensive, as long as you like it."
Seeing that Li Yang was still distressed, Chen Junbo pulled her hand down, "Since we got married, I have never taken you to a jewelry store properly. It is my negligence."
Upon hearing this, Li Yang suddenly felt somewhat uneasy. Browsing jewelry shops and giving hairpins to women were common occurrences for ordinary couples, but this was something that had never happened to the two of them before.
Okay, fine.
Chen Junbo chuckled and they walked back to the teahouse hand in hand.
While waiting for their meal, the two talked in the room.
Li Yang turned over and sat down next to Chen Junbai. "The Fourth Prince should be at Grandfather's house by now. What do you think he wants to see Grandfather about?"
She spoke as if to herself, fiddling with the strands of hair that fell beside her face, sometimes tying them into a knot, sometimes untying them.
Strands of her hair bounced wildly, brushing against Chen Junbai's cheek, tickling him slightly. Chen Junbai glanced away, then expertly pulled her into his arms.
Li Yang, her back pressed against the man's body, felt unbearably hot. She nudged him with her elbow and said, "It's so hot. I'm talking to you."
Chen Junbo, with his good temper, let go of her hand and chuckled softly, "If you're still worried, you can go to the Zhuang residence again tonight."
This girl always worries about all sorts of things. Thinking about it, she grabbed Li Yang's hair, ran her fingers through the thick strands, and gently combed through her hair.
The hairpin shone brightly in her hair, and in the dim sunlight, Li Yang's fair face was faintly pink, with a few beads of sweat.
“Zhaozhao”.
"Um?"
Chen Junbo reached into her hair and fiddled with the hairpin, saying, "By accepting my hairpin, we've pledged our love."
What?
"Then I don't want it." Li Yang hurriedly reached out to remove the hairpin.
She raised her hand and asked the person to hold it down. She turned her head, and their eyes met, as if time had stood still for a moment.
Li Yang's eyes stung a little, when suddenly that person's warm lips landed on her forehead, the end of her eyebrows, and traced down her beautiful features... "Zhao Zhao, is it okay?"
"No, you can't."
Chen Junbo chuckled and gently kissed her neck, "Zhaozhao?"
"No..."
The man smiled and raised his head, his eyes as still as an abyss, staring intently at her within an inch.
"..." Li Yang's eyes darted away, but he couldn't escape the burning gaze. He made up his mind and leaned over to bite the other's shoulder. "You can't be the only one biting me."
Chen Junbo felt a weight on his shoulder, and with a bob in his Adam's apple, he regained control.
The silk quilt is as smooth as water, and a subtle fragrance wafts through the air.
The delicate flower in her hair, along with the flickering candlelight, fell into his eyes, transforming into a hazy crimson glow.
The moonlight, like a ribbon, quietly poured onto the bed, illuminating the mess and creating a serene atmosphere. Only after the wind and rain stopped did he use the moonlight to carefully wipe away the thin layer of sweat on her neck and smooth her damp hair.
Li Yang curled up in the brocade quilt, like a satiated cat after a full meal, letting him serve her, and even unconsciously rubbing her hands gently against his palm.
Seeing her enjoying herself so naturally, Chen Junbo's heart softened, but then an indescribable itch rose within him. He suddenly leaned down, pinched her smooth chin, and kissed her deeply without saying a word.
He felt a surge of desire, propped himself up, grabbed her chin, turned her around, and kissed her again.
-
Despite their antics, the atmosphere in the study of the Zhuang family mansion was tense and ready to fight.
"Fourth Prince! Please be careful with your words."
Zhuang Ziyang slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and shouted angrily.
Li Zhao, however, did not care at all. He sat in the armchair with his hands on the armrests, casually picking at his nails.
"Why is Prime Minister Zhuang so angry?" A smile played on his lips. "I've said it before, it's the truth. Why can't Prime Minister Zhuang hear the truth?"
Li Zhao came here today to patiently discuss cooperation with this old scoundrel surnamed Zhuang.
Zhuang Ziyang: "Your Highness, I made myself very clear last time I was here."
"Is Prime Minister Zhuang determined to be my enemy?"
"This old minister is loyal only to the Daqing Dynasty and only to His Majesty of the current dynasty."
No matter what, he could never support the Fourth Prince.
"Hmph, Lord Zhuang, being so stubborn is not a good habit."
Zhuang Ziyang turned around and saw that Li Zhao had already stood up and was standing not far away, sneering. He couldn't help but shiver, as if a snake had entered his sleeve, cold and slimy.
He felt uneasy. Li Zhao was a man of extremely sinister thoughts, and he couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?"
Li Zhao suddenly chuckled, then laughed loudly and left.
Zhuang Shutong emerged from behind the screen, "Father..."
Zhuang Xiang looked in the direction of the sound, his eyes dark and deep, and shook his head five times.
Li Yang rolled over and lay face down, asking, "What did Mother say?"
Now that the two have consummated their marriage, she has become very familiar with him and is quite at ease ordering Young Master Chen around, refusing to walk a single step herself.
"My mother-in-law's letter only said that there was no news of my father-in-law yet, and that they were intensifying their search for him."
Zhuang Shutong's anxiety was palpable on the page. Li Zhao's laughter that day had sent chills down her spine, and the uneasy thought in her heart gradually grew stronger.
Chen Junbo could easily discern the unease beneath her forced composure from those few lines of text. She only pretended to be relaxed when speaking to Li Yang, after all, no news was good news.
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