27. Resistance
◎The expression of spring in her heart is so familiar◎
Chapter 27
Ji Ci returned very late, long after dusk. After returning to the palace, he went straight to his study in the main courtyard to continue processing unfinished official documents.
There was a gentle knock on the door, and the old housekeeper bent down outside and said, "Your Majesty, Miss Qiu is at the main courtyard gate, asking if she can come in."
Miss Qiu, Qiu Ziye.
Ji Ci suddenly looked up. He was so busy that he forgot that there was a troublesome young widow living in the palace.
He looked at the document in his hand and said, "Let her wait in the courtyard."
Ji Ci lowered his head and continued to write the unfinished letter. Finally, he put down the brush, waited for the ink to dry, folded it and stuffed it into the envelope.
"Go to heaven."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Tian Qu went in immediately after hearing this. Ji Ci handed over the letters in his hand and arranged for them to be delivered to several officials. After finishing everything, he got up and went to the courtyard.
Unlike other courtyards in the palace, which are mostly desolate, even those that have been maintained are very clean and simple.
The main courtyard has all the rockery, waterside pavilions and terraces that should be there. This is the only place in the entire palace that looks like home, except for the hall where guests are received.
It was a windy night with a bright moon. Ji Ci walked into the courtyard step by step and saw the figure standing beside the locust tree.
She stood gracefully, with her lotus-root-pink shawl gently lifted up, like light clouds covering the moon and snow swirling in the wind.
For some reason, the depressed mood that had been caused by a busy day suddenly disappeared.
As he slowly approached, Jiang Qiuye turned around in surprise, with a smile on her face and shallow dimples, which made people feel happy unconsciously.
"The prince finally came out."
Jiang Qiuye was holding a food box in her hand, which contained the medicinal food she had specially prepared for Ji Ci in the small kitchen.
When he saw the food box, he suddenly realized that it was already past dinner time. His stomach, which had been numb before, began to churn and he became extremely hungry.
"Well, aren't you still sick? Why don't you just lie in bed for a while longer and come out like this?"
Jiang Qiuye stepped forward and took Ji Ci's hand. His body froze and he didn't know how to react. He just let her pull it to his forehead and stroke it.
"I'm no longer feverish, Your Highness. Feel me. I've always been strong, and the fever has subsided today. I don't feel uncomfortable anymore."
The night wind blew through his body, and he suddenly felt a little hot. His Adam's apple rolled slightly. He saw that this young widow had no sense of defense between men and women. Well, it wasn't the first time. He would teach her slowly in the future.
"...Well, that's good."
Jiang Qiuye could feel the unusual stiffness of her wrist. Seeing this, she let go and pretended not to know. She just curled her lips and said, "Your Highness is so busy that he doesn't even have dinner. How can that be?"
"When things are busy, I forget."
"Your Highness." She called him softly with a smile.
"Um?"
"To be kind, one must first be kind to oneself. I know Your Highness cares deeply about the world. If you exhaust your own health, how can you extend your grace to others? Right?"
Seeing Ji Ci looking at her in a daze, she smiled at him again, picked up the food box in her hand, and said, "Let's eat, Your Highness."
After saying that, Jiang Qiuye took the initiative to walk into the hall. Seeing this, Ji Ci felt helpless and followed her.
After placing the food box on the dining table, the two sat down. Jiang Qiuye raised her hand and gently opened the lid, and a tempting aroma of food wafted into her nose.
The old butler was watching from a distance, and walked a few steps forward to serve, but was rejected by Jiang Qiuye: "Grandpa Butler, you go and rest, I will serve the prince."
Seeing Ji Ci nodded slightly, the butler immediately turned around and left, hiding in a corner.
Ji Ci took a quick glance at the food taken out of the lunch box: beef brisket soup and two side dishes.
The young widow has been sick and catching a murderer these days. I haven't been able to eat her medicinal food for several days and I really miss it.
Of course, he wouldn't let her know. He deliberately turned his eyes away, looking outside the hall, not looking at the beef brisket on the table.
Jiang Qiuye first served a bowl of clear soup in a small bowl. Ji Ci took a look at it, swallowed, took it, and drank it in small sips.
The winter chill has dissipated, and the silver charcoal burning in the hall has become more prominent, and the drink is as delicious as ever.
After taking it, he felt even hungrier, so he picked up his chopsticks and started to taste it without hesitation.
Jiang Qiuye glanced at Ji Ci, whose expression was becoming increasingly gentle: "Prince, is it delicious?"
Ji Ci turned around and said, "It's delicious."
Jiang Qiuye picked up a pickled fruit with another pair of chopsticks and placed it on the small plate in front of Ji Ci. "Your Highness, please try this newly made pickled fruit. I also added some herbs that are good for your stomach."
"Have you added medicine to all the food?" He smiled slightly, picked up the pickled fruit and put it in his mouth. When he bit it open, the juice burst out and it was a bit sour.
"This method of medicinal cuisine isn't limited to soups; any food can be used as a medicinal food. I've even tried shoveling turtle meat into noodles. I'll let Your Highness try it next time. It's my unique secret recipe."
Seeing Ji Ci eat the pickled fruit, Jiang Qiuye also picked up a pickled fruit and put it in her mouth. However, for some reason, the pickled fruit was a little too sour. She trembled all over and shook like a sieve.
"......this."
She was so sour that she couldn't speak. Ji Ci couldn't help but smile, showing his white teeth, and poured a glass of water and handed it to her.
Jiang Qiuye was stunned by the rare bright smile on Ji Ci's face. Her mouth still felt sour and she suddenly had some tinnitus.
After being stunned for a moment, she suddenly came to her senses, took the cup of water, took a sip, tried to swallow it, and finally calmed down.
"It's so sour! Your Majesty, how did you manage to eat it?"
Isn't this person anorexic? Why is he suddenly not picky?
"good."
Ji Ci suppressed the corner of his mouth that he couldn't help but smile, and was about to pick up another pickled fruit when Jiang Qiuye stood up and snatched the whole plate of pickled fruits.
"This, this, this is such a failure, don't eat it." Jiang Qiuye picked up another piece of pumpkin pie from another plate and placed it in front of Ji Ci, "Your Highness, you should eat this, this is a success."
Ji Ci was stunned when he saw the pumpkin pie in front of him. He remembered that the young widow ate the pickled fruit with the chopsticks herself, and then used them to pick up the pumpkin pie.
He has always been a person with severe mysophobia, how could he tolerate other people's saliva?
Looking up, his eyes accidentally swept across her plump and crystal clear lips, and he suddenly remembered the kiss he tasted in the palace's maidservant room, a delicacy that tasted even better than her medicinal food.
He immediately lowered his head, feeling somewhat panicked. He had been feeling angry for days.
Yes, the young widow had no idea that the kiss had happened.
His behavior and thoughts are so immoral that he is a complete scoundrel.
Looking at the hesitant Ji Ci, Jiang Qiuye felt a little annoyed, misunderstanding that this man actually disliked her so much.
She raised her eyes, putting on an innocent yet somewhat sad expression, and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, don't you like this cake? Then I won't make it next time."
Ji Ci, who was originally struggling with his conscience, looked at the young widow's slightly sad eyes and felt sorry for her. In the end, he picked up the pumpkin pie and ate it.
It's so sweet... too delicious.
“It’s delicious.”
Seeing him like this, Jiang Qiuye finally smiled and said happily, "That's good. From now on, I will cook for the prince every day."
Ji Ci had almost finished eating, so he put down his chopsticks, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and said, "You are neither a slave nor a servant in this palace. There is no need to do this."
"I want to do it."
She sniffed and said in a muffled voice, "I want to make it for the prince every day. Seeing that the prince likes the medicinal food I make so much, I feel happy and joyful."
Ji Ci looked at the shy Jiang Qiuye, his peach blossom eyes shimmering with emotion. Although it was winter, she seemed like a young girl in a state of amorous longing. The sound of the silver charcoal was extremely faint, but at that moment, the sudden silence was so piercing that it crackled.
He seemed to suddenly realize that the expression of love on her face was extremely familiar. He had seen it on many women since he was a child, and those women had all expressed their feelings for him.
During the time he had known the young widow, he had mostly thought that she did not know the boundaries between men and women because no one had taught her, but he had never considered the possibility that she might like him.
He is so slow.
In the past, Ji Ci was extremely resistant to this.
But his first reaction when he realized this today was that he felt a little excited.
But this bit of joy was quickly suppressed by him, and what came next was still huge resistance.
Ji Ci lowered his eyes to avoid her gaze and frowned. He couldn't give this young widow hope.
When he looked up again, his face was filled with indifference, his previous joy gone. He said, "Miss Qiu, I know no one has taught you the etiquette between men and women since you were young. During your time in the palace, I will slowly teach you the differences between men and women. I am very grateful for the medicinal meals Miss Qiu has prepared for you. From now on, I will pay you the corresponding amount for every meal you prepare for me. I will also find you a place to live outside as soon as possible."
After saying that, Ji Ci called the butler and asked him to give the silver to Jiang Qiuye.
The smile that had always been on her face gradually disappeared. She swept the silver and money on the table, and looked at Ji Ci's indifferent expression, and couldn't help feeling aggrieved.
She lowered her head and bit her lip hard. She had thought that she and Ji Ci could take things a step further, but he was still unmoved even at this point. She certainly had no romantic feelings for Ji Ci. Everything was just a performance to attract him.
Why exactly?
Seeing her like this, any man in the world would find it hard to resist, except Ji Ci.
After a moment, she raised her head again, her eyes gradually reddening as she complained, "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite. I did what I wanted to do. There's no need to deliberately disregard my kindness. I don't want this money!"
After saying that, before Ji Ci could react, Jiang Qiuye covered her face with her sleeves, immediately stood up, turned around and ran out of the main courtyard crying.
This time it was Ji Ci's turn to feel uneasy. He felt extremely uncomfortable and puzzled.
Were the words just now very hurtful?
He frowned and turned to look at the old housekeeper, wondering, "Did I just... scold her?"
The butler saw through it but didn't say anything. He just shook his head and said, "No, Your Highness. Perhaps..."
"Maybe what?" Ji Ci was very upset when he was halfway through speaking to him. In addition, the young widow started crying because of what he said, which made him even more upset, and his words suddenly became hesitant.
"...Perhaps Miss Qiu feels that the prince has humiliated her with money." The butler lowered his head deeply after saying this.
Humiliated her? Why?
Didn’t he pay every time he went to Guihongtang for a meal?
I don't know what it means.
But......
Ji Ci sighed, feeling more and more uneasy. The young widow was crying because of him.
It was he who made the young widow cry.
He looked at the empty opposite side and suddenly felt extremely annoyed.
He knew very well that the young widow was weak and crybaby, so he should have thought twice before speaking. Although he told her not to have any emotional hope in him, he really shouldn't have been so cold.
She had just recovered from her illness, but she still went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for him.
Ji Ci took the plate of sour pickled fruits, picked up the chopsticks again and started eating, swallowing one by one, and finished it all very quickly.
It's really... so sour.
He looked again at the deserted porch, and suddenly remembered that when he first met the young widow, she was obviously very afraid of him.
Now he is becoming more and more arrogant and even has a bad temper.
He is also too indulgent.
Ji Ci sat in the hall for an hour with such conflicting thoughts. Finally, he decided to ignore her and let her think it through herself.
The author has something to say:
n years later......
Jiang Qiuye: Does it hurt to get slapped in the face?
Season Ci: Pain
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