Chapter 118 [VIP] Lifesaver (5)
Jin Lili suppressed his anger, only to feel the blood boiling in his body. The indescribable feeling of frustration came up again, with nowhere to vent, "Li Nanyan, do you think I don't have eyes?"
"I've been looking for you all night, and now you tell me that the candied haws don't taste good anymore. I see that you are very carefree and you wish I could stay away from you and not be controlled by you!"
In fact, what he said was right. Nan Yan did think so, but she couldn't express it, otherwise this person would probably get even angrier.
Jin Lili was really angry this time, and raised his hand to hit her on the head twice to teach her a lesson.
But when he lowered his head, he saw those watery, unguarded eyes looking at him so sincerely, and they even blinked twice. He couldn't knock with his raised hands anymore.
Later she thought about it and decided to give up. She was not smart enough to begin with, and if she got even more stupid, no one would want her in this life. So she raised her hand and bent it in front of her body, then reluctantly put it down.
Then he pulled out a green handkerchief from his sleeve and threw it directly at the person's head, saying in a very disgusted tone, "Wipe it, there are sugar crumbs on the corners of your mouth, Li Nanyan, you have lost all the demeanor of a noble lady. I feel ashamed to stand next to you."
After saying that, I could only take a deep breath and try to calm myself down. Forget it! There is no point in getting angry with her. I will always be the one who gets angry anyway.
Nan Yan took the handkerchief and smiled at him, sniffing it happily, not realizing her mistake at all.
Seeing this, Jin Li sneered, threw his sleeves, turned away and ignored her again, not even bothering to look at her again.
This time, Nan Yan blinked her eyes and kept expressionless, but she sighed in her heart, thinking that he is worthy of being the male protagonist. He has a great ability to control his emotions. Even when she was so angry, he could still maintain his composure and remain calm.
She now understands that she still has to take things as they come.
So he immediately went up to the man and pulled his sleeve to coax him, "I know I was wrong, and I won't do it again. Can you forgive me this time?"
Jin Lili turned around and ignored her, so she turned around too, like a dog-skin plaster, extremely difficult to pester.
But she didn't seem to find it troublesome at all. She kept saying nice words one after another and had all kinds of tricks to coax people, such as pinching arms and patting shoulders. I don't know where she learned these messy tricks from?
She was quite well-behaved at first, but later she couldn't help herself and started to "do whatever she wanted" to him whenever she got the chance, without any shame at all. Jin Lili was so angry that she grabbed the paw that was sneaking into his clothes and slapped the back of his hand hard.
"Okay, have you touched enough?"
She has totally lost all her modesty as a girl.
Nan Yan pursed her lips and hummed twice, her voice muffled.
"Is it not okay to touch it?"
In the end, Jin Lili was really worn out and his arrogance subsided a lot, so he looked down at the man and was about to say "this will not be an exception next time".
The man in front of him suddenly became excited again, dragged him to the hermaphroditic Bodhi tree, then turned around and gently shook his arm, saying softly,
"Don't you think we are destined to be together? This is Yue Lao Temple. You can find me in front of Yue Lao Temple. Doesn't it mean that we are made for each other?"
When she said this, her eyes were particularly bright and clear, she was smiling, her eyebrows were curved like a painting, and then she dragged him to the small stall selling peach wood signs, which was filled with some marriage-related sticks, red ropes and marriage charms.
She picked carefully in her hands.
The peach wood plaques here are also very famous. Young men and women who like each other will write their names on the peach wood plaques and then throw them to hang on the Bodhi tree in front of the Yue Lao Temple. The higher they throw and the more stable they hang, the more destined they are. This has become a custom today.
Nan Yan naturally wanted to try this interesting thing. She raised her head and took a look at the old tree hung with peach wood plaques. When the wind blew, the branches and leaves of the tree swayed, and the red ropes swayed back and forth, making tinkling sounds, giving off a sense of antiquity and heaviness.
So he immediately turned around and said to the man behind him with great interest, "Jin Lili, look at this beautiful mahogany sign hanging on the tree. There are many people's names written on it. Would you like to try it with me?"
The stall owner was an old lady with a very kind face. Upon hearing this, she immediately handed over two blank mahogany cards and joked cheerfully, "It is fate that the two of you can meet in this Yue Lao Temple. Why don't you give it a try? This marriage tree is hundreds of years old and very effective. Since the girl is interested, go for it. The higher you throw, the deeper the fate. A few coins are not worth much. Just do it for fun..."
Nan Yan turned her head and looked at Jin Xinli. Her ebony eyes were clear and bright, like spring water ripping through the water, or like a finely woven silk net that would capture people tightly and make it impossible for them to escape.
There was still a hint of expectation in those eyes.
Being looked at like that, Jin Xinli was dazed for a moment. He found that he had no ability to refuse, not even the slightest thought of it.
His hand was still tightly holding her small hand, soft and fluffy, until she stuffed the mahogany card into his palm. The cold and hard touch came to Jin Xinli's senses in an instant.
Seeing the peach wood plaque and bamboo cone pen in his hand, Jin Lili frowned unconsciously, and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.
He didn't understand why he had to accompany her to do these meaningless things? He already knew that she was a fake and not his savior, so why did he still accompany her here to pray for blessings and pray to the gods? Wasn't this just a waste of time?
What's more, didn't he want to break off the engagement long ago?
The more he delays now, the more difficult it will be when the truth is revealed. Why should he continue to do these useless things?
And the person he likes is not her, not the fake one who deceived him, but the one who truly saved him in the darkness. That gentle and pure girl is the one who truly makes his heart beat.
Jin Li's brows were tightly knitted together.
But when he turned around, he saw her squatting in front of a stone pillar nearby, busy and serious, holding a peach wood plaque, happily carving her name. After carving, she blew on it, nodded with satisfaction, and then stretched her head over to touch his shoulder and rubbed it affectionately. Inexplicably, his heart softened.
Even he himself doesn't know why?
He subconsciously reached out and touched her cheek, until the soft and delicate touch was transmitted from his fingertips. Only then did Jin Yinli come to his senses and his eyes fell on the other person's ignorant face.
Jin Li's gaze paused for a moment.
It was not until this moment that he suddenly realized that his actions were obviously a little too close.
Then, as if he suddenly came to his senses, he subconsciously withdrew his hand, then vaguely carved his name on the wooden sign and stood up. The movement of pushing her away was even a little wolfish, and he didn't even dare to look up at her.
Nan Yan's eyebrows moved slightly, and her lips formed a slight arc. She vaguely guessed in her heart that the man in front of her might be moved without knowing it, but she didn't know how long he could endure it?
She pretended that she noticed nothing and still held his hand with great interest. The two of them walked to the sturdy and ancient Bodhi tree. Nan Yan kept muttering as she walked, urging the people around her to pray more sincerely and throw higher, so that it would show that the two of them were most destined to be together.
She looked particularly happy when she laughed, but Jin Lili was a little upset at the moment and didn't want to pay any attention to her at all.
At this time, many men and women gathered under the tree. The Yue Lao Temple has always been a favorite place for young men and women. Some were writing on peach wood tablets like them, and others were interpreting divinations at the stalls around. In short, there were many people joining in the fun.
…
On the other side, Xiao Feihe and Li Qingrou also walked over here slowly. In fact, Li Qingrou was a little annoyed seeing these men and women who were seeking marriage in pairs. It was Xiao Feihe who forced her to come here to relax. The two of them walked around the Yue Lao Temple and finally came to the Bodhi tree, just opposite the two people.
Now, Li Qingrou also saw clearly what Jin Linli and Li Nanyan were doing. Her eyes fell on that person's face, and for a moment she felt an indescribable sourness in her chest, both bitter and depressed. She even wanted to rush up to question Jin Linli. Could it be that he didn't care about her at all? Did he really not remember her at all?
But in the end she held back. She couldn't let herself become the kind of person who seeks rewards for favors. She saved him out of pity for him and never expected to get anything from him. Thinking of this, Li Qingrou turned around and left. She really didn't want to be in the same space with these two people.
Seeing her leave, Xiao Feihe also wanted to leave.
And Nan Yan on the other side happened to see the two of them. This was really a coincidence.
Nan Yan closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and pretended to pray devoutly. Then she opened her eyes, aimed at the target, and threw the wooden sign towards the Bodhi tree. This time her aim was really good. Just as Xiao Feihe turned around and prepared to leave, a small square wooden sign fell from the sky opposite him and hit him directly on the head with a "bang".
Nan Yan thought, since I was reluctant to use the silver to hit people just now, it would be appropriate to use the wooden sign to hit them now.
Xiao Feihe on the opposite side was also stunned by the hit on the head. He forgot to follow for a moment and didn't come back to his senses for a long time. Then he touched his forehead and looked around. In fact, it didn't hurt much. He just wondered in his heart, who has such bad eyesight that he could hit someone with a wooden sign?
He subconsciously picked up the wooden sign on the ground.
It was really a coincidence to see that the name written on the wooden sign was the Miss Li he had just bumped into. The three characters "Li Nanyan" were carved crookedly. He really didn't expect that he had a good connection with this Miss Li. Even a wooden sign thrown by her could hit him on the head.
What is this? Is this a lucky coincidence?
Xiao Feihe raised his head and couldn't help but glance across at the opposite side. Miss Li was looking for the sign on the treetop with her head tilted up. After searching for a long time without success, she began to look around. She probably realized that her sign was not hung up, and there was an obvious depressed and puzzled expression on her face, which was quite interesting to watch.
Seeing this, Xiao Feihe's eyebrows moved slightly, and he directly pinched the wooden sign into the palm of his hand. He didn't have a good impression of her in the first place, so he was happy to make things difficult for her.
Especially after he learned that the person Li Qingrou liked was Jin Lianli, Xiao Feihe, who had never believed in gods or Buddhas, secretly prayed in his heart that the God of Love, who was in charge of marriage, would open his eyes and never tie the red rope between the two of them together.
Didn't she want to pray and make a wish with her lover? But he just wouldn't let her do it.
…
On the other side, Jin Lili's aim was pretty good. The peach wood sign hanging on the tree moved in the wind, and from time to time a crisp sound came out, which made people feel a lot better.
But when he turned around, he saw Nan Yan staring at the ground, searching for something. He felt helpless for some reason.
"What's wrong with you?"
Nan Yan raised her head after hearing that, bit her lip and looked at Jin Lili, her expression was very depressed, "I don't think I threw it up, I don't know where I threw it, what should I do? Will it be ineffective? Otherwise, can we throw it again?"
Hearing this, Jin Lili had a subtle feeling in his heart, but he didn't think much about it. Instead, he chuckled and subconsciously raised his hand to press on her head, "Okay, stop it. Sincerity is the key to success. Even if you hang a hundred people up, it won't make much difference compared to hanging one. Besides, this kind of thing about gods and Buddhas has always been nonsense. It's better to pray to yourself than to pray to gods and Buddhas. Well, it's getting late now, and we've been delayed long enough tonight. I'll take you back first..."
As he spoke, he naturally took her hand. Nan Yan stared at the ground with some regret, but she did not force it. After all, she had used the wooden sign to hit someone on the head.
…
Afterwards, the two of them followed the flow of people. It was past midnight and the sky was getting darker. The candles in the lanterns were almost burning out and many street vendors had begun to pack up their stalls.
The crowd gradually dwindled, and even the familiar wonton shops on the roadside began to pack up, waiting for the customers to finish their last few bites before preparing to go home.
Jin Xinli sent the man to the gate of Li's house, but Nan Yan was still hesitant and refused to go in. She looked hesitant, and her fingers gently hooked on his sleeves, looking at the man in front of her as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Finally, she pursed her lips and asked reluctantly, "Can I come to see you tomorrow?"
Nan Yan tried hard to appear shy.
Just as she finished speaking, a wild cat suddenly jumped out from the side of the road. Jin Lili couldn't see clearly what it was at first, he only saw the black shadow suddenly rushing towards the person in front of him.
Without thinking at that moment, he almost subconsciously pulled Nan Yan into his arms. Then he heard a "meow" and saw clearly that the black shadow was actually a wild cat.
Jin Lili frowned. There were indeed quite a few wild cats in the alleys nearby that often preyed on people for food. This man must have hidden a lot of delicious snacks in his pocket. The wild cats probably smelled the smell. If he hadn't acted quickly enough, Nan Yan would have been caught by the wild cat!
Just as he was about to push the person away, he suddenly felt his waist tighten, and the person in his arms suddenly reached out and hugged his waist.
Jin Linli's expression froze, and his body became noticeably stiff. For some reason, he suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart, and his heartbeat seemed to become uncontrollable and his mind was a little confused. Just when he didn't know how to react, the person in his arms suddenly raised his head, and looked at him with those watery eyes.
"Jin Lili..."
She called his name softly.
At this moment, it seemed as if the air around me had frozen.
Jin Lianli could even feel her breath brushing his chin at this moment, warm, soft, and a little lingering. That strange and unfamiliar emotion surged in his heart again, and his breathing was even a little choked.
Jin Li looked at her, and when he saw his image at that moment reflected in her eyes, his gaze was a little dazed for a moment.
At that moment he didn't know what was wrong with him?
As if possessed by some mysterious force, I suddenly lowered my head...
Then he gently kissed Nan Yan's lips, and at the moment when the two of them touched, Jin Lili seemed to feel his chest trembling slightly, as if something inside was taking root and growing vigorously, as if it was instantly filled, giving him an indescribable sense of satisfaction in his heart.
Her lips were soft and glowing, and she blinked twice when he kissed her. Her eyes were so clean and pure, full of trust and admiration for him, which made Jin Lili feel inexplicably guilty and he subconsciously reached out to cover her eyes.
Nan Yan leaned on his chest very gently, her facial expression unchanged and her heart without any emotional fluctuations.
She thought that it was not her who took the initiative this time. However, since this man had already been moved, would he still be able to harm her after he found his real savior?
…
On the way back, Jin Lili felt a little weird. He was even a little dazed. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He was sure that the object of his affection had always been the gentle girl who saved him on the farm. Why did he take the initiative to kiss Li Nanyan tonight?
Is it because of...guilt?
Or was it because he had already decided long ago that he would go straight to the girl's house to cancel the engagement once he found the girl he truly loved, so he subconsciously felt guilty?
He should have restrained himself, but why didn't he do it at the last moment?
Jin Xinli really couldn't figure it out, and even got stuck in a rut because of the problem. In the end, he became a little upset and confused.
He even wondered if he was confused for a moment because he had become accustomed to her presence.
He didn't know she was an imposter before, so he didn't pursue the matter. But now he clearly knows it. If he continues to be so close to her and indulge her, isn't that... irresponsible?
When Jin Xinli returned home, he was still in a daze, because of that kiss tonight, it seemed that many things had become different.
In the end, Jin Li thought about it angrily, but he couldn't figure it out. He could only suppress all the complicated emotions in his heart and stop thinking about her. In order to avoid such a chaotic situation from happening again, Jin Li avoided Nan Yan for several days.
During this period when his emotions were complicated, Nan Yan would come to the mansion to find him every day, and would hang around in front of him from time to time. Jin Lili would shirk his duty and say that he had no time to deal with her because he had to deal with official business, but she didn't get angry. She would sit on the table beside her with her cheek in her hands and stare at him in a trance. Sometimes when she was too bored, she would wander around the mansion, acting like a hostess.
She seemed to have forgotten what happened that day long ago. In her eyes, the closeness between two people seemed to be a very normal thing. She never realized her own complicated thoughts.
He chatted with the housekeeper every day, gambled with the servants and maids, and bullied the cat from time to time. Sometimes, when he was in the mood, he felt that there were no flowers and plants in his mansion, which looked too monotonous and boring, so he asked the servants to dig up the grass in his backyard and then replanted a row of crabapples, peonies and orchids. He almost treated the Jin Mansion as his own home.
It just so happened that the servants and maids of the Jin Mansion were all familiar with her. They felt that the eldest daughter of the Li Mansion was really humble and kind to others. Although she was a little troublesome, she never beat or scolded the servants. She also generously distributed the food and snacks bought from the street to the maids and servants in each courtyard. How could such a master not be likable?
Jin Linli felt upset from the moment he saw her, and later he became annoyed when he couldn't see her. Sometimes he didn't even see her messing around in the yard, but couldn't even read the documents on the desk. He didn't know what was going on with him.
From the very beginning, what he hated most was anyone who disturbed him from doing his official business, no one was an exception. But after this person appeared in front of him, all exceptions were broken.
Is it because of that kiss?
But hadn't she kissed him many times? She didn't care, so why should he be so upset?
Jin Lili finally buried all these emotions deep in his heart. He was a person who was very good at suppressing himself. As long as he didn't touch or think about them, he wouldn't be so upset.
It's just that the longer emotions are suppressed, the stronger the rebound will be. No one knows when they will explode completely.
But soon, Nan Yan's leisurely and comfortable days were finally coming to an end. The Double Ninth Festival in September had just passed, and this autumn hunting trip officially began. The current emperor was in his prime, and he liked to be lively and have fun. This autumn hunting trip even summoned all the ministers and their relatives to go to Shanglin Garden for a banquet together.
After hearing this news, Nan Yan understood that the turning point in the original plot had come.
It was during this Autumn Hunt that the male protagonist finally found out who his savior was, so as soon as the Autumn Hunt was over, he went straight to Li's house to cancel the engagement.
The original owner became a laughing stock because of this.
According to Li Nanyan's identity, she was naturally qualified to attend the autumn hunt. Regardless of her identity as Jin Xinli's fiancée or as the legitimate daughter of Mr. Li, the editor of the Hanlin Academy, she was qualified to experience the royal Shanglin Garden.
However, Shanglinyuan was the royal hunting ground, and any ministers and guards who were slightly agile would want to show off their skills before the parade. Normally, the relatives and children of ministers would only hunt in a small safe area.
The people of the Dali Dynasty were open-minded, and there were women who competed in hunting by riding horses, shooting arrows, and throwing pots. In the original plot, the original owner was also urged to compete with others, but she couldn't even hold a bow and arrow steadily, let alone shoot arrows. Naturally, she lost badly in the end and made a fool of herself.
Nan Yan didn't know how to shoot arrows, but Jin Xinli's archery skills were outstanding. Even the current emperor praised him for his ability to shoot an arrow through a target from a hundred steps away.
So before the autumn hunt, shouldn't she take this opportunity to cultivate her relationship?
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