So the two of them spent most of the day together in the city.
After finishing lunch, Lin Xihe went to the pawnshop as planned, intending to sell the small gemstone.
This time, she was more shrewd. Upon entering the pawnshop, she firmly demanded 110 taels of silver and made it clear that she would not sell the item for less than that amount.
The pawnshop clerk took the gemstone and carefully examined its quality. Seeing that the young girl was resolute and had no room for negotiation, after some deliberation, he finally nodded and agreed to buy the gemstone.
Clutching the hundred-tael silver note and ten taels of loose silver, Lin Xihe stepped out of the pawnshop, overwhelmed with joy. This was the feeling of being rich—so unfamiliar, yet so wonderful!
Ye Yunfan had already brought some silver with him, intending to buy things for Lin Xihe. However, after seeing her sell the gemstone given to him by her brother, he felt that it would be abrupt to take out the silver at this time, so he silently put it away.
Afterwards, the two wandered through the streets, carefully selecting some clothes, thick mattresses, and various delicious foods.
It wasn't until evening that they successfully met up with Aunt Zhou near the clinic, and then they embarked on their journey back to the village together.
Winter days are unusually short. By the time they returned to the village, darkness had already enveloped everything, with only a few starlight points and the faint light coming from inside the houses.
At home, Ji Zhuo had already prepared the meal. However, when Lin Xihe returned, he was like a wooden statue, sitting alone at the dining table without moving or getting up to help move things. The low pressure emanating from him clearly showed that he was angry.
Lin Xihe placed the mattress she had bought on the bed, then looked back at Ji Zhuo, only to see him still sitting stiffly in the same spot, as cold and aloof as a stone statue.
As her gaze fell upon the untouched food on the table, Lin Xihe felt a surge of indescribable emotion.
If it weren't for that inexplicable mission that forced her to get involved with Ji Zhuo in order to complete the so-called first stage of the mission, she would definitely have stayed far away from Ji Zhuo and kept to herself.
But if she were to become truly connected with Ji Zhuo in the future, she would have no choice but to painfully sever her relationship with Ye Yunfan and leave him.
However, given her current awkward situation, she was simply trying to make some plans for her future.
She sighed inwardly, suppressing the guilt in her heart for the time being, unwilling to let the atmosphere remain tense.
"I'm a little late. If you're hungry, you can eat first. Why are you angry?" After saying that, Lin Xihe carefully took out a beggar's chicken from the pile of bedding. The chicken was covered in mud, but it was still warm to the touch.
"Don't just stand there, come and help break this soil open, it's still warm inside."
Seeing that Ji Zhuo seemed not to hear and remained unmoved, Lin Xihe had no choice but to carry the chicken to the yard, find a stone, and gently tap it to peel off the mud from the outside of the beggar's chicken. Then, she wrapped it in the lotus leaf inside and turned back into the house.
Lin Xihe gently removed a chicken leg and placed it in Ji Zhuo's bowl, saying slowly, "I have already made things clear with him."
Only then did Ji Zhuo slowly turn his head towards Lin Xihe, his gaze still carrying a barely perceptible chill, "Why are you back so late?"
When Ji Zhuo was home alone, images of Lin Xihe's gentle and shy demeanor in front of Ye Yunfan flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
He had thought that if he let Lin Xihe into the city today, she would understand his intentions. However, even after the meal was prepared, Lin Xihe still did not return.
How could he not be angry in such a situation?
"It was all for buying this beggar's chicken. It took most of the day to roast. Luckily, I wrapped myself in a blanket the whole way, otherwise it would be completely cold by now. Come on, try it and see how it tastes!" Lin Xihe's tone was gentle, like a spring breeze, as she coaxed him patiently.
Upon hearing that soft, sweet voice, Ji Zhuo felt his irritation dissipate somewhat, as if blown away by a spring breeze.
Only then did he finally pick up his chopsticks and begin eating.
Seeing that Ji Zhuo had calmed down, Lin Xihe breathed a sigh of relief and then said softly, "Your food is getting cold. Next time you're waiting for me to eat, don't serve it out so early."
"Okay." Ji Zhuo agreed without hesitation. "I'll go and get you another bowl."
"No need, this is edible."
Seeing Ji Zhuo so gentle and mild-mannered, Lin Xihe felt a little uncomfortable and quickly lowered her head, shoveling food into her mouth.
He pondered to himself, "This person doesn't seem to be as violent as described in the book. Why did he change like that later?"
"Have you been starving all day? Why are you wolfing down your food like that?" Ji Zhuo asked with concern.
"No, it's just that the food smells so good that I want to eat more."
"Eat more meat. Don't you love meat?" Ji Zhuo said, using his chopsticks to pick up many pieces of meat from the beggar's chicken and place them in Lin Xihe's bowl.
Lin Xihe stopped talking and just kept eating, as if the beggar's chicken was an unparalleled delicacy.
Night quietly fell. In this small house, there was not much entertainment. The two of them washed up early and went to bed.
Because Lin Xihe bought two mattresses today, the bed is much warmer than usual.
Afraid of being put in an awkward situation, Lin Xihe blew out the candle as soon as she got into bed, plunging the room into darkness.
The darkness was as black as ink, enveloping everything in the room. In the silence, Ji Zhuo broke the silence first and asked softly, "You've walked so far today, are your feet sore?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore, it's all healed now."
Then, another silence fell.
"Lin Xihe," Ji Zhuo called again.
"Hmm?" Lin Xihe's heart tightened. She wondered to herself why he was calling her by her full name again, and the tone of his voice inexplicably made her feel afraid.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
