Chapter 306: Chapter 306: You’re Drawing a Line With Me Now?
Ji Teng closed his eyes, striving to digest this reality.
While Uncle Zhou, on the other hand, didn’t dare to utter a single word anymore.
"Given these grievances, even if I brought it up, would he be willing?"
Fortunately, Ji Teng was only casually mentioning it, his eyes still closed, his hand touching the two golden locks he never parted with. He gently flicked the golden locks to make them collide, producing a pleasant sound.
Suddenly, he changed the topic.
"Tell me, Cui Yun’s girl ran off with someone else, why isn’t he in a hurry?"
Ji Teng’s love for gossip was quite strong: "If you were that girl, would you choose him or Xie Xun?"
Uncle Zhou: "This..."
Ji Teng spoke to himself: "I’m afraid it’s a tough choice either way."
Uncle Zhou, with three creases across his forehead: "Master. Maybe we should talk about Ji Wang instead. His movements behind the scenes are really frequent, and if we talk about difficulty to deal with, he surpasses Ji Zhui."
After listening to him, Ji Teng suddenly sighed.
"Did you see Xie Xun’s right cheek, swollen quite badly. Serves him right, sneaking into a girl’s tent in the middle of the night, and getting caught red-handed."
Uncle Zhou: ???
Ji Teng: "A spring hunt, provoking such incidents, and you can watch it all without spending a silver."
"Tell the coachman to speed up, after dealing with the matters at hand I still need to rush back. Xie Xun is here openly, and Cui Yun is only appearing magnanimous on the surface, the show is just beginning."
The carriage rolled on, descending from the mountain road onto the spacious imperial road. The rain drizzled down. Quickly it turned heavier, with large drops pouring down like a waterfall, ruthlessly pelting the ground.
Unable to see the road ahead, the procession had no choice but to stop, no longer proceeding.
Inside the carriage of Marquis Yangling Mansion, it was unusually quiet, no longer filled with the clamor of girls chatting. Even the variety of fruits and pastries specially arranged on the table remained untouched.
Cui Yun held a book in his hand, looking down to read.
Suddenly, someone abandoned their horse and jumped up to join them.
"This is really deserted here. Just now when I passed by the Xie Family, it was extremely lively, almost unbelievably so."
Ji Ge, drenched, his eyes filled with frustration and disappointment.
He found a place to sit down.
"At a critical moment like this, you still have the leisure to read a book?"
"Shen has already been taken away, and you’re not even worried?"
As Ji Ge spoke, he couldn’t help feeling a tightness in his chest.
"I originally thought Xie Xun was an upright gentleman, but he did such a thing. It seems I was fooled by appearances. So arrogant! He’s too arrogant! This is stepping over your head! You cold-hearted, can you really bear this?"
He lifted the carriage curtain aside, and heavy rain washed over everything outside.
Ji Ge, unable to help clutching at his chest, spoke dramatically: "Look at this! Even the heavens are crying for you!"
Cui Yun: ...
Ji Ge continued to denounce Xie Xun, but seeing Cui Yun’s indifference, his heart was thoroughly wrenched.
"What is Xie Xun anyway!"
Finally, Cui Yun had a reaction, lifting his eyelids slightly: "Be a little nicer when you talk about him."
Ji Ge: ???
Cui Yun: "Shen Hua doesn’t like to hear it."
Ji Ge: ???
Cui Yun pulled the corners of his mouth into a sneer that wasn’t quite a sneer: "I don’t like to hear it either."
Ji Ge, stunned: You seem to have a problem. Unable to get her and now planning to love everything connected to her? Are you taking your love rival to heart too?
"You’re really not planning to make a move? Now’s the time to use that thunderous authority of the Minister of Ministry of Justice!"
Cui Yun lowered his gaze: "I’m afraid that won’t work."
The rain ceased after an hour.
And that was also the time for the midday meal.
Xie Xun dismounted from the carriage, carrying a processed chicken and fish. Several girls followed him. From time to time they handed over spices and wine.
Le Jia jumped down from the carriage without hesitation and walked towards Shen Hua and the others. In her hands, she held a paper bag: "These are local snacks from my hometown, can I exchange some for a bit of your roast meat?"
Someone was staring hard.
Ji Ge was completely unwell, grinding his teeth: "Just knowing how to roast a chicken, what’s there to show off. It’s all just for show."
"What’s she joining in the fun for!"
He left Cui Yun behind and chased after them in a few strides.
"Le Jia!"
Le Jia treated it as if he had come for a food exchange: "Did you come empty-handed?"
She spoke with a halting voice, "You... I think you are quite clueless."
But Ji Ge suddenly pulled her aside, scowling as he said, "Stay away from Xie Xun in the future! He smiles at everyone, which shows he’s up to no good, only deceiving you naive girls."
Le Jia didn’t quite believe it.
All her emotions were written on her face.
She whispered softly, "But I feel... he is more reliable than you."
How could that be???
Ji Ge was furiously angry.
"Where have I wronged you? Have I been mean to you or harmed you?"
"You always avoid me."
Le Jia said this timidly, mustering the courage to look into Ji Ge’s eyes, only to quickly lower her gaze again.
She continued speaking.
"You also never consummate our marriage."
Le Jia asked very softly and with much embarrassment, "Do you also disdain me, look down on me, think I’m dirty?"
————
Meanwhile, Shen Hua nibbled on chicken, glancing around casually, failing to spot Cui Yun among the crowd.
Just then, she saw Ying Yi coming with large strides.
"Heir Xie, may I ask if there is extra food?"
Xie Xun had all the food provided by the soldiers roasted, plenty of it, more than they could eat even if they were to eat liberally.
He answered Ying Yi: "No."
Ying Yi found it awkward: "The Marquis is also willing to buy."
"Where is he?"
"Not showing up but still fixated on one bite of food; what, is he trying to give me attitude?"
Shen Hua, tracing circles with her toes, spoke slowly, "I don’t think so..."
"Don’t speak."
Today’s obedient Yangyang: "...Oh."
Xie Yinong sensed something was off; ever since today, Xie Xun had been acting strangely.
"Brother, Marquis Cui is known for his upright and self-disciplined nature, and he never breaks etiquette; we are aware of that. He must have his reasons for not leaving his carriage, perhaps he’s feeling unwell."
As she spoke, they saw Cui Yun stepping down from the carriage and walking slowly towards them.
Seeing his slow pace, Xie Xun asked out of the blue, "What’s wrong? Feeling really unwell?"
Cui Yun smiled faintly: "It’s nothing."
He looked at Shen Hua as he spoke, "It’s just that some years ago, in an effort to protect a kitten, I was afflicted by a poisonous insect, which left me hanging by a thread. Although I was cured, every month on the fifteenth, if it rains, all sorts of problems arise."
Ji Ge, hearing this, inwardly praised the clever maneuver.
Cui Yun continued earnestly: "That kitten, however, is just busy enjoying herself."
Upon seeing this, Shen Hua countered: "You—"
"I won’t die."
The guilt-ridden girl spoke in a fluster: "If you’re not feeling well, go back and rest. Why did you come down here?"
Ying Yi chimed in at just the right moment: "The master was worried Heir Xie might misunderstand. Along the way, there was not a single person to talk to inside the carriage."
Ji Ge: ? As if I’m dead! Ah!
Shen Hua stepped forward: "I’ll take you back."
Cui Yun smoothly dodged: "That’s inappropriate."
"What’s inappropriate about it! Are you trying to keep such a strict distance from me now?"
When Shen Hua slightly tugged at Cui Yun, unexpectedly, the man seemed to lose his balance, and half of his body leaned heavily onto her.
Shen Hua swayed a bit and forced out a sentence: "Stand up a bit, you’re kind of heavy."
Seeing this, Cui Rong quickly followed with worried concern, dreading that Cui Yun might genuinely be in trouble.
But once aboard the Shangyangling Marquis Mansion’s carriage, Cui Yun said warmly, "Your second uncle has prepared writing materials for you. Now that you’re back, write three pages of characters today."
Cui Rong, frightened, hurried towards the Xie Mansion’s carriage.