Chapter 29
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Jiang Juan didn’t speak, he just leaned against Xue Fangli’s chest. The more he thought about it, the more upset he felt, and his tears almost never stopped.
Xue Fangli said in a calm tone, “There’s nothing to cry about. These things stopped mattering to me a long time ago.”
They stopped mattering a long time ago, but that didn’t mean they never mattered at all. Jiang Juan lifted his head and said seriously, “Your Highness, please care about me from now on.”
His Highness was truly pitiful. He had an unfortunate family, a miserable background, and didn’t have much time left.
Originally, Jiang Juan was only symbolically taking care of him, providing him with some end-of-life comfort. But now he changed his mind.
He wanted to be kind to His Highness, to see him through his final journey with care.
Jiang Juan added, “I will treat you very, very well.”
Xue Fangli seemed taken aback by Jiang Juan’s words. He stared at Jiang Juan for a long time before slowly speaking, “What if you regret it?”
Jiang Juan asked in confusion, “Why would I regret it?”
“Because…”
Pale fingers touched Jiang Juan’s face, and Xue Fangli painstakingly wiped away each of Jiang Juan’s tears before slowly saying, “You cry too much.”
He cried when he was in pain, cried when he thought others were suffering, he cried no matter what.
One day, Jiang Juan would realize he had been deceived—Xue Fangli was not a good person, just a madman who enjoyed bringing misery to others. How would he cry then?
The sky would probably fall apart.
Jiang Juan said, “I…”
Slender fingers pressed against his lips. Xue Fangli looked at him, his crimson lips slightly curved, and he gently said, “Don’t make any promises to me.”
“If I take it seriously, even if you can’t fulfill it, you must do so.”
Jiang Juan was stunned. The back of his neck was pressed and he leaned back into Xue Fangli’s arms.
This time, he was very quiet and didn’t cry anymore. However, Jiang Juan was tired, and before long, he fell asleep in Xue Fangli’s embrace.
Xue Fangli, still holding Jiang Juan with one hand, lowered his gaze and looked at him for a long, long time.
His heart softened into a mess, nearly falling apart.
The next evening.
The day of Beauty Yu’ss memorial had passed, and the prince’s carriage left Miaoling Temple.
After being downcast for most of the day yesterday, Jiang Juan felt in a good mood today. He sat in Xue Fangli’s lap, resigned to being a human pillow, eating whatever was fed to him.
“Do you still want to stroll around?”
Suddenly, Xue Fangli spoke. Jiang Juan was taken aback and looked up at him in confusion. Xue Fangli lightly raised his chin, indicating for him to look outside.
“This street, last time you said you wanted to explore.”
“I do.”
Jiang Juan remembered. He didn’t actually enjoy wandering around because it was too tiring, but since transmigrating here, he had explored very little. He was quite curious about other places, which was why he wanted to look around.
Xue Fangli responded with a simple “Mm,” and instructed the driver to stop the carriage. He said, “I will wait for you at the teahouse.”
Jiang Juan blinked, “Your Highness, aren’t you coming with me?”
If Xue Fangli accompanied him, there wouldn’t be much to explore, given his imposing reputation. But Xue Fangli simply said, “I prefer quiet.”
Jiang Juan replied with an “Oh,” not doubting him much, since the maids usually made very little noise and did everything quietly. “Then I’ll come find you after I’m done.”
Xue Fangli nodded. Jiang Juan got up from his lap and just as he was about to touch the curtain, Xue Fangli said, “Wait a moment.”
Jiang Juan turned back, “Huh?”
Xue Fangli summoned Steward Gao and gave him a few instructions in a calm manner. Steward Gao glanced at Jiang Juan and left. When he returned, he was holding a veiled hat.
Xue Fangli placed the hat on Jiang Juan’s head and then said, “You can go now.”
The hat had a wide brim and the light veil reached his waist. Jiang Juan lifted the veil a bit and curiously asked, “Your Highness, why do I need to wear this?”
As the delicate veil lifted, a part of the youth’s beautiful face was revealed, looking almost otherworldly. Xue Fangli lowered his eyes and calmly said, “It’s hot. You wouldn’t be able to handle a sunburn.”
It made perfect sense, and Jiang Juan really didn’t want to get hurt again. He sincerely said, “Your Highness, you are so thoughtful.”
Xue Fangli smiled, “Am I?”
Jiang Juan nodded, readjusting the hat before getting off the carriage.
Of course, Xue Fangli wouldn’t let him wander around alone; several guards followed discreetly. Jiang Juan looked around, finding nothing particularly interesting until he stepped into a bookstore.
“…The glaze of this cup is a precious black-green. This type of black porcelain can’t be produced anymore, not to mention it’s a Yohen Tenmoku, making it extremely valuable.”
The bookstore owner carefully held up a tea cup. It was entirely black, with numerous brown spots at the bottom. It looked quite ordinary at first, but when tilted at an angle, a blue iridescence emerged, shining brilliantly, as if the cup held the universe’s stars.
Jiang Juan widened his eyes. He had seen such a Yohen Tenmoku cup in a museum before, but it was only a broken half. Even so, it was enough to amaze him. This one, a complete piece, was as dreamlike as the aurora.
Jiang Juan was captivated by its beauty, and so were others beside the shopkeeper. Someone asked, “Shopkeeper, is this cup for sale?”
“It’s not for sale, no matter the price,” the shopkeeper put the cup away, “but…”
He paused for effect, “Our master is a poetry enthusiast. This cup can’t be bought with money, but if someone writes a poem that pleases him, he might be happy enough to give it away.”
Exchanging a poem for the cup meant not spending a fortune, but writing a good poem wasn’t easy. Jiang Juan admired it but didn’t really want it; he was content just to look at it longer. He intended to take a good look at it.
Unbeknownst to him, someone on the bookstore’s second floor had been watching him for a long time.
“Exchanging a poem for it? What a coincidence, the Marquis is here.”
“Indeed, we can’t come up with good poems, but the Marquis is different; his words are like poetry.”
This bookstore was originally the private library of a great scholar, housing various ancient books. Later, he opened it to the literati of the capital. The first floor sold various copies, and the second floor was connected to a teahouse where people could rest. Scholars often gathered here.
Today, Marquis Anping was invited to join a gathering. He had a noble status and was reputed to have been taught by Mr. Bai, making many prestigious students in the capital look up to him.
“You all flatter me,” Marquis Anping said steadily, “my poems are just ordinary.”
“Don’t be modest, Marquis,” said Li Ming, the son of the Assistant Minister of Justice, waving his hand. “If your poetry is ordinary, we should all jump into the moat.”
Marquis Anping smiled helplessly and changed his tone, “This black porcelain tea cup doesn’t particularly catch my eye, so I won’t participate.”
Hearing this, Li Ming quickly nudged the person next to him with his elbow, “Did you hear that? You’ve been saying you wanted it. If the Marquis participated, he’d surely win it easily. Now’s your chance.”
Marquis Anping felt even more helpless but said nothing. He took a sip of tea, his gaze involuntarily drifting downstairs.
The youth wore light-colored clothes, the veil draping down, his figure almost blending into the sheer fabric. Even though his face couldn’t be seen, his appearance was ethereal, like jade and ice.
“Marquis, what are you looking at?” Li Ming followed his gaze and was stunned, “Is that… the Second Young Master?”
It was understandable that he made a mistake. The second son of the Minister’s household, Jiang Nian, was famously known in the capital as a little celestial being. He had an elegant, gentle demeanor and was often referred to as the number one beauty.
Given how intently Marquis Anping was staring, and considering his well-known affection for Jiang Nian, Li Ming naturally jumped to conclusions.
Hearing Jiang Nian’s name, Marquis Anping finally came back to his senses. He said slowly, “That’s not Jiang Nian, it’s the Third Young Master.”
Li Ming fell silent. The Jiang Juan he remembered wasn’t like this, but the veil obscured the view, making it impossible to see the face clearly. He awkwardly laughed, “Ah, not the second young master then.”
After a moment, he seemed to remember something and grinned, “Isn’t he Prince Li’s Royal Consort now?”
Jiang Juan’s infatuation with Marquis Anping was somewhat known among those close to the Marquis. Li Ming, being naturally frivolous, lowered his voice and said, “Marquis, you visit this bookstore once a month. He never came before, but today he shows up?”
Li Ming winked, “Seems like he got ulterior motives.”
Marquis Anping frowned, “Careful what you say.”
Li Ming was close enough to know he wasn’t genuinely angry. He continued joking with him, and others chimed in, “Marquis, why not invite the Royal Consort up for a cup of tea?”
Marquis Anping wasn’t keen on the idea at first and was about to refuse outright when Li Ming teased, “He’s already the Royal Consort. If he seeks you out here and you don’t see him, your heart must be as iron.”
Marquis Anping glanced down at Jiang Juan, his gaze suddenly fixing on Jiang Juan’s bandaged left hand. He changed his mind, “…Alright.”
He already felt indebted to Jiang Juan in many ways. Last time in the palace, many things couldn’t be discussed openly, but this time, he could clear things up.
Marquis Anping called a servant and whispered a few words. The servant immediately headed downstairs.
As Li Ming watched, he couldn’t help but ask Marquis Anping, “Marquis, don’t you think he’s changed a lot? Last time we saw him, he wouldn’t even lift his head. But today…”
Before he could finish, Li Ming cut himself off. After all, no matter what, Jiang Juan was now the Royal Consort, and speaking disrespectfully would be inappropriate.
—How did his face under the veil become so tempting?
Marquis Anping glanced at him, sensing what Li Ming hadn’t said. He remembered that day when Jiang Juan’s eyelashes fluttered, his face wet with tears, and his heart stirred with that memory.
The next moment, realizing what he was thinking, Marquis Anping firmly put down his tea cup, “He seems no different from usual.”
“If he’s the same, he’s the same. Why are you so worked up…” Li Ming muttered a few more words and poured wine for Marquis Anping himself, “Alright, alright, I misspoke. Here, have some wine.”
Meanwhile, the servant had already gone downstairs. He stopped Jiang Juan and whispered softly, “Your Royal Consort, Marquis Anping invites you upstairs for a chat.”
Jiang Juan slowly turned his head, “Marquis? Which Marquis?”
The servant chuckled, “Which Marquis could it be? Naturally, it’s Marquis Anping.”
Jiang Juan: “…”
How could this happen?
He was just out for a stroll, how did he run into Marquis Anping?
Marquis Anping, as the main character, Jiang Juan had been trying to avoid him. Especially after their last meeting, Marquis Anping had been overly persistent. Jiang Juan really didn’t want to engage with him, so he shook his head, “I don’t think there’s any need to meet.”
“Well…” The servant hesitated, “Your Royal Consort, Marquis Anping sincerely invites you.”
Jiang Juan sincerely replied, “But I really don’t think there’s anything worth discussing. Please go back and tell Marquis Anping.”
The servant had no choice but to agree and hurried back. Li Ming, seeing only the servant return alone, joked, “Where’s the Royal Consort? Could it be that upon hearing Marquis Anping’s invitation, he felt a bit hesitant and wanted to delay a bit?”
Everyone laughed, “You never know. The Royal Consort used to be infatuated with Marquis Anping. This is actually the first time he’s invited him to meet, instead of he eagerly seeking him out.”
Marquis Anping glanced at them and interrupted, “Enough of that. He’s already Prince Li’s Royal Consort. If he finds out, he will surely be displeased.”
But in his heart, Marquis Anping didn’t believe that Jiang Juan would refuse to meet him. So he asked the servant, “What’s wrong with the Royal Consort?”
The servant leaned down, intending to whisper in his ear, but Marquis Anping said, “It’s fine, just say it.”
The servant hesitated, “Marquis…”
Li Ming patted him on the shoulder, “Just say what you have to say. What’s wrong with the Royal Consort? Are you keeping something secret from all of us? Is it something about the Royal Consort wanting to privately communicate with Marquis Anping?”
Everyone burst into laughter, and Marquis Anping hesitated for a moment, afraid that Jiang Juan might have said something inappropriate for others to hear.
—Perhaps he is seeking his help due to Prince Li’s tyranny.
Marquis Anping was about to say something when Li Ming sighed and said, “Marquis, you really are quite fortunate. Our number one beauty has fallen for you, and now even the number one beauty’s brother is smitten with you.”
Marquis Anping paused, unsure of what to say. The servant had to speak up, “Marquis, the Royal Consort said there’s no need to meet with you.”
With those words, the room fell silent.
Earlier, everyone had been teasing and laughing, but now the atmosphere was awkward. No one expected Jiang Juan to refuse, let alone to do so without giving Marquis Anping any face.
Wasn’t he infatuated with Marquis Anping?
How could he embarrass Marquis Anping like this?
Li Ming had been the loudest in teasing, and he was also the most puzzled. Although he wasn’t Marquis Anping, right now he wished he could disappear.
To be publicly rejected, especially someone who no one would expect to reject an invitation, was embarrassing—truly humiliating.
Thinking this, Li Ming stole a glance at Marquis Anping, who remained calm and composed. Li Ming let out a silent sigh of relief.
Luckily, Marquis Anping didn’t seem to mind.
In fact, even Li Ming, an onlooker, felt embarrassed, let alone Marquis Anping.
Marquis Anping was embarrassed, but he was known for his composure. He didn’t show any outward signs of anger, but his hands were tightly clenched inside his sleeves.
No need to meet?
He had meant well. Even if Jiang Juan held some resentment, he shouldn’t have rejected him so bluntly.
Marquis Anping became increasingly annoyed. Just then, Li Ming exclaimed in surprise, “Why is he leaving?”
Marquis Anping instinctively looked over. Jiang Juan seemed to be turning away, as if he was about to leave.
Li Ming quickly tried to smooth things over, “If the Royal Consort isn’t coming, there must be a reason, right? Otherwise, why would he ignore you, Marquis?”
Amidst the murmurs of agreement, Marquis Anping’s anger did not dissipate. He stared at Jiang Juan for a moment, then abruptly stood up and said, “I’m going out for a while.”
People exchanged glances, but no one said much, only watching him leave.
Before long, there was a loud bang as the door was kicked open again.
“Marquis, what are you…”
Several guards stood respectfully to the side as a man slowly entered. His complexion was extremely pale, but his lips were a shocking crimson. At this moment, a hint of a smile played on his lips, and an aura of hostility emanated from him.
It wasn’t Marquis Anping returning; it was Xue Fangli who had arrived.
“I just heard something quite interesting next door,” Xue Fangli said, his eyes glancing at Marquis Anping, who was approaching Jiang Juan, with an indifferent smile on his face. “My wife would never have any intentions towards others.”
“You all have sharp tongues, but all you do is gossip,” Xue Fangli continued, his tone indifferent. “In my opinion, perhaps it’s better to cut out those tongues.”
Ciacia/N: Pls note that “Chief Steward” has corrected into “Steward Gao”. Previous chapters already edited.
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