Chapter 49
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The rain had arrived suddenly and left just as slowly, continuing for quite a while before the clouds finally dispersed and the rain began to clear.
Marquis Anping stood in place, water dripping from him as he remembered many things.
In the past, he had avoided Jiang Juan at all costs. He had genuinely felt disgusted and embarrassed by his fiancé, yet Jiang Juan would always find ways to meet him.
At banquets, Jiang Juan would quietly ask a maid to help him pass on a few words, requesting to see him.
When socializing with friends, Jiang Juan would linger nearby. Even if he had to wait the entire night, Jiang Juan would wait just to say a single word to him.
When he invited Jiang Juan to go out, Jiang Juan would follow on his own. Even if he ignored him or even drove him away repeatedly, Jiang Juan held no grudges and remained devoted.
……
All this had once made him feel disgusted, but now, as he recalled it, Marquis Anping could only feel remorse.
At that time, Jiang Juan was naturally timid but was bold and passionate only in his love for him.
But Marquis Anping always thought Jiang Juan was not dignified enough, lacked manners, and was unfit to enter the Marquis’s residence. He had never given Jiang Juan any response and only wanted to annul the engagement.
Had Jiang Juan also waited for him in the rain?
Marquis Anping furrowed his brow.
After waiting through the entire rain, the sudden surge of guilt made him continue waiting in the same spot, but no one came.
Marquis Anping’s heart sank further and further.
Did he not want to come?
No, it shouldn’t be like that.
The past, Marquis Anping believed, couldn’t be erased in just a few days, especially since Jiang Juan had been so deeply invested.
If he hadn’t arrived yet, there must be a reason.
Meeting Jiang Juan at the lotus pond was something Marquis Anping had not wanted to face Prince Li directly or get entangled with him further. But at this moment, feeling both unwilling and hopeful, he decided to go and see what the situation was.
Marquis Anping slowly walked towards the main hall.
Inside Chengde Hall, the maids holding lanterns kept their eyes lowered, and the light from the palace lamps was so bright it made the room as lit as midday.
The Lotus Leaf Soup was at a perfect temperature—warm and not too hot. Jiang Juan had eaten several spoonfuls and remembered that His Highness hadn’t eaten anything, so he picked up a spoon to feed him.
“Your Highness, have a bite.”
The Lotus Leaf Soup had a refreshing taste, but Xue Fangli had no appetite. He glanced at it briefly, took Jiang Juan’s hand, and gently pressed it down, saying casually, “Not now.”
As a master of evasion, Jiang Juan immediately recognized that His Highness was just brushing him off, so he insisted on feeding him. “It will cool down later. It needs to be eaten now.”
He raised the spoon again and brought it to Xue Fangli’s lips. Xue Fangli furrowed his brow slightly, his expression showing clear disdain. Jiang Juan asked slowly, “Your Highness, are you really not going to eat?”
Xue Fangli didn’t respond, and Jiang Juan continued, “Anyway, I don’t want you always holding me. If you don’t eat now, you might not be able to hold me later.”
After saying this, he put down the spoon with a “thud,” hitting the side of the bowl, and truly stopped trying to feed him.
Xue Fangli’s brow twitched, and he looked down at him, his fingers lightly pinching Jiang Juan’s face. “Are you threatening me?”
His tone was gentle and slow, which should have indicated danger, but his expression was extremely mild. Jiang Juan nodded firmly, responding straightforwardly, “Yes, I am threatening you.”
“That fierce?” Xue Fangli smiled lightly, “Then I suppose I’ll have to eat properly.”
Jiang Juan pushed the Lotus Leaf Soup towards him. “Here you go.”
Xue Fangli asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be the one feeding me?”
Jiang Juan blinked. “I don’t want to feed you. Your Highness, you eat it yourself.”
Xue Fangli chuckled a few times but didn’t say anything further. Instead, he pulled Jiang Juan closer and took his hand, gently rubbing the marks on his fingertips.
Seeing this, Xue Chaochuan felt speechless and choked up.
He still wanted his Royal Consort to feed him. Didn’t Old Five have hands of his own?
Oh, he had hands, but they were only used to play with his Royal Consort’s fingers under the table.
Disgusting, really disgusting.
Xue Chaochuan touched the goosebumps on his arms, feeling that Xue Fangli’s behavior was even more chilling than his usual violent tendencies.
He was completely unaware that someone had been standing outside the hall for a long time until a maid arrived with wine and let out a surprised exclamation.
“Marquis, what are you doing here?”
The voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone to hear. Even Jiang Juan looked up and unexpectedly made eye contact with him.
Marquis Anping stood outside, drenched and looking disheveled, with his feet covered in puddles, glaring intensely at Jiang Juan.
Jiang Juan was startled and had no time to prepare when he saw Marquis Anping. Xue Fangli, who had been holding him, immediately noticed and lifted his eyelids.
Marquis Anping?
How did he end up here?
As Xue Fangli toyed with Jiang Juan’s fingers, he seemed to have realized something and glanced at Xue Chaochuan with a hint of a smile.
No wonder he had been persistently inviting Jiang Juan for a walk.
His Eldest Brother had been scheming this all along.
Xue Fangli was well aware of Xue Chaochuan’s motives for this banquet. Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered, but because of the jade pendant engraved with the character “Hua,” he had already planned to meet with Xue Chaochuan, so he agreed to attend.
As for Jiang Juan, although Xue Chaochuan specifically mentioned him, Xue Fangli hadn’t intended to bring him along. It was only because Jiang Juan had no appetite that he changed his mind at the last moment.
When Xue Fangli cast a glance, Xue Chaochuan almost spilled the wine from his cup due to the sudden jolt.
No matter how things were arranged privately, they couldn’t be made public, especially when the matter was disreputable. Xue Chaochuan feigned surprise and said, “Marquis, why are you here, and you’re drenched in rain?”
“Come in quickly, have some wine to warm up and avoid catching a cold.”
Marquis Anping didn’t respond, instead, he stared intensely at Jiang Juan.
Jiang Juan was held in someone’s embrace, with a person’s arms wrapped around his waist. From the dark, wide sleeves, a hand with distinct joints reached out, playing with Jiang Juan’s fingers, something Jiang Juan seemed to have grown accustomed to.
Regardless of being held or the intimate gestures.
In fact, Marquis Anping had arrived earlier and had witnessed everything, including the feeding scene.
If Marquis Anping had harbored any hopes before, seeing the entire scene made him only feel anger.
After waiting so long in the rain, what was Jiang Juan doing?
He shamefully sat in Xue Fangli’s arms, eating the food fed to him by Xue Fangli, allowing Xue Fangli to publicly indulge him.
He had made so many excuses for Jiang Juan.
Prince Li was still here, making it impossible for him to move.
The rain was so heavy that he couldn’t move an inch.
Reality harshly slapped Marquis Anping’s face. What was this about being unable to move, or the rain making it impossible? From start to finish, Jiang Juan had been sitting in Prince Li’s arms, enjoying Prince Li’s affection.
How could Jiang Juan’s affection be so cheap?
Yesterday, he looked at him with such deep love, but after marrying into Prince Li Residence, it was as if the past was forgotten. They had become strangers, doing everything possible to distance themselves from him.
Why?
Was it because of Prince Li?
The Emperor was the most indulgent towards him, and while the world feared and respected him, only Jiang Juan received a touch of affection from Prince Li. He became addicted to it, believing himself to be special, and lost himself amidst the intoxication of wealth and pleasure.
But how long could this affection last?
Was Prince Li truly a good person?
So foolish. So incredibly foolish.
Marquis Anping couldn’t describe his current emotions. He was more angry and resentful—angry at Jiang Juan’s foolishness and resentful of his indifference. An endless wave of frustration surged, and Marquis Anping felt both unwilling and incredulous.
No matter what, how could he make himself wait in the rain for nothing?
Seeing the inscription on the lotus leaf, how could he not be informed or receive any word if Jiang Juan didn’t come?
Thinking of this, Marquis Anping was consumed by rage. He took a deep breath and slowly entered the hall, saying, “Greetings, Your Highness (Xue Chaohua), greetings, Your Highness (Xue Fangli), greetings—” “Your Royal Consort.”
The last two words were almost spat out through gritted teeth. Jiang Juan looked somewhat puzzled, not understanding why Marquis Anping was so angry with him. He pretended not to hear, lowering his head to fiddle with the lotus leaf, trying to make himself less noticeable.
He rolled up the lotus leaf haphazardly, and as his fingers brushed over an uneven spot, he unfolded it again to find the character “zhao” inscribed on it. Jiang Juan was a bit confused. “Why is there a character on the lotus leaf?”
Xue Fangli glanced at it and then looked up with a somewhat mocking expression. “How coincidental.”
Jiang Juan asked, “What’s coincidental?”
Xue Fangli replied lightly, “Someone’s name has this character.”
Jiang Juan: “The Princess Consort?”
He rarely remembered names from novels, so he hadn’t thought much about it. Since the lotus leaf was sent by the Princess Consort, Jiang Juan subconsciously thought that the character “zhao” might be part of the Princess Consort’s name. However, upon hearing this, Marquis Anping’s face turned extremely ugly.
Jiang Juan knew full well what his name was.
It was clearly written on the marriage contract!
“Not her,” Xue Fangli seemed quite pleased with Jiang Juan’s reaction. He said leisurely, “Marquis, if I remember correctly, your surname is Song and your given name is Zhaoshi.”
Jiang Juan: “???”
Marquis Anping?
Wasn’t the lotus leaf sent by the Princess Consort?
Jiang Juan was astonished and quickly pushed away the lotus leaf.
He simply didn’t want to be involved with Marquis Anping, fearing being marked by the main character. However, in Marquis Anping’s eyes, it seemed like Jiang Juan was eager to distance himself.
It was bad enough that he had to wait in the rain, but now he was pretending not to know his name and avoiding him. Despite repeatedly advising himself to stay composed, his rationality was beginning to crack. He questioned Jiang Juan word by word: “If you harbor any resentment, you could have said so directly. I have repeatedly told you that I feel guilty and am willing to make amends. Why do you repeatedly humiliate me?”
Jiang Juan: “?”
He asked in confusion, “When have I ever humiliated you?”
Marquis Anping said repeatedly, and Jiang Juan felt very wronged. He thought for a moment and realized that besides the incident at the bookstore, he had really done nothing. Jiang Juan said, “If you feel I’ve humiliated you, it might be a misunderstanding. If you say it, I might be able to explain. But—” Every time he met Marquis Anping, he kept talking about making amends. Jiang Juan felt this was not right and said seriously to Marquis Anping: “I have no resentment towards you, nor do I need you to make amends. Really.”
Fearing Marquis Anping wouldn’t believe him, Jiang Juan added: “Even if you really need to make amends, why should it be you? His Highness is my husband.”
Prince Li, again, was Prince Li.
Was he not to live if he left Prince Li?
Marquis Anping’s blood boiled. The less Jiang Juan cared, the more furious he became. Marquis Anping asked in a deep voice, “If I were to always feel guilty and wanted to make amends for you, what then?”
Jiang Juan said without thinking, “Then you can stay guilty.”
Marquis Anping would become the Emperor in the future, and Jiang Juan didn’t want to offend him at all. But his clinginess was so annoying that Jiang Juan couldn’t bear it anymore. He told Marquis Anping: “The one who should feel guilty is you, not me. If you want to feel guilty, then feel guilty.”
“Anyway… I don’t want your guilt, nor do I want your amends.”
“You have changed.”
Every word and sentence from Jiang Juan seemed to slap Marquis Anping’s face. After a long silence, he spoke again with difficulty.
It turned out Jiang Juan had quickly distanced himself from the past.
He felt guilty and wanted to make amends, but Jiang Juan didn’t want any of it.
Of course, Jiang Juan had changed; he had even changed who he was inside. But Jiang Juan couldn’t say that. He secretly complained to Xue Fangli, “Your Highness, he talks so much.”
Xue Fangli lowered his eyes and smiled faintly, “Indeed, he’s quite noisy.”
Pausing, he said nonchalantly, “This is the first time I’ve heard you call me ‘husband.’”
Jiang Juan didn’t initially react, but upon hearing this, he realized it and quickly tried to explain, “I just—just…”
Just what, Jiang Juan was at a loss for words and quickly lowered his head to drink water.
Xue Fangli looked at him for a moment and chuckled softly, “Not bad.”
Jiang Juan: “Ah?”
Xue Fangli didn’t say anything more, merely took a sip of wine with an air of nobility.
Marquis Anping watched their every move, feeling embarrassed himself. But thinking about the past, he felt unwilling, extremely unwilling.
Jiang Juan really had no lingering feelings for him.
How could he have no lingering feelings?
If he truly had none, then why keep the jade pendant?
Yes, the pendant was still in his possession.
Thinking of this, Marquis Anping felt a secret hope reignite. Even if Jiang Juan appeared indifferent and drew a clear line, as long as the pendant was in his hands, there was still some connection between them!
Marquis Anping seemed to grasp at the last straw. Before he could say anything more, Xue Chaohua discreetly nudged him and came over to smooth things over. “Zhaoshi, let’s talk about this later. For now, have some wine.”
Xue Chaohua exerted some effort to pull Marquis Anping away. The maid quickly poured wine, and Xue Chaohua cursed inwardly.
Wasn’t it said that Prince Li’s Royal Consort was infatuated with Marquis Anping?
Yet, Marquis Anping’s behavior made it seem like he was the one clinging to Prince Li’s Royal Consort.
Was he being——set up!?
Xue Chaohua was extremely irritated, but he had to maintain a polite smile. He wasn’t sure if it was psychological, but he felt very awkward now. He frowned deeply, and it was only when Zhang Gonggong reminded him that he came to his senses.
“Your Highness, the performance, the entertainment.”
Xue Chaohua suddenly remembered and clapped his hands. “I almost forgot. Quickly, bring on the performance. They are all beautiful young ladies I specially invited from Hongxiu Pavilion.”
With Xue Chaohua’s command, soon after, elegantly dressed women entered in succession. They moved gracefully, their postures enchanting, and their singing was as melodious as pearls.
Marquis Anping took a sip of wine, trying to calm his chaotic emotions. He glanced up casually, but his gaze suddenly froze.
The leading woman tossed her water sleeves, lightly leaping into the air. The jingle of her ornaments was unmistakable.
And those ornaments were all too familiar to Marquis Anping.
They were decorated with a magpie carrying a branch, symbolizing a marriage contract.
It was supposed to be Jiang Juan’s token, yet it was now on the leading dancer—a courtesan!
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