The Salted Fish Has Gotten Over It Chapter 72

Chapter 72

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Jiang Juan: “……”How could it be like this?After all the hiding and dodging, he still couldn’t escape the social death. Jiang Juan felt utterly defeated and said, “I told you I was fine. It’s you who didn’t believe me.”Jiang Juan was in a bad state, but Jiang Qingliang was even worse.No matter what, Jiang Juan wouldn’t be punished because His Highness spoiled him. But Jiang Qingliang didn’t have that kind of treatment and knew he would definitely suffer. He only wanted to slip away as quickly as possible now.“Y-Your Highness, my father punished me to run thirty laps, and I haven’t finished yet. I’ll go… continue running?”Jiang Qingliang spoke with a stiff voice, turned, and tried to run away. But Xue Fangli wasn’t going to let him off that easily, “Wait.”He lifted his eyelids, “Not going to take another look?”Jiang Qingliang couldn’t believe his ears, “What?”Xue Fangli smiled slightly, “Don’t you like spring palace pictures? I’ll fulfill your wish.”“Stare at it for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If you blink even once, you’ll start over with a new stick.”Jiang Qingliang: “???”Who could hold their eyes open for that long?This was going to keep him up all night, wasn’t it?Jiang Qingliang moved his lips, “Your Highness, don’t you think… an incense stick’s time is a bit too long?”“Too long?”Xue Fangli said indifferently, “If you think it’s too long, then forget it.”He was so agreeable that Jiang Qingliang was stunned. Instead of feeling relieved, he felt a strange sense of unease. Sure enough, the next moment, Xue Fangli told the maid, “Take this book to your general and tell him exactly how it came to be here.”Jiang Qingliang: “???”Jiang Qingliang quickly changed his tune, “Your Highness, it’s not too long, an incense stick’s time is not too long at all. No need to trouble my father!”Jiang Qingliang knew that Xue Fangli was just messing with him, just like always making him dive for the bracelet. This time, he had a new trick.If his father didn’t know, he’d only have to keep his eyes open for one night. But if his father found out, Jiang Qingliang’s skin would be flayed.Jiang Qingliang said with a mournful face, “I’ll look at it. I’ll look at it right now.”He walked out dejectedly. This time, he wasn’t stopped. But after a few steps, Jiang Qingliang remembered something and turned back. He glanced at the spring palace book in Xue Fangli’s hand and hesitated, “Your Highness, this…”Xue Fangli glanced at him, “What about it?”Jiang Qingliang was startled by the look he received. Seeing that Xue Fangli had no intention of giving the book back, he didn’t dare to say more. “Nothing, I’m leaving.”He bowed and then sprinted out, unaware that he hadn’t gone far when Xue Fangli, in a calm tone, instructed a maid, “Go tell your general that he showed His Royal Consort some inappropriate material. I confiscated one book, and he probably has more.”The maid, being a servant of the general’s household and with Jiang Qingliang as her young master, naturally had to obey Xue Fangli, who was the prince. “Yes, Your Highness, I will inform the general immediately.”The maid hurriedly complied and left the guest room.With her gone, only Jiang Juan and Xue Fangli remained in the room.“And you.”After dealing with Jiang Qingliang, Xue Fangli walked towards Jiang Juan, who nervously said, “What about me? I didn’t do anything.”“Didn’t do anything?”Xue Fangli asked with a half-smile. “Who was it that said they felt unwell and had me rub their chest for half the day?”Jiang Juan: “…I was comforting you.”Xue Fangli glanced at him, put down the book, pulled Jiang Juan into his arms, and chuckled, “Little liar.”Jiang Juan ignored him. The spring palace book was too close, and Jiang Juan couldn’t resist glancing down at it. Unable to help himself, he reached out to push it away, but before his fingers touched it, his hand was caught.“What’s the matter?” Xue Fangli asked.Jiang Juan said awkwardly, “You know it’s… a spring palace book. Why don’t you give it back to him? Quickly take it away.”However, Xue Fangli, one arm around his waist, leisurely turned the pages with the other hand and said, “I’m quite curious what His Royal Consort was looking at that caused the misunderstanding of a heart condition.”Jiang Juan: “…”“I didn’t see anything.”Jiang Juan said stiffly, “If you’re not taking it away, just let go. Look at it yourself; I’m not going to.”With a “swish,” Xue Fangli turned another page, speaking calmly, “Look at it with me.”Jiang Juan said, “I’m not…”Xue Fangli pinched his chin, looking down at him, “You could look at it with him, but you won’t look at it with me?”“Seems… I’m supposed to be your husband, right?”Jiang Juan said gloomily, “I didn’t look at it with Jiang Juan, I just accidentally picked up this book and glanced at it out of curiosity.”Xue Fangli glanced at him a few times and hummed in response but still didn’t let Jiang Juan go. He said nonchalantly, “What’s the fun in looking alone? Let’s look at it together again.”Jiang Juan: “…”His Highness thought he and Jiang Qingliang had already looked at it once and now wanted to go through it with him again. Even after he clarified, His Highness still insisted on them looking at it together. Jiang Juan said slowly, “Your Highness, you’re being unreasonable.”Xue Fangli ignored him and, with a casual flick of his fingers, turned to the next page with a soft rustle.The guest room was silent, and the sound was faint. Jiang Juan instinctively glanced at the page, and upon seeing the image, his face began to flush.“Your Highness, let me go.”He didn’t want to go through it again. Just one glance was enough to make him uncomfortable. He tried to pry Xue Fangli’s fingers off, but he couldn’t, remaining held in his embrace.“Look.”Xue Fangli’s expression didn’t change. “Your body is quite soft.”Jiang Juan refused to look, but Xue Fangli continued, “You’re quite flexible too. You could probably do this position.”Jiang Juan: “What position?”He held back his curiosity but couldn’t resist. He glanced at the page again. The person in the picture was incredibly flexible. Jiang Juan was stunned and murmured, “I can’t do that. It looks exhausting.”Realizing he had fallen into another trap, Jiang Juan was both embarrassed and angry. “If you want to look, do it yourself. Why involve me?”Xue Fangli just chuckled softly, not answering.“Don’t even think about tricking me into looking again.”Jiang Juan was determined not to give another glance. As he listened to the pages turning, his eyes wandered everywhere but the book. After a while, Xue Fangli’s movements paused, and the turning pages sound stopped.It was so quiet, too quiet.Jiang Juan, leaning against Xue Fangli’s shoulder, tilted his head curiously and looked up, only to meet the deep black eyes of the man.“Your Highness?”Jiang Juan called out to him in curiosity. Xue Fangli stared at him for a long time before smiling and saying, “Look down.”Jiang Juan assumed he meant to look at the book and shook his head. “I won’t.”“This picture might look familiar to you.”Jiang Juan resisted, but Xue Fangli’s hand moved from his waist, picking up the entire book. Despite not wanting to, Jiang Juan was forced to glance at it.It did look familiar.The person in the picture was sitting on a chair with one leg raised, and another person’s head was between their legs.Jiang Juan: “…”Feigning calm, he said, “Familiar? Not really.”“Really.”Xue Fangli raised an eyebrow. He was leaning against the bed with Jiang Juan sitting in his lap, legs bent. At that moment, Jiang Juan’s legs were moving restlessly. Xue Fangli reached out, touching the beads on his ankle, gently rubbing them.Jiang Juan nodded quickly, and Xue Fangli said slowly, “Look again.”He lowered his head, his breath brushing against Jiang Juan’s neck as he spoke, making Jiang Juan flinch. “It’s just okay.”Xue Fangli said, “You didn’t look carefully enough. Look again.”“I…”The hand that was rubbing the beads suddenly moved them aside. It seemed like it was holding Jiang Juan’s ankle, but the fingers kept kneading his ankle bone, making Jiang Juan squirm and push his hand away in a panic.“There’s nothing worth looking at.”Jiang Juan’s eyes darted around. His face was already turning red from the brief teasing. His cheeks were a stunning shade of red, his neck, which was as white as snow, had a faint pink tint.“If there’s nothing worth looking at, why are you blushing?”Xue Fangli spoke again, his chin resting on Jiang Juan’s shoulder. His hot breath fell on Jiang Juan’s neck, making it feel as if it was being soaked in steam. Jiang Juan felt like he was going to melt.“…Mind your own business.”Jiang Juan’s heart was beating faster and faster, thumping loudly, but he still tried to be tough.Xue Fangli said, “Then I’ll just have to remind you.”The next moment, his lips and tongue brushed over the red mole on Jiang Juan’s neck, leaving a wet mark. Xue Fangli’s voice was soft and slow as he asked, “Remember now?”Jiang Juan said, “I…”Xue Fangli, smiling, said, “If you still don’t remember, I don’t mind applying the medicine again.”With everything out in the open, Jiang Juan couldn’t play dead anymore. He hesitantly said, “I think I remember a little.”“A little?”Xue Fangli lowered his head again. His familiar, hot breath brushed over Jiang Juan’s shoulder. He had finished playing with Jiang Juan’s ankle and his fingers started to climb upward, lightly pinching Jiang Juan’s white calf before moving up to the bruised area, gently touching it.“Your Highness…”The wound hadn’t fully healed yet. Jiang Juan’s voice trembled, either from pain or extreme shyness, and he almost cried. He finally behaved and said, “I remember. It does look familiar.”His voice was very soft and tender, with a hint of grievance, like a small animal that had been bullied.Having received the answer he wanted, Xue Fangli leisurely admired him for a long time before nodding, “Next page.”Jiang Juan hurriedly pressed down on the page with his pale fingers. He shook his head repeatedly, and this time, he was truly on the verge of tears—desperately.“I won’t look anymore. I really won’t look anymore.”Knowing that His Highness was deliberately teasing him and seemed to be enjoying it without any intention of stopping, Jiang Juan had no other choice but to use his special tactic.“Husband, I really won’t look anymore.”He called out softly, full of grievance, “Are you trying to anger me to death and make yourself a widower?”“You know I have a heart condition, yet you still… still…”Bully me.Jiang Juan calling him “husband” showed just how much he had been tormented. Xue Fangli looked at him, feeling a bit regretful in his heart—he hadn’t managed to make Jiang Juan watch the whole spring palace book with him, and he hadn’t had enough fun teasing Jiang Juan.But Xue Fangli decided to stop while he was ahead. He pulled Jiang Juan into his arms, laughing softly, “How could I bear to upset you?”Jiang Juan glanced at him, “I haven’t seen you being considerate.”Xue Fangli took Jiang Juan’s hand, gently rubbing his fingertips, and said, “I don’t want to be a widower. I just want my Royal Consort to be healthy, to be able to act spoiled with me for a few more years, to stay with me for a few more years.”Stay with him for a few more years.Jiang Juan was stunned and looked up at Xue Fangli. After a long time, he finally said, “Your Highness, I will stay with you for a few more years. But… your coughing up blood is so severe, you must also make an effort to stay with me for a few more years. Don’t leave too early. I really don’t want to have to send you off too soon.”Xue Fangli looked at him, smiling slightly, “If you don’t leave, I naturally won’t leave either. I will stay with you until the last day.”Jiang Juan shook his head, correcting him, “It’s me who will stay with you until the last day.”“You…”Xue Fangli was about to say something when hurried footsteps approached. The door was knocked on, and Jiang Sentao said in a deep voice, “Your Highness, Your Royal Consort, His Majesty has had an incident. He suddenly fainted while reviewing memorials. Please come to the palace quickly with me!”Jiang Juan was stunned upon hearing this.Fainted?The Emperor fainted?In the novel, this was a turning point in the plot. Emperor Hongxing fainting indicated that his body had been destroyed by the elixirs, and the situation was about to become chaotic.At the same time, the plotline where Marquis Anping ascends the throne had to be set in motion.Jiang Juan was silent for a few seconds before changing his tone, “Your Highness, Marquis Anping might end up sending off both of us.”

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