Chapter 49: Garlic White Meat (Part 24)
The moment Feng Si'er's name was uttered, Leng Yue immediately felt Jing Yi's arm stiffen slightly, his previously foolish grin suddenly gaining an indescribable intensity.
An inexplicable chill ran through Leng Yue's heart, and she pursed her lips lightly.
"Why are you thinking of her again..." Jing Yi looked at her like a young monk struggling to comprehend Buddhist scriptures—confused yet burning with curiosity. "Have you seen her again?"
Leng Yue didn't answer. Instead, she lowered her head and used a warm, damp towel to gently wipe Jing Yi's shoulders and arms, her tone indifferent. "I heard from the Sparrow Nest Brothel that when Feng Si'er worked there as a high-class courtesan, you were the one who personally made her famous. She became a sensation in less than three months after debuting."
Jing Yi clearly detected a strong scent of vinegar, so sour it almost made him want to cry.
With his tender, lotus-root-like arm held in Leng Yue's grasp, Jing Yi put on a pained expression and answered truthfully without hesitation. "This really isn't my fault... I just happened to hear her playing the zither beautifully, so I gave her a bit more silver. Once I gave more, a bunch of young nobles jumped in to compete with me, each offering more than the last. Eventually, it turned into them throwing silver directly at Feng Si'er—they nearly buried her alive in coins... I wanted to stop it back then, but the brothel's madam said if I dared intervene, she'd make sure to beat me to death... So, after that night, Feng Si'er became famous overnight, both in name and person."
Leng Yue felt her teeth itch with irritation.
Nearly buried alive in silver...
How many cases would she have to solve, braving wind and rain, to save up that much in rewards?!
No wonder Prince An always earnestly advised her that learning the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting were worthwhile pursuits that could enhance one's value.
"Starting tomorrow, you'll teach me to play the zither... Why are you opening your mouth?"
Under Leng Yue's icy gaze, Jing Yi struggled to lift his dropped jaw back into place.
"I'm... hungry."
Leng Yue turned and picked up a piece of red bean pastry. Just as she was about to shove the whole thing into Jing Yi's mouth, her eyes fell on his smooth, mirror-like head, and she suddenly remembered something. Raising her hand, she brought the pastry to her own lips, bit off a large piece, held it between her teeth, leaned close to Jing Yi's mouth, and lightly closed her phoenix eyes.
Jing Yi was baffled.
If any other woman had made such a move, it would almost certainly mean she intended to feed him mouth-to-mouth, but...
He firmly believed that even in a daytime dream, his wife would never do something so flirtatious to him.
Besides, having grown up alongside the Crown Prince, he had developed the habit of eating slowly and chewing thoroughly—something Leng Yue knew well. The piece she held between her teeth was larger than what he could finish in three bites, so how could it possibly be meant for him?
The small piece left in her hand seemed more likely to be for him.
Then...
Jing Yi hesitated for a moment, watching as Leng Yue's cheeks flushed slightly. Suddenly understanding, he mustered all his strength, trembling as he lifted his still-uncooperative hand and managed to touch Leng Yue's cheek.
Leng Yue's cheeks reddened further, and she lowered her body slightly, her full, firm chest almost brushing against Jing Yi's.
Jing Yi's hand slowly slid to Leng Yue's lips. With some effort, he extended a finger and gave the piece of red bean pastry held between her teeth a firm poke...
Pushing it right into her mouth.Jing Yi slowly exhaled, letting his weakened hand drop back to his side. Before he could even manage a satisfied smile, he noticed Leng Yue's face had somehow shifted from pink to pale green.
The red bean pastry stuffed in Leng Yue's mouth seemed...
rather uncomfortably wedged.
"Um..." Jing Yi looked somewhat nervously at his wife whose eyes were now glowing with green intensity, forcing an apologetic smile. "You didn't want me to feed you... so did you take too big a bite and want me to help you take some off?"
Leng Yue's face turned even greener.
She had only remembered how he nearly lost his life last night after drinking honey syrup from her hands, and wanted to do something gentle to soothe her guilt and unease. She happened to recall Hua Mei mentioning during their casual chats that men absolutely adore this kind of intense, blood-boiling tenderness...
As for taking such a large bite, she had privately hoped Jing Yi would linger longer near her lips - with enough lingering, what follows boiling would naturally occur.
Who the hell knew...
Jing Yi's trembling finger had poked all her guilt, unease, and boiling heart right back into her stomach.
"I was wrong..." Jing Yi blinked his clear, fox-like eyes, looking at her with utmost sincerity. "How about... you take it out and we try again?"
Take it out and try again...
With her face still green, Leng Yue chewed vigorously on the mouthful of red bean pastry, swallowed it, then stuffed the remaining piece she was holding into her mouth as well. After finishing, she said through gritted teeth with cold sharpness, "No need."
She wouldn't be doing this sort of thing ever again in this lifetime.
Leng Yue pulled over the blanket and covered the already thoroughly cleaned Jing Yi, stating with an iron expression, "You seem energetic enough. Perfect timing - there's a household matter you need to decide."
"No need, no need..." Jing Yi smiled particularly obediently. "You're the one who makes decisions in our home."
Leng Yue's leaf-shaped eyebrows lifted slightly. "You said it."
Jing Yi nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
Leng Yue calmly carried the water basin out. After about the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, Leng Yue entered first, followed by two servants supporting Ji Qiu - whose face was swollen like a butt - on either side, and finally Uncle Qi trailing behind with his head hanging.
Seeing so many people suddenly gathered at his bedside, Jing Yi was momentarily stunned.
The moment Ji Qiu spotted Jing Yi on the bed, her eyes suddenly brightened and reddened, letting out a loud "Waa" as she burst into tears. Though she spoke through her tears, her mouth was so badly swollen that Jing Yi couldn't understand a single word.
Leng Yue translated for her.
"She says her feelings for you are genuine, and yours for her are too. She wants you not to wrong yourself and to divorce me early to marry her." After speaking, Leng Yue's phoenix eyes turned lightly toward Ji Qiu, asking with remarkable patience, "That's what you meant, right?"
Ji Qiu glared fiercely at Leng Yue and, unable to speak clearly, gathered saliva and spat forcefully toward her.
Leng Yue shifted her steps slightly, nimbly avoiding it. The saliva hit the ground with a disgusting "splat."
Jing Yi's brow furrowed slightly as he called softly, "Uncle Qi."
Hearing the summons, Uncle Qi quickly stepped forward. "Young master."
Jing Yi glanced faintly at the tearful Ji Qiu who was gazing at him obsessively. "I'm not in the best condition physically. Please slap her face on my behalf."Uncle Qi was taken aback. "Slap... slap her face?"
He remembered clearly—though Jing Yi had been whipped countless times by Master Jing since childhood, this was the first time he had ever ordered someone else to be punished.
Jing Yi looked at Uncle Qi with mild confusion, speaking with the deference of a junior seeking guidance from an elder. "I'm not entirely clear on the specifics of the Jing family rules, but given how severely she has overstepped her bounds, isn't a face-slapping appropriate?"
Jing Yi's gaze was unnervingly gentle. Uncle Qi hurriedly replied, "Appropriate... entirely appropriate!"
Leng Yue was momentarily stunned, but Uncle Qi had already turned and swung his hand, delivering several crisp, sharp slaps to Ji Qiu's face. Ji Qiu wept bitterly, her cries so pitiful that even Leng Yue felt goosebumps. Yet Jing Yi watched impassively until Uncle Qi had struck Ji Qiu so hard that blood trickled from both corners of her mouth. Only then did Jing Yi softly say, "Enough."
Then he turned to Uncle Qi again and asked politely, "Having her kneel, kowtow, and apologize—would that also be acceptable?"
Uncle Qi hastily signaled to two servants. Having never seen Jing Yi enforce family discipline on anyone in the household before, and thoroughly intimidated by Uncle Qi's flurry of slaps, they dared not sympathize with Ji Qiu's misery. They hurriedly forced her to the ground and pressed her head into a solid, audible kowtow toward Leng Yue. Only when Jing Yi said "Enough" did they dare lift Ji Qiu back up.
Observing Ji Qiu, who now didn't even dare to sob aloud, Jing Yi finally furrowed his brow and looked at Leng Yue, who stood frozen nearby. "Did... Ji Qiu do something wrong?"
It took Leng Yue a long moment to collect her thoughts.
"Well..."
She paused, glancing at Ji Qiu's already disfigured face.
Ji Qiu bit her lip hard, desperately holding back her sobs. Her tear-filled almond eyes still lingered obsessively on Jing Yi's face, as if, were the servants to release her, she would crawl into his embrace no matter what.
Suddenly, Leng Yue no longer felt like letting the matter rest.
"I sprained one of her ankles and knocked out three of her teeth. Perhaps I was a bit heavy-handed... but she didn't hold back either—when she tried to kill your cat, poison your fish, slip you Drunken World, or dose me with Beauty's Chant."
Jing Yi's expression shifted slightly, his gaze toward Ji Qiu turning cold for a fleeting moment before softening again as he looked away.
When Jing Yi remained silent for a while, Leng Yue turned to him and realized he was staring intently at her, his expression somewhat complicated.
Did he... not believe her?
Leng Yue frowned. "It's getting late. If you have something to say, just say it."
Jing Yi gazed deeply at her, his lips pressed lightly together. His voice lowered, tinged with hesitation. "Do you really want me to speak plainly?"
Leng Yue lifted her chin. "Go on."
"I'm... a little moved."
Leng Yue was taken aback. "Moved?"
Jing Yi stared unblinkingly at her, as if she were the only person in the room. "You actually fought someone for me... I'm so moved I could cry..."
Leng Yue choked back a retort, suddenly aware of several pairs of eyes fixed on her. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"I mean every word," Jing Yi continued, his eyes genuinely reddening. "If I cry, will you despise me?"
"...Yes."
Leng Yue composed her slightly flustered expression and pointed toward Ji Qiu, who seemed utterly broken. "First, tell me—what should we do with her?""But didn't I just say," Jing Yi looked directly at Leng Yue, blooming into a full smile, "you have the final say in our household matters."
Having said this, Jing Yi let out a leisurely yawn with a smile of accomplished merit on his face, tilted his head inward, and closed his eyes.
Leng Yue was stunned for a long moment, and everyone else remained stunned along with her. When she turned to look at Ji Qiu, the deathly silence had already stretched Ji Qiu's face ashen with fear.
"Ji Qiu," Leng Yue waved her hand in front of Ji Qiu's eyes, confirming she was looking at her before continuing, "As a maid, you drugged your own master, nearly causing their death. This isn't just a mistake—it's a crime. According to the law, you should be sent to the mines for hard labor."
Ji Qiu's body trembled violently as she shook her head repeatedly, making indistinct sounds. The look in her eyes when she gazed at Leng Yue no longer held resentment, only pleading.
"Don't worry," Leng Yue smiled faintly, "Both I and your master serve in the capital's magistrate office. Even if we could bear to do it, we couldn't bear the shame."
Ji Qiu frantically nodded with such force that her whole body shook, making it difficult for the two servants flanking her to keep holding her up.
"Consider yourself lucky. There happens to be an opening in the capital for night soil collection. I've already spoken with the supervisor, and he's agreed to give you this means of living. Uncle Qi will settle your wages with you later. You'll have to fend for yourself from now on."
After saying this, Leng Yue didn't wait to hear whatever Ji Qiu was trying to mumble, simply waving her hand to dismiss everyone crowded in the room.
Leng Yue took a slow, deep breath to calm her mind, which had been disturbed by Ji Qiu's crying. She approached the bedside and delivered a sharp knock on Jing Yi's head.
Jing Yi's howl nearly tore through the window paper.
"Quiet..." Leng Yue cut off the lingering echoes of his cry with a deep kiss. After kissing him, she rubbed his head a couple of times and said irritably, "Daring to say anything in front of so many people—are you out of your mind?"
"Hmm... going bald."
Leng Yue couldn't hold back a "pfft" of laughter, then couldn't resist spitting out, "Do you know how many times a day I want to kill you?!"
Jing Yi nodded quite seriously, "I know."
Leng Yue froze for a moment, then reached out to pinch Jing Yi's neck, "Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Mmm..." Jing Yi neither confirmed nor denied, lifting his head with some effort to gently kiss Leng Yue's arm through her clothes. He smiled with complete satisfaction, "Wanting to kill me still means you're thinking of me. However many times a day you think of me, I'm willing to die any way you choose."
Leng Yue stared blankly for a moment, then raised her sleeve and extinguished the room's only lamp.
"Then I'll have my way with you first before killing you."
"...!"
【Mini Theater】
Prince An [with concern]: Wu Jiang, I think I heard ghostly howls coming from Jing Yi's direction. Shouldn't you go check?
Wu Jiang [calmly]: Your Highness... this is something we must get used to.
OpenNovel