Lin Qingyuan suddenly mustered up his courage and said: “Eldest miss Cheng, you see…”
When Lin Qingyuan began to speak, Cheng Yujin’s eyes lit up. After so much effort, this big fish finally took the bait. Cheng Yujin couldn’t hold her excitement. Her mouth raised slightly. Her expression at this moment was totally different from the weak and broken-hearted ‘eldest miss Cheng’ just now.
Cheng Yujin realized that she had just revealed her true face. But everything had been a foregone conclusion, and Lin Qingyuan wouldn’t notice such a small flaw at this moment. Cheng Yujin adjusted her expression and waited for Lin Qingyuan to finish his words.
Lin Qingyuan didn’t notice the slight change in Cheng Yujin’s expression. He was so nervous and excited that he couldn’t pay attention to other things. After saying “You see…” he was about to say “What do you think about me?” when the door to the room suddenly opened.
Lin Qingyuan was surprised, and the next sentence about to blurt out was swallowed back into his stomach. Cheng Yujin didn’t expect this interruption either. She quickly stood up, and immediately after, she saw a person standing just outside the door—a person clad in a black attire embroidered with golden patterns, a leather belt on his waist, and whose eyes were as cold as the stars.
No one knew how long Cheng Yuanjing had been there. Cheng Yuanjing’s eyes swept across the room slowly, and his lips raised in a shallow smile: “It seems that I am interrupting you?”
Lin Qingyuan was stunned for a moment. He stood up abruptly and said with a surprised joy: “Jingxing, you are back!”
Lin Qingyuan was surprised by Cheng Yuanjing’s return, how could he still remember what he was originally about to say? He didn’t notice that Cheng Yujin stood up and walked forward before him, so he didn’t see that Cheng Yujin’s expression at this moment was completely different from the usual ‘gentle and kind’ eldest miss Cheng.
Lin Qingyuan greeted Cheng Yuanjing and pulled him to talk. Instead of looking at Lin Qingyuan, Cheng Yuanjing went over him and stared at Cheng Yujin, who was standing in the middle of the room.
Cheng Yujin was completely stunned for five or six seconds. At this moment, she even suspected that her eyes were wrong. She blinked hard several times. Seeing that the figure before her eyes still didn’t disappear, she closed her eyes harder.
However, heaven certainly didn’t hear her desperate plea. When Cheng Yujin opened her eyes again and saw the person standing in front of her, her heart was totally broken.
Heaven, ah…
For the first time, Cheng Yujin wondered if she was actually jinxed. Wasn’t Cheng Yuanjing busy preparing for his return to the Eastern Palace? Why did he come back suddenly? Why was she so unlucky, she finally met Lin Qingyuan today, but Cheng Yuanjing had to come back at this exact time. Even a few more minutes was enough for her!
No—Cheng Yujin quickly reacted. Cheng Yuanjing interrupted at the exact timing right when Lin Qingyuan was about to say the most crucial sentence. Was there such a coincidence in the world? When was Cheng Yuanjing back? How long was he here, and how much did he hear?
Cheng Yujin couldn’t help but glance at Cheng Yuanjing suspiciously. But when she raised her eyes, she collided with Cheng Yuanjing’s gaze.
Cheng Yujin’s mixed emotions of suspicion, anger, grief, and resentment instantly deflated. She lowered her head silently, revealing only the lush hair on top of her head.
She knew that she was over.
Cheng Yuanjing hated the most when others lied to him. Before he departed, Cheng Yujin promised, and even swore an oath, to live peacefully and observe the mourning for one year without making a fuss.
Who knew he would be back today? As long as Cheng Yuanjing sent a message beforehand, she definitely would choose another place and time. How could she let herself be caught redhanded?
Cheng Yuanjing was fuming with anger, but he maintained his calmness on the surface. He glanced at Cheng Yujin silently. Although the girl lowered her head obediently and showed a docile posture, he knew for sure that she had no remorse at all and was even planning her move for the next time.
Truly good.
Without saying a word, Cheng Yuanjing slowly walked into the room. Cheng Yujin heard the slow and steady footsteps approaching. Her legs suddenly became soft. Cheng Yujin secretly pinched her skin. She raised her head and used her lifelong-trained acting skill to smile brightly at Cheng Yuanjing: “Ninth Uncle, you are back!”
Cheng Yuanjing smiled back at her: “I didn’t manage to go back in time for the New Year. Today I rushed back to give my eldest niece a New Year’s money, but you are unexpectedly pretty hard to find.”
Cheng Yujin’s eyebrows twitched. Cheng Yuanjing and her were not a real uncle and niece. In private, Cheng Yuanjing always called her name directly. But when he was angry, he would call her ‘eldest niece’ threateningly. If Cheng Yuanjing showed a cold face, it was still okay. But for him to be like this, neither cold nor indifferent, Cheng Yujin was even more afraid.
It’s over. This time, His Highness was really angry.
Like a deflated ball, Cheng Yujin sat down with Cheng Yuanjing dejectedly. After she sat down, she raised her eyes towards Cheng Yuanjing. Heaven, he even sat on her previous seat.
The tea on the stove was still gurgling and bubbling. Cheng Yuanjing glanced down through the water vapor and said: “It seems that you were very preoccupied when I came in. Sit down and pour me a tea.”
Translator’s note:
I had so much fun translating this chapter ???
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