Cheng Yuanjing’s mood had improved, but his face was still cold: “Then you tell me, what is your mistake?”
Cheng Yuanjing’s ability to control his expression was first-rate, and even Cheng Yujin didn’t realize that he was no longer angry. Seeing Cheng Yuanjing’s cold face, she thought that his anger hadn’t calmed down yet, so she seriously admitted her mistakes and didn’t dare to conceal anything: “I shouldn’t leave the main hall alone, I should have come out to greet Ninth Uncle, and I shouldn’t say that the two books are in my room.”
As Cheng Yujin spoke, she carefully observed Cheng Yuanjing’s reaction. Seeing that his face was still as cold as before, she could only bite the bullet and continued admitting her mistakes, and her voice gradually became smaller and smaller.
Cheng Yuanjing didn’t intend to let her go: “Just those three?”
Cheng Yujin bit her lip in secret. Why was Cheng Yuanjing so ruthless? Did he want to warn her not to target Lin Qingyuan? Cheng Yujin gritted her teeth and said: “I shouldn’t stop to talk with Compiler Lin. Compiler Lin is an outsider male, and I should avoid meeting him. I shouldn’t stay alone with him just because I want to ask about Ninth Uncle.”
Cheng Yuanjing really admired Cheng Yujin’s ability to make up excuses and spout nonsense in a very justifiable way. Like this, didn’t she mean that she was alone with Lin Qingyuan because she cared about him?
Seeing that Cheng Yuanjing still refused to say a word, Cheng Yujin leaned closer and held the hem of Cheng Yuanjing’s clothing: “Ninth Uncle.” Her voice was so weak and pitiful.
Cheng Yuanjing sighed and finally turned to look at her: “Don’t repeat it.”
“Yes.” Cheng Yujin smiled. Her eyes were bursting with dazzling light. Cheng Yuanjing lost his mind for a moment, until a soft chuckle returned him to his sense: “Ninth Uncle, Happy New Year. This year, everything will go well for you, and your wish will surely come true.”
Cheng Yuanjing couldn’t help smiling back: “So you remember.”
“Of course.” Cheng Yujin saw that Cheng Yuanjing was no longer angry, so she stopped kneeling and sat back on the chair. The two sat side by side, with Cheng Yuanjing was on the edge of the tea table. Cheng Yujin put her arms on the table casually; her posture was slim and graceful. She sighed regretfully: “Unfortunately, I am not the first person who gives Ninth Uncle the New Year’s greeting. Later, I must be the first one.”
Cheng Yuanjing glanced at Cheng Yujin and smiled. His Highness the Crown Prince always maintained the most correct posture and manner. Although his every detail was elegant and beautiful, he was always like an immortal separated from the mundane world. But now that he was smiling, there was something deep in his eyes that Cheng Yujin couldn’t comprehend, but finally gave him a humane touch.
Cheng Yujin couldn’t understand the look in Cheng Yuanjing’s eyes and was made even more puzzled by his next words, which seemed to be full of meaning: “You surely will be able to. There are more opportunities in the future.”
To be the first person who exchanged the New Year’s greeting in the middle of the night was surely couldn’t be done if they were separated by distance. Except, of course, if they were a couple who shared the same bed.
When Cheng Yuanjing’s seemingly meaningful smile fell on Cheng Yujin’s eyes, she instinctively sensed danger, and her back was unconsciously straightened up. Cheng Yuanjing received the most pleasing sentence of this New Year and was in a good mood. He reached out his hand to gently stroke Cheng Yujin’s hair and said: “Don’t make trouble. Let’s finish the previous matter first. What is going on?”
Cheng Yujin was busy thinking about the meaning of Cheng Yuanjing’s smile. As a result, she was suddenly told: “don’t make trouble.” Cheng Yujin was dumbfounded, and even forgot to care about Cheng Yuanjing’s hand that was messing with her hair: “The previous matter? Does Ninth Uncle mean the joke we were talking about earlier?”
Cheng Yujin began to fluster again. She thought that she had finally passed the matter smoothly. But His Highness suddenly told her not to make trouble?
Cheng Yuanjing smiled slightly and asked, “What’s the matter with the marriage proposal?”
Cheng Yujin was stunned. After a moment, she straightened her back and pursed her lips: “Nothing. Ninth Uncle doesn’t need to worry about the small matter in Cheng family.”
“Is it Zhai Yanlin?”
Cheng Yujin originally didn’t want to talk about it, but hearing the name from Cheng Yuanjing’s mouth, she opened her lips slightly and finally couldn’t help sighing helplessly: “Yes.”
Cheng Yuanjing carefully observed Cheng Yujin’s reaction. After a long time, he also sighed and patted Cheng Yujin’s head gently: “Since you are calling me Ninth Uncle now, I will naturally do my duty as an uncle to protect you. You are facing such a big crisis, but would rather tell Lin Qingyuan than asking for my help?”
“That’s not it.” Cheng Yujin quickly retorted. Seeing Cheng Yuanjing’s face, she sighed again: “It’s just that this kind of matter is unsightly. I still want to maintain a good image in front of Ninth Uncle. I really don’t want to bother you with such an unsightly matter.”
“It’s okay.” Cheng Yuanjing took the opportunity to steal another chance to stroke Cheng Yujin’s hair. While enjoying the touch, he still maintained a serious tone: “Since I already know, I naturally won’t ignore it. If you have any problem, just tell me directly.”
Cheng Yujin didn’t notice Cheng Yuanjing’s small action. Since she was a child, she had already been burdened by heavy duty and had never enjoyed the warm care of an elder. At this moment, in front of Cheng Yuanjing’s genuine care and upright words, she was very touched and finally started to talk: “It’s actually nothing. The previous time I disciplined Zhai family’s little shizi in the garden, it happened to be seen by Duke Cai. Ninth Uncle was also there and knew the situation at that time.”
Cheng Yuanjing nodded. Cheng Yujin continued: “Later, in Xiangji Temple, Old Madam Zhai came to chat with grandmother and happened to meet me there. She spoke about how their family lacks a head madam to discipline the shizi, and my condition was just right. I was also without a marriage contract, and so Old Madam Zhai wanted to marry me to Duke Cai as his second wife. Afterward, I met Duke Cai in the garden. I didn’t want to enter such muddy water like the Zhai family, so I took the initiative to clearly explain my stance to Duke Cai. I thought I had made it clear to him. Unexpectedly, Duke Cai still expressed his intention to marry me to grandmother. Grandmother fancies this marriage. After knowing about the matter from mother, I went to persuade grandmother, but she turned a deaf ear on me.”
Because the person facing her was Cheng Yuanjing, Cheng Yujin didn’t hide her unwillingness and Cheng family’s calculation. After Cheng Yuanjing listened to Cheng Yujin’s narrative, he squinted his eyes slightly.
He didn’t even know that Cheng Yujin had met Zhai Yanlin on the Xiangji Temple garden that day. It seemed that he needed to add some personnel to Cheng Yujin. As for Zhai Yanlin this messy person, he naturally would deal with him.
After finally vented out the problem that troubled her these few days, Cheng Yujin loosened a bit. She gritted her teeth and complained: “Duke Cai truly has no credibility! At Xiangji Temple that day, I clearly explained all my thoughts to him. He cannot give me what I want, and I also don’t want to become what he wants. Isn’t it the best that we separate ways peacefully? Yet he went back on his words and directly went to grandmother.”
Cheng Yujin’s teeth were itchy with anger. Cheng Yuanjing listened to her rant in silence. His fingers gently fiddled with a strand of loose hair from her hairdo.
“Yujin, not everything in the world is reasonable.” Cheng Yuanjing looked at her deeply. “Especially men. All men are selfish. Seeing beautiful things, they only think about plundering, occupying, possessing. Even if you argue with one hundred reasons, they still couldn’t resist their selfish intention.”
Cheng Yujin looked at him dumbfoundedly. Cheng Yuanjing suddenly smiled: “No one is an exception.”
Men were all selfish. No one was an exception.
Including him.
The only difference was that he was more powerful than Zhai Yanlin.
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