Even if Jing Wan forcibly pretends to be calm, that slightly rising blush, as well as that somewhat frantically dodging gaze, still completely landed in a certain beast’s eyes. Don’t look at how he was already ‘cultivated into perfection’, honing a pair of fiery golden eyes[1]. The people he didn’t care about, he naturally won’t pay attention to, and the person he cared about the most……..Li Hong Yuan seemingly didn’t need to think to know what Jing Wan was thinking. The current Wan Wan was still just a young girl that still haven’t experienced any (romantic) love after all. Even if her character and conduct were steady and seasoned, if she was also the same in this aspect, then that would be strange.
While Jing Wan had her eyes lowered greeting him, Li Hong Yuan’s eyes uncontrollably overflowed with smiles. He clenched his fist and placed it by his lips, preventing himself from laughing out loud. However, seeing that white and rosy little face of Jing Wan’s, he really wanted to have her pulled into his embrace and viciously bite her twice. Because certain thoughts began stirring again, Li Hong Yuan’s two eyes became increasingly deep.
At this time, since Li Hong Yuan didn’t call for her to ‘rise’, Jing Wan just maintained her original position.
Li Hong Yuan quietly watched at her just like that, watching the blush disappear from her face, returning to its natural light pink. There was no powder applied on her face. The color of her lips was very beautiful, tender and pink. Li Hong Yuan stroked his lips, reminiscing the sweet taste he collected from her lips in his past life. Not to mention she was still in her youth right now, residing in one’s most beautiful age. Those lips still delicate and tender. In his past life, because of the wind and frost (hardships), failing to preserve her health, even if she was naturally born beautiful, it was still inevitable for it to become rough, and her lips somewhat crack. But that taste still made his heart beat. In his past life, beautiful women passed by like clouds, but even their best features[2] at most only just scratched the surface, unable to arouse his deeper feelings. This probably was just because he had his heart set on her, evoking his deepest emotions. Perhaps at that time, he’d already thoroughly fallen into her hands. In the very beginning, he might have still been somewhat resisting, but by the time he allowed himself to sink, she was gone. And when they met again, when they met again……….
Jing Wan heard his seemingly painful groan and subconsciously lifted her eyes, only to see him pursing his lips and covering his chest, breathing somewhat roughly. Just those eyes fixedly stared at her, like a beast ready to pounce. Jing Wan unconsciously took a step back. Unknown as to whether or not it was this reaction that triggered him, Li Hong Yuan violently shot up and grabbed her wrist at once, pulling her into his arms, and then returned to his original position.
“Wangye…….” Jing Wan startlingly cried out. Perhaps because she was subconsciously worried about the current setting, she instinctively lowered her voice, her two hands pressed against Li Hong Yuan’s chest.
Sensing Jing Wan’s resistance and struggle, Li Hong Yuan’s two arms tightened, “Wan Wan, you still want to leave me. You still want to leave me? Let me tell you, I won’t allow it again, absolutely won’t let it happen again……..” His voice contained strong possessiveness, as well as indescribable fear.
Jing Wan recalled that night he got injured, he was also hazily like this. She also knew that going against him at this time was very unwise. Thus she calmed down, and after a moment of hesitation, reached her hand out and patted his back, “Wangye, calm down a bit, this subject isn’t…….”
“Don’t talk, let me hold you for a while.” Every time Li Hong Yuan recalled his past life and the devastating state Jing Wan was in when she died, for the most part, he would all go insane once. However, because Jing Wan was here right now, he was able to pull back his rationality rather quickly, unlike in the past, where the people by his side would always end up suffering at least once. However, since the person was already in his arms, even if a certain person returned to his senses, he still wasn’t going to let go that easily.
This boss, Jing Wan naturally felt that she couldn’t afford to offend. If the matter got big, the one to suffer would only be her, so she just obediently let him hug her. Just, recalling that this one was big sister Jia’s fiancee, even if they both loathed each other, she still couldn’t help feeling like she was ‘betraying’ her good friend inside. In her heart, she silently apologized to Sun Yi Jia.
A while was just a while, but wasn’t this while a little too long. “Wangye……” Jing Wan pushed him, her intention very clear.
Despite feeling reluctant, when facing Jing Wan, he still very easily compromised and let go.
Jing Wan hurriedly backed away, causing Li Hong Yuan’s eyes to become gloomier again, but this time, he didn’t move.
“Have a seat.” Li Hong Yuan tapped the padded cushion to his side.
The padded cushion’s sensation was both cozy and soft, and the surface was that highest quality fur. Jing Wan couldn’t help sighing inside. As expected of someone from the imperial family. Ordinary families simply wouldn’t even be able to see such a thing, and official families, even if they managed to obtain it, they would certainly very much cherish it, and through the embroiderers’ skillful hands, have it all sewn onto their clothes without the least bit remaining. But this one instead had a completely intact large chunk sewn into a cushion. Then, causally looking at the things displayed inside here, any one was all a valuable object. Compared to the ‘poor-looking’ appearance outside, it was a world apart.
Jing Wan’s movements and expressions, Li Hong Yuan all took to heart. She just purely carried a bit of curiosity and lament, without the least bit of envy, let alone greed. Even if she was sizing up the place, she was still very magnanimous, only taking a quick glance and not at all being stealthy. In an instant, that bit of curiosity was also gone, as she quietly sat there.
“Just now, it was this prince that was rude to miss.” Li Hong Yuan spoke.
Outside, An Yi who was driving the carriage had a stiff expression. Because he also simultaneously held the position of the head of the shadow guards, whenever he appeared as one of the two identities, there naturally would be some differences. Even if someone saw him right now, they still wouldn’t link him to Li Hong Yuan’s bodyguard. When he heard what was said, he couldn’t help but silently curse in disagreement inside. Master, this no face no skin shameless person, actually began pretending to be a modest gentleman. A big-tailed wolf was just a big-tailed wolf, you can pretend for a moment, but can you pretend for a lifetime? In the future, you’ll eventually get found out by Miss Luo, not scared of ‘settling the accounts after autumn’[3]?
(T/N: The shadow guards are considered secret bodyguards with no paper record of their existence, which is different from a regular guard.)
“Not at all, wangye need not mind.” Have to say, this attitude of his, Jing Wan was very surprised by. Regardless of whether it was the rumors she heard, or the mere few times she’s encountered him, it was all as different as it can be from right now.
Li Hong Yuan seemingly understood her thoughts at once and lightly smiled, “You’re this prince’s life-saver after all.”
Jing Wan blanked, not only because of Li Hong Yuan’s words, but also because of that smile. It was practically just………..a blossoming peony. Although possibly an ink peony, but it was still that most luxurious, most uncommon, and unrivaled one, inconceivably beautiful.
Li Hong Yuan relaxed his body, and calmly leaned back; his expression languid, yet also carried three part seduction.
Jing Wan’s lips lightly parted and spat out the word: Demon!
Li Hong Yuan didn’t hear clearly what she said, but in addition to reading her lips, he still roughly guessed it. “What did Miss Luo say?”
“Ah? Nothing. ——-Don’t know what wangye needs from this subject.”
Li Hong Yuan’s line of sight landed on Jing Wan’s neck, “How is Miss Luo’s injury?”
Jing Wan subconsciously reached out and covered her neck, but when she saw Li Hong Yuan’s calm and honest expression, seemingly like he really was just concerned for her, without any other meaning, Jing Wan felt she’d overreacted. With her face slightly red, she put down her hand, “Thanking Wangye for the concern, it is more or less healed already.”
“Is there anything Miss Luo wants?” Li Hong Yuan, as if not noticing her movement, said in a soft voice.
Jing Wan hesitated for a moment, “This subject believes, wangye’s guards should’ve already passed on this subject’s words to wangye.”
Li Hong Yuan waved his hand, “That’s nothing. Although this prince is a bit of a bastard, it’s still not to the point where one would force someone to do something against their will. Furthermore, this isn’t just repaying the life-saving favor that simple.”
Jing Wan understood Li Hong Yuan’s underlying meaning. If she doesn’t request a bit of something, then perhaps Jin Qinwang won’t feel reassured. She’d caught his ‘handle’, so no matter what, she at least needed to let him grasp a bit of ‘something against her’ in his hands. Jing Wan silently pondered for a moment, then slowly opened her mouth, “Can wangye get rid of the marriage engagement with big sister Jia?”
Li Hong Yuan probably never thought that she’d mention such a request either, “Miss Luo’s care towards a good friend really is quite meticulous.”
Jing Wan could hear his tone getting a bit colder. She was also aware that this request of hers was very inappropriate. This was precisely the so called ‘to rather tear down a temple, than to ruin a marriage’. Moreover, by mentioning such a request, wasn’t that clearly telling him that he really wasn’t all that great? Even she, as an outsider, would rather her good friend’s reputation suffer damage, than to have anything to do with this marriage. To look down on him in such a way, even ordinary men would all most likely get angry, let alone he, who was a descendant of the imperial family. These words were comparable with the crime of offending one’s superior. Jing Wan hurriedly got up to beg for forgiveness, “This subject was insolent, asking wangye to please forgive.”
To be disliked by the person at the tip of one’s heart, to say he didn’t feel anything was impossible. Moreover, she treated others this meticulously, yet was this distant with him, so much so that he could be considered a stranger, how very unpleasant. But seeing Jing Wan creasing her brows, her expression somewhat uneasy, he also felt heartache. Forget it. He can always compensate it back from her in the future. “Get up, this prince wasn’t blaming you. Your request, this prince has accepted.”
T/N: I’m telling you Sun Yi Jia is the true second ML in this novel, nothing can convince Jen otherwise.
[1] Reference to Sun Wukong’s ‘eyes of truth’ from the classic Journey to the West, which he got after being cooked in Taishang Laojun’s (The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord) eight-way trigram crucible for 49 days. The eyes were so sharp and discerning that he could see a demon’s true form.
[2] I’m a bit sad that I can’t incorporate the original idiom in. The original idiom translated literally is Huan fat, Yan thin. It’s referring to two famous beauties of Ancient China, Yang Yu Huan and Zhuo Fei Yan. Yang Yu Huan, more famously known as Noble Consort Yang (Yang Guifei), was known for her plump figure, while Zhao Fei Yan was known to be thin like a graceful swallow. Note that Yan in her name means swallow, and her full name Fei Yan literally just means flying swallow.
[3] Idiom meaning settling the score at an opportune time
