Chapter 67: How Can Affection Be Endured?

to Ye Qingran, who was staring at her blankly: "I remember this favor today.""Just that" Ye Qingran looked displeased as he stared at Yun Qianyue. "Aren't you supposed to owe me a favor for saving yo...Chapter 67: How Can This Be Endured

Rong Jing turned his head to look at Yun Qianyue. His gaze fell on her extremely unattractive little face, and after a moment, he shifted his eyes to the hand tightly grasping his arm. His clear spring-like phoenix eyes slightly narrowed; she had also gripped Rong Feng's sleeve like this just now, but while she had grabbed him by the entire arm, she had only held onto a part of Rong Feng’s sleeve...

"Hey, speak up! Hurry up!" Yun Qianyue urged Rong Jing. Ever since arriving in this world and finding someone to her liking for the first time, how could he be her uncle's nephew She wanted to find a brick wall and bang her head against it.

Rong Jing shifted his gaze away from Yun Qianyue’s hand gripping his arm and said indifferently, "Are you sure you want to talk here"

"Yes, let's discuss this here!" Yun Qianyue nodded. She had made up her mind to marry someone, so how could she allow any slip-ups This would make the person who vowed to only marry Rong Feng earlier unable to bear it.

Rong Jing frowned and asked, "It’s already noon; aren’t you hungry"

"I'm not hungry! Even if I am, I’m not!" Yun Qianyue shook her head.

"But I am. You know that when one is hungry, they have no strength, and without strength, one cannot move. On top of that, I already caught a chill earlier, which hasn’t made me feel too well." Rong Jing spoke slowly: "If you want to hear what I say, then invite me for a meal! Otherwise, I won't speak."

Yun Qianyue’s face darkened, “I’m not inviting!”

"Then go ask someone else!" Rong Jing said. "But as far as the Wen Bohou Manor is concerned, aside from me no one dare talk about it; you know that the manor was destroyed back then. By the way, shortly after my father and mother passed away, I was drugged and poisoned before receiving a fatal blow, and at the same time, something happened in the Wen Bohou Manor. All of these things occurred within the same year." Rong Jing spoke calmly as if he were talking about someone else’s matter; he continued: "Rong Feng's existence was previously unknown to anyone, so his relationship with me is known only by him and myself. Even Ye Qingran doesn’t know this; he only knows that Rong Feng is the sole survivor of the Wen Bohou Manor family. Are you sure you want to ask Rong Feng And make him relive the painful memory of his family being wiped out"

Yun Qianyue frowned—she wouldn’t do something cruel like this that would cause others pain and suffering. Naturally, she couldn't go and ask Rong Feng.

"So, only I can tell you then. Are you sure you won't invite me for a meal" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

"Aren’t you caught a chill Your body isn’t feeling well," Yun Qianyue glared at him; what was the point in eating if his body wasn’t feeling good

"When I’m not feeling well, that’s when I need to eat." Rong Jing said: "Not eating will only make my condition worse. I want to live a few more years so as to be able to see you marry Rong Feng and daily come to ask after me."

“Don’t dream!” Yun Qianyue was infuriated. Every time she heard the phrase “ask after,” she felt like grabbing something.

"Invite me for a meal." Rong Jing continued stressing it.

"Alright, let’s go then! First we’ll feed you this starving ghost!" Yun Qianyue tugged Rong Jing along without good grace.

Rong Jing seemed to smile as he allowed her to drag him forward lazily; he didn’t use any strength himself and walked slowly. As his gaze caught sight of Rong Feng turning around, leaving, and Ye Qingran frowning and waiting there, he withdrew his eyes with a calm expression.

“Would you like us to eat at your place or mine” Although Yun Qianyue was irritated, she still had to ask him politely as she needed help from him. She could only ask coldly; why did everything happen the way it happened In this life, no one wanted her either; yet now that she has mustered up the courage to send herself over and found something like this, couldn’t she just marry smoothly

“If we eat at your place, we might witness a scene of Grandpa Yun hitting you with his walking stick. Hm, it seems great, let’s go eat there then.” Rong Jing thought for a moment before saying.

"No! I don't want to return to the manor to eat; let's go eat at your place." Yun Qianyue immediately shook her head. She was planning not to see that old geezer in the near future so she wouldn’t get hit again.

“To eat at my house is still called inviting Unacceptable! How can one be invited for a meal and then go to their own home” Rong Jing rejected it outright.

"Then where do you want to go" Yun Qianyue glared sideways at him.

“Let’s head to the most famous Drunken Fragrance Tower in the capital,” after some thought, Rong Jing suggested.

“Sounds like a place full of pleasure and entertainment.” Yun Qianyue looked suspiciously at Rong Jing: “Do you have someone special there”

Rong Jing glanced sideways at her with his eyes darkening slightly, "It’s just a tavern. They serve a delicious chicken dish marinated in lotus leaf."

"Alright then! Let's go there," Yun Qianyue immediately agreed.

The two of them left the pavilion. Yun Qianyue felt that her hand was being pulled very heavily and it hurt; she frowned, only now realizing how much weight Rong Jing had put on her arm. If he dragged her like this, she could not help but feel exhausted. She turned her face dark and immediately let go.

Rong Jing glanced at her once and ignored the wrinkles she’d formed in his sleeve as they walked forward slowly.

"Little miss, what's the matter What are you two chatting about" Ye Qingran approached.

"Nothing! He was about to faint, so I helped him up." Yun Qianyue lied with a straight face without batting an eye.

Rong Jing didn't call her out; instead, he slowed his pace and looked even weaker and paler.

"Weakling, what's wrong You were fine earlier, weren't you" Ye Qingran frowned at Rong Jing, clearly not believing him.

"I probably caught a chill yesterday. It didn't flare up this morning, but now it has." Rong Jing replied.

Ye Qingran took a step forward and stretched out his hand to feel Rong Jing's pulse.

Rong Jing didn’t dodge, but String Song appeared right behind him. String Song blocked Ye Qingran’s attempt and warned, "Young Prince Ran, our Young Lord doesn't like others touching him. Please keep your distance."

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes. Did she get special treatment again She had touched Rong Jing more than once!

"Bad habit!" Ye Qingran snorted and retracted his hand.

Seeing that even the little demon prince, Ye Qingran, kept his distance, Yun Qianyue realized he was serious. Thinking about it, she noticed that no one had approached Rong Jing closely except her and String Song since they met him; not even the old emperor dared to get too close. Although Rong Jing sat near Ye Qingran today, there was still a three-foot distance between them. With this thought, Yun Qianyue pointed at Rong Jing, muttered to herself, and looked up at the sky in disbelief. Odd person!

"Little miss, he treats you differently indeed. Every time there's an exception for you. Just now, you even held his arm for a long time; if it was someone else, their hand would likely have been chopped off by now." Ye Qingran glanced at Yun Qianyue with a strange expression and said, "In his eyes, he probably doesn’t consider me human."

Yun Qianyue didn't feel good about herself just because Rong Jing treated her differently. Who knew if this heartless fellow even considered her as a person!

"Miss Yun Qianyue is truly amazing, knowing what Lord Shizi thinks." String Song praised immediately. Back at Lingtai Temple on Mount Nan, his young lord had indeed said those words to the Crown Prince of Southern Liang, but Miss Yun Qianyue was drunk back then and couldn't hear it. Still, he was impressed by her insight.

"Uh... Ha ha..." Ye Qingran paused, then burst out laughing.

"You have self-awareness!" Rong Jing smiled too.

Yun Qianyue snorted; she couldn't understand Rong Jing's true nature after spending so much time with him. She glared at his smiling face, "Hurry up and let’s go."

Rong Jing nodded and quickened his pace.

String Song saw that Ye Qingran didn’t come closer to Rong Jing anymore; he disappeared into the shadows.

"Little miss, shall I ride with you How about I send you back to the estate" Ye Qingran asked.

"No thanks. I have something to talk to Rong Jing. You go ahead and rest early for tomorrow's competition against... Rong Feng." Yun Qianyue’s headache worsened at the thought of Rong Feng. She really shouldn’t have acted on impulse; she never imagined that Rong Jing was actually Rong Feng’s uncle! Heaven, strike her dead with lightning!

"I'm not tired," Ye Qingran shook his head when he noticed Yun Qianyue's odd expression and frowned, "What do you need to talk about with this weakling"

"Important business!" Yun Qianyue wanted to say it was a matter of marriage.

"What important business I could help too if he can." Ye Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing, the former looking like she wished to bang her head against a wall while the latter smiled in a most irritating manner. He had a bad feeling about this.

"You won't be able to handle it. If I could get help from you, I would have found you earlier." Yun Qianyue thought of Rong Jing’s words that Ye Qingran neither knew nor understood and felt annoyed again. Truly, the year was not on her side!

"Little miss, don’t let this weakling fool you! He's a black-hearted devil who’ll eat you up!" Ye Qingran stressed, knowing that this little miss had probably been threatened by him.

“I know. Alright, go back and rest now, I really can't ask for your help with this.” Yun Qianyue didn’t want to continue the conversation; she gently pushed Ye Qingran away. Seeing his displeased expression, she quickly said, "How about we have a horse race another day as compensation Would that be alright"

Ye Qingran’s mood improved immediately, “Alright, I’ll agree with you. However, use your brain and don’t let this weakling fool you.”

"Got it. Don't worry; if he tries to fool me, I'll make sure his lineage ends." Yun Qianyue glared at Rong Jing and assured Ye Qingran.

Only then did Ye Qingran nod approvingly before warning Rong Jing with a glare, "Don’t bully little miss! If I find out you’ve been bullying her, I’ll make your life in the Royal Manor miserable."

Rong Jing glanced at Ye Qingran indifferently and ignored him.

Ye Qingran turned around and walked away, quickly exiting the courtyard. Shortly thereafter, the sound of horse hooves grew distant.

Yun Qianyue heaved a sigh of relief; if Ye Qingran had insisted on going with them, she would have found it hard to ask him the question that was on her mind. It seemed like this child knew when to give others some face. She turned around and glared at Rong Jing, who was leisurely strolling over, fuming, "Aren't you hungry Hurry up already!"

"I can’t walk," Rong Jing replied with a glance, his tone languid.

"Don’t even think about me carrying you; it’s impossible!" Yun Qianyue snorted. He had never walked properly in the first place and always moved as if a hundred people were trying to drag him along.

"I’m truly unable to walk today," Rong Jing sighed, stopping his steps with a weak voice.

Yun Qianyue stopped too, looking at Rong Jing. She was about to berate and glare at him when she noticed sweat breaking out on his forehead and his complexion was even paler than before; he seemed genuinely ill. Frowning, she turned back a few steps, walked up to him, and placed her hand over his pulse.

Rong Jing stood still, allowing her to take his pulse.

Xian Ge didn’t appear this time around.

“Are you truly sick Your pulse is so weak. What have you been up to these days that could make your body deteriorate like this Did you really go out and do something bad, such as seeking pleasure or indulging in frivolous pursuits You are the Crown Prince of the Yong王府, what kind of woman can’t you get without going out” Yun Qianyue frowned as she lectured him.

“I didn’t seek pleasure or indulge in frivolous pursuits!” Rong Jing’s originally pale face turned slightly dark; he spoke those four words with gritted teeth.

"Then what kind of mischief did you get up to" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

Rong Jing remained silent, his eyes seemed to carry a hint of resentment when one looked closely.

Yun Qianyue had the look that she expected and said indignantly, “As I thought. You did something bad and now you’ve ruined your health.”

"Yes, indeed, but if I didn’t do something bad, wouldn’t those twelve gold Buddha statues be waiting to be seized by Emperor Wen…" Rong Jing retorted.

Yun Qianyue was startled and immediately covered his mouth while looking around cautiously. Seeing that the courtyard had already emptied out of people at some point, she let out a breath of relief and whispered sternly, "Be careful; there might be ears behind walls. Why would you just blurt it out If Emperor Wen finds out about this, we’re all doomed. That old emperor is definitely not someone to mess with."

"You forced me to say it," Rong Jing looked innocent and spoke in the same languid tone; there was no hint of fear.

“Alright, ancestor, do you want me to be afraid of you” Yun Qianyue thought about those twelve gold Buddha statues. She suddenly saw twelve piles of gold mountains before her eyes. Ha-ha, she wouldn’t need to worry about money anymore, so she quickly lowered her voice and asked, "Hey, I heard that Xiangquanshan is heavily guarded; how did you manage to sneak out the Buddha statues without anyone noticing"

Rong Jing’s face darkened. “If you were marrying Rong Feng, it would be right for me to call you grandson, but there are no such grandsons in my family that will marry women like you and make them call me ancestor every day.”

“You…,” Yun Qianyue was speechless with rage. Her face instantly became covered in countless black lines as she glared at Rong Jing, “That’s a joke! I said it was a joke; do you understand You ancient relic!”

Rong Jing blinked his long lashes and shook his head, "I don’t!"

Yun Qianyue took a deep breath. She felt that she was getting closer to dying from anger with this person. If she were married to Rong Feng, calling him every day would likely make her die within two years. Her expression fell as she said listlessly, "If you don’t understand, then fine! No one understands me…"

She felt that encountering Rong Jing was more than just a bad year; it was like she had encountered misfortune in this lifetime.

Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue’s dejected little face and the corners of his mouth curled into an extremely slight curve. His eyes also revealed a hint of amusement. After suffering great calamity ten years ago, he even distanced himself from his grandfather; that old man used to repeatedly shout "ancestor" in frustration towards him. Perhaps it was something like what she meant now…

“Hey, I asked you how you managed to sneak out the twelve piles of gold without anyone noticing.” Yun Qianyue suppressed her disappointment and whispered again. This was what she cared about most.

"Are you sure you want to talk here" Rong Jing also lowered his voice as he questioned back.

Yun Qianyue hesitated for a moment, then pulled him by the hand to turn and leave. As they walked, she said, "Let’s go eat at Drunken Fragrance Tower! Order that lotus leaf-stewed chicken you mentioned."

"Alright!" Rong Jing slowly took a step forward, being led away by Yun Qianyue.

The two finally reached the entrance. Xian Ge was already sitting in front of the carriage waiting for them; he saw that they were entangled with each other like rope and dragged out of the courtyard. He twitched his mouth; their good-looking Crown Prince had lost any semblance of dignity since meeting Miss Yun Qianyue. Sighing, he promptly lifted up the curtain of the carriage.

Yun Qianyue got into the carriage first and saw Rong Jing standing by the side looking at her; she sighed helplessly and reached out to pull him in too.

Rong Jing leaned against the carriage wall and sat steadily, while Yun Qianyue finally stretched out her hand to rub her sore arms. She had been burning the midnight oil reading books recently and was now physically exhausted. It was all thanks to this guy. She glared at Rong Jing for a moment, then took out a kerchief from her sleeve to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

Rong Jing glanced at the handkerchief Yun Qianyue was still using—his own—and his poetic and picturesque features softened into a warm smile. He reached into his own chest and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping away the perspiration on his face. He then instructed Xuan Ge in a gentle tone, "Take us to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion."

"Yes!" Xuan Ge flicked the whip, and the carriage began to move steadily.

Yun Qianyue finished wiping her sweat off and stuffed the handkerchief back into her sleeve once more.

Rong Jing cast a glance at her and reminded her in a bland tone, "That's my handkerchief. Do you have no intention of returning it to me"

Yun Qianyue’s hand paused for a moment before she stuffed the kerchief further into her sleeve. She claimed it as her own without any hesitation: “Didn’t you receive a bolt of white silk from His Majesty How many handkerchiefs do you think that would make I believe this material is quite useful, soft and sweat-absorbent. Therefore, I’ll keep it.”

"You really aren't being courteous," Rong Jing said as he glanced at her.

Yun Qianyue hummed in agreement, acknowledging his remark. She had come to realize that no matter who she was with, she couldn’t afford to be polite with this person. He wasn’t worth it since he never showed any restraint when taking advantage of others. Stealing one handkerchief from him—wasn’t it a piece of cake compared to the heartlessness he possessed

Rong Jing remained silent and closed his eyes wearily.

Yun Qianyue saw that, now that they were in the carriage and nobody but Xuan Ge could hear their conversation, she wondered where Rong Jing had hidden the Buddha statue after removing it from Fragrant Spring Mountain. However, seeing how unwell he looked and knowing that catching a chill was indeed true after feeling his pulse, she pursed her lips and decided against asking him about it. She felt she shouldn’t be so inhumane by questioning while he was sick.

Yun Qianyue had been sleeping on the pavilion inside the training grounds since she arrived at this world; now that she was no longer sleepy, she picked up a curtain and looked outside.

Rong Jing opened his eyes to glance at her before closing them once more, making no attempt to stop her from peering out of the carriage.

The streets were still bustling with people as usual. Everywhere could be heard vendors shouting their wares or haggling over prices. All kinds of antiques, jade carvings, calligraphy and paintings, food, acrobatics, toys, et cetera were laid out for sale. The view was full of handmade crafts that weren’t available in her world. As the carriage moved forward, the streets on both sides were lively with people.

Yun Qianyue hadn’t truly walked down a street since she arrived at this world; she had been either sleeping inside a carriage or being tutored by tutors in either Cloud Prince Manor or Glory Prince Manor. She watched the bustling activities outside with great interest. In her previous life, she rarely went shopping, but today she found out that seeing the lives of common people was what she called "living."

"Did you hear Lady Yun Qianyue is about to marry a son of the Wenshifu Household. She even requested His Majesty’s permission for betrothal at the martial examination ceremony today! Ten years ago, the entire household was killed by some unknown people except for this sole survivor," said a voice suddenly entering her ears.

Yun Qianyue froze and turned to the direction of the sound. She saw that there were quite a few people gathered at the street corner; one man in his thirties with a full beard was speaking, while others who looked old or young, male or female, all had surprised looks on their faces.

"I heard as well. The only son of Wenshifu Household is called Rong Feng!" another man said.

"Yes, that’s right! His name is indeed Rong Feng. Wenshifu Household is a branch of Glory Prince Manor. I’ve just been informed by an auntie who came home to visit her family after serving the second lady in Glory Prince Manor yesterday that this Rong Feng has been well taken care of by Young Master Jing!" said another man.

"Lady Yun Qianyue must be acquainted with him! Otherwise, why would she request His Majesty’s permission for betrothal today They say it was an arranged marriage. The Crown Prince is reportedly furious and smashed everything in his study upon returning to the prince’s residence. I have a cousin who just told me about this," another man said in confusion.

"They must be acquainted beforehand. But I can’t rule out other possibilities either. Lady Yun Qianyue never cares about others’ feelings and does whatever she wants as soon as she thinks of it. She might think the Crown Prince isn’t suitable for her, so she’s considering marrying Rong Feng instead." A man nodded in agreement with another man who was speaking earlier: "Who could blame her The Crown Prince wanted to imprison Lady Yun Qianyue in Heavenly Prison and that hurt her feelings."

"Yes. At the martial examination ceremony today, it is rumored that no one could match Rong Feng’s kung fu; he fought against a thousand people successively. But Lady Yun Qianyue thought it was unfair to him. She asked His Majesty for permission out of concern that fighting so many would exhaust him and cause us to lose an excellent talent. Xian Younger Prince was outraged and requested to join the martial examination ceremony. The emperor permitted it. In the end, both Rong Feng and Xian Younger Prince were victorious today but will battle each other tomorrow," said another man.

"It’s also rumored that not only is his kung fu good, he looks handsome as well. He doesn’t look inferior to Young Master Jing! As a member of Wenshifu Household, it’s certain that he must be talented too. Lady Yun Qianyue might be afraid that he’ll lose to others if he wins tomorrow and decided to marry him first before anyone else can snatch her husband away. However, she’s not permitted by His Majesty due to her status; she even wanted to die for the sake of marriage…" said another man.

...

Hearing this, Yun Qianyue’s mouth twitched involuntarily. She never expected that men could be as gossipy as women and could even be worse than them when gossiping. At that time, she really wanted to let the old emperor arrange her marriage with Rong Feng, but did she threaten to commit suicide just because of this She looked at the crowd in disbelief.

"If Rong Feng wins the martial examination ceremony tomorrow, there’s no limit to his future! Lady Yun Qianyue is wise!" an elderly lady hanging a basket full of eggs on her arm said while expressing her admiration toward Yun Qianyue.

“Yes. The portrait of Rong Feng can be bought in the Art and Calligraphy Shop, I’ve just come from there and saw it myself! He’s indeed a perfect gentleman! I also think that Lady Yun Qianyue has good taste,” said another woman who was rather petite as she squeezed her way through the crowd. She seemed shy while speaking.

"The portrait of Lady Yun Qianyue can be purchased in Art and Calligraphy Shop too, I saw both portraits there and they really make a great couple," another lady said enviously.

“A talented man and an attractive woman would be quite a match if they were to marry; it’d be a timeless romantic story,” said an elderly lady who looked around sixty years old. She held a chicken in her hand, but despite the hoarseness of her voice, she couldn’t conceal her youthful heart: “The storytellers always talk about talented men and beautiful women like this, don’t they The plays also follow suit.”

Yun Qianyue looked at the elderly lady’s chicken and twisted her little face in disgust. Rong Feng had only entered the city yesterday; how could his portrait already be available for sale so soon She didn’t think that there were intelligent people who knew how to seize business opportunities even in this ancient world!

"Unfortunately, Miss Qianyue is the legitimate daughter of the Yong王府, and it seems difficult to marry her to公子Rongfeng."

"Yes, although公子Rongfeng belongs to a collateral branch of the Yong王府, he comes from a branch that has existed for over a hundred years. The blood ties between his family and the main branch have become rather distant. Twenty years ago, when Marquis Wenhao was enfeoffed as a marquis, it marked the establishment of an independent lineage. Now, this Wenhao Manor only consists of公子Rongfeng alone, isolated and without support. As for Miss Qianyue's family, they are not on equal footing with him in social standing. Even if the Emperor disregards his forefather’s instructions and agrees to their marriage, the Cloud Old Prince and the current Cloud Prince would likely still disapprove."

"That's not necessarily true. What kind of temperament does Miss Qianyue have She is a person who doesn’t care about laws or regulations and fears neither heaven nor earth. If she decides to marry公子Rongfeng no matter what, even the Emperor and the Cloud Old Prince would find it difficult to stop her. In that case, this marriage might actually go through."

"Yes, Miss Qianyue is tenacious like that. Once she sets her mind on something, nothing can change it! Remember two years ago when Miss Qianyue went hunting She chased a snow fox for three days and nights straight until the fox was too exhausted to run anymore."

"Right, right, I remember now. There was indeed such an incident; at that time, teahouses and taverns were talking about it everywhere! Everyone praised Miss Qianyue’s bravery, which surpassed that of men."

"Today's incident is also being narrated by storytellers in the teahouse. Why don't we go listen" someone asked.

"Good idea, let's go!" everyone agreed immediately.

The group instantly set off toward the opposite teahouse. Even women carrying children and those with baskets of eggs or chickens followed suit. The lady standing at the back wearing a veil and her maid hesitated but eventually joined in as well.

Cloud Qianyue watched this group enter the teahouse, staring at it for quite some time before finally turning away with a sigh. She had once again caused a sensation today, perhaps even shocking the entire nation. She contributed to people's discussions after meals and tea breaks in ancient times. Most importantly, she increased business for that teahouse and brought profits to the Ink Treasure Pavilion by having her portrait displayed there.

Cloud Qianyue looked up at the sky; it was sunny earlier but now dark clouds were gathering overhead, just like the trembling state of her heart right now. She returned to staring at the teahouse again and saw that people were pouring in continuously with no one leaving. Through the windows, she could see a crowd pressing together tightly inside, the business booming. She thought about going in herself but decided against it since her current small body wouldn’t stand a chance getting through the crowds.

Yet, she was still not satisfied. Her gaze shifted to the sign above the teahouse entrance which read "A Whiff of Tea Fragrance." She memorized its name before looking away and just as she wanted to pull down the curtain, she noticed that Xiangge seemed lost in thought, staring at the teahouse with an odd expression on his face. The carriage had stopped moving forward due to this. No wonder he was able to listen for so long; he must have heard what people were saying.

"Cough, cough! Xiangge, do you want your young master to starve to death as a hungry ghost Hurry up and start driving!" Cloud Qianyue sternly coughed twice. She thought to herself that gossip was everywhere!

Xiangge startled at her words, quickly looking away from the teahouse, turning back to look at Cloud Qianyue. His usually stern face had an odd expression as if he wanted to say something but instead turned his head and whipped the horse with a whip, causing the carriage to move swiftly.

Cloud Qianyue rubbed her forehead, thinking she really stepped on a mine today! How was she going to deal with this mess

No longer interested in watching the bustling street scene outside, she lowered the curtain and pulled herself back into the carriage. She saw Rong Jing still leaning against the side of the carriage, his breathing even as he slept soundly. Even when sleeping and looking so frail, he still appeared insufferably indifferent. She glared at him, thinking that if she didn’t know he was Uncle Feng’s brother, hearing those people's words would likely have made her happy. All because of this heartless fellow!

With this thought in mind, she felt like throttling him then and there. Following through with it, Cloud Qianyue reached out to strangle Rong Jing’s neck but before her hand could reach, a fierce voice was heard: "Say you aren’t Uncle Feng’s brother, and I won’t throttle you! Otherwise, I will!"

Rong Jing ignored this, closing his eyes as if still asleep.

Cloud Qianyue's hand reached Rong Jing's neck. His skin was cool and smooth to the touch; she immediately pulled her hand back and grabbed onto his collar instead, fiercely saying: "Don’t sleep anymore! Talk!"

"It’s fine if you throttle me now. My memorial tablet will be enshrined in the Yong王府祠堂. After you marry Rongfeng, you’ll have to pay homage at my memorial tablet every year too. This isn't bad; getting three bows from you annually is almost like receiving morning and evening greetings daily as ‘Uncle.’ I can endure it for your sake!"

Hearing these words, Cloud Qianyue felt a surge of blood rise in her chest. She stared at Rong Jing with furious eyes, speechless.

"Hm Why are you still staring at me Hurry up and throttle me then!" Rong Jing urged her impatiently.

Cloud Qianyue glared fiercely back, her pretty large eyes nearly popping out. She clenched her teeth together loudly, suspecting she might break them all.

"Ah! You look really ugly now! If公子Rongfeng saw you like this, he would probably never want to marry you," Rong Jing turned his head away, sighing with a slight expression of disgust.

Cloud Qianyue felt a salty taste in her throat; she was about to spew blood. She couldn’t bear it any longer and suddenly loosened his collar to throttle him instead: "Very well, I'll strangle you today! And after that, when I marry公子Rongfeng, I’ll pay homage at your memorial tablet every year."

Cloud Qianyue’s words were followed by her delicate white hands pressing onto Rong Jing’s throat. Even the cool smoothness couldn’t quell the fire in her heart; she had to strangle him today! She was determined!

"Mm! When I’m dead, my spirit will possess the memorial tablet and watch you bow down to me. If you don't give three bows properly, no one from the Yong王府祠堂 will let you leave," Rong Jing said without looking at her despite struggling for breath.

"You still talk!" Cloud Qianyue tightened her grip, "Do you really want to die"

Rong Jing nodded slightly in agreement with a hoarse voice: “It’s better to be dead than to live like this!”

"You don’t have anything left to live for It looks like you’re living quite well!" Cloud Qianyue sneered, still looking fiercely angry. She felt that she must strangle him today!

"These days are truly tasteless, unless you really marry Rong Feng... Seeing you every morning and evening has a bit of flavor... But these pale in comparison to the feeling I'd have if you killed me and visited Rong王府's ancestral hall during festivals to kowtow for me," Rong Jing spoke incompletely this time, but Yun Qianyue still heard him clearly.

Yun Qianyue was seething with rage. Rong Jing’s words felt like a sharp thorn straight into her brain, causing the thorn to roll and stir around inside her mind, leaving her almost unable to breathe. She clenched her teeth and gnashed them, but grinding one mouthful of teeth wasn’t enough to express her anger at this moment. She originally had one hand choking Rong Jing’s neck, then she used the other hand too, her voice like a devil from hell, dark and chilly, "If you say another word, you’re dead!"

Rong Jing glanced at her with his eyes pitch-black and profound as if they contained an appeal of innocence. As though to say he wanted to speak again but couldn’t because she was choking him.

Yun Qianyue understood the expression in Rong Jing’s eyes, hating him even more. It was clearly her threatening him that made him afraid of dying and his face had turned from a weak pallor to flushed redness with restricted breathing and more exhaling than inhaling, yet he still maintained an elegant demeanor without any trace of fear or nervousness. She glared at him with both eyes as she loosened her grip slightly, "I’ll give you another chance. If you say that you’re not Rong Feng’s uncle, I’ll spare your life."

Yun Qianyue was acting like a child who insisted on being right at this moment.

"Cough cough…" When Rong Jing’s neck was freed, he coughed from restricted breathing.

"Hurry up and say it!" Yun Qianyue loosened her grip another bit as she looked away from his suffering face.

"Rong Feng is a branch of the Rong王府, but his bloodline also carries that of the Rong王府’s ancestors. My being his uncle is probably unchangeable. You can’t dig up an ancestor who died over a hundred years ago to change their bloodline; you can’t put Rong Feng’s ancestor back into his mother’s womb again; and you certainly can’t push Rong Feng back into his mother’s womb so he doesn’t come out, right So for my entire life, I’ll be his uncle. That’s just how it is." After regaining breath, Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue who had turned away her face and seemed to have smiled as he slowly said.

"Why don’t you say that you should go back into your mother’s womb" Yun Qianyue turned around. Her former prideful coldness and self-control were gone, thinking how this man was really… making her want to strangle him!

Rong Jing nodded with a warm voice, "If you have the means to push me back into my mother’s womb, then go ahead."

Yun Qianyue saw black spots in front of her eyes and felt dizzy. Looking at Rong Jing again now that she was angry beyond words, she wished he had been pushed back into his mother’s womb long ago when she was forced by Yun Muhuan to learn how to read and threatened him with this black-hearted guy. If she could have done it then, she would have already. Why did she need him to say so

"Sigh. You really don’t look like a lady at all right now. Fortunately Rong Feng isn’t here. Otherwise he wouldn’t want to marry you if he saw your ugly face," Rong Jing sighed.

"Don’t mention him anymore!" Yun Qianyue growled. She wished she could push Rong Feng back into his mother’s womb too at this moment.

"Alright, I won not." Rong Jing went along with her wishes, and his eyes flickered with a glint before returning to normal. He looked at the blackened face of hers that even had patches of blue-black color on the forehead from anger; she was clearly very angry. Her rosy lips were now slightly pale due to this rage. His long eyelashes blinked as he softly reminded her, "Are you still going to strangle me If you are, hurry up and do it! Otherwise let go or your arms will get tired."

Yun Qianyue’s hand tightened without her realizing, and she said coldly, “Of course I’m going to strangle you.”

Rong Jing didn’t speak again. Lowering his head slightly, he looked like he was waiting for death.

Yun Qianyue stared at Rong Jing as the curtains in the carriage blocked out some of the sunlight and made it dimmer; also because she had been squeezing his neck so tightly, her breathing was restricted, giving her face a slight flush. The color on her snowy white fair skin seemed to blush slightly like there were clouds floating over the sea sky. And he sat quietly within this cloudiness, and at that moment she even felt him gorgeous and beautiful. She couldn’t help feeling dazed for a while.

Rong Jing sensed Yun Qianyue’s peculiar gaze and lowered his eyelashes to hide what was in his eyes.

"Young Master, we’ve arrived at Drunken Fragrance Tower!" Xian Ge’s voice came from outside the carriage with some stiffness and tension.

Yun Qianyue jolted awake, immediately letting go of Rong Jing’s neck. She looked at him disdainfully and said hatefully, “If I strangled you to death, my hands would be dirty! This time, I’ll spare your life.”

"Mm." Rong Jing replied in a barely audible voice.

Yun Qianyue rubbed her stiff arm with a solemn face. After all this commotion, it was indeed stiff and numb. She rubbed for quite some time but seeing that he remained motionless, she looked at him again to see him still lowering his head and sitting quietly against the side of the carriage; one could clearly see the red marks on his neck where she had squeezed him, as the fair skin made them very visible. Frowning, she said with a bad attitude, “Hurry up and clean yourself so we can get off and eat.”

Rong Jing lifted his eyelids to glance at Yun Qianyue with calm eyes; he spoke in a low, hoarse voice that sounded like sulking, "I’m not eating!"

"Not eating" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you hungry"

Rong Jing’s dark gaze turned slightly annoyed and resentful, “How can I eat in this state If others saw me like this, they would think that you did something to me!”

“Hm” Yun Qianyue was taken aback. Seeing him looking so weak after being tortured made her even more satisfied and she quickly felt all the anger and gloom in her heart dissipate. She harrumphed, "I originally wanted to strangle you to death; now I’ll consider your luck spared since it’s what you want. You will be seen like this."

"Alright then! I’ll go down and eat as you wish!" Rong Jing suddenly stood up without caring about his open collar or the crumpled brocade robe from being squeezed and pressed by Yun Qianyue; he reached out to lift the curtain, slightly leaned forward, slowly got off the carriage.

––– Interlude –––

The storm did come fiercely. Some of you are even ready to chase me down in anger. Well then, I want to say is that trust the female lead and don’t doubt the setting and background of this story. She’s currently not Li Yun; she’s not a colonel; she's Yun Qianyue! And pretending to be Yun Qianyue too! Even if you can't believe her, please believe me, what Don’t believe me (⊙_⊙) Am I really that bad at being nice (⊙_⊙)o（╯□╰）o,_e couldn’t wait any longer; she leaped forward while flinging her Crimson Silk. The crimson silk flew out with a fierce light like a sword slicing through the sky, instantly striking several of those...