Chapter 1705 – The Conclusion of Hua Yuan (Fourteen)
“Sigh, an unmarried daughter is like leaving behind animosity; I can truly understand the bitterness in this saying now.”
Lü Zheng watched his adopted daughter bustling about, his words tinged with jealousy, sour enough to turn the air thick.
Jiang Pengji glanced at him and said, “You, of all people, being a scholar’s student, should know how to use words appropriately, right?”
As if she were some heartless scoundrel who had stolen Lü Zheng’s treasured little girl.
Lü Zheng scoffed, “Ever since she met you, she’s lost her appetite, truly looks like she’s caught the love sickness. Now she’s fussing over you, you’d think she forgot her old dad. Tell me, where did I use the wrong context in my earlier comments? I wasted so much love on her!”
“You plagued the noble girls of Langya County back in the day, and now you don’t spare even a younger generation? Does your precious Zixiao know of this?”
Jiang Pengji gestured to the side, saying, “Isn’t he right here? Deaf and blind, of course, he knows.”
Wei Ci, innocently caught in the crossfire, could only awkwardly manage a polite smile.
The journey to Ningzhou was neither too long nor too short.
Considering the accompanying scholars Wei Ci and Lü Zheng, as well as the little girl Kang Xintong, Jiang Pengji ordered extra carriages and brought along over a thousand attendants, keeping everything light and simple. While it was true that she was going to meet Hua Yuan, she also had to quell the localized unrest along the way; bringing just a handful of people was impractical. Not even mentioning whether Feng Zhen would agree, getting past Wei Ci alone was an impossible task.
Not long after they left the city, Jiang Pengji grew a bit restless and invited Lü Zheng and the others for a game of chess and some chatting.
Wei Ci would never refuse Jiang Pengji’s suggestion, but Lü Zheng was a different case; he firmly declined the invitation.
There was no way he could engage in a game; if he lost in front of his adopted daughter, his dignity as a father would be in tatters! After some mental gymnastics, he ultimately crumbled under his daughter’s shining gaze.
Sigh—
Daughter, you have the chance for a close encounter with your idol, but do you know what suffering your father is about to endure?
With those two ganging up to bully him, how could he ever hope to turn the tables?
Turning the tables was impossible, utterly impossible; he could only lie down and endure the mockery, pressing against the ground.
“Sigh—” Lü Zheng glanced at the already unwinnable chess game, flinging a piece back with a thud, muttering, “Even to this day, I can’t fathom how Zixiao, such a devoted person, ended up entangled with someone so reckless.”
Jiang Pengji chuckled, “Do you know what the essence of a person is, Lü Zheng?”
Lü Zheng, confused by her meaning, couldn’t help but look over questioningly.
“The essence of a person is to repeat and repeat again. You mention similar things every time we meet; if you’re not tired, I’m certainly worn out. Zixiao is your junior, not your daughter. It’s as if you’re a father whose daughter has been snatched away, endlessly lecturing and grieving every time you see your son-in-law. Oh, heavens, just let it be that you only have sons. If you ever have a daughter, when she marries… that would be like having your heart torn out. You wouldn’t even know how much it would hurt…”
Lü Zheng: “……”
What a cruel curse!
At this moment, Lü Zheng regretted following along.
Jiang Pengji seemed to have taken some wrong medicine, targeting him with precise attacks every few moments, making him question his entire existence.
The thought of confronting such a leader for the rest of his life turned the entire world grey, devoid of even a glimmer of light.
Wei Ci couldn’t help but throw a few words of encouragement for Lü Zheng.
Jiang Pengji wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing, the warm breath brushing against Wei Ci’s sensitive neck. Even though he didn’t feel much shame internally, his body reacted involuntarily; his ears turned a bright red, making his skin appear even paler. He lifted his hands to support Jiang Pengji under her arms, preventing her from sliding down. His mood was like a gentle spring breeze in March, nearly melting away into water.
“Who told you, Shaoyin, to be so clueless? You rarely get the chance to be with me, yet here come those father-daughter duo, making things inconvenient.”
Thinking about this made Jiang Pengji grit her teeth.
She stepped on Wei Ci’s lower garment, her bare feet contrasting against the layers of dark blue fabric, appearing even whiter.
Wei Ci’s expression darkened slightly, and his right hand reached over, grabbing a fallen sock to slip it back onto her.
Jiang Pengji said, “You’re so clueless about fun.”
Though she thought running around in a bikini was nothing much, for people of this age, a bare arm or a single foot was considered quite scandalous. To the shy scholars, the impact of bare feet could be even more potent than being completely undraped.
Wei Ci blushed at her provocation, pursing his lips as he put her sock back on, tightening the strap.
“Sit properly!”
Jiang Pengji pouted and shifted to sit a little further from him.
Only then did Wei Ci breathe a secret sigh of relief.
In both of his past lives, he had been a restrained man; matters between men and women in his memories were supposed to happen at night, in a designated room. Even if they exchanged flirty words during the day, there should only be the two of them involved. Now? Sure, the carriage only had them in it, but outside there were others. No matter how many lives he lived, his skin still wasn’t thick enough to engage in any inappropriate behavior.
Jiang Pengji noticed the blush on Wei Ci’s earlobes and the slight sheen of sweat on his nose, unable to suppress her smile.
In all honesty, she really had no intention of being a beast; can’t you see she was even live-streaming right now?
Even if she was to make a move on Wei Ci, she would at least close the live-stream first.
“I’ve heard it said that shy men have a characteristic; once they break their silence, they’ll be uncontrollable. How come that saying doesn’t apply to you?” Jiang Pengji regretfully shook her head, her feet restless as they perched on Wei Ci’s thigh, “I’m eagerly waiting for you to be the one to initiate.”
“Ridiculous! Making fun of a gentleman is truly impolite!”
Wei Ci inhaled deeply, silently reciting a calming mantra, lowering his gaze back to the book he hadn’t finished reading.
Obsessed with reading, unable to escape.
Avoiding temptation, transcending to saintliness.
Jiang Pengji wasn’t about to give him that chance; feeling bored, she used her toes to play with the ornament hanging from his waist, listening to the jingle of jade trinkets clashing together. The sound wasn’t loud, far from the noise of the carriage wheels rolling, yet all Wei Ci could hear was the delightful clatter of the jade, his gaze unable to resist drifting from the black and white characters to her foot, his heart racing.
Jiang Pengji propped herself up against the side, resting her chin in her hand, her body half-reclined on the seat, her gaze sweeping across Wei Ci’s hand.
That diamond ring still adorned his finger, the years had only impressed it deeper, yet it still glimmered brightly as ever.
She grinned, “Zixiao, do you remember the day I gave you that diamond ring?”
Wei Ci couldn’t help but think back; various uncomfortable memories flooded his mind, and soon, heat crept across his face, the fire in his heart making him a bit uncomfortable. One round of calming mantras wasn’t enough, so he decided he’d recite it again, utterly afraid to make eye contact with her.
Jiang Pengji continued, “That day, I prepared quite a lot of other gifts for you too. Honestly, I thought they’d last three to five years at most, but seeing how unproactive you are, I’m starting to think they’ll last into your next life. Tell me, when can we use them all up and get a new batch?”
