Chapter 369 – Dongqing Quake (One)
It’s already mid-June, and Jiang Pengji had long switched to her lightweight summer shirt.
With Liu Huan’s wedding as the deadline, Jiang Pengji’s stay in the capital was nearing a month and a half.
“The weather’s getting hotter, and I’ve almost explored every corner of the capital… I’m starting to worry about how to spend tomorrow…”
Upon hearing Jiang Pengji’s complaints, Feng Jue’s eyes flashed for a moment before turning into an expression of helplessness.
If it were anyone else, they would have been restless by now, but Jiang Pengji continued to eat, drink, and enjoy herself, with a rather impressive tolerance for alcohol too.
I wonder how my second brother sees her—thinking she’s better than Bo Gao?
In terms of revelry, Bo Gao really couldn’t compare to Liu Xi.
While Feng Jue would occasionally test the waters, Huang Song truly embodied the spirit of a drinking buddy.
When the three were together, it was all about feasting and fun, with no serious talks, only lighthearted banter.
“It’s fine, let’s just change places for tomorrow. Little Liu, don’t worry, big brother knows plenty of good spots.”
Huang Song winked playfully, displaying the unspoken camaraderie of adults.
After getting closer, he initially wanted to call Jiang Pengji “Xi Di,” but she found the term cheesy and made him change it.
With a peanut in her mouth, Jiang Pengji teased, “If you said that to Huaiyu, I could laugh all day without stepping outside tomorrow.”
Huang Song immediately adopted a look of anguish.
“Little Liu, you can’t say that! Big brother’s just looking out for you. If you won’t show gratitude, why must you throw me under the bus?”
If the brother control freak knew he was spending all day taking Feng Jue to those sketchy places, he’d probably give him a good slap!
“Didn’t the Teacher say, ‘Food and sex are human nature’? It’s a pursuit of life, holding food in one hand and affection in the other, even the sages can’t escape it. What’s more, Huaiyan isn’t a toddler anymore; they just sat for a while, no hands or feet involved. Feng Er is being too strict!” Huang Song babbled, seemingly trying to quell his inner guilt.
Feng Jin shrugged off Huang Song’s label of being half-literate, and the description fits him just fine.
He had indeed encouraged Feng Jue to find some entertainment, but the latter’s strict upbringing meant he was fine with just sitting and watching dancing but wouldn’t engage in any risky business.
“Ha ha, save that twisted logic for Huaiyu!” Jiang Pengji chuckled.
Feng Jin was a restrained brother freak, while Huang Song was becoming bolder and bolder. If it weren’t for Wei Jingxian nearing her delivery, nearly draining Feng Jin of his focus, he might have already noticed Huang Song dragging Feng Jue off for mischief.
“Little Liu, that hit close to home.”
Huang Song dramatically scrunched his face, clearly just playing around.
This guy had a knack for lightening the mood, not caring about his own image when it came to achieving his goals. He let loose during their shenanigans; despite the aristocratic sons of the capital usually turning a cold shoulder to him, most peers followed him like a puppy.
Jiang Pengji only realized this after getting to know Huang Song up close—this kid was quite the charmer.
“Where does it hit home?” Jiang Pengji asked with a smile.
Huang Song feigned a sigh. “Everywhere, I’m bleeding inside!”
Jiang Pengji stifled a laugh, teasing, “If there’s one thing you excel at, it’s being smooth-tongued!”
After finishing her peanuts, she cast a glance at the sky outside.
The sun was setting, with a warm orange glow that added a unique beauty to the scenery.
Using the words of the audience, it was the twilight hour, a time of ominous beginnings.
After settling the bill, they each hopped on their horses.
Huang Song declared, “Jue, Little Liu, I’ll be taking you both to Feng Er’s place first.”
“Yeah, thanks for the trouble.”
The physician and midwife both said Wei Jingxian could go into labor any day now. With that news, Jiang Pengji intended to pay a visit.
Feng Jin and his wife were both held as “hostages,” their personal freedom not completely restricted, but with the pregnant woman being sensitive and lacking experienced elders to oversee her, and with this being their first child, the young couple still felt quite anxious.
On the way, Jiang Pengji noticed something was off with the streets and frowned slightly…
Seeing this, Huang Song asked, “Little Liu, are you feeling unwell?”
“No, it’s just that the streets have been really quiet these past few days—usually, we’d see wild cats and dogs all over, but now they’re nowhere to be found…”
Huang Song agreed, “Yeah, thanks for pointing that out; I’ve noticed it too… I just remembered something, the wolf dog at my place has been acting odd, scratching at the walls all night and howling endlessly; even my old man wanted to put that beast down.”
Jiang Pengji’s heart jumped. “That happened?”
She hadn’t kept any animals, so she hadn’t noticed much.
“Can you doubt it? Who would lie about such a thing? Tonight when I go home, I might just find that beast stewing in the pot…”
Huang Song actually liked that wolf dog, but since his elder was the one in control, no matter how fond he was, there was nothing he could do about it.
Jiang Pengji chuckled, “Well, that’s good news; you’ll have a nice dinner tonight!”
Huang Song lamented, “Come on, little bro, that just cuts deep.”
Feng Jue watched the back-and-forth between them, feeling a bit speechless, as if he were babysitting two troublemakers.
A sense of unease lingered in Jiang Pengji’s heart, a faint feeling of foreboding.
Her mental acuity was exceptionally high; in more martial terms, her instinct was far more acute than the average person.
To put it more plainly, her instincts were a hundred times sharper than a wild beast’s.
“Recently… while patrolling, have you noticed any unusual sights?”
Huang Song paused and asked, “What do you mean?”
“The wild cats and dogs on the street, as well as other little critters like snakes, insects, and cockroaches—have any shown abnormal behavior?”
Jiang Pengji’s place had no wild cats or dogs, and even snakes, insects, and cockroaches were seldom seen.
As someone responsible for patrolling the capital, Huang Song, even if he was only a city management head, had to see more than she did.
Feng Jue sensed something unusual and furrowed his brow.
Huang Song thought carefully, “Well, I guess there has been a decrease in wild cats and dogs lately… but that’s normal; many common people often catch them stealthily for dinner, and it’s hot out, so it makes sense they wouldn’t want to be out and about.”
Huang Song’s explanation seemed reasonable, but Jiang Pengji’s heart raced.
Dark clouds swirled unshakeably in her mind.
“What is it, Little Liu?” Huang Song asked, concerned.
“Nothing, it’s probably just the recent heat messing with my head, but I feel like something bad is about to happen.”
“What kind of bad thing?”
“The weather’s been dry lately; it hasn’t rained for a month. As a patroller in the capital, you should be extra careful to avoid any fires.” Most buildings were wooden; when they caught fire, it’d be hard to extinguish, Jiang Pengji warned, “It’s not impossible.”
Huang Song chuckled helplessly, “Little Liu, just worry about me a bit, will you? If there really is a fire, this little official might have to resign!”
“If you don’t want to lose your position, then you should keep an eye out.”
Huang Song couldn’t help but agree.
Even if Jiang Pengji’s words were blunt, she meant well.
At present, Huang Song was entirely devoted to his people; coming from humble beginnings, he genuinely wanted to help. Usually carefree, he was firm and just while enforcing laws—a true case of loving the populace like one’s own children. Feng Jue couldn’t help but regard him with newfound respect, and it wasn’t without reason.
“Alright then, I’ll work a bit harder for the time being, and tonight I’ll take the brothers out for extra patrols…”
