Chapter 247 – Woman, Your Recklessness is Outrageous!
That night.
Wei Yi had fallen into such a deep sleep that even an earthquake couldn’t rouse him while Ji Yunshu was busied with the neverending work. As the candles burned one after another, she drew and redrew the portrait countless times.
As the night deepened, the weather turned cold. In the end, she also succumbed to sleep, slumbering on the desk.
At some point, she felt her body being lightly held against something soft, and a faint scent waft into her nose.
So warm! How comfortable!
Due to her exhaustion, she didn’t force herself to open her eyes, leaving them shut. Instead of struggling against that strange sensation, she snuggled closer to that soft, warm place like a little kitten.
Jing Rong watched her actions as she pasted herself closer to his chest. His heart couldn’t help but tremble in joy, and the corner of his mouth curled into an unconcealed smile which was brimming with happiness. Then, he glanced at Wei Yi and his expression scrunched into a frown, but left him alone as he carried her light body back into her bedroom which was not too far from here. Despite a distance of several steps, it was enough for the cold wind of the night to chill her delicate body. She shrunk deeper into Jing Rong’s embrace in search of his warmth. After he went into her room, he tucked her into her bed and covered her with a quilt.
Woman, your recklessness is outrageous!
He sat at her bedside and stared at the slight but persistent wrinkle between her eyebrows. They didn’t come loose even during her sleep. He traced with his eyes the gentle, refined traits on her fair face. In his eyes, each of her traits were combined harmoniously into a perfect overall.
Slowly, his hand rose to brush away that random hair on her forehead. His fingertips brushed across her forehead, then downward, tracing the fading scar below her eyes. His cold touch was brief, but the sudden difference of temperature on her skin made her shiver. He immediately lifted his hand, stopping himself, afraid that he would wake her up. Again, he readjusted her quilt before leaving.
As he closed the door, Lang Po, who was guarding outside, inquired, “Your Highness, what do we do with Young Master Wei?”
That’s right! He completely forgot about Wei Yi who was still sleeping soundly in that other room. He turned around and went into Ji Yunshu’s workroom. Seeing that little fool still in dreamland, he didn’t have the heart to wake him up. Instead, he ordered Lang Po to cover him properly.
Damn guy, obediently stay asleep! Jing Rong had to admit that when he looked at Wei Yi, only adorable came to his mind, but he found the thought far from amusing.
“Your Highness, tonight, do you plan to…” Lang Po had wanted to finish his question with ‘return or stay here?’
However, Jing Rong interrupted him with a firm answer, “Of course, I’m staying here.”
“As you wish.”
Blame this subordinate for asking too many unnecessary questions when I should have known Your Highness was going to stay back. However, Lang Po didn’t export those words, he could only bury them deep into his mind.
Jing Rong pointed at the door, and Lang Po withdrew and closed the door on his way out, leaving only Jing Rong and Wei Yi.
After Lang Po’s departure, Jing Rong walked to Ji Yunshu’s desk and inspected the results of her two days of work.
On the desk, there was a pile of papers with drawings of unknown things. He took the one of the left and started to examine it, then he studied the one on the right, but nothing made sense to him. He gave up and put the papers back to their original place. Next, he turned and saw more than twenty little animals lined on a shelf. Each of them was painted with beautiful colors which piqued his interest. He reached out to a few and played with them.
“Those are mine.” A voice suddenly broke the silence.
It scared Jing Rong to the point his hands trembled and he almost dropped the toys. He turned back and saw Wei Yi was awake. The latter sat up, his body upright and his eyes wide open, staring at him.
“When did you awake?”
Did you know that you almost scared this Prince to death?
“Just now!” Wei Yi raised his hand and rubbed his sleepy eyes, then he pulled off the blanket and rushed to grab back the toys in Jing Rong’s hands. “I made those with Shu’er. I didn’t think that she would paint them so beautifully!” he said with a pout.
Jing Rong didn’t respond.
“Don’t break them or you will have to compensate.”
Jing Rong was rendered speechless and felt quite exasperated. He stared blankly at Wei Yi who examined all the little animals on the shelf. Afterward, as if he was satisfied with the rearrangement of the animals, he lied down and covered himself with a blanket and fell asleep. Jing Rong felt all too confused by Wei Yi’s actions. He was at a loss on how to react, feeling that he might have drunk one too many cups.
“Wei Yi!” Jing Rong called several times.
However, Wei Yi was dead to the world. Jing Rong wiped his sweat and walked into the inner room. He decided to occupy the bed that Ji Yunshu had set but didn’t sleep in. Wei Yi slept soundly through the night, and so did Jing Rong. He was able to sleep on the bed prepared by the woman he liked, so the happiness lulled him to sleep.
The next morning.
Jing Rong left Bamboo Creek Garden quietly. As for Wei Yi, when he awoke, he had forgotten all about the matter of the previous night. When he noticed how sunny it was, he took his new little toys to sunbathe.
By the time Ji Yunshu awoke, it was already the hour of the horse.1 When she got out of bed, she realized that she was in Jing Rong’s room. She tried to recall. Can it be that…? She hurriedly got out and saw Lang Po outside. The latter saluted her with reverence.
“Did his Highness come yesterday?” she asked.
Lang Po nodded. “He came and just left this morning.”
She didn’t respond. It seemed like the one who carried her to the bed was Jing Rong. Complex feelings rose in her heart which she could not accurately put a name to.
The maidservants immediately went to fetch water and bring the food when they saw she was awake. After Ji Yunshu washed her face, she ate a bit and went to find Wei Yi.
Wei Yi sat under the sun with his eyes narrowed, but when he saw her coming, he promptly got up and pointed at his toys on the ground. “Shu’er, they look so nice after you painted them.”
“Wei Yi, clean up, I’m bringing you back to Yuhua Pavilion.”
As soon as he heard she was bringing him back, he didn’t want to do anything. He twisted his body and pleaded her, “Can’t I wait here? I want to stay with you longer.”
“You promised me to be obedient.”
“But…” he felt aggrieved.
Ji Yunshu remained unyielding, and Wei Yi had to compromise, so he followed her back to Yuhua Pavilion. On their way, he was very hyperactive, chatting about all and nothing.
………
At the city gates.
The Ji family’s carriages had passed through the gates, attracting the attention of countless people. Although luxurious carriages were a dime a dozen in the capital, it was rare to see a group of vehicles with big and small chests secured to the top trailing behind. It was quite conspicuous.
Ji Muqing lifted the curtain window and stretched her head outside. She became very happy seeing how bustling and prosperous the capital was. Then, a store of rouge caught her eyes.
“Stop! Stop!”
The coachman immediately pulled on the reins and stopped the carriage. Ji Muqing immediately disembarked. Ji Wanxin didn’t even have time to pull her back, so she had no choice but to follow behind.
The streets were densely packed with people.
Under the sunlight, Ji Wanxin’s sickly and frail appearance was glaring. “Elder Sister, what do you want to do?”
“Naturally, I wish to buy something!” She squeezed into the rouge store as she answered.
1. Hour of the horse = between 11am and 1pm