nycdaug Chapter 78 Meeting
Chapter 78 Meeting
Yu Yanjing and Deng Yizhi arrived in Chaoyang seven days later.
If it weren't for the torrential rain that delayed them, they could have arrived two days earlier. In addition, Siwan was too young, and children are bound to be noisy when traveling, so they had to rest frequently along the way.
Xiao Mu and Si Wan get along well. Si Wan was timid when she first arrived, looking around at the unfamiliar environment, but she was very affectionate towards Xiao Mu, always wanting her to hold her and accompany her around.
It's rare that Consort Jing also likes Siwan. Well, who wouldn't like such a chubby, sweet-talking little dumpling?
"Tingxi's mother will be arriving in Chaoyang soon, Your Majesty. You shouldn't have any objections, right?" Deng Yizhi looked at Yu Yanjing, feeling worried.
As the ruler of a country, he should naturally be broad-minded. However, those were, after all, the empress's former in-laws, so it would be a lie to say he didn't mind.
Yu Yanjing smiled and said, "Why should I mind? Zhou Tingxi was so generous in giving me the Snow Region Kingdom's military token as a wedding gift. If I were petty, wouldn't I be laughed at?"
Deng Yizhi felt much relieved; his worries were unnecessary. He truly hoped that they had turned hostility into friendship.
"I'm thinking of persuading Tingxi to come as well. What are your thoughts, Your Majesty?"
Yu Yanjing remained unfazed. "What are our thoughts? He's a rare talent. It would be good if he could submit to me, but I doubt he will, because of Xiaozhi..." His brow furrowed slightly, and a thin mist clouded his eyes. He was also somewhat concerned. After all, they had known each other for over a decade. If they were to live under the same roof every day...
He shouldn't have had these thoughts, but he just couldn't control them because he was truly head over heels in love with Xia Yunzhi.
"I will go to the desert myself, and by the way... I want to find Wanwan..." Deng Yizhi's tone was calm, and his gaze was far-reaching. In his heart, he could never let go of Ye Wanwan. Even if... she had done many evil deeds, she was still his Wanwan, and Siwan's only mother.
"Don't let the Empress know. Even if we find her, she can't possibly come to Chaoyang. I know about the Empress and her affair, so..." Yu Yanjing glanced at Deng Yizhi meaningfully and said with a half-smile, "You're really devoted. If you're thinking of remarrying, I can help you win her over."
Deng Yizhi smiled bitterly, "She's already a low-level slave, and she'll never be able to leave the place where she serves... I just want to know how she's doing now... As for remarrying, I will never do that..."
He looked up at the empty ceiling; his heart was like the bright moon, pure and clear at a glance.
Yu Yanjing patted his shoulder, her tone seemingly comforting, "You still have such a lovely daughter, that's enough."
"Siwan, what's my name?"
"Xiaozhi...Auntie..."
Xiao Mu gazed at the milky white meatball in her arms, unable to put it down. The little one was chubby, with round, rosy cheeks, and a milky fragrance emanating from her.
Consort Jing teased Siwan with a small cloth tiger, "Siwan, what's my name?"
"grandmother……"
Consort Jing was overjoyed to hear Siwan call her "Grandma" in such a sweet, childlike voice. As people get older, they just love children, especially well-behaved and adorable ones.
She thought that if Mo'er got married, he would probably have such a lovely child, who would also call her Grandma like this...
pity……
"Grandma...eat...candy!" Siwan's chubby little hand grabbed a piece of candy wrapped in glutinous rice paper and stuffed it into Jingfei's mouth.
Consort Jing couldn't stop smiling. "Oh my, the candy Siwan gave me is so sweet!"
She doesn't like sweets, but she ate the one the child gave her because she genuinely liked Siwan.
If the Empress and Yu Yanjing had such a lovely daughter, she would be genuinely happy.
Ru Meng had rarely seen Consort Jing smile so happily. Since... she had never shown such a smile. In the past, Consort Jing's residence was always filled with laughter and joy; it was once the warmest place in the cold palace...
She was truly delighted; Consort Jing's smile returned.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor invites you to dinner tonight!"
You slowly walked into the inner room and looked at Xiao Mutong, who was holding Siwan, as she reported.
Consort Jing glanced at her, then reached out and pulled Siwan into her arms. She looked up and said gently, "Go ahead, Siwan is staying here with me! You should also go and rest at the Emperor's place. It's been a long time since you two have eaten together, hasn't it?"
Xiao Mu smiled and said, "No, Mother, you take Si Wan with you, I'll go first!"
Consort Jing looked at the little bundle in her arms, and without raising her head, said to Xiao Mu, "Go quickly, don't keep the Emperor waiting! You two have a good talk!"
Xiao Mu's cheeks flushed, and she walked out shyly.
"Wei Hao should be escorting Zhou Tingxi's mother tomorrow. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable about that, right?"
You's heart skipped a beat. Wei Hao... was he coming?
The image of the boy by the stream lingered in her mind, but she knew there was no possibility between them; their social statuses were too different, and she had a mission to complete.
Yu Yanjing picked up a piece of scallion oil chicken wing for her. Xiao Mu looked at the greasy chicken wing in the bowl and immediately lost her appetite, but she was very tempted by the spicy rabbit meat next to her.
She picked up a piece of rabbit meat with her chopsticks, and the first bite was a numbing, spicy sensation. This must be Sichuan cuisine, and the spiciness was just right! It was the kind of spiciness that you just couldn't stop eating. She's not usually someone who can handle spicy food, but maybe it's because people in Chaoyang like spicy food, and it's influenced her to love spicy food too.
"Why would I feel uncomfortable? She's a really nice person and treats me very well."
Yu Yanjing's eyes were filled with astonishment. "Then... how did you get divorced?" He desperately wanted to know the answer.
Xiao Mu drank a cup of cold tea to wash away the burning pain in her mouth, and then answered Yu Yanjing's question after letting out two hissing sounds.
"I'm not living with his mother, so it's obviously because I don't love Zhou Tingxi anymore. Can you use your brain when you ask that question?"
Wei Lan gasped. The Empress was so unreasonable to speak to the Emperor like that; it was truly disgusting.
Yu Yanjing simply smiled, completely unconcerned, as if it were a habit. This only fueled Wei Lan's resentment towards the Empress. She scrutinized Xiao Mu repeatedly, suddenly feeling as if there was a thorn in her eye.
"Then why don't you love her anymore? You've had a relationship for over ten years."
Xiao Mu put down her chopsticks, her eyes darkening. "You're just asking questions you already know the answers to. Everyone knows about him and Ye Wanwan, and what he did with that scoundrel Yin already makes me think he's a beast. Do you think we can continue? Even if I don't hate him anymore, so what? Besides... you suddenly appeared out of nowhere! What am I supposed to do?!"
Who made Yu Yanjing more handsome than Zhou Tingxi!
Yu Yanjing was overjoyed, a smile already spreading across his face. He couldn't help but ask, "So when did you... start having feelings for me?"
Wei Lan also looked at Xiao Mu, she also wanted to know the answer.
"secret."
When did it start? Was it when he kidnapped her the first time they met? Did she find him not annoying at all, and instead find herself unable to stop thinking about him?
Or did he transform into Han Xingbai and become his bodyguard?
It could also be from a past life... her obsession with Yu Yanjing in a past life, but if you say it was from a past life, Yu Yanjing definitely wouldn't believe it.
I slept at Yu Yanjing's place for one night. When I woke up the next day, my back ached and my stomach felt uncomfortable. I think it was because I ate too much spicy food the day before. I had a burning sensation.
After Xiao Mu finished washing and dressing, she took You to the city wall, where she waited for Xue Shi's arrival with Yu Yanjing and Deng Yizhi.
From afar, she saw Wei Hao driving his carriage slowly into the palace gate. You's heart pounded wildly, and even her breathing became tense. She was a top expert in the Western Regions and had never been nervous before, but this time, because of this young man, she felt a sense of tension she had never experienced before.
Xiao Mu couldn't believe her eyes. Ouyang Meixi, her maid, Xue Shi, and Apu got off the carriage together.
She stared wide-eyed at Yu Yanjing and Deng Yizhi, bewildered.
Wei Hao only discovered that Ouyang Meixi and Jiao'er were hidden in the box when he arrived at the rest station. However, by then they had already left Jiuguang and were in the wilderness. He couldn't just leave them there, so he could only bring them to Chaoyang and report back to Zhou Tingxi later.
Wei Hao's gaze remained fixed on You, unwilling to look away. He had finally seen the woman he had longed for day and night, and his heart, which had never been filled with passion, was now ablaze with fervor.
"mother……"
Xiao Mu called out to Madam Xue, but Yu Yanjing, who was standing to the side, was a little puzzled. Why did she still call her "Mother," "Madam," or "Aunt" even though they were divorced? Why did she have to call her "Mother"?
"Your Majesty, how have you been? This is my daughter-in-law, Ouyang Meixi. Come, Meixi, greet Your Majesty!" Madam Xue gently pulled Ouyang Meixi over.
Ouyang Meixi gracefully curtsied. "Meixi greets Your Majesty the Empress..." She lowered her head, but couldn't help but steal a glance at the woman in front of her. So the general liked her.
She finally understood why Zhou Tingxi couldn't let her go.
Xia Yunzhi is truly beautiful and has a great presence. Her beauty is as pure as moonlight, unlike any vulgar beauty. It is refined and ethereal, immaculate and untouched by worldly concerns.
"Thank you for coming all this way."
Yu Yanjing was both pleased and surprised. She was pleased with Xiao Mu's magnanimity and surprised that she was so calm and composed when she saw Ouyang Meixi's reaction.
Ouyang Meixi said calmly, "It's not hard work at all. I'm already very grateful that the Emperor and Empress took me in. How could I possibly feel that it's hard work!"
Xiao Mu couldn't help but think that she was a very eloquent and perceptive person, and her speech was always polite and courteous.
She truly lived up to her reputation as a well-read and refined young lady; she even felt that she couldn't compare to Ouyang Meixi.
After settling Xue Shi and Ouyang Meixi in, it was time to get busy with Xiao Shao and Ruan Cifeng's wedding. These days, I've been busy with other things and completely forgot about this most important matter.
These days she's been busy and hasn't been able to leave the palace, so she hasn't been able to take care of many things, which is why Xiao Mu is very distressed. Also, the matter of revenge has been delayed again and again, and she is extremely anxious.
Under the moonlight, a seemingly perfect young couple stood by the lake, their reflections shimmering on the water's surface as the fish leaped in the water...
"Miss You, you... have lost a lot of weight!"
Wei Hao didn't know what to say, and after racking his brains, he could only come up with this one sentence.
You chuckled to herself, thinking, "What a blockhead."
“Miss You, I may be leaving tomorrow…” Wei Hao said in a low voice, not daring to look You in the eye, because he was afraid that You would not want to wait for him anymore.
You's face darkened. "Why are you leaving so soon after arriving? Aren't you going to stay a few more days?"
A strange sadness welled up inside me. I had just seen the young man I had been longing for, and now he had to leave...
Wei Hao also had his own difficulties. Zhou Tingxi only had him and Zhen Xun there, and how could he let them be in a dangerous situation? Even if he wanted to stay by You's side, he couldn't abandon his brother.
But they couldn't tell You the truth, since the fewer people who knew about it, the better.
"When can we meet again?"
You's eyes were filled with autumn water, as clear as a spring, as if they could speak, instantly confusing Wei Hao.
Wei Hao stammered, "Perhaps we can meet in January. Then I'll tell the general about us, and we'll...get married..."
Marriage? You's mind was in turmoil. They had only met twice, and Wei Hao was already talking about marriage! Would they really get married? You's mission wasn't finished yet. If it was, where would she go...? She didn't want to hurt anyone... because the people here had been so kind to her... But her mother and younger brother... her younger sister...
Wei Hao slightly raised his chin and turned his gaze to her. "What... do you find this too sudden?"
You nodded gently, her voice clear, "We... have only met twice!"
Wei Hao patted his head sheepishly. He was so impatient! She was a young woman, after all. Why did he have to bring this up right away? Marriage wasn't that simple…
Although he has no parents or elders, the betrothal, the wedding ceremony, and the marriage certificate all require a proper ceremony... His savings might be enough to buy a small house in Chaoyang, and he could hire a few servants, so You could live a carefree life as his wife. When he retires from the military, they...
"Then take your time to think it over. I'll give you plenty of time, okay?"
Will you change your mind?
You had a very happy family when she was young, but unfortunately her father became an alcoholic and fell in love with a wine seller at a tavern. He not only squandered all the family's money but also ran away with the wine seller, leaving her, her younger siblings, and their mother to depend on each other. Her mother said that her father wasn't like this before; it was probably because she had given birth to three children and become a haggard old woman that her father's heart had changed... Her mother said that all men change their hearts...
Sometimes she was reluctant to trust men, but she felt that Wei Hao was very reliable. She didn't know why, but she felt that way from the first moment she met him...
Wei Hao shook his head vigorously, saying with certainty, "Of course not, because my parents were very loving, but they were killed by robbers when I was ten years old. They... only had me as their child. My father always told me from a young age, never to betray a woman, or you will pay a terrible price!"
You chuckled. "I can't make you pay a heavy price, but I can make you regret it immensely..."
Wei Hao mustered his courage and took You's slender hand. He gazed deeply into You's deep eyes and whispered, "I know I will definitely regret it, so I will not let you down, absolutely not. Wait for me, okay?"
You'er's ears were red, she lowered her head and murmured an "Mmm". The two of them stood hand in hand under the moonlight. Wei Hao told her about what was happening in the military camp, which she loved to listen to and didn't find boring at all.
She told Wei Hao about interesting and fun things in the Western Regions, and Wei Hao loved listening to her because You's voice was really beautiful, moving and melodious, and he was almost mesmerized by it.
He wished he could stay with You like this forever. Being with her was so relaxing and comfortable, and he cherished every single moment.
Wei Hao asked, "What do you like to eat and use? I left in a hurry this time and didn't think to bring you anything. I'm so stupid!"
You smiled and said, "No need, we have everything here, as long as you come back."
"That won't do. I didn't give you anything. That's not fair."
You's eyes darted around, then she said, "Then... you can give me the tassels from your military armor, I really like them!"
Wei Hao was overjoyed. She had only seen him in military armor once, and the tassels were just a detail. He never expected You to remember it. He was so happy that he wanted to jump for joy.
"Alright. Tomorrow, when I leave the city, I'll hang the tassel on your door. Don't come to see me off; you still have to go to work, so it won't look good if people see it."
You nodded. "Then...when are you leaving?"
Wei Hao thought for a moment and said, "I have to leave before dawn because time is too tight. I must reach the desert at night. The mission is urgent."