Have You Written Your Will Today?-Chapter 494 - 488: I’ll Assume You’re Just Acting on a Whim
The small courtyard returned to tranquility.
Everyone held a book, reading intently.
Cui Rong, with limited literacy, scratched her ears and cheeks, looking around before finding someone to talk to.
Shen Hua, she dared not.
So she went to Wei Yingying, who was so absorbed in her reading that she didn’t notice Cui Rong right in front of her.
Then she approached Xie Yinong.
Xie Yinong did notice, but she shrank back timidly. Cui Rong had no choice but to walk over to Le Jia: "You don’t recognize as many characters as I do, can you understand what you’re reading?"
Understand.
Le Jia, however, shook her head with flushed cheeks.
Cui Rong raised an eyebrow, smugly pointing at a character: "Do you recognize this one?"
"Don’t recognize."
Cui Rong proudly declared: "I’ll teach you, this character is pronounced ’zhu’."
She even demonstrated the pronunciation to Le Jia: "Lord Ji is frail and ill, yet he covets beauty, disregarding the doctor’s advice, he still wants to go..."
Her voice grew fainter.
"How is this character pronounced again?"
Le Jia, scanning lines swiftly, was caught by the plot, restraining her urge to flip to the next page: "Don’t know."
Cui Rong found Le Jia quite agreeable: "What a coincidence, I don’t know it either."
"Since neither of us know it, it seems this character isn’t very useful."
"Little Princess, you should go back now."
Her maid softly said: "You haven’t finished the schoolwork the teacher assigned."
Cui Rong couldn’t stand such words, immediately baring her teeth and scowling: "Who wants to go back! I also want to stay here. Say one more word, and see if I don’t bite you!"
The maid was in a difficult position.
Shen Hua lightly said: "The little one is quite fierce, send her away."
In the following three days, Cui Yun did not appear. According to Xie Xun, he left Shengjing on an official mission to personally capture an escaped convict.
Although he was not present, the gifts he sent every day never ceased.
Wei Yingying was numb. She was obliged by the gifts received.
Thus, from the initial statement.
——"It was agreed, you can accept the items, but don’t forgive him so easily, let’s find time to visit Sister Yan and Sister Xuan in Tongzhou, where the mountains and waters are beautiful, it seems they will spend the new year there."
It turned into the statement that followed.
——"Shen Hua, that’s enough, he loves you greatly!"
Xie Yinong also added softly.
——"When Mama returns, we will prepare for the recognition ceremony, I heard the Cui family intends to propose that day. Although the betrothal gifts list has been given, the official family wants to hold a grand ceremony, and the Cui family has invited many guests to witness, to clearly finalize matters."
Ji Qing continues delivering land deeds every day, all among the top establishments in Shengjing.
Shen Hua slowly voiced: "Does he have no other strategies?"
"Day after day such as this, I have grown tired of it."
Wei Yingying: ...?
The girl primly raises her little finger.
"The summer resort to the west of the outskirts feels quite nice."
Ji Qing: "Yes."
Wei Yingying exclaimed: "You’re going to drain his family’s wealth!"
Even Ji Ge, who had recovered from a slap mark, came over to advise the day after. His voice preceded him.
"This flower of wealth, only he can afford to care for you."
He had just entered when he saw Le Jia. He hesitated, his eyes darted away, wanting to approach yet daring not to.
"You... you’re here too."
If it came to instigating trouble, Shen Hua was second to none.
The girl exaggerated in her tone.
"No way, no way, Le Jia has been here for three days now, and you still didn’t know?"
Ji Ge genuinely didn’t know.
Ever since that incident, he had intentionally avoided Le Jia. He had been staying at Prince Gong Mansion these days.
Wei Yingying, hearing this, joined Shen Hua’s words in agreement: "It’s lucky she is here, not missing. What’s three days? If it weren’t for the Seventh Prince coming today, perhaps even after ten days or half a month, the Seventh Prince wouldn’t know and wouldn’t care."
Shen Hua: "No wonder, I haven’t seen you these days. No food delivered, let alone an apology. It turns out to be this way, truly heartbreaking to hear."
"Through this, it’s clear the Seventh Prince doesn’t hold our Le Jia in his heart."
"Fortunately, this marriage was arranged by the late Emperor, the official family is kind, among those doomed relationships the late Emperor brought together, many have renounced ties these days. Since there’s no fate between you, better to part on good terms."
Ji Ge’s face darkened.
However, Le Jia lowered her head thinking. Her hands under her sleeves curled, and after a while, she raised her eyes.
"You are right."
————
As dusk approached.
When Cui Yun arrived, he saw three people seated outside the courtyard, the distraught Ji Teng, the frustrated Ji Ge, and the refreshed Xie Xun enjoying his tea.
Xie Xun glanced at him.
"Yangyang is inside."
She has a habit of taking a nap at noon, and she hasn’t woken up yet.
However, Xie Xun finally relented.
"15 minutes."
He was outside, so there was nothing else Cui Yun could do.
Cui Yun nodded and headed in that direction.
The conversation behind him was still audible.
Ji Teng: "15 minutes? That’s not even two hours."
Shen Hua was clearly the most difficult one to deal with.
These days, he came over daily, and Wei Yingying was becoming increasingly impatient with him.
Xie Xun: "That’s because you were using the wrong method."
"You’re all alone, and you still have the nerve to say that."
Ji Teng was just about to scoff when he thought of how Shen Hua was compliant to Xie Xun’s words. Perhaps, he really had some skills.
"Let’s hear it."
The Xie Xun who had been cajoling Yangyang since childhood spoke softly, "This is also a science. First, speak about what she wants to hear, something she can accept, then talk about what you ought to say, and lastly, what you want to say."
Ji Teng: "Nonsense."
Ji Ge was disdainful.
The light inside the room was dim.
Shen Hua woke up because she was thirsty. She groggily opened her eyes, turned to her side, and her fingertips were about to reach for the water on the tea table before the bed.
Her body was supported, and a teacup was brought to her lips.
Shen Hua became fully awake. She held Cui Yun’s hand to drink the water.
"These past few days, I went out to handle official duties, just got back."
Upon returning to Shengjing, he indeed came straight here, truly travel-worn.
"Hmm."
After drinking a glass of water, Cui Yun saw her lick her lips, stood up to pour another one, then sat down on the edge of the bed again.
Shen Hua drank half a glass more, which finally soothed the dryness in her throat.
Wiping the moisture from the corner of her lips with his fingertip, Cui Yun followed the spot her lips had touched and drank down the rest of the half-cup of water.
His movements were neither hurried nor slow, but his eyes fixed intently on Shen Hua. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
As if what he was drinking was not water, but her.
Shen Hua felt uncomfortable all over, her ears heated under his gaze.
"If you wanted a drink, why didn’t you get a new cup?"
"Save a bit, after all, I still have to buy you a summer resort."
Shen Hua bristled, yet listened to him whispering softly.
"Indeed, many noble families have the idea of arranging a marriage, and all visitors that came to my grandfather were rejected. Those who approached me, I made it clear, I already have a girl in mind to marry, and the wedding invitations will be sent soon."
That’s more like it!!!
Shen Hua lay down and covered herself with the blanket. Her hands covered her curling lips as if she was a cat who had stolen a taste of fish.
"Unfortunately, those people didn’t believe it."
After all, it had been heard long ago that Cui Yun was seen holding a girl at First-tier Sky Restaurant, yet months had passed and no marriage proposal came from Marquis Yangling Mansion.
"In a few days, the matter of setting the wedding date, did Xie Xun mention it to you?"
She feigned calmness: "Hmm."
The next moment, she was lifted up again. Her tender hand was clasped in front of his chest, the two were very close.
Cui Yun looked down at her.
"By then, these people should believe it."
"Do you think this sincerity is enough?"
Shen Hua pursed her lips. It was enough; she wasn’t one to make unreasonable troubles. She restrained the urge to wrap her arms around Cui Yun’s neck and press against him.
She just cleared her throat lightly.
"Where’s my step, do you see it?"
Cui Yun kissed her forehead.
"Regarding the vase, the official family once said, the palace storeroom has them, and I can take them anytime. But I refused, firstly, what business is it of his to interfere in our matters? Secondly, I thought a reasonable girl like you wouldn’t stoop to such pettiness with me."
Less than 15 minutes later, Shen Hua was led out.
Her makeup was radiant: "Brother, Cui Yun and I are going to First-tier Sky for a meal."
Ji Teng: "???"
Ji Ge approached to inquire, "How did you manage it!"
Cui Yun remained silent.
Shen Hua smiled, "You might as well ask me, after all, I get along well with Le Jia. A girl understands another girl best. I also hope you can reconcile."
"Le Jia is the kindest, you just need to hold her wrist and say a word to her."
Clearly more reliable than Xie Xun.
"Tell me!"
Soon, Ji Ge pushed open Le Jia’s chamber door and grabbed her wrist firmly.
Upon seeing him, Le Jia’s eyes and brow softened, but her smile was as if not smiling, unusually aloof.
"I’ve said all that I can, does Seventh Prince have business?"
Ji Ge: "I’ll assume you were just momentarily upset!"
