Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 1648 - 1588: You Two..._2
"Hmm, let’s go. You don’t need to worry about it here. Except for the maid, there isn’t a single man around, so just feel free." Cai Yan said, holding Lady Tang’s hand.
"Aren’t you afraid someone might take an interest in you at night?" Lady Tang teased with a laugh. On her way here, she had seen quite a few novels about Cai Yan within the Inner Palace, seemingly featuring Cai Yan as the main character.
"You’re overthinking it. On one hand, the security here is excellent, and on the other, no one is foolish enough to come and bother me." Cai Yan replied with a slightly raised eyebrow, smiling lightly.
After entering the inner courtyard, Lady Tang handed her son to a maid and casually looked around Cai Yan’s residence. "Aside from the bedroom, it’s just the zither room and study. Don’t you get bored?"
"There’s also a private school," Cai Yan responded calmly.
"Can I take a look at the study?" Lady Tang asked.
"I’ll show you," Cai Yan nodded and led Lady Tang to her unusually large study. When Lady Tang saw the rows and rows of books, she stood there dumbfounded.
"You must have raided the libraries of all the aristocratic families under heaven." Lady Tang finally said after a long silence.
"No, I merely collected copies of the classic books." Cai Yan shook her head. Lady Tang was speechless and picked a book at random from a row that obviously had signs of being read.
"I can’t believe you even collect this kind of book, and why does it have such high-quality paper and include illustrations?" Lady Tang’s face flushed as she looked at the calm Cai Yan holding that book. Then, she asked with an odd expression, "What do you think when you read these?"
"The Three Hundred Poems, summarized in one saying: ’Thoughts without evil’." Cai Yan replied.
"I think you should hurry up and get married. You’ve already got feelings for someone." Lady Tang said with a bit of annoyance. She then browsed Cai Yan’s bookshelf more carefully and noticed it was full of these kinds of books, which were entirely different from the cheap editions Lady Tang encountered on the road.
Cai Yan casually picked out a book too. "Don’t look at me like that. These books no longer hold any research value for me. More precisely, nearly half of the books from aristocratic families contain core ideas that are repetitive and even common." She said.
"Ten years ago, I told you that you’d eventually run out of books to read." Lady Tang said exasperatedly, "It’s fortunate that Cai Zhong began compiling the Eastern Pavilion’s collection and then Chen Zichuan gathered the world’s classic books."
"Indeed." Cai Yan nodded, not denying Lady Tang’s words.
"Years ago, Cai Zhenji told you to elope and you didn’t. Now, if you miss this chance, there won’t be a third." Lady Tang sighed, casually sitting down on a chair beside Cai Yan’s desk. "I don’t believe you have no feelings for him, or that he has no feelings for you."
Seeing the leisurely Lady Tang, Cai Yan realized that she did not care as much about Li Ru’s murder of the emperor as Cai Yan thought. On the contrary, Lady Tang had long returned to normal; everything Cai Yan understood before was just an act.
"He and I are not suitable for each other." Cai Yan arranged the chair and then propped her head on her hand, looking lazy.
"Your standards for suitability are too high. Even if Wei Zhongdao were still alive, he wouldn’t suit you now!" Lady Tang said angrily. "If you keep this up, you’re bound to end up alone."
"Seeing you are still the same as before, I know I won’t end up alone. After all, I still have friends to confide in." Cai Yan said with a smile, appearing unbothered by Lady Tang’s mention of Wei Zhongdao, as she had already moved on from that shadow.
"With your personality, I’m curious. Besides me, who else can you confide in?" Lady Tang sighed.
Cai Yan’s personality seemed easygoing, but she was inherently very proud. She seemed to get along well with everyone, but there was always a sense of distance, like a lotus flower meant to be admired from afar.
"That’s why I asked you to live with me." Cai Yan spoke to Lady Tang in a warm tone, tinged with a hint of longing, indicating that saying she wasn’t lonely would be a lie.
"I can’t accompany you for too long, and it’s impossible for me to always be with you." Lady Tang sighed. Cai Yan’s poor way of handling matters was this trait of getting along well with everyone but never truly being part of anyone’s circle.
"You should find someone and get married soon, Zhaoji. If you keep delaying, there won’t even be anyone suitable left. You can’t still be stubborn and say a zither and books are enough to accompany you for life like before." Lady Tang said, looking at the contemplative Cai Yan, noticing the hesitation in her eyes.
"Hmm." Cai Yan replied, and as to what exactly that meant, probably only Lady Tang, who was looking into Cai Yan’s eyes, could understand.
"It seems I can’t persuade you, but you are indeed wavering, not as firm as you used to be. That’s good news, but don’t procrastinate anymore. You’ve already wasted seven years of your youth." Lady Tang said, looking at Cai Yan.
Cai Yan smirked. When she heard that, she was reminded of Lady Tang’s son, who seemed already five or six years old. Back then, Lady Tang had married too. But unlike Cai Yan, she had married and it hadn’t gone well.
"You should just live here with me, read with me, and teach etiquette to the girls who come to study. The academic atmosphere under Grand Commandant Liu’s administration is very strong, and there are girls eager to learn." Cai Yan said slowly.
"Is this his way of teaching you to pass the time?" Lady Tang relentlessly pressed.
"Suddenly I feel you’re becoming annoying too." Cai Yan said with slight displeasure, "But teaching does suit me, and some of them are genuinely clever."
Lady Tang had always been observing Cai Yan, and it was evident that Cai Yan’s focus was entirely different from her own. From their idle chatter, she could see that Cai Yan was entirely causing herself trouble.
"You should make it clear with Chen Zichuan sooner rather than later. Either don’t marry or make your move quickly." Lady Tang said helplessly. "This is something I can’t help you much with; it’s mainly up to you. Although I haven’t seen you for years, your character hasn’t changed much."
"What do you mean by that?" Cai Yan asked, slightly dazed, and slowly opened her mouth to speak.
"Think about your emotional ups and downs. Even when reading this, you probably don’t have any emotional fluctuations, right?" Lady Tang picked up a palace novel from the table and shook it at Cai Yan. "After talking with you for so long, think about the times you showed emotional fluctuations."
Cai Yan was slightly startled; when she was alone, she didn’t notice it or think about it. But after Lady Tang pointed it out, Cai Yan suddenly realized she had significant emotional inclinations when it came to Chen Xi.
"Whether it’s irritation or reluctance to mention it, you can’t treat him like everyone else anymore. Although I saw this kind of book on your shelf, when you said ’thoughts without evil,’ I knew you were different from me, and I trust you’ve definitely achieved that." Lady Tang sighed.
"It really is like that..." Cai Yan said after a moment of silence, but the studious gaze in her eyes left Lady Tang speechless.
"Forget it, solve your problems yourself." Lady Tang sighed and said. Cai Yan’s personality was a bit too detached. "If before I was optimistic about you and Chen Zichuan being together, now I’ve given up."
"Forget it; don’t think too much. The possibility between me and him is very, very small. Both of us are aware of this." Cai Yan said with a smile, her demeanor and appearance returning to normal.
"And who can be blamed for that?" Lady Tang said helplessly, then picked up the book on the table, shaking it. "On my way here, I saw many palace novels about you and him. Knowing these writers, Chen Zichuan probably saw the same kind, maybe even read novels that feature you and him as protagonists. I’m curious about the look he gives you after reading those."
Cai Yan took the book from Lady Tang’s hand, placed it back on the shelf, and while organizing the bookshelf, said, "You’re curious about the look I give him after reading these, right? The first time I encountered such a book, I confiscated it from him, so everything you want to see, I’ve already seen."
"You didn’t hit him?" Lady Tang asked.
"No," Cai Yan replied without even turning her head.
"Is he an idiot?" Lady Tang said, rubbing her forehead, thinking these two are such idiots!
