Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play-Chapter 971 - 946: Prospects

Even someone as careless as Cui Lansong noticed the subtle atmosphere between Xie Jue and Fang Chuning and couldn’t help but ask, "Mr. Fang, did you have a quarrel with the Prince?"

"Does our Prince ever quarrel with anyone? He just gives the silent treatment." Fang Chuning couldn’t help but complain, usually being reticent and fond of quiet. When angry, he could go days without speaking a word. If not for having to handle official duties, he probably wouldn’t want to say a single word. During breakfast, no matter how much he provoked him, he wouldn’t spare him even a glance, let alone a word.

Fang Chuning was unfazed, having long since become adept at handling Xie Jue’s temperament.

"The Prince never gives us the silent treatment; he answers whatever we ask. You’re just asking for it, always provoking him. His temper is much better than the Emperor’s."

"Are you alright?" Xie Jue’s temper is better than Xie Xun’s? You’d never say such a thing unless your head was spinning. Xie Xun just looks intimidating with all bark and no bite. He turns a blind eye to non-principle issues. My guy here would never do that."

"Since you ticked off the Prince, go make it up to him to avoid collateral damage."

"I’m not that collateral damage, so what’s it to me?" Fang Chuning responded rather disloyally. Cui Lansong often beat him up, and most of the tasks Xie Jue assigned him were complete. Being a military general, the affairs of Pingnan County didn’t require his involvement, so he went drinking with Fang Chuning whenever he had free time. However, Fang Chuning was recovering from injuries and had to abstain from alcohol, only daring to sneak a few sips. If Xie Jue found out, he wouldn’t be able to handle the trouble.

Fang Chuning asked, "What do those generals in Ningzhou think about me and the Prince?"

Truthfully, Cui Lansong had no curiosity about the affairs between Xie Jue and Fang Chuning, but since Fang Chuning asked, he got excited and gave a thumbs up, saying, "Although everyone was surprised and gossiped for a while, in the end, they all gave you a thumbs up, praising your courage."

After all, someone brave enough to pursue the Prince is indeed commendable. It was clear that the Prince would not have been the one to initiate the contact with Fang Chuning. In the eyes of those generals, Xie Jue was a strict, rule-abiding man who had been taught to be upright since childhood. He would never do something unethical. It must have been Mr. Fang leading him astray.

"That’s it?" After all, Ningzhou had many senior generals like Cui Lansong’s father, former subordinates of the noble lord, who, though now retired, still resided in Ningzhou.

"The old generals scold you daily for corrupting the Prince, feeling they wouldn’t be able to face the old Marquis after death. As for the others...nothing much. We male generals aren’t surprised, claiming we saw through it long ago but just chose not to speak out." Cui Lansong reported truthfully, "You...take care of yourself."

"Why?"

"If my father and the others see you, they’ll probably beat you up." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I’m not entirely to blame."

"True, it takes two to tango, but...you were definitely the one to make the first move." Cui Lansong spoke with a knowing look.

Fang Chuning, "..."

Every morning, Xie Jue would head to the office, returning to the backyard at sunset. Fang Chuning, with nothing to do, would lie on the roof sunbathing, playing music, and waiting for Xie Jue. An hour before Xie Jue came home, he would take Cui Lansong to the street to buy hot meals for Xie Jue. The cook at the government office had poor skills, and even the undiscriminating Fang Chuning found the food unpalatable, so he tried different ways to bring Xie Jue delicious meals.

Fragrant crispy fried chicken and seasonal vegetables. He had checked out every shop in Pingnan County. Cui Lansong remarked, "Have you really lost your memory?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Are you chasing so hard even with lost memory?"

"That face of the Prince, isn’t it worth chasing?"

"Shallow!"

"Are you implying Ting Feng is beautiful only on the outside?"

"I didn’t say that, don’t wrong me!" Cui Lansong almost jumped up in panic. If this got back to the Prince, he’d be in big trouble.

Cui Lansong lugged around the meals Fang Chuning bought, despite Pingnan County being small with few food options, mainly simple noodles. Finding a place that made decent crispy fried chicken was already a feat. Due to Xie Jue recently needing medicine, he also bought a lot of preserved fruits.

Cui Lansong still worriedly asked, "Didn’t the Grand Marshal send someone to find you two heading north with the Prince?"

"I narrowly escaped death, with great fortune ahead, don’t mention such buzzkills." Fang Chuning’s smile faded slightly.

"Are you insane? That’s your father!"

"He’s exactly the buzzkill." Fang Chuning blasphemously declared, "I can’t just swap out parents."

Cui Lansong thought Fang Chuning was truly oblivious to his luck; many dreamed of being the Grand Marshal’s son. Of course, the Grand Marshal’s disciplinary measures were harsh, something he had heard Zhou Buyan mention indirectly. Previously, Fang Chuning held both reverence and defiance toward the Grand Marshal, seeking approval through rebellion.

Now, his attitude took a major turn. He no longer cared for the Grand Marshal’s opinion, confident in his choices for companionship and style of life, completely disregarding seeking paternal approval.

"His men saved you in Sannan, otherwise, you’d have perished in the fire."

Fang Chuning laughed, "Then I must be ungrateful!"

Cui Lansong, "..."

Truly impervious! Just how deep does this father-son feud go?

Fang Chuning said, "You’re a general of the Ningzhou faction, so why revere him? It won’t earn you promotions or titles. As I’ve mentioned, I’m nothing but your stumbling block to being ennobled."

"I was wrong!" Cui Lansong admitted readily, "You shouldn’t hold grudges like mine against me; I meant no harm."

Fang Chuning snorted coldly.

Dinner was set in the courtyard, still bright after sunset, as northern regions had long daylight, while indoors was dim. For Xie Jue’s eyes, Fang Chuning always set dinner outdoors.

Xie Jue ate little for dinner, not having much appetite. Even though Fang Chuning bought food according to his tastes, he wasn’t in the mood to eat due to a recurrence of his eye ailment and the unexpectedly dire state of Pingnan County’s affairs, dulling his appetite.

"The court’s newly appointed County Magistrate will arrive soon; once he settles in, let’s travel the world." Fang Chuning suggested, "We won’t head north since you can’t get accustomed, nor sleep well, plus your eye ailment has flared up. Let’s find a renowned doctor to cure your eyes until your full recovery."

"The best physicians gathered in the Capital City. My eye condition has been managed by the Imperial Hospital and hasn’t recurred for a long time. If there’s serious recuperation needed, I must return to the Capital."

However, the Capital City is contentious. In the eyes of its people, Fang Chuning had long since passed away, and a return would undoubtedly spark an uproar, leaving him vulnerable to malicious gossip and impeachment by censors.

Once thought dead, how to explain being alive again?

He would surely face impeachment.

"Then back to the Capital it is; I can’t hide forever. Your eye condition is more important." Fang Chuning promptly prioritized, recognizing Xie Jue’s eye condition as currently the most pressing matter while all else could wait.

"Let me think about it!"