L'hibiscus comme peinture

Chapitre 76

Only Ao Jun, when Shuang'er began to speak, her hand holding the teacup trembled unusually, and her shoulders also trembled slightly, which she was suppressing. When Shuang'er finished speaking, she couldn't hold back any longer and spat out all the tea in her mouth with a "pfft..." Then, to everyone's astonishment, she clutched her stomach and laughed loudly, "Haha..."

Yu'er, Shuang'er, and the courtesan all looked at Ling Gongzi, who had been indifferent and aloof since he entered, with bewildered expressions. Yet, after hearing such touching words, he was so unconcerned about his image that he was bending forward and backward. They all had the same thought: Is there something wrong with this person's brain?

"Ao Jun, what's wrong with you?!" Dongfang Junhao, who was the first to come to his senses, frowned deeply and asked with a worried expression. Could it be that these words were too shocking and Ao Jun couldn't accept them for a while, which is why she was like this?

"Ha... Junhao... Haha... If Stephen Chow knew... knew... Haha... he would be furious... Haha... His classic lines... Haha... I can't take it anymore... Haha..." Ao Jun leaned towards Dongfang Junhao, laughing wildly and uttering words that no one could understand, and speaking incoherently.

“Ao…” Dongfang Junhao’s brows furrowed even deeper. According to his understanding of Ao Jun, she should be a person who did not like to laugh. Why was she suddenly laughing like this? Moreover, he could not understand what she was saying at all. He only heard her mention something about Stephen Chow. Who is he? Why did he make her so abnormal?

Before he could even utter a word, the door was flung open with a 'bang'—or rather, kicked open, and presumably already tragically destroyed. Just as he was about to see who dared to be so audacious, his vision blurred, and the culprit was already standing before him and Ao Jun, his face contorted with anger and anguish as he stared at Ao Jun, who was still laughing and reeling from the shock. When he recognized the person, he was startled, but quickly regained his composure, donning his trademark business smile and saying amiably, "Who do we have here? It's Prince Jin! What a coincidence! But how could we trouble Your Highness to come in person! If you need anything, just have someone call me, and I'll be there immediately… Ao Jun… watch out, ah!"

Before Dongfang Junhao could finish speaking, Ao Jun suddenly tried to get off the bed for some reason. However, because she had laughed too much, she was momentarily weak and was about to fall. Dongfang Junhao quickly caught her and pulled her back, but he pulled too hard, and the two of them fell back onto the bed. Ao Jun was now on top of him, still laughing. He was annoyed. What was so funny that she was still laughing? But she was soft and comfortable against him! He really wanted to hold her like this forever. However, he didn't want to let go, but she insisted that he let go.

Feeling a sudden lightness, he sat up unhappily, only to find the person who had been on him in someone else's arms. That person gave him a chillingly sharp look before turning away, staring angrily at Ao Jun. Truly worthy of being called the Cold-Faced War God, that gaze was indeed full of murderous intent. He just couldn't understand where that murderous intent came from. When had he offended Prince Jin without realizing it? However, the fact that Ao Jun had just fallen on him confirmed his suspicions. She possessed a woman's softness. A genuine smile, which he himself didn't even realize, slowly curved onto his lips as he gazed at Ao Jun, who was still smiling in Jin Xuan's arms.

Jin Xuan stared silently at the woman he both loved and hated, his face grim. He was waiting for her to finish laughing, and then for her to explain herself to him…

The Strategist and the Princess: Kyoto Chapter 58 - Jinxuan's Birthday

Jin Xuan, his face grim, stared silently at the woman he both loved and hated. He was waiting, waiting for her to finish laughing, and then she would explain herself to him...

When he went to find her today, he discovered she wasn't in her room at all. Just as he was wondering where she had gone, Uncle Zhu rushed in, frantically telling him that Jun had gone to the Misty Rain Pavilion. It was like a bolt from the blue; he was stunned, barely able to stand. How could she treat him like this? He couldn't control her past promiscuity, but how could she so openly go to the Misty Rain Pavilion to seek pleasure after he had confessed his feelings to her? Had she been completely oblivious to his efforts for the past two weeks? The thought of her surrounded by women, flirting and laughing with those courtesans at the Misty Rain Pavilion, even… his heart ached terribly, filled with jealousy and anger… He wouldn't wait any longer; he had to find her…

Arriving once again at the familiar yet unfamiliar Yanyu Tower, Jinxuan felt a mix of emotions. The first time he set foot in a brothel was for a woman he was destined to be with but could not be with, but this time it was for a "heartless and frivolous man." How ironic!

As soon as he entered, the madam, Yunniang, greeted him warmly, making him seem like a regular customer. He learned of Jun's whereabouts from Yunniang, but what puzzled him even more was that Yunniang mentioned the world's richest merchant, Dongfang Junhao, was also in the room, and that Jun was his friend. When had Jun ever met this person? She had never mentioned it before, but it was clear that Jun's sudden arrival must have been arranged with Dongfang Junhao. Did he have some ulterior motive for approaching Jun?

Filled with anger, jealousy, and doubt, he arrived at the door of Jun's room. Afraid of witnessing something unbearable, he lingered at the entrance until a delicate voice rang out from inside: "There was once a sincere love placed before me, but I didn't cherish it. Only when I lost it did I realize my regret. Nothing in this world is more painful than this. If God could give me another chance, I would say three words to that man: 'I love you.' If I had to put a time limit on this love, I hope it would be ten thousand years." These words stunned him, leaving him speechless for a long time. Then he heard Jun's abnormal laughter and a man's worried voice. That man must be Dongfang Junhao. He was even calling Jun "Ao Jun"—had they become so close?

He could no longer control himself, but upon entering, he indeed witnessed a scene that he couldn't bear. It wasn't the flirting between Jun and a woman, but rather Jun leaning against a handsome man, laughing so happily. Having known her for so long, he had never seen Jun laugh so brightly...

"Hehe... Jinxuan, what brings you here?" Ao Jun finally stopped laughing, but still asked Jinxuan with a smile, completely unaware of his livid face.

"Why am I here? Heh... tell me?" Jin Xuan said with a gloomy face and a cold laugh.

"Could it be that you..." Ao Jun's face darkened instantly, and she murmured, only then realizing that Jin Xuan was holding her, while Jun Hao was also looking at them thoughtfully. She quickly pulled away. She knew very well what kind of place this Misty Rain Pavilion was, and she knew without a doubt why Jin Xuan, a man, would be here. A sudden pang of pain shot through her heart: so he was just like other noble sons, enjoying pleasure in brothels. If that was the case, why did he confess his love to her so passionately and treat her with such tenderness? He had made her heart restless, leaving her constantly on the verge of inner turmoil...

"Stop your wild thoughts, I'm here to see you. Hmph... I'm not like you, so heartless and cold-blooded..." Jin Xuan glanced at Ao Jun and said coldly, his tone much lighter than before. He knew what Ao Jun was thinking as soon as he saw her expression, and he felt much better. It turned out that she still cared about him.

"Oh, how did you know I was here? Did Uncle Zhu tell you?" When Ao Jun heard that Jin Xuan had come to see her, her eyes seemed to suddenly light up again, and her tone was unexpectedly relaxed, with a hint of mischief that she herself didn't realize.

"Are you done asking? Now it's my turn to ask. Why did you come to a place like this?" Jinxuan asked coldly, arms crossed. His anger had actually subsided considerably. Sigh, seeing her like this, how could he still be angry?

“I came here with Junhao as arranged,” Ao Jun said truthfully.

"Oh, Dongfang Junhao, the owner of Dongfang Manor, the richest merchant in the world?" Jinxuan said this to Aojun, but his eyes glanced sideways at Dongfang Junhao, who was staring at Aojun, and he couldn't wait to...

Gouge out his eyes so he can't see Ao Jun's beauty.

"It is indeed I," Dongfang Junhao said casually, bowing slightly to Jin Xuan. A charming smile graced his face, his eyes brimming with amusement, yet his heart was filled with doubt and a touch of bitterness: Wasn't Prince Jin deeply in love with the current Empress? Why was he so anxious and concerned about Ao Jun? His actions and gaze so clearly revealed a strong possessiveness towards Ao Jun, and a deep hostility towards him. Judging from his behavior towards Ao Jun, he seemed to be deeply in love with her. Could Ao Jun be the current Empress? No, impossible. Although rumors circulated that the Empress often acted unpredictably, Ao Jun's personality was completely different from what he had heard about the Empress. She couldn't be the Empress. Then who was Ao Jun? What was her relationship with Prince Jin? She seemed to also have feelings for Prince Jin…

"When did you come to know the renowned Master Dongfang? I had no idea." Jin Xuan didn't even glance at Dongfang Junhao, his gloomy eyes coldly fixed on Ao Jun.

"We just met today, so Junhao invited me to meet at Yanyu Tower." Aojun could only answer questions one by one, because she had no idea what she had done wrong. Why was Jinxuan looking at her so gloomyly and hostile towards Junhao? Did he not like her making friends? Wasn't that a bit too domineering?

"You just met today? Seeing how familiar you are, I thought you were old friends who have known each other for a long time!" Jinxuan said with a sneer.

"Friendship isn't about how long you've known each other. Ao Jun and I hit it off immediately. In our hearts, we've known each other for a long time, haven't we, Ao Jun?" Dongfang Junhao raised an eyebrow, smiling innocently, but his eyes were full of provocation as he looked at Jin Xuan. He himself didn't understand why. Doing this might offend Prince Jin, who was second only to the emperor, but his possessiveness towards Ao Jun made him very unhappy, making him want to provoke Prince Jin regardless of the consequences. Women were always at his beck and call; he wouldn't offend powerful people for a woman. On the contrary, he sometimes even gave beauties to those powerful people. That's what a businessman is like, and as the most successful businessman, he naturally always put profit first. But today, he made an exception for this woman he had only known for one day.

"Hmm." Ao Jun hesitated for a moment, then nodded honestly. Why was even Junhao acting so strangely? Although his smile was harmless, she could clearly see the provocation in his eyes. Did he and Jin Xuan have a grudge from before? Why did they seem so tense the moment they met? Should she tell the truth? Wouldn't Jin Xuan be unhappy? In the end, she decided to tell the truth because what he said was true! That was also what she thought in her heart.

"Hmph, so you call it instant rapport? I bet it's just birds of a feather flock together!" Jin Xuan's face darkened further, and he laughed angrily. He had long heard of Dongfang Junhao's womanizing and womanizing ways.

"I don't understand what Your Highness means?" Dongfang Junhao asked casually, flicking his robe. Birds of a feather flock together? What kind of talk is that?

"Hmph, let's go back." Jin Xuan didn't want to pay any more attention to Dongfang Junhao's provocation. He snorted at him, grabbed Ao Jun's hand, and was about to leave. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would lose control and hit someone. Besides, he still wanted to go back and settle accounts with Jun!

"Wait." Ao Jun grabbed Jin Xuan's hand and said. Receiving Jin Xuan's angry glare, she shrank back without any backbone, but still let go of Jin Xuan's hand and slowly walked to Dongfang Junhao's side. However, these two steps made her feel as if she was walking on thin ice. In front of her was Dongfang Junhao, who smiled harmlessly but strangely. Behind her, although she could not see him, she could still clearly feel two beams of scorching and angry gazes.

"Junhao, I'm going back now." Ao Jun said to Dongfang Junhao indifferently, and then quickly turned around and walked towards Jinxuan. Therefore, she did not notice the disappointment in Dongfang Junhao's lowered eyes, but she did see the fleeting joy in Jinxuan's eyes.

"Ao Jun, may I come to Prince Jin's residence to find you?" Just as Jin Xuan and Ao Jun were about to leave, Dongfang Junhao's cheerful voice came from behind.

“Sure!” Ao Jun turned around and affirmed, without asking Jin Xuan’s opinion at all. After all, he was the master of the Prince’s Mansion, and he was standing right next to her now!

Taking two more steps forward, Ao Jun, amidst Jin Xuan's confusion, suddenly turned around and asked the stunned Shuang'er, "Shuang'er, right? Who taught you to say that just now?" Jin Xuan's sudden appearance had made her forget Stephen Chow's classic line. She was certain that someone had taught her that line, and that person, like her, was a time traveler. Could it be Xue? But didn't Xue enter the palace immediately after arriving? And Shuang'er was a courtesan; how could the two have any connection?

"Ah! Are you asking me? Oh, it was Sister Xiao Yu who taught me." Still in a daze, Shuang'er answered blankly. When she thought of Sister Xiao Yu, who had been so kind to her, Shuang'er's face darkened: Where is Sister Xiao Yu?

"Xiao Yu?" Ao Jun pondered the name thoughtfully, then suddenly her hand trembled. She looked at Jin Xuan, whose expression had subtly changed, her eyes clearly asking: You know Xiao Yu?

"Let's go!" Jinxuan avoided Aojun's gaze, turned his head and pulled Aojun away, saying indifferently, and lifted his foot to leave.

"Wait..." It wasn't Ao Jun who spoke this time, but Shuang'er. Shuang'er quickly ran to Jin Xuan and finally mustered up her courage to ask, "Your Highness, do you know where Sister Xiao Yu is?"

Ao Jun looked at Shuang'er and then at Jin Xuan with a puzzled expression, wondering why Shuang'er would ask about Jin Xuan. Did Jin Xuan know Xiao Yu? Xiao Yu? Xiao Yu?

"I don't know," Jinxuan said coldly, walking quickly forward as if he were fleeing in panic.

"You couldn't possibly not know, aren't you very close to Sister Xiao Yu?" Shuang'er grabbed Jin Xuan in disbelief and asked urgently. Sister Xiao Yu was like her own sister, and she had been thinking about her every moment during the year or so that Xiao Yu had been missing.

Faced with her question, Jin Xuan pulled away from her grasp and continued walking forward without a word. Ao Jun, who had been pulled along, suddenly broke into a knowing, eerie smile: she thought she knew who this Xiao Yu was! Xiao Yu? Xiao Yuqing? Heh... Xue, I didn't expect you to be the same. I can't think of you in the usual way...

On the quiet street, two equally handsome men walked hand in hand in silence. Jin Xuan, gripping Ao Jun's hand, was sweating profusely. He had a bad feeling; Jun and his sister-in-law would meet sooner or later, and very soon...

Today, the Prince Jin's residence was bustling with festive cheer. Officials who rarely had access to the residence were gathered in the front courtyard, their faces beaming with obsequious smiles, asking what day it was. "Hehe… today is the birthday of our invincible, ever-victorious 'Cold-Faced War God,' Prince Jin!" Prince Jin Xuan was usually away on campaigns, and in previous years, he was rarely in the capital for his birthday celebrations. Therefore, those officials and wealthy merchants who wanted to curry favor had no opportunity. This year, however, he was in the capital, and had just returned victorious from a battle. How could they let such a golden opportunity slip by? Thus, even if Prince Jin Xuan didn't want to make it so grand, he had no choice. The Prince Jin's residence, which was usually quite spacious, was now incredibly crowded; even the lower-ranking officials were almost standing outside the gates.

"Today is Your Highness's birthday. This humble official toasts Your Highness with a cup of wine." An official was the first to raise his wine cup and address Jin Xuan, who was seated at the head of the table.