Jadeite Azure Dragon Pendant.
Jin frowned: "Yi Qinghan's?"
“Yes,” she lowered her eyes, a faint smile curving her lips, “I promised Brother Yi, he said this is a token.”
Unexpected twists of fate and complicated relationships
Looking at the pendant, Jin was still in a daze, muttering, "A token? What token?"
“It’s an engagement,” Qiu Lingling said softly. “He said he wanted to choose the best betrothal gifts, so he’ll give me the pendant in a couple of days.”
Jin's hand trembled, and he released her.
Qiu Lingling raised her face.
Jin turned to look out the window, and after a long while, he finally spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse: "Are you sure he'll treat you well?"
Qiu Lingling hummed in agreement: "He said he only loves me."
Regardless of whether it's true or not, given Yi Qinghan's status, it's already quite remarkable that he agreed to such a condition. The jade dragon pendant is Yi Qinghan's personal accessory; with it, he can travel the world without carrying a single penny. Now that Yi Qinghan is willing to give it to her, it can be considered a sign of his sincerity.
Well, she's given up. At least Yi Qinghan will protect her and won't let her suffer. And he won't have to worry anymore. Everything is resolved. How wonderful. Jin smiled, but a voice in her heart was saying, "No."
Qiu Lingling walked up to him: "Aren't you happy?"
Jin shook his head: "Very good."
"I see." Qiu Lingling turned to leave.
Jin called out to her, "You... wait a minute."
She stopped.
After a long while, Jin walked over slowly, holding a crystal hairpin in his hand, with a small purple butterfly on the head: "The jade dragon pendant is priceless. Our Thousand Hands Sect cannot be inferior to the Yi family. I will give this hairpin to you as part of your dowry." He gently inserted the hairpin into her hair and tugged at the red ribbon binding her hair: "A girl should dress up nicely. Come to my room later and take whatever you want."
"I don't need it anymore," Qiu Lingling said, looking down and taking something out of her bosom. "I just need this."
Fire Toad, the little girl helped the old man play tricks on people, but then she was saved by the misfortune. Thinking of the past, Jin laughed. The little girl has this, does that mean that even when she is thousands of miles away in the future, she will still remember the shameful image of this leader?
"From now on, in front of people, don't say she's my junior sister anymore. Just say she's my sister." Yi Qinghan is right. It's better to give her a good identity as the sister of the Thousand Hands Sect leader. At least she won't suffer too much in the future.
Qiu Lingling said "Oh".
silence.
"You're getting married, so don't wear black anymore."
"Brother Yi said he'll help me make clothes tonight."
Jin nodded and turned around: "Go."
A moment of silence followed, then light footsteps sounded behind him, growing fainter and fainter, draining all his strength. He felt as if all his energy had been drained away, like a broken cocoon, leaving only an empty shell.
.
Qiyun Manor in Lin'an City is the largest and finest silk shop in Jiangnan. Originally owned by the Jiang family, it was taken over by the Xia family's cloth shop after the Jiang family's downfall. However, two months ago, a new shop called Liuyun Manor suddenly appeared in Jiangnan. Its main fabrics were exactly the same as those of Qiyun Manor, but at much lower prices, stealing most of Qiyun Manor's business. The Xia family could not withstand the pressure and had to sell the management rights of Qiyun Manor to the Yi family. Now, all of Qiyun Manor's goods are sold by the Yi family's branch.
As they emerged from the shop, two servants, each carrying a piece of fine cloth, stopped, turned to give a few instructions, and the two servants returned with their belongings, leaving only Liu Bai to follow.
The young master turned to look at the person beside him: "Why are you unhappy?"
Qiu Lingling had remained silent all afternoon, but when he asked her this, she couldn't help but say "Ah," then shook her head, coming back to her senses: "No."
Her hair was styled in a slanted bun, not as lively as a tomboy's attire, but it added a touch of vibrancy, making her as beautiful as a fresh flower in clear water. The small purple butterfly in her hair was particularly eye-catching. The young master reached out and took it off, frowning: "A purple jade butterfly hairpin?"
Qiu Lingling lowered her eyes and hummed in agreement.
A glint flashed in the peach blossom eyes, and the young master said calmly, "Is this gold being delivered?"
Qiu Lingling nodded.
The young master looked at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled and said softly, "There is only one of this in the world. Master Jin is indeed thoughtful. It looks good on you." He put the hairpin back in her hair and tidied her messy hair. His long, beautiful fingers slowly and gently stroked her smooth forehead. "Little cat, since you have agreed to my request, I will let you recover from your injuries. But don't even think about turning back. Don't even think about it."
Finally realizing his ambiguous actions, Qiu Lingling quickly took a step back.
The young master seemed not to notice, and pulled her away, saying, "I've always heard that the night view in Jiangnan is quite nice when I'm in the north. I suppose you know it best. How about you accompany Brother Yi on a river cruise?"
His hand was warm and strong, irresistible. Qiu Lingling blushed even more and had no choice but to put her worries aside and walk with him to the river.
.
Although the weather was cool, the river was bustling with activity. The water shimmered and the colorful boats were like brocade. It turned out that Miss Qing Si liked to go boating on the river, and even the city's most famous courtesan had come out to join in the fun.
Is Jin Huanlai still here? Qiu Lingling couldn't help but look around, and suddenly noticed something. Pointing to a flower boat on the river, she tugged at the young master and said, "That girl seems to be looking at you."
The cabin curtain was half-drawn, and a beautiful woman leaned out, her long sleeves partially obscuring her face, her eyes subtly conveying her affection.
Sure enough, someone recognized her: "Miss Qingyu!"
"She rarely comes out."
Looking for someone?
The discussion was lively, and many people couldn't help but turn around to look for the charming man, half in doubt and half in jealousy. They all understood that the most popular courtesan was undoubtedly inviting a lover, and whoever went up to her at this moment would be considered to have a romantic affair.
Seeing the kitten looking at him, the young master also glanced in that direction, then suddenly realized what was happening. He subtly blocked her view, turned her around by the shoulder, and smiled, "But you're mistaken. She's looking at Liu Bai, Steward Liu."
Qiu Lingling glanced at Liu Bai, then looked at him, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men's faces, filled with doubt.
Liu Bai was dumbfounded. No way, I've never seen anyone better at finding a scapegoat than you!
The young master turned his head and said, "Can't you see that the young lady is waiting for you? Aren't you going to go and greet her?"
Why should I be blamed for all this mess? You're trying to seduce a young girl, but you don't have to be so shameless! As a trusted subordinate, Liu Bai deeply understood the principle of taking the blame for his master when necessary. However, for our "woman-averse" Steward Liu, this was simply too much! At this moment, he couldn't help but have the urge to "Screw Steward, I'm quitting!" But this urge quickly disappeared because, firstly, it wasn't worth it, and secondly, he didn't dare.
So he could only grit his teeth and protest: "Young Master..."
“It’s alright here,” the young master interrupted him. “I suppose you haven’t been there for a long time, and the young lady is getting impatient. Why don’t you go and see her quickly, lest she blame you for being rude.”
What does the steward do? He has to manage and resolve everything concerning his master, from major business ventures to minor past romantic entanglements. Liu Bai was furious, his eyes almost spitting fire, but he didn't say a word and turned to walk towards the pleasure boat.
The young master then smiled and put his arm around the shoulder of the person next to him: "Let's go over there."
Qiu Lingling couldn't help but turn around, wondering, "He seems angry."
The young master smiled and shook his head: "He's shy."
.
Qingsi didn't go boating on the river tonight. Right now, she's sitting to the side, frowning, watching the people across from her drink.
He drank only three cups before throwing the cups away. Then he stared blankly at the face in front of him, his eyes showing a hint of drunkenness.
Qingsi sighed softly: "Are you in a bad mood?"
Jin withdrew his gaze and said coldly, "You can't have what you like, okay?"
Qing Si smiled and said, "Why can't I have it?"
Jin returned without saying a word and stood up.
"Is there something else that's bothering you?" Qing Si stood up and walked to his side, her hand slowly sliding up his back to his shoulder. "Are you talking about that girl who came last time? Are you afraid that if you take her, you'll be letting someone else down?"
Jin Huanlai stiffened slightly and looked down at her.
“In that case, let her go. There are many things she can like, why worry about that one?” A low voice whispered in my ear. “She may not be as good to you as you think, just like your master.”
His most trusted benefactor turned out to be the one who harmed him. Who else could he trust? A chill crept into his bright eyes.
Qingsi smiled, took his hand and placed it on her face: "Actually, you still have me."
The familiar face quickly overlapped with the person in his memory. Along with anger, pain and guilt surged up. That woman gave her life for him; she was the only one who was truly sincere to him, while he was heartbroken for someone else.
"Qin'er..." His hand began to caress her face.
“Qin’er is gone, isn’t she?” Qing Si was very clever. She immediately raised her face so that he could see her more clearly, and her voice became even gentler. “But I can always stay with you.”
Whether it was from drinking or something else, the beautiful face in front of me began to blur, along with the face in my memory, which seemed to be fading away, and then vaguely transformed into a little girl.
It's best that the little girl gave up.
For a moment, he didn't know what he was thinking; he was incredibly agitated and turned around to pick her up.
.
He had a high nose and a handsome face with a roguish air about him. His eyes, which were originally as bright as stars, would suddenly dim whenever he looked at her, and at this moment he looked extremely lonely.
Her slender fingers traced across her firm arm, gradually moving downwards until they reached the purple, maple-leaf-shaped mark below her elbow.
Qingsi asked curiously, "Is this a birthmark?"
Jin Huanlai remained silent and lost in thought, as if pondering something. Upon hearing this, he glanced at her and said calmly, "When I was refining poison with my master, there was a time when the detoxification was delayed by half an hour, leaving some residue."
Qingsi was taken aback at first, then lowered her head and remained silent.
Having tested poisons on himself to reach his current position, it must have been far from easy; he must have suffered a great deal.
A flicker of hesitation crossed her beautiful eyes, but she quickly regained her composure, her fingertips gently tracing the mark. This person wasn't as easy to deal with as she had imagined. Even at certain moments, his guard remained high, and he would notice even her intentional or unintentional touches. Fortunately, she reacted quickly several times, managing to slip away unintentionally.
Jin withdrew his hand, got up, put on his robe, took two steps, and then stopped: "You..."
“You don’t need to feel guilty,” Qingsi interrupted him, speaking softly, “It was my own choice.”
He remained silent for half a day.
"You can stay here for now." After saying this, he strode out the door.
Clutching the thin blanket, Qing Si slowly lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes wearily. A slight smile gradually spread across her lips. It wasn't as smooth as she had expected, but the fact that she could keep this person meant that her efforts hadn't been in vain.
.
The first thing Jiang Xiaohu saw when she saw Jin Huanlai was that he was sitting on a tree with a wine jar in his hand. She sighed, walked over and leaned against the tree trunk. Jin Huanlai didn't drink alcohol.
"What happened?" He frowned.
"What could be wrong? I'm just kindly inviting you for a drink," Jin glanced at him and tossed the wine jar over. "Drink this top-quality Zhuyeqing wine all at once. Don't waste any money. If you leave a drop, I'll skin you alive."
Jiang Xiaohu smiled wryly: "A whole jar? I drank it all?"
Jin glared at him and said, "Stop talking nonsense. I've already drunk half of it. The other half is yours."
Sure enough, only half a jar of wine remained. Jiang Xiaohu sniffed, looked at the ground beneath his feet, and cursed, "What the hell are you drinking? Did you feed it to the trees?"
Jin jumped up.