Chapter 55: Tasting the Unfamiliar, Does She Mean Drinking One Bowl of Medicine Exchanges Two…

He stared blankly at that green gauze curtain. Unless, it wasn’t a dream.

Those words that were still embarrassing to think about now, and the breath she passed to him. Like a fire, burning the young gentleman’s cheeks crimson.

He suddenly pulled the brocade quilt over his head. The belated shyness was like a long rainy season, drip-dropping on his already fluttering heart.

So that means—

The young gentleman covered his face that was about to turn completely red. He thought those sweet nothings he had imagined were actually real!

Li Ruantang said she liked Jiulang! Moreover—

Suddenly, joyful laughter came from under the arched quilt. Meng Jun was so happy his eyes curved into crescents. She had called him “Jiu Jiu” many times.

So, she must have already remembered that Jiu Jiu was Meng Jun!

The young gentleman poked his head out from under the quilt happily. It seems love poems should indeed be written more boldly.

“Young master?” Zhiqiu cautiously approached, looking puzzled at Meng Jun with his curved eyes and highly raised corners of his lips. “You—”

“Zhiqiu, what time is it now?” Meng Jun, who had been grinning foolishly, felt a bit embarrassed being stared at. The young gentleman pretended to furrow his brows. “I have an appointment with Sang Shen to go to Qingshan Academy later. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Ah Ning too. Prepare some gifts for me.”

“Yes.” The servant respectfully agreed. Before he could turn around, a strong medicinal smell hurriedly wafted in from behind the pearl curtain.

Meng Jun wrinkled his nose slightly, looking puzzled at the medicine soup Zhiqiu was bringing in. “Wasn’t it supposed to be a hangover soup? What’s this medicine about?”

“Young master, this was sent over early this morning by Lady Li next door. I had the doctor take a look, it’s all nourishing medicinal soup, which has just been boiled and brought here.”

“Tangtang sent it?” Those beautiful phoenix eyes lit up, his lips pursed in difficulty. “It’s good that she cares about me, but this medicine smells bitter.”

“Young master, the lady also sent over some preserved fruits.” Zhiqiu dared not conceal anything, clapping his hands to signal the servants in the courtyard to arrange the food boxes sent from the Suqin Wang’s mansion in front of Meng Jun one by one. “The lady also said…”

He hesitated for a moment. The young gentleman picked up a candied fruit and put it in his mouth, glaring at him in displeasure.

Zhiqiu trembled and hurriedly reported truthfully, “The lady also said that if the young master doesn’t like preserved fruits, drinking one bowl of medicine is still the same as before, but she will be busy for the next few days and won’t return to the mansion, so she can owe it for now.”

“Eh? She’s not coming back to the mansion again?” Meng Jun lowered his eyes, the candied fruit in his mouth tasteless. But she said drinking one bowl of medicine is the same as before?

The young gentleman was a bit confused, his gaze falling on the man in the bronze mirror, instantly stunned by those alluring lips.

Those vague fragments gradually became clear as his fingers touched the corner of his lips.

Could it be that she meant drinking one bowl of medicine in exchange for two kisses?!

The belated understanding made Meng Jun’s handsome face flush red. He suddenly averted his eyes and asked in a low voice, “So how many doses of medicine did she send over?”

*

Censorate.

The black and white pieces on the chessboard were fiercely battling. Meng Xiaozhi had been holding a white piece in her hand for half a day, but did not rush the young lady in front of her too much.

“My lady, I assume you didn’t come here just to play chess with this official?”

“Madam Meng, I intend to propose marriage to Jiulang.” Li Ruantang showed no hesitation on her face. Her slender fingers held a black jade piece, cool to the touch, and lightly placed it on the most inappropriate place on the chessboard.

“This official advises the lady to think thrice. One wrong move in chess, and the whole game is lost.” Meng Xiaozhi did not answer directly. Where her white piece fell, it captured seven of Li Ruantang’s black pieces in succession.

She was not surprised by Li Ruantang’s proposal. “Although my Jiulang can’t hide his feelings, since he calls me mother, I will not be afraid to consider and plan for him. Even if the lady is favored by Her Majesty.”

“Madam Meng worries too much. If Madam doesn’t approve and Jiulang doesn’t agree, I would never rashly ask Her Majesty to arrange the marriage. Moreover, I also understand Madam’s concerns.”

Li Ruantang casually placed another black jade piece. “Regarding the Golden Elixir case, I already have a foolproof plan. Now the fish has taken the bait, we just need to wait patiently to close the net.”

“Young lady, don’t be so impatient.” Meng Xiaozhi shook her head slightly, pointing at the situation on the chessboard. “Black and white are chasing each other closely. Now that the black piece has fallen below, even if it’s bait, you still need to look at the big picture.”

“Look.” She placed another white piece, directly cutting off Li Ruantang’s retreat. “People’s hearts are fickle. Even things we are certain about often have many variables, let alone playing chess. If you can’t protect it, it’s better to abandon it from the start.”

“As for Jiulang, he has a childish heart. How would he know about feelings? It’s nothing more than because you saved him, and when you two were helpless in that small mountain village, relying on each other to survive, that some novelty gradually arose.”

“My lady, can you believe that if it was Wei Yunruo whom my Jiulang pulled down the cliff that day, he would have developed these so-called feelings too, and perhaps even more deeply than he cares for you now.”

“Such feelings cannot withstand the changes of time, nor can they endure hardships and setbacks.”

“Similarly, this official is also very grateful that when the lady returned to the capital, she first went to find the Empress Consort to protect my Jiulang’s reputation. But that’s one thing and this is another. Now that the lady’s star is rising, and you seem unrestrained, rocking that pleasure boat all night.”

Meng Xiaozhi picked up her cup and moistened her mouth. “If Her Majesty entrusts you with important tasks in the future, how can your back courtyard only accommodate my Jiulang?”

“With his personality, this official truly can’t bear to let him see through the baseness of this world. I hope the lady, for the sake of the feelings between you two, will let my Jiulang go.”

“What Madam Meng says is indeed reasonable.” Li Ruantang had long heard that Meng Xiaozhi was famously tough and unafraid of power.

She smiled slightly, “However, since Madam Meng can know about small matters like the rocking of the pleasure boat, I assume you must have already figured out the cliff-falling incident from before. Otherwise, with someone as pure as Wei Yunruo coming to propose marriage, Madam Meng would have had no reason to refuse.”