Chapter 66: Thinking of Her and Her Mother, Tangtang Is Really Good, Can You Not…

In the blink of an eye, it was already the Orchid Month.

Meng Jun listlessly embroidered a sachet he planned to give to Li Ruantang. The melancholy in his eyebrows was exacerbated by the gradually warming weather, giving rise to many worries.

It had been over half a month since that night when he watched Li Ruantang leave. If it were a military campaign, his mother in the court would have brought some news.

However, this time it was a secret mission. Not only the court but even the Censorate had no right to inquire about it.

The young gentleman was worried about her, but he also understood that under such circumstances, no news was the most reassuring. In these past few days, he had learned a lot from his master and had indeed made much progress compared to before.

But he really missed her.

Meng Jun lowered his gaze sadly and put down his embroidery. Glancing at the sky outside the window, he called for a servant and walked out.

Separated by the walls of two mansions, ever since Li Ruantang left the capital, the young gentleman had found an excuse. Using mutton-fat jade, he had Wei Dan quietly make a door, leaving the latch on the Meng family’s side.

He knew this matter would certainly not escape his mother’s notice, so on the night the door lock was completed, Meng Jun went to Meng Xiaozhi’s study with a cane to request punishment.

“Jiulang, why do you bother with this?”

The young man’s feelings were sincere, and Meng Xiaozhi saw it clearly. Moreover, these walls were not meant to keep people out. The maids in the Xujin Prince’s mansion were all skilled in martial arts. If they really wanted to break in, not just this wall, but even climbing over the roof would be easy for them.

Now Meng Jun had made a door.

Meng Xiaozhi sighed deeply, “Silly child, have you not thought about appearing so brazenly in the Xujin Prince’s mansion? What if Li Ruantang cannot return to the capital—”

“Mother?! Have you heard something?”

Before she could finish, the anxious young gentleman interrupted. In an instant, Meng Jun felt a tingling sensation in his temples. He barely managed to steady himself by gripping the armrest of the chair, then asked, “Mother, why wouldn’t she be able to return to the capital?”

His usually clear voice trembled involuntarily. The young gentleman blinked, suppressing the sting in his eyes.

But his appearance looked very distressed.

Meng Xiaozhi couldn’t bear to frighten him further and said, “Her departure this time was personally ordered by the Emperor. No one has the right to interfere or inquire. I haven’t received any news, I was just giving you a hypothetical situation.”

“You’re not yet engaged, even though Li Ruantang has mentioned your marriage to me. But she hasn’t sent a matchmaker, nor has anyone spoken on her behalf. So between you two, she’s still unmarried, and you’re still unwed.”

“I’m just worried that your impulsive wall-breaking might be difficult to resolve in the future.”

She spoke euphemistically. Although the meaning in her words wasn’t as direct as before, it wasn’t hidden either.

But to the young gentleman’s ears, only two words remained.

Hypothetical situation.

His suspended heart suddenly sank heavily into his chest. Meng Jun breathed a sigh of relief, secretly wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes. He knelt before the desk, pressing his lips together, “Mother, breaking the wall was wrong of me, please punish me. Even if Lady Li hasn’t formally proposed marriage yet, I’ve already promised her, and we even pinky swore.”

Meng Jun obediently lowered his head, “You said before that one must keep their word. So, I will only marry her.”

“You!” Despite anticipating the young man’s answer, Meng Xiaozhi was still somewhat surprised at this moment. “You silly child!”

The foundation of being a person is honesty and trustworthiness.

This wasn’t wrong. Meng Jun hadn’t learned it wrong, and Meng Xiaozhi hadn’t taught it wrong. But sometimes, flexibility is needed.

But Meng Xiaozhi also knew that saying these things to the young gentleman now would be in vain. His stubborn nature was cut from the same cloth as hers.

“Fine, since I promised your father earlier that you could decide your own marriage, I won’t pursue this wall-breaking matter for now.”

She stood up and helped her determined young man to his feet, saying, “As parents, we always tend to be partial when it comes to our children. Don’t blame your mother for speaking harshly.”

The young gentleman nodded and walked out of the study. But in his heart, he was elated. Since his mother wasn’t pursuing the matter, didn’t it mean that she wasn’t too opposed to his marriage with Li Ruantang?

Meng Jun heaved a long sigh.

He would go to the Xujin Prince’s mansion every day, measuring with his footsteps even the unfamiliar courtyards.

But Li Ruantang still hadn’t returned.

Now, with the sky bright, the young gentleman stood before the courtyard wall, signaling the servant carrying a small bundle to open the latch.

He had planted many flowers in the empty flower bed in front of Li Ruantang’s bedroom. Now they were all in bloom, their vibrant colors catching the eye, making even his troubled heart feel more at ease.

He wondered if she would like the flowers he had planted.

The young gentleman loosened the soil with a small hoe for a while, and Wei Dan had already ordered people to prepare ice in the bedroom. After Meng Jun finished his work, washed his hands, and cleaned his face, he lifted the bamboo curtain, and a cool breeze greeted him.

He sat on a soft stool to rest, his gaze falling on the furnishings in her room. He hurriedly instructed Zhiqiu to open the small bundle they had brought.

Over the past few days, he had gradually added many small items to her room. Without its owner, the bedroom seemed empty and large.

The young gentleman had placed all his favorites in here, but even so, the feeling of loss in his heart couldn’t be stopped. It felt empty, as if nothing could fill it.

He was already tired, and now feeling sad made him feel even more powerless.

After all, there was no one else here. Meng Jun casually took off his outer robe and lay down on the soft, thick bedding. Those beautiful phoenix eyes stared fixedly at the bats and persimmons carved on the bedstead. In his hazy state, they seemed to come alive, fluttering away with a gust of wind or a wisp of blue smoke.

The young gentleman’s breathing was light and shallow.

Who knows how long it had been when suddenly the bedding beside him sank slightly. Meng Jun opened his eyes in confusion, and there was Li Ruantang, whom he hadn’t seen for so long.

She was still wearing armor, looking even thinner than when she left the capital.

The young gentleman was immediately surprised, happy, and heartbroken. He wanted to pounce on her and hug her, but saw her smiling and shaking her head, “Silly Jiujiu, I just rolled in the mud with this armor on. If you come close now, you’ll turn into a little mud ball.”