Chapter 361: Failed Love Confession
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When Qi Qingyao got on the carriage and headed toward the Qi Residence to pack her belongings, she had only one thought in her mind, ‘Where’s that moneybag, Lu Yan?’
The carriage arrived at Qi Residence and she leaped off the carriage. Because the guards at the gate inhaled less toxic gas than she did, they had woken up yesterday. Currently, all personnel in the Qi Residence are operating normally.
The guards were so happy when they saw that Qi Qingyao had woken up, but immediately withered when they saw Zhu Shen behind her.
Qi Qingyao asked Steward Zhang about Lu Yan’s whereabouts.
Steward Zhang said, “Wasn’t he carried off together with Young Mistress?”
Qi Qingyao, “…”
The moneybag was also carried off?
They were probably afraid of Lu Yan staying here and getting hurt.
After all, he was a moneybag!
The young master of Northern Liang’s top Chamber of Commerce.
Even if it was the State Preceptor, he would not dare to do anything to Lu Yan.
Steward Zhang asked Qi Qingyao why she came back alone, and why he did not see the children.
Qi Qingyao frowned and briefly explained the current situation.
Steward Zhang instantly went silent.
After Qi Qingyao returned to her room, she packed her belongings quickly. When she found the jade tablet and the ring, Qi Qingyao pondered for a while. Just to be safe, she hid those two things in the sleeve of a particular piece of clothing in another box.
After finishing with her belongings, she went to the children’s room and carefully sorted out a large box of clothes. After all, it was for three children! Then she packed their personal pouches together.
She called Zhu Shen to come in and carry the things.
Steward Zhang watched Qi Qingyao leave with Zhu Shen again and asked nervously, “Young Mistress, when will you return?”
Qi Qingyao sighed.
She stealthily left some words to Steward Zhang. “Lu Yan might be back soon. The house won’t be empty.”
After Steward Zhang watched the carriage leave, he sighed and prayed silently in his heart, hoping the Young Mistress would come home safely!
After Qi Qingyao went back to the courtyard again.
She glanced at Li Ruoxuan who was still meditating in the courtyard. When Zhu Shen was helping her take her belongings into the house, Qi Qingyao looked at Li Ruoxuan for quite a while before she could not help but speak up.
“At any rate, we’re considered friends who ate together that day, so why do you have to be like this? Tell me, I’ve never offended you, why do you hate me so much?”
Li Ruoxuan opened his eyes and said, “I never hated you, though.”
“Then why do you try to kill me on every occasion?” Qi Qingyao said helplessly.
Li Ruoxuan raised his eyelids and said calmly, “If you can die for Northern Liang’s sake, that is your glory. This is called dying for your country. In the regrettable event of your death, I’ll surely prepare a grand funeral for you.”
1
“…” A grand funeral! Motherf*cker!
Qi Qingyao rolled her eyes and entered the house without saying anything. She tidied up her belongings a bit, then sat by the three children’s bed, watching over them.
She waited until the children woke up and caressed their heads lovingly.
Then she pinched their soft cheeks.
“Woke up finally?”
The three children did not seem to understand what happened; they only thought they slept for a long time.
Dabao called out.
“Mommy!~”
Then he touched his belly and said, “Hungry.”
Erniu was so hungry she was on the verge of tears. She looked unhappy and aggrieved.
“After sleeping for several days, you guys should be hungry.” Qi Qingyao laughed.
The three children regained their energy after having a meal and their moods also recovered.
Xiaobao tilted his head and scanned the room, feeling the place was very unfamiliar. So he asked, “What is this place??”
“This is Li Ruoxuan’s courtyard. Stay calm for the time being, he won’t do anything to you guys.” Qi Qingyao tried her best to make her look very normal.
However, Xiaobao knew who Li Ruoxuan was.
So his expression changed instantly.
Qi Qingyao went to her room and inspected. She picked up a few porcelain bottles, then came over and handed the few small porcelain bottles to the three children.
“Carry these things in your sleeves.” After a pause, she said, “If you encounter a dangerous occasion, pour it on the enemy, or put it in the enemy’s teacup and tell them to drink it.”
Dabao was so shocked that he did not dare to speak.
Xiaobao asked seriously, “Mommy, is this poison?”
“Yes.” Qi Qingyao was not joking. She knew that it was very hard for four-year-old children to accept this matter and understand the malicious world, but the First Qin Emperor had inherited the throne at the age of thirteen. When it comes to certain things, there was no option of not doing it just because one was still young! If you did not learn to be independent, you would end up being severely beaten by society.
Qi Qingyao looked at the little children who were so nervous they almost stopped breathing.
She smiled and said, “So try not to eat it yourself.”
Then she handed the antidote to the three little children.
“This is the antidote!” Qi Qingyao explained seriously. “Be sure to distinguish the colors. Red is poison, white is antidote.”
The three little children did not dare to open the bottles to smell.
They tried their best to memorize the colors.
Red was poison, white was antidote.
After Qi Qingyao made sure the children had memorized it by heart, she asked, “Tell Mommy, have you guys memorized it?”
“Yes!”
The three children wanted to raise their voices but did not dare to be loud.
They just put the little porcelain bottles into their sleeves.
Dabao had always been a little strong and honest, so he asked, “What if I accidentally eat it?”
Qi Qingyao patted him on the head with a smile, “If it can be dangerous enough to mix up my smart children’s minds that they eat the poison, I think it would be a situation that even I won’t be able to survive.”
“…”
Dabao licked his lips.
His mommy praised him for being smart!
He certainly would not make a mistake.
After Qi Qingyao accompanied the children for another meal, the children knew that there was no danger here, so they went to play in the courtyard. Qi Qingyao sat in the room alone and tidied up the medicine a little. Then she began preparing the potent knockout drops and smoke bombs again!
While she was busy, someone knocked on the door.
Qi Qingyao lifted her head. Back facing the light, the man stood at the door with a cane, his appearance seemingly feeble.
Jiang Yeqian ordered Zhao Xin.
“Go stand guard at the courtyard first, don’t let anyone near this room.”
“Yes.”
Zhao Xin promptly went to stand in front of Chuihua Gate.
He had a faithful look while carrying out his duty.
After Jiang Yeqian entered the room with the cane. He closed the door and walked to Qi Qingyao step by step. Qi Qingyao continued fiddling with the medicine, not even looking at him.
Jiang Yeqian realized that he was being ignored and knew that the situation was awkward. She was probably still mad at him for trying to assassinate Si Jin.
“I…” Jiang Yeqian wanted to explain but did not know how to start. He coughed lightly and said, “I want to talk to you.”
Qi Qingyao turned her head while making the medicine. She said offhandedly, “You? Looking for me? Do we know each other?”
She was surely angry, so Jiang Yeqian said hurriedly, “About him and I testing Si Jin, I can explain.”
Qi Qingyao looked at Jiang Yeqian with confusion, “To me? The Head Grand Secretariat wants to explain things to me?” She chuckled, “No need! You and I hardly know each other, so there’s no need to explain.”
Jiang Yeqian was hurt by her attitude. He said, “I know you hate me.”
Qi Qingyao paused the movement of her hands, then said seriously, “Head Grand Secretariat, don’t flatter yourself. I hardly know you, so I naturally won’t hate you.”
Jiang Yeqian said, “With your current attitude, pretending not to know me, isn’t it because you hate me?”
Qi Qingyao got up and said sarcastically, “That’s enough!”
Jiang Yeqian, “…” Jiang Yeqian thought that as long as she was willing to lose her temper on him, and he apologized properly, the matter would be put behind them. So he was really eager to see her getting angry.
Unexpectedly, Qi Qingyao crossed her arms sluggishly and just said, “You want to explain, right? I’ll give you a chance, explain then.”
Ah!
“…Well…” Jiang Yeqian was once again dumbstruck when dealing with her calmness.
He pondered for a moment.
When he was ready to open his mouth.
Qi Qingyao, however, said with cadence, “I have my reasons. I’m seeing the bigger picture. I have to know his skills. Because this is for the sake of Northern Liang!”
She finished speaking emotionally like singing an opera. Under Jiang Yeqian’s dumbfounded expression, she said matter-of-factly, “Your Excellency wants to say all this bullshit, right? If so, please go back, I know all about it already. Everyone who came to discuss this matter with me told me not to seek revenge. Whether it’s bullshit or nonsense, I’m tired of hearing it. Everyone hardly knows each other, there’s no need to explain further.”
She had guessed everything.
What else was Jiang Yeqian going to say?
He had no choice but to say, “That’s not what I wanted to say.”
“Oh?” Qi Qingyao pricked up her ears.
Jiang Yeqian said straightforwardly, “I just wanted to kill him, so I purposely teamed up with Li Ruoxuan.”
Qi Qingyao, “…”
“Because he likes you.” There was no smile in Jiang Yeqian’s eyes. He said very seriously, “When I was by your side before, I’ve followed him several times, but I lost him at night. At that time I was wondering, exactly what level of skills does he have? Later he said that he wants to be your boy toy, so I wanted him dead even more! This time I finally had a chance to test him with another rank nine, how could I let go of such a great opportunity?”
Qi Qingyao stared at him with an incomprehensible gaze. “Is there any direct connection between him liking me and you wanting to kill him? Does everyone who likes me deserve to die? Don’t I deserve to be liked? You’re so ridiculous.”
Jiang Yeqian explained hurriedly. “It’s not that you don’t deserve it.”
“I’m all ears,” Qi Qingyao said.
Jiang Yeqian looked at her fair face looming under the scorching yellow sunlight. She looked lofty, her eyes laid back and carefree. There was a hint of unattainability. He, who had been a little awkward about certain words until he could not say it, whispered softly, as though being lured by a ghost.
“I like you.”
“Oh.”
Qi Qingyao’s pupils turned pure black. She shrugged and said, “Understandable. I look good, and I’m cute. It’s normal for you to like me.”
1
Jiang Yeqian, “…”
He looked at her with an attentive and piercing gaze.
Qi Qingyao continued, “Go on, is there no other reason?”
Jiang Yeqian felt that something was burning his throat intensely. His eyes were damp, and this time, there was a quiver in his voice.
“I…like…you.”
Qi Qingyao said with a controlled expression, “Thanks.”
“…” It was as if a light suddenly penetrated his eyes and ignited the gloom in his eyes. After he came back to his senses, he noticed that her reaction was too plain, so plain that there was no emotion at all. His expression right now was like the dusk, gradually plunged into the turbulence of the dark night. His voice was thick and hoarse.
“Is this your answer?”
Qi Qingyao asked, “How else should I answer?”
Jiang Yeqian’s eyes were somber. “Qi Qingyao, do you always have to be so aloof?”
“Hmm?” Was she aloof? She had merely said thank you, was there a problem with the ‘thank you’? Qi Qingyao raised her eyelids to look at him.
Jiang Yeqian’s eyes were dark, and there was no light within them. He felt that the words he tried so hard to say just now became a joke. The world before his eyes instantly turned into a silent monochrome movie, as though someone had taken away all the light. His black pupils seemed to have been possessed for an instant, a hidden current flowing in the bottom of his eyes, viscous as the night.
The words spat from between his lips had become harsh to the ears.
“Who would like a widow like you? I only said I like you on purpose to gauge your reaction. If you had taken the bait, I’d have made you confess Si Jin’s whereabouts! Heh!”
“…”
Was this not something that was already expected?
Qi Qingyao looked at the back of his figure, walking away on crutches, and seemed to feel that his back had become weak and lonely.
She thought about it in puzzlement. A person who planned on scheming against others had their plan exposed, and then gave her that attitude…she was afraid this was not good.
After Jiang Yeqian left.
Lu Yan stood by the adjacent door and watched for a while before walking over. He looked at Qi Qingyao, who continued lowering her head to make medicine.
“You pissed him off.”
He heard some of it just now.
“You’re awake?” Qi Qingyao lifted her head and glanced at Lu Yan. After making sure he was alright, she retracted her gaze and continued fiddling with her medicine. She abruptly came back to her senses and spoke while ordering Lu Yan not to touch anything. “Eh, that’s not right. How could you say I pissed him off? Clearly that guy wanted to scheme against me, but failed. Everyone is so cunning!”
Lu Yan was still speculating Jiang Yeqian’s words.
Qi Qingyao said, “Wait, moneybag—ah, I mean—Little Yan, now that you’ve woken up, go back quickly. We can’t let that bastard State Preceptor take you as a hostage!”
“What about you?” Lu Yan asked.
Qi Qingyao said, “I still have to rely on you at the critical moment, so you can’t be taken hostage.”
Lu Yan’s black eyes carried a meaningful glint. He said, “Then I’ll send people to keep an eye on this courtyard at all times, they’ll help and cooperate with you when the time comes.”
“Okay.”
Qi Qingyao nodded.
“Yaoyao!” Lu Yan suddenly called out seriously.
Qi Qingyao looked at him and blinked with a puzzled look on her face.
Lu Yan chuckled and said, “I’m someone you can trust. I swear on my deceased mother.”
1
A spark flashed fleetingly in Qi Qingyao’s eyes. Then she said softly and slowly, “Then I’ll trust you for now.”
…
…
Lu Yan left not long after.
Li Ruoxuan did not ask anyone to stop him either.
Because Lu Yan was not important in the first place.
Li Ruoxuan sat in the room. From the gap in the window, he happened to see Jiang Yeqian’s limping figure walking back, with a look that raised many questions.
Li Ruoxuan was silent for a long time.
A question appeared in his mind.
Jiang Yeqian’s expression just now was like annoyance and resentment after a failed love confession…
What did he say to Qi Qingyao?
Could it be…
Wait.
That was impossible.
Qi Qingyao had three kids of unknown background, and was a widow.
Jiang Yeqian’s tastes could not be that unorthodox, right?
Although Qi Qingyao was indeed an interesting person…
However, while there was a probability of one in ten thousand, maybe that answer that you first thought of was correct!