The dining table was enveloped in silence. Jiang Lan picked up the serving chopsticks and placed some Spicy Chicken into Jiang Hongshi’s bowl, speaking in an exceedingly gentle tone, “Father, please eat.”
Jiang Hongshi looked at the chicken pieces in his bowl, then at the quiet and well-behaved Qin Yuehan sitting nearby, feeling an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
Though shortsighted, he genuinely doted on Jiang Lan. Seeing that Jiang Lan truly had no intention of taking a concubine, he naturally wouldn’t contradict her in front of the servants.
As for Qin Yuehan, given his status, he had no room to speak at all.
“Not taking a concubine is fine, but since your cold has healed, why not move back to Lingyue Pavilion starting today?” Jiang Hongshi, having enjoyed the delicious Spicy Chicken, was in a rather good mood and spoke with unusual kindness.
Qin Yuehan, who had been eating quietly nearby, froze slightly at these words, lifting his eyes to glance at Jiang Lan sitting across from him.
He saw this woman, who had always treated him with respectful distance, nod deferentially to Jiang Hongshi, then look at him and say very gently, “Yes, I’ll move back this evening.”
Hearing Jiang Lan’s words, a flicker of surprise passed through Qin Yuehan’s dark eyes. Noticing Jiang Hongshi’s gaze upon him, he nodded obediently and said, “Yes, Father.”
Seeing both Jiang Lan and Qin Yuehan being so compliant, Jiang Hongshi felt so pleased that he ended up eating half a bowl more rice.
After Jiang Hongshi left with the servants, only Jiang Lan and Qin Yuehan remained in the spacious hall.
The sky was gradually darkening, casting a warm glow over the entire courtyard from the lingering sunset. Jiang Lan walked beside Qin Yuehan, her steps deliberately slow.
Her peripheral vision remained fixed on Qin Yuehan, noticing his slight discomfort due to his knees. The heartache that had been lingering in her heart suddenly overwhelmed Jiang Lan’s reason.
“Get on,” Jiang Lan suddenly stepped in front of Qin Yuehan, half-crouching as she spoke in a firm tone.
Qin Yuehan was truly stunned this time, his dark peach-blossom eyes no longer clouded as they were during their first meeting.
He gazed at the crouching Jiang Lan with astonishment, a faint sweetness stirring in his heart.
“Wife, I’m fine,” Qin Yuehan refused, his tone carrying a hint of caution.
Hearing this, Jiang Lan turned to look at Qin Yuehan behind her, her gaze falling on his somewhat pale lips. She urged again, “Get on.”
Before Qin Yuehan could react to Jiang Lan’s repeated urging, Qin Zhong, who had been following him, gave him a slight push forward.
Then, Qin Yuehan found himself on Jiang Lan’s back, being carried effortlessly toward Lingyue Pavilion.
Leaning against Jiang Lan’s back, Qin Yuehan’s body stiffened slightly as he tried hard not to press too closely against her.
Jiang Lan naturally noticed Qin Yuehan’s subtle evasion, but since she hadn’t yet understood her own impulsive instinct, she remained silent.
They soon arrived at Lingyue Pavilion, where Jiang Lan gently placed Qin Yuehan on the carved wooden bed.
“Thank you, Wife,” Qin Yuehan said.
Jiang Lan nodded in response, then said to him softly, “Then rest well.”
As soon as Jiang Lan finished speaking, she heard the piercing voice of System 009 ring out in her mind.[Warning, warning. The host’s words and actions have provoked the male lead Qin Yuehan, causing his corruption level to reach 10%.] System 009 announced.
Jiang Lan froze completely upon hearing this. She looked down at Qin Yuehan sitting obediently by the bedside and asked in disbelief through her thoughts, “Qin Yuehan’s corruption level is 10%?”
[Yes. When Qin Yuehan’s corruption level reaches 100%, your ending will be the same as the original.] System 009 replied.
Jiang Lan gazed at Qin Yuehan’s handsome and refined face, finding it impossible to reconcile the corruption value mentioned by System 009 with his current appearance.
“Does my wife have other matters?” Qin Yuehan asked again when he saw her standing motionless.
Jiang Lan snapped out of her daze, met Qin Yuehan’s dark eyes, then slowly curved her lips and said softly, “Nothing. I’ll move back to Lingyue Pavilion tonight.”
Jiang Lan’s demeanor appeared completely natural, but her tightly clenched hands betrayed her true feelings.
However, with only three people in the room, neither Qin Yuehan nor Qin Zhong noticed her subtle changes.
“Qin Zhong, have the servants pack my belongings and bring them over,” Jiang Lan instructed.
Qin Zhong didn’t move immediately, instead glancing slightly upward at Qin Yuehan. Only after seeing his nod did he bow and retreat from the room.
With only Jiang Lan and Qin Yuehan remaining in the room, Jiang Lan observed his somewhat aloof expression. She walked back to the bedside and looked down at him, asking, “Has the medicine been applied?”
Qin Yuehan remained silent upon hearing this, displaying none of the virtuous courtesy he showed in front of others.
Jiang Lan wasn’t surprised by his cold and arrogant attitude.
After all, this was the same Qin Yuehan who would later kill the original host after she gained high status and power – he was never going to be as weak and humble as ordinary men in this world.
“What does my wife truly want?” Qin Yuehan asked quietly, his gaze fixed on the mandarin duck pattern embroidered on the bed.
He had genuinely considered following the tradition of submitting to one’s wife after marriage. Unfortunately, his wife only treated him as a tool, without a trace of tenderness in her eyes.
Born into nobility and well-educated, though male, he harbored grand ambitions in his heart.
Therefore, despite desperately trying to deceive himself, he could never accept such a calculating woman as his wife.
“What do you think I want?” Jiang Lan asked, meeting his gaze without flinching.
Qin Yuehan was taken aback by the question, perhaps because Jiang Lan’s eyes were unusually clear at this moment.
He found himself unable to voice the disgraceful suspicions in his heart to Jiang Lan.
“My wife has always disliked Yuehan. Why are you willing to move back to Lingyue Pavilion now?” Qin Yuehan asked, a trace of resentment unconsciously coloring his tone.
How could he not resent her? In this female-dominated world, men could hardly step outside freely.
Though Jiang Lan’s behavior remained unknown to outsiders, he still felt utterly humiliated.
To think that he, the son of the Left Minister, should be despised by a commoner’s daughter – even if this commoner’s daughter was the Top Scholar in both Civil and Military Exams of Ling Kingdom.
Hearing Qin Yuehan’s words, Jiang Lan’s earlier displeasure about the inexplicable corruption value was somewhat eased by the subtle complaint in his tone.
After spending the day processing the original host’s memories, Jiang Lan now fully understood how despicable the original host’s emotional abuse towards Qin Yuehan had been.
“Wasn’t it you, Young Master Qin, who always looked down on me? When have I ever been unwilling to return to the room?” Jiang Lan spoke, not feeling in the slightest how hateful her twisted words were.
As soon as she finished speaking, she indeed saw Qin Yuehan, just as she had anticipated, could no longer maintain his cold expression.
His peach blossom eyes, with pupils as dark as ink, were both black and bright, utterly captivating.