Jiang Lan was startled by her own feelings. Having been single for so many years, never before had she found men so frequently captivating as she did now.
Qin Yuehan was utterly furious. A faint sense of grievance welled up in his heart, so intense that the corners of his peach blossom eyes flushed red.
Seeing him truly enraged, Jiang Lan felt inexplicably guilty.
“I’ll go check if Qin Zhong has returned,” Jiang Lan said, turning toward the door with hurried steps.
Now alone in the bedroom, Qin Yuehan lowered his head, the shadow of his dark, thick long hair obscuring the emotions on his face.
They had maintained mutual respect for so long—why was everything different now?
“Master, why are you here?” Qin Zhong asked.
Behind him trailed a long line of servants carrying various items, all belonging to Jiang Lan.
Jiang Lan was spacing out in the courtyard of Lingyue Pavilion. Hearing Qin Zhong’s words, she curled her lips into a somewhat roguish smile and said, “Naturally, because your young master drove me out.”
Jiang Lan’s voice was soft; aware of how gossip could harm in this world, she made sure only Qin Zhong could hear.
Qin Zhong gasped sharply, his eyes wide and round, his unremarkable face filled with terror.
Seeing Qin Zhong’s reaction, Jiang Lan chuckled inwardly, thinking Qin Yuehan certainly knew how to pick servants.
“Why are you all standing there? Hurry up and bring my things inside!” Jiang Lan’s tone was stern, snapping Qin Zhong out of his daze.
After bowing to Jiang Lan, Qin Zhong led the servants through the inner gate of Lingyue Pavilion, then signaled for them to stop before entering Qin Yuehan’s room alone.
“Young master, how could you drive the master out?” Qin Zhong’s voice was fraught with worry and urgency.
After all, his young master already had a less-than-favorable private reputation. If Jiang Lan’s words spread, he would gain the additional label of a jealous husband.
Qin Yuehan was taken aback. Looking at Qin Zhong’s anxious expression, his handsome face showed confusion. “She said I drove her out?”
Qin Zhong nodded, his eyes full of concern as he saw Qin Yuehan’s distracted state.
“Did she leave?” Qin Yuehan asked again, his voice trembling slightly.
“No, she ordered me and the others to arrange her belongings. I came to ask how you wish to handle the master’s things,” Qin Zhong replied.
Qin Yuehan fell silent. He turned to look toward the door, though he could see nothing, as if he had found some answer in the emptiness.
“Have them bring the things into the room,” Qin Yuehan said, his coldly elegant face betraying no emotion.
By the time Qin Zhong returned with the servants, Qin Yuehan was fully dressed, having resumed the dignified and noble demeanor befitting the Left Prime Minister’s son.
After lingering in the courtyard for a while, Jiang Lan grew bored and returned to her study.
Jiang Lan’s study was spacious—or, to put it another way, the Jiang residence was vast, so much so that it exceeded the typical regulations for a top imperial examination graduate’s residence.
The reason for such generous treatment was solely because the Left Prime Minister had only one son, Qin Yuehan. To express his favor toward his subject, the current emperor naturally spared no effort in ensuring such matters were handled with propriety.Jiang Lan entered the study, gazing at the various rare and unique books in the room, and couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
“They say the Left Minister of the court lived a life of poverty, loving nothing more than his son and these unique books. Yet now, she has given all these to the original owner without hesitation. Sigh,” Jiang Lan remarked.
[Indeed, who knows how Jiang Lan managed to read so many books of sages and scholars only to let it all go to waste, even conspiring with the Crown Prince’s faction to frame the Left Minister.] System 009 chimed in.
Hearing this, Jiang Lan felt utterly speechless. System 009’s words gave her the distinct feeling of being insulted.
“Very well, 009. Did you enjoy your little rant?” Jiang Lan said, her tone carrying a dangerous edge.
System 009 responded with a strange, eerie electronic chuckle.
[I’m just reminding you, Host. Don’t become as heartless and ungrateful as the original owner, or you’ll have to experience the agony of her miserable death.] System 009 explained.
Jiang Lan fell silent, her mind inexplicably conjuring the image of Qin Yuehan’s cold, clear peach blossom eyes.
She couldn’t imagine how a man as refined and noble as Qin Yuehan could be driven to the point of taking his own life alongside his wife.
Jiang Lan walked over to the bookshelf, lightly brushing her fingers across the spines of the books, gathering a thin layer of dust on her fingertips.
“Hmm, the original owner was quite the actress,” Jiang Lan murmured, a hint of regret in her voice.
As dusk deepened, in Lingyue Pavilion, Qin Yuehan’s expression grew increasingly grim with the passing time.
Qin Zhong stood beside him, his gaze anxiously fixed on the doorway, his worry mounting.
“Young Master, perhaps you should rest first,” Qin Zhong whispered cautiously.
Qin Yuehan remained silent, his eyelashes trembling slightly as he lowered his gaze to his knees.
Why couldn’t he help but cling to hope?