Upon hearing this, Jiang Lan froze, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes as information about the woman before her quickly surfaced in her mind.
In Lingdu City, among men there was the willful Qin Yuehan, and among women there was the spoiled young noble Lin Yuezhi.
Qin Yuehan was the only son of the Left Minister. Lin Yuezhi was the only daughter of the Loyal and Brave Prince.
“Yes, what is it?” Jiang Lan said, looking at Lin Yuezhi, her tone indifferent and her attitude clearly perfunctory.
Lin Yuezhi was taken aback by Jiang Lan’s reaction. She had maliciously provoked her, imagining countless possible responses, but never expected Jiang Lan to remain so composed.
Lin Yuezhi had always disliked Jiang Lan, but she was not a malicious person.
As the only daughter of the Loyal and Brave Prince, she had always been domineering in Lingdu City.
However, in recent days, she had suffered a blow to her pride over a courtesan.
The reason was that the courtesan named Su Qinghe insisted on preserving her chastity for Jiang Lan, the newly crowned Number one scholar whom everyone in Lingdu City despised.
How laughable, yet Lin Yuezhi had always prided herself on mutual consent. For the sake of her reputation, she could only turn and return home.
But the frustration she suffered from Su Qinghe, she was determined to take out on Jiang Lan, this poor girl.
“Do you admit you are the Qin family’s live-in wife?” Lin Yuezhi asked, her arrogant demeanor diminished by half due to Jiang Lan’s unexpected reaction.
The crowd of onlookers grew larger, and many had already recognized the identities of the two.
Jiang Lan could sense Lin Yuezhi’s deliberate provocation but did not feel much malice from her.
Even so, she held little goodwill toward this woman.
“You’ve already called me that in public; do I still need to admit it? Moreover, I am indeed the wife of Qin Yuehan, the son of Minister Qin, and naturally, I will support Minister Qin and his wife in the future. So, what you said is not inappropriate.” Jiang Lan spoke, her expression open and unashamed.
Upon hearing Jiang Lan’s words, Lin Yuezhi was instantly left speechless. She widened her eyes, looking at Jiang Lan in disbelief.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” Jiang Lan said, then gracefully walked past Lin Yuezhi.
When Jiang Lan arrived at the Imperial Academy, she saw that most of those present were middle-aged and elderly women, with very few people around her age.
Following her memory, Jiang Lan returned to her seat. Looking at the stacks of books, a faint smile flickered in her eyes.
She had always loved reading. In her previous life, she had been so busy that she hadn’t enjoyed such leisure in a long time.
She selected a book that interested her and began organizing it according to the original owner’s habits.
Meanwhile, the incident of Lin Yuezhi mocking the newly crowned Number one scholar Jiang Lan as Qin Yuehan’s live-in wife in the bustling streets spread throughout every corner of Lingdu City in a single day.
Jiang Lan’s words even reached the inner chambers of many court officials.
Strangely, however, neither Jiang Lan, who stayed at the Imperial Academy until dark, nor Qin Yuehan, who was listening to Jiang Hongshi’s teachings at the Jiang residence, were aware of the numerous rumors circulating outside.
The next day, Jiang Lan and Qin Yuehan rose early to see Jiang Hongshi off onto the carriage.
Jiang Lan helped Jiang Hongshi into the carriage and stood by the window, bidding him farewell in a soft voice.”Lan’er, when you have time, bring your husband back to see your mother.” Jiang Hongshi spoke, her words filled with caution.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Lan felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. In her original world, her bonds with parents and blood relatives had been faint, and she had never been cherished like this before.
“Father, I understand. After you return, please comfort Mother more. Your daughter knows she was wrong and shouldn’t have contradicted her.” Jiang Lan spoke in a gentle tone.
Jiang Hongshi’s tears instantly welled up upon hearing this. Afraid Jiang Lan would see and worry, she reached out and lowered the carriage curtain.
Jiang Lan watched the drawn curtain and listened to Jiang Hongshi’s soft responses, her heart growing increasingly guilty.
But fortunately, Qin Yuehan was a virtuous head husband who had been staying by her side throughout this time.
Jiang Lan looked at the carriage following behind Jiang Hongshi- loaded full with goods – feeling her heart warmed to the core.
[Indeed, what a wonderful husband. The original host actually thought Qin Yuehan was looking down on her by moving things to the Jiang residence and adding items for Jiang Hongshi. A true beauty, yet blind to see.
System 009 came online again, its sarcasm growing more biting with each sentence.
Jiang Lan’s originally sorrowful mood was instantly shattered by System 009’s chaotic remarks, leaving only speechlessness behind.
“Wife needn’t be so sad. If you can’t let go of Father and the others, Yuehan will accompany you home another day.” Qin Yuehan spoke, his eyes clear and sincere.
Jiang Lan turned to look at Qin Yuehan, meeting his peach blossom eyes that now appeared deeply affectionate, and felt a slight stir in her heart.
“I think Mother would prefer it if our whole family could return together.” Jiang Lan spoke with a completely serious expression.
Qin Yuehan hadn’t quite processed this yet, his eyes carrying a trace of confusion as he looked at Jiang Lan.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Lan slowly shifted her gaze to Qin Yuehan’s abdomen, the corners of her eyes slightly raised with a hint of flirtation.
But this flirtatiousness was too specifically targeted – only Qin Yuehan standing close to her understood what it meant, while the other servants all looked completely bewildered.