Huai Zhi pinched the hem of her clothes. After hearing Cui Jingci's words, she wanted to argue—it wasn't nervousness at all, but simply fear that he might overthink things. She could sense Cui Jingci's possessiveness and the faint hint of control beneath it.
Before she could speak, Liang Qisheng stepped forward and greeted Cui Jingci with a bow. "Brother Xuanshuang, please don't mind my sudden visit. I've come today on my father's orders."
He continued, "As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, my father instructed me to make the trip and invite Uncle Cui to our estate in a couple of days for a banquet and moon-viewing."
Cui Jingci raised his eyes to look at him, a trace of displeasure in his tone. "For such a trivial matter, wouldn't it be more convenient to send a servant? Besides, you've come to the wrong place."
Liang Qisheng grinned cheekily. "Ever since Brother Xuanshuang fell ill, I haven't seen you in a long while. Today isn't solely to deliver my father's message—I mostly wanted to see Brother Xuanshuang again."
Liang Qisheng's words were polite and sincere, and to Huai Zhi's ears, they spoke of deep loyalty and friendship. But Cui Jingci seemed to have little patience for him, the expression on his face even bordering on disdain. It was so obvious that even Huai Zhi could see it. He said, "Well, you've seen me now. It's getting late—you can head back."
"Don't be like that, Brother Xuanshuang. It's about time for the evening meal, and coincidentally, I'm feeling a bit hungry…"
And so, Liang Qisheng, with the sheer thickness of his skin, managed to wrangle himself a dinner invitation.
During the meal, Huai Zhi sat together with Cui Jingci, while Liang Qisheng sat across from them.
Cui Jingci spoke little. Perhaps his solitary, low-spirited atmosphere affected Liang Qisheng, who also fell silent. As for Huai Zhi, she kept her head down the entire time, quietly eating. With an outsider present, she didn't eat much, barely even reaching for the dishes.
Cui Jingci never ate much himself—most of the time, he simply watched Huai Zhi eat. Today, seeing that she wasn't eating much, he picked up a few bites of food for her with his chopsticks, then watched as she cradled her bowl and slowly nibbled her way through everything he'd given her.
Liang Qisheng took in their every move, smiling teasingly. "Brother Xuanshuang and sister-in-law seem very much in love."
Cui Jingci swept a glance at him and said flatly, "Huai Zhi usually has a good appetite. Today, for some reason, she doesn't seem to be doing well."
His words carried an implication. Liang Qisheng looked at Huai Zhi and immediately asked, "Sister-in-law, it's not because of me, is it?"
What could Huai Zhi say? She hurriedly waved her hands, insisting it wasn't.
Cui Jingci's expression, which had briefly improved, turned gloomy once more. He looked away, unwilling to watch them exchange another word.
How infuriating. This man is deceiving you, Huai Zhi—why can't you see it? He saw your swollen lips from being kissed and still smiled and chatted with you as if nothing happened. Don't you have any idea what he might be thinking inside? He's deliberately provoking your husband right now, and you're actually going along with him. Did he hear that correctly?
Cui Jingci had never endured such a miserable meal. In the end, he set down his chopsticks and simply stared at Liang Qisheng.
The man's gaze was sharp, clearly carrying displeasure.
But Liang Qisheng acted as if he had seen nothing, still cheerfully eating his meal. He even looked at Cui Jingci and said, "Brother Xuanshuang, your health actually seems quite good. Everyone says you're gravely ill, but I see you're still robust, no different from an ordinary person."
This question was exactly what Huai Zhi had been wondering. Upon hearing it, she suddenly found the food in her hands less appetizing and immediately perked up her ears to listen to their exchange.
Cui Jingci showed no sign of panic, looking at him calmly and saying, "Is that not good? From the tone of your words, it sounds like you wish I were gravely ill, preferably bedridden and unable to get up."
Liang Qisheng seemed stung by his words, his tone carrying a hint of grievance as he said, "How could Brother Xuanshuang think of me that way? It would be best if you lived a long life of a hundred years. Otherwise, with my sister-in-law widowed at such a young age, her situation would be difficult indeed."
Huai Zhi hadn't expected the conversation to circle around and land on her. She suddenly choked, coughing violently. Cui Jingci patted her back to help her catch her breath, and after she recovered, he handed her some tea.
Cui Jingci's voice turned somewhat cold. "As for Huai Zhi, that's hardly your concern, is it?"
In the end, Huai Zhi finished eating first. When she set down her chopsticks, Liang Qisheng followed suit and set his down as well. He said, "Thank you, sister-in-law and Brother Xuanshuang, for keeping me for a meal. I won't impose any longer. It's getting late, so I'll take my leave."
Liang Qisheng had said his piece, finished his dinner, bid them farewell, and left first.
After he departed, Cui Jingci's expression remained unchanged. Huai Zhi had thought he might say something, but he merely cast a faint glance at her before turning and walking away.
Yet that single glance only made Huai Zhi even more unsettled.
Seeing his figure about to disappear, she instinctively called out to him, "Xuanshuang…"
Upon hearing her voice, Cui Jingci paused in his steps. After a moment, he turned around to look at her and asked, "What did you go out to do today? How did you end up coming back with him?"
It was clearly just an ordinary questioning tone, and even the question itself was perfectly normal, but Huai Zhi felt that Cui Jingci was deliberately trying to make his words sound gentle—and she even detected a hint of interrogation in it.
She didn't dare say she'd gone to a brothel, only that she'd gone to meet a friend and had happened to run into Liang Qisheng on the way home.
Cui Jingci stared at Huai Zhi and asked again, "Is that so? You didn't take the carriage out today?"
Huai Zhi let out an "Ah?" not understanding what that had to do with anything, then answered, "The place was close by, so walking was more convenient."
Cui Jingci, whether he believed her or not, wore a faintly mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.
Is that so?
Should I say you're used to being poor, or that you're diligent, willing to use your two legs even in such hot weather?
He said in a flat voice, "Huai Zhi, if you were willing to take the carriage, it would be better. That way, next time you won't run into all sorts of random people on the road."
This was their home, and she had so brazenly brought back a strange man she'd only just met, and the two of them had already become so familiar with each other. Cui Jingci found it almost unbelievable that such a thing could actually happen in this world.
After hearing Cui Jingci's words, Huai Zhi was dazed for a long time. He… what did he mean by that?
He seemed to have no emotional fluctuation, but his words left her baffled, unable to figure out what he meant.
While she was still pondering, Cui Jingci had already left the place.
Huai Zhi felt that sometimes she truly couldn't understand the things Cui Jingci said—whether they were a set of unspoken rules for dealing with the world that his family followed by default, or whether they were Cui Jingci's personal rules. As a newcomer, she could only guess at many things based on his expressions, but he was not someone who could be easily read.
Cui Jingci was unlike anyone she had ever met. Unfortunately, Huai Zhi was inexperienced in the ways of the world, and when faced with such a person, she had no idea how to respond.
Moreover, it wasn't just she who noticed the strangeness of his illness—even Ming Xi and Liang Qisheng, who didn't interact with him much, found him somewhat odd.
Did he… really have an illness?
Huai Zhi couldn't help but doubt the truth of it.
She let out a sigh, not knowing what to do.
But soon, she didn't dare to dwell on it further. Cui Jingci had already been good to her; she couldn't be so ungrateful. He was the one who had saved her from fire and water.
Huai Zhi waited for Cui Jingci to return that evening, wanting to clear things up with him. When he said nothing, she couldn't stop her mind from wandering into wild speculation.
However, Cui Jingci did not come back that night.
This was the first time Huai Zhi had spent the night alone since their marriage.
Mianmian didn't know what had happened between the two, but she sensed something was off. She quietly asked Huai Zhi, "Did the young mistress quarrel with the young master?"
Huai Zhi bit her lip hard, almost drawing blood. She nodded, but then shook her head. She didn't know if it counted as a quarrel, because they clearly hadn't argued—they had only exchanged a few words. But Cui Jingci didn't even return to the room, and she felt that he must be angry. Why else would he not come back on this particular night?
Even though she guessed he was displeased, she didn't dare to disturb him. If he was feeling vexed right now, and she went to him, wouldn't that only make herself more unwelcome? She had a precedent for this—when her parents were in a bad mood, they were especially irritable, and at such times, anything said was wrong.
Since Cui Jingci was unwilling to return to the room, Huai Zhi quickly accepted it and went to sleep.
After all, besides accepting it, there was nothing else she could do.
In the study, after Jiang Li had gathered news about Huai Zhi, he returned to report.
Jiang Li said to Cui Jingci, "Young master, Mianmian said the young mistress has already gone to sleep."
The study was brightly lit with candles, casting the silhouette of the man seated at the desk onto the wall, elongated and tall. His long eyes were slightly lowered, a shadow falling beneath them, dark and unreadable.
When Cui Jingci heard Jiang Li's words, his expression turned grim. "She's already asleep?"
Huai Zhi had gone to sleep?
This woman—shouldn't she be feeling anxious and uneasy because of his coldness, unable to rest peacefully? Her husband wasn't in the room, and she didn't care at all? She just went to sleep so contentedly, as if nothing had happened.
Cui Jingci could hardly believe what he was hearing. At this point, he didn't know whether Huai Zhi was simply thick-skinned or utterly heartless.
Jiang Li could see he was in a bad mood and tentatively asked, "Then… will you return to the room tonight, young master?"
Cui Jingci said coldly, "Let her sleep alone."
Cui Jingci refused to believe there was truly a heartless person in this world. Huai Zhi would pay the price for her foolishness.
Jiang Li withdrew and didn't dare say anything more.
The young master only wanted a child, didn't he? Why should he care so much about what this woman did? What offense had she committed that he would be sulking over it?
Never mind—the young master's thoughts were not something he could fathom.
Huai Zhi waited the next day, but Cui Jingci did not come for breakfast, nor did he come for dinner.
It seemed he truly was upset with her, and so she went several days without speaking to him.
It wasn't that Huai Zhi didn't want to speak—it was that Cui Jingci never gave her the chance.
Mianmian urged Huai Zhi, saying that if the two of them were in a quarrel, she should be the one to lower her head to Cui Jingci first, and not let things go on like this.
Huai Zhi said, "He's probably angry. I don't dare provoke him—I'm afraid I'll only annoy him further."
Mianmian was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "But if you both keep being this stubborn, it's not going to work out either."
Huai Zhi felt that she could be quite heartless sometimes, because she actually found sleeping in separate rooms rather pleasant—she didn't have to do that with him every night anymore. But of course, she didn't dare tell Mianmian that.
She only said, "This way, he can also get a few days of rest."
The emperor wasn't worried, but the eunuch was. Mianmian asked her, "But aren't you afraid that the young master won't come back at all? What if—what if the young master comes to despise you?"
Huai Zhi, caught off guard by Mianmian's question, countered, "Would he despise me? He never even liked me to begin with."
If there was never any affection, how could there be disdain? Even though Cui Jingci treated her very well, Huai Zhi still had to admit that his kindness toward her was simply because he was a good person—not because he harbored any feelings for her.
She thought that Cui Jingci would probably stop being angry after a few days. She had experienced being the target of his displaced anger before, and she didn't want to walk into the line of fire right now. Rather than going up to him now, it was better to wait until his anger cooled on its own. She figured Cui Jingci wouldn't stay angry forever.
But Mianmian said—what if he never came back?
She hadn't considered the possibility that Cui Jingci would never return.
Huai Zhi was practicing calligraphy when a drop of ink fell and bled into the paper, staining it with a bean-sized blot.
What if he never comes back…
Soon it was the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth of the eighth month. That day, the entire Cui household was quite lively. From early morning, Huai Zhi could faintly hear commotion outside—the sound of servants bustling to and fro. The estate had hung up festive red lanterns, and even the corridor outside Lanchun Court was decorated with them.
It was Mid-Autumn after all. By evening, the wind carried a hint of chill, making the red lanterns sway back and forth.
Mid-Autumn was a festival of family reunion, and officials all had the day off from work.
On this day, Huai Zhi did see Cui Jingci moving about before her.
After several days apart, his complexion didn't look very good. Whether it was from anger or some other reason, his face seemed even paler than before.
Had his illness worsened these past few days?
Huai Zhi very much wanted to speak with him, but seeing his less-than-pleasant expression, she never dared to approach. In the end, every time he passed by and she was left with only his retreating back, the words that had reached her lips were swallowed back down her throat.
And so it went until evening, when someone came from the main hall to summon them for the Mid-Autumn family banquet.
Cui Jingci didn't call for Huai Zhi before leaving. He simply went into his room to change clothes. Huai Zhi saw him emerge in a moon-white round-collar robe and immediately rose to her feet, asking, "Xuanshuang, are you heading to the main hall now?"
Cui Jingci looked like he didn't really want to acknowledge her, but in the end, he gave a slight nod of confirmation.
Huai Zhi immediately fell in step behind him, saying, "I'll come with you."
Huai Zhi thought she heard a cold snort from Cui Jingci, but when she looked up, she found no unusual expression on his face. She figured she must have misheard.
The two walked out of Lanchun Courtyard, with Cui Jingci allowing her to follow. They didn't exchange a single word from start to finish. Huai Zhi, chilled by the cold aura radiating from him, didn't dare speak and simply trailed behind him step by step. When Cui Jingci walked fast, she walked fast; when he slowed down, she slowed down. Eventually, it was Cui Jingci who couldn't take it anymore. He had been walking briskly when he suddenly stopped, and Huai Zhi bumped straight into his back.
"Huai Zhi, is it fun being a shadow?" Cui Jingci turned around and saw Huai Zhi rubbing her nose, tears welling up in her eyes.
Huai Zhi didn't have time to feel the pain and hastily shook her head.
When Cui Jingci started walking again, afraid of bumping into him once more, she shuffled in small steps to walk beside him.
They didn't head to the main hall. Before the family banquet began, the family first went to the Cui ancestral hall to pay respects to the ancestral tablets. The two arrived fairly early, and the others trickled in gradually. Members of both the eldest and second branches of the Cui family were all present. During the worship ceremony, everyone present wore solemn expressions. Huai Zhi had never experienced such an occasion, so she simply followed their lead. Fortunately, no one paid her any attention.
After paying respects to the ancestors at the ancestral hall, the group proceeded to the family banquet together.
Before the banquet began, the family chatted idly for a while. Cui Linzhi exchanged a few words with Cui Jingci before falling silent, then was dragged off by the Second Master Cui to drink. Vice Assistant Minister Cui then pulled Cui Jingci aside for a few more words, after which Cui Jingci remained quiet.
The other young masters scattered about, chatting among themselves in pairs or groups of three. They wouldn't acknowledge Cui Jingci, and naturally, Cui Jingci wouldn't acknowledge them either. The madams and young ladies also gathered together talking among themselves. Only Cui Jingci and Huai Zhi seemed like two outsiders, out of place with the rest of the family, as if a wall separated the two of them from everyone else.
However, Huai Zhi had already grown accustomed to it, and it seemed Cui Jingci had too.
During the meal, she kept her head down and focused on eating her own food.
Cui Jingci, on the other hand, had no appetite at all. He was disgusted by such scenes of family reunion, feeling that everyone was putting on an act, utterly meaningless.
He turned his head to look at Huai Zhi and saw that she, on the contrary, had a hearty appetite, focused solely on eating.
Ungrateful thing, he cursed her inwardly.
Her husband doesn't return to the room, and she's perfectly content on her own. Her husband doesn't speak to her, and she pretends not to notice, never initiating conversation. Now that they have to eat together, she finally deigns to open her mouth.
Nothing more than fear that he might abandon her.
Where in the world is there a wife like her?
Cui Jingci was proud by nature, and just looking at her made him irritated. He turned his head away, refusing to look at her again.
Today's meal was lavish—a table full of dishes too numerous to count on both hands. The whole family gathered around the large round table to eat together. Huai Zhi didn't dare eat too much, only reaching for the dishes in front of her. After that, she had a mooncake and was full. Toward the end of the meal, Vice Assistant Minister Cui offered some remarks on the occasion of this family reunion, and everyone chimed in agreement. After finishing the meal, the group sat in the main hall chatting idly.
Since they rarely gathered together, even those who usually spoke little were lively today.
Even Huai Zhi felt a bit exhausted.
That was one thing—if she could just muddle through, it would be fine. But noticing Cui Yongxin glancing at her again and again, Huai Zhi eventually simply lowered her head and stared at her own toes, terrified of meeting her gaze and inviting trouble.
Just then, Cui Yongxin spoke, and sure enough, her very first words were aimed straight at Huai Zhi.
She said, "Elder Sister-in-law, why have you been so quiet all evening, without saying a single word?"
In an instant, everyone's eyes converged on her.
Huai Zhi had never been quick with words to begin with, and with all those pairs of eyes fixed on her at once, she found herself even more at a loss for what to say. She stammered "I—" for a long while without managing to produce anything coherent, and finally looked toward Cui Jingci, her eyes carrying a plea for help.
However, Cui Jingci seemed not to notice her discomfort. He brushed past it with effortless ease, as if he hadn't seen it at all.
Cui Yongxin could tell that the two of them were having a falling out, and her teasing grew even more spirited. "Sister-in-law, why are you looking at Big Brother? Don't you have a mouth of your own?"
No sooner had she said this than it seemed Cui Jingci swept a glance over her. Madam He gave her a reproachful look, her tone scolding, "Where did you learn to tease your sister-in-law like that?"
Cui Yongxin said, "But it's the truth."
Lu Yunlan also smiled and chimed in with Cui Yongxin, "Elder Sister-in-law's tongue certainly isn't the nimblest. But we're all family—why be so nervous?"
Huai Zhi saw the teasing looks from the others, saw the elders, and saw Vice Assistant Minister Cui's gaze land on her with a hint of disdain. She didn't know what she was so nervous about—she was just afraid of saying the wrong thing. The more she feared misspeaking, the less she could speak at all.
In the end, she could only squeeze out one sentence: "I'm not nervous. I… I'm just slow of speech."
Well, there it was—planting willows in vain only to get shade, and trying to steal a chicken only to lose the bait. The moment those words left her mouth, the mockery only grew louder.
Huai Zhi sensed that the air pressure around Cui Jingci beside her had dropped even lower—perhaps he felt she was embarrassing him.
Those people grew curious again, asking Huai Zhi whether she'd had nothing to eat at home before, and how she'd managed to put such color in her cheeks so soon after marrying into the Cui family. They said she was too greedy and ought to have her portions cut back—the Cui family certainly didn't lack food, but it wouldn't do for her to eat herself to death in one sitting. Then they asked whether Huai Zhi had ever worked in the fields before, and whether her whole family had slept squeezed together, just like… just like the servants in their household.
At first, Huai Zhi would answer. But later, their questions grew more and more improper, and Huai Zhi's head drooped lower and lower until she stopped speaking altogether—yet their laughter still rang just as loud.
She didn't understand what was so funny about any of this, but she could also see that if she dared to talk back, they would only laugh at her even harder.
"Is it that amusing?"
Cui Jingci spoke. His voice was very light, yet with just that one faint sentence, their laughter gradually died down.
The Third Young Master of the second branch spoke up. "Big Brother, it really is quite funny. Why won't you let us laugh?"
Cui Jingci said, "Huai Zhi is my wife. If you mock her, you intend to mock me. And if you wish to mock me, there's no need to go through the trouble of doing it through her."
Cui Jingci hadn't originally wanted to get involved. After all, Huai Zhi had no conscience—why should he bother managing things for her sake? But on reflection, husband and wife were one body now. Was insulting her not the same as insulting him? And all that back-and-forth twisting of words was grating to hear.
It wasn't that he was speaking up for her, but rather to keep his own reputation from being dragged into the fray.
The room had still held some murmurs, but now it fell completely silent.
They had just been branded with that accusation, and with the head of the Cui household—his doting grandfather—seated in authority, who dared to say another word?
In the end, it was Vice Assistant Minister Cui who gave a light cough and smoothed things over. "Xuanshuang, on such a festive occasion, why bring up such words and invite misfortune?"
Cui Jingci refused to let it go. "They were the ones who brought misfortune upon me first."
Vice Assistant Minister Cui clicked his tongue and said, "How exactly did they bring you bad luck?"
Since Cui Jingci had decided to speak up, he would see it through to the end. He wasn't one to swallow his anger, and since someone had asked, the more he spoke, the more worked up he became. "Why did no one bother to acknowledge Huai Zhi today? If you didn't want to acknowledge her, fine—but why mock her with your words after the meal? Bad luck? Are you all truly seeking Huai Zhi's bad luck, or are you seeking mine? And Grandfather, when Huai Zhi was being ridiculed, you said not a single word. Now that I've merely defended her with one sentence, you call it bad luck. Where is the logic in that?"
Cui Jingci's tone was very flat, so flat that it sounded like he was merely stating facts, with no personal emotion mixed in. His face was naturally refined and lean, and with this demeanor, he looked even colder and sharper—like an upright magistrate dispensing justice, regardless of whether you were old or young, good or bad. Since you had bullied his wife, he would sentence you all to death and have you dragged out to be beheaded.
Cui Linzhi said, "Jingci, how dare you speak to Grandfather like that! That's quite enough!"
Cui Jingci's manner was also infuriating—whoever provoked him would get a sharp retort in return. In short, no one could say a word to him without earning his displeasure. But to talk back to an elder of the younger generation was one thing—how dare he talk back to his own grandfather? He was ill now, holding only a sinecure post in the Ministry of War. Times had changed; who could still tolerate his temper the way they once had?
Cui Linzhi was furious, but Vice Assistant Minister Cui, the one who had actually been talked back to, showed little emotion—only a hint of heaviness in his eyes. He said, "Xuanshuang, come with me."
Before Cui Jingci rose to leave, he left Huai Zhi with only one sentence: "Wait for me to return."
Before Huai Zhi could even respond, she saw Cui Jingci's departing back.
From the moment Cui Jingci had spoken up for her until now, Huai Zhi was still somewhat dazed. Earlier, their mocking laughter had made her head buzz, but the moment Cui Jingci opened his mouth, the entire world seemed to fall silent.
Very few people had ever spoken up for her like that. No—almost no one had.
Cui Jingci had told her to wait here, so Huai Zhi went nowhere. Fortunately, after that scene, no one came to harass her again. They talked among themselves, and she sat quietly, waiting.
The two men left, heading toward Vice Assistant Minister Cui's inner chamber.
Vice Assistant Minister Cui looked at him and asked with irritation, "What do you mean by this? Didn't you say she was just a village girl? Didn't you say that once she bore you a child, you would divorce her? And now you look like you've taken a genuine interest in her?"
It hadn't even been two months since he'd said those words, had it?
Cui Jingci said, "I have no interest in her."
Vice Assistant Minister Cui said, "You still deny it! You talked back to your grandfather for her!"
Cui Jingci said, "I didn't talk back to Grandfather for her sake, nor was I defending her. My younger brothers and sisters mocked Huai Zhi simply to mock me, the one in poor health. Now that I've lost my standing, everyone wants to get a kick in."
"They are all family. Why must you think so ill of your own kin?"
"It's not that I choose to think ill of them—it's simply the way people are."
Vice Assistant Minister Cui thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "You've always been proud and aloof. Having to feign this illness must be stifling for you."
Cui Jingci raised an eyebrow and asked, "Has there been movement in the court?"
Vice Assistant Minister Cui was deeply satisfied with Cui Jingci's sharpness. He had assumed that after being marginalized for over a year, the young man's abilities would have dulled in various respects, but as it turned out, he had been worrying unnecessarily.
With just a single sentence, Cui Jingci had grasped the implication—though perhaps it was also because he had been privately keeping an eye on the goings-on outside all along.
Vice Assistant Minister Cui said, "That Gao E has lifted a rock only to drop it on his own feet this time. Bandit troubles have arisen in the south, and not a single one of the men he dispatched is worth his salt. Calamities are breaking out left and right now, and no one can suppress those bandits. The Emperor has already begun to show some displeasure."
After hearing this, Cui Jingci said indifferently, "And what can the Emperor's displeasure accomplish? That Gao E joins hands with that dead eunuch to sweet-talk him a few times, and the Emperor will still obediently fork over silver and allocate them military supplies."
Vice Assistant Minister Cui was displeased by his crude choice of words. "Why must you speak so carelessly? However detestable that man may be, there's no need to debase your own dignity."
Cui Jingci fell silent for a moment, then smiled. Those peach-blossom eyes revealed a rich, deep interest as he said, "Grandfather, what do you think—could that man surnamed Gao possibly be keeping the bandits alive to bolster his own importance?"
Upon hearing these words, Vice Assistant Minister Cui's expression shifted again and again. After several rounds of deliberation, he found that there truly seemed to be some merit to the notion.
Cui Jingci said, "Gao E cannot possibly lack capable men at his disposal. When the wokou first stirred up trouble, the scale wasn't all that large—so how is it that the more they tried to suppress them, the fiercer the bandits became instead? With the bandits present, their military supplies naturally flow in without end. Then, when the time is right, they wipe them out in one fell swoop—money in hand, glory in hand, all obtained without lifting a finger."
These great cunning villains always delighted in seizing fame and wealth through ruthless, merciless means.
The water bandit problem in the Jiangzhe region had existed since the beginning of this year, but the court had only sent people in May. Now it was August, and not only had the bandit scourge not been eradicated, it had grown increasingly severe.
Cui Jingci's inference was not baseless—he had been keeping close watch on the southern bandit troubles all along, and this was the only conclusion he could draw.
He said, "Grandfather, the time is just about right."
Since Gao E's political enemies were already sitting back and watching the show, that meant Gao E's side would soon make their move to suppress the bandits. Moreover, if they kept nurturing them any longer, whether they could still maintain control afterward was anyone's guess.
Vice Assistant Minister Cui understood his meaning and asked, "Soon? Then what should we do?"
Cui Jingci held a cup in his hand, idly toying with it. He said, "Since they dare to nurture them, how can we let them have their way? Simply slap a charge of colluding with the wokou on them and see whether they can withstand it."
Vice Assistant Minister Cui said, "This is reckless of you—there's no such principle as convicting someone just because you say so."
Cui Jingci said, "Ask him this: on the tenth day of the seventh month, why did the roving bandits slaughter and plunder Majia Village with not a single person stopping them? They clearly had troops stationed in the city—Majia Village is under their jurisdiction, is it not? Was it that they couldn't make it in time, or that they simply never intended to go? If one doesn't want others to know, one shouldn't do it in the first place. Since they've done the deed, they've left handles behind. They're foolish—the handles they've left are plenty."
Upon hearing Cui Jingci's words, Vice Assistant Minister Cui's murky old eyes suddenly cleared.
He said, "You speak well."
Cui Jingci left the place. There were fewer people outside than before—perhaps they had found the conversation dull and gone off somewhere to amuse themselves.
And Huai Zhi still sat in that same spot, motionless, head lowered, staring at her toes, lost in who knew what sort of daze.
The warm candlelight fell upon her, and with her head lowered, Huai Zhi looked so gentle. He had asked her to wait for him, and she truly waited there without moving a muscle.
Cui Jingci walked up to her.
A shadow fell before Huai Zhi, and soon she caught the cool, crisp scent of him. She lifted her head to look at him.
She tried to read some expression from Cui Jingci's face, but clearly, Cui Jingci still wore no expression at all. So Huai Zhi had no way of knowing whether he was still angry with her.
Cui Jingci only said two simple words: "Let's go."
Huai Zhi scrambled to her feet and followed him out of there.
Walking beside him, she couldn't help turning her head to steal glances at him, back and forth like a rattle-drum, again and again.
She had just been mocked by others, and he had stepped forward to speak up for her. Naturally, she was moved—only Cui Jingci could make her feel this sense of being protected. But with him looking like this, not even giving her a pleasant expression, she couldn't tell whether he was still upset with her.
Huai Zhi truly couldn't understand why Cui Jingci would hold a grudge against her for so long over Liang Qisheng's matter alone. He didn't seem like that kind of person.
But if it wasn't a grudge, then why was Cui Jingci unwilling to return to their room, and why was he so cold to her today?
Huai Zhi's mind churned with speculation, and the feeling was almost agonizing. Finally, she mustered her courage and spoke up. "Xuanshuang, are you angry with me?"
Huai Zhi saw Cui Jingci's steps falter, then come to a stop.
He turned his head to look at her, his brows furrowed, and a faint, heart-wrenching expression appeared on his face. Instead, he asked her, "Huai Zhi, I should be the one asking—are you angry with me?"
He—how could he turn the accusation back on her like that?
Huai Zhi quickly said that she wasn't.
He had been so good to her—how could she be so ungrateful as to be angry with him? It was clearly him who had been giving her the cold shoulder all along.
Huai Zhi's tone carried a hint of grievance, feeling that being doubted by him like this was utterly unjust.
The Mid-Autumn moon was big and round, having emerged from among the branches at some point, bright and gleaming, dazzling to the eye.
Cui Jingci's face clearly showed hurt, as if Huai Zhi were truly a wicked woman who had wounded him beyond his ability to contain his feelings. He said, "Huai Zhi, do you know how miserable I've been these past few days? Do you know how tormented I've felt? You wouldn't talk to me, wouldn't come find me, wouldn't speak with me—how do you expect me to face you?"
Cui Jingci's misery was, of course, feigned. He simply wanted Huai Zhi to know just how improper her behavior had been, how much she had hurt her husband, and how utterly terrible she was—did she even realize it?
Huai Zhi felt that Cui Jingci was talking nonsense. It was clearly him who had been treating her this way, so how could he turn around and say all the things she should have been saying?
Her eyes reddened with urgency, and she said, "I never refused to talk to you."
Cui Jingci asked her, "Never refused to talk to me? Then why hasn't Huai Zhi come to find me these past few days? I thought Huai Zhi found me annoying, so I didn't even dare to return to our room."
How had it become her fault for driving him to not dare come back to the room?
Huai Zhi couldn't tell whether his words were true or false, but she felt he was talking nonsense, and also felt that he had misunderstood her. Flustered, she spat out a torrent of words in a rush. "I didn't ignore you! It was you who didn't come back to the room first, so I thought you were angry with me. My mother is always unhappy, and when I tried to get close to her to make her feel better, she said, 'Annoying, go away!' So I didn't know what to do. I was afraid that if you were angry and I went to find you, you'd only get more annoyed with me…"
The more Huai Zhi spoke, the more wronged she felt. She couldn't continue, and tears spilled from her eyes.
She thought Cui Jingci was too cruel—he was the one who had refused to acknowledge her first, yet he blamed everything on her.
Huai Zhi also felt deeply embarrassed, not knowing why she had to cry at a moment like this. She hadn't even done anything wrong.
Wiping her tears, she turned and stormed off. This time, it was Cui Jingci's turn to chase after her.
Cui Jingci rarely heard her speak such a long string of words at once, and he was momentarily stunned. By the time he snapped back to his senses, he saw Huai Zhi running away in tears, and he immediately followed.
"Huai Zhi." Cui Jingci trailed behind her, trying to grab her hand, but she slapped it away.
The more he tried to hold her, the harder she cried. Little Huai Zhi seemed to summon strength from nowhere, and he couldn't restrain her no matter how he tried.
Finally, Cui Jingci used a bit more force, clamping down on Huai Zhi's arms so she could no longer push him away.
Huai Zhi turned her face aside, unwilling to acknowledge him, but Cui Jingci deliberately leaned into her line of sight. "Huai Zhi, are you angry with me?"
Wherever he leaned, Huai Zhi turned her face the other way.
He was truly detestable. Huai Zhi didn't want to deal with him.
Seeing this, Cui Jingci simply cupped her head in his hands, lowered his own, and brushed his lips against hers, murmuring her name between each touch.
He pressed against her lips, and somehow slipped inside, nearly biting at her tongue and mouth as he whispered.
"Huai Zhi, Huai Zhi, why won't you talk to me…"
Somehow, his kisses grew more intense, as if he wished he could roll her tongue into his belly and swallow it whole. By the end, Huai Zhi's face was flushed crimson—she couldn't even cry anymore, let alone catch her breath.
Cui Jingci was very tall. Even after releasing her, he still bent down, cradling Huai Zhi's face in his hands, gazing into her eyes. They were still brimming with tears, but because of that kiss, the watery mist in them seemed to carry something more—something that made her rosy cheeks and fragrant allure bloom with seductive charm.
He was all too familiar with that look in her eyes. When she was played out and exhausted in bed, she would gaze at him with that same plaintive, reproachful expression.
Tsk.
Cui Jingci thought he really ought to have his head examined. He didn't know where he'd picked up such a vulgar habit—she was looking at him with such grievance, and yet he was still recalling those unspeakable things.
The desire that rose in him so frequently toward his wife made Cui Jingci feel he was too wanton. Looking at her innocent eyes, a faint, thread-thin sense of guilt surfaced—though perhaps it wasn't entirely his fault. Come to think of it, Huai Zhi, why do you have to look at me like that? Could it be that you're trying to seduce me too?
Cui Jingci reluctantly released his wife's face, staring into those peach-blossom eyes of hers. Desire and lust were nearly spilling out of him, yet in the end, this man still had the nerve to turn it around and bite back in his heart.
It was his wife who was seducing him.
He sighed inwardly. But Huai Zhi, you really are far too unsuspecting. Your husband has been looking at you like this, and yet you haven't noticed even a hint of the dark, unseemly thoughts he harbors.
He could already imagine it—if timid Huai Zhi ever learned of his true nature, wouldn't she be scared out of her wits?
But then again… she would never find out. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would do his best to play the part of the gentle husband.