Jiang Jingyi was being deliberate. Not only did she say this, but she also intentionally lowered her gaze, pursed her lips, and looked at him with a coy and bashful expression.
As a scholar, Ji Qiuyang considered himself a gentleman of integrity.
But when confronted with a little enchantress like Jiang Jingyi, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, nearly making him forget how shamelessly this woman had thrown herself into his arms and pinned him down on the bed. Not to mention his mother had just reminded him to explain the matter of Yu Cuihua.
Seeing his face suddenly flush red, Jiang Jingyi smiled with delight, nodding seriously, “I forgot, my husband already acknowledged that I’m beautiful earlier.”
She was referring to the incident with Yu Cuihua and her mother before breakfast.
Ji Qiuyang frowned slightly, about to explain, but Jiang Jingyi leaned closer to him again. Annoyed, he rebuked, “Cease this impropriety! Have you already forgotten last night’s agreement?”
“The agreement?” Jiang Jingyi smiled softly. “Did the agreement forbid me from dressing up and grooming?”
Ji Qiuyang averted his gaze and said coldly, “It did not.”
“Then what am I supposed to remember?” Jiang Jingyi pressed closer, her eyes fixed on his. “Or are you saying that you find me so beautiful it’s making you flustered?”
Ji Qiuyang had always known she was shameless, but he hadn’t expected that beyond scheming her way into his arms to force him into responsibility, this woman could be so… What respectable woman would blatantly ask a man if he found her beautiful?
A suffocating frustration welled up inside him, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything too harsh. Ji Qiuyang snorted coldly, sat down at the table, took out a book, and began reviewing his studies.
“I need to study. Do as you please.”
Jiang Jingyi laughed, her mood inexplicably lifting. She pretended not to notice Ji Qiuyang’s hint for her to leave and sat back down at the table, instructing Yingtao to bring out other clothes for her to examine. She then directed Yingtao to note down the alterations needed.
Her gentle tone was vastly different from her previous arrogant and shrewish manner, but sharing the same room made it impossible for her voice not to drift into Ji Qiuyang’s ears. That coquettish voice slowly seeped from his ears downward, entangling and unsettling him relentlessly.
Ji Qiuyang held the book but couldn’t focus on a single page, his mind in turmoil. He closed the book, stood up, and walked straight out of the room.
Watching him flee in defeat, Jiang Jingyi couldn’t help but chuckle, “He’s quite amusing, really.”
Beside her, Yingtao looked on fearfully, unable to understand what was so amusing about any of this. Before the marriage, their young lady had been desperately in love with Ji Qiuyang, unable to sleep day and night, and worried right up to the wedding that Ji Qiuyang would despise her and not treat her well.
Yet now that everything their young lady had feared had come true, she wasn’t sad or upset. Instead, she said such frightening things.
Yingtao suddenly widened her eyes. Could it be that their young lady had come up with a new plan to torment the young master?
Poor young master!
Jiang Jingyi, however, was unaware of Yingtao’s thoughts, preoccupied with planning for the future.
“Young lady, would this dress be suitable for your return visit tomorrow?”
Jiang Jingyi looked up to see Yingtao holding out a peach-red dress. She waved it off, saying, “Find me something plain, preferably something that makes me look pitiful to anyone who sees it.”
Yingtao was startled. “Young lady?”
Jiang Jingyi didn’t even look up. “Just do as I say.”
As the only dowry maid, even though Jiang Jingyi treated her poorly, Yingtao still sided with her. Since she had been instructed, Yingtao efficiently rummaged through the trunks and managed to find a plain dress.
Although it didn’t fully meet Jiang Jingyi’s requirements, it would suffice.
Jiang Jingyi then asked, “Is my maternal grandmother’s family far from here?”
Yingtao replied, “Qingshui County isn’t far from here, about twenty-some li from the town.”
That made things easier. Jiang Jingyi sat down at Ji Qiuyang’s desk, took out paper and a brush, and prepared to write a letter. Unfortunately, she wasn’t very skilled with a brush—with one stroke, it turned into a blotch.
Jiang Jingyi decided not to torture herself. She went outside and saw Ji Qiuyang standing at the entrance of the main room talking to Old Lady Ji. She approached with a smile, “Husband, could you do me a favor?”
Hearing her address him like that, Ji Qiuyang was nearly startled. He looked at her warily, “What is it?”
“Come here,” Jiang Jingyi continued with a smile, her voice dripping with sweetness, perfectly embodying a little wife coquettishly coaxing her husband.
Old Lady Ji, however, didn’t think too much of it. Seeing Jiang Jingyi’s gentle and amiable demeanor, she was quite pleased. She said to Ji Qiuyang, “Go on. Rest well at home for a couple of days. Don’t worry about anything else.”
Ji Qiuyang nodded and headed toward the room, filled with caution all the way. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this smiling woman before him was even more frightening than when she had been openly aggressive.
Jiang Jingyi pretended not to notice his wariness and turned back into the room. Once Ji Qiuyang entered, she said, “Husband, could you write a letter for me?”
Ji Qiuyang was surprised, “A letter? To whom?”
Jiang Jingyi smiled, “To my maternal grandparents’ family.”
Hearing this, Ji Qiuyang didn’t ask further. He sat down, glanced at the ruined paper on the table, and finally understood why Jiang Jingyi had asked him to write. To be honest, he felt a pang for the wasted paper—such good white paper marred by a blotch, with no discernible characters. It was truly a waste.
The Ji family wasn’t well-off. Items like ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones were consumables, and he himself didn’t dare use them recklessly. So, when he saw this ruined piece of paper, Ji Qiuyang frowned.
Jiang Jingyi collected the scrap and then said, “Dear Grandfather, dear Uncles.”
Seeing her begin, Ji Qiuyang picked up his brush and started writing.
Jiang Jingyi continued, “It has been ten years since my mother passed away when I was six. For a whole decade, Jingyi has not visited her maternal grandparents’ home, missing it dearly in her heart. But Jingyi is powerless, hindered by a wicked stepmother at home and a scoundrel of a father…”
“Wait…” Ji Qiuyang frowned and interrupted her, “How can you describe your own parents and relatives with such words?”
Jiang Jingyi was displeased, “Why not? Aren’t they wicked and malicious?”
Ji Qiuyang looked down at the paper—’wicked stepmother,’ ‘scoundrel of a father.’ Was this something a daughter should write? But then he saw the lines: ‘It has been ten years since my mother passed away when I was six’ and ‘For a whole decade, Jingyi has not visited her maternal grandparents’ home.’ He couldn’t help but feel a pang.
After all, Jiang Jingyi was just a child who had lost her mother at a young age and was raised by a stepmother. If her stepmother had been kind and nurtured her carefully, she wouldn’t have turned out like this. Not to mention far-off matters—just Jiang Jingyi’s younger half-sister, the second Jiang daughter, had quite a reputation in the town. She was worlds apart from the Jiang Jingyi before him.
In the past, he had only seen Jiang Jingyi’s rudeness and shamelessness, never considering the root of how she had become this way.
Ji Qiuyang shook his head, picked up his brush, and wrote down Jiang Jingyi’s words exactly as she had said them.
Seeing him comply, Jiang Jingyi nodded and continued, “Moreover, the scoundrel father dotes on the wicked woman. Unknowingly, Jingyi lost her true nature, forgetting the teachings her mother imparted while she was alive. She believed the lies of her wicked stepmother, committed many wrongs, and grew distant from her maternal grandparents’ family, not seeing them for many years.”
“Now that Jingyi is married, her stepmother claimed she would notify her maternal grandparents’ family, yet no relatives from that side were seen at yesterday’s wedding. Jingyi misses them terribly. Writing this letter today is also out of necessity. Jingyi admits she is unworthy of her mother’s dowry, but she cannot bear to see it fall into the hands of vile individuals. Therefore, she writes to her grandfather and uncles, earnestly requesting them to come to the Jiang house tomorrow for a visit and to take her mother’s dowry back to the He family.”
Jiang Jingyi was even moved by her own words. Ji Qiuyang held the brush, writing swiftly and seamlessly. His expression no longer held the previous disdain; instead, it seemed to have changed because of Jiang Jingyi’s words.
Perhaps this woman had had an epiphany. Otherwise, why would she be so magnanimous as to let her maternal grandparents’ family take back the dowry?
But then he felt something was off. If that were truly the case, why would she write this letter only after getting married? Why not before? Could it be that she hoped her maternal grandparents’ family would help her reclaim the dowry?
Ji Qiuyang formed a guess in his mind and looked up, examining Jiang Jingyi with a scrutinizing gaze.
Facing his gaze, Jiang Jingyi remained unruffled and even raised an eyebrow. “Are you moved by what I said?”
Ji Qiuyang’s expression clearly said ‘I knew it.’ Instead of responding to her question, he asked, “Anything else?”
Jiang Jingyi smiled and continued, “Tomorrow, Jingyi will await her grandfather and uncles at the Jiang residence. Sincerely yours! Signed, Jingyi who misses you all.”
With the final stroke written, Ji Qiuyang hurriedly cleaned the brush and returned it to its place, fearing Jiang Jingyi might say something even more outrageous for him to write down.
Since Jiang Jingyi intended to reclaim her dowry, he felt obliged to cooperate and asked, “Do you need my help tomorrow?”
Seeing his earnest and upright demeanor, Jiang Jingyi felt a mischievous urge. She deliberately took a few steps closer and, when she was just a step away, suddenly asked, “How do you plan to help me?”
As she approached, Ji Qiuyang leaned back, trying to put distance between them. However, he was already leaning against the desk, so his arm inevitably pressed against the tabletop as he moved back. Their posture became suggestive, with Jiang Jingyi resembling a rogue forcing himself upon a virtuous maiden…
And Ji Qiuyang was the virtuous maiden…
Yingtao, witnessing this scene, was utterly embarrassed. She quickly snapped out of her wild thoughts, dashed out, and closed the door behind her.
The sound of the door closing broke the moment. Ji Qiuyang’s face flushed crimson, followed by a wave of shame and anger. “Get up.”
“Alright,” Jiang Jingyi replied nonchalantly, straightening up as she said. Then she took a step to the side, smiling as she looked at Ji Qiuyang. “Husband, do you find your wife as beautiful as a flower? Does your heart pound uncontrollably when you see my face?”
“Stop talking nonsense!” Ji Qiuyang snapped angrily, quickly pulling the door open and stepping out.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, Jiang Jingyi’s soft laughter echoed from inside the room, making his face turn even redder.
To Jiang Jingyi, Ji Qiuyang’s flustered exit was nothing short of a hasty retreat. Perhaps she truly did stir something in him, or perhaps Ji Qiuyang, as a gentleman, was simply startled by her boldness.
It seemed it was best not to tease him like this anymore. If she really roused his passions, how would she live her carefree life then?
Jiang Jingyi suppressed her smile, placed the letter into an envelope, and wrote the recipient’s name on it before pulling the door open and stepping out.
Yingtao, who had been helping Lady Yun with chores, hurried over when she saw Jiang Jingyi emerge, ready to take orders. But Jiang Jingyi wasn’t looking for her; she was looking for Ji Dongyang.
“Sister-in-law, is Brother Dongyang at home?” Jiang Jingyi asked Lady Yun with a gentle smile, trying to appear even more amiable.
Lady Yun didn’t suspect anything. “He went out to deliver stools to someone. He should be back soon.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Dongyang entered, followed by Ji Qiuyang, whose face was still flushed. Ji Qiuyang didn’t even dare to look at Jiang Jingyi and headed straight for the main room.
Jiang Jingyi addressed Ji Dongyang, “Brother, tomorrow is the day I return to my parents’ home. There’s something I need help with from my maternal grandparents’ family. Could I trouble you to deliver a letter for me?”
Ji Dongyang naturally agreed without hesitation. After washing his hands, he said, “Just leave it to me.”
Ji Qiuyang stopped in his tracks and spoke up, “No need. Brother, you go ahead with your tasks. I’ll deliver it.”
“You?” Jiang Jingyi looked at him doubtfully. “Can you handle the trip there and back?”
Ji Qiuyang’s face darkened, instantly reminded of just how detestable this woman could be.
**
Ji Qiuyang with a straightforward expression: Never ask a man if he can handle something.