Chapter 316: The Fourth Crock of Gold 1
The next morning, Qi Qingyao woke the children up. After they washed themselves, they sat on the bed and played with the pouches that Qi Qingyao had gifted them. Qi Qingyao had deliberately put a bit of money into each of their pouches. The children smiled joyously as they held up the money they found!
Xiaobao examined their names embroidered on the pouches with much satisfaction! He suddenly looked up to his mother quite a lot more! Their mother was clever and deft—not only did she know how to design buildings, she even knew how to embroider!
After Qi Qingyao was done was.h.i.+ng up, Lu Yan knocked on the door. He asked if she was ready, then invited them to go to the Furong Waterside Pavilion to have breakfast together. Qi Qingyao went next door to call Si Jin. When Si Jin answered her call, Qi Qingyao realized that his hair was still wet and she was surprised. “You washed your hair this early in the morning even though it’s winter? You’ll catch a cold.”
Si Jin scratched his head sheepishly. He had actually snuck into the garden for a swim!
Qi Qingyao fetched him a large towel. She asked him to sit down and began drying his hair for some time. After his hair was half dry, she combed it into a simple high tail, buckling it with a silver hair clip. Then, glancing at Si Jin’s clothes, Qi Qingyao thought for a moment before asking him to go and change. After Si Jin had put on a fresh set of clothes, Qi Qingyao checked him over once, quite liking the red robe with faint koi patterns. It complemented Si Jin’s particularly youthful spirit. There was also a koi belt around his waist. It was also very special. His cuffs were tied neatly, which made him look like a capable man.
Si Jin seemed to be rather curious about why she was dressing him up today.
Qi Qingyao knocked him on the head. “We’re going to eat at the Furong Waterside Pavilion again today, and you’re my follower! You represent me, so you need to wear something nicer and dress up in a youthful manner! I’ll look better that way.”
Si Jin heard this and agreed with her logic.
The children heard what their mommy said to Si Jin and hurriedly checked over what they were wearing as well.
Lu Yan looked at the young woman’s attentive silhouette and thought about how Dong Jing was usually in charge of his clothes… He had never had a woman concern themselves about his attire before. Lu Yan suddenly felt rather sorry for himself.
His hair was always… hanging down his back naturally; he had never tied it up before.
Looking at Si Jin’s high ponytail, Lu Yan was quite envious.
Qi Qingyao realized the movement in Lu Yan’s gaze and coughed lightly.
“You like it?”
“…”
Lu Yan said nothing.
Qi Qingyao snorted and grabbed a good hair clip from Si Jin’s luggage. She then instructed Lu Yan to take a seat. Lu Yan frowned, seemingly looking at the common hair clip with some disgust.
“Sit down!”
Qi Qingyao motioned and said fiercely.
Lu Yan glanced at her expression cautiously.
After thinking for a bit, he sat on the chair.
Qi Qingyao stepped forward and used a comb to tidy up Lu Yan’s hair. It went without saying that his hair had been taken care of quite well—it was dark and s.h.i.+ning! Smooth and soft.
Lu Yan had never been this close to a woman before ever since his experience during his teens, let alone have a woman do his hair. Just sitting there made his entire body turn rigid, cold sweat dripping down his back.
He really wanted to get up, leave, and let it be.
The moment he looked up, however, he noticed the three little fellows playing obediently next to him. Si Jin and Dong Jing were also standing at the side. The white cat was in his arms, watching him with a curious gaze.
Lu Yan quietly calmed himself down.
He rea.s.sured himself continuously
He told himself that everyone was here, and nothing would happen. She was just styling his hair.
His arms were pinning the white cat so tightly in his embrace that the cat felt that it was about to lose its breath. Without even asking for permission, the cat escaped from Lu Yan’s grip and jumped into Si Jin’s arms like an arrow.
Leaving Lu Yan sitting there all alone.
Lu Yan felt his scalp go numb then… cold sweat began flowing down his back like a waterfall.
As Qi Qingyao was combing his hair, she was secretly observing his reactions. When she saw the cat slip free from his control, she also noticed his fists clenching tightly. His knuckles were turning white and green veins were slowly popping on the back of his hand. His complexion slowly went from pale to grey.
Not a single one of these minute changes escaped from Qi Qingyao’s observation.
Dong Jing also never thought that his master would allow himself to be controlled by Miss Qi. He was sitting there somewhat “obediently” as he allowed her to style his hair. This was a ma.s.sive step in the right direction. Dong Jing observed his master’s tight-fisted appearance and pained expression and knew that he was exerting a lot of willpower to endure it!
‘All the best, master!
‘She is just combing your hair.
‘You can do it.’
Qi Qingyao’s actions were swift. She did not want her first natural physical encounter with Lu Yan to end with an adverse situation.
She quickly combed the top half of his hair into a high ponytail and nimbly secured it with a hair clip.
Then, Qi Qingyao stepped back before moving to stand in front of him.
“There’s no need to be nervous, I’m just combing your hair.”
Lu Yan had at some point shut his eyes tightly, pressing his lips into a thin line. His face was pale as a sheet of paper. Lu Yan’s highly-strung state only relaxed when Qi Qingyao said those words.
He lifted his head…
And was greeted by her leisurely and carefree gaze.
He was stunned for a long time.
Then, he finally returned to his senses.
Qi Qingyao fetched a bronze mirror and placed it in his hand. “What do you think?”
Lu Yan accepted the bronze mirror and glanced into it. When he looked into the mirror, his normal hairstyle was now in a high ponytail. It was a little unfamiliar but also somewhat familiar.
Qi Qingyao smiled and said, “We’ll start with some small changes. Soon, you’ll be able to thoroughly remold yourself.”
Lu Yan continued to look at himself in the mirror, feeling quite satisfied.
Dong Jing was so moved he almost cried.
He lifted his hand and used his sleeve to wipe away the nonexistent tears.
He had never thought that the master would be able to hold back his impulse of beating up Qi Qingyao and resist the urge of standing up, not to mention how he endured the nausea and bucking up with such willpower!
Not only that.
The master with a ponytail gave off a different aura from his former delicate and feminine one. It was more… clean and handsome now! He looked much more spirited.
Si Jin realized Dong Jing was wiping his tears and was surprised. ‘Has this person gone mad? Your master just had his hair combed and you’re this moved? What an exaggeration!’
After cleaning up and getting ready, the group headed toward Furong Waterside Pavilion.
Dong Jing was watching his master’s tall and straight appearance from behind. He somehow felt that the master was more confident with his hair tied up!
Entering the Furong Waterside Pavilion through the small door, the group then sat where they did the day before.
The rest of the people also began filing in continuously for breakfast…
The maids were quickly serving the dishes to every table.
When Si Jin saw the beautifully decorated congee, he immediately asked for five bowls of white rice congee! The maid was shocked for a moment, but said nothing and gave him five bowls as requested!
Qi Qingyao was helping the three little fellows to dig into their meals when she suddenly realized that Lu Yan, who was seated beside her, was looking at the low-legged table absently, as though hesitant to pick up the chopsticks.
“If you are afraid there’s something wrong with your meal, would you like to take mine?”
Qi Qingyao pointed at the bowl of untouched white rice congee in front of her.
Lu Yan glanced over and told her there was no need.
Qi Qingyao said, “Then you better eat! If there’s something wrong, I’ll save you immediately!”
“…”
Her words sounded reliable.
Lu Yan suddenly felt that with his doctor here, he could relax a lot more than usual.
He cradled the bowl and picked up a ladle.
His eyes could not help but scrutinize the ladle for a second. After making sure that it was squeaky clean, he scooped up a ladle of congee and put it into his mouth. The taste of the congee was not much different from the one from home. White rice congee did not have much of a taste anyway. However, he could not help feeling that there was something odd about it. After swallowing his first mouthful, Lu Yan thought about how this was not made at home, but was made by someone he did not know. He subconsciously felt his stomach flip.
He almost wanted to spit it out.
Qi Qingyao cast him a sidelong glance.
“I dare you to spit it out! As if everyone here won’t laugh at you.”
“…”
The threat made most of the feeling of disgust in his gut subside. He was also someone who cared for his image; he glanced at the rich and powerful people who had all come to have breakfast.
After building his mentality, he started on the second mouthful.
Soon, he was taking his third, and then, as if he was using all his strength, he put down the bowl in his hand and started to calm his emotions.
Qi Qingyao was a little satisfied. She initially thought that he would at most eat two mouthfuls. She did not think that a person who harbored serious suspicions toward others would actually take three mouthfuls! It looked like he could be saved, as long as it was done step by step.
Everyone who was having breakfast in the Furong Waterside Pavilion was looking over at the three children. They looked so cute and soft, obedient like kittens as they ate with the little lady.
The people from Eastern Ling were all of different minds.
It was not just Xiao Wuji.
Everyone else also knew Mo Yang, and naturally they could tell that this woman looked very similar to Mo Yang!
They had deliberately discussed this matter with Xiao Wuji before breakfast today and Xiao Wuji had told them with a smile.
“It’s not unusual for people to look alike in this world!”
Everyone thought about it, and agreed it was true.
However, these people were on pretty good terms with Mo Yang, and those feelings extended to the little lady as they glanced at her a few more times.
…
When Jiang Yeqian entered the room, he noticed the gazes of a lot of people were directed at a certain area and could not help looking over as well.
The first thing he noticed was Si Jin, who had a high ponytail, and also Lu Yan…
Wait a minute, everyone knew Lu Yan never tied up his hair! He only ever liked wearing it down! Not to mention that he was an overbearing clean freak, which made his living habits somewhat unique.
Now… Why was he tying it up?!
That hairstyle looked really similar to Si Jin’s.
It was impossible that Si Jin would ask any other woman to help him with his hair. So there was only one possibility—that woman had done both Si Jin’s and Lu Yan’s hair?
Jiang Yeqian’s heart plummeted all of a sudden.
He… was so f*cking jealous!!!!!