Chapter 66: Follow Up, Stellar Acting Skills
Li Hong Yuan held Jing Wan, absorbing her warmth for a moment, before finally getting up. Gong mama knew that if there wasn’t the need, he didn’t like people coming close to him, so she didn’t go forward to help him get dressed either. For him to be able to hold Miss for an entire night, just from this bit, he certainly did view Miss particularly different from the rest.
Li Hong Yuan swiftly finished putting on his clothes, and after freshening up, sat back down by the bedside again, fixedly staring at Jing Wan. Finally, he leaned down and lightly kissed her on the lips. “Take good care of her.” He then finally left.
The shadow guards, who’d been standing guard outside the whole time, didn’t dare to have the slightest complaint. Furthermore, when they discovered that their master didn’t have that heavy of vicious aura on him, they even inwardly cheered, once again antic.i.p.ating for the future w.a.n.gfei to be able to marry in quicker.
(T/N: these poor guards……)
Taking advantage of the dark of night, how they came was how they went back. Aside from a small number of people, even the involved party, Jing Wan, didn’t know that the honorable Jin Qinw.a.n.g night visited the Luo Manor. This visit even lasted nearly six hours.
Li Hong Yuan was rather high-spirited and refreshed, but Jing Wan wasn’t too great. After waking up, her entire person appeared somewhat sluggish, and didn’t directly get up like usual. Instead she just listlessly sat on her bed. For the whole night, she was dreaming, and it was even the kind that she didn’t really dream of much even during her most restless period in her previous lifetime. She slightly pulled her hair, just what was the matter? All say that thoughts during the day become dreams at night, but she definitely didn’t have this kind of thought in the slightest alright! Afterwards, she finally noticed that she was wearing clothes, also the things on the bed have changed too, and most of all, Gong mama even just happened to walk to the bedside.
“Miss is about to get up?”
Jing Wan couldn’t hold back her imagination. Last night, just how big of a disturbance did she make for even the person on night guard outside to have also noticed? She has no face to meet people now, alright?! “Mama……” Jing Wan moved her lips, but the following words didn’t come out no matter what.
Although Gong mama wasn’t old, she was seasoned, how could she not know Jing Wan’s thoughts? “Presumably, Miss had a nightmare last night. This servant just happened to have entered and saw Miss drenched in sweat, so helped Miss wiped down the sweat and changed the cotton-padded mattress.”
Hearing this, Jing Wan relaxed. However, she felt that Gong mama only said this in order to protect her face. She was also quite happy that it wasn’t the servant girls that discovered. As for why Gong mama would come in at night, this rather wasn’t strange at all. She herself nearly would never get up at night, and for the most part, won’t have the need to want water either. But Gong mama just saw her as a small child, worrying she will kick her blanket and get a cold. If she didn’t come check on her at least two three times in one night, it’s like she will have a hard time feeling at ease.
“Mama, prepare water, I want to take a bath.” She kept feeling the sticky feeling on her body was uncomfortable, despite knowing it was probably just her imagination.
Gong mama had already predicted this, and thus the hot water was very quickly lifted into the cleaning room. Jing Wan was once again positive that last night, she’d caused a ‘huge disturbance’. Actually, Jing Wan wasn’t certain if whether or not her servant girls knew. For the first time, she had the mentality of a turtle and didn’t let them come serve her, continuing to trouble Gong mama. This, coincidentally matched Gong mama’s desire. After all, to let the servant girls see the markings on Miss’s back, inevitably will make them fl.u.s.tered. Even if she could think of a way to cover up the matter, it was still very troublesome.
Jing Wan comfortably nestled in the water, gradually forgetting the awkwardness from earlier. Actually, she still had some doubts in her heart, why did she completely not sense mama wiping her body and putting on clothes for her? Was she really that dead asleep? Fine, her shame level was already off the charts, and according to everyone’s conservative way of thinking, even if it’s Gong mama, Jing Wan still wasn’t able to ask out loud. Then she could only end it here, and quickly erase those thoughts from her brain.
Even if it felt very real, especially that pair of eyes, practically making one drown in them, as well as that deep and erotic voice, according to a certain saying from her past life, even her ears were about to get pregnant. But Jing Wan purely treated it as a dream. She was very open minded, and wasn’t the slightest bit sloppy in forgetting either.
But Gong mama, who was staring at her back, felt quite suffocated inside. Furthermore, according to her understanding of that living Enma, once there was a first, there will be a second time. Perhaps, in the future, he’ll frequently do something like this ‘night visit’, and she could only cover up for him and can’t let anyone know. The Miss she lovingly raised in the palm of her hand, not only was she unable to properly protect, she even had to be the accomplice and have her ‘sent’ into the hungry wolf’s mouth. The more she thought, the more stuffy she felt. A moment of carelessness, and her hand slipped.
Jing Wan let out a hiss, and sucked in two breaths. Actually, it wasn’t too painful, just it came too sudden, and she was especially sensitive. But this body’s tender skin was soft to the point that just wiping with a bit of strength with the towel was able to hurt to this extent? Was she really about to become made of tofu?
Gong mama quickly lightened her strength, “Miss, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, just for some reason feels kind of strange.”
“It’s this servant’s fault, momentarily blanking out and went a bit heavy-handed.” If she could see her own back, then she won’t feel it’s strange.
After the bath, Gong mama still helped Jing Wan treat her body as usual. Naturally she also wiped on some medicine, so there won’t be anymore soreness. Just, these markings won’t disappear anytime soon.
Jing Wan relaxingly began her morning exercises. Even if she still needed to bathe again after sweating all over from her exercise, it wouldn’t matter. n.o.ble young ladies of the inner manor had that condition to be this willful.
After completing her one hour long morning exercise routine, and after another bath, Jing Wan finally recovered her spirits. As usual, she drank a bowl of nouris.h.i.+ng congee. And afterwards, when she went to go give her morning greetings to her mother, she ran into her father. Seemingly because he was hungover, he didn’t look too good. Soon after, Ji Yiniang and Ping Yiniang, as well as her two younger shu sisters came over in succession. There was no need to mention her older brother, and her younger shu brother’s age wasn’t small either, so there was no need to come pay their respects daily.
“Where’s Bai-s.h.i.+?” Luo Rong Yan didn’t see the person, so he casually asked. In his eyes, even if pregnant, the things that should be done, still needed to be done. It was just coming to pay her respect, not like she had to walk far and will tire her out.
Jing Wan gave her father a glance. He still didn’t know about Bai-s.h.i.+’s matter yet?! This was why Jing Wan had an abundance of respect towards her father, but lacked intimacy. Standing from her own perspective, she naturally didn’t wish for him to attach importance to the Yiniangs, but standing from the Yiniangs’ perspective, he was just a complete degenerate. Furthermore, he wasn’t considered a competent father either. Jing Wan lightly pinched Zhang-s.h.i.+, who was about to open her mouth. If she were to let her mother say it, who knows what her mother will explain the matter into. Moreover, her two younger sisters were still present. To have these dirty things brazenly said out loud, what would that be like?
“Father, this daughter sees that your complexion isn’t too good. How about this daughter first take the two younger sisters to give morning greeting to grandmother, and then you all come over a bit later?”
Luo Rong Yan naturally wasn’t an idiot and knew more or less there was something going on, so he nodded, “Alright, you all go first.”
Jing Wan led Luo Jing You and Luo Jing Wei out, and before stepping out of the door, glanced at Ji Yiniang.
Ji Yiniang discreetly nodded her head, indicating that she understood Jing Wan’s intention. Rather than letting Zhang-s.h.i.+ say it, it really was better to have Ji Yiniang explain this matter. This is exactly the so called, ‘speaking also required eloquence’. The same thing explained using different words can result in vastly contrasting outcomes. Ji Yiniang very much understood her own standing, so Jing Wan trusted that she will have this matter explained ‘perfectly’.
If Bai-s.h.i.+ knew her place and kept to herself, Jing Wan naturally wouldn’t do anything to her. But it was precisely as Liu’er had said, she instead relied on that piece of meat in her stomach and acted arrogantly, stepping on other people. Now that something has happened, can’t blame Jing Wan for slightly hitting someone who’s down either. From people like Ji Yiniang’s perspective, Jing Wan was still softhearted and lenient. If it was up to them, they would’ve directly turned it into an accident and let her suddenly die. To only lock her in confinement was rather too easy on her.
Compared to Falling Plum Residence, the main courtyard was really lively.
Jing Wan and her sisters just arrived, when the people of the third branch also came. Just compared to before, there was also an additional woman. Even Jing Wan, who didn’t have any impression of the Yiniangs of the third branch, immediately realize too that this woman was the one that her third uncle brought back last night. From the looks of it, she certainly was a beauty that one liked to pamper.
Reasonable to say, an ordinary concubine didn’t have the right to come before old madam to pay their respect, especially when Luo Old Madam was someone who didn’t like concubines. Liu-s.h.i.+ wasn’t someone stupid. Even if she pretended to be virtuous and magnanimous, she still wouldn’t do something this stupid. Then there was only one reason, Luo Rong Ping made Liu-s.h.i.+ bring her over. A concubine that has shone her face here at the old madam’s place naturally would be way better off than those concubines locked in the rear court, silently dying without even anyone noticing. It can be seen how high this woman’s position was in Luo Rong Ping’s heart.
“Mother, this is the younger sister that third master brought back last night, he truly treats her just like the meat of his heart, even letting this daughter-in-law bring her over for you to see this morning.” Liu-s.h.i.+ smilingly spoke, but anyone could tell her smile was forced, and grievance was hidden in her tone.
Jing Wan inwardly sighed, such acting skills were stellar. If she was burning in anger, because Luo Rong Ping wiped the floor with her face, Jing Wan could still believe, but to come to a compromise, Jing Wan really didn’t believe. Her goal was nothing more than to win some sympathy in front of Luo Old Madam. As long as Luo Old Madam stood on her side and supported her, then no matter how much Luo Rong Ping favored this woman, she still wouldn’t be able to cause any waves.
“This younger sister not only looks pretty, her name was also good, called…..”
“This lowly concubine Huan Niang greets old madam. May old madam live long in good health.” The woman rushed to speak first.