Chapter 141 - Jiang Ying Yue (37)

The next day, the afternoon, Jiang Ying Yue was helping Jiang Li grind ink at her place's study. The look of seriousness on her face was as serene as the one Jiang Li had as his brush glided clean and decisive strokes on the paper in front of him. Both of their attendants were at the room, pretending they don't exist to not ruin the extraordinary peace reigning in between them. 

Jiang Ying Yue took a glance at the strange words he had written. 

'Hai Wang is a stiff two-faced scoundrel.'

'The Emperor is reported looking ugly this morning because he didn't manage to get a wink of sleep.'

'Imperial Concubine Shu's looks and conditions are as bad as the old dude.'

'A shop called Heavenly Scent Pavilion is recently closed down.'

'Rui Wang Fei is put into a month-long house arrest.'

'Rui Wang Fei only escaped death after saying she was maliciously framed and set up by her own mother.'

'Lady Wang of the Grand Marshal's estate shifted the blame to that poor housekeeper surnamed Song.'

'Hai Wang's weird fiancée was said to be down with the flu, and was making very frequent trips to the toilet.'

At first, Jiang Ying Yue's face turned white. She was really speechless. Who would have thought this kind of improper speech would come from an ill.u.s.trious figure like Chen Wang? But then, after some time, she got used to his language. Now, heaven knows how much Jiang Ying Yue tried hard not to laugh at the ridiculous things Jiang Li had penned down. He used that strange writing system that he had introduced to her a year ago so in the room only she could understand it. 

How many in this world knew that under his glacial exterior, there was a playful and unscrupulous side hiding? He called another prince a term she would never dare use. He also described the son of heaven using a word not supposed to be mentioned in the same breath as the Emperor. And the way he called the housekeeper... Why was his language so not befitting of a prince like him? But the problem with her was... Why did she find him so adorable? 

Jiang Li suddenly threw her a casual look that made her flinch. When she checked his expression, he didn't seem to be finding everything he noted down strange. This was their unique way of communicating. And that must be why he was so courageous. Because in this world, there were only two people who knew this script, the two of them. 

With the same nonchalant expression on his handsome face, the man's brush danced on the surface of the paper, leaving smooth black traces forming another string of words which was actually the last thing he wanted to tell her through this manner. 

'Apart from the first, about Hai Wang being a two-faced, utilitarian bastard, I mean, fox, I firmly believe everything else has been the results of a certain someone's casual stroll. A witch, perhaps.'

That seemed to have become a catalyst that broke the girl's serious facade. Red-faced, she looked down, a hand automatically blocking her mouth from letting out a sound.

It was all too late though. A giggle already escaped out of her lips and made the man turn to her with a sly questioning look. 

"Is there something funny, Miss Jiang?" Wearing that same placid look, he asked. 

With that as the last blow, how could she stop herself from bursting into laughter? There was no way to do it anymore.

She started giggling there, making funny but cute expressions that rendered the two bystanders blankly looking at her. They turned to their prince and then wondered what had gotten to this young miss. Since the prince was sporting an expressionless face, there should be no reason to suddenly giggle?

All of a sudden, Jiang Ying Yue turned weird in their eyes. 

The merrily laughing girl took two minutes to realize this. And when she did, she covertly sent blaming looks at Jiang Li. 

'I'm just sharing classified information with you. Why are you suddenly glaring at me?' Jiang Li gave her a wry smile. He then chose to put away the writing materials and stood up. After telling Mao Hong to tidy up the place, he instructed Xiao Lu to go somewhere else, which the latter became puzzled at. The maid was not given time to digest his instructions since Jiang Li already went out, with the villainess dutifully following behind him. 

"Which one do you prefer to visit first? The Rui Wang Residence? Or The Grand Marshal's?" He asked without turning his head back to the girl. 

The girl was stunned for a couple of moments before batting her eyes at him for another minute. 

Pursing her lips she said, in a voice so tiny it was akin to a wisp of smoke that would vanish in an instant, "The Grand Marshal's estate then... My old home. I wish to see how the people from there are doing now..."

He looked at her quietly for a long while. Afterward, he led her to the backyards where the garden decorated by a few rows of violet peonies, a lotus pond, and some rockeries. After making sure nobody was around, he wrapped his arm around her waist. And without waiting for her to recover from the shock, he turned to the nearest roof and jumped up with her in tow. 

"W-wait! Bring me down! I, I beg you, Your Highness!"

Jiang Ying Yue was in a dazed state from being in too much direct contact with him. When she regained her senses, he was already running and jumping from buildings to buildings or trees. 

"Chen Wang!"

Jiang Li suddenly jumped down from a six meters height, their speed of descent and sudden closing in on the ground freaked Jiang Ying Yue out of her wits. Even though she knew the general was someone who could probably circle the whole empire running around like this, it was still hard for her to accept having to make the tour or visit with him this way.

Her head became more jumbled after the man took another jump. 

Why was this happening to her? Why couldn't they just take the normal route, board a carriage and have an idle chat there?

Seeing the girl's entertaining expression, Jiang Li couldn't contain his grin. He finally understood why some male characters in novels or TV dramas who knew qinggong 1 loved to fly about like this with a woman in their arms. It was a stamina burner. But the funny face of the other party was worth it. 

"Just focusing on holding onto my chest or neck. Look around you." His laughing voice was like magic that prompted her to do as he told.

Clear blue skies. A flock of birds seemingly migrating, bustling crowds which appeared zoomed out in her vision, a panoramic view of the seemingly endless sea beyond a forest to their west. The rows of houses and beautiful gardens...

Her chest felt too stuffy from too many emotions.

"... Amazing..." She unconsciously blurted out.

How glad she was for summoning her courage to open her eyes and capture the breathtaking pictures in her memories. 

'Thank you, Lu Ling.' Before they landed on the ground, she looked at his side-profile with gem-like eyes full of warmth and full of gratitude. She unconsciously tightened her arms circling his neck, causing him to glance down at her for a moment. 

They stayed like this for a little more than five minutes, parting only when they arrived at their target location. It was an abandoned courtyard in the Grand Marshal's estate. The most secluded house separated from the rest of the compounds by a mini-forest of yellow groove bamboos.

"I'm back..." Jiang Ying Yue quietly said, her feet slowly walking towards the entrance of the house.

Behind her, Jiang Li was not speaking. However, there was an expression on his face as he studied her now-rundown former home. Its shabbiness was really provoking something inside him, a desire to hack the Marshal's house down into bits and pieces. 'lightness skill', something Chinese kungfu fighters and martial artists used to fly on roofs or run/move around in a speed impossible to normal people