Chapter 195 Affectionate

When Yang Liqin outright talked about Jiang Ming having some affection toward Yuan Chunhua, she was shocked to the core.

Disbelief filled her eyes as she didn't know how to respond to that type of stuff.

"A-Affection?" Yuan Chunhua murmured before shaking her head.

"P-Please don't joke like that, Senior Yang Liqin. If Jiang Ming really has some affection toward me, then why would he always try to run away from me during our lecture."

During their lecture, Jiang Ming didn't even bat an eyelid toward her and would always find some stupid excuse to leave the room.

Though that was in the past since she couldn't tell about the current Jiang Ming who had a drastic change.

"You can feign ignorance, but I doubt it'll work against me, Yuan Chunhua." Yang Liqin said in a calm voice that exuded a powerful aura. She was like an empress that had a domineering appearance naturally when compared to Zhao Tong.

"After the previous incident, I have honestly lost all trust in you, Yuan Chunhua. Whether you are really innocent or not, I don't give a damn anymore. Hence, the only way you can continue to interact with me is if you're a lover of my Jiang Ming." She added.

Meanwhile, Yuan Chunhua had long been stunned by this development as she wondered if she was still dreaming in her bed. How could such a ridiculous conversation even come to place?

Essentially, Yang Liqin was telling her to either become a lover of Jiang Ming or she could fuck off. It was that simple which made the event horrifying, to say the least for her.

And knowing Yang Liqin's personality, Yuan Chunhua knew she wasn't joking with her.

"C-Can I have time to think about it?" Yuan Chunhua struggled to say those words aloud. After all, the investigation together with Jiang Ming had made her see him in a different light.

In the past, it would always be her shielding Jiang Ming, but during the investigation process, she couldn't help but find herself relying on him deeply.

Yang Liqin wasn't someone unreasonable to the point that it was unbearable so she nodded her head.

"I have received news about the current 6 powerful clans colluding together to overthrow the current emperor. You will most likely be dispatched by your master to assist the royal family. Therefore, I would tell Jiang Ming to work alongside you to increase the relationship."

'Senior Yang Liqin had this planned all along??!' Yuan Chunhua was dumbstruck to realize that she had fallen into her trap.

Normally, if anyone were to tell her to become another person's lover, then she would long turn angry and annihilate that person or clan for suggesting such ideas.

However, the person telling her was a respectful senior of hers who she regarded even higher than her master. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that only she knew the exact power of Yang Liqin given that particular day.

In the end, Yuan Chunhua sighed softly. "Senior Yang Liqin's foresight is extremely fearsome."

"Thank you for the compliment," Yang Liqin smiled calmly.

"If it weren't for you secretly visiting Jiang Ming to try to meet with me, then I wouldn't have come up with this idea. As much as I love Jiang Ming, he should find some other lovers as well given my status as his aunt."

While saying that, Yang Liqin subconsciously tilted her head in the direction of the kitchen where Jiang Ming is currently at. Her expression was melancholy as she doesn't know how far they will progress.

With Yuan Chunhua's attention, she obviously noticed her eyesight was placed at but decided to keep silent about it.

After they continued to discuss some unimportant stuff for some time, Jiang Ming finally returned from the kitchen as he placed two cups of freshly brewed ginseng tea at the table.

"Seeing how you two are now chatting harmoniously, I suppose the two of you have finally reconciled right?" Jiang Ming smiled lightly as he sat next to Yang Liqin.

Yang Liqin nodded her head as she grabbed one of the cups and sniffed it lightly. Smelling the fragrance that belongs to the ginseng, she drank a small bit of it despite the hot temperature.

After a small sip, she held an approved expression and praised his brewing skill. "I didn't know you had the knack of producing a high-quality tea when I told you to brew one."

Jiang Ming scratched his head slightly in embarrassment. "Haha, how could my half-ass skill be on par with my aunt's brewing technique?"

He wasn't being humble at all because he had tasted the tea she had brewed previously. After tasting her tea, Jiang Ming no longer bothered to drink tea brewed by other people since they aren't even one-tenth of Yang Liqin's skill.

When Yuan Chunhua saw how Yang Liqin was enjoying the ginseng tea so much, curiosity struck her mind. Hesitantly, she extended her hand and grabbed the cup before giving a small sniff.

The moment she smelled the fragrance, Yuan Chunhua was surprised as she blew off the steam a little bit before taking a sip. Once the ginseng tea entered her mouth, she could taste the strong ginseng flavor, but no bitterness at all.

'Wasn't ginseng known for its bitterness?' Yuan Chunhua thought. The flavor she got was a tinge of sweetness, a contrast to her initial thought of being bitter.

Dumbfounded, she tilted her head and glanced at Jiang Ming, seemingly using her eyes to ask him 'what did you add'.

Jiang Ming smiled cheekily as he calmly said, "I've added some natural Sourwood Honey that was retrieved from the dangerous Haze Forest."

Given the dangerous environment in the Haze Forest, any resources and products retrieved from there are prone to be overly expensive. After all, one mishap was enough to take away one's life.

However, it was thanks to such an environment that caused many people to risk their lives in hopes of a greater profit.

"Sourwood Honey… no wonder why there's such a sweetness." Yuan Chunhua muttered. Even she didn't expect someone would add honey to the tea.

When it comes to raw and natural honey such as Sourwood, the price would be equivalent to at least 3 spirit stones. That was because there are natural spiritual qi contained in Sourwood Honey and could help alleviate a cultivator's wound.

After some pondering, Yuan Chunhua was no longer surprised by his generosity to use such ingredients considering how wealthy they have gotten.

"The Moon Bazaar has truly become a top-class store where numerous people go to purchase stuff. Not only was the quality of the products in the Moon Bazaar above average, but it also had the renowned Alchemist Ren's public support." Yuan Chunhua said.

Her eyes had a bit of bitterness since it meant that she was no longer needed. Back then, she could be the private tutor for Jiang Ming, but could she now?

She feared that Jiang Ming might be even stronger than her when she recalled the Skartoom's incident in which she fainted from the pressure alone.

Yang Liqin remained silent when she noticed her depressed expression.

Standing up, she gave a light tap on Jiang Ming's shoulder, clearly indicating him to deal with the situation. While walking away, her legs were still shaky from the intense activity and she was exhausted.

"Instructor Yuan Chunhua, in the future, I will still require your assistance for a lot of things." Jiang Ming said once Yang Liqin had left the living room.

Although he was sent to the kitchen by Yang Liqin, that doesn't mean he couldn't eavesdrop on them secretly.

Hence, he had heard of the condition that Yang Liqin had given out for Yuan Chunhua. And honestly, when he heard about the condition, he felt his heart thumping rapidly.

It wasn't because she was telling Yuan Chunhua to become his lover, but the fact that Yang Liqin was open-minded to allowing him to have numerous lovers.

Normally, any woman would definitely want to hog their man for themselves and would go crazy if any other woman dared to enter their lives. Yet Yang Liqin acted the opposite and was even actively searching for women for him.

'Aunt might have done this because she thinks she can get away from me… How unfortunate for you though, aunt. I'm a greedy and possessive person.' Jiang Ming thought.

He knew Yang Liqin must have been trying to do something dangerous sneakily without him, so she was trying to plan ahead for his future life. Such was the plotline of the games he had played in the past, and there was no way he would become that kind of protagonist.

While thinking about all of these, Yuan Chunhua found it too awkward to be alone with Jiang Ming. She didn't even bother responding to his previous words.

"You shouldn't think too much, Instructor Yuan Chunhua. Love and being affectionate are two different things." Jiang Ming suddenly said, causing her body to jolt like she had been struck by lightning.