Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: 265. Intimate contact triggered by a folding fan

Chapter 265: 265. Intimate contact triggered by a folding fan

Translator: 549690339

Nian Jincheng and Yang Yu, who were sitting opposite each other and eating dessert from time to time, looked puzzled when they heard footsteps and saw Su Liang coming down alone.

“Did you finish treating Marquis Gu so quickly?” Yang Yu thought they were going to talk about something, but Su Liang came down as soon as he went up.

Su Liang, keeping a smile on his face, replied, “I haven’t treated Marquis Gu yet. As it is his first visit, he is the most distinguished guest. I need to prepare some delicious dishes to entertain him. After he tastes them, I will then treat him.”

With that, Su Liang walked out the door.

Nian Jincheng and Yang Yu exchanged glances, and Yang Yu couldn’t help laughing. “Xiaoliang must have begrudgingly agreed to it; it must have been the request made by the person upstairs.”

Nian Jincheng wasn’t surprised at all. “They enjoy playing it their way, so it’s not something for us to worry about. Who should I invite to be the matchmaker for our marriage proposal?”

Yang Yu’s face turned slightly red, “There is no need to rush, let’s talk about it in a few days.”

Nian Jincheng said seriously, “No, I am just that kind of person who sticks to my decision. Setting the wedding date as soon as possible will put my mind at

”

ease.

Yang Yu gently nodded, ‘Very well, then I’ll wait.”

Nian Jincheng sighed softly and complained about his “good brother.” “Xiaoyu, you have no idea what kind of life I lead in Marquis Chang Xin’s residence. It’s almost like living in the wilderness. Aling is not someone you want to live with, only Su Liang can put up with him.”

Yang Yu showed great interest and asked for details.

After Nian Jincheng thoroughly criticized Gu Ling’s annoying behavior, Yang Yu couldn’t stop laughing, while Gu Ling’s faint voice could be heard from upstairs, “I can hear you. Don’t come over today.”

Nian Jincheng immediately pointed at the ceiling and complained to Yang Yu, “Xiaoyu, did you hear that? What kind of good brother is he? It’s all misunderstanding from outsiders. I can’t wait to get married, so you can take me in and let me live a good life.”

Yang Yu: …Her beloved has indeed changed a lot since thev first met. She has seen the transformation bit by bit and is very pleased that he has become more and more adorable, even acting a little spoiled with her.

While sweet affection was filling this side, Su Liang was chopping fish heads in the kitchen on the other side. The fish were temporarily “borrowed” by Ren Dong from the kitchen of the neighboring Xing’s Mansion, along with some other ingredients.

As Ren Dong helped Su Liang with the fire, she couldn’t help but ask, “Master, what do you like about Marquis Gu?”

With a light hum, Su Liang replied, “Besides his good looks, what else does he have?”

After hesitating for a moment, Ren Dong said weakly, “This subordinate thinks that Marquis Gut s temperament is not very good.”

While smiling, Su Liang retorted, “That’s right. I’ve always liked men who give me the cold shoulder; I enjoy the sense of conquest.”

With her knife dicing the fish, she swiftly chopped an entire fat fish into evenly sized chunks. After cleaning, drying the water, coating, and frying the pieces, the Fried Fish Nuggets she had prepared were ready.

Ren Dong: …Her master is indeed extraordinary, even liking men who don’t pay attention to her. It was too bizarre, but of course, she wouldn’t dare say it out loud…

If Duanmu Chen were here to hear Su Liang’s exact words, he might suspect that Gu Ling and “Ning Jing” were the same person. That’s because when Su Liang once said she liked Gu Ling but was rejected, she employed the same reasoning.

However, it’s harmless to speak this way to Ren Dong, as she had never met “Ning Jing” or seen their interactions together. Moreover, as for Su Liang’s affairs, she wouldn’t voluntarily discuss them with others.

Ever since returning to the capital city this time, Su Liang had only cooked a few times. As long as she’s frying today, she prepared not only the Fried Fish Nuggets but also four types of Vegetable Tempura, which included pumpkin slices from her own backyard back in Su Village.

Ren Dong couldn’t help but taste the delicious aroma and Su Liang asked her to taste the flavor for her.

After trying a piece, Ren Dong praised Su Liang’s cooking skills as the best in the world.

Su Liang countered, “What am I not the best at in the world?”

Ren Dong immediately nodded, “Master is the best at everything in the world!” Su Liang put a few pieces of each dish on a plate and handed it to Ren Dong.

Having caught the plate, Ren Dong asked, “Should I deliver this to Marquis

Chang Xin?”

Shaking her head, Su Liang replied, “This is for you.” She then divided the remaining food in half, one portion was for her, and the other half was for Gu Ling.

Su Liang carried a tray with four plates of fried food into the Yuanming Pavilion. Nian Jincheng immediately stood up, “You’re too kind, allowing me to bother you and even going to the trouble of preparing food.”

He then tried to take the tray.

From upstairs, Gu Ling’s voice called, “Nian Jincheng, dare to touch it?”

Nian Jincheng didn’t withdraw his hand, continuing to reach for the tray.

However, he was pulled back by the endlessly laughing Yang Yu, “That’s for Gu

Beauty. You’re not as pretty as her. Don’t make a fuss.”

Just as Su Liang stepped onto the stairs, Ren Dong carried the remaining half of the fried food and placed it in front of Nian Jincheng and Yang Yu. “We get some too?” Yang Yu looked pleasantly surprised, “It smells so good!”

Nian Jincheng picked up a piece of fried fish and put it into his mouth, nodding, “I got to eat it before Aling.” But as he said that, he was pricked by a fishbone…

Su Liang placed the hot fried food on a table next to Gu Ling, maintaining her smile, “Gu Beauty, please CIO me tne nonor ot tasting tne trults ot my labor.”

Gu Ling, who had initially been laying down feigning sleep, sat up and went over to the table. She wiped her hands with a napkin, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and initially reached for a piece of fried fish but ended up taking a piece of pumpkin tempura instead, “Is this… from our backyard?”

Seeing that Gu Ling had stopped pretending, Su Liang sat down across from her, picked up a piece of pumpkin to eat and nodded, ‘Yes, our family’s old pumpkin, so delicious!” She hadn’t tasted it before when she cooked it, but now found it sweet, soft, and incredibly tasty.

Gu Ling finished a piece and gave a slight nod, “Indeed, very delicious. We should make this again next time.”

Su Liang snorted, “Great God, now that I’m the only one cooking and you’re not washing the dishes, this isn’t right, right?”

Gu Ling shook her head, “It’s not that I don’t want to; it’s inconvenient. I’m just cooperating with the plan you proposed.”

Su Liang: …That’s true.

“You can make a note first.” Gu Ling looked at Su Liang as she spoke.

Su Liang raised her eyebrows, and then listened to Gu Ling continue, “For every time I owe washing dishes, I’ll make up for it later.”

Upon hearing this, Su Liang burst into laughter, “Alright, considering your attitude is acceptable, I’ll make a note. But how can this be made up for? The dishes after this should be washed by you anyway, so how can it be considered making up for the current ones?”

Gu Ling’s hand paused for a moment before she continued to enjoy her food earnestly. Her heart, however, was anything but calm. ‘The dishes after this should be washed by him,’ she thought. That ‘after’ seems to be indefinite…

“What did you say about making it up?” Gu Ling managed to keep a calm expression.

Su Liang thought for a moment and said, ‘Well, for every time the skilled Great God owes dishwashing, he should make something for me, anything will do.

How about that?”

Previously, Gu Ling had made Chinese knots, but Su Liang had to “buy” them from her. After a few times, Su Liang took it as a given that to get Gu Ling’s handicrafts, an exchange was necessary.

Gu Ling nodded. She picked up her napkin, and in the blink of an eye, folded it into a little mouse like Su Liang had learned, placing it in front of her, “This is for today’s dishes.”

Su Liang picked up the remaining fried food and left, “Don’t eat anymore.” Gu Ling pursed her lips lightly as she took her napkin back, “I was just joking.”

Su Liang returned to her original position, stating, “In any case, you must make me satisfied; otherwise, it doesn’t count.”

“Fine.” Gu Ling nodded, “When will the pumpkin seeds be roasted and ready for me today?”

Su Liang: .

Downstairs, the young couple shared Su Liang’s fried food. Upstairs, Su Liang didn’t eat much, leaving the majority for Gu Ling.

“What should we do next?” Su Liang asked seriously.

Gu Ling put away the plate and took out a box of tea leaves from the cupboard. Without speaking, Su Liang ordered the people below, “Ren Dong, bring hot water. I need to make tea for Marquis Chang Xin.”

The hot water was prepared in advance, and Ren Dong brought it up quickly, not entering the room as Su Liang came out and received it.

After placing the hot water on the table, Su Liang sat down and said, “You can make your own tea.”

Gu Ling began to brew tea. His movements were elegant, and each of his fingers seemed to be playing a piano, truly mesmerizing.

Seeing the admiration in Su Liang’s eyes, Gu Ling asked, “What are you looking

Disappointed, Su Liang said, “Are you the Snow Lotus from Tianshan

Mountains, so beautiful but cold? Can you smile just once?”

Gu Ling shook his head. “No.” He would only smile when Su Liang used his

“Smile Card.”

“Anyway, you still look great,” Su Liang said with sincerity. “It doesn’t make sense that no one is crazy about you. By the way, Duanmu Chen said that the emperor is going to execute Nian Ruting.”

At first, the conversation was pleasant and focused on Gu Ling’s interests, but Su Liang unexpectedly brought up Nian Ruting.

As the aroma of tea filled the air, Gu Ling poured Su Liang a cup and had a sip for himself before speaking again. “It’s good if she dies.”

“I thought the emperor would use Nian Ruting to annoy you,” Su Liang pondered.

Gu Ling gave a slight nod. “He has, before.”

Gu Ling then recounted the day when Duanmu Yi asked him to enter the palace. The two had been trying to communicate but didn’t have the chance to say much. Especially for Gu Ling, this matter wasn’t worth mentioning.

“No wonder,” Su Liang nodded. ” Nian Ruting is truly obsessed. According to you, she only met you a few times, and she was young back then. How could she be so infatuated? But to be honest, overall, the emperor isn’t completeley oblivious. He is quite reasonable at times.”

Gu Ling maintained a calm demeanor. “There are a few masters around him, probably like Ren Dong’s master, Shaoyao.”

Su Liang’s eyes narrowed, as this is a more pressing concern. If Duanmu Yi wanted to move against them, it would be troublesome.

The current peace might be disrupted at any time. Fortunately, Duanmu Yi had secretly showed some intentions towards Su Liang, but still very restrained and had not done anything outrageous. Even though he didn’t trust Gu Ling, he only probed him on the surface without actually causing any difficulty.

Now, Su Liang no longer made naive remarks about finding chances to escape or become self-reliant without relying on Gu Ling. Reality dictated that she needed Gu Ling, and they were the best partners. But she never slacked off and continued to enhance her strength at all times.

After drinking tea and catching up, an hour had passed, and the sun was about to set.

When Gu Ling and Nian Jincheng left the Su Mansion, Nian Jincheng was still holding a food box, which Su Liang had given as a heartfelt gift.

Upon returning to the Marquis Chang Xin’s Mansion, Nian Jincheng asked Gu Ling, “I want someone to propose marriage to Miss Yang for me. I don’t know who to choose.”

“Old Duke Qin,” Gu Ling suggested.

Nian Jincheng hesitated for a moment. “Will Old Master Qin agree to help?” “You can try,” Gu Ling replied.

Nian Jincheng thought that if he could enlist Old Master Qin’s help, it would undoubtedly be the best option. Old Master Qin was one of the most well-respected nobles in the capital city and could showcase how much Nian Jincheng valued Yang Yu.

Although Nian Jincheng believed that he was not close to Old Master Qin, he thought of someone else: Lin Bojun, his former colleague who had a great relationship with him and was now Old Master Qin’s grandson-in-law.

Today, Lin Bojun was not at the Crown Prince’s banquet, but he had sent someone to invite Nian Jincheng to drink together the next day.

The next day, Nian Jincheng went early to Wan Family Restaurant and waited for a while before Lin Bojun arrived.

After exchanging pleasantries and congratulating Lin Bojun on becoming a father, seeing Lin Bojun’s radiant face, Nian Jincheng wanted to get married even more.

Nian Jincheng would return to his military post tomorrow, and Lin Bojun was delighted. “With General Nian back, I might have a smaller chance of being blamed by the emperor when I ask for leave.”

Lin Bojun didn’t inquire about where Nian Jincheng had gone and what he had done during these months of disappearance. As long as the emperor had no doubts and Nian Jincheng didn’t say anything, he wouldn’t ask.

After a few drinks, Nian Jincheng put down his cup and said, “Bo Jun, I have a favor to ask of you.”

Lin Bojun was somewhat surprised, “If General Nian needs my help, just say it.” Nian Jincheng then told him that he had met a girl he fancied the day before.

Lin Bojun was genuinely surprised this time, “That’s great! Which lady is she from?”

Nian Jincheng smiled, “You should know her, she’s Miss Yang Yu from the Yang Family, who currently resides at Su Liang’s Mansion.”

“Miss Yang Yu?” Lin Bojun laughed loudly, “I really didn’t expect that. I’ve heard Yu Jin and my sister mention her often, and I’ve seen her too. She’s a talented and beautiful girl, and General Nian has a good taste. But, as you said, you need my help. Does that mean you want me to be a matchmaker?”

Nian Jincheng coughed lightly, “Not quite. I’d like to ask Old Master Qin to be the matchmaker, as he has a good relationship with Su Liang, and maybe he can put in a good word for me.”

Lin Bojun understood and nodded repeatedly, “No problem! Leave it to me! I’ll tell my wife when I go home, and I’m sure she’ll be happy to see it happen too!”

Lin Bojun had not grown up in the capital city and only met Nian Jincheng after joining the army. However, he had always admired Nian Jincheng’s sense of justice, and the two had similar personalities.

Nian Jincheng offered a toast of gratitude, and Lin Bojun also sighed, saying that he had grown a lot after going through the ordeal.

When Old Master Qin learned that Nian Jincheng wanted him to be the matchmaker and that he intended to marry Yang Yu, and upon hearing Lin Xueqing say that Yang Yu also had a fondness for Nian Jincheng, he agreed without hesitation.

Qin Yuyan, the second young master of the Qin family, lamented that all the good girls had been taken and that he was destined to be alone, only to be hit by Old Master Qin with his walking stick.

Soon, news spread throughout the capital city: General Nian Jincheng, who had just returned, was going to get married!

Before the incident, Nian Jincheng was one of the most outstanding young talents in Qian Country’s capital city, and many young ladies from prestigious families wanted to marry him, including Sixth Princess Duanmu Qianqian.

Now that he was suddenly getting married, the people naturally took great interest in his wedding.

Nian Jincheng and Yang Yu’s story also became a hot topic: In order to pursue the beautiful Gu Ling, Top Scholar Su Liang forcibly requested to swap seats with General Nian at the Crown Prince’s banquet to sit next to Gu Ling, which led to General Nian sitting beside Miss Yang, the good friend of Top Scholar Su. It was love at first sight, and infatuation at second…

After their engagement was officially set, Nian Jincheng seemed to have a spring in his step.

One day, Nian Jincheng accompanied Gu Ling to the Su Mansion for treatment of his headache, and they happened to meet Yang Yu, who was about to go out.

Gu Ling saluted Yang Yu and said, “I’ll get rid of this idiot soon.”

Nian Jincheng snorted, he was about to win the beauty, while someone was still being indecisive with Su Liang, not knowing who the real idiot was.

Yang Yu looked serious, “I will take good care of him. Can I ask Marquis Gu to treat Su Liang a little better?”

Gu Ling nodded, “In gratitude for Dr. Su’s treatment, I’ve brought a gift.” Both Nian Jincheng and Yang Yu were curious, but Gu Ling didn’t reveal what the gift was.

Soon after, Su Liang received Gu Ling’s gift – an iron fan.

Su Liang opened it and said speechlessly, “Sending me a fan in the dead of winter, what are you thinking, Great God?” Then he waved the fan towards Gu

Ling, “Cool enough?”

The next moment, several silver light rays shot out of the fan, flying towards Gu Ling’s face.

Su Liang was dumbfounded, while Gu Ling had already dodged behind her.

“Are you okay?” Su Liang turned around, her face full of concern, checking Gu Ling’s condition.

But the two were too close and bumped into each other reflexively, reaching out to hold each other.

The hidden weapon fan specially made by Gu Ling was thrown on the ground. Su Liang was about to push Gu Ling away, when she heard him say, “I was startled.”

So, Su Liang gently patted Gu Ling’s back, “I’m sorry! It’s all your fault for not making it clear! ” After saying that, she pushed Gu Ling away, turned around, picked up the fan, and couldn’t put it down, “Great God, you can actually make hidden weapons? Why didn’t you say it earlier? Give me ten more!”