Chapter 26

He just doesn't want to sleep.

Jiang He had lost count of how many times she had given hairpins to Xue Lingyu. Whether it was openly or secretly, she always thought that Xue Lingyu would look beautiful wearing them.

Now that I see it, it's indeed true.

Jiang He's gaze seemed glued to Xue Lingyu, making him involuntarily turn his face away. A blush rose on his fair face, prompting him to touch the hairpin in his hair, trying to distract himself from his nervousness, and ask, "Why are you staring at my hairpin? Are these two hairpins mismatched?"

The red jade and agate hairpin and the gold hair ornament are both rare and exquisite styles, and they complement each other perfectly. Moreover, Xue Lingyu's skin is extremely fair and translucent, and the combination makes him look like a figure who has stepped out of a painting.

Jiang He withdrew her gaze, her voice laced with amusement as she teased, "When did this hairpin become yours?"

"Wasn't it a gift for me?" Xue Lingyu blinked. Jiang He had already put it on him herself. Did she want to take it back?

We should still give it to other young men so they can try it out first.

Xue Lingyu waited for Jiang He's answer, but Jiang He suddenly became slow and deliberate. He was not usually one to rush things, but at this moment, a fire was burning inside him.

If it was intended as a gift for the Fifth Prince, he might as well break it on the spot.

It was rare to see him reveal his little temper, so Jiang He smiled and said, "Of course it's for you."

Although she received affirmation, Xue Lingyu was annoyed that she had deliberately teased her, and said in a huff, "That's fine then. It's late, I need to go back and rest."

Jiang He suddenly reached out to stop him, ultimately preventing him from leaving the room.

The next morning, Yuange came to help Jiang He get up. She saw someone lying on the bed. She didn't dare to look up, but she knew who this person was.

Last night, Yang Le came to ask about Xue Lingyu's whereabouts. Even Yuan Ge herself couldn't believe it, but she still told her that Young Master Xue had been kept overnight at Liushui Xiaozhu by Miss.

The young lady had already violated the rules by staying overnight in the courtyard, but now she's keeping people in her room.

What a great favor this is!

When Jiang He got up, Xue Lingyu was still asleep. He was only wearing a single layer of clothing, his dark hair was loose, and his sleeping face was quiet and obedient. His long, dark blue eyelashes trembled slightly from time to time, as if he was having a dream.

He still looked reluctant to take off his hairpins when he went to sleep last night. Sleeping like that must be uncomfortable, so Jiang He took both hairpins off and put them aside after he fell asleep.

Xue Lingyu still had injuries on her legs and bruises on her body that hadn't faded, so she didn't do anything.

Before leaving for the shop, Yuange couldn't help but ask, "Miss, should we wake Young Master Xue?"

Considering Xue Lingyu's recent physical condition, Jiang He decided to let him sleep a little longer.

"No need, let him wake up on his own."

Yuange then asked, "Then the small kitchen should prepare some nourishing food so that Young Master Xue can use it after he wakes up."

Yuange had some vague guesses, but dared not say them outright.

"Alright."

Before leaving, Jiang He glanced at Xue Lingyu by the bedside one last time.

He still showed no signs of waking up, sleeping soundly, and even took the spot that originally belonged to her.

Jiang He pondered for a moment, then said to Yuan Ge, "By the way, have the secret guards investigate something..."

After hearing the instructions, Yuange suddenly looked up at the person on the bed and gasped in surprise.

The Jiang family owned no fewer than ten restaurants in the capital, with the most successful being the Ruyi Restaurant on Jinghua Street, which was almost always packed. Many officials also enjoyed entertaining guests there.

Su Yawan's tact lies in her verbal skills; she can decline any social engagements she can, and only Jiang He can invite her out.

But as soon as she came out, she sensed that Jiang He was different.

After all the dishes were served, Su Yawan rolled up her sleeves, picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, raised her eyebrows and said, "What's wrong? Are you in such a good mood today? Did something good happen?"

Jiang He rubbed his fingers and said, "There is good news. I must congratulate Scholar Su on getting first place in the Ministry of Personnel's examination."

At the end of the year comes the triennial performance evaluation of officials. The Ministry of Personnel will evaluate the performance of officials in various regions over the past three years. The better the performance, the higher the rank. The evaluation will be presented to His Majesty, and the best will be promoted and granted titles.

The Ministry of Personnel presented the results to the Emperor this morning.

The Prefect of Jingzhao is already a third-rank official; the next step would place him among the high-ranking officials. Su Yawan is so young, his future is limitless, and he may even rise to the position of Prime Minister.

Su Yawan smiled. Although she seemed somewhat carefree in front of Jiang He, she was never careless when it came to official duties.

I have always held myself to the highest standards.

The first-class ranking was expected, but she was all alone. Now that powerful families controlled the government, no matter how outstanding she was, her path to advancement was still long and she still had to rely on seniority.

The area around Ruyi Restaurant is bustling with activity. Looking out the window, one can often see elegantly dressed young ladies from wealthy families, seemingly indulging in a life of pleasure and debauchery, which happens to evoke memories of the past for the two of them.

Su Yawan poured herself a glass of wine and gestured for Jiang He to clink glasses. "Is this reminiscent of your playboy days?"

Jiang He glanced at the group of people and commented, "Nothing special."

Su Yawan suddenly lowered her voice, her face calm but her tone serious: "The one who wants to kill Xue Lingyi in the capital must be related to the salt smuggling case, or there may be something else going on in that murder case."

“I discovered that Kang Minzhi of the Ministry of Personnel was also secretly involved in the salt smuggling case.”

As if discussing something perfectly ordinary, Jiang He responded with a smile.

The two of them immediately understood each other without saying a word.

If we want to clear the Xue family's name, it seems we have to start with Kang Min.

Su Yawan leaned back in her chair and asked knowingly, "If Xue Lingyu had asked you earlier, given the Jiang family's wealth, they would surely have been able to help Xue Lingyi settle the salt smuggling case, right?"

Jiang He paused slightly, and without the slightest hesitation, truthfully replied, "It would cost half of the Jiang family."

Su Yawan couldn't help but sigh, if she could do what Jiang He did, perhaps her current situation would be different.

The person she longed for was unreachable and untouchable.

When Xue Lingyu woke up, the first thing she saw was her hairpin.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and realized that the space beside him was empty; Jiang He must have left long ago.

If he were to sleep with the hairpin on, his neck might feel uncomfortable, but for some reason he insisted on doing so, so Jiang He kindly took it off for him.

Hearing the noise in the room, Yuan Ge entered and saw that Xue Lingyu had already gotten up.

She bowed respectfully.

"Young Master Xue, the small kitchen has prepared a nourishing meal for you. Would you like someone to help you wash up now?"

Xue Lingyu nodded. "Then let's call Yang Le over."

Yuange accepted the order and went to carry it out.

When Yang Le was summoned to Liushui Xiaozhu, she was a little alarmed, thinking that something had happened. After all, her mistress's temper was unpredictable, and she was always unsure about her attitude towards Xue Lingyu.

When he saw Xue Lingyu on the young lady's bed, his heart was both shocked and pounding.

It would be a terrible thing if the master found out that a concubine could sleep on the wife's bed.

As Yang Le combed Xue Lingyu's hair, she secretly observed him and said, "Young Master looks much better."

Xue Lingyu looked at himself in the mirror. His skin was as smooth as jade, and he was charming with a gentle smile. When he was the eldest son of the Xue family, his appearance was what people talked about.

Even if Xue Lingyu just sat there without smiling, he was still a very pleasing sight. Yang Le helped him wash up while worrying about his injuries: "How is your injury healing, young master?"

Yang Le's question reminded Xue Lingyu of the time he was forced to kneel as punishment. He was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm fine otherwise, but my knees still hurt a bit."

After all, he had been kneeling all night, and his high fever had only recently subsided, so he hadn't recovered that quickly.

Yang Le then said, "After we finish eating, I will carry you back."

Just as Xue Lingyu was about to say that something was amiss, Yuan Ge interrupted her, saying:

"Young Master Xue, Miss has instructed you not to leave until she returns. Please feel free to send any requests you may have to the servants in the courtyard."

Yang Le was worried that if the master found out that Young Master Xue was in the young lady's room, he would be displeased, but now she couldn't leave, so she didn't dare to say a word.

Xue Lingyu did not show any reluctance, and even said to Yang Le, "I'll wear this gold hairpin today."

He dressed up carefully, but Jiang He didn't appear until evening. Instead, he ran into Ji Xue.

Xue Xing rushed into the yard, wanting to show Jiang He his work, but Jiang He wasn't there. Just as he was about to feel disappointed, he saw Xue Lingyu.

He immediately pulled Xue Lingyu aside and showed it to him, his tone full of pride:

"Handsome brother, look what I caught!"

Xue slowly opened his palm, revealing a small object. Xue Lingyu lowered his eyes and identified it: "It's a butterfly."

Once the butterfly was free, it flapped its wings and flew away in the blink of an eye. Ji Xue immediately shouted and chased after it, but he couldn't catch up no matter what he did. In the end, he ran back with a mournful face and his head hanging low.

Who would have thought that a beautiful and delicate butterfly could escape from the palm of your hand?

His disappointment was short-lived; he cheered up again as soon as he saw Xue Lingyu.

“Handsome brothers are like butterflies. Butterflies can fly away, but handsome brothers can’t.” Ji Xue puffed out her cheeks and said with a bright smile, “Even if handsome brothers run away, I can catch up with them!”

His words were rambling and incoherent, yet they made Xue Lingyu laugh.

His smile left Ji Xue speechless.

Xue Lingyu had dressed up carefully. Although his clothes were a bit outdated, the bright red color made his eyes shine even brighter. The golden hairpin on his head was dignified and elegant, and it remained perfectly still even when he lowered his head.

"What should I eat to be as good-looking as my handsome brother?" Ji Xue asked enviously, cupping her face in her hands.

Xue Lingyu smiled and patted Ji Xue's head, "You're already very beautiful. I wasn't that good-looking when I was your age."

Xue Lingyu could not help but feel sorry for him because he was mentally immature and still a child. However, he still had martial arts skills, otherwise a man would easily suffer.

I don't know why Xue Yinyin did this.

Xue Lingyu was lost in thought when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“Remember Xue”.

That was Jiang He's voice.

Xue Lingyu looked towards the courtyard gate and indeed saw Jiang He. She must have just returned to the mansion from outside.

In the brief moment he was stunned, Ji Xue had already run up to Jiang He, grabbed her sleeve, and said happily, "Miss! You're finally back!"

Jiang He patted his head and said in a tone similar to that of a child, "Yes, I brought you your favorite pastries. Go and get them from Yuange."

Before she could finish speaking, Ji Xue had already vanished using his light-footed skills.

Sure enough, all they could think about was food.

So Xue Lingyu was left alone with Jiang He. He stood in the courtyard, as if he was waiting for Jiang He to return.

As Xue Lingyu pondered how to begin, Jiang He stepped forward, took his hand, and led him back into the inner room.

Jiang He's palms were warm. Although the two had consummated their marriage, Xue Lingyu was at a loss for what to do. He was acting strangely and didn't dare to look Jiang He in the eye.

But he had another question for Jiang He.

Sensing that Xue Lingyu's emotions were a bit off, Jiang He thought he must have misunderstood something, so she wanted to explain.

She called out to Xue Lingyu, but Xue Lingyu did not respond. She called her name twice more, and only on the third call did Xue Lingyu respond.

"What are you thinking about?" Jiang He gently stroked his cheek with her fingertips. She was quite fond of the delicate touch, but she had no other intentions. She simply wanted to wipe the dust off his face.

This is clearly a record of Xue Nong.

Xue Lingyu was stunned by Jiang He's sudden action. It took him a while to realize that there was something dirty on his face. He felt ashamed and said with pursed lips, "I was wondering why Xue Lingyu turned out like this."

"That happened in Fog City." Jiang He seemed reluctant to talk about it, and Xue Lingyu knew it wasn't a good experience, so she decided to keep quiet.

Jiang He changed the subject: "Does your leg still hurt?"

Xue Lingyu changed her tune at this moment: "Kneeling all night is naturally painful, not to mention I had a high fever, and my body is getting more and more tired. I don't know if I caught a chill at night, but it hurts a lot when I get up in the morning, and all the injuries on my body hurt as well."

Those injuries were naturally left during his madness; whatever he says, you can't tell the truth without taking off his clothes.

He pretended to pound his knee, but to his surprise, it hurt when he pounded it, and he couldn't help but hiss.

Jiang He immediately grabbed his hand, her tone a little harsh: "I'm just asking you, how did you hurt yourself?"

Xue Lingyu gritted her teeth and said, "It doesn't hurt that much."

It seems he shot himself in the foot; he could only swallow his tears and bear it.

Jiang He helped him to the bedside. When he saw Jiang He about to check his knees, Xue Lingyu instinctively backed away.

Jiang He withdrew her hand, pondered for a moment, and finally gave an explanation: "If I don't punish you first, Mother might make you kneel in the ancestral hall. At least it's warm here."

The night Xue Lingyu was punished by kneeling, she specifically instructed the servants to heat the floor heating a little warmer than usual.

Xue Lingyu never expected Jiang He to say these things to him. It turned out that beneath her seemingly indifferent exterior, she was always thinking of him.

All sorts of past events surfaced in his mind, and in comparison, he realized how excessive he had been.

“Jiang He, it was clearly you who was injured…” Xue Lingyu’s throat felt a little sore. “Although I haven’t seen your wounds, the room was filled with the smell of blood that day.”

The strong smell of blood meant she was seriously injured, yet she acted as if nothing had happened.

Jiang He stopped him from speaking and smiled gently: "Go to sleep first. Didn't you say you wanted to see the Jiang family's shop? If your leg is better tomorrow, I'll take you there."

Xue Lingyu wouldn't give up and kept pestering her, saying, "You know what I want to ask."

He wanted to see her wounds, to ask her why she had gone to such lengths, and to know if they were truly important to her.

However, Jiang He did not give him a chance, but instead made him lie down and rest in a very forceful manner.

He covered himself with Jiang He's blanket, his clear eyes fixed on her, clearly not sleepy yet.

Jiang He reached out to pull the bed curtains to prevent the candlelight from keeping Xue Lingyu awake, since she had to wait until she finished reviewing the account books before she could rest, which might mean staying up very late.

"You're stepping on my hair," Xue Lingyu suddenly said, her tone somewhat aggrieved.

Jiang He had to stop; she hadn't even touched him yet.

“Xue Lingyu.” Jiang He didn’t miss the cunning in his eyes and looked at him helplessly.

Xue Lingyu dared not look directly into her eyes, and silently pulled the blanket up, revealing only her eyes, which looked exceptionally innocent.

This scene made Jiang He unable to help but laugh.

He just doesn't want to sleep.

◎Latest Comments:

【Patting claws∈】

[So sweet! So sweet! I scream every time their relationship progresses!]

I've suddenly become curious: who is Su Yawan's love interest?

Who does Xiao Su like? A side couple has appeared, Xiang Xiang!

When will you update your story, author? (ヽ(○^^))

【

[Check-in]

Why hasn't it been updated yet?

[28% cumin-flavored for bug detection.]

Not wanting to sleep is a good thing!

[Sure! Give us lots of candy!]

[The delicate and adorable Yu Yu is simply irresistible; you just can't resist taking a bite!]

【Oh, check-in】

【Here it comes! Here it comes! Here it comes!】

Why are we all suddenly so happy and harmonious?

-over-