Chapter 105 [Extra] Jiang Family Jiang Mian: "Brother Congshan, I want to..."

Chapter 7 [Extra] Jiang Family Jiang Mian: "Brother Congshan, I want to..."

The two families exchanged birth charts and set a wedding date.

Xue Lingyu hasn't told Jiang Mian the good news yet. In a few days, it will be the day she takes the exam, and she can't let her be distracted by other things.

After returning with Mr. Song, Cong Shan heard from his mother that he was engaged to Jiang Mian. He couldn't help but sway, finding it hard to believe. When he heard that it was Jiang Mian's wish that her parents came to propose marriage, he couldn't contain his excitement.

“Jiang Mian is your junior sister. If you marry her, with the bond of being fellow disciples and childhood friends, she will definitely treat you well. This is the best possible outcome.” Jiang Yuan looked at her eldest son. “After she finishes the imperial examination, the news of the engagement between the two families will spread. At that time, you should not go out casually. Just stay at home and wait for your marriage.”

Cong Shan bit her thin lips, her dark eyes seeming to be coated with a layer of light, "Yes, Mother."

He knew he would get married one day, but he never expected that the Jiang family would actually come to propose marriage. Wasn't Jiang Mian supposed to marry a prince? Why would she turn around and want to marry him?

Does she truly like herself?

I'm unsure whether to follow the good advice or not.

While he could still go out, he wanted to go back to the Imperial Academy to ask Jiang Mian. Although it would be beneath a man's dignity, he wanted to be sure that Jiang Mian liked him, so that he could marry her willingly.

After a long and arduous journey, and with the survey of the ancient bridge being particularly demanding, Mr. Song granted Congshan a three-day holiday so that he could get some rest. However, in the afternoon, he arrived at the Imperial College.

Mr. Song assumed he had questions about his studies, and Cong Shan said nervously, "Sir, I have something to say to my junior sister."

Upon hearing that Cong Shan was looking for her, Jiang Mian immediately came out of the house, smiling at Cong Shan, "Brother Cong Shan, you were looking for me?"

"I have something to tell you, sir. Please forgive my rudeness." Cong Shan stepped forward, took Jiang Mian's hand, apologized to Mr. Song in a low voice, and led her into the courtyard.

There were only the two of them in the courtyard. Cong Shan looked at Jiang Mian, who looked confused, and didn't know how to ask her. Should he ask her directly, "Do you really love me? Do you really want to marry me?"

Cong Shan couldn't get the words out of Jiang Mian; he just stared at her, a thousand words stuck in his throat.

Jiang Mian looked at him carefully. "Brother Congshan, you seem a little strange today."

As she spoke, she stepped forward to touch Congshan's forehead and asked, "Are you too tired?"

Cong Shan subconsciously took a step back, avoiding her hand.

Jiang Mian was somewhat taken aback. This was the first time Cong Shan had resisted her touch like this. What had happened?

"I'm fine, junior sister. I have something I want to tell you." Cong Shan's tears were almost falling. He clenched his fists tightly, took several deep breaths, and looked up at Jiang Mian.

"I want to ask you, is there... ever a moment when you wanted a different kind of relationship with me?"

Beyond being fellow disciples, there's a deeper reason why she calls him "Brother Congshan," not because of his age, but because of other factors, such as liking him and wanting him to be her husband.

"Does Brother Congshan want to adopt me as his sworn sister? I happen to need a brother too, sure!" Jiang Mian smiled brightly and agreed immediately. She also wanted a biological brother like Brother Congshan.

Whether she understood or was pretending not to, Congshan's eyes immediately darkened, and she said self-deprecatingly, "Never mind."

He turned around, closed his eyes, and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll go back now."

The two were already engaged, and he was going to marry into the Jiang family no matter what, even if Jiang Mian really only saw him as a brother. The marriage had to go on.

Jiang Mian didn't know what Cong Shan was thinking, but she could tell that he seemed unhappy. She went back to ask her husband, but he said that nothing strange had happened on the way. Cong Shan was fine the whole way, but after returning home, he suddenly became like this.

Jiang Mian wanted to visit Cong Shan at the Jiang family, but it was the crucial time before the exams, and she couldn't leave. She decided to wait until after the exams to go to the Jiang family to find him and ask him for clarification.

The exam lasted for three days, and all candidates had to eat and sleep in the examination hall, which was cold and damp. This was a fatal blow to some candidates with weak constitutions. Xue Lingyu specially embroidered something warm for Jiang Mian to wear in order to prevent her knees from getting frostbite.

After thinking it over for a few days, Cong Shan finally sent the wristband he had embroidered by hand to Jiang Mian.

Jiang Mian brought all of these to the examination room. When night fell, the examination room was indeed so cold that it made people shiver. Jiang Mian took out some warm clothes and saw that the wristband given by Cong Shan had a twin lotus flower faintly embroidered on it.

His embroidery skills were excellent, even surpassing his father's in the slightest. As Jiang Mian stroked the twin lotus blossoms, she suddenly recalled the scene of Cong Shan blushing nervously.

Three days later, the exam ended, and the students were able to leave the examination hall.

The results will be announced in half a month. Those who perform well will be selected for the palace examination and will be personally appointed by His Majesty.

As soon as Jiang Mian finished her exam, she went back and slept for a day and a night. She had barely closed her eyes for the past three days and was so tired that she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

After she woke up, she drank the nourishing soup that Xue Lingyu had specially prepared, and then she went to the Jiang residence.

Xue Lingyu then said, “Mian’er, I didn’t tell you before because I was afraid it would affect your exam. Didn’t I ask you earlier if you had a man you liked? You said it was your senior brother Congshan. I thought you were getting on in years and it was time to arrange a marriage. After getting your answer, your mother went to the Jiang family to propose marriage.”

"Now that you are engaged and the news of your marriage has spread, you should avoid any appearance of impropriety."

Jiang Mian's eyes widened. She had only said it casually at the time, but she didn't expect her mother and father to propose marriage so soon. No wonder her brother Congshan asked her that question that day. It turned out it was because of the marriage.

Didn't she hurt his feelings by saying those things?

"Father, I have to go and explain some things to him." Seeing that Jiang Mian was determined to go, Xue Lingyu could only let her go.

Jiang Mian had finished his exams and was officially preparing for his wedding. He started embroidering his wedding dress, but before he could even finish a few stitches, a servant brought news that Mr. Song had urgent business to discuss with him. His mother was not home, so Congshan had no way to inform him. Fearing that Mr. Song might really have something important to discuss, he simply took the carriage and left.

When he arrived at the Imperial College, he found that Mr. Song was not there, and only Jiang Mian was in the room.

“Mr. Song was just invited to a small gathering by a friend and won’t be back for a while,” Jiang Mian explained. “I invited you over using Mr. Song’s name.”

Cong Shan let out a soft breath. "Is there something important?"

"About our marriage...it's because one day my father asked me if I had a man I liked, and I casually mentioned your name. He must have taken it seriously, which is why he went to the Jiang family to propose marriage. I didn't know about this before the exam."

Now that things had come to this point, Cong Shan thought he understood her meaning. His fingertips trembled as he steadied his voice and said, "I understand. If you want to annul the engagement, I don't..."

Jiang Mian suddenly interrupted him, staring intently at him and said, "Brother Congshan, may I kiss you?"

Cong Shan was stunned for a moment. Before he could speak, Jiang Mian closed the doors and windows tightly, stepped forward, grabbed his fair wrist, and pinned him against the wall.

Jiang Mian also seemed a little nervous. She couldn't help but swallow hard and stepped forward to touch Cong Shan's cool lips. The girl's kiss was like a dragonfly skimming the water, without any skillful technique. She only took a light bite and didn't pry open his teeth to savor other flavors.

Cong Shan neither resisted nor refused; he dared not look into Jiang Mian's eyes and simply closed them.

It turns out that Jiang Mian's lips, like her personality, are so warm.

When the two finally separated, Cong Shan could barely breathe.

“Brother Congshan, I want to marry you.” Jiang Mian took Congshan’s hand and placed it on her heaving chest. Her heart was beating faster and her breathing was becoming more rapid.

"Father said that people only kiss those they like. I think I like you, I just didn't realize it before." Jiang Mian's attitude was very serious, and since she had already kissed Cong Shan, she was definitely going to take responsibility for him.

Cong Shan was somewhat flustered by her. Jiang Mian's confession made his ears turn red, and he let out a muffled groan, "Junior Sister, your hand..."

Jiang Mian's hands were tightly wrapped around his waist. Although he was two years older than her, Cong Shan was now like a little lamb being manipulated. He could not break free from Jiang Mian, nor did he have the strength to stand up on his own.

Feeling a hand land on his belt, Cong Shan took a deep breath, his body naturally leaning forward, becoming even more supple.

"No, not here!" Cong Shan exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes.

"I just wanted to see Brother Congshan." Jiang Mian chuckled softly, a hint of playfulness flashing in her eyes. "After all, Brother Congshan is so handsome."

Jiang Mian kissed away the moisture from Cong Shan's eyes, straightened his clothes, and asked in a low voice, "Was I bullying Cong Shan just now?"

After so many years together, Cong Shan never imagined that one day he would be held in a young girl's arms and bullied at will.

Shan was so ashamed that he couldn't speak.

After all, he was young and full of vigor, and he was afraid that Jiang Mian might lose control and things would get out of hand. In the end, he was a man and his strength was no match for Jiang Mian's, so he could only obediently listen to her.

The girl kissed him on the cheek again, held his hand and said, "Then I'll tease Brother Congshan again later."

"I never knew Brother Congshan's waist was so flexible, and he smelled so good."

Helpless, Cong Shan reminded her to restrain herself, "Junior sister, this is the Imperial Academy."

Jiang Mian had no choice but to stop and open the door and windows.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual about her clothes and hair, Cong Shan couldn't help but ask Jiang Mian, "I've always wanted to ask you why you don't ask the Second Prince for his hand in marriage. After all, you are cousins, and the Second Prince has had such a good relationship with you since childhood."

“Ping An is my cousin. I’ve always treated him like an older brother. Besides, he’s so outspoken and always arguing with me. I don’t want to marry a husband like him.” Jiang Mian got angry as soon as she talked about Ping An. Ping An was nothing like her cousin. He didn’t understand brotherly love and respect at all.

These words, however, resolved the knot in Congshan's heart.