Qu Yue didn't care about her image. Her rosy lips parted slightly as she stuck out her tiny tongue and gently exhaled.
Each breath carried a faint fragrance.
Ning Yanzhi's hand that had been pushed away hovered in the air, motionless for quite a while.
So... she wasn't about to cry; she had just burned her tongue?
Embarrassed redness crept up to his ears. On Ning Yanzhi's usually calm face, a rare look of awkwardness appeared.
He threw away the handkerchief and forced himself to look calm as he returned to his seat.
He picked up the spoon and stirred the food in the bowl. Just as he was about to look up and explain his absurd behavior just now, he happened to meet Qu Yue's tear - filled eyes.
Those already tender and clear eyes were filled with tears, like the divine dew in the Heavenly Lake, beautiful enough to make one intoxicated.
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.
Qu Yue drank several sips of tea before the pain on her tongue caused by the burn subsided a bit, replaced by a tingling sensation.
But at least she could speak now.
She was just about to open her mouth to explain that she didn't want to cry when she heard Ning Yanzhi say in his cold voice, "Your tricks won't work on me."
What?
Qu Yue stopped.
Her red lips stained with soup were bright, plump, and moist. "I..."
There was even a hint of gritted teeth in Ning Yanzhi's calm tone. "Mu Yuan married you out of soft - heartedness.
"I'm different from him.
"I don't accept women who are fickle."
The blush that had just filled Qu Yue's face instantly faded, leaving it as pale as paper.
Her hand gripping the spoon tightened.
She understood that Ning Yanzhi was insinuating that she was indecent.
Anger took over her mind. She had been behaving herself in the Marquis's Mansion all these years. When had she ever been fickle?
Ning Yanzhi could dislike her, but he must never slander her innocence!
Qu Yue stood up abruptly. "Lord Ning, please watch your words!"
A frost seemed to cover Ning Yanzhi's eyebrows. "Which part is wrong?"
"I've always..."
Just as she was about to swear, she suddenly stopped after uttering three words.
After last night, she was indeed no longer innocent.
But Ning Yanzhi didn't let it go. "Always what?"
Qu Yue gritted her teeth, her eyes wandering.
She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't tell the truth either. After all, if he knew that she had lost her innocence, he would surely drag her to be drowned in the pond without hesitation.
She couldn't say any more!
Qu Yue made up her mind and shook her head. "It's nothing."
Then she picked up the bowl and blew on the wontons. She scooped up a few and stuffed them into her mouth, mumbling her thanks. "Thank you, Lord Ning, for the treat. I just remembered that there are still some details to be handled for tomorrow's funeral. I have to go!"
She ran so fast that her words were scattered in the air.
By the time Ning Yanzhi reacted, Qu Yue was already a hundred meters away.
"Sir, it seems that she's angry..."
Seeing that Ning Yanzhi didn't respond for a long time, Dengzi boldly reminded him.
All he got was a sharp look.
Dengzi immediately stood up straight and shut his mouth.
Ning Yanzhi's eyes lingered on the bowl that still had six plump white wontons left.
A hint of coldness flashed in his distant eyes. "I'm just telling the truth."
How dare Dengzi refute?
He didn't expect that just one second ago, the young master was going to take someone out for wontons, and the next second, he was insinuating that the other person was indecent.
Everyone knew how important a woman's innocence was. His master was really cruel.
He had thought that the thousand - year - old iceberg was melting, but it turned out to be even colder and more calculating.
He even used the method of giving a sweet date first and then a slap.
After Qu Yue left, Ning Yanzhi lost his appetite for wontons. He even felt quite annoyed because of her departure.
He threw down the spoon. "I'm not eating. Let's go."
Dengzi nodded and followed. After getting on the carriage, as if he remembered something, he paused in the action of whipping the horse. Suddenly, he jumped off the carriage and went back to the wonton shop.
In the dim yellow light, the handkerchief that Ning Yanzhi had used to wipe Qu Yue's mouth just now was lying quietly on the ground.
He looked around furtively like a thief, hunched his back, and sneaked back.
With trembling fingertips, he picked up the handkerchief and carefully stuffed it back into his chest. After patting it, he straightened his back and walked out.
He didn't come back to pick up the handkerchief because it smelled of Qu Yue's fragrance.
It was just because the silk handkerchief was expensive.
With his own little secret in mind, Dengzi was extra vigilant when going out. He looked around before stepping out of the wonton shop.
But he forgot to look ahead.
When he looked up again, he bumped right into Ning Yanzhi, whose face was as cold as frost.
Dengzi's heart skipped a beat. "Ouch! Sir, why did you get off the carriage?!"
Ning Yanzhi stretched out his hand. "Give it to me."
"Sir, what are you talking about?"
Ning Yanzhi's cold eyes swept over his chest.
Like a fierce hurricane blowing from the extremely cold land, Dengzi shivered violently.
Knowing that he couldn't hide it anymore, he reluctantly took out the handkerchief and presented it to Ning Yanzhi.
The latter took the handkerchief and turned around gracefully.
His back was straight and upright. The scrolls around his waist swayed gently from side to side, looking like a handsome and elegant scholar.
Only he himself knew how fast his heart was beating and how chaotic his breathing was when he took the handkerchief.
Dengzi was unhappy because his handkerchief had been taken away. Then he heard Ning Yanzhi's order. "You go back first."
He pouted resentfully. He didn't need to guess to know what his young master was going to do.
He was worried that Miss Qu might have an accident and would follow behind to protect her.
Anyway, it wasn't the first time.
Dengzi waved the whip resentfully. "Yes, sir."
---
Qu Yue ran all the way back to the Marquis's Mansion and carefully slipped in through the side door. When she lay back on the bed, she still had a lingering fear.
Her strong heartbeat pounded against the wall of her chest, causing rapid and disordered breathing.
Just as drowsiness was about to overtake her, there was only one thought in her mind -
From now on, she would try her best to avoid Ning Yanzhi.
After only a few hours of sleep, Qu Yue got up to prepare for today's memorial ceremony.
The light and darkness created by the intersection of the sun and the moon spread in the mourning hall, exuding a solemn and terrifying atmosphere.
Qu Yue wrapped her mourning clothes tightly and stepped in.
The solid - wood coffin in the center was solemn and heavy. The white silk added to the desolate and lonely atmosphere.
But different from the layout she had carefully arranged according to size yesterday, the burial objects were now swept into a mess and piled up on the left side of the coffin.
What... what was going on?!
Qu Yue's sleepy mind immediately woke up. She rushed towards the young servant who was cleaning.
Her soft voice was tinged with urgency. "What happened?"
Hearing this, the young servant stopped sweeping. "I don't know, Madam."
After answering, he picked up the broom and went to the other side to clean, afraid of staying with Qu Yue for another second and getting into trouble.
Qu Yue's mind went blank. Her slender figure swayed as if she was about to fall. There was only an hour left before the mourners arrived.
If they saw this mess, not only would she be punished, but the Marquis's Mansion would also lose face.
As she was thinking about how to arrange everything in a short time, she walked towards the pile of burial objects.
The gold and silver ornaments were piled up messily, scattered everywhere.
Some of the utensils even had their lids missing.
She was on the verge of tears. "Who did this..."
Resignedly, Qu Yue picked up the burial objects and began to rearrange them bit by bit according to her memory.
It was still early in the morning, but she was already sweating from her hard work.
Many people were coming and going around her, but no one offered to help.
Moreover, she even attracted ridicule.
"Sister - in - law, what are you doing? Why are you arranging fakes?"