RPAGF Chapter 267, Mutual Affection?
Chapter 267, Mutual Affection?
Chapter 267, Mutual Affection?
"Watch out!!" Cui Mingyi rushed forward and steadied her with lightning speed.
Qin Youyou thought she was going to fall, but instead she fell into a warm embrace.
She looked up in surprise, and the two of them stared at each other, both stunned for a moment.
Qin Youyou could clearly feel Cui Mingyi's heartbeat, each beat as fast as hers.
His arms were tightly wrapped around her waist, and the warmth from his palms...
Qin Youyou's face instantly turned red and felt hot.
"You..." She twisted her body, about to push him away, when she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. "Ouch...it hurts so much."
Cui Mingyi immediately tensed up, "Did you sprain your ankle again?"
He carefully helped Qin Youyou sit back in the chair behind him, then squatted down to check her ankle.
Qin Youyou looked at his focused profile, feeling shy, and subconsciously wanted to pull her foot back.
Cui Mingyi pressed down on her ankle, "Don't move, let me see."
"You, you're not a doctor, what can you possibly see..." Qin Youyou muttered.
But she still let him press on her ankle...
"I'll go get the doctor." Cui Mingyi stood up.
Qin Youyou grabbed his sleeve. "No."
"do not go!"
She said softly, "I'm fine, I just need to rest."
Cui Ming also felt extremely guilty, "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have let you play pitch-pot."
Qin Youyou shook her head repeatedly, "It's not your fault, it was my own carelessness."
She paused, then said, "Actually... I've been very happy these past few days."
Cui Mingyi was stunned for a moment, looking at her slightly flushed cheeks, and a sudden impulse welled up in his heart...
But he couldn't quite explain what the impulse was...
"Then..." He thought for a moment and said, "Then, then I'll... come to see you often in the future?"
Qin Youyou looked up, "Really?"
Cui Mingyi nodded. "Mm."
Qin Youyou didn't answer, but simply nodded shyly.
*
Since the accident with the pitch-pot game, Cui Mingyi has been running around even more diligently.
Every day, they would arrive at the princess's mansion early, bringing all sorts of novel trinkets.
But he never dared to let Qin Youyou play any games that might hurt her ankle again.
"How about we solve a word puzzle today?" Cui Mingyi pulled out a stack of exquisite cards from his sleeve.
“I made these cards specifically, and each card has a word puzzle written on it.”
Qin Youyou curiously took a card, and sure enough, there was a line of text written on it.
“A dot and a horizontal line, a stroke to the west, there is a person in the west, only an inch long.”
Qin Youyou had also received early education in the arts. She frowned and thought for a while, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "It's... the character '府' (fu), isn't it?"
"You got it right!!" Cui Mingyi cheered, taking out an exquisite sachet from his sleeve. "This is your reward."
"There's another reward?" Qin Youyou took the sachet and noticed that it was embroidered with a plum blossom. The stitches were fine and lifelike, clearly made by a woman.
She bit her lip. "Who embroidered this for you?"
She herself didn't realize that there was a hint of sourness in her words.
"My mother embroidered this!" Cui Mingyi said somewhat embarrassedly, "I specifically asked my mother for it..."
Qin Youyou held the sachet in her hand. "Thank you, I like it very much."
*
Before we knew it, it was the last day of the two weeks.
"Let's play chess today."
Qin Youyou shook her head. "I can't."
Cui Mingyi smiled and arranged the chess pieces. "It's alright, I'll teach you."
"My dad said I was too impatient and insisted that I learn to play chess to temper my temperament!"
Although it was said to be a game of chess between the two, it was actually Cui Mingyi slowly teaching Qin Youyou.
Qin Youyou often took back her moves, and he indulged her in this way.
After a few rounds, it was already getting late.
Cui Mingyi suddenly said, "Princess, how about we make a bet?"
"What kind of traffic jam?" Qin Youyou asked.
“If you can beat me this round…” Cui Mingyi blinked, “I’ll grant you one request.”
Qin Youyou became interested, "Any request is acceptable?"
Cui Mingyi nodded, "Anything I can do, I can do."
Qin Youyou thought for a moment and asked, "What if you win?"
Cui Mingyi looked at her, a sly glint in his eyes, "If I win, you have to grant me one request."
"Dare you?!" he deliberately provoked her.
"What's there to be afraid of? Let's bet!" Sure enough, Qin Youyou pouted, unconvinced.
However...
Despite Qin Youyou's best efforts and repeated attempts to take back her moves...
In the end, it still lost to the death knell.
She looked at the chessboard in frustration, wondering how she had lost.
Cui Mingyi laughed, "A bet's a bet."
Qin Youyou looked at him warily, "What do you want?"
Cui Mingyi leaned closer... "I think..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, looking at Qin Youyou's nervous expression, and suddenly laughed, "I think... I'll bring it up when I think of something."
Qin Youyou was taken aback for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, then think of something quickly."
"Okay, I'll tell you when I think of something!"
After Cui Ming finished speaking, he looked up at the sky and said, "It's getting late, I should take my leave now."
Qin Youyou felt a little reluctant. She looked down at her feet, which had long since healed and were no longer painful or itchy.
"I send you?"
Cui Mingyi raised an eyebrow. "Hmm."
The two slowly walked towards the door. Qin Youyou walked very slowly, and Cui Mingyi did not urge her, but simply walked quietly beside her.
Upon reaching the door, Cui Mingyi turned to look at Qin Youyou, "Princess, then I shall take my leave."
Qin Youyou nodded hesitantly, "Mm."
Cui Mingyi looked at the sky and said, "Go back inside, it's chilly outside."
Qin Youyou didn't move. "Mm."
Cui Mingyi turned around and took a few steps, then looked back and saw Qin Youyou still standing at the door.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just smiled and said, "I'm leaving."
"Mmm," Qin Youyou responded softly.
Only then did Cui Mingyi turn and leave...
Qin Youyou stood at the door until his figure completely disappeared before reluctantly turning back to the mansion.
"Ah!!" To everyone's surprise, Tian Tian was right behind him when he turned around.
She clutched her chest, "Second Sister?!"
Tian Tian looked back and asked, "What are you looking at? Why have you been looking for so long?"
Qin Youyou smiled awkwardly, "It's...it's Young Master Cui..."
"He's gone?" Tian Tian asked.
Qin Youyou nodded, "Mm."
Tian Tian deliberately pouted, "You're leaving, why should my third sister escort you here?"
"He has no shame."
Qin Youyou's cheeks flushed slightly, "Second Sister...Young Master Cui, he..."
"He didn't ask me to deliver it; I wanted to deliver it to him..."
Tian Tian smiled and said, "Oh."
Qin Youyou caught up with Tian Tian, "Second sister, it really was me who came out to see him off..."
"I understand," Tian Tian said.
Qin Youyou breathed a sigh of relief...
Back in my room, I sat on the edge of the bed and watched the sky outside the window gradually darken.
For some reason, I recalled... Cui Mingyi's hesitant expression as he left, and for some reason, a strange sweetness welled up in my heart.
She touched her slightly flushed cheeks and shyly picked up the storybook beside her.
I was trying to hide my shyness, but I inadvertently saw something in the book...
The talented scholar was expressing his feelings to the beautiful woman, and his words were full of deep affection.
"I wish to find one heart to share with you, and stay together until our hair turns white..." she murmured, her face burning even hotter.
*
Early in the morning, Qin Youyou sat by the window, holding a storybook in her hands, but she couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.
She would look up at the doorway every now and then, hoping that familiar figure would appear.
As the sun rose higher, the sounds of maids bustling about came from the courtyard, but Cui Mingyi still hadn't arrived.
Qin Youyou's heart sank little by little...
"Perhaps... something has delayed him..." she comforted herself, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the storybook.
At noon, Tian Tian came over to have lunch with her. Seeing that she seemed absent-minded, she deliberately teased her, "Youyou, what's wrong?"
Qin Youyou forced a smile, "Second sister, I'm fine."
"Nothing's wrong?" Tian Tian teased. "I thought...you were thinking about someone. You seemed distracted."
"No!!" Qin Youyou reacted strongly.
Tian Tian smiled and said, "If you don't have it, you don't have it. Why are you so agitated?"
Qin Youyou coughed lightly twice, feeling extremely embarrassed.
Tian Tian left after finishing her meal.
In the afternoon, Qin Youyou sat in the courtyard, idly flipping through the riddles that Cui Mingyi had brought.
And so it went until sunset...
Qin Youyou's heart set in the west with the sun.
Days passed, but Cui Mingyi still did not appear.
Qin Youyou's mood became increasingly depressed, and she lost interest in everything.
All he does is sit on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the plum blossoms in the yard.
I remember when Cui Mingyi came for the second time, he specially brought plum blossom cakes...
Qin Youyou bit her lip, feeling resentful.
"Why..."
She murmured to herself, "Why did they suddenly stop coming?"
She recalled the surprises Cui Mingyi brought her every day, his focus when teaching her pitch-pot, and his gentleness when rewarding her... every little detail was vivid in her mind.
Qin Youyou suddenly stood up and closed the window.
"It must be because I was too bored before!!" she said!
*
"Second sister, I'll go to the shop with you." Qin Youyou got up very early.
When she was idle at home with nothing to do, she would start to overthink things. She decided to go and help out at the shop.
Qin Youyou was helping the shopkeeper keep accounts behind the counter at Chaxiangzhai.
Suddenly, a familiar figure entered through the door.
Qin Youyou looked up and was immediately stunned!
Cui Mingyi walked in side by side with a young girl dressed in gorgeous clothes.
The young girl was beautiful and graceful, and was smiling as she spoke to Cui Mingyi.
Qin Youyou quickly lowered her head, pretending to be focused on the ledger, but her eyes kept glancing around.
"Commander, please come in."
Qin Youyou couldn't hear what Cui Mingyi said to the waiter, but she knew that the waiter led her upstairs to the second floor.
After a while, the waiter came down and delivered the order to the kitchen in the back.
Qin Youyou was extremely curious, but she couldn't openly go over to take a look...
He could only grip the calligraphy brush tightly in his hand.
Suddenly, a few thoughts welled up in her mind...
Qin Youyou went to the kitchen. "Where are the dishes for room number seven on the second floor?"
"Here..." the cook shouted, "The food is ready!"
"I'll do it," Qin Youyou said, speaking before the waiter could finish.
She picked up the condiment bottle next to her and added a large spoonful of vinegar to the dish.
When the dishes were served, Cui Ming looked up and met Qin Youyou's gaze.
He paused for a moment, his eyes darting around nervously, as if he wanted to say something.
Qin Youyou snorted coldly and turned to leave.
The little girl next to Cui Mingyi blinked in surprise. What was going on?
This Tea Fragrance Restaurant is a newly opened restaurant in the capital, famous for its ambiance and service.
But the girl who served the food just now...
Why does it feel like they want to shove the plate into their cousin's head?
"Try it..." Cui Mingyi said somewhat awkwardly.
He picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, then immediately frowned, "This taste..."
"What's wrong?" Li Xiaoyue asked him with concern.
Cui Ming also forced himself to swallow, "It's nothing, maybe it's just a new flavor..."
Shouldn't this tea-scented shrimp dish have vinegar added?
The waiter brought over other dishes...
"Cousin, why don't you eat something else?" Cui Mingyi pulled the tea-smoked shrimp in front of her.
Li Xiaoyue tasted the other dishes, "Hmm...the taste is indeed quite good."
"No wonder the reputation of Cha Xiang Zhai has spread to our area."
"Cousin, why aren't you eating?"
Cui Mingyi had no appetite at all. "Cousin, you should eat more."
Li Xiaoyue came to Beijing this time to spend the Spring Festival, which was mainly for eating, drinking, and having fun.
After hearing Cui Mingyi's words, she didn't hold back.
When it came time to pay, Qin Youyou kept her head down, focused on calculating the bill, "One hundred and fifteen taels of silver."
Good food, good wine, good tea...
“Princess…” Cui Mingyi called softly.
Qin Youyou didn't look up, and repeated, "One hundred and fifteen taels!"
Cui Mingyi handed over silver notes and loose change, saying, "Xiaoyue is my cousin. She recently came to visit, and I'm the only one at home with time to spare, so my grandfather asked me to keep her company..."
Qin Youyou paused for a moment, but still didn't look up. "Why are you telling me this?"
She weighed the loose silver to make sure it was correct, then said, "Perfect, you can go now."
"Princess..."
Just then, Li Xiaoyue walked in from outside. "Cousin, are you done yet?"
Cui Mingyi turned around and replied, "Coming."
He then turned to Qin Youyou, "Princess, I will visit you in a couple of days."
Before Cui Mingyi could say anything more, Li Xiaoyue walked over. "Cousin, I'd like to browse the jewelry shops again..."
"coming."
Qin Youyou looked up at Cui Mingyi's departing figure, and the pent-up anger in her heart dissipated considerably.
Recently, Tian Tian and Wan Xinran have been preparing for the opening of Jiaoyan Pavilion.
Tian Tian always goes to the new shop, only returning to Cha Xiang Zhai during mealtimes.
Just then, they saw Cui Mingyi and Li Xiaoyue getting into the carriage.
As she entered the shop, she saw Qin Youyou looking outside.
"Third sister, what are you looking at? Who's outside?" Tian Tian deliberately looked outside, and even looked in Cui Mingyi's direction.
"Second Sister!" Qin Youyou grabbed her arm. "Nobody..."
"Sister Wan, you're here too." She looked at Wan Xinran behind Tian Tian.
When will Jiaoyan Pavilion open?
Wan Xinran, unaware of the sisters' secret thoughts, casually echoed Qin Youyou's words, "It's opening tomorrow!!"
"Perfect timing to make a fortune before the holidays!!"