Chapter 181: There’s Still Time

Chapter 181: There's Still Time

A bitter smile flashed across Chen Jianfang's face.

Well, how to put it?

It felt like someone had cursed your ancestors for eighteen generations, from your grandfather's fickle decrees to your grandmother's fickleness, even the wooden memorial tablets in the ancestral hall seemed to be criticized for their grain not being straight.

Chen Jianfang glanced at Xianjin's expression and felt that even if a dog passed by, she would kick it.

He truly dared not speak.

But he could not remain silent.

Xianjin's attitude toward the Chen family directly determined how they would proceed on this path.

Chen Jianfang whispered, "…Grandmother is rigid, Uncle is timid; though their personalities have flaws, they are not wicked people."

In an attempt to soothe her, he lowered his head and took out a handful of plump, purple grapes from the bundle he was carrying.

The grapes had been carefully handled, with the white bloom washed off, revealing small stems that perfectly covered the translucent flesh inside.

Chen Jianfang held them in his hand and offered them to Xianjin, his eyes flickering, his ears turning red as translucent jade, "…Don't be angry with the Chen family anymore, okay? The cunning and hateful Sixth Uncle and Fifth Uncle have all been dealt with, haven't they? Grandmother pushed Mangge out, and now he has left, hasn't he? Though the Chen family may not be a blessed place, it is still a place that values reason."

Xianjin looked down at the purple grapes in her pale palm, like a string of purple gemstones strung together by time and affection, swaying gently in her hand, more enchanting than ripples under the moonlight.

Xianjin clenched her fists tightly, then slowly and gently opened her palms after a moment.

She flipped her hand, hiding the marks of her fingers in her sleeve.

Chen Jianfang keenly sensed the change in Xianjin's mood and pressed his advantage, pushing the grapes closer to her, "…After Mid-Autumn Festival, there won't be any grapes left. I picked two bunches at noon and washed them thoroughly."

In this world, cherries and grapes were rare delicacies.

To be precise, anything sweet was a rarity.

Xianjin picked one grape from his palm with her fingertips, opened her mouth wide, and swallowed it whole, skin and all.

"Why do you eat grapes without spitting out the skins?" the young man laughed, his sharp canine teeth finally revealed by the widening of his smile.

Xianjin crossed her arms behind her head, smiling as she savored the bitterness of the skin and the sweetness of the juice, and explained, "We're on the road, with no well water to wash our hands or silk handkerchiefs to wipe them. Peeling the grapes would make my hands dirty, and I don't like sticky fingers."

Chen Jianfang was taken aback, then carefully tucked the grapes into his pocket, leaving one in his hand. Using the dim light from the oil lamp in the corner and the full moon in the sky, he peeled the grape piece by piece, as if writing an essay.

After thoroughly transforming the grape into a crystal wrapped in purple veins, Chen Jianfang earnestly held out the small stem to Xianjin.

"Try it."

"This way, you won't get your hands dirty."

The young man urged Xianjin to take it, "…I have many more grapes to peel."

Xianjin, as if waking from a dream, accepted the peeled grape, placed it in her mouth, and found that the bitterness of the skin had vanished, leaving only the sweet, succulent flesh and the refreshing juice.

Xianjin opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by another wave of sweetness.

Su'er followed behind, feeling helpless and somewhat resentful: She shouldn't be here; she should be up in the trees, on the grape vines, picking upside down while the handsome Second Master of the Chen family peeled grapes below, and her boss ate heartily…

—Only then would her participation feel complete!

The dozen grapes formed a long journey. Chen Jianfang, peeling grapes for Xianjin, his fingers stained a faint purple, always wore a light smile. Occasionally, he would look up to see the girl beside him either animatedly talking with her hands or kicking small stones on the street, sending them into the corners of houses, raising a thin cloud of dust.

The girl would cough from the dust, then continue speaking with enthusiasm.

She couldn't stay idle; her mouth, hands, and feet were always busy.

Her vitality and spirit were so abundant, it was as if she could live on dew alone, like a robust fairy.

Chen Jianfang's gaze held a tender, lingering smile as he gently wiped his hands and slowly exhaled a contented sigh.

If only this road could be a little longer.

But even if it were a pilgrimage to the West, they would eventually arrive.

When they returned to Xuancheng Prefecture, it was already late.

They entered through the western side gate, and Chen Jianfang escorted Xianjin to the inner courtyard's second door.

With nimble movements, Xianjin quietly pulled out her red and blue double-bladed daggers from her pocket and skillfully inserted them into the door latch.

Chen Jianfang retracted his astonished gaze and sincerely sighed, "If you ever stop doing business, you could become a master thief."

—What strange skills!

Xianjin carefully used the dagger to move the bolt away from the thick wooden door, humbly saying, "Just petty tricks, petty tricks. As the saying goes, having more skills doesn't weigh you down; these are just superficial things!"

Chen Jianfang: ...

What are you being humble about?

No one is praising you!

Xianjin pried open the door latch, waited for the right moment, and pushed the door open, grabbing the bolt to prevent it from making noise when it hit the ground.

Satisfied with her perfect display of skill, she turned to wave at Chen Jianfang, "…Go back."

After a moment, she added, "Though they may be inconsistent and fickle, no one is perfect, and gold is never pure. To me now, the Chen family is almost perfect, so why should I nitpick?"

This was her response to Chen Jianfang's grapes.

Finished speaking, Xianjin nimbly bent over and headed inside.

"Xianjin—"

Chen Jianfang suddenly spoke up.

Xianjin turned back in confusion.

Chen Jianfang's eyes shimmered with a dazzling light, like the fireflies in the mangroves, or the mesmerizing starlight beneath the sea.

Chen Jianfang's throat moved slightly as she swallowed a couple of times, trying to dispel her timidity and hesitation.

"Nothing... nothing!"

"Sleep well."

"After Mid-Autumn, the weather will turn cool. Your jacket from last year might not fit anymore, so you should get a new one made soon."

Xianjin was taken aback, scratching her head with one hand and responding with a puzzled "Okay." She then answered straightforwardly, "Aunt Zhang bought me several pieces of cloth and a few pounds of cotton a few days ago, just waiting for the cooler weather to wear them."

Chen Jianfang managed a weak smile, signaling Xianjin to go inside. Watching the girl's tall and slender back, Chen Jianfang sighed silently in her heart.

Still... still couldn't say it...

The words were right at the tip of her tongue.

"If you were by my side, the Chen family wouldn't be beyond saving."

"I am fond of you, He Xianjin."

"Please believe me."

How could such simple lines be so hard to say?

Perhaps because they were too shocking—how could one bypass parental consent and the matchmaker's word to decide a lifetime together?

Perhaps because she was too afraid—afraid of being rejected by Xianjin, even more afraid of causing her trouble?

Perhaps because she had too many concerns—how would she explain it to Grandmother? How would she resolve it within the clan? Although Xianjin doesn't bear the Chen name, she is still Third Uncle's stepdaughter, still part of the Chen family. How could she handle this ethical dilemma?

Why couldn't she say it?

Chen Jianfang placed her hands behind her back, gently tilting her head upward in the dark alleyway, sighing deeply.

Fortunately, Xianjin was always there.

What did it matter about Qu Mang'er, Zhang Mang'er, or Li Ganniu... none of them were a threat.

These people weren't even worthy to carry Xianjin's shoes, let alone talk about marriage?

Fortunately.

She still had time.

Plenty of time to work on it, to soak it in, to smooth things out.

And her Xianjin was right there.