Chapter 017: Are they quarreling?

Chapter 017: Are they quarreling?

When she saw her face in the mirror, Ruan Qinghuan reached out, saying, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I was wondering why the ink smell was still so strong on my hands after washing them."

Unexpectedly, her entire face and head were covered in ink.

Well, back then, people used to eat with ink-stained hands, and now, here I am, washing my face with ink, which also counts as a rare moment of diligence.

Before she could react, He An scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom.

Ruan Qinghuan panicked, "Hey, this isn't exactly appropriate. You should go first, and I'll wait my turn... plop!"

Not paying attention, Ruan Qinghuan drank several mouthfuls of water and was finally lifted up by He An, who was clearly frustrated. "Why are you being so fidgety?"

Ruan Qinghuan was even more upset. "Are you seriously trying to take advantage of me? And you expect me to just sit here?"

"I just wanted you to help me wash my back." He An's eyes darkened. "Or do you want to join me in the bath?"

Ruan Qinghuan was stunned and her voice lowered. "Why didn't you just say that from the start? Anyone would think you were up to something."

He An, worried and angry because of her behavior, couldn't help but speak more sternly.

If she had jumped a little differently and hit the edge of the tub, there would have been blood.

Ruan Qinghuan immediately fell silent and meekly tried to climb out of the tub, seeing a trace of ink floating on the water. Her face was probably clean by now, right?

"I'll have someone come to change the water for you."

Given that she was still new to all this, it was understandable that she was nervous, but her repeated refusals still displeased He An, so he simply pulled Ruan Qinghuan into the bath tub with him.

Ruan Qinghuan: “……”

His simple clothes were wet, clinging to his firm chest, the thin fabric revealing a patch of tan, well-defined muscle.

A well-defined eight-pack, though... Knowing it was improper to look, Ruan Qinghuan's eyes still couldn't help but glance a few more times.

“Aren't you going to start?”

What?

Start?

Did he mean for her to go first?

Ruan Qinghuan's face turned beet red, her mind was spinning, but a voice told her this might not be a bad idea. Maybe she could just get through the next two years this way?

With that thought in mind, she slowly unclasped her arms in front of her and reached down into the water...

Her delicate fingertips brushed across his chest, his lower abdomen... He An's eyes darkened, like he was about to lose control.

Just as she was about to continue, He An grabbed her, his voice hoarse, “Ruan Qinghuan, do you know what you're doing?”

Obviously, she had no choice, did she?

Despite her obvious reluctance, she had no choice but to continue.

His grip on her hand tightened, Ruan Qinghuan frowned in pain, and retorted, “Didn't you tell me to start?”

“I meant for you to scrub my back.”

Ruan Qinghuan: "..."

This night was a series of mishaps, and it finally ended with He An leaving Changchun Garden, while Ruan Qinghuan quietly celebrated having made it through another day.

While Ruan Qinghuan felt relieved, Jiang Ming, Jiang Qi, Jiang Heng, and Jiang Chen were not so lucky. They were awakened by the sound of urgent knocking and heard He An's voice outside: "Get to the training ground."

In the dark training ground, torches were lit. On the platform, Jiang Ming went up first to spar with He An but was knocked down before even ten moves.

Seeing this, the others knew something was wrong. Why was He An so angry today?

He An pointed at them. "All of you, come at me together."

And so, they surrounded He An and barely managed to hold their ground for a quarter of an hour. Jiang Heng, who was the first to be knocked down, was the weakest in terms of martial skills and usually only handled intelligence gathering.

The remaining three managed to hold on a bit longer but were still beaten to some extent. Jiang Chen couldn't help but plead, "Sir, if we've made a mistake, can we be punished with running instead? If this keeps up, we’ll be laid up for weeks."

As he spoke, a shadow darted past. With a long arm, Jiang Qi, who couldn't dodge He An's fist, was thrown off the platform. The remaining Jiang Ming and Jiang Chen seized the opportunity to escape as well.

Now, only two were left on the platform.

Ji Lingchuan yawned and looked at the sky. "If we wait a bit longer, it'll be dawn. What’s gotten into you?"

He was sleeping soundly when a soldier reported that He An had come to the training ground.

Practicing in the middle of the night? That’s crazy.

Without a word, He An started to fight. The two had been close since childhood, trained under the same master, and their skills were evenly matched, making the fight more intense and exhilarating.

The fight lasted nearly two hours, ending in a draw, both sweating profusely. Ji Lingchuan wrapped his arm around He An's neck. "No more fighting, I'm exhausted. Let's go take a bath."

Hearing the word "bath," He An threw off his arm and galloped away on his horse.

Ji Lingchuan grabbed the lagging Jiang Ming. "What’s up with him?"

Jiang Ming shook his head.

"Impossible. That anger should’ve been aimed at me. In this capital, who would dare anger him like that?" Ji Lingchuan sneered. "And at this hour, instead of staying with his wife, he comes to me for a fight... Wait a minute..."

"Is there chaos in the Prime Minister’s residence?" Knowing Liu Yueru's personality, it must be a conflict with the new wife. He An was excellent in strategy, but when it came to women, he might not be so adept.

Jiang Ming dismissed Ji Lingchuan's guess. "Our Madam is reasonable and has never had disputes with Miss Liu."

Ji Lingchuan said nothing.

Ji Lingchuan wasn't entirely convinced; it must be Jiang Ming covering for his master.

**

Before long, it was April, and the weather was warming up. Meng Suqiu had intended to take Ruan Qinghuan to get some new clothes tailored for the season, but the maid she sent to invite her returned saying Ruan Qinghuan wasn't in the garden.

He Qizhang, holding a birdcage, was about to leave when Meng Suqiu stopped him. "Sir, have you noticed Qinghuan has been going out a lot recently?"

"Yes, I saw her two days ago. She's busy with the shop in the east city."

"Shop?"

"It seems she's going to open a pawnshop," He Qizhang explained and was about to leave when he was stopped again.

Meng Suqiu didn't want her daughter-in-law to be out in public. "Look, with all our wealth and connections, does she need to worry about livelihood? I disagree with her doing business."

"If you disagree, go tell her yourself. What's the use of telling me?"

When Meng Suqiu was angry, she immediately suppressed He Qizhang's sharpness. "Son and daughter-in-law's matters, let's worry less about them. They can do what they like."

"That won’t do." Meng Suqiu looked displeased. "If Qinghuan gives me a grandson, maybe I'll be so happy I'll let her do as she pleases. But if she's this busy, when will I ever hold a grandson?"

Meng Suqiu closed the door and pulled her husband closer. "I heard from Chen Po that our son was angry and left the residence last night. Do you think they had a fight?"