Cheng Yuanjing was very angry. A flame was burning under his calm facade, which he forcefully suppressed. But when he lowered his head and met Cheng Yujin’s innocent eyes, he suddenly found no outlet for his burning anger.
Cheng Yuanjing knew well that she was pretending. This girl was sleek and cunning and had countless tactics to deceive others. She was especially best at confusing a man’s mind, including how she used a coquettish and subservient look.
Whenever Cheng Yujin acted closely and intimately, she always harbored a hidden motive behind it.
Of course he knew. But what could he do?
In front of such beautiful eyes who looked at him with trust and dependence, what else could he do?
After Cheng Yuanjing walked out of Old Madam Cheng’s courtyard, he immediately went to Cheng Yujin’s Jinning Courtyard, but found out that the girl was not there. He was taken aback, and finally calmed down and ordered his subordinate to inquire, only to receive the news that Lin Qingyuan was visiting Yichun Marquis Manor today.
Just now, Cheng Yuanjing stood outside the door, listening to Cheng Yujin skilfully digging the corner to inquire about Lin Qingyuan’s marriage, listening to her pretending to be pitiful and subtly lamenting her difficult situation in Cheng family, and finally, listening Cheng Yujin said that Old Madam Cheng was going to marry her off to a widower.
Cheng Yuanjing was not Lin Qingyuan. It only took him a bit of listening to deduce who was the man who wanted to propose marriage to Cheng Yujin. From the phrases of a widower, having a son, and fancied by Old Madam Cheng, this person clearly was Duke Cai Zhai Yanlin.
Cheng Yuanjing obviously didn’t care about how much Zhai Yanlin was discredited by Cheng Yujin’s vague words. He only cared about the fact that the Zhai family actually came to propose marriage.
Cheng Yuanjing had long prepared that Zhai Yanlin might refuse to listen to his previous warning. However, when he heard it directly from Cheng Yujin’s mouth, he was still caught off guard and couldn’t help feeling angry.
Why not tell him? Why would she rather go to an unfamiliar man whom she only met a few times before? Was his position in Cheng Yujin’s heart so insignificant?
In Cheng Yuanjing’s eyes, Cai family, Huo family, and even Lin family were not a problem. No matter who came to propose marriage to Cheng Yujin, they would never succeed. However, he was very concerned about Cheng Yujin’s own attitude.
Cheng Yujin stood outside in icy silence. None of his attendants and guards dared to make a single noise. Until Cheng Yuanjing’s heard Lin Qingyuan’s last sentence, he finally couldn’t bear it anymore and opened the door grandiosely.
Cheng Yuanjing made up his mind not to tolerate Cheng Yujin and to hung her dry this time. However, the moment his gaze met Cheng Yujin’s, seeing that pair of beautiful and innocent eyes, he could no longer bear to be so cruel. He thought, men died for wealth and birds died for food. It was human nature to chase for benefits. Cheng Yujin didn’t know his plan, and she couldn’t be blamed for looking for a way out for herself.
Cheng Yuanjing felt utterly helpless. He was a person who was clear about rewards and punishments, and his thoughts had always been calm and rational. But now, he found himself making excuses for Cheng Yujin.
Cheng Yuanjing didn’t speak for a long time. He was truly at a loss of what to do with Cheng Yujin. His gaze was full of helplessness, and he couldn’t help feeling exasperated at her lack of good insight.
Why was Cheng Yujin’s vision so bad? She ignored him, the dignified crown prince, and wanted to attract Lin Qingyuan at any cost. No matter how good Lin Qingyuan, his future prospect was no more than a court minister, an imperial subject. How could he be a match with a crown prince?
Cheng Yuanjing truly couldn’t understand. But people standing above couldn’t directly express their thoughts, let alone exposing their preferences. Most of the time, they relied on trusted subordinates to figure out the master’s intention.
Cheng Yuanjing, who received strict education as the heir to the throne since he was a child, was even more so. It was hard for him to tell Cheng Yujin directly to change her target to him, but apparently, the girl’s insight was not good enough, and she couldn’t understand his implied meaning. Cheng Yuanjing had to face such a tricky situation and was made very helpless. He couldn’t bear to treat Cheng Yujin harshly, so he had no choice but to target the men.
Why did she never cease to do things that made him angry? The answer was simple. It was because the men outside were not decent and always jumping in front of Cheng Yujin, thus obstructing her eyes and clouding her judgment. This matter was very simple for His Highness the Crown Prince. All the eye-catching men were to be shoveled far away.
And Lin Qingyuan was the first on the blacklist.
Cheng Yujin was an expert at reading people. She vaguely noticed that Cheng Yuanjing’s attitude had softened. Afterward, she continued to please him with no principles. Ninth Uncle was the best, and anything Ninth Uncle did and said was totally correct. When Lin Qingyuan saw this, he clicked his tongue secretly. He knew that today was the day when Cheng family’s married daughters returned to their natal family; both Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yuanjing certainly still had other things to do. Besides, Lin Qingyuan couldn’t stand eldest Miss Cheng’s mindless flattery of her uncle. After receiving the books, he left quickly.
Cheng Yujin’s gaze swept over the two books and cautiously took a glance at Cheng Yuanjing. When Cheng Yuanjing discovered, she hurriedly retracted her gaze.
Cheng Yuanjing sent his attendant to fetch the two books Lin Qingyuan wanted to borrow. Cheng Yujin was particularly afraid that Cheng Yuanjing would blow her lie in front of Lin Qingyuan. Fortunately, Cheng Yuanjing was generous enough not to shame her in public.
However, after Lin Qingyuan left, Cheng Yuanjing no longer put on a facade, and his expression was clearly frosty. With no outsiders, Cheng Yujin didn’t need to maintain her face either. She immediately knelt next to Cheng Yuanjing and held his sleeve pitifully: “Ninth Uncle, I was wrong.”
Cheng Yuanjing’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, and he didn’t even give her a glance: “Niece arranged everything perfectly. How could you do wrong?”
Hearing this, Cheng Yujin became even more docile, and she fawningly pulled Cheng Yuanjing’s sleeve. She blinked her eyes and said: “It’s all my fault. Ninth Uncle came back, but I didn’t even come out to greet you. On New Year’s Eve, I waited for Ninth Uncle all night, wanting to be the first person who gives you a New Year’s greeting, but Ninth Uncle didn’t come back in time. Today second sister’s family is here to visit. I didn’t want to stay in the main courtyard and see Huo Changyuan’s face, so I walked out to avoid them. I didn’t expect to miss Ninth Uncle’s return.”
Towards Cheng Yujin, Cheng Yuanjing was always fierce on the outside but soft on the inside. He couldn’t bear giving the girl a cold shoulder. Now that he heard Cheng Yujin spoke about waiting for him all night on New Year’s Eve, he became even softer.
As for the truth of her statement, Cheng Yuanjing didn’t want to pursue it. It was enough to hear the words from her mouth.
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