Ji Jinmo pursed his lips and asked no further questions.
Nan Shiying raised the back of her hand to cover her mouth and yawned. A trace of laziness and annoyance flickered in her slightly reddened lower eyelids. She raised her eyelids to glance at Ji Jinmo, "Master, why are you still not leaving?"
Ji Jinmo looked at her, remaining silent.
Nan Shiying thought for a moment, then got up, bent over, and brought her head close to Ji Jinmo's face. Her rosy lips lightly kissed Ji Jinmo's forehead like a dragonfly touching water. Then she raised her hand, patted Ji Jinmo's head, and coaxed him like a child, "Go back to sleep quickly!"
Ji Jinmo was stunned. As Nan Shiying pulled back, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.
Across the table, Ji Jinmo embraced her.
"Do you know what you are doing?"
Nan Shiying looked up at him, "I do!"
"I'm telling you to go to sleep!"
"Heh~"
Ji Jinmo chuckled. His voice seemed to flow like a pool of spring water, a cold and deep timbre carrying an indescribable desire that crept into Nan Shiying's ears, causing a ticklish sensation. She rubbed her ear and pressed her hands against his chest, her lower abdomen pressed against the table, making her a little uncomfortable.
Ji Jinmo released her, stood up, and walked back to her side.
Just as Nan Shiying steadied herself, a shadow blocked the light above her head. Ji Jinmo lowered his head and kissed Nan Shiying's forehead.
"Sweet dreams!"
Nan Shiying watched Ji Jinmo's retreating back and let out a soft laugh.
...
The Ministry of Justice did not review the case immediately, but instead delayed it in every possible way.
Nan Shiying had anticipated this outcome when the Qin siblings were sent to the yamen. However, it was not important; rather, it indicated that Ji Hong was still unwilling to break ties completely.
The year-end ancestral ceremony was about to be scheduled. Every year, at the end of the year, a ceremony would be held to pray for the ancestors' protection and a prosperous and peaceful coming year.
The Ministry of Rites became busy again these days, starting to arrange various matters for the year-end ancestral ceremony.
The Zou family decisively severed ties with the Qin family. Zou Yunming issued a divorce letter to Qin Xiaorong. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager did not intervene in this matter, tacitly approving it.
As for Zou Yun'er, who had previously been demoted to the rank of consort, her days had been difficult. Taking advantage of the year-end ancestral ceremony, Ji Hong restored Zou Yun'er to the rank of noble consort, citing that there was no one to accompany him during the ceremony. However, were all the other imperial consorts in the harem dead? The old officials pretended not to notice this excuse and indulged the emperor's wishes.
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she could not eat for several days. After all, the Zou family had lost face for the Qin family, but the Emperor had given Zou Yun'er such great favor. How could this not make her furious!
Before the year-end ancestral ceremony, the Liu Mansion hosted a winter banquet, and the Liu Mansion also sent an invitation to the Prince's Mansion.
Nan Shiying thought about it and decided to attend as Feng Luan, as Nan Shiying had already caused so much trouble, and it was time for a change of identity.
...
Winter Banquet.
On this day, men and women sat together, all eligible young ladies and gentlemen. To ensure everyone had a good time, Liu Cheng had prepared many new attractions. Liu Cheng was talking with Wang Qiancheng and others when a servant rushed over to inform Liu Cheng that Feng Luan had arrived.
"Brother Feng!"
Feng Luan's arrival delighted Liu Cheng. It was also because he had invited Feng Luan before, which cured his grandfather's illness. Since then, his father and uncles had treated him with more respect, and his grandfather often kept him by his side, teaching him personally. Now, he had invited Feng Luan to the winter banquet again. The closer he was to Feng Luan, the more attention he would receive.
After he told his grandfather about Feng Luan's friendship with Ji Jinmo that day, his grandfather only said: "Do your best to build a good relationship."
Looking at it now, although he, Liu Cheng, was a dissolute young man, he was not entirely useless!
"Brother Liu!"
Nan Shiying cupped her hands towards Liu Cheng and reached into her embrace, taking out a small porcelain bottle. "This is for Lord Liu!"
"What is this?" Liu Cheng took the small porcelain bottle with both hands and asked.
Nan Shiying said casually, "It's just some medicine for strengthening the foundation and cultivating the essence."
Although she said it casually, Liu Cheng dared not be careless. This person was a living Bodhisattva who could bring people back from the brink of death. What kind of ordinary medicine could she give?
He carefully put the porcelain bottle into his embrace, smiled, and thanked her. Nan Shiying waved her hand, indicating that it was unnecessary.
Liu Cheng personally welcomed her in.
The lake in the backyard of the Liu Mansion was frozen, and some people were skating on it, their laughter as melodious as silver bells. Liu Cheng smiled and said, "These are my sisters. They are spoiled at home."
"Very good!"
It was good for young ladies to have a few years of peaceful life. After marriage, if her husband was good, she could live comfortably. If her husband did not dote on her and her mother-in-law was unkind, then she would have no good days.
Liu Ling'er, holding Liu Lan's hand, skated on the ice. Her peripheral vision caught sight of figures walking by the bridge. She turned her head and saw Liu Cheng. A look of disdain mixed with affection appeared on her face.
Liu Ling'er and Liu Cheng were biological siblings, but Liu Cheng had been dissolute and debauched before, which made Liu Ling'er very disdainful. However, in recent times, he had changed a lot. Moreover, if he hadn't invited the Divine Physician Feng before, their Liu family would likely have declined long ago, and she wouldn't have the peaceful days she had now.
Speaking of Feng Luan, Liu Ling'er's gaze paused, and she clearly saw the person beside Liu Cheng. Who else could it be but Feng Luan!
Liu Ling'er suddenly stopped. Liu Lan cried out "Ouch" and fell to the ground.
"Sister, why did you stop so suddenly!" Liu Lan rubbed her sore bottom, turned around, and glared at her. Seeing her infatuated gaze towards the bridge, she also looked over and saw Feng Luan. Her eyes lit up, but the next moment, they dimmed.
The Liu family had already arranged her marriage to Wang Qiancheng of the Wang family. It was said that the reason her cousin was able to invite Feng Luan was all thanks to Wang Qiancheng. Their Liu family owed the Wang family a great debt of gratitude, so they could only repay it with her.
Liu Lan had thought of resisting, but she was born into the Liu family and received all her food and clothing from them. Now that they needed her to enter into a political marriage, what could she say? Question them why they didn't let Liu Ling'er go?
She slowly lowered her eyes, her mood depressed as she got up.
Liu Ling'er grabbed Liu Lan's hand, smiled at her, apologized, and begged her not to be angry. Liu Lan was not angry. She was wearing thick winter clothes, so the fall did not hurt as much.
"Good Lan'er, I knew you were the best!"
"Most of the guests have arrived. Let's quickly go change!"
Liu Lan remembered that it was precisely because she didn't want to attend the winter banquet that she had pulled Liu Lan to go ice skating. Now, seeing Feng Luan, she had eagerly run over again.
Really!
"Okay!" Liu Lan just nodded and obediently walked off the ice.
After getting ashore, she hurried to the backyard with Liu Ling'er.