296: Chapter 186 Person in the Painting_2 296: Chapter 186 Person in the Painting_2 The shopkeeper was very busy, and naturally had no ti for casual chats or reminiscing, so he left imdiately after finishing business matters.
Ran Yunsheng forced himself to see them off, his face gradually losing color.
He stood near the Inner Gate, lips tightly pursed, contemplating what to do next.
A gentle breeze arose, chilling his spine slightly.
Only then did Ran Yunsheng realize his undergarnt was still soaked with sweat.
“Shilang,” a voice ca from behind him.
Ran Yunsheng took a deep breath, cald his emotions, and turned around to nod slightly at Qi Ningjun, his voice consistently gentle, “You may rest here for tonight.
There will be a ship heading to Suzhou tomorrow morning.
It’s one of my family’s rchant ships.
I will arrange for a few trustworthy guards to escort you back…”
“Alright,” Qi Ningjun replied.
Ran Yunsheng felt an indescribable emotion when Qi Ningjun so readily agreed to go back.
He had previously detested her imnsely, considering her just like the noble ladies of Chang’an who preferred to mingle with handso young n, utterly devoid of real affection.
However, she had now co to find him regardless of everything else.
The journey had been long and arduous for a lady alone, surely she had endured much hardship.
“Yunsheng…” Qi Ningjun suddenly called Ran Yunsheng by his na and quickly lowered her eyes, not daring to see his reaction, her voice soft yet earnest, “May I hug you?”
The autumn wind whistled.
Ran Yunsheng frowned and stood silently, motionless for a long mont.
“Is it alright?” Qi Ningjun looked up, her face not showing much embarrassnt but filled with hope and determination.
Ran Yunsheng hesitated for a mont, then took a few steps forward, opened his arms, and drew her into an embrace.
After a brief mont, his voice sowhat strained, “Is this enough?”
Without waiting for Qi Ningjun’s response, assuming it as her consent, Ran Yunsheng had just loosened his embrace when Qi Ningjun suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his tall neck.
Ran Yunsheng had not yet reacted when his lips were covered by another pair of soft, warm lips.
A solid kiss, their very first kiss.
Before Ran Yunsheng could make any disgusted response, Qi Ningjun quickly pulled away.
Ran Yunsheng stood frozen in place, his mind blank.
Yet, in his eyes, he saw her smile bright as the moonlight.
Qi Ningjun did not realize that this was the most beautiful mont of her life.
By the ti Ran Yunsheng regained his senses, Qi Ningjun had already left.
He touched his lips still lingering with her scent, feelings complicated.
Yet the most pronounced was anger.
However, upon reflection, it seed not an unforgivable transgression.
It was certainly not sothing for which he would seek her out and demand justice; thus, he deliberately overlooked it.
After lunch, Ran Yan decided to go out for a walk.
Ran Yunsheng, still unsettled by the day’s events, did not wish to join, so he sent six of his best guards to protect her.
Just as they boarded the carriage, Wan Lu began with a gossipy tone, “Wife, during your nap just now, I saw Shilang embrace Qi Six-niang, and Qi Six-niang kissed Shilang.”
Ran Yan, Xing Niang, and Ge Lan all wore disbelieving expressions.
Wan Lu, anxious, nudged Huan Kong, “You saw it too, tell them.”
“Embraced and also kissed,” Huan Kong stated succinctly and then questioned, “Is there sothing inappropriate?”
Wan Lu looked at Huan Kong as if she were a monster, “Has no one told you that n and won should not touch each other?”
Huan Kong nodded her head and said, “Yes, the Temple Master said that monks and nuns should not touch each other, but Ran Shilang is not a monk.” She paused, thought for a mont, and then added, “Neither is Qi Liuniang.”
Wan Lu held her forehead and did not argue with her anymore, instead returning to her enthusiasm for gossip, “You see, I wasn’t lying.”
Everyone was sowhat stunned, especially since the two who had avoided each other in the morning were suddenly hugging and kissing by noon?
“Wife, do you think Qi Liuniang will beco Shilang’s lady?” Wan Lu asked.
Having had close contact with Qi Ningjun, Wan Lu felt she wasn’t as hateful as rumored, although she was sotis cold, she was quite polite to others.
But as a wife for Ran Yunsheng, Wan Lu always felt uneasily that it was sowhat unfair to Yunsheng.
Qi Liuniang was born beautiful and knowledgeable, well-respected in Jiangnan, but why did it give such an impression?
Wan Lu couldn’t quite understand.
“I don’t know,” Ran Yan answered truthfully.
Xing Niang frowned and said, “I heard that Qi Liuniang ran away from a marriage.
Shilang is a clever man, he should not be foolishly getting involved with her in a way that could insult multiple families.”
It was not just a matter of whether or not the two liked each other.
One could easily guess that the Qi Family had certainly sought a prestigious family connection to agree to marry off Qi Liuniang.
If Ran Yunsheng truly accepted Qi Liuniang, it would damage the reputation of three families.
Offending the Qi Family might not have been daunting, but the future husband’s family Qi Liuniang might join was unknown; if it turned out to be a powerful one, it wouldn’t just be a trivial matter.
Ran Yan knew the stakes involved, thus she felt sowhat worried.
Therefore, she only spent an hour shopping on the streets of Luoyang before quickly returning.
Once back at their accommodations, she learned that Ran Yunsheng had gone to the dock to arrange rchant ships, reportedly to pre-order next year’s spring tea for Suzhou, and only then did Ran Yan breathe a sigh of relief.
Apart from Xing Niang and others, Ran Yunsheng was the closest person to Ran Yan here.
If he had fallen for Qi Liuniang, it would inevitably be a painful love affair, and she did not want to see him fall into trouble or pain.
Feeling relieved, Ran Yan listened as Xing Niang began to chatter about so trivial matters.
She had only spoken a few sentences when suddenly, the sound of Huan Kong’s loud sobbing ca from outside.
Ran Yan asked, “What happened?”
Ge Lan wrote on a piece of paper: Mr.
Sang has gone.
“Sang Chen has gone?” Ran Yan frowned, knowing how dependent Huan Kong was on him, how could he leave without even saying a word!
Seeing this, Xing Niang hastened to smooth things over, “Yesterday evening, Doctor Liu was kidnapped by two big n.
It is said that he angered Assistant Minister Xiao, and was being sent back to serve the elderly Lady Xiao at the Xiao family’s house.
Mr.
Sang and Doctor Liu have always been on good terms, perhaps he went to see him off and will be back soon.”
“I’ll go check on her,” Ran Yan did not believe that Sang Chen and Liu Qingsong were close enough to warrant a thousand-mile farewell, but then she thought perhaps there was another reason, so she didn’t concern herself too much with it.
(To be continued.
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