His Peasant Wife : Yao Ling

Yao Ying looked at him, feeling wronged. Anyone with a decent mind would think just like him! What kind of organization would give poison to the members, unless it was a dark cult?

"Father, I just drank a poison to join an unknown organization. Of course, I would have many crazy guesses about this so-called organization! I can’t easily accept it without knowing the truth!" Yao Ying was a bit angry so he raised his voice for a little bit, but he still paid attention to his status. He still showed some degrees of respect to Wang Luo Hai.

"I will tell you all about it. Just ask me the questions and I will answer it one by one," Wang Luo Hai hastily said. He knew that he was in the wrong and felt guilty, so he didn’t scold Yao Ying for raising his voice.

He asked Yao Ying, "How do you feel? Are you up to it? Or should we postpone the talk? After you are feeling better, talking about it won’t be too late."

Yao Ying could see how his father was really worried about him. Yao Ying decided not to ask about this matter, because he wanted to sort out his mind with the information that he got from his encounter with Mei Li gu niang.

"Father, can we talk about this tomorrow? I need to sort out my thought and my pounding headache doesn’t really help. I can’t think clearly," Yao Ying admitted.

This was what made Wang Luo Hai concern about -- his headache. He didn’t want Yao Ying to put another pressure in his brain and nodded. "Very well then. We can talk about this tomorrow. Do you want to rest here first?"

"What time is it now, Father?" Yao Ying lost track of time and he didn’t want to make Yao Ling worried about him. How long did he faint?

"It is Wu Shi ( modern timing: 11 am - 13 pm )," Wang Luo Hai answered.

Yao Ying sighed in relief. It seemed like he didn’t faint for too long. Otherwise, Yao Ling would worry about him. "Why don’t we eat here, Father? After that, we can go back to ’Fu Rong’. After eating, I would probably feel better."

"Why don’t you rest for the rest of the day? I will handle Fu Rong’s matter."

"I don’t want Ling-er to worry about me," Yao Ying answered truthfully. Yao Ling was more important than ’Fu Rong’, but he wasn’t going to tell Wang Luo Hai about that.

Wang Luo Hai nodded in understanding. He called the inn’s housekeeper and ordered lots of foods to be sent into their room. They talked while eating, but they avoided talking about the organization. Once Yao Ying tried to think more about his past or connecting the dots, the pounding headache would get stronger and he felt like his sight was blurry. He could do nothing but gave up thinking about it for now.

After they finished eating, Yao Ying planned to go to ’Fu Rong’ along with Wang Luo Hai. He had been resting for quite some times and it was enough to rejuvenate his energies. However, his plan was ruined because of a certain annoying Young Master.

They just went out of the inn, when Yao Ying heard that he was being called. "Yao Ying!" He turned around and saw that it was actually Lin Jian. Wang Luo Hai looked at Lin Jian and laughed. "Yao Ying, you can talk with Lin Jian. No need to go to ’Fu Rong’. You should probably enjoy yourself for a little bit."

Yao Ying understood what he meant. Wang Luo Hai wanted him to loosen up, but with Lin Jian, he didn’t think that he would be able to relax. Yao Ying didn’t have another choice because Wang Luo Hai left him there and gave him a strict order to stay with Lin Jian.

"Yao Ying!" Lin Jian called him excitedly. "I miss you! We haven’t met for a while!" He tried to hug Yao Ying, but the later held Lin Jian’s head with his palm to avoid his hug. Lin Jian could only flail both of his hands helplessly. He still wanted to hug Yao Ying but failed miserably.

"We just met a few days ago. Don’t be ridiculous!" Yao Ying frowned.

"But, I still miss you," Lin Jian grinned wolfishly.

Yao Ying rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Where did you go?"

"Hah! I know that you just pretended not to care about me! See? You also miss me and asked where I went, right? Right?" Lin Jian teased Yao Ying. Lin Jian usually wasn’t as mischievous as when he was around Yao Ying. He didn’t know why, but he liked it when the aloof man was irritated because of him.

Lin Jian only saw his changed of expressions when Yao Ying was around Yao Ling. His gaze was softened around her and his smile was bigger.

"Never mind. I’ll go home now!" Yao Ying turned around and felt that it was better for him to go as far away as he could from here.

"No... no... no... You have to accompany me. You can ask your errand boy to go to ’Fu Rong’ and let them know in advance that you are going out with me," Lin Jian grinned. But then, he looked around and couldn’t find Xiu. He furrowed his eyebrows, "Where’s your servant? He usually follows you around!"

"He’s not available today."

"Why?"

"Why do you care so much about Xiu? Are you falling in love with him?" Yao Ying asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

Lin Jian’s eyes widened. "What? No! I still love women, you know!" After that, Lin Jian dropped the matter about Xiu. He was just being curious and he didn’t want people to be mistaken and think that he was having the passion of the cut sleeve [1].

Yao Ying grinned to himself. It was so easy to distract Lin Jian. "Can you send one of your servants to let my wife know?"

"Sure," Lin Jian sighed in defeat. He called one of his servants and ordered him to go to ’Fu Rong’. The servant had to personally meet Yao Ling and told her that Lin Jian would borrow her husband for the day.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Haiya~ why are you in a hurry? Come one! This good friend of yours will take you to a good place first," Lin Jian grinned wolfishly.

Yao Ying looked at the excited Lin Jian, feeling suspicious. What kind of good place that he was talking about?

"No," Yao Ying answered in a clipped tone.

"Why?" Lin Jian whined pitifully.

"I don’t trust your judgment!"

"What?! Why?!" Lin Jian felt wronged because of Yao Ying’s annoying short answers. Besides, he doubted his judgment!

"Your face is annoying," Yao Ying’s fleeting gaze looked at him like he was an idiot.

Lin Jian felt like he was angered to death. Was this how Uncle Wang felt when he was talking to his father? This kind of aloof person with a lousy mouth was the most annoying person he’d ever met! But you know... an aloof person had his or her own charm.

"What?! A lot of maidens say that I’m handsome. How come you say that my face is annoying?" Lin Jian sulked.

"I’m not a maiden." Yao Ying looked at him like he was an idiot and said, "Annoying is annoying. That’s my opinion. Why should I care about what others said?"

"..." Lin Jian was speechless and he felt like it would be better if he didn’t say anything more about this matter. He would lose to Yao Ying anyway.

Lin Jian sulked, but still, they went out together. "Where are you taking me?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

"You’ll see later," Lin Jian answered mysteriously.

"I need to go to other places first."

"Where?"

"Buying presents."

"Ha? Presents? What for? For whom?" Lin Jian asked curiously.

"My wife!"

"Please... you can do it next time!"

"No can do!"

"Why?"

"If it was delayed, I would sleep on the floor again later!" Yao Ying shamelessly admitted how Yao Ling punished him. In his eyes, it was just a part of their lovely quarrel.

***

[1]. The passion of the cut sleeve: a Chinese euphemism for same-sex love.