Greetings, Ninth Uncle

Chapter 25: Your Highness (III)

Cheng Yujin used a handkerchief to wipe her eyes and slowly stood up. When Cheng Yuanjing saw Cheng Yujin’s skillful tear-wiping movement, his stunned brain suddenly kicked in. He stared at the girl speechlessly: “You really….skillful.”

The tears on Cheng Yujin’s face was yet to dry. She smiled sweetly: “Your Highness is open-minded and generous. This subject daughter truly admires you.”

Cheng Yujin originally had a pair of beautiful eyes. After crying, tears made them even more seductive. Now she squinted her eyes and smiled, her appearance made people heart ached yet also felt an unspeakable desire. Cheng Yuanjing promptly turned his gaze away in silence.

She has always been good with her tongue, and he had seen her using her skill to please others, including the Old Master and the Old Madam. Now that the target was changed into himself, Cheng Yuanjing suddenly understood why so many monarchs in the past were deceived by glib-tongued ministers. Cheng Yuanjing was helpless. But anyway, he never had the intention to do anything to Cheng Yujin and was just dissatisfied that she lied to him. Now that she had admitted her wrong and pleaded so pitifully, Cheng Yuanjing should let her go.

Of course it wasn’t because he cannot bear seeing her tears.

Cheng Yuanjing looked at the corner of Cheng Yujin’s eyes. The tears had been wiped away. He then slowly asked, “Why did you sneak into the Marquis’s bedroom?”

Cheng Yujin paused briefly, her brain quickly searched for an excuse. But Cheng Yuanjing had just warned her not to lie; making excuses at this moment was tantamount of plucking a tiger’s whisker. She better gave up any pretense and honestly confessed.

In a rare moment of honesty, Cheng Yujin said: “I saw that grandfather seemed to have been looking for somebody before he dismissed us. Ninth Uncle was the only one absent at that time. I was curious. What did grandfather want to tell Ninth Uncle alone?” Right after, she realized that she made a mistake in the address and quickly bowed: “I’m sorry, Your Highness, I…”

“It’s okay.” Cheng Yuanjing waved his hand to stop Cheng Yujin. He said casually: “In the future, no matter in front of others or not, you should keep calling me Ninth Uncle.”

“Yes.” Cheng Yujin lowered her head obediently. She secretly took a glance. There was something she wanted to say but had no courage to. After a second glance, she was caught by Cheng Yuanjing.

He stared at her: “What?”

Cheng Yujin smiled sweetly and asked: “Ninth Uncle, I didn’t recognize the Mount Taishan¹ before, and was disrespectful to you. You are generous and kind, and is a great personage busy with great causes. You didn’t blame me for these trivial matters, right?”

Cheng Yuanjing almost laughed, but held it back. He glanced at her condescendingly: “You have just learned your lesson. Still dare to put a trick in front of me?”

“Don’t dare.” Cheng Yujin immediately smiled and said, “I know that Your Hi-…Ninth Uncle has a broad mind. You won’t hold a grudge over some petty offenses. Now, I shouldn’t disturb Ninth Uncle’s rest. This niece retires.”

Without waiting for Cheng Yuanjing’s response, Cheng Yujin quickly slipped away. She walked two steps and saw that Cheng Yuanjing didn’t stop her.

Cheng Yujin’s words were half-true and half-false. She deliberately praised Cheng Yuanjing to the sky so she could get away. Unexpectedly, this man was so generous that he actually let her go and didn’t try to embarrass her further. How surprising.

Cheng Yujin couldn’t help but found her curiosity started to get a better hand of herself again. Now it was a good opportunity; she should run away as soon as possible, lest the great ancestor behind her changed his mind. But before she could walk out of the study, a sudden impulse made her paused her steps and turned back to ask Cheng Yuanjing: “Ninth Uncle, why didn’t you stop grandfather?”

Cheng Yuanjing looked up and stared at her quietly. Cheng Yujin resisted the urge to avoid his gaze and asked: “Early on, you noticed someone else was hiding in the room. You could have reminded grandfather and stopped him from speaking, but you didn’t. Why?”

He obviously could prevent her from hearing the secret. So why didn’t he stop the Old Master? If the one hiding was someone else, would he have done the same?

Cheng Yujin didn’t know why she asked this question. After she finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence. Cheng Yujin inwardly laughed at her stupidity. She lowered her gaze and bowed in a curtsy: “Forgive me. This subject daughter has overstepped.”

Afterward, Cheng Yujin quickly pushed the door open and left. Sunlight beamed from the open door. Watching dust flying in the incoming light, Cheng Yuanjing put down the book in his hand. His eyes seemed to be full of thoughts.

Why didn’t he stop Old Master Cheng?

Probably because he knew the person hiding in the cabinet was her.

From childhood, Cheng Yuanjing had an excellent memory and never forgot anything. He could recite a book after reading it once. Every word he ever heard and every scent he ever smelled, he could recall perfectly even after several years.

Today, right after he entered the Old Master’s bedroom, he smelled the fragrance of Cheng Yujin’s body. He instantly knew it was her. So when Old Master Cheng called him crown prince, he didn’t deny.

He also didn’t know why. Obviously, he could stop it in time, but he chose not to. Instead, he watched silently as the Old Master revealed his identity.

T/N:

I wonder if Cheng Yuanjing is a dog or what….. he can smell a girl’s fragrance inside a patient bedroom with all those medicine scent and incense??

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1. Can’t recognize Mt Taishan (idiom): fig. not to recognize a famous person