Chapter 65: Contrast (II)
Chapter 65: Contrast (II)
Huo Changyuan took off his outer coat and was about to pass it to Cheng Yujin. Cheng Yujin’s eyes became colder, and she didn’t even glance at the coat on Huo Changyuan’s hand: “Marquis Huo, you overstep the line.”
Huo Changyuan’s outstretched hand paused, but he didn’t retract it. He still held up his coat with an obvious and strong persistence. When the two sides were in a stalemate, another sound of footsteps came from the other side of the corridor. The footsteps were still far, but for some reason, Cheng Yujin recognized it instantly.
She turned her head and looked at the newcomer in surprise: “Ninth Uncle, why are you here?”
After seeing that it was going to rain, both Huo Changyuan and Cheng Yuanjing went to look for Cheng Yujin. However, they took a different path, and Cheng Yuanjing only caught up with Cheng Yujin now.
Cheng Yuanjing had seen Cheng Yujin from a distance. He saw a man walked quickly towards her, trying to touch her wet hair, and even trying to put on his coat on her body.
Cheng Yuanjing’s eyes were even colder than the splashing rain outside. His eyes met Huo Changyuan, and neither of them spoke.
When Cheng Yuanjing approached, Cheng Yujin was about to greet him. But the man was faster. He reached out and probed her cheek: “So cold. Did you catch the rain?”
Huo Changyuan’s eyes widened in disbelief. How dare he! Cheng Yujin hated others touching her casually, why didn’t she avoid Cheng Yuanjing?!
Cheng Yujin actually felt a bit awkward. But Cheng Yuanjing’s expression was so natural without any particular intimacy, as if he simply checked her temperature in passing. Because His Highness was too calm, Cheng Yujin didn’t want to overreact either, so she said calmly: “Just a little. But my hair is a bit drenched.”
Cheng Yuanjing nodded. He retracted his hand, then casually took off his coat and put it on Cheng Yujin’s body. This time, Cheng Yujin couldn’t feign calmness anymore. She instinctively backed away and asked startledly: “Ninth Uncle?”
In her surprise, Cheng Yujin almost blurted ‘Your Highness.’ Fortunately, she managed to catch herself in time. However, she was still horrified with Cheng Yuanjing putting on his own coat on her body. She wanted to step back, but Cheng Yuanjing held her shoulders. His voice hung over her head, deep and clear: “Don’t move.”
Cheng Yujin did not dare to move. Liu Yi and the others stood behind. Seeing their Highness’s action, they quickly turned their eyes away in silence.
Even heroes fell for beautiful women. It was normal for His Highness to want to marry a wife.
Cheng Yujin’s neck stiffened. She felt Cheng Yuanjing’s cold fingers around her neck, buttoning the coat around her shoulders and tidying her clothes. Because Cheng Yuanjing was much taller than her, the hems of his coat fell on the floor, and the sleeves were also too long for her hands. Cheng Yuanjing leaned over, rolling up the sleeves and kept them neat and tidy.
During this process, Cheng Yujin clearly felt Cheng Yuanjing’s breathe from up close. Too close. She could even faintly smell the fragrance of Cheng Yuanjing’s body.
It was a very light and slightly bitter fragrance.
She wondered what kind of incense did he use…could she use this to make a profit later? Of course, this was not the point. The point was, what exactly this Crown Prince wanted to do?
Cheng Yujin’s body was so stiff, and she didn’t dare to move even a bit. Her ears and neck were slightly red. After Cheng Yuanjing finished tidying Cheng Yujin’s appearance, he finally got up and brushed aside the wet hair sticking to her cheeks. “Alright. Be careful not to catch a cold later.”
Cheng Yujin felt suffocated and could only squeeze out a short reply: “Yes.”
Cheng Yuanjing patted her head with satisfaction. Cheng Yujin very carefully took good care of her hair. It felt good on the touch, like high-grade silk. It was smooth and supple with a hint of pleasant fragrance. Cheng Yuanjing still wanted to touch more, but he knew that it was not the time yet. His fingers quietly lingered on Cheng Yujin’s hair for a while before slowly withdrawing.
Huo Changyuan watched from beginning to the end, feeling so furious that he almost vomit blood in anger. Cheng Yujin avoided his touch in disgust, ruthlessly warned him to keep a distance between men and women, and refused to accept his coat. As a result, she immediately turned around, willingly let Cheng Yuanjing put his coat on her body, and let him touched her hair.
All of these happened before Huo Changyuan’s eyes, right after Cheng Yujin rejected his approach.
Huo Changyuan’s anger was not light. What hit him the most was Cheng Yujin’s different reaction towards him and Cheng Yuanjing. If she treated them equally cold, he could still bear it. But she did not. Cheng Yujin was very cold to him but was very gentle and well-behaved to Cheng Yuanjing. On top of that, all of these happened just in a matter of few seconds. How could Huo Changyuan accept such a wide contrast?
Huo Changyuan’s face was so dark it almost dripping ink. Meanwhile, Cheng Yumo saw it was raining outside and came bringing the rain gears. She shouted: “Marquis, first brother, second brother,” and walked through the roofed corridor towards the garden. She stepped across a moon gate and suddenly saw Huo Changyuan’s figure through the overlapping windows. Cheng Yumo was overjoyed. Ignoring the rain outside, she held the hem of her skirt and ran towards Huo Changyuan.
“Marquis!”
Cheng Yumo ran through the roofed corridor. The servant girls shouted anxiously from behind: “Second young lady, it is raining outside!”
Cheng Yumo ignored the splashing rain and ran towards Huo Changyuan, only to find that the atmosphere there was not right. Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yuanjing stood closely, with Cheng Yujin wearing an oversized coat that looked like a man’s. On the other side, Huo Changyuan stood with a dark face.
Cheng Yumo didn’t quite understand what was happening. She wiped the water off her face and leaped towards Huo Changyuan happily: “Marquis!”
Huo Changyuan caught Cheng Yumo, but his expression did not turn better, and his eyes were still staring coldly at Cheng Yuanjing.
Seeing Cheng Yumo was here, Cheng Yujin had no patience to take care of this couple and wanted to go back. Obviously, Cheng Yuanjing had the same intention. He held Cheng Yujin’s shoulder, pulled her closer to him, and said: “Since the Marchioness is here, we won’t disturb you husband and wife any longer. Yujin still has to go back and change her clothes. We are leaving first.”
This was exactly what Cheng Yujin wanted. She walked forward and found that the person behind hadn’t followed. She looked back confusedly: “Ninth Uncle?”
Cheng Yuanjing was still standing in the place, staring coldly at Huo Changyuan.
“Marchioness Jingyong is also drenched by the rain. Marquis should keep your coat for your own wife. In the future, when dealing with things, Marquis should understand the properness and not do anything unbecoming.”
Although Cheng Yuanjing’s words were vague, except for Cheng Yumo who came later, everyone in that place knew what he meant. Cheng Yuanjing made it very clear that he was warning Huo Changyuan not to touch Cheng Yujin again.
Huo Changyuan replied gloomily: “This Marquis has my own way to handle my affairs.”
“You better not overstep the line.” Cheng Yuanjing gave Huo Changyuan a cold glance for the last time, then turned around and walked towards Cheng Yujin. His icy face melted upon seeing her and turned into a warm smile: “Let’s go.”