GTB Chapter 93

Chapter 93: This swing couldn’t possibly be for me, could it?

Ji Shutíng paused, the joy on her face instantly fading, and stiffly turned to look at Gu Changxuan. Was he going to reject her?

She found it amusing; for a moment, she had thought he was going to ask her to stay.

“Well… Miss Ji, don’t misunderstand. I’m just worried that it might be bad for your reputation if a young lady like you keeps personally delivering things to my residence. I’ll go buy it myself every other day from now on.”

As Gu Changxuan spoke, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face. “I’ll go to Jade Shop after my shift. If… if Miss Ji is there, perhaps you could help me choose the flavors.”

Ji Shutíng was taken aback by Gu Changxuan’s words and didn’t quite know how to react for a moment. After a long while, she blushed and nodded, then quickly left the study.

She left the Gu residence with light steps, the corners of her mouth lifted in a smile that didn’t fade even after returning to the Ji residence.

She hadn’t expected happiness to come so suddenly. She couldn’t believe that Gu Changxuan had actually asked her out. It seemed he liked her too, just that he was reserved by nature.

In the Seventh Prince’s manor, Jiang Jiuchu was propping her cheek with one hand, the other hand absentmindedly fiddling with the corner of a book, her thoughts wandering. Before long, all the once-neat corners of the book were turned up.

She thought and thought, but couldn’t figure out what had happened. She even wondered if she had been drunk and taken the initiative herself. After all, Shí Yan had been quite alluring last night.

But she didn’t think she was that kind of person, because even when she wasn’t drunk, she hadn’t reacted at all to his half-open clothes!

She shook her head. It definitely wasn’t her initiative. It must have been him, he must have taken the initiative, because she remembered he was on top of her.

What exactly happened? Why was he like that with her?

Could it be that he looked at her face every day and had gotten used to it, no longer finding her annoying? Had he developed lustful thoughts?

She narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully and repeatedly recalling the events. Suddenly, she remembered him saying something about punishment last night.

The hand fiddling with the book corner suddenly stopped. Yes, punishment! But what exactly had she done to deserve his punishment?

Could it be that she had gotten drunk and blurted out all her dissatisfaction with him?

Jiang Jiuchu thought about it carefully and felt it was highly likely.

With that thought, she felt extremely frustrated. The saying “wine loosens the tongue” was indeed true.

Suddenly, a commotion came from outside. Jiang Jiuchu looked up at the window and saw Aunt Xing leading some servants with hoes and shovels into the courtyard.

She quickly got up and walked outside. “Aunt Xing, what is this…?”

Before she could finish asking, she saw several maids and servants carrying various precious flowers and plants in single file.

“Princess Consort, His Highness instructed them to add some flowers and plants to the courtyard.” Aunt Xing said, pointing to an old man beside her, “This is Chen Bo, the gardener of the manor. Please tell Chen Bo where you want these flowers planted.”

Jiang Jiuchu nodded blankly, wondering why Shí Yan suddenly wanted to plant so many flowers in the courtyard.

She pointed to the area near the stone table for Chen Bo. “Chen Bo, just choose the varieties yourself and plant some near the stone table, along the base of the wall over there, and on both sides here. Also, plant some outside the windows of the main house.”

“Yes,” Chen Bo responded and began to instruct the people behind him.

Jiang Jiuchu was about to turn around and sit at the stone table when she saw the steward leading several young men carrying wooden pillars into the courtyard.

The steward approached Jiang Jiuchu and asked, “Princess Consort, where should we put this swing?”

“Swing?” Jiang Jiuchu looked at the people behind the steward in astonishment.

Seeing the princess consort’s surprised expression, the steward explained, “Yes, this was instructed by His Highness.”

“Oh! Then… just put it in that open space over there!” Jiang Jiuchu was slightly startled, thinking, “This swing couldn’t possibly be for me, could it?”

Thinking of Shí Yan’s usual indifferent demeanor, she felt it was unlikely, but it seemed even less likely that he would use it himself!

She walked to the stone table and sat down, but before she could calm down and think it through, she heard Green Luo, who had come over, exclaim, “His Highness is so good to you, Miss.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu wondered if it really was for her.

She looked at the busy people in the courtyard, thinking, “If that’s really the case, why is he doing this?”

Could it be that she had criticized him too harshly last night, so he had deeply reflected on her words and had a change of heart?

So he was too embarrassed to admit his mistake, so he was proving it through his actions?

The servants and maids in the courtyard bustled back and forth, planting all the precious flowers and plants until the afternoon sun began to set.

Not only were there flowers blooming in season, but also seeds for autumn and winter flowers, as well as two red plum trees that were sent later.

Jiang Jiuchu sat on the swing that had been set up in the courtyard, looking at the red plum trees planted beside her. She had originally wanted to plant a red plum tree in her Crabapple Courtyard, but she had given up on the idea when she planned to run away with Brother Fu.

Looking at the renovated courtyard filled with flowers and plants, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

At the courtyard gate, Shí Yan had just stepped into the courtyard when his gaze fell on the swing in the courtyard.

Today, she was dressed playfully in a goose-yellow dress that made her look very lively, which matched her drunken personality from yesterday.

Jiang Jiuchu seemed to sense something and turned her head, her eyes meeting Shí Yan’s. She quickly and subconsciously averted her gaze, becoming visibly flustered, completely unlike the leisurely state she had been in just now.

Shí Yan’s lips curled up. It seemed she remembered what had happened last night.

Jiang Jiuchu lowered her head and swung back and forth listlessly, until she caught a glimpse of Shí Yan entering the study out of the corner of her eye. She quickly got off the swing and ran back to the house.

She slammed the door shut angrily. It was so infuriating, why did this man have to kiss her? How was she supposed to face him in the future?

Thinking of the swing in the courtyard, she suddenly felt that he must have kissed her and felt guilty, which was why he had done all these things!

Hmph! The swing was useless. If he dared to do that to her again, she would… she would…

She immediately went to the dressing table, opened her jewelry box, took out the ring inside and put it in the washbasin. She poured a teapot of water in to wash it, soaking away the “muscle relaxing powder” on it, and then put it on her finger.

Looking at the tiny needle that popped out of the ring, she felt much better, and a smug smile appeared on her face. If he dared to do that again, she would prick him.

“Princess Consort, it’s time for dinner.” Green Willow’s voice came from outside the door, accompanied by a knock.

“Oh, coming.” Jiang Jiuchu picked up the basin, poured the water out the window, and then opened the door.

As she stepped through the doorway of the dining hall, she saw that Shí Yan was already sitting at the table. She paused and then nonchalantly sat down to eat.

“Eat without speaking, sleep without talking” was perfectly demonstrated by Jiang Jiuchu at this moment. She didn’t even glance around at all.

She just stared at the food in front of her, not even raising her eyelids.

Suddenly, a chicken leg was placed in her bowl. Jiang Jiuchu was stunned and quickly looked up in surprise.