GTB Chapter 143

Chapter 145: An Encounter on Magpie Bridge

Jiang Jiuchu, passing a few steps behind him, heard Leng Da’s words clearly. Her heart clenched suddenly. Brother Fu still missed her so much?

Did he come here often? Was he regretting his broken promise that day?

Why did he have to drink? He should listen to Leng Da and forget her. There were so many women in the world, surely there were good ones. He shouldn’t be like this.

“Madam, what are you thinking about?” Shí Yan found the pondering look in Jiang Jiuchu’s eyes too piercing.

“Nothing. Let’s go on that boat over there. I like that little boat with the awning,” Jiang Jiuchu said, pointing to the riverbank in the opposite direction from where Song Fuge was.

“Alright.” Shí Yan took Jiang Jiuchu’s hand and walked down the Magpie Bridge. After paying the silver, he helped Jiang Jiuchu onto the boat, not allowing the boatman to come along.

“Your Highness, this little boat is hard to row. Let the boatman come up!” Jiang Jiuchu thought that Shí Yan probably had never rowed before and, like she and Ji Shutíng had thought last time, assumed rowing was easy.

“It’s fine, I can do it. Besides, we’re not rowing far. If we can’t row back, I’ll just fly you back. In any case, I won’t let you be stranded.”

Seeing him say that, Jiang Jiuchu didn’t insist. Watching Shí Yan roll up his wide sleeves and pick up the oars, she felt a strange contrast. She hadn’t expected this pampered noble to be so adept at such ordinary things.

Her gaze quietly shifted away from Shí Yan, quickly looking up towards the bridge. She saw Song Fuge standing there, staring intently at her.

She was stunned for a moment, then quickly withdrew her gaze, looking at Shí Yan who was rowing the boat.

Shí Yan rowed the boat to the middle of the river, keeping some distance from the other boats. Then, he threw down the oars, lay down directly on the bow, and, with his hands behind his head, looked up at the night sky, saying:

“Although the moon isn’t full tonight, the stars are twinkling. Lying on a boat to watch the stars like this gives one a unique sense of vastness.”

As he spoke, he looked at Jiang Jiuchu and gestured to the spot beside him, “Come, give it a try.”

Shí Yan had long since noticed that Song Fuge had seen them. He wanted to know if Jiang Jiuchu would lie down next to him in front of Song Fuge.

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu subconsciously wanted to refuse, but, as if thinking of something, she ultimately sat down without a word.

Shí Yan’s lips curved slightly. As Jiang Jiuchu lay down, he directly put an arm under her head as a pillow.

“How is it? Is it different from stargazing elsewhere?”

“Yes, it’s indeed different,” Jiang Jiuchu said, but she had no time to appreciate the swaying boat beneath her and the vast night sky above.

Her mind was entirely on Song Fuge on the bridge behind her, and the fist in her sleeve clenched tightly.

*Brother Fu, you see, I am already someone else’s wife, destined to share a bed with another. Don’t drink anymore, don’t miss me anymore. We are destined to be apart.*

On the bridge, Leng Da looked at the lake surface not far below and said to Song Fuge, “Seventh Prince seems to be very good to Miss Jiang. Master can rest assured.”

What Leng Da actually wanted to say was that Jiang Jiuchu seemed to like Seventh Prince very much, and probably had long forgotten his master.

After all, Seventh Prince didn’t seem like an ordinary person, and both his appearance and status were top-notch. Compared to his master, he was naturally superior. And since he was Miss Jiang’s husband, sleeping together, even if there were no feelings, would probably lead to feelings. How could she still be thinking about his master?

Besides, even if she was thinking about him, what could she do? Could she get a divorce?

He looked up at Song Fuge, who didn’t respond, and sighed inwardly. *Well, with time, his master will probably forget.*

Song Fuge looked at the two figures lying on the deck, the hand holding the wine pot tightening. He was very good, accompanying Chu’er to admire the moon, accompanying Chu’er on a night cruise on Magpie Bridge Lake.

But Chu’er was such a wonderful girl. Wasn’t it normal for him to treat her well?

After all, Chu’er was beautiful, more beautiful than any girl he had ever seen. Shí Yan had chosen Chu’er based solely on her portrait, without even meeting her in person. Wasn’t that because he was attracted to Chu’er’s captivating beauty?

But there were thousands upon thousands of women. With his status, if he could still treat Chu’er as well as he did now after this honeymoon period, that would be truly good. What did the current kindness amount to?

“ChuChu, that candied hawthorn was a bit sour.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Jiuchu tilted her head slightly, meeting Shí Yan’s handsome face as he turned towards her. She subtly moved her head away a little and frowned at him in confusion, “Still sour?”

“Yes, sour. It seems I can’t eat anything sour at all. My mouth keeps feeling sour.”

Jiang Jiuchu was speechless. Was it that exaggerated? It had been so long, yet he still felt sour? Also, if he was afraid of sourness, why did he even eat it?

“Then let’s go back to the mansion!” Jiang Jiuchu said, preparing to get up.

Seeing this, Shí Yan pressed down on Jiang Jiuchu’s shoulder, “Why go back to the mansion?”

“To drink water! Aren’t you sour? Or should we go to a teahouse?”

Shí Yan twitched his lips. He was just making an excuse, yet she had taken it seriously.

She was so easily deceived. Why was she so distrustful when he said he didn’t want to take concubines?

Shí Yan turned over, “No need for such trouble. ChuChu just needs to sweeten me up.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu’s eyes widened suddenly. She never expected this person to have such thoughts in full view of the public.

She immediately reached out and pressed her hand against Shí Yan’s chest, sternly warning him, “No, there are so many people here. If you dare to kiss me, I… I will really be angry, the kind of angry that won’t forgive you no matter what.”

Shí Yan found it amusing. This woman didn’t even know how to say harsh words. What should he do if she wasn’t intimidating at all?

“Who would pay attention to us? Or should we go back inside the awning?”

“No, Your Highness, why are you so lustful?” Jiang Jiuchu was truly angry. She didn’t understand why Shí Yan had suddenly become such a lecher.

Although it was night, there were many pedestrians coming and going on West Magpie Street and Magpie Bridge behind them. How could no one notice?

Moreover, Brother Fu might not have left yet. In any case, she was determined not to let Shí Yan act recklessly.

“Ah!” Shí Yan lay back, looking at the sky, “You’re the first to say that this prince is lustful.”

“If I were lustful, would I have been married to you for two months without consummating our marriage?” Shí Yan glanced at Jiang Jiuchu beside him, feeling that this woman was perhaps beautiful without realizing it. She had been sleeping on his bed for more than two months, yet he hadn’t touched her. And she called him lustful?

“That’s because you didn’t before. Now you…” Jiang Jiuchu paused, changing her wording because she couldn’t bring herself to say it, “Kissing and hugging are also lustful.”

Shí Yan was speechless. He felt that there were some things he had to clarify with her. He wouldn’t take the blame for this.

“Lustful refers to being intimate with someone other than one’s wife. But you are my wife, whom I married through proper channels. How can that be considered lustful?”

“The current situation is that you are my wife, but I haven’t touched you, so I’m not lustful at all.”

As he said this, he turned again to look at Jiang Jiuchu, “As for wanting to be close to you, that’s due to emotion, not lust, but love.”

Jiang Jiuchu was already at a disadvantage in this area because they hadn’t consummated the marriage. She couldn’t argue with Shí Yan, and since he spoke so logically, she was even less able to argue with him. She had no choice but to quickly end the topic.

“Okay, Your Highness is right. You’re not lustful. It was my slip of the tongue.”

Shí Yan ignored Jiang Jiuchu’s words and continued, “Besides, I haven’t kissed you many times, have I? Why don’t you count them and see if there are ten times?”