GTB Chapter 155

Chapter 157: Is It Because You’re Missing Your Highness?

At a window seat on the second floor of Jade Shop, Jiang Jiuchu rested her chin on her hand, looking at Ji Shutíng across from her. “How did you manage to come out today? A whole month! I couldn’t even get you out, it’s true that once you have a husband, you forget your friends!”

Ji Shutíng was a little embarrassed. She knew Jiang Jiuchu had been quite bored lately, but she had her own difficulties.

“Didn’t I come out now? I’m not like you. In the Seventh Prince’s residence, besides His Highness, you’re the boss. You don’t have mothers-in-law to serve, so you can come and go as you please.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu was taken aback. She immediately removed her hand supporting her chin, straightened up, and looked at Ji Shutíng, asking, “Your mother-in-law isn’t mistreating you, is she?”

Ji Shutíng quickly made a shushing gesture towards Jiang Jiuchu. “Shh, keep it down. Nothing like that is happening.”

“I’m just doing what a daughter-in-law should do, morning and evening greetings, nothing about mistreatment. I’ve only been married for a month, of course, I need to perform well and cultivate a good relationship with my mother-in-law.”

“Oh, so how’s the cultivation going?” Although Jiang Jiuchu heard Ji Shutíng say this, she remembered what her mother had said and still asked worriedly.

Ji Shutíng nodded. “It’s alright, pretty good.”

“Okay, as long as it’s good.” Jiang Jiuchu glanced at Ji Shutíng with envy, then lazily rested her chin on her hand again, picking up the celadon tea lid and stirring the tea.

Seeing this, Ji Shutíng asked, “What’s wrong? Missing your Seventh Highness?”

Jiang Jiuchu stopped stirring the tea, then raised her eyes to look at Ji Shutíng. “Who said that? Do you think I’m like you? Always thinking about your Master Gu.”

Ji Shutíng chuckled. “Don’t pretend. Seventh Highness has been gone for a month and a half. It’s normal to miss him after so long, what’s there to be embarrassed about?”

Jiang Jiuchu glanced at Ji Shutíng, not responding to her words. She reached out to pick up a pastry, eating it in small bites.

*She’s missing Shí Yan, but she’s just worried about what he thinks of her after that night. She’s not sure what’s going on in his head, that’s all. It’s not the kind of missing that Shutíng is talking about.*

And he’s been gone for so long, but he hasn’t even sent back a letter. She sighed inwardly, unconsciously imagining Shí Yan looking at her with coldness and disgust. Suddenly, she felt that the pastry in her mouth was no longer sweet.

Ji Shutíng looked at Jiang Jiuchu, who was in low spirits, and asked, remembering Gu Changxuan’s words, “Do you want to go to the Western Snow Mountain Villa outside the city to escape the summer heat?”

“Western Snow Mountain Villa?” Jiang Jiuchu looked at Ji Shutíng and asked, “Are you going?”

Ji Shutíng nodded. “Yes, in a couple of days, Changxuan has two days off and will take me there.”

“Just you two lovebirds going together, I won’t go and interfere.”

“What’s there to interfere with? Western Snow Mountain Villa is a place for everyone to escape the summer heat. There are plenty of rooms and separate courtyards. Why can’t we go together? Changxuan only has two days off. If you go, I can stay there with you for a few more days.”

“Forget it! I’m not going. You and your husband go together and come back together!” Jiang Jiuchu thought that Shí Yan would most likely return to Kyoto within the next half month.

The Seventy-Two Strategies for Husband Management states, ‘When the husband travels a thousand miles and returns, the wife should welcome him on the road with deep affection.’

Therefore, if she missed such an important moment, wouldn’t it be adding insult to injury?

“Okay! If you don’t want to go, then don’t go!” Ji Shutíng was a little disappointed. She had been thinking that if Jiang Jiuchu could go, she could stay a few more days before returning to her residence, after all, it was a rare opportunity.

She looked at the sky outside and said to Jiang Jiuchu, “I’ll go back to my residence first. I’ll go to your residence to find you another day.”

Jiang Jiuchu was stunned, looking at Ji Shutíng who was getting up. “It’s still early, right? Just past *wèi shí*, what’s the rush? Stay for another half hour.”

“It’s not early, it’s not good to be too late. After all, I’m married, how can I return at dinnertime?”

“Okay, then you go back to your residence first, I’ll sit for a while longer.” Jiang Jiuchu watched Ji Shutíng’s departing figure, as if faintly seeing an image of being well-behaved, a virtuous wife and good mother, filial to her parents-in-law, respecting her husband, and managing the trivial matters of the back residence.

She withdrew her gaze, picked up the tea cup and took a sip, then got up and walked downstairs. “Lǜluó, pick out a few new pastries and send them to the Empress Dowager tomorrow morning.”

She had forgotten that she also had someone to be filial to, and someone she couldn’t easily offend.

Dan City

The plague had been resolved, the houses had been repaired. In front of the yamen, the people were queuing up in an orderly manner to receive disaster relief grain.

Shí Yan looked at the scene before him, turned and walked towards the inside of the residence, saying to Mù Fēng who was following beside him, “Prepare, return to Kyoto early tomorrow morning.”

“Yes.” Mù Fēng responded, then asked Shí Yan, “Is that Miss Lin going to be taken back to Kyoto?”

“Yes.” Shí Yan said in a low voice, a hint of unfathomable color floating in his eyes.

“Oh…” Mù Fēng was a little puzzled, not understanding why the master, who had clearly found out that this Miss Lin’s identity was suspicious, still wanted to take her back to Kyoto?

In the east courtyard, under the setting sun, Lin Yue, dressed in white, was collecting herbs in the courtyard. Seeing Shí Yan enter, she quickly put down what she was doing and walked quickly to Shí Yan to salute. “Greetings, Seventh Highness.”

“No need for formalities.” Shí Yan walked towards the study without stopping.

Lin Yue looked at Shí Yan walking straight towards the study, her face a little anxious. She quickly opened her mouth to ask, “The matter that this girl mentioned, I wonder if Seventh Highness can agree to it?”

She felt that although this Seventh Highness had allowed her to live in his courtyard, he was extremely distant from her. She didn’t know if he suspected her or…?

Also, when she last communicated with her senior brother, that Mù Huǒ suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Was it a coincidence or did he notice something? But in any case, he shouldn’t have seen the letter in her hand!

During this period, she was afraid of arousing his suspicion, so since he didn’t mention it, she didn’t take the initiative to ask.

But now that the situation in Dan City was settled, he could leave at any time, she had to ask clearly.

Shí Yan had just reached the entrance of the study when he stopped and turned to look at Lin Yue. “Yes, this Prince will open a pharmacy for you in Kyoto, a pharmacy under the name of the Seventh Prince’s residence, no one will dare to make things difficult for you.”

When Lin Yue heard this, she breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly explained, “Your Highness, the death of my adoptive father weighs heavily on my heart. This girl doesn’t want to prescribe medicine and practice medicine for others anymore.”

“This girl still hopes to quietly be a residence physician, and only give diagnoses for peace to acquaintances.”

After listening, Shí Yan pretended to hesitate for a while, then said to her, “In that case, then so be it.”

As Shí Yan spoke, he turned and entered the study. Seeing this, Mù Fēng quickly stepped forward to help Shí Yan close the study door, then stood guard at the door, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally falling on Lin Yue, secretly thinking, *this woman is probably trying to enter the residence to seduce His Highness!*

*She does look decent, but compared to their Princess Consort’s stunning beauty, she’s still quite a bit lacking.*

Mù Fēng twitched the corner of his mouth, his gaze shifting elsewhere. *What is he thinking! His Highness is not a lustful person. Even if this Lin Yue is more beautiful than the Princess Consort, His Highness probably wouldn’t want her.*

*Not to mention, this woman is still the Fifth Prince’s spy.*

*However, His Highness is taking Lin Yue back to the residence like this, is the Princess Consort sure not to have any thoughts?*