"Not too stupid, there's still hope."
Ling Mohan's tone was filled with无奈 (wúnài - helplessness), finally understanding some of it and deeming it salvageable.
"I'll leave the matter to you. It's getting late, so I'll be heading back."
At this hour, Feng Jin should not have woken up yet. It would be nice to hold his wife and sleep a little longer. As Ling Mohan walked towards the door, he seemed to recall something and turned back, saying, "In tomorrow's morning court, no matter what Chu Yanxi proposes, you must find a way to scuttle it, or take it upon yourself to handle it."
If his guess was correct, Chu Yanxi would definitely act according to Baili Xi's words during the morning court tomorrow. Whatever it was, it had to be stopped.
"You're not attending the morning court tomorrow?"
If that was the case, why wouldn't he handle it himself? Making him do it seemed like a needless extra step.
"I will feign illness tomorrow and not attend the morning court." Ling Mohan uttered this sentence and turned to leave directly.
Chu Chenyi's lips twitched slightly. He was truly living a life of leisure, able to skip court whenever he pleased. When would he possess such courage?
...
When Ling Mohan returned, Feng Jin was still sleeping soundly. The man shed his clothes and lay down beside Feng Jin, drawing her into his embrace, and fell into a deep sleep.
Sunlight streamed in. Feng Jin murmured, reaching out to rub her sleepy eyes. A foreign object was pressing on her waist. Still groggy, Feng Jin simply flung the object away and turned her head, only to see Ling Mohan's enlarged handsome face before her.
Feng Jin was startled, almost letting out a cry. She reached out to nudge the sleeping man awake.
"What time is it?"
Ling Mohan was in a deep slumber, and his sleep had been truly exhausting. Feng Jin slept sprawled out like a rag doll, utterly without grace. It was only when he pulled her into his embrace that she became a little more settled.
"It's almost the hour of Si (巳时 - approximately 9-11 AM). Why didn't you attend the morning court today?"
At this time, Ling Mohan would usually either have already left or just returned from the morning court. It was the first time he had been lying in bed until the sun was high in the sky.
"I took sick leave today and don't need to attend the morning court. Sleep with me for a while longer!"
He was sleeping soundly when Feng Jin nudged him awake. Now, all he wanted was to catch a few more winks.
With that said, he pulled Feng Jin, intending to lead her back to bed.
"You sleep by yourself. I have things to do."
Disregarding Feng Jin's wishes, Ling Mohan forcefully pulled her onto the bed. His strong arms wrapped around Feng Jin's slender waist, pressing her firmly into his embrace. "Stay with me for a while longer."
The man's magnetic voice reached Feng Jin's ears, his steady breath caressing her neck, making her entire body tingle.
"Ling Mohan..." Feng Jin called out tentatively. "Ling Mohan, are you really asleep?"
After her words fell, there was no response for a long time, making Feng Jin certain that the man behind her had fallen into a deep sleep.
After a moment, Feng Jin tiptoed out and went to the kitchen.
"Young Madam, the things you asked for have all been brought here," Cai Qing said, placing a basket full of fruits and vegetables on the table, panting from exertion. These things were quite heavy. If she hadn't met Lu Shi halfway, she really wouldn't have been able to carry them in.
"Young Madam, why do you need so many fruits to make a cake?"
"Today, I'm making a cream cake." Feng Jin bent down and picked through the basket of fruits.
"Wash these and cut them into small pieces. I'll go make bread."
"Yes, Young Madam."
With the experience of her previous failed cake attempt, Feng Jin's current baking process was smooth and efficient. It didn't take long for her to whip the cream.
"Young Madam, they're all cut."
Cai Qing placed the cut fruits on the table and looked at the white cream. "Young Madam, why did you suddenly decide to make a cake today?"
Usually, the young madam wouldn't even bother entering the kitchen. Her sudden whim to make a cake must be for a significant reason.
"It's Ling Mohan's birthday today. I'm making him a cake to celebrate?"
"Today is Young General's birthday?" Cai Qing exclaimed in surprise. It wasn't that Cai Qing forgot Ling Mohan's birthday, but rather that Ling Mohan had never celebrated his birthday before.
"Yes, I heard it from Concubine Bai."
She had learned about this when chatting with Concubine Bai the other day. She only found out about Ling Mohan's past then.
After the late First Madam passed away, no one had ever celebrated his birthday for him. Over time, besides Concubine Bai remembering his birthday and making a bowl of longevity noodles, no one else remembered.
"No one has even mentioned Young General's birthday. The Marquis is constantly stationed at the border and hasn't returned to the manor for three to four years, so naturally, he wouldn't remember Young General's birthday."
Hearing Cai Qing's words, Feng Jin couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, feeling even more affectionate towards Ling Mohan.
"First, go wash the vegetables. Today, I want to give Ling Mohan a different kind of birthday."
"Yes, Young Madam. I'll go right away."
Cai Qing, full of vigor, picked up a basket of vegetables and hurried away.
After finishing the cake, Feng Jin carefully wrote a few words on it with tomato sauce: "Happy Birthday, Ling Mohan. May you be healthy and live a long life!"
This was a calligraphy style that Feng Jin had specifically learned from Dongchu, all for the purpose of writing a birthday greeting for Ling Mohan.
She then made several dishes according to Ling Mohan's taste. By the time she was done, it was already past noon.
Feng Jin hurried back to her room, preparing to give him a surprise.
As soon as she reached the East Courtyard, Feng Jin was captivated by the scene unfolding before her. She was stunned for a moment. It was simply too magnificent.
Feng Jin had only seen such scenes in television dramas before, but those were all fake, achieved with wires. Today, however, what she saw was all genuine. Martial arts truly existed.
Every move Ling Mohan made was fluid and powerful. The sword qi he unleashed even caused leaves to fall from the trees.
The man also sensed someone watching him from behind. He sheathed his sword, stood up, and walked towards Feng Jin. Seeing Feng Jin's awestruck expression, Ling Mohan chuckled and took a step closer. "Do you think your husband is too handsome and got mesmerized?"
"No, don't talk nonsense. Who thinks you're handsome?"
Feng Jin, having snapped back to reality, immediately denied it, a hint of unnatural flush appearing on her face.
"My wife is truly hard to read," Ling Mohan teased, his voice deep and magnetic.
Feng Jin raised her eyes to look at the man's back. God was truly biased. When creating Ling Mohan, He must have given him all the good things, otherwise, why would even his back view be so handsome?
"Can you teach me that set of swordplay you just performed?" Feng Jin stepped forward to walk alongside the man, asking with a hint of excitement in her voice.
Ling Mohan had been incredibly dashing just now. That set of swordplay looked incredibly impressive. If she could learn it, she might even become a martial arts master.