Feng Jin’s tone carried a hint of helplessness, she also admired Ling Mohan for making such a fuss over a steamed bun.
She felt the steamed bun in her hand was exceptionally precious at this moment, and took a hearty bite. Eating her fill as soon as possible was the most important thing; she couldn't waste the steamed buns sent from a hundred miles away.
“There’s nothing to eat in the manor, and it would be troublesome to buy some, so it’s better to have people from the estate send them over,” Ling Mohan explained calmly. He also found outside food unpalatable, and going out to buy more was a hassle. Having his household staff send them over was more convenient.
Feng Jin also admired Ling Mohan’s logic. Buying it was troublesome, but having it sent over wasn’t troublesome at all?
Truly a member of the exploiting class; the capitalists’ true colors were immediately revealed.
“Eat your steamed bun, what are you staring at!” Ling Mohan urged, impatient. Even eating had to be done so slowly; when would the meal ever finish at this rate?
Feng Jin glared at Ling Mohan, complaining with dissatisfaction, “I am eating, not swallowing. You must let me chew it thoroughly before I can swallow.”
Her habit, developed since childhood, was to chew slowly and deliberately. Eating ravenously like this would be too damaging to her digestive system. She cherished her life dearly.
“Right, after we finish eating, are we going back?”
“We are not going back!”
Hearing this, Feng Jin put down her chopsticks, turned to the man beside her, her tightly furrowed brow filled with confusion. “If we’re not going back to the estate, what else are we going to do? Do you have no official duties?”
Ling Mohan had been a figure who was rarely seen, busy beyond compare every day. But these past two days, he had been abnormally relaxed, spending so much time with her so leisurely.
When something is unusual, there must be a reason. The more Feng Jin thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Her suspicious gaze fell upon Ling Mohan. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally voiced her thoughts.
“Did something happen to you in court? Are you being ostracized, or have you been dismissed from your post?”
It seemed that besides these reasons, there was nothing else that could make Ling Mohan so leisurely for so long.
The man’s handsome brows were tightly furrowed. Feng Jin couldn’t wish him well; she was so eager to assume these things had happened to him.
Seeing Ling Mohan’s prolonged silence, Feng Jin became anxious, her tone intensifying as she continued to inquire, “I’m asking you, were you dismissed from your post, or were you suppressed by that scoundrel Chu Yanxi? Tell me, I’ll help you figure something out, or even help you get revenge.”
“Just trust me, okay? I haven’t been suppressed, nor have I been dismissed. I just wanted to take a day or two to spend time with you.”
Ling Mohan quickly explained. If he delayed any longer, Feng Jin would conjure up a dramatic soap opera in her mind.
He admired Feng Jin’s imagination, filled with all sorts of bizarre things every day.
“Are you telling the truth?”
Feng Jin asked again, a little uncertainly. Who knew if Ling Mohan was lying just to stop her from worrying?
“Absolutely true!” The man nodded very affirmatively.
Fortunately, she had studied some psychology. From Ling Mohan’s subtle facial expressions, she was sure this time that he was not lying, and thus believed his words.
“Actually… you don’t need to specifically take time out to accompany me. A good man’s ambition lies in all directions. I understand these things. You are still young and in the prime of your career. You should focus all your energy on your career so that you can shelter me and our child from the wind and rain…”
Feng Jin racked her brains to persuade Ling Mohan. In truth, she wanted Ling Mohan to spend less time around her, as it would hinder her from doing other things.
“I have already achieved success in my career. If you ask me to work harder… I can only go on to… become the Emperor. Do you want to be the Empress then?”
Ling Mohan countered Feng Jin’s statement, pausing before continuing, “However, if you really want to be the Empress, I can…”
“Enough, enough… I have no interest in being the Empress, and you don’t need to strive further. Let’s just leave it as it is. Do whatever you want.”
Feng Jin quickly interrupted him. If he continued, she would be implicated in rebellion and usurpation. She didn’t want to be beheaded so soon.
“It’s fine. If you truly want to be the Empress, you must tell me, and I will definitely fulfill your wish!”
Ling Mohan spoke very earnestly, as if Feng Jin had only to say she wanted to be the Empress, and he would immediately raise an army to pull the Emperor from his throne, declare himself Emperor, and then crown Feng Jin as Empress.
Several black lines appeared on Feng Jin’s forehead, filled with speechlessness. “I don’t want to. You should give up that idea!”
If the rebellion succeeded, everyone would celebrate. But if it failed, wouldn’t she be the first one to lose her life?
Thinking of this consequence, a chill ran down her neck, and she couldn’t help but shiver. She quickly touched her neck. Preserving her life was the most important thing.
She had earned so much money, yet she hadn't enjoyed it properly. If she died just like that, all her money would go into Emperor Xuanwen’s pockets, and she would have suffered a huge loss.
“It’s alright, if you are willing, I am also willing…”
Before Ling Mohan could finish speaking, Feng Jin directly covered his mouth with her hand. “I am not willing, so you can forget about it!”
After saying that, Feng Jin took a steamed bun, took a big bite, and walked straight out. She needed to thoroughly inspect the manor’s layout and see how to best renovate it, aiming to start the modifications within these one or two days and put it into use as soon as possible.
“Where are you going?” Ling Mohan asked, his feet honestly following Feng Jin’s steps as they walked out.
…
“What are you looking at aimlessly here? Shall I take you for a walk outside, go visit somewhere else?”
Ling Mohan squatted beside Feng Jin and asked cautiously. Since earlier, Feng Jin had been walking around this garden. Now she had stopped and was simply squatting in the garden, staring at it. She didn’t know what she was looking at.
He only had these two or three days of rest, so he couldn't go too far. He planned to spend a few days of quality time with Feng Jin here. But now Feng Jin was ignoring him completely. He was the only one talking and talking, like a buffoon. This feeling of being ignored was truly unbearable.
After a pause, Feng Jin still showed no intention of responding. Ling Mohan’s patience reached its limit. He directly stepped forward, grabbed Feng Jin, and forcibly pulled her to his side.