GNU sponsored chapters (5/5) by Amber Crosby and several anonymous sponsors at ko-fi. Thank you for your support!

The first part of today’s sponsored chapters is Ch 63 Part 3.

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Cheng Yujin’s cough was not small. She didn’t care who handed her the cup and quickly drink the tea to soothe her throat.

It was really annoying to bite ginger while eating, but even more hateful was that gingers resembled normal sliced vegetables. Cheng Yujin didn’t pay attention for a while, and was caught off guard.

When she finally calmed down, she noticed the slender hand that gave her the teacup. Although the hand was elegant and beautiful, it obviously wasn’t a woman’s hand.

Her heart immediately jumped with a ‘thud’. Sure enough, Cheng Yuanjing’s voice sounded from next to her ear: “Calmed down?”

Cheng Yujin noticed that Cheng Yuanjing was still holding her arm. His hand was extremely steady. Although the weight of Cheng Yujin’s body was pressing his wrist, his hand was unmoved.

Cheng Yujin was extremely embarrassed. Accidentally eating ginger on the dining table was embarrassing enough, not to mention in front of the crown prince. Cheng Yujin was already thankful if His Highness didn’t blame her for being mannerless. But unexpectedly, he even helped her drinking tea.

For a crown prince, isn’t it a bit too friendly?

No matter how embarrassed she was, in front of many people, Cheng Yujin had to maintain her dignity. Cheng Yujin raised her head. No embarrassment could be seen on her face. But because of the previous incident, her eyes were still wet with remaining tears.

“Grandmother, this granddaughter has been rude. Please forgive me.”

Old Madam Cheng waved her hand: “It’s alright if you’re fine.”

Cheng Yujin pretended to be calm and nodded solemnly. Only then did she realize that everyone at the dinner table was staring motionlessly at her.

To be precise, they were not looking at Cheng Yujin alone. But at Cheng Yujin…and Cheng Yuanjing next to her.

Cheng Yujin turned her head calmly and pulled out her arm from Cheng Yuanjing’s hand. Cheng Yuanjing didn’t seem to care at all. He poured another cup of tea for her, and then used the chopsticks to take the dish Cheng Yujin was going to eat just now: “Be careful when eating.”

His tone was too casual, so Cheng Yujin let go of her cautiousness and complained naturally: “It’s not my fault. The ginger looks so similar.”

“Yes, it’s not your fault. Next time, I will tell the kitchen not to put any ginger.”

The two talked with each other, completely regarding other people around like nothing. But the onlookers were shocked. Ruan-shi was originally looking forward to seeing Huo Changyuan showed his affection for her daughter. However, Cheng Yumo wanted Huo Changyuan to pick her a dish, but Huo Changyuan hesitated. Instead, Cheng Yuanjing gave Cheng Yujin tea and picked a dish for her, which was an exemplary model.

No, it’s not right—Ruan-shi immediately reacted. What a model, what exemplary? Cheng Yuanjing and Cheng Yujin were uncle and niece, not husband and wife. How could they be compared with Mo’er and her husband?

In her previous life, Cheng Yumo could only watch Huo Changyuan treated Cheng Yujin pamperingly. But she never expected that after she changed into a new life, on the same occasion, their position still didn’t change, and Cheng Yujin still had it better than herself.

Cheng Yumo’s expression instantly turned sour, and she became more dissatisfied with Huo Changyuan’s indifference. She turned around and said to Huo Changyuan: “No, I just want to eat fish.”

In front of so many people, Huo Changyuan felt very embarrassed. Especially….He quietly glanced at Cheng Yujin. Somehow, for Cheng Yumo to make such a gesture in front of Cheng Yujin, Huo Changyuan felt guilty and embarrassed.

However, Cheng Yujin was talking with Cheng Yuanjing and didn’t pay attention to their surroundings. The two sat next to each other, talking with a low voice without glancing at Huo Changyuan at all. Both Cheng Yuanjing and Cheng Yujin had stunning and exquisite looks. Each of them was good-looking, and when they were put together side by side, the scene was even more beautiful than a famous painting.

Cheng Yujin’s mannerism was exceptionally good. Anyone with a slightly worse manner would be publicly shamed by sitting next to Cheng Yujin. However, this wasn’t the case with Cheng Yuanjing. On the contrary, he was totally at ease. His mannerism and etiquette were naturally graceful from inside out, as if he was born with it. Having them sitting together was very pleasing to the onlooker’s eyes.

Cheng Yumo and Huo Changyuan’s inappropriate farce didn’t even arouse Cheng Yujin’s attention. There was a sense of loss in Huo Changyuan’s heart. Cheng Yumo, however, was still persistently urging him from the side.

Huo Changyuan endured his impatience and took a piece of fish for Cheng Yumo. His action was reluctant and unwilling, totally incomparable to Cheng Yuanjing’s meticulous care just now.

Huo Changyuan was reluctant and impatient, so he naturally wasn’t attentive or considerate, and forgot to avoid fishbone. Cheng Yumo lowered her head and saw many tiny fishbones on the piece Huo Changyuan just put on her bowl. Cheng Yumo was a little angry. When Huo Changyuan took fish for her in her previous life, he carefully avoided the bony parts and chose the most delicious piece for her. Why wasn’t he as meticulous today? Even his movement was so careless, as if he was being forced.

Anger surged in Cheng Yumo’s heart, followed by a wave of grievances. These grievances came rushed and fast. Cheng Yumo remembered her mother-in-law, who gave her a dirty look on the morning of the tea ceremony¹, Jingyong Marquis Manor’s servants who tried to take advantage of her ignorance, and even Huo Changyuan’s servant girl, who secretly put on the air with her in private. Tears instantly came to Cheng Yumo’s eyes.

Obviously, everything was back on track. Obviously, she and Brother Changyuan was a loving couple, and she should be harmonious with her mother-in-law. Why was everything so different from what she imagined?

 

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1. Bride’s tea ceremony: The next morning after the wedding, a new bride would be introduced to her husband’s whole family, and has to offer tea to elders-in-law.