Chapter 140: Greasy and Hard on the Eyes

"Luoluo is truly an extraordinary woman, so perfect—delicate yet possessing a heroic spirit. Just perfect." Instead of receiving an apology from Song Yunmo, Zhang Yi only saw him staring off into space with a besotted expression, muttering to himself.

"Song Yunmo, do you realize it now? The one who was bullied is your older brother here." Zhang Yi felt it necessary to emphatically remind student Song Yunmo that he had just poured another handful of salt onto his bleeding wounds.

"On the surface, Luoluo is strong, but she must have been frightened. I must hurry and buy some food and gifts to go check on her." As if struck deaf, Song Yunmo couldn't hear a word Zhang Yi was saying. Mumbling to himself with a heart full of joy, he bolted out of the magistrate's office.

...

"Song Yunmo, you bastard, I'm going to tell your father!" Zhang Yi shouted at Song Yunmo's retreating back, furious to the point of explosion. Song Yunmo didn't hear a single word; he had come like a madman and gone like the wind.

Zhang Yi felt so wronged he was almost on the verge of tears. Yet at that moment, an eunuch from the palace arrived, and Zhang Yi hurried out respectfully to greet him. This time, it was an attendant from the Emperor's side. There was no imperial edict read aloud, merely a verbal decree.

"We are well aware that the Princess Consort of Jing is magnanimous, gentle, and quiet by nature, not one for eloquence. There must be hidden circumstances behind this incident. We hope the Magistrate will thoroughly investigate the matter, handle it impartially, and certainly restore the innocence of the Princess Consort of Jing."

Zhang Yi felt ready to faint. Magnanimous, gentle, and quiet? Not one for eloquence? Su Jingluo? In what way was she gentle and quiet? That stern and imposing demeanor showed neither magnanimity nor gentleness. Not one for eloquence? The way she kept rattling on all morning, steering the rhythm of the situation so masterfully! Was there something wrong with his own brain, or had everyone else been hoodwinked by Su Jingluo? Zhang Yi even began to doubt whether the scene from that morning was just something he had imagined.

As for the instruction to handle the matter impartially—Your Majesty, how obvious could your oral decree be? Impartially favoring the Princess Consort of Jing, and making sure justice was served in her favor.

After receiving the verbal decree, Zhang Yi wiped away sweat continuously, never expecting the matter to reach the Emperor himself. It seemed his aptitude for officialdom was still lacking; he could neither navigate the network of relationships nor fathom the imperial will. Because of a single Su Jingluo, it felt as though he had poked a hornet's nest.

Zhang Yi hurriedly ordered the gates of the magistrate's office to be shut, lest another grandfather-figure show up because of Su Jingluo to bang fiercely on the tables. Since he couldn't afford to provoke them today, he could at least hide. He'd go back and drink a little wine to relieve his gloom. The thought of drinking reminded him of Song Yunmo; forget it, no drinking—he would go find his teacher and file a complaint against his son. He needed to find someone to share the misfortune and go down with him.

Just as the carriage stopped at the gates of the Prince Jing's Estate, Zhuo Yuean lifted the carriage curtain to find Xiao Jingxuan and Su Jingluo locked in a passionate embrace. The interior of the carriage was thick with a romantic and alluring atmosphere, and both of their faces were glistening with a light sheen of sweat. Zhuo Yuean hastily dropped the curtain, his face flushed red. Fortunately, the Prince and Princess Consort still had their clothes on properly, otherwise he would surely be dead by now.

Xiao Jingxuan and Su Jingluo had been completely lost in the moment and hadn't noticed that the carriage had stopped. It was only when Zhuo Yuean lifted the curtain that the blinding sunlight jolted Su Jingluo back to reality. She let out a sharp cry and, blushing deeply, pushed Xiao Jingxuan away, continuously covering her burning cheeks with her hands.

Xiao Jingxuan hadn't expected Zhuo Yuean to lift the curtain either. Looking with lingering reluctance at Su Jingluo's shy, huddled appearance, he felt an urge to kiss her again, but remembering they had already arrived home, he decided to exercise restraint. All his frustration over the interrupted moment was duly recorded against Zhuo Yuean.

When Xiao Jingxuan stepped down from the carriage, everyone in the estate was struck with astonishment. It was that very same familiar face, yet his expression and demeanor were so utterly different. It was like a warm sun gently brushing over cold, forbidding mountains; the lingering hostility and detachment that once clogged his brows had melted at this moment into sweet honey—thick and cloying!