RATMOFANF: Chapter 59

 Glossary

· Shen Jingxiu: The female protagonist, Li Ling's wife.

· Li Ling: The Heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor, Shen Jingxiu's husband.

· Lingxiao: Li Ling's attendant.

· Liang Jin: One of Li Ling's subordinates.

· Qingluan: Li Ling's cousin.

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Chapter 59: I Heard You Were Supposed to Marry a Princess

Jingxiu coldly pushed him away and asked him directly, "Before marrying me, did you already have someone in your heart?"

Upon hearing her words, Li Ling was suddenly stunned. His sword-like eyebrows slightly furrowed as he looked at his wife in confusion, seemingly not understanding her question.

Jingxiu looked at him and continued, "I know you've never been able to let her go."

Li Ling looked somberly at Jingxiu and asked, "What exactly are you asking?"

By the look of him, it was as if he had suffered a great injustice, as though she were wrongly accusing him.

Jingxiu forcibly suppressed the full force of her anger. "I heard long ago that if you hadn't been forced by circumstances to marry me, you were supposed to marry a princess."

Things had been said to this extent; surely he should give her an explanation now.

Who would have thought that upon hearing this, Li Ling would say angrily, "Who spoke such nonsense?"

It seemed he still didn't want to admit it.

Jingxiu looked at her and said, "If she isn't in your heart, why were you in such a frantic hurry to abandon me and leave that night as soon as you heard something had happened to her?"

As she spoke, tears of grievance couldn't help but fall pattering down again. Choking up, she said, "You didn't even have time to say a single word of farewell."

Seeing her cry again, Li Ling quickly reached out to wipe her tears, but before he could touch her, his little wife turned her head away disdainfully. Only then did he remember: she disliked his rough hands, fearing they would hurt her skin.

Li Ling lifted the sleeve of his official robe and clumsily tried to wipe her tears with it.

Her crying always made Li Ling panic. Not knowing how to comfort his little wife, he could only coax her, saying, "Don't cry, don't cry. Please stop crying. It's all my fault, alright?"

Jingxiu cried in aggrieved, hiccupping sobs for a while, making Li Ling break out in a sweat. He couldn't help but reach out again to wipe her tears.

Jingxiu swatted his rough, large hand away and glared at him. "Stop trying to change the subject. Properly answer the question I asked earlier."

His little wife, her face tear-stained like a pear blossom wet with rain, cried until Li Ling was completely flustered. He looked at her puzzledly, scratched his head, and tried hard to recall what his little wife had just said.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

After thinking for a good while, he finally realized she had mentioned something about him 'being supposed to marry a princess.' He said angrily, "Such nonsense! It must be those idle, bored noblewomen spreading rumors again."

Jingxiu gave a cold laugh. "If you never had such intentions, how could it appear out of thin air?"

Exasperated, Li Ling got off the bed. Annoyed, he clasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth on the floor, saying indignantly, "These women are truly infuriating! How dare they gossip about me like this behind my back!"

While Li Ling was fuming here, Lingxiao's voice called from outside the door: "Young Master, Young Master, are you there?"

In a foul mood, Li Ling shouted towards the door, "I'm here! Whatever it is, say it later!"

The person outside, hearing this angry shout, closed his mouth resentfully.

Li Ling looked at his little wife on the bed, who was still sniffling. He calmed the anger in his heart, walked over to her, and half-crouched before her. "Don't listen to that nonsense," he explained. "I never had any such plan."

Jingxiu lifted her head and looked at him with an "I don't believe your lies" expression.

Li Ling sighed helplessly. Half-crouching on the floor, he looked at his wife and explained urgently, "How can you believe such nonsense? Everyone knows the only unmarried princesses of marriageable age are the Seventh Princess and the Eighth Princess."

"That Seventh Princess lacks virtue. Two years ago, at the retreat palace, she actually had an improper relationship with a guard. The jade pendant she gave that guard was flaunted by the man when he was drunk in a brothel, causing a scandal known throughout the city. To this day, that absurd Seventh Princess is still confined by His Majesty in the retreat palace."

He paused, took a breath, and continued, "And that Eighth Princess is even more famously unreasonable and domineering. Wasn't she the one who framed Qingluan a while back? This princess's willful and spoiled nature is known to all. With such character, how is she fit to be anyone's wife?"

He looked at Jingxiu. "Such women, even if they are noble princesses, how could I possibly consider them? Even if His Majesty intended to match us, I would defy the imperial decree. How could you—"

Just as Li Ling was holding forth indignantly, Lingxiao's voice came from outside the door again, (shì tàn de) tentatively urging, "Young Master, Official Liang has urgent business and is looking for you."

Interrupted again so abruptly, Li Ling was very annoyed. He forced himself to be patient and called out to the door, "What urgent business does he have? Can't it wait?"

They heard Lingxiao outside reply helplessly, "Official Liang just sent someone to deliver a message saying that the Crown Prince has come to the camp looking for you. Official Liang requests your return."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Hearing that the Crown Prince was there, Li Ling finally stood up. In two or three steps, he reached the door and pulled it open with a 'whoosh', startling Lingxiao, who was standing outside. Lingxiao said urgently, "Young Master, it's the Crown Prince seeking you."

Li Ling said impatiently to Lingxiao, "I know. Go tell the messenger to return first and inform Liang Jin that I will be back immediately."

After Lingxiao left, Li Ling closed the door and went back into the inner room. He walked to the bedside, bent down, looked at Jingxiu, and picked up the previous topic. "Although our family has intermarried with the imperial family for generations, and His Majesty previously hinted at this intention, I never had any plan to marry a princess. So you mustn't believe such nonsense from outside, and certainly don't let it create distance between us."

In her past life, when she finally mustered the courage to talk to him about Qingluan, he had also evaded the topic by diverting it chaotically. Now, seeing his furious appearance, she was truly somewhat confused. Was he truly clear-hearted and without such thoughts, or was he deliberately hiding something?

Seeing how Li Ling looked at her so nervously, if one said he didn't care for her in his heart, even she herself couldn't believe it.

But the thought of him holding another woman in his heart was something she ultimately couldn't bear.

Jingxiu looked at him and said, "Go attend to your business first. We can talk about these matters later."

Qingluan was indeed a thorn embedded in her heart. But since he had urgent matters at hand, she didn't want to argue about these things with him right now.

Li Ling saw her face was still taut. He stared intently at her and asked nervously, "Then... can you forgive me?"

Jingxiu shot him a withering look. "Let's talk when you come back tonight. There are still things you haven't made clear to me."

Li Ling hurried forward and half-crouched on the floor again, looking at his little wife sitting on the bed. "What else haven't I made clear? Ask me. I'll explain now. Otherwise, I won't feel settled."

From outside came Lingxiao's urging voice again: "Young Master, the messenger has already returned to the main camp to report. He asks you to return quickly. The Crown Prince is still waiting for you there."

Li Ling shot an impatient glance towards the door but didn't bother with Lingxiao this time.

He turned his head, his face showing anxiety, and pressed Jingxiu, "What else exactly do you want to ask?"

Jingxiu didn't want to discuss this with him in such a frantic, hurried moment. She pushed him and said, "Go attend to your business first. We'll talk tonight."

Li Ling stood up but still refused to leave.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

He looked down at Jingxiu and said, "Then you must wait for me. Wait until I return tonight, and we'll finish the conversation we haven't concluded."

Jingxiu nodded. Only then did Li Ling turn to leave. Reaching the doorway, he still turned back uneasily and said to his little wife sitting on the bed, "You will wait for me, right?"

Jingxiu looked up and shot him a glare, saying irritably, "Hurry up and go! It's not like I can fly away, can I?"

Only then did Li Ling feel somewhat reassured and strode out of the Qingfeng Yuan.

(End of Chapter)

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Author's Note:

Jingxiu (helpless): You know what? Communicating with such a直男 (zhí nán) straightforward, sometimes clueless man is really exhausting.

Li Ling (scratches his head): Wife, please don't be disappointed in me. Apart from being a bit straightforward, I'm quite good in other aspects.

Dear readers, tomorrow we'll write about Li Ling and Qingluan's matter, alright? Let's meet then!

Thank you to all the readers who support my story. Aque will work hard to write this story well to repay everyone.

Translator's Note: check out my other work— My Younger Sister Insisted On A Marriage Exchange Wanting To Make Me The Wife Of A Marquis and The Marquis’s Beloved is a Black-Hearted Lotus (⁠*⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠)⁠/⁠～⁠♡

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