A Hundred of Beautiful Lives - Chapter 017

When Yu Sui’er led the waiter back, she was surprised not to see the three brothers. 

“Miss, where are those three brothers?”

Ji Yang, without missing a beat, replied regretfully, “They left.” 

It was hard to find someone to accompany her for a meal, but those three had run off.

Yu Sui’er breathed a big sigh of relief.

Ji Yang called over the waiter to recite the menu. In those days, waiters recited the dishes instead of using printed or carved menus, delivering their lines with rhythm and intonation, much like singing a song.

“Honoured guest, listen as I sing. At De Sheng Tavern, there are many chefs! The head chef can prepare various types of fermented dishes, including wrapped fermented dishes, cattail fermented dishes, pork fermented dishes, lamb fermented dishes, eggplant fermented dishes, and flat bean fermented dishes. The second chef can create a wide range of pickled dishes, including bracken fern pickles, wood-ear mushroom pickles, gourd-mustard pickles, and pickled milu deer. The third chef is best at steamed chicken, steamed duck, steamed fish, and steamed pig’s head, while the fourth chef makes the finest venison jerky, bronze fish jerky, and summer-preserved white meat…”

The dishes at Desheng Tavern were indeed quite rich and varied. The waiter recited the names of the dishes with pride, but to Ji Yang’s ears, they were nothing special, just something to listen to idly.

“Alright, bring us a plate of each of your head chef’s, second chef’s, third chef’s, and all the other chefs’ specialities,” said Ji Yang.

“Um,” the waiter looked at Ji Yang and the few maids behind her. 

“Miss, I’m afraid you might not be able to finish all of that.”

“If we can’t finish it, we’ll just look at it. What’s the big deal?” Yu Sui’er glared at the waiter. 

When they dined in the palace, the masters would always admire the dishes displayed for them. Here in Ji Zhou, forget about viewing dishes—the food here wouldn’t even pass for rat feed back in the palace. Even the rats would find it too hard on their teeth.

The waiter, spotting a generous customer, was happy to comply and said no more.

After the waiter left, Yu Sui’er immediately complained to Ji Yang, “Miss, why did you invite those three to dine with us today? They’re so crude and unrefined, not to mention the muddy smell on their clothes. If Fùmǎ—or even His Lordship—what will we do? Luckily, those three knew better.”

Ji Yang smiled at Yu Sui’er and said, “I know. But why is it that without the female palace attendants, you’ve become even naggier than they were?”

Yu Sui’er silently grumbled in her heart. 

How can I not nag? Ever since our princess left the palace, she’s been like a bird let out of its cage, flying wild, almost scaring our souls right out of us!

“I wonder where those three are from. At first, those three Lu brothers seemed pretty stubborn.” Yu Sui’er suddenly grew curious again.

Ji Yang remarked, “From their accent, they don’t seem to be from Jizhou—it sounds more like they’re from Liangzhou. They looked gaunt, wore worn shoes, and despite having gold, they hesitated to spend it. The dishes they ordered earlier were likely the cheapest available in this entire tavern. Why do you think that is?”

Yu Sui’er’s eyes lit up. 

“Are they here to seek connections?”

Ji Yang nodded. “Probably.” 

Coming all this way to seek connections—but for what, she didn’t know.

“Hope they don’t come begging at our manor, hmph.” 

Yu Sui’er couldn’t stand those three.

In the end, it turned out the three brothers didn’t seek help from the Marquis’s Manor—instead, it was Ji Yang and her party who ended up owing them a favour.

As the saying goes, we should not display our wealth, as doing so easily attracts the covetous eyes of those with evil intentions. Though Jizhou had decent public safety, it couldn’t stop Yu Sui’er from flaunting a gold ingot, enough to sustain a household for several years.

There are always those who, for various reasons, are forced to take risks. Someone had been watching Ji Yang and her party at the inn, following them closely. When Ji Yang and her party came out of the silk shop, someone grabbed the pouch tied to Yu Sui’er’s waist from behind and ran off.

Yu Sui’er let out a startled cry and forgot to chase after them, but Ji Yang reacted quickly and immediately gave chase. It was thrilling—they had encountered a thief as soon as they stepped out the door. The more she chased, the more energised she became.

Losing the pouch was minor—what mattered was that the princess herself was chasing a thief. Yu Sui’er stomped her foot in helpless frustration and ran after her, shouting, “Miss! Miss! Let it go, let it go!”

But Ji Yang was in the midst of her chase and couldn’t hear Yu Sui’er. She had finally encountered something exciting.

Yu Sui’er couldn’t match Ji Yang’s agility or stamina. After chasing for three streets, she was already panting and ready to collapse. Just then, she saw the Lu brothers emerge from a side alley, so she hurried over and gasping as she said, “You… you three gentlemen… help—help our Miss! A thief—he stole…”

Although the Lu brothers hadn’t been on the best of terms with Yu Sui’er, they had a sense of chivalry. Seeing Ji Yang chase a man ahead, they thought she must have encountered a thief and immediately took off in pursuit.

The thief who had stolen Yu Sui’er’s purse glanced back to see Ji Yang hot on his heels and deeply regretted his choice. He had thought that since they were just a few women, even if he robbed them in broad daylight, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Who knew he’d run into such a tough one! This girl was even faster than he was, and while he was panting like an ox, her breathing was only slightly laboured.

This thief was a known rascal in the area and tried to shake Ji Yang off by weaving through narrow alleys, but failed. 

Is this really a frail noble lady?!

The thief was close to giving up when Ji Yang almost caught up. But as a noble princess, she couldn’t just reach out and grab him, right?

However, the thief was courting his doom, relentlessly diving into the alleys. Meanwhile, Ji Yang kicked off the wall beside her, using the momentum to propel herself forward in a flying leap. She landed squarely on the thief’s back, causing him to fall to the ground with a loud ‘thud.’

Nice! Ji Yang silently cheered herself on.

However, the thief was no pushover. After crawling to the ground, he rolled to the side and immediately sprang up, ready to fight Ji Yang to the death. He had no qualms about hitting a woman. Even if this woman was fast, men couldn’t just get into a fight in the middle of the street, could they?

Uh, Ji Yang hadn’t anticipated this and nearly got knocked down by the thief in a desperate, last-ditch move, like a cornered animal. Fortunately, the Lu brothers caught up in time, with the youngest, Zhang Geng, running the fastest.

And so, they resolved the grudge between them.

Ji Yang led Yu Sui’er and the others forward to express their gratitude to the Lu brothers. 

“Thank you very much for your help today, gentlemen. I have nothing to offer in return—only that I am a native of Jizhou. Should you need anything, come to Xinyang Marquis Manor and ask for Yu Sui’er.”

Lu Tieshan and He Jingren exchanged a look of surprise. So this young lady was indeed the daughter of the Xinyang Marquis. However, seeing that she was somewhat eccentric, they didn’t expect much from her and simply took their leave.

Only after dinner did Ji Yang return to Běi Yuàn. She had already washed up and gotten into bed when she saw Shen Du stroll in from outside. She got up again to greet him, calling out eagerly, “Liu Lang.”

Shen Du asked, “Did you have fun outside today?”

Ji Yang stuck out her tongue playfully, “You already know?”

“If you go out again, you must take guards with you. How could you go chasing after a thief on your own?” Shen Du said as he headed toward the cleansing room.

Ji Yang followed after him, “How did you know I chased a thief?”

Shen Du began to untie his sash, took off his belt, and casually handed it to Ji Yang, who took it without saying a word and put it away for him.

“The magistrate’s office already received that thief. How could I not know?” Shen Du retorted.

“Oh,” Ji Yang murmured and said, “My maids are all short-legged. If I hadn’t gone after him, wouldn’t that little thief have gotten away?”

“You never thought of your safety? What if the thief had accomplices? The three of you weak women chasing after him would be walking right into a trap. Did that occur to you?”

But halfway through his scolding, Shen Du realised Ji Yang wasn’t answering. He turned his head and saw her face was as red as a cooked shrimp, staring blankly at him.

Ji Yang was indeed mesmerised. When she followed Shen Du inside, she hadn’t expected to see this scene. Although she and Shen Du were now truly married, she had never seen his body in such clear light. During those two nights, they spent time under the bed canopy, where she could only catch glimpses of him in the dim candlelight, where she could only catch glimpses of him in the dim candlelight, leaving her without the opportunity to look closely.

In her understanding, a man’s body held no aesthetic appeal, at least not in terms of beauty.

But at that moment, Shen Du’s lean, muscular body shattered Ji Yang’s perception. His back was broad, the elegant line of his spine, his long and powerful limbs, his skin glowing with a bronzed, porcelain-like glaze under the lamplight, exuding a ‘beauty of strength’ that Ji Yang had never seen before.

Even if Shen Du weren’t her husband, Ji Yang would still have to admire him sincerely. 

‘Truly majestic and beautiful.’

Shen Du turned to face her, ready to speak—only to see her gasp in surprise, instantly shutting her eyes, and bolt from the room.

They were barely newlyweds—how could she possibly face that ‘monstrous thing’ head-on?

Later, when Shen Du got into bed, he saw Ji Yang hiding under the covers pretending to be asleep. He was happy to pretend not to notice—anything to avoid entertaining her. In just a few days, Shen Du had discovered that Ji Yang was an overly talkative, high-energy chatterbox.

Ji Yang was a bit shy, so she pulled the blanket over her head. However, after Shen Du got into bed, he completely ignored her, so she meekly lifted the blanket and wriggled her way into Shen Du’s quilt.

Seriously, what’s the point of two separate quilts? She pouted slightly.

Due to practising the Xuan Yue Gong technique taught by Empress Su, her body remained cool year-round. Though she didn’t feel particularly cold herself, she was attracted to Shen Du’s warmth. Even in sleep, she habitually curled into his arms.

Shen Du felt aroused by Ji Yang’s wriggling movements and reached out to touch her between her thighs. 

“Does it hurt anymore?”

Ji Yang understood his implication, recalling the scene she had just witnessed, she blushed again. Although she still felt a bit sore, it was much better than it had been this morning. 

But, out of feminine modesty, she whispered, “Just a little.”

“Then sleep well.” Shen Du said, withdrawing his hand.

“Mm.” Ji Yang felt a warm joy in her heart, thinking Shen Du was being considerate. 

To show her joy, she snuggled even closer into Shen Du’s embrace, pressing herself tightly against him with a smile as she drifted off to sleep.

It was truly a challenge for Shen Du. He was naturally hot-blooded, and Ji Yang was a peerless beauty with a subtle scent that was neither floral nor fruity. In the enclosed warmth of the blanket, the smell grew stronger—intoxicating, stirring his every nerve.

Shen Du’s thoughts raced for a moment, then his fingers gently traced Ji Yang’s waist, sliding down and squeezing her firmly.

Ji Yang, already half-asleep, murmured a protest, but was soon pinned beneath him like Mount Tai, gasping for breath. She barely turned her head to catch her breath. 

Shen Du was like a predator ready to devour her.

It was as if the earth were soaked red with mud, while orioles cried out in soft, delicate, pleading tones. A ruthless wind howled, and the rain poured down in torrents.

Ji Yang moaned and pleaded, “Ah, ah,” again and again—but could only resent that her lover’s heart was hard as iron, as the rhythmic sound of beating clothes echoed on and on in the background.