The heir of Prince Yan actually offered a few jars right off the bat... which shows how much favor he enjoys in front of the Crown Prince.
Wei Hanzhang believed his previous promises even more and felt a bit relieved about the safety of her maternal family. As she picked up the teacup, the spring clothes were thin, and the wide sleeve slipped down, directly revealing half of her wrist, the whiteness almost dazzling to the eye.
Xiao Junzhan unintentionally caught a glimpse and quickly shifted his gaze, the tips of his ears faintly turning red.
Wei Hanzhang, however, didn't pay attention to his expression and continued to savor the fine tea in her cup.
She had applied a thin layer of lip rouge, and when she put down the teacup, it left a lip mark on the porcelain. Xiao Junzhan's gaze lingered on it.
Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Wei Hanzhang raised her eyes and said, "Have you never seen a cup a woman has drunk from?"
Xiao Junzhan looked away, remaining silent, the faint redness on the tips of his ears deepening.
Wei Hanzhang found him extremely contradictory.
Clearly, he was the kind of man who, having lost his wife just half a year ago, would still sneak a few more glances at a beautiful woman. Yet he always acted so bashful, as if someone had teased him.
She tapped her fingers on the tea table, her eyes fixed on his profile. With a fearless nature, she couldn't help but laugh and say, "Has anyone ever told you that you're quite pretentious?"
Xiao Junzhan looked at her helplessly, "Speak properly, and no nonsense."
"Oh, then I won't talk nonsense." If not for the uncomfortable silence between them, Wei Hanzhang wouldn't even have been willing to speak with him.
She propped her chin on her hand, glancing around. This seemed to be a study.
A row of bookshelves against the wall was filled with thick books, not a single decorative item in sight.
In an era without electronic screens, her eyesight was excellent, and her gaze was drawn to a book of musical scores.
After only a few moments, Xiao Junzhan noticed. He stood up, retrieved the musical score, and handed it to her, saying, "Everything here, except for the letters on the desk, you are free to browse."
Wei Hanzhang had no idea how much of a privilege this was, and naturally nodded slightly as she lowered her head to browse through the score.
She was quite knowledgeable about music and could tell with just a glance that the score in her hands was a long-lost original, created by the great master of the qin, Xie Daoling.
Wei Hanzhang was immediately absorbed, while Xiao Junzhan remained silent, quietly watching her.
The young woman was just in her youthful prime. Today, she was dressed rather simply, wearing only a gold-inlaid jade bracelet on her wrist, with no other ornaments. Her hair was adorned with just a plain hairpin.
He cast aside all thoughts of propriety and, almost rudely, stared at her, a slight sense of bewilderment growing in his heart...
This was a girl who hadn't yet reached the age of maturity, the same age as his niece...
By the time Wei Hanzhang finished flipping through the musical score, she realized that her host had already busied himself at the desk.
He wasn't reading, writing, or painting. Instead, he held what seemed like folded letters, appearing to handle official business.
YOU ARE READING
I've Got This Cannon Fodder Trope Covered!
Historical FictionAuthor: 伴树花开 Translator: Me (Xiaobai) Longer Title: "Favoring the Concubine and Disregarding the Wife? I'll Protect This Cannon Fodder in the Family Rivalry Novel!" 宠妾灭妻? 这宅斗文炮灰我罩了 Born and raised as the cherished daughter of a marquis's household...