The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 165: Not Fated with Buddha (3)

"You said my words are poisonous? Let me see if I can poison you to death," Rongjing continued to lean in towards Yun Qianyue's lips, his grip on her wrist not loosening for a moment, holding her completely still. He whispered, "Let's see if it can kill you."

"Of course, it can kill me... You... Let go..." Yun Qianyue suddenly felt her heart racing. Her eyes were frantically watching Rongjing's lips drawing near, her usual sharp tongue now failing her. In the face of such a seductive atmosphere, she was at a complete loss. Her heart seemed to leap into her throat, unable to escape the tension.

Rongjing, watching Yun Qianyue's panicked expression, his eyes flickered slightly, and he whispered lowly, "Whether it can poison you or not isn't for you to say. Only by trying will we know..." As his words ended, his lips brushed against hers.

Yun Qianyue felt as if she had stopped breathing entirely; her heartbeat seemed to have frozen. Everything around her seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving only this man and his cool, feather-like lips. Her entire body stiffened, unable to move.

Rongjing's lips only lightly brushed hers, so gentle that it was almost imperceptible, as though he had barely touched her. Then, he suddenly pushed her away, closed his eyes, and sighed in distaste, leaning back against the carriage wall. "You really make it impossible for me to proceed. Forget it."

Yun Qianyue felt as though she were on a roller coaster. Upon hearing his words, her mind went blank, and all her confusion vanished. She glared at him in anger. "You're such a scoundrel, you—"

"If you dare to say another word, I'll show you what I mean," Rongjing warned.

Yun Qianyue fell silent. Though her teeth were clenched with fury, she held her tongue. She pressed her hand against her chest, reminding herself not to get angry. It wasn't far to home. After this, she wouldn't have to see this venomous man again. She could bear with it for now.

The carriage fell into an eerie quiet.

Yun Qianyue turned her back on Rongjing, not looking at him, and cursed him silently in her mind—calling him every name under the sun.

Rongjing, eyes still closed, glanced at Yun Qianyue's back, watching her seethe in anger. The corner of his lips curled slightly. His jade-like hand gently pressed against his lips, as if savoring the moment, before lowering his hand and smiling silently. That smile, fleeting as it was, vanished almost as soon as it appeared. His eyes darkened again, and he closed them once more, his long lashes casting shadows on his face. His features, so enigmatic and aloof, seemed impossible to decipher.

The carriage continued silently, unhindered, entering the city.

At the entrance of Prince Yun's Mansion, Yun Meng had been waiting with the staff. Upon seeing the carriage arrive, he immediately stepped forward. "Thank you, Master Jing, for escorting Miss Qianyue back to the residence. The Old Lord has instructed that you stay for a meal before returning to the Wang Residence."

"Tell the Old Lord not to trouble himself. Rongjing is returning home now," came the soft reply, with Rongjing's eyes still closed and not opening them to look outside.

"Then, Master Jing, please come again another day," Yun Meng said, understanding that Rongjing was a man of few words, and not one to be swayed. Seeing Yun Qianyue already opening the curtain and jumping out of the carriage, he immediately called out, "Miss Qianyue, why are you jumping out of the carriage? It's not very lady-like..."

Yun Qianyue's feet touched the ground. She said nothing and walked briskly towards the mansion, disappearing quickly into the distance.

Yun Meng stood frozen, staring after her, then glanced back at the closed carriage, wondering what had happened. Before he could ask, Rongjing had already given the order to Xian Ge to drive the carriage away. Without delay, Xian Ge cracked the whip, and the carriage quickly departed from the gates of Prince Yun's Mansion.

Yun Meng stood in a daze, watching the carriage leave, then hurried to catch up with Yun Qianyue. "Miss, the Old Lord wants you to come to him immediately. He's waiting for you inside the house!"

Yun Qianyue had originally intended to go back to the Qianyue Pavilion but stopped when she heard Yun Meng's shout and turned to walk in the direction of the Old Lord's courtyard. Her footsteps were heavy as she walked, and she kicked over several blooming flowers along the way, her mood not lightening at all.

"Oh no, my dear Miss, you've knocked over the golden peony!" Yun Meng cried out in distress, rushing to pick up the flowers Yun Qianyue had trampled.

Yun Qianyue acted as if she hadn't heard him. Her mind was still preoccupied with Rongjing's actions and words from earlier.

"Miss, the old servant knows you've been wronged at Lingtai Temple. Don't worry, the Old Lord is investigating it. We'll find the people who harmed you and Master Jing," Yun Meng said, keeping a respectful distance behind her, worried that Yun Qianyue's fury might accidentally knock him over.

Yun Qianyue snorted, not responding.

Yun Meng wisely fell silent, thinking that both Miss Qianyue and Master Jing had been acting off today. Perhaps the three days spent in the underground Buddhist hall had left Miss Qianyue in a foul mood. He hoped the Old Lord could help her calm down.

When they reached the Old Lord's courtyard, Yun Meng halted at the entrance. Yun Qianyue entered on her own.

"You stupid girl, you still know how to come back? Every time you go out, you do something foolish and come back!" The Old Lord's scolding voice came from inside the room before Yun Qianyue even stepped through the door.

Yun Qianyue immediately halted and turned back to leave. She was in no mood to be scolded, and couldn't guarantee she wouldn't grab the old man by his beard.

"Oi, you brat! Come back!" The Old Lord shouted upon seeing her retreat.

"If you promise not to scold me, I'll go in. If you still want to scold me, I'll wait until tomorrow after you've gotten your fill of scolding!" Yun Qianyue threatened, her back still to the door.

"You damn girl! Are you going to defy me now?" The Old Lord puffed up his cheeks and glared at her.

Yun Qianyue didn't respond and continued walking away.

"Ugh, you... come back! Fine, I won't scold you anymore!" The Old Lord relented when he saw Yun Qianyue was truly about to leave.

Yun Qianyue's frustration faded somewhat, and she turned back to enter.

Yumzhu came out with a smile, bowing to Yun Qianyue. Yun Qianyue nodded at her, then walked into the room. The Old Lord, standing at the table and practicing his calligraphy, snorted when he saw her. "You brat, you've got some guts now after being away for a few days?"

Yun Qianyue snorted back, walking over and unceremoniously sitting down in front of the Old Lord. She glanced at the calligraphy he was practicing and grumbled, "Who asked you to let that scoundrel Rongjing take me to Lingtai Temple? I almost lost my life there. If I had died, how would you ever find such a clever granddaughter like me again?"

"The Heir Jing was there to protect you; how could you have died? Don't spout nonsense!" The Old Lord's face hardened.