CMWKSD -Chapter 270 What Virtue or Merit Do I Have

Only Su Cheng and Ji Chaomian were left in the courtyard.

All the servants of the Ji household were very perceptive and deliberately avoided passing through this area.

Ji Chaomian stood where he was, lifting his hands, stretching his legs, doing who-knew-what.

When people are awkward, they always become inexplicably busy.

Yet in truth, they have no idea what they’re actually busy with.

Then Su Cheng watched helplessly as Ji Chaomian took a deep breath and said, “Let’s go… let’s go into the courtyard…”

After that, Ji Chaomian started walking forward with the same hand and foot.

As if he’d only just tamed his own limbs.

He stumbled and almost fell.

Su Cheng witnessed the entire scene.

She let out a soft laugh.

In an instant, Ji Chaomian’s whole face turned red.

“I… I just…” He stammered and hesitated, unable to say a single complete sentence.

Su Cheng looked at Ji Chaomian and found him truly rare and curious.

At the Dali Temple, Ji Chaomian was the very embodiment of seriousness and composure.

Young in age, yet extremely steady in temperament.

He was the model example those veteran officials used to teach and discipline the younger generation in their families.

Seeing him in such a clueless, greenhorn state was, to Su Cheng, fascinating just to watch.

But since that thin layer of window paper had already been pierced by Jiu Yue,

Su Cheng did not put on airs.

Instead, she openly and gracefully met Ji Chaomian’s gaze and asked, “Lord Ji… do you also hold feelings for me?”

Ji Chaomian truly had no backbone at all—he felt as though he was about to melt from the heat.

Facing Su Cheng’s clear and luminous eyes, he took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

With clear enunciation, he said, “Yes. I hold affection for you.”

Su Cheng pressed her lips together and gave Ji Chaomian a young lady’s proper salute. “Then Su Cheng will await Lord Ji.”

Await what, exactly?

The two of them understood perfectly well.

Ji Chaomian felt as though the sky itself had brightened considerably.

Even after Su Cheng had been gone for who knew how long, Ji Chaomian was still standing foolishly in the courtyard, grinning like an idiot.

Ji Yiqing had originally planned to get cozy with Jiu Yue.

Who would have thought that before things even got started, a servant came to report that something seemed to have gone wrong over at Shen Zongyan’s side.

Jiu Yue lifted her robe and rushed out immediately.

Left behind was Ji Yiqing, still on the bed, striking poses until his muscles were sore.

With a face full of resentment, he wandered around the residence.

At a glance, he saw Ji Chaomian standing in the courtyard, smiling foolishly.

And Su Ruo, sneaking around while secretly watching him.

Ji Yiqing frowned and stepped forward. “Mother, what are you doing here?”

Su Ruo was startled and hurriedly patted her chest. “You scared me to death.”

Seeing how Su Ruo was staring at Ji Chaomian, Ji Yiqing felt uncomfortable. “What exactly is Mother doing?”

Why was she sneaking around watching Ji Chaomian?

Su Ruo’s face lit up with joy. “I just saw a young lady talking to your eldest brother. Has your brother taken a liking to someone?”

Ji Yiqing didn’t know how to answer.

After all, it was Ji Chaomian’s own affair.

“Eldest Brother will tell you himself.”

Su Ruo opened her mouth. “Since ancient times, it’s always been the parents’ orders—”

Midway through her sentence, she met Ji Yiqing’s gaze and immediately shut her mouth.

Ji Yiqing’s brow tightened slightly. “Mother, have you taken a fancy to some family’s young lady?”

Su Ruo waved her hands in panic. “No, no. I was just saying it casually.”

She was confined at home every day—where would she even go to look at young ladies?

Thinking of this, Su Ruo cast Ji Yiqing a resentful glance. “Isn’t it all because of you? Married for so long, and still no child.”

“Mother!” Ji Yiqing raised his voice slightly.

Su Ruo cautiously closed her mouth and glanced around. Fortunately, Jiu Yue was not there.

Ji Yiqing knew Jiu Yue was different from ordinary people and had never spoken about having children.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want them.

Rather, he wanted that if Jiu Yue ever wished to have children, it would be because she wanted to—Not because of him. Not because of carrying on the family line.

If Jiu Yue didn’t want children,

Ji Yiqing didn’t mind at all.

To be able to meet someone like Jiu Yue was already exceedingly rare for him.

How could he dare ask for anything more?

“Mother, whether we have children or not is Jiu Yue’s own decision. Don’t go mentioning this in front of her.”

Su Ruo wanted to say—how would she dare?

Moreover, once you have a wife, you forget your mother; Ji Yiqing was a textbook example.

But in truth, Su Ruo had noticed something long ago.

Among the three children in the household, regardless of whether Jiu Yue was present or not, they all seemed somewhat distant from her.

She and Ji Dahai had never understood the reason.

Ji Yiqing continued, “Everyone has their own things to do. Compared to bearing children and serving husband and family, everything Jiu Yue does benefits the nation and the people.”

“So rather than asking Jiu Yue to have children, I’d much rather she do what she herself wants to do.”

Su Ruo responded with an “mm.” She had only said it casually.

She had never intended to bring up such a topic with Jiu Yue.

The gossip outside could never reach the ears of Jiu Yue or Ji Yiqing.

But the Ji family knew—after all, Ji Yiqing and Jiu Yue had been married for quite some time.

Yet Jiu Yue’s belly had shown no movement at all.

Su Ruo had long since persuaded herself.

If Jiu Yue did not wish to give birth, then Ji Yiqing would probably have no children in this lifetime.

Was that why she had shifted her attention to Ji Chaomian?

But after Ji Yiqing’s long-winded speech, her head was buzzing.

Su Ruo returned to her courtyard in a daze, her heart filled with a sense of bleak loneliness.

Ji Yiqing and Ji Chaomian were busy at the yamen.

Ji Youqin went to the pharmacy every day, tinkering with prescriptions and medicinal herbs.

She didn’t even have anyone to talk to.

All she could do was pour her heart into making clothes for Jiu Yue.

Su Ruo sighed, picked up her needle and thread, and continued sewing clothes for Jiu Yue.

Seeing Ji Chaomian’s utterly absent-minded expression, Ji Yiqing finally understood why Ji Chaomian sometimes seemed particularly displeased with him.

Just look at him—so happy he looked like an idiot.

Was this really his always-strategic, elegant, and dignified elder brother?

Or had some family’s overaged, mentally challenged child wandered out by mistake?

Ji Yiqing walked over and lightly patted Ji Chaomian on the shoulder. “Eldest Brother!”

Ji Chaomian snapped back to his senses, raising his hand as if about to wipe drool from his mouth.

Ji Yiqing closed his eyes.

It was truly painful to look at.

He… he couldn’t possibly be this bad, right?

If Ji Chaomian knew Ji Yiqing’s thoughts, he’d probably reply that the two of them were cut from the same cloth.

Ji Yiqing opened his mouth, intending to ask whether there had been any unusual activity in the city lately.

But Ji Chaomian lifted his robe and bolted away at top speed. “Aiya! I need to properly ask—what are the marriage customs in the capital? Not a single step in the process can be skipped!”

As he spoke, Ji Chaomian’s legs churned furiously.

In the blink of an eye, he had dashed out of the courtyard.

Leaving Ji Yiqing standing there alone, dumbfounded.

No wonder—those legs healed by Jiu Yue really could run fast.

But recalling Ji Chaomian’s words, Ji Yiqing’s mood sank instantly.

The three letters and six rites, the matchmakers and betrothal gifts, the eight-carriage bridal sedan…

He had given Jiu Yue none of these.

Jiu Yue had not become his wife of her own free will.

With Jiu Yue’s looks and abilities, as long as she wished, she could choose any man in the world.

Yet in the end, she married someone like him—

A man with no power, no influence, utterly useless.

In the depths of night, when dreams returned unbidden, did Jiu Yue ever feel that he was far too incompetent?