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Tacit Understanding
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Of course, Jing Wan was purely watching with the mindset of appreciating art, and completely didn’t feel there was anything wrong with this dance. In reality, in her past life, under pure coincidence, Jing Wan even once watched a special performance before. Then, adding on the fact that perhaps they were taking Jing Wan’s identity into consideration, during the whole dance, their eyes never once landed on Li Hong Yuan, so Jing Wan’s mood naturally won’t be affected, from beginning to end, all watching with great interest. And in the end, she also didn’t hold back her applause.
As such, they also roughly figured out her temperament in this aspect, and it actually made them slightly relax a little.
Mei Yi sat kneeling in the first seat below, slightly relaxing a breath. She also could tell, this Jin Wangfei perhaps really was just curious, but when looking at them, she also didn’t carry any peculiar look. Not only so, any random girl here, in terms of appearance, perhaps all can surpass her, but in her eyes, there wasn’t the slightest emotion of jealousy, her mentality quite good. Looking at them, it was further like admiring a beautiful scenery, a beautiful painting, a delicate chinaware, her eyes filled with appreciation.
To be able to cultivate this kind of mentality, it actually wasn’t an easy matter. Prior to marrying, the maiden family’s environment, and after marrying, the husband family’s attitude——–especially the husband’s attitude were all extremely important. This Jin Wangfei’s life, prior to marrying, should have been pretty good, and as for now, further don’t need to mention. Jin Qinwang merely had his gaze placed on the person performing in front once in a while, and moreover, all didn’t contain any emotion, his eyes very serene, just like looking at an ordinary person, or an ordinary thing. Compared with Jin Wangfei, he was all far from qualifying.
Majority of the times, however, his gaze was on Jin Wangfei. As long as it was looking towards her, his gaze would all uncontrollably soften. Moreover, he didn’t need people serving, instead personally peeling the grapes for Jin Wangfei. Judging from that skilled stance, and the accompanying people’s completely nonchalant expression, one just knew, this definitely wasn’t the first time.
Not a single one wasn’t showing sincere affection.
Jin Wangfei, that was someone cupped at the tip of the heart by Jin Qinwang.
If not pampering to the extreme, how could he have agreed to such a willful request?
One has to know, this kind of thing, if it gets out, what it will damage won’t just be Jin Wangfei’s reputation. Jin Qinwang himself will without a doubt also get implicated.
Mei Yi retracted her gaze. Some people really were naturally born to make other people envy, status and position, not a single one lacking, even getting cupped in the palm and pampered wherever they go.
Things for the most part have been grasped. Mei Yi also for the most part knew how to carry on, so naturally was no longer like in the beginning, reserved and overcautious, not knowing what to say, careful and diligent, yet also grasping the situation perfectly, coy to the point where it won’t make one feel disgusted. And towards Jing Wan, her address was also ‘young gentleman’ all along.
In a certain sense, Mei Yi also can be considered a learned person. Although not a natively born and raised person of Chuanzhou Fu, but this city was the place she has lived in for seventy percent of her life, so towards the culture and customs, she was fairly knowledgable, and many things were all learned in passing. If not knowing her origins, perhaps would think that she was some family’s noble madam.
Speaking of Chuanzhou Fu’s delicacies, “…………This lowly one previously made the decision on one’s own to prepare some dishes. Just, because the time is still early, and this weather is also relatively hot, thus was thinking to handle like a flowing banquet, preparing two dishes at a time, don’t know what wangye and young gentleman think? If there’s any place inappropriate………..”
“Owner has taken a lot of trouble. This way is also good. There isn’t anything inappropriate.” Jing Wan said with a smile. Some things, even if knowing it’s troublesome, it’s still best not to refuse.
Perhaps should say, mentioning this topic right now was just at the right time. See, just as the voice dropped, the first two dishes just got sent over, first having undergone inspection on the pleasure boat to the side before finally getting sent before Jing Wan and them.
No one felt there was anything wrong with this.
These first two dishes appeared fairly exquisite, and also exceptionally extravagant. Truthfully speaking, compared to the most extravagant palace banquets, it all wasn’t lacking. However, some things were pleasant to look at, but not ‘useful’.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Mei Yi introduced these two dishes’s main ingredients, as well as their origin.
Although it hasn’t reached mealtime yet, Jing Wan’s appetite was still pretty good.
Mei Yi took it all in. However, the two servant girls that follow along didn’t have any intention of coming forward to serve. Mei Yi was somewhat hesitant, not knowing whether or not she should fill the plates for her.
Jing Wan however directly moved on her own. Just, before it could enter her mouth, Li Hong Yuan suddenly used the tip of his finger to tap the table. Jing Wan turned and glanced at him, blossoming with a smile, “Wait for me to have a taste first.” And afterwards, unhesitantly just sent it towards her mouth………..
In the end, it still got intercepted midway by Li Hong Yuan, and slightly exerting strength, he just sent it into his mouth along the chopsticks, carefully chewing, looking to Jing Wan with a vague smile, “Our young gentleman Luo mustn’t rely on this prince’s pampering and just do something disrespectful.”
In reality, between the two of them, this bit of tacit understanding still existed. Reasonably speaking, based on Gong Jiu’s abilities, under the heavens, poisons that can’t be detected by him probably can’t be found. However, for all things, there were no absolutes, and right now was also a special period of time. Jing Wan wanted to test the food, but how could Li Hong Yuan allow it.
Jing Wan was helpless. However, recalling certain matters, she also just gave up. She suspected that a certain someone might have resistance against poison. Precisely as the saying goes, with the world this vast, nothing was too strange. Even in her past life, there were some people with special physiology. His body composition being special, seemingly wasn’t all that surprising either.
“Taste pretty good, our young gentleman can have a taste.”
Jing Wan lifted her brow. For majority of poisons, they probably require some time before acting up. This tongue of his can even detect poison? “Since wangye has said so, then this student naturally won’t hold back.”
What kind of person was Mei Yi? She keenly sensed something, and uncontrollably tightened her grip on her handkerchief. Perhaps, she shouldn’t have prepared these dishes.
Mei Yi’s worries really weren’t excessive. When the following third set of dishes got sent over, from the pleasure boat to the side, came a voice that was neither light nor heavy, yet more than enough for the people on the main boat to hear clearly, “This dish’s quality isn’t good, so don’t present it before master.”
Jing Wan heard it clearly. This was Gong Jiu’s voice.
“Nonsense, our restaurant……..wuwuuwuu…….” The person delivering the dish clearly wanted to retort, yet immediately got his mouth covered, getting taken down altogether along with the dish.
Mei Yi believed herself to have experienced the wind and waves before, but this while, still couldn’t help but feel alarmed and fearful. Although on the surface, she was doing her best to contain it, she still revealed a trace of abnormality.
And those head courtesans seemingly also noticed in hindsight that something was wrong, just like for instance, the two currently performing together on stage, repeatedly making mistakes.
Li Hong Yuan had the wine cup in hand placed on the table, a bit heavily, “If haven’t practiced enough, then don’t bring out to make an embarrassment of yourself.”
The qin sound came to a halt, and the girls that were dancing also instantly froze in place, appearing somewhat comical.
Jing Wan reached out to pat him. All just some delicate young women, and although coming from the land of fireworks, but it goes without saying, based on their worth, a great majority of the times, they were the ones getting cupped in the palm and flattered by others. This while, having gotten frightened, wasn’t it precisely ruining the mood. Since it was coming out to play around, for things that made one annoyed, naturally it was to just spare where one can spare.
Jing Wan waved her hand, indicating for them to withdraw. The two of them, like as if receiving a great pardon, with the excuse of going to change, headed up to the second floor.
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double update!!!! thank you!! i keep forgetting how much of a slowly-paced novel is. after reading so much of the typical rapid-fire, over-dramatic palace romances, i keep asking “when’s the fight!!!!” between LHY and the assassins π€£
mei yi’s a cool character. i don’t know yet how i feel about this arc as a whole, but i feel like her alone makes this jiangnan/chuanzhou fu arc (if that’s even an appropriate label) worth it. it’s so refreshing to see such fleshed out and nuanced female characters in this genre/setting.
(maybe we can call this the Salty Scholars Scandal arc….. SSS arc π€§π )