After My System Went Bankrupt, I Found My Happy Ending with the General - Chapter 18

Embarrassment spread from the tips of his toes all the way to the crown of his head.

Luo Chuchen instantly felt a pang of guilt. His hand fumbled at the jade pendant hanging by his waist, and he opened his mouth to speak, only to find his mind blank, unsure of what to say.

“Well, you see.” he hesitated for a moment before forcing himself to explain, “The invitation from the heir happened to land in my uncle’s hands. I couldn’t refuse, so I had to go.”

Liang Jue nodded in acknowledgment, set down the storybook he was holding, and looked up. Suddenly, his gaze paused.

“Why is your face so red? Have you been drinking?”

“Ah.” Luo Chuchen touched his cheek and found it indeed felt warm.

Seeing that Liang Jue didn’t seem inclined to press the matter further, Luo Chuchen grew a bit bolder and admitted, “I did have a little.”

Recalling the sweet taste of the fruit wine, he smacked his lips and added, “It was my first time drinking, but surprisingly, my tolerance isn’t bad at all. I don’t feel the slightest bit drunk.”

“…”

Liang Jue seemed to restrain himself for a moment before letting out a sigh. He walked over to Luo Chuchen and expressionlessly pinched the side of his face.

“Next time, you’re not allowed to go drinking with someone you’ve only met once. What if that person had ill intentions? You really have no sense of caution toward others, daring to be so bold on your first try,” Liang Jue said.

“Okay,” Luo Chuchen pouted, knowing full well he was in the wrong.

The atmosphere grew somewhat tense. Luo Chuchen felt that Liang Jue was still a bit angry, though he was holding it back.

Liang Jue had always been like this when he was upset, he wouldn’t say a word, and on the surface, nothing seemed amiss. He would just quietly wait for his anger to subside on his own.

No, I have to think of a way to fix this.

Luo Chuchen racked his brain, his eyes wandering restlessly. When his gaze landed on the easel by the window, he suddenly had an idea.

“Oh, right! Didn’t I mention earlier that my uncle won’t let me go out with you?”

“Hmm?”

Luo Chuchen looked at Liang Jue with an expression of innocent grievance. “A few days ago, my teacher said I should take advantage of the winter while it’s not too cold to go out and sketch. I spent a long time asking around and finally found a few good spots. I was just waiting for you to have some free time so you could take me.”

He discreetly omitted the fact that he had learned about these spots from the heir.

Liang Jue was indeed drawn in by this.

Luo Chuchen let out a soft hum. “Who knew my uncle would make such a sudden decision? What are we supposed to do now?”

With that, Luo Chuchen pretended to casually watch Liang Jue, waiting for his reaction.

To his surprise, Liang Jue smiled.

He said leisurely, “Hmm, what should we do then? Why don’t you go ask the heir, Xiao Chen? Qin Yu has been mingling in the capital’s noble circles for twenty years. When it comes to familiarity with the environment, he’s definitely far ahead of us.”

Luo Chuchen had never been teased like this by Liang Jue before. He froze in place, his eyes wide as he stared at him, his mind racing with disbelief.

“Wow, are you really Liang Jue?”

Luo Chuchen took a few steps closer, furrowed his brow, and pinched Liang Jue’s hand, then rested his own on top of it, feeling it.

“It’s warm, so it’s really you.”

His hands continued to move, shifting from Liang Jue’s sturdy arm to stealthily exploring the rest of his body.

First step: poke the abdomen.

It’s firm.

Luo Chuchen had an untimely thought does Liang Jue have abs?

Second step: place his hand on Liang Jue’s waist, pretending to feel it at first, then stealthily apply a little force and give it a pinch.

Sure enough, the steady breathing from Liang Jue above was instantly disrupted.

Liang Jue held his breath and lowered his voice, pleading, “I admit my mistake, sir. Please spare me.”

Having gotten his revenge, Luo Chuchen was pleased. He raised an eyebrow triumphantly at Liang Jue and said, “We’ll see how you behave.”

“Speaking of which,” Liang Jue said, “Lord Chu would probably only reject my invitations, right? He wouldn’t restrict you from going out, would he?”

Luo Chuchen rubbed his nose. “It seems not. He only instructed the steward to inform the gatekeepers.”

At this, Luo Chuchen slapped his forehead. “Right! He’s so busy all day, how would he have time to track where I go every day? As long as I don’t come back too late, he definitely can’t do anything to me.”

Although he said this, actually doing it made Luo Chuchen feel somewhat embarrassed.

He had always been thin-skinned since childhood. The thought of sneaking around behind someone’s back to do something made him feel uncomfortable.

Liang Jue had no intention of pressuring him either. He ruffled his own hair and said, “We’ll see how it goes.”

After chatting for a while longer, Shechuan came over and knocked on the door. Pushing it open a crack, he peeked in and whispered, “Lord Chu has returned to the residence and sent someone to fetch you.”

Luo Chuchen’s face darkened he really didn’t want to see him.

Liang Jue laughed. “You go ahead. I’ll leave in a bit.”

Chu Yuanzhu seemed to be in quite a hurry, so Luo Chuchen reluctantly went over.

Chu Yuanzhu had just returned from court, still wearing his official robes. He stood under the corridor in the front courtyard, watching several servants arrange newly delivered plum blossoms.

Luo Chuchen walked over from behind and called out, “Uncle.”

“You’re back?” Chu Yuanzhu slightly turned his head.

Chu Yuanzhu wore a smile on his face, seeming to be in a good mood.

Luo Chuchen tentatively asked, “Did you need something, Uncle?”

Chu Yuanzhu smiled. “The estate sent over some plum blossoms. Later, pick a few pots to place in your courtyard.”

“And,” Chu Yuanzhu pointed inside the room, “the Rong Prince’s Mansion just sent over several dozen jars of tea. Was this arranged between you and the heir?”

“Ah, yes,” Luo Chuchen hadn’t expected it to be so soon, and delivered directly to Chu Yuanzhu. “Qin Yu said he’d give me some Sparrow Tongue tea.”

Chu Yuanzhu said, “This is more than ‘some.’ I suspect sixty to seventy percent of the tea allocated to the Prince’s Mansion has been sent to you.”

Luo Chuchen was somewhat surprised. “I didn’t know.”

Chu Yuanzhu turned and walked back into the room. He didn’t continue discussing the tea but instead asked with apparent interest, “Where did the heir take you to play today?”

Luo Chuchen answered honestly, “Ruyi Restaurant. We just had a meal.”

Chu Yuanzhu nodded. “The heir has a sociable nature. Since he enjoys your company, there’s no need for you to hide it or worry. Have fun it’ll also help you get to know many of the capital’s young elites.”

Luo Chuchen agreed.

Chu Yuanzhu glanced at him with disdain. “Did going out make you stupid? Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? I’ll have someone bring the tea to your storage later. Recently, the estate outside the city has been growing many things. They’ve compiled a catalog take a look later and pick what you like to have them deliver. It’ll help decorate your courtyard. It’s so barren with no one tending to it, what kind of appearance is that? I don’t want people thinking I’m mistreating you.”

Luo Chuchen nodded absently, his mind focused only on returning quickly.

Chu Yuanzhu was also busy and had matters to attend to later, so he let Luo Chuchen leave.

In the courtyard, Liang Jue was already gone.

Some time passed, and since Luo Chuchen hardly knew anyone in the capital, he quietly settled into a routine of attending classes, memorizing texts, and completing assignments.

Before long, it was December, and the capital grew increasingly cold, with snow even falling at night.

The next day, when Luo Chuchen went to the Yin residence for his lesson, Yin Zikun asked, “Did you enjoy the snowfall?”

Luo Chuchen nodded and then shook his head. “I saw it, but I wouldn’t call it enjoying the snow.”

Yin Zikun smiled, stood up, and fetched an invitation from the bookshelf.

“In a few days, there will be a Frost Gathering at the foot of Yanying Mountain outside the city. Many scholars and poets will gather there to admire the snow and compose poetry. I received an invitation,” Yin Zikun handed the invitation to Luo Chuchen. “But my legs aren’t what they used to be, and making the trip would be quite troublesome. I’ve been thinking of sending you out to sketch and enjoy the scenery, so why not go in my place?”

A gathering of scholars!

Luo Chuchen was both curious and a little embarrassed. “My skills are still lacking. I’m afraid I might embarrass you, Master.”

“If your skills are lacking, then many painters can’t even be considered beginners,” Yin Zikun said with a laugh. “I know you’re not fond of socializing. If you’d rather not mingle with the others, you can simply enjoy the snow at the foot of the mountain. The snowy scenery around Moon Lake at Yanying Mountain is exceptionally beautiful it’s well worth the trip.”

He patted Luo Chuchen’s hand holding the invitation, signaling for him to keep it.

Luo Chuchen obediently accepted it and later informed Chu Yuanzhu, receiving his permission. Only after returning to his courtyard did he secretly ask She Chuan to find Liang Jue.

Heaven knew how long it had been since he last saw Liang Jue. Liang Jue had been unusually busy lately, and it was hard to catch even a glimpse of him.

Moreover, as the weather grew colder, Luo Chuchen’s vitality points kept dropping, soon to fall below 80. Luo Chuchen was well aware of his own limitations with such poor physical condition, how would he survive the winter?