After My System Went Bankrupt, I Found My Happy Ending with the General - Chapter 48

Under Xu Changlin’s sincere gaze and Nie You’s inexplicable stare from the side, Luo Chuchen felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.

This situation was just too bizarre.

Luo Chuchen couldn’t figure out what Xu Changlin was trying to do.

What did it matter to him whether he liked candied hawthorn or not?

Seeing that Luo Chuchen wasn’t accepting it, a trace of disappointment flickered across Xu Changlin’s face, yet he stubbornly extended the candied hawthorn further.

He said gently, “Does Chuchen not remember? During the holiday last year when we went to the lantern festival together, you bought candied hawthorn just like this and gave it to me to eat.”

Luo Chuchen:

Alright, now that he mentioned it, it did ring a bell.

He had indeed given Xu Changlin a stick of candied hawthorn at that temple fair.

According to the task assigned by the system, he needed to invite Xu Changlin to the lantern festival and buy something to give him there.

Other items carried certain implications when given as gifts, so after much consideration, Luo Chuchen ended up buying his favorite candied hawthorn, a cheap snack costing just a few coins thinking it wouldn’t cause any misunderstandings.

He still remembered how restrained Xu Changlin’s expression had been when he accepted the candied hawthorn back then.

But Xu Changlin hadn’t said anything. He furrowed his brows, ate one piece, and said it was very sour. After that, he held onto the candied hawthorn for the rest of the temple fair, and it was probably thrown away after the event ended.

Luo Chuchen had thus concluded that Xu Changlin didn’t like the gift though, of course, he hadn’t bought the candied hawthorn with the intention of pleasing Xu Changlin in the first place.

He never expected Xu Changlin to remember it until now. What was he trying to achieve?

He had seemed so disdainful of it back then.

Luo Chuchen found the whole situation utterly awkward. He glanced around and noticed that Nie You had disappeared into the crowd at some point.

Left with no choice, he steeled himself, accepted the candied hawthorn, and said with excessive politeness, “I’m surprised you still remember that. Thank you.”

He took a bite of the candied hawthorn, crunching through the outer layer of hardened sugar. The cool sweetness mixed with the sourness of the fruit inside it tasted authentic.

His mood improved slightly with the delicious treat.

He nodded to Xu Changlin and said, “Let’s continue walking around. But it’s crowded today, so don’t wander off to buy food again, or we might get separated in the crowd.”

Otherwise, if Chu Yuanzhu found out, he would be the one to bear the scolding.

Luo Chuchen knew that saying this would sound too deliberate in creating distance, so he kept it to himself.

Chu Yuanzhu seemed quite fond of Xu Changlin lately. Moreover, Xu Changlin was going to take the imperial examination. Given his academic performance, he was certain to remain in the capital. They would inevitably run into each other frequently afterward. If their good classmate relationship turned sour, and it somehow reached his mentor, who was also Luo Chuchen’s grandfather it would only cause more trouble.

As he ate the candied hawthorn, Luo Chuchen pointed out various things along the way, sharing what he had learned about the capital over the past few months.

For instance, where to buy jade at a better price, or which bookstores had more suitable books for scholars preparing for the imperial examination.

Most of this information had come from Qin Yu, of course.

They walked intermittently, stopping here and there, and had been strolling for nearly half an hour by the time they reached the end of Chang’an Street.

Sichuan had followed his instructions earlier and had the carriage driver wait for them on this side of the temple fair.

Luo Chuchen helped Xu Changlin into the carriage, then stood below and waved, saying, “Brother Xu, you should head back to Chu Manor to rest. I won’t be staying there tonight I’ll walk straight home.”

Xu Changlin opened his mouth as if to speak.

Luo Chuchen didn’t wait to hear what he had to say. With a mischievous smile, he exchanged a glance with Shechuan, let the carriage curtain fall, and instructed the coachman to drive away.

Then he turned and headed toward the temple fair.

As he walked, a belated sense of urgency began to set in.

It had only just occurred to him that Nie You was, after all, Liang Jue’s trusted subordinate. Who knew if he might run off to report to Jue-ge?

He had already promised Liang Jue he would accompany him to the temple fair, and now he had stood him up only to immediately accompany someone else. There was no telling whether Liang Jue would be angry.

After all, Liang Jue still cared quite a bit about him.

At this thought, Luo Chuchen smugly hummed a couple of notes.

Shechuan caught up and asked curiously, “Young master, didn’t you say we were returning to the estate? Why are we heading toward the temple fair again Ah, young master, what are you smiling about?”

Luo Chuchen wiped the smile off his face and said sternly, “Nothing. We’re going to pick out a gift for Jue-ge.”

When they returned to the bustling crowd at the temple fair, Luo Chuchen was much more careful than he had been during his earlier cursory stroll.

He had only a vague idea that apologizing or coaxing someone required bringing a gift to cheer them up.

But as for what kind of gift to give Liang Jue, he truly hadn’t thought it through.

After all, in his impression, Liang Jue rarely seemed interested in any particular thing.

The general’s estate was sparsely decorated, and the only ornament in his bedroom appeared to be a fan with a flower-and-bird painting that Luo Chuchen had given him.

Luo Chuchen browsed stall by stall.

He saw quite a few things he liked some tapestries were too flashy, some sword pendants were too heavy, none of them seemed to suit Liang Jue.

He wandered aimlessly for a long time, only realizing what he was interested in when the temple fair crowd had thinned by more than half:

It was a pair of small, sheep-shaped candlesticks, made of brown painted porcelain, utterly charming in their simplicity.

Luo Chuchen remembered that Liang Jue’s desk and bookshelf were almost entirely devoid of decoration. Placing this pair of candlesticks there would surely add a lot of vitality.

This is it!

Without hesitation, Luo Chuchen paid for them, had the vendor wrap them up, and held them in his hands before remembering to ask Shechuan for his opinion.

“Do you think giving these candlesticks to Liang Jue is a bit too plain?”

Shechuan replied, “These little sheep are lively and adorable. General Liang is sure to like them.”

Luo Chuchen pouted. “Since when has he ever liked anything cute.”

Shechuan cautiously added, “But young master, it’s getting late, and the temple fair is thinning out. It would be safer for us to head back soon.”

“It doesn’t seem too bad, does it?” Luo Chuchen glanced around.

Shechuan frowned and insisted, “Young master, I have a bad feeling it’s as if someone is following us.”

Hearing this, Luo Chuchen immediately grew wary. He knew that although Shechuan’s martial skills and physique were average, his intuition was quite sharp.

Now, as he looked around at the scattered groups of people, he inexplicably felt as if eyes were watching him from all directions.

He hunched his shoulders and decided not to linger any longer. Leading Shechuan, he walked out of the temple fair and headed in the direction of the general’s estate.

Chang’an Street wasn’t far from either his or Liang Jue’s residence, but even so, Luo Chuchen walked quickly.

Shechuan hurried after him, calling out, “Young master, don’t run! Be careful not to catch a chill in the night air.”

Luo Chuchen waved him off.

You don’t understand in times like these, it’s better to be early than late!

He ran all the way to the entrance of the general’s residence.

Two familiar guards stood watch at the door, holding long spears. When they saw Luo Chuchen approaching, they didn’t immediately welcome him in as the previous guards had done. Instead, they paused briefly before stepping aside.

Noticing that the gatekeeper’s lodge seemed empty, Luo Chuchen asked the guards, “Is the general in the residence?”

The guards’ expressions shifted slightly, and after a moment’s hesitation, one replied, “Reporting to the young marquis, the general is… in his study.”

“Alright, thank you.” Luo Chuchen hurried off in the direction of the study as he remembered it.

Halfway through the residence, he suddenly encountered He Qi, who rushed up to meet him.

He Qi gently took hold of Luo Chuchen’s arm and said, “Your Lordship, why are you in such a hurry? The residence is dimly lit at night please watch your step.”

As they walked further into the residence, Luo Chuchen asked, “He Qi, what time did your general return today?”

He Qi replied, “He came back right after parting with you, Your Lordship. Since then, he’s been handling official business in his study. When you see him, please try to persuade him to rest. With all the recent busy work, the general has been staying up late every night. Even an iron man couldn’t endure this for long.”

Luo Chuchen felt a twinge of embarrassment, sensing something odd in He Qi’s tone.

Still, he asked, “Hmm, has anyone come to visit him?”

He Qi glanced back at him. “Not that I know of.”

That was a bit strange.

Luo Chuchen’s heart skipped a beat.

Suppressing his unease, he followed He Qi all the way to Liang Jue’s study.

A few lamps were lit inside the study, and Liang Jue sat at his desk, holding a document filled with writing.

Luo Chuchen instructed He Qi and Shechuan to wait outside, then closed the door behind him.

“Jue-ge,” he blinked, “you’re still awake?”

Liang Jue set down the book in his hand and looked at him with a calm expression. “What brings you here so suddenly?”

Luo Chuchen stuck out his tongue guiltily, shuffled over, and placed the package in his hand on the table.

With his hands behind his back, he said, “Open it and see if you like it.”

Liang Jue followed his instructions, unwrapping the cloth packaging to reveal two sheep-shaped candlesticks nestled closely together.

His expression finally showed a hint of surprise.

Tilting his head in confusion, he looked at Luo Chuchen and asked hesitantly, “What is this?”

Luo Chuchen put on an innocent smile and leaned in. “Because I did something I feel guilty about, Jue-ge,”

Liang Jue looked puzzled.

Luo Chuchen shrugged and blurted out, “Today, my uncle called me back for a meal. It turned out that an old classmate from Yunzhou also my grandfather’s prized student had come to the capital to take the imperial exams. He’s the one I mentioned before, the one I’m not even as close to as Ji Yuanzhou. Since it was his first time in the capital, after the meal, my uncle asked me to take him to the temple fair and introduce him to the local customs. I couldn’t refuse, so I ended up showing him around.”

By the end, Luo Chuchen’s voice had grown increasingly guilty. “But I had already promised to go to the temple fair with you. Breaking that promise made me feel terrible, so after I sent Xu Changlin back, I wanted to buy you a gift to make up for it.”

“But, but this gift was carefully chosen! I thought your place felt a bit cold and lonely, so having a pair of sheep candlesticks to keep you company while you handle military affairs or read would make it much cozier, right?”

By the time he finished speaking, Luo Chuchen had regained some of his confidence.

Liang Jue seemed momentarily stunned by his words, then after a long pause, he smiled and said, “So that’s what it was. You could have just given it to me next time we meet, why come all the way here so late at night? There’s no curfew now, but you should still be careful.”

Luo Chuchen replied, “How did you know. To be honest, I felt like someone was following me on my way to your residence.”

A flicker of hesitation crossed Liang Jue’s expression.

Luo Chuchen caught it.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. He stepped forward boldly and reached out to touch Liang Jue’s forehead.

There was a thin layer of sweat.

Luo Chuchen’s eyes widened in disbelief as he pieced everything together from start to finish. “Liang Jue, was it you following me just now?”

Liang Jue’s expression stiffened.

Feeling even more certain of his suspicion, Luo Chuchen pinched Liang Jue’s cheek and said indignantly, “No wonder the guards at the gate looked at me so strangely when I arrived And He Qi too, how did he know I was here without anyone announcing me? He even came out to greet me personally. Was he covering for you?”

“…”

Liang Jue sighed, a rare hint of embarrassment crossing his face.

Luo Chuchen pressed on, “So Nie You tipped you off, didn’t he? When I asked He Qi if anyone had come by earlier, he said, ‘Not really.’ I knew something was off with that ‘really’ tacked on.”

He glared fiercely into Liang Jue’s eyes and demanded, “So why were you following me in the middle of the night?”

Liang Jue: “…”

The usually tall, imposing general, who always held the upper hand, was now leaning back, almost pinned against the chair by the desk. With his face held in Luo Chuchen’s grasp, head tilted upward, and their eyes locked, he found himself in an unexpectedly vulnerable position.

To Luo Chuchen’s surprise, after a moment of staring, Liang Jue lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact. In a subdued, almost pleading tone, he whispered softly:

“Probably, because I was afraid that if you went to the temple fair with someone else, you wouldn’t go with me anymore.”