After My System Went Bankrupt, I Found My Happy Ending with the General - Chapter 49

To be honest, this was the first time Luo Chuchen had ever seen Liang Jue display such an almost “vulnerable” demeanor.

Even when Liang Jue was first brought into the Marquis’s residence, having just lost his parents, with no one to rely on, and entering an unfamiliar environment where he had to live under someone else’s roof, he remained strong and self-reliant from start to finish. He never showed weakness because of his background or status, nor did he allow anyone to look down on him.

But now, although Liang Jue’s gaze was directed upward from below, and his posture seemed somewhat lowered, there was something intensely burning in his blazing eyes.

Luo Chuchen was momentarily speechless.

He felt somewhat at a loss, instinctively releasing the hand that had been pinching Liang Jue’s cheek. He wanted to step back but didn’t dare move.

Luo Chuchen said in confusion, “What are you talking about?”

He tried to channel his discomfort into a tone of puzzlement, but Liang Jue showed no intention of speaking further. Instead, he just stared steadily at Luo Chuchen, as if he desperately needed an answer.

Luo Chuchen’s throat tightened, and his heart felt as if it were being tickled.

After a pause, he said, “When have I ever been the kind of person to break promises? I already explained to you earlier it was all because my uncle was so insistent on me catching up with Xu Changlin that I had to bring him to the temple fair. I didn’t linger at all and sent him back to the residence as quickly as possible.”

Liang Jue: “I heard he even bought you candied hawthorn.”

Luo Chuchen: “…”

That Nie You!

He wiped his face and said, “Maybe he thought that since he’s staying at my uncle’s place, he should try to get along with me. Haha. He already bought it, it’s not like I could just throw it away and not eat it.”

Liang Jue nodded, but it was unclear whether he believed it or not.

Just as Luo Chuchen breathed a sigh of relief, Liang Jue spoke again: “Xiao Chen, every time you feel guilty, you let out a dry laugh like that.”

Luo Chuchen: “…”

Under Luo Chuchen’s somewhat resentful and awkward gaze, Liang Jue picked up the pair of sheep-shaped candlesticks from the table and began to examine them.

Each candlestick was about six inches long, and as Liang Jue held them in his palm, they seemed almost delicate.

Liang Jue carefully turned the vividly crafted sheep-shaped candlesticks over in his hands before saying solemnly, “But I really like this gift. Thank you.”

Luo Chuchen felt as though his emotions were on a rollercoaster, rising and falling with Liang Jue’s words.

Still, hmph, he knew Liang Jue would like these.

Luo Chuchen chuckled proudly and said, “So, what do you think? My taste isn’t bad, right?”

Liang Jue nodded. “It’s really quite good very cute. They fit perfectly on a desk like mine.”

Luo Chuchen wondered to himself if that was meant to be a joke.

Liang Jue was acting really strange today.

Remembering the matter he had brought up earlier, Luo Chuchen steered the conversation back.

He said, “But next time, don’t do something like that. What if someone finds out? You could go from being a great general to the laughingstock of the entire capital. A dignified general, hiding and following people around.”

“I think I mentioned it last time too if you have any misunderstandings, just come and ask me directly. I won’t hide anything from you. If you don’t trust me, are you really going to trust Nie You’s loose tongue?”

Liang Jue looked at him, his focus shifting as he chuckled lightly. “When did Advisor Nie offend you again? It wasn’t intentional that he happened to see you with… Xu Changlin.”

When he uttered the last three words, Liang Jue paused noticeably.

Luo Chuchen was no fool and naturally noticed Liang Jue’s pause and emphasis.

Could it be that Liang Jue held some prejudice against Xu Changlin? But the two of them hadn’t even met yet.

Luo Chuchen vaguely felt that this thought of his seemed to have touched upon something, but he didn’t delve deeper into it.

Instead, he recalled Chu Yuanzhu’s advice.

Luo Chuchen said, “Brother Jue, isn’t the day after tomorrow New Year’s Eve? Our academy will be on holiday, but according to tradition, I have to have the New Year’s Eve dinner with my uncle and his family.”

“I was thinking, would you do me the honor of joining me for a meal at a restaurant at noon? Consider it my apology for standing you up today.”

Liang Jue naturally agreed.

Though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Luo Chuchen couldn’t shake the feeling that Liang Jue was acting strangely tonight.

Usually, Liang Jue wasn’t much of a talker, but he had never been like this, as if he were holding something back.

But even as the words lingered on the tip of his tongue, Luo Chuchen didn’t dare ask.

Perhaps it was some kind of animal-like intuition, but he was afraid of asking something that might lead to awkwardness.

He was also afraid that Liang Jue might turn the question back on him, asking about his relationship with Xu Changlin.

For example, since Xu Changlin was now staying at the Chu residence, were they particularly close during their time at the academy? How close? As close as he was with Ji Yuanzhou? Or as close as he was with Liang Jue?

Luo Chuchen only knew one thing clearly: he didn’t want to change the current state of his relationship with Liang Jue.

To be honest, with Xu Changlin’s arrival in the capital, the sense of dread that had been hovering over Luo Chuchen for some time had finally materialized, turning into a tangible feeling of restlessness and anxiety.

This vague sense of anxiety wasn’t enough to make Luo Chuchen reflect on it more deeply.

But it was enough to make him feel uneasy around Liang Jue from time to time, as if a cat were scratching at his heart, stirring up a hurried discomfort.

He didn’t stay long at Liang Jue’s residence. Before He Qi could even bring the pastries from the kitchen, Luo Chuchen used the late hour as an excuse and hurried back to his own marquis estate.

The next day, after a full day of classes, the painting academy began its New Year’s holiday.

Luo Chuchen had no particular plans for the break.

On New Year’s Eve, he woke up quite early, thinking to himself that this was the first New Year he’d celebrated since returning to the capital, so he ought to make it somewhat ceremonious.

He changed into the new clothes that She Chuan had custom-made for him earlier. After idling away the morning at his estate, he headed out to meet Liang Jue at the restaurant.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the entrance of the marquis estate, he ran into someone he hadn’t anticipated.

Xu Changlin.

When Luo Chuchen saw Xu Changlin standing at the gate, four words flashed through his mind: “Like a haunting ghost.”

He never imagined that after the system’s tasks had ended, he would still have so many unexpected encounters with Xu Changlin.

In his mind, their “friendship” had been entirely driven by the system’s push and his own one-sided efforts under that push.

Now that the system was gone, he no longer needed to seek out Xu Changlin, and the other party no longer had to endure his interference. Xu Changlin could focus on his studies in peace and should be quite relieved.

But who would have thought that not only would Xu Changlin come to the capital for the imperial examinations, but he would also end up staying at the Chu residence? Combined with the rumors Chu Yuanzhu had heard, it seemed this matter was far from over.

Luo Chuchen felt he had nothing to say to Xu Changlin.

He put away the cheerful smile he had worn when stepping out earlier and walked over somewhat hesitantly, feigning surprise as he said, “Brother Xu? What brings you here? Is something the matter?”

Xu Changlin looked at Luo Chuchen and replied, “Lord Chu sent me to remind you not to forget the New Year’s Eve dinner tonight. Make sure to come to the residence early.”

“Thank you, I remember,” Luo Chuchen nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, he couldn’t help but add, “Well, you’re a scholar preparing for the imperial exams. Such trivial matters could be left to the servants no need to trouble yourself to come all this way. The Chu residence is quite a distance from here, and it’s a waste of your study time.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Changlin seemed to recall something, his expression growing distant.

Luo Chuchen snorted inwardly.

Familiar, isn’t it? These are the exact words you once said to me.

After a while, Xu Changlin snapped back to reality, his smile finally looking a bit forced.

He said, “Chuchen, you misunderstand. I didn’t come here specifically for this. I happened to run into Lord Chu while I was on my way to a gathering, so I just stopped by to pass along the message.”

At this point, he glanced at Luo Chuchen and asked, “Are you heading out as well? Perhaps”

Luo Chuchen quickly brushed it off, “No, no. I just thought the weather was nice today, being New Year’s Eve and all, so I stepped out for a stroll. But it’s actually quite chilly, so I’m heading back in now. Brother Xu, you’re off to a gathering? Have fun!”

With that, he politely waved to Xu Changlin and turned back toward the residence.

Back to the residence? Of course, he was actually planning to slip out through the back door.

He had originally intended to meet Liang Jue at the largest restaurant they had visited last time.

But judging from Xu Changlin’s earlier remarks, it seemed likely that Xu would also be heading to that same restaurant.

Luo Chuchen sent a servant to the general’s residence with a message, changing their plans to a smaller, more remote restaurant.

However, he hadn’t reserved a table in advance at this restaurant. By the time he arrived, the private rooms on the top floor were fully occupied, and the only decent spots left were the partitioned seating areas on the second floor.

Though called “partitions,” the seats were only separated by screens that didn’t block much light or sound.

While waiting for Liang Jue, Luo Chuchen realized he could hear about seventy to eighty percent of the conversation from the neighboring table.

Bored, he found himself eavesdropping for a while. The neighboring party seemed to be a family of merchants having a meal together, exchanging polite business talk.

Losing interest after just a few sentences, Luo Chuchen leaned against the window, waiting for Liang Jue to arrive.

Liang Jue arrived a little later.

Today, Liang Jue seemed much more like his usual self compared to his inexplicable behavior over the past couple of days his expression was normal, his demeanor composed, and he wore a dashing set of casual attire.

Luo Chuchen happily pulled him down to eat.

He hadn’t invited Liang Jue out with any particular agenda it was simply two good friends enjoying a nice meal together. Since it was almost the New Year, they exchanged a few auspicious words and discussed their holiday plans.

Liang Jue answered every question openly.

Halfway through their pleasant lunch, the family in the neighboring partition left, and soon after, a noisy group of young people took their place.

From the sound of their voices, they seemed to be scholarly students.

At first, Luo Chuchen didn’t pay them much mind, continuing his casual chatter with Liang Jue about how he used to celebrate the New Year back in Yunzhou.

But then his ears perked up.

He distinctly caught the faint sound of someone next door saying, “Brother Changlin.”

Luo Chuchen’s pupils contracted, and he twitched the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself—could he really be this unlucky? He had deliberately chosen a much smaller restaurant, yet he still ran into Xu Changlin and his group coming out for a meal?

He cautiously glanced at Liang Jue.

Liang Jue still appeared to be listening to him, seemingly unaware of the commotion from the private room.

They had only finished half their meal; leaving now would seem too deliberate.

Luo Chuchen had no choice but to brace himself and continue speaking.

While chatting, he kept one ear open, listening to the conversation from the private room.

Fortunately, their discussion remained focused on topics related to the imperial examinations and the spring exams.

Besides Xu Changlin, there seemed to be one or two others from Yunzhou as well, and during the meal, they frequently discussed exam-related matters with Xu Changlin.

Finally, they managed to finish the meal.

Unlike his usual habit of lingering in his chair to sip tea after eating, Luo Chuchen stood up swiftly and naturally, suggesting, “Let’s go for a stroll to aid digestion.”

However, before the two could leave their seats, an enthusiastic voice suddenly came from the private room.

“By the way, Brother Xu, since you’ve been in the capital for a few days, have you paid a visit to the Marquis of Pingyang? Back in the academy, he used to follow you around all the time. Now that you’re in the capital, surely he should look out for you a little?”