Transmigrated as the Short-Lived White Moonlight, I Ended Up Happily Ever After With the Female Lead - Chapter 63

Thus, Ji Yan’an was fed by Song Yi until she was nearly stuffed to death. Rubbing her round belly, she looked very satisfied. “Then I’ll forgive you this time. Congratulations on… successfully avenging yourself.”

Ji Yan’an took a detour before finally expressing her congratulations to Song Yi, only to realize she had come empty-handed.

Song Yi didn’t seem to mind. She packed a whole food container full of jujube cakes for Ji Yan’an and handed it to her with a smile. “Hurry back. I’m afraid the Prime Minister will think I’ve abducted his daughter.”

Ji Yan’an nodded, but after trying to decline the food container for a long time, she couldn’t refuse it and had to take it.

Ji Yan’an’s heart was still pounding when she got into the carriage.

……..

Song Yi’s smile vanished without a trace the moment she watched Ji Yan’an leave. She returned to the table and sat down, her fingers lightly tapping the surface as her eyes held a trace of contemplation. Just then, Su Zhang entered the hall to report: “Reporting to Milord, His Royal Highness Prince Liang has been waiting in the side hall for quite some time. Should he be received now?”

Su Zhang cautiously sought Song Yi’s intentions. Upon hearing him, Song Yi curled the corner of her lips, picked up her teacup, and instructed, “Ask him to come in.”

“It seems the Minister of Rites has quite the airs. This Prince has to wait for your summons like this,” Liang Jingcheng’s eyes were fixed on Song Yi, his thoughts unknown.

Song Yi gave him a faint glance, leisurely drank half a pot of tea, and only then instructed Su Zhang to bring a stool and grant him a seat.

“I heard… His Majesty intends to choose a consort for the Prince. I wonder which young lady is so fortunate?” Song Yi slightly raised an eyebrow, pronouncing the word ‘fortunate’ with particular emphasis.

With his vexation pointed out, Liang Jingcheng immediately shed his frivolous, leering expression. He looked around, confirmed they were alone in the room, and then lowered his voice to speak to Song Yi: “How did Milord learn of this? Did someone leak the news?”

“Perhaps it is the one the Prince favors,” Song Yi chuckled, a hint of revulsion flashing in her eyes.

Liang Jingcheng toyed with the jade pendant on his waist, his mind filled with the dazzling image of Ji Yan’an on the imperial court that day. He spoke seriously, “Could it be little Yan’an?”

As if sensing the chill from the person opposite him, his seriousness lasted only three seconds before he burst into laughter again.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Song Yi’s eyes. She heavily placed the teacup on the table and said coldly, “I ask the Prince to watch his words. Otherwise, I would also be quite interested in submitting a memorial to His Majesty, recommending a few noble young ladies.”

Liang Jingcheng, who had intended to seize the chance to ridicule her, instantly deflated. “Milord asked me to come over. It can’t be just to give me this warning, can it?”

Song Yi took a small sip of tea, her eyes flickering with an inscrutable light.

Since Ji Yan’an still doesn’t understand her own heart, why not let her recognize it through another means?

This was something Song Yi had planned while still in prison. Now that her status was different, this impulse became more urgent.

Liang Jingcheng, who had become a mere tool, was still confused when Song Yi took out a hairpin and held it, examining it for a long time. Liang Jingcheng looked at it curiously but only saw a jade hairpin of mottled quality, prompting him to tease her.

“Is Minister Song’s salary too little? Why are you so humble? This jade hairpin wouldn’t even catch the eye of a maid in my Prince’s Residence.”

“Oh? The Prince is also knowledgeable about women’s trinkets.” Song Yi was not bothered and put the hairpin conspicuously on her head.

Liang Jingcheng twitched his eye corners; the hairpin looked particularly jarring on Song Yi. Song Yi smiled, “My salary is sufficient, but I just haven’t found a hairpin that catches my eye. Since the Prince is so well-traveled, why not take me to see some fine jade hairpins? Although I am an official of the court, I am still a woman, and I occasionally wish to acquire such items.”

Liang Jingcheng’s mind conjured up the image of him taking her onto the streets only for people to spot the broken hairpin on her head, and he quickly shook his head.

“No need. I will simply send some over to you another day.”

The next evening, Song Yi looked at the several boxes of jewelry on the table, then glanced at the arrogant Liang Jingcheng sitting in the chair with his legs crossed. She was in a good mood and uncharacteristically poured him a cup of tea.

Liang Jingcheng gasped, “There isn’t poison in this tea, is there?”

Song Yi put away the jewelry boxes and gave him a contemptuous look, “Drink it or don’t.”

“I picked these out from the jewelry that was meant for my future Princess. What do you think, Minister Song?” After drinking the tea, Liang Jingcheng rested his chin on his hand and gave a vulgar whistle.

Seeing that it was getting late, Song Yi casually offered a reply to quickly dismiss him, “Not bad. If Yan’an has a wedding in the future, I can also add a few nice betrothal gifts for her.”

This sentence stunned Su Zhang and the maid waiting outside. They had thought Song Yi, this aloof and arrogant beauty, was detached from worldly affairs. They hadn’t expected her to be concerned about Ji Yan’an’s marriage?

Liang Jingcheng looked at her with a half-smile, bowed to take his leave, and his laughter echoed throughout the Song Residence, leaving Su Zhang frozen in place.

His own master… is actually trying to match up Miss Ji and Liang Jingcheng? But that Liang Jingcheng doesn’t look like a good person at all.

“Milord… are you truly at ease with Princess Yan’an marrying such a man?” Su Zhang whispered to the maid beside him.

Before Song Yi could answer, they heard the sound of a porcelain bowl smashing heavily onto the ground outside the courtyard.

“Who’s there!”

Hearing the noise, Song Yi quickly rushed out from the room and immediately saw the shattered bowl on the ground. Su Zhang quickly knelt down, “M-milord, your subordinate will chase after them now…”

“No need.” Song Yi waved her hand and told Su Zhang to withdraw. Su Zhang shivered and exited the door, continuing to guard the main gate.

Song Yi knelt down and carefully picked up a relatively large piece of the porcelain. It only held a few remnants of sweet soup, but she treasured it like a priceless gem.

She tasted it with a spoon and coughed several times. The image of Ji Yan’an frantically adding sugar flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t help but smile, “Silly girl, you added too much sugar.”

Back in the room, Song Yi reached out and poked the spoon Ji Yan’an had left behind, saying in a voice only she could hear, “Yan’an, don’t resent me. Only by doing this can you truly understand your own heart.”

She walked in a daze to the window, the memory of watching the rain with Ji Yan’an lingering in her mind. After an unknown period of time, a flash of lightning outside the window pulled her back to reality. She took a deep breath, gradually calming herself.

The sky was overcast, with the faint rumbling of thunder and lightning.

Before long, heavy rain began to fall outside. This kind of heavy rain had not been seen in the capital during winter for several years. The rain poured down relentlessly, mercilessly battering the rare plants and flowers in the courtyard. Their leaves curled up, resembling someone huddled fearfully in a quilt during a rainy night…

Song Yi sighed and turned to her bed. The wide, soft couch was incomparable to the small, broken bed she used to sleep on, but for some reason, Song Yi hadn’t slept well for two days.

The downpour showed no signs of stopping. Accompanied by the sound of the rain, Song Yi finally started to drift off, but in the middle of the night, at midnight, she was awakened by several claps of thunder and could no longer sleep.

Song Yi got up, draped a robe over herself, and walked back to the window. She watched the heavy rain that had been falling all night and felt irritable. The dark room was illuminated as bright as day by the flashes of lightning, and the continuous bursts of light were so glaring that they bothered Song Yi’s eyes. Her phoenix-like eyes gradually narrowed, and in her drowsy state, she seemed to see Ji Yan’an huddled in a ball on her couch, frightened.

“Yan’an…” Song Yi muttered, but when she opened her eyes wide again, there was only a bundle of quilt, and not the Ji Yan’an she yearned for.

When did I fall in love with her? Song Yi had wondered for a long time, but whenever this soft little figure stood before her, Song Yi couldn’t help but reach out to stroke her hair, wanting to embrace her.

Was it the first time she stood in front of me to protect me? Or was it that snowy night with the mountain bandits?

Song Yi didn’t know when, nor did she want to trace it back anymore. She only knew her current feelings, but Ji Yan’an still seemed to be utterly unaware…

Still lost in thought, another clap of thunder suddenly sounded outside. This one was so loud that Song Yi could hear the startled cry of the young maid in the adjacent room. Something suddenly flashed in her mind, and she quickly put on a cloak and rushed out.

“I’m going out for a while,” Song Yi left a word for Su Zhang. Su Zhang had also been awakened by the thunder. He watched his master venture out late at night in the rain, feeling a bit worried, but the direction she was heading seemed to be… the Ji Residence?

Su Zhang did not follow. He honestly squatted and kept watch, his heart filled with great curiosity.

Song Yi arrived at the small side gate of the Ji Residence. Ji Yan’an clearly knew of its existence but hadn’t dealt with it, as if she had left it specifically for Song Yi.

She pushed the door open and returned to that dilapidated small room. The room appeared even more desolate under the torrential rain. Song Yi didn’t linger on her memories but straight away concealed herself in the darkness, heading directly towards Ji Yan’an’s courtyard.

Ji Yan’an had been awake for a long time. She was huddled at the innermost part of the bed. Le Yan had just been sent away, and now she was alone in the entire sleeping quarters. She was scared but didn’t want Le Yan to see her like this.

It was normal for a girl to be afraid of thunder and lightning, but for Ji Yan’an, it was compounded by a layer of trauma.

That was when she was seven or eight, still in the orphanage. It was the first time the orphanage was robbed. Ji Yan’an was woken by the thunder and watched in her quilt as the thief plunged a gleaming dagger into the director’s thigh.

Blood flowed non-stop, and the young Ji Yan’an was so terrified she couldn’t speak for three or four days.

Now, encountering such a night again in this unfamiliar place, Ji Yan’an found it difficult to calm down. She huddled in the corner, her entire body trembling.

Suddenly, she felt something cold against her back, as if a pair of hands was embracing her waist.

“Ah—ngh…” Ji Yan’an was about to scream when she realized her mouth was covered by a pair of hands.

Ji Yan’an was even more terrified. She pleaded softly in a trembling voice, “I’ll give you any money you want, please, please don’t kill me…”

Song Yi chuckled at her words and leaned in closer to Ji Yan’an. The familiar fragrance spread. “My Lady Princess, how about I have you?”

Ji Yan’an jolted, recognizing Song Yi by her voice. She nearly burst into tears, quickly turned over to lie on her side, and burrowed into Song Yi’s arms.

“I was about to be scared to death!” Ji Yan’an forgot to ask why Song Yi was here, forgot to ask what Song Yi had just said, and even forgot to ask about the things she had overheard when she brought the sweet soup. She only knew she desperately needed an embrace.

Gradually, Ji Yan’an fell asleep in Song Yi’s arms. Tears were still clinging to her eyelashes, and a slight tremor caused them to roll down her cheeks. Song Yi felt a pang of heartache and tightened her embrace on Ji Yan’an.

She is afraid of thunder.

Song Yi knew this from that moment on.

Ji Yan’an slept soundly that night, her hand tightly clutching Song Yi’s collar until dawn broke. Le Yan was bewildered when she entered. What kind of situation was this?

After both had gotten out of bed, Le Yan still couldn’t stop her jaw from dropping. “The two of you… what happened last night?”

“Nothing happened…” They spoke in unison, exchanged a glance, and Song Yi explained the situation from the previous night to Le Yan.

“It’s all my fault. I slept too soundly and didn’t know you came, Minister Song…” Le Yan patted her head and blamed herself, but Song Yi’s face darkened. If she hadn’t been a heavy sleeper, how could Song Yi have entered unnoticed?

Ji Yan’an’s face flushed with shyness, and she nearly buried her head in the rice porridge. But, she had to admit, this Song Yi was truly warm.