Chapter 1680: Chapter 1680: Attitude
"You... you... I... it’s not..." Ye Shikai was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure of what to say. In reality, he was already disoriented, unable to fathom that Mi Wen would kiss him so directly and proactively. After all, this was ancient times, far from the openness of modern society. Moreover, Mi Wen’s status was special—she was the lord, and a "female lord" at that. If others were to see this "frivolous" side of hers, it would surely cause trouble.
Ye Shikai quickly glanced around and, seeing no one around, breathed a sigh of relief. No, even if no one saw, it wouldn’t do.
"How about it? The proof you wanted—are you satisfied now?" Mi Wen held his hands firmly and said resolutely, her eyes blazing, making Ye Shikai feel uneasy, as though sitting on pins and needles.
"What sort of proof is this, and what exactly are you trying to do?" Ye Shikai broke free from her hands, feeling agitated, "You’re simply insane."
"Do you still think I’m deliberately trying to guard against you now?" Mi Wen responded with a sly smile.
"Regardless of whether you’re guarding against me, you shouldn’t do something so frivolous. If people see, wouldn’t rumors about you spread like wildfire throughout the city?" Ye Shikai nearly shouted, though Mi Wen was sometimes unscrupulous, she was generally a person of steady temperament. Yet now... he truly didn’t know what to do.
"I have never been frivolous before; this is a decision I’ve made after careful consideration." Mi Wen suddenly grabbed his hand, "Now, do you still harbor malice towards me?"
"You... I’m not talking with you." Ye Shikai, angered, turned and walked away. After a few steps, he paused and looked back at her, "Don’t ever mention what happened just now."
Having spoken, Ye Shikai hurriedly left. Placed in the modern era, a woman suddenly kissing him wouldn’t surprise him, given his stature, but in ancient times, especially with Mi Wen’s status, it was unfathomable to him.
"Kid, I told you last time, Mi Wen is interested in you. How about it, do you believe it now?" On the way out, Blade Soul’s voice echoed in his mind.
"That’s impossible. She... she definitely doesn’t like me." Ye Shikai immediately refuted.
"Although she is a monarch, she is, after all, a woman. Encountering a man as excellent as you, naturally, there would be some interest."
"But that’s not necessarily true. Wasn’t I simply helping her in battles? How does that make me excellent?"
"Enough, stop deceiving yourself." Blade Soul continued, "Your excellence was praised by Meng Tian back then. Without your ability, would you have risen in the ranks of the Qin Army in just a few months?"
"That was because of the war with the Wolf Clan. If it were peacetime, how could I have risen so quickly? As for Meng Tian praising me, part of the reason was also that I saved his life."
In truth, Ye Shikai wasn’t unbelieving; rather, he was hesitant to accept, or unwilling to believe. After all, he was already married, but now Mi Wen’s words left him deeply troubled. If she were to say such things in front of He Linghan, how would Ye Shikai handle the relationships?
"I think you have to talk to Miss He personally about this, and the sooner the better." Blade Soul suggested.
"No way, I absolutely disagree." Ye Shikai immediately opposed. If He Linghan were to find out, she would certainly be put in a difficult position.
"Really? What if Mi Wen goes and tells her?"
"I’ll stop her."
....................................
Ye Mansion.
"Husband, you look pale. Did the lord give you a hard time?" Just as he returned to the mansion, Mi Wen came out.
"Don’t worry, it’s fine. We talked... about the expedition." Ye Shikai replied perfunctorily.
"Those city guard soldiers... did they escort you back?" Ye Shikai asked curiously.
"No, when we walked to the city, we happened to meet Shangguan Jian’s unit, and he escorted me back." Mi Wen explained.
"I see, that’s good." Ye Shikai nodded.
Ye Shikai still didn’t explain the situation to her. Although Blade Soul mentioned Mi Wen’s interest in him, Ye Shikai was still unconvinced, even now, he refused to believe.
"Husband, that secret place was wonderful. When shall we go again?" He Linghan suddenly said.
"Ahem, I didn’t expect you to care so much." Ye Shikai was somewhat surprised but soon displayed a look of relief. At least it showed that He Linghan liked their "secret place."
"Of course."
"Ling’er, I..."
"Order from the lord."
Before Ye Shikai could finish speaking, a soldier’s shout suddenly came from the entrance.
"General Ye, an order from the lord." A general walked in from the entrance, and Ye Shikai recognized him as a confidant from Mi Wen’s residence.
"I accept the order." Ye Shikai made a gesture of greeting and reached out to accept the command.
"Ahem, General Ye, no need to be nervous. This is a good deed from the lord."
"What kind of good deed?"
"The lord heard that you have recruited hundreds of guests, requiring significant daily expenses. The lord considered this and felt that last time’s support was too small, so she specially supplemented with three thousand taels of silver. General Ye, this is truly a great favor."
"Thank you, lord." Ye Shikai nodded in response.
"General Ye, besides that, the lord also said she would support you with a thousand taels of silver every month. Those ministers probably don’t have the blessings of General Ye."
Two hours later.
Boxes of silver were moved into the mansion by house servants, but Ye Shikai’s face didn’t show a trace of a smile. Suddenly receiving three thousand taels of silver, supported with another thousand taels monthly—this was a huge sum. Mi Wen had previously been very opposed to him recruiting guests, but why had her attitude shifted so dramatically now? Could it be because of what happened during the day...
"Husband, the lord seems very supportive of you. Is your worry... perhaps needless?" asked He Linghan. She was a very pure-hearted person, and during their discussions, Ye Shikai had expressed worries about Mi Wen, yet He Linghan was only half-convinced. Now, with Mi Wen sending so much money, she’s concerned Ye Shikai might be "judging a gentleman using a villain’s heart."
"I don’t know either." Even if Mi Wen truly meant well, Ye Shikai couldn’t possibly fight in battles all his life, let alone as history progresses, in a few years, the world situation will change drastically, at which time countless civilians will fall into turmoil—even Linxiang City won’t be spared. He simply hoped to find a peaceful place and enjoy life with He Linghan without concerning themselves with worldly affairs.
