The Double-Chapter 440 - 143 Winter Solstice_5

Wen Renyao whispered to Jiang Li, "This is the old general, Jih Heng’s grandfather."

Jiang Li suddenly understood; she had only heard of the old general by name and never met him. What she knew were stories of his bravery and skill in battle when he was young. It seemed the rumors were true—at least his robust energy at such an age wasn’t an act.

However... the old general seemed very familiar with Wen Renyao and Situ Jiuyue, giving Jiang Li a new understanding of their relationship with the Jih family.

But Wen Renyao and Jiang Li’s whispering caught the old general’s complete attention. Only now did he notice another person by Wen Renyao’s side. Taking a few steps closer and sizing up Jiang Li, he suddenly said, "Renyao, it’s been a few years, and you already have a wife? Which family’s daughter is she? She looks quite clever, how did she end up choosing you?"

Wen Renyao: "...."

Jiang Li: "...."

The old man really didn’t mince his words.

Wen Renyao said, "What are you talking about, sir! What do you mean, ’how did she end up choosing me?’ What’s wrong with me? Don’t make that face, in Northern Yan countless girls would want to marry me, how come I don’t seem presentable in your eyes?" frёewebηovel.cѳm

"Give me a break," the old general mercilessly exposed Wen Renyao’s bluff, "Just you? Forget about others, my grandson outshines you in every way and he doesn’t have a wife yet. If you have one, does that not mean the girl must be blind?"

Seeing the conversation spiraling further off track and no one clarifying their identity, Jiang Li had to step forward reluctantly and said, "Old general, I am not Young Master Wen Ren’s wife."

The room fell silent for a while, and then suddenly, Old General Jih burst into loud laughter, echoing so that everyone in the courtyard could hear. He said, "I knew it!"

Wen Renyao’s face turned red to his ears.

"Girl, who are you, and why did you come to the residence with Renyao? Are you friends with Jiuyue?" asked Old General Jih.

"She’s not my friend," Situ Jiuyue denied promptly, "She’s an acquaintance of Jih Heng."

"An acquaintance of Jih Heng..." Old General Jih’s eyes brightened, and his look at Jiang Li was like that of a poor man seeing a pile of gold. He stepped closer and asked, "Miss, what is your relationship with that scoundrel Jih Heng?"

"Grandfather." Just as Jiang Li felt bewildered by Old General Jih’s enthusiastic demeanor, a detached voice sounded from outside the door. Turning her head, she saw Jih Heng walking in impassively.

Usually, he was either smiling ambiguously or had a charming light smile. Even if it was feigned, he had never presented such a cold demeanor. Yet within this coldness, there was a sense of ease that only people close to him, with their guards down, would have.

"Oh, Miss Jiang the Second is here too?" Another voice piped up from behind Jih Heng, which Jiang Li recognized as Kong Liu. He was carrying a tray of pastries, closely followed by Lu Jiu.

Why was everyone here? Jiang Li’s head throbbed, wondering if she had failed to read the almanac before leaving her house. She had wanted to talk to Jih Heng privately, not wanting others to know, but what was happening now? The Duke Residence seemed to be hosting a family banquet, and now everyone knew she had come uninvited to seek out Jih Heng.

"Miss, what did you come to see our Ah Heng for?" Old General Jih persisted.

Jih Heng threw the dish in his hand onto the table and said, "I asked her to come." Not waiting for Old General Jih to speak again, he coldly said, "Ask any more, and there will be nothing to eat."

Old General Jih immediately fell silent.

Jiang Li glanced at Jih Heng, feeling that he was quite strange today, as if he was in a foul mood. Kong Liu noticed Jiang Li staring blankly at Jih Heng and leaned over to her, asking, "What’s the matter, Second Miss Jiang?"

"Nothing," Jiang Li said. "I just feel like the Duke seems to be in a particularly bad mood today. Is it... because of me?"

"No." Kong Liu, apparently well aware of the reason, eagerly explained to Jiang Li, "He’s always in a bad mood when he cooks."

"He cooks?" Jiang Li was stunned.

"Yeah." Kong Liu spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and pointed to the table, "All of this was made by him. It’s the old general’s directive; he has to cook even if he doesn’t want to."

Only then did Jiang Li notice the long table in the middle of the hall, laden with a variety of dishes that looked delicious. It seemed to be almost dinner time, and Kong Liu gestured with the plate in his hand toward Jiang Li, "These pastries were made by the Duke himself, want to try one?"

Jiang Li involuntarily followed Kong Liu’s motion to look at the plate, and saw that the pastries were exquisitely made, appealing in color, and emitted an enticing fragrance, even surpassing Yanjing City’s most popular pastry shops in looks.

She found everything absurd to the point of doubting its reality.

Then she looked at Jih Heng again, and as he sensed her gaze, he gave Jiang Li an indifferent glance.

That glance, devoid of his usual feigned smile and as tranquil as the clouds, made Jiang Li’s heart chill.

Uh, she seemed to have uncovered another secret of Jih Heng’s, would she be silenced?