Binding Spring Love

After comforting Lin Jiayue, Jiang Xingjian left the inner courtyard.

He was not a womanizer, so at this moment he couldn't help but feel that Confucius's saying, "Women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with," was very apt.

Lin Jiayue's crying and clinging annoyed him, while Song Wan...

Thinking of Song Wan, Jiang Xingjian recalled the image of her holding the golden tiger yesterday, on the verge of tears. Her eyes held a mixture of anger and grievance, heartache and sorrow, a look that was neither angry nor reproachful, which made his heart tremble.

Jiang Xingjian frowned.

"Is your elder brother unwell?"

Upon encountering Jiang Yan, Jiang Xingjian asked in return, "Did you just come back from outside?"

Jiang Yan nodded in agreement, and then stood aside, his brows furrowed with respect.

The Marquis's family was a scholarly and literary clan, and they placed great importance on social order and etiquette. Jiang Xingjian was not only separated from him by the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, but also by their age. Jiang Yan knew that the Marquis disliked rude and reckless people the most, so in recent years he had restrained himself and followed etiquette, striving to be an upright gentleman and a perfect man for all time.

Even when facing Jiang Xingjian, he could remain calm and respect his elder brother from the bottom of his heart.

Jiang Xingjian looked at the young man before him and suddenly sighed, "I'm feeling a bit troubled. Would you like to take a walk with me?"

The two walked to the White Jade Bridge, and Jiang Xingjian said, "You've worked hard all these years."

"Brother, you flatter me."

Jiang Xingjian turned around and saw that Jiang Yan's eyes were completely calm. He thought to himself that his half-brother was either uninterested in the title or a very cunning person.

The invitation to go together was an impulsive one, but after a few words, there was nothing more to say.

Jiang Xingjian paused briefly and then brought up Song Wan.

"Yesterday, the cat in your sister-in-law's room was poisoned to death, she..."

"The golden tiger is dead? What happened?"

Jiang Yan raised his voice slightly, and Jiang Xingjian raised an eyebrow, seemingly wondering how he knew the cat's name.

"Do you know that cat?"

Jiang Yan raised his eyes, his dark eyes unusually bright. For some reason, Jiang Xingjian suddenly remembered the day he saw him at Fuhe Hall. For a moment, he had been just like now, giving off a morbidly fanatical and incongruous feeling. But the light in his eyes vanished in an instant, leaving him no time to ponder it further.

"Brother, you don't know, but that cat is quite famous in the manor, and the golden tiger was originally sent from Aunt Liu's hands to... your sister-in-law's room."

Aunt Liu was Jiang Yan's birth mother, so Jiang Xingjian said no more after hearing this.

There was silence for a moment, but Jiang Yan seemed to have become interested and asked about the cat's situation. Jiang Xingjian had no choice but to tell him about Lin Jiayue accidentally injuring the golden tiger.

Although Jiang Yan smiled gently as he listened, his fists behind his back clenched tighter and tighter.

She treated Jin Sihu like her own child, but now he has been brutally murdered by that frivolous and shameless woman. I wonder how heartbroken she must be.

Jiang Yan frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly involuntarily.

Jiang Xingjian assumed he was dissatisfied with Lin Jiayue's actions and said somewhat apologetically, "Jiayue didn't mean it; this was really a misunderstanding."

"Brother shouldn't have said that to his younger brother."

Jiang Yan pursed his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately failed to speak.

He pondered for a moment, then said "Wait a moment" and returned to Yulingzhai. Half an incense stick later, Jiang Yan came over carrying a bamboo basket.

"The cat in my yard just had kittens a few days ago. Brother, you can give them to your sister-in-law as an apology."

Inside the bamboo basket, a yellow and white cat was meowing incessantly. Despite being only the size of a palm, the little creature had quite a capacity for meowing, continuing to meow for quite some time without stopping.

Jiang Xingjian grabbed the kitten by the scruff of its neck and lifted it up: "It's quite a good-looking kitten."

Jiang Yan silently took the cat back from his hand, carefully placed it on the soft cushion in the bamboo basket, and then covered it with an indigo square soft blanket.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Xingjian chuckled softly, "This thing is quite sturdy; there's no need to be so careful."

"They're still young, so it's best to be gentle."

Jiang Yan handed the bamboo basket to Jiang Xingjian and said with his eyes lowered, "I know that you did not intend to bring others back to the manor, but for both public and private reasons, the dignity of the Marquis's wife cannot be compromised in the slightest."

"..."

Jiang Xingjian held the still meowing cat, speechless for a moment.

Now, in the eyes of the Marquis's mansion, whether it's his grandmother and mother, Jiang Yan, or even the servants, he is seen as a scoundrel who dotes on his concubine and neglects his wife, and doesn't know what's important.

Jiang Xingjian wanted to argue, but after a moment of hesitation, he couldn't come up with any compelling words to clear his name.

After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence from his throat: "I know what I'm doing," before carrying the bamboo basket and the cat towards Lan Courtyard.

Jiang Yan watched his retreating figure, a wave of helplessness and envy washing over her.

"Second Master."

The servant behind him called out softly, but Jiang Yan looked listless and lost interest.

Jiang Xingjian carried the cat back to Lan Courtyard, while Song Wan was still negotiating with the steward. After a moment's thought, he took the bamboo basket and went to the study.

In the study, Huaisu was tidying up the books on the desk when he saw him come in carrying a bamboo basket, so he got up to take it from him.

"Hold on tight, don't drop him."

After a pause, he added, "Don't let Jia Yue see this."

Huaisu nodded, carefully placed the cat on the soft couch in the study, and then asked Xieyi to bring a plate of meat soup from the small kitchen.

The old women gradually left Lan Courtyard around dinner time.

Jiang Xingjian, carrying the kitten who was now fast asleep, sprawled out on its back, strode over to the main courtyard.

"The old man is here."

The old woman watching outside announced the news to the room. The second-class maid in the second hall went to look for Hengzhi and Hengwu. When Jiang Xingjian entered the room, Song Wan had already changed into an outer robe and was standing in front of the two's bedroom to greet him.

Jiang Xingjian glanced at the numerous account books and the tangled abacus on the desk, frowned, and asked, "Is there a problem with the accounts in the manor?"

"It's not a good sign. If you have nothing else to do, you can go with Wan'er to take a look after we've had our meal."

Jiang Xingjian nodded, and while waiting for the meal, he handed the bamboo basket in his hand to Song Wan: "This cat... I am also responsible for the poisoning of the golden tiger, and this cat is a gift to make up for it."

Because of the guilt in his heart, his confidence was weakened by three points.

Holding the bamboo basket somewhat stiffly, Song Wan gently lifted the soft quilt covering her.

Inside, the fluffy little creature was fast asleep, its exposed belly and pink little paws lying straight on the soft cushion. When Song Wan saw this, she didn't look happy. Instead, her nose tingled as she thought of the golden tiger.

This cat looks exactly like the golden tiger when it was a kitten.

Song Wan gently touched its belly with her finger and then picked up the cushion under the cat.

The cushion was made of indigo-blue Shu brocade. Shu brocade wasn't particularly valuable, but the light-colored, subtle patterns on the fabric had a special origin. It was a peacock pattern with linked pearls that Jiang Xing, the second wife, had painted a few days ago. When the embroidery workshop finished weaving it, they sent her a plain-colored piece, and she had Hengwu send back a cloisonné jeweled and pearl-encrusted box.

So this cat was a gift from Jiang Yan.