The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 627 - 590: You Knew All Along I Did It on Purpose, Didn’t You? (Part 2)
I’ve been rejected many times before, but Ye Rong didn’t mind at all, "How do you know I’m not the right person for you if you haven’t married me?"
Xu Jia’s expression was serious, "I’ve already been married once."
Ye Rong said, "As long as you haven’t married me, no matter how many times you marry, it doesn’t count."
Xu Jia chuckled, "We’re here for fun today, so let’s not talk about this topic."
"Fine, let’s not talk about it." Ye Rong snorted lightly. "Anyway, as long as you don’t marry, I’ll wait for you until you change your mind."
"What if I never get married in my life? Are you going to stay single waiting for me forever?"
"That’s impossible." Ye Rong said, "By then, I’ll drag you into the bridal sedan chair if I have to."
Xu Jia helplessly said, "Ah Rong, actually you..."
"Senior sister, I can recite your refusals backward and forward. I’m not a three-year-old child who needs you to repeat them over and over."
"I..."
"Alright, didn’t we say we were here to have fun? In a while, I’ll hunt a few sables and make a cloak for you."
As he spoke, he pulled something out from his coat and handed it to her, "Look, a hand warmer. I’ve been keeping it warm in my coat, the charcoal fire is still burning, the warmth is just right."
Xu Jia lowered her eyes, seeing a delicate and small hand warmer in his hands, covered with a cotton sleeve.
It was obvious who Ye Rong intended the hand warmer for, as he didn’t need it himself.
Xu Jia just glanced at it and didn’t take it.
Ye Rong pushed it forward again, "Just consider it your junior brother showing filial respect to his senior sister, okay?"
Without waiting for Xu Jia to say anything, he leaned in and tucked it into her arms.
Xu Jia had no choice but to reach out and hold it.
Ye Rong said "Let’s go," then spurred his horse and rode off quickly, raising his whip.
Xu Jia, holding the hand warmer in one hand and the reins tightly in the other, soon caught up with the main group.
Yuanbao looked at Xu Jia, then at Ye Rong, "Ye San, what were you whispering with my Aunt Jia at the back?"
Ye Rong raised an eyebrow, "You want to know that much? Call me uncle, let me hear it first."
"No way." Before Yuanbao could answer, Jinbao cut in, pouting, "You can’t take advantage of my brother!"
Ye Rong was amused, "Kid, what do you know?"
Jinbao: "Hmph～"
"Haha, he’s got quite a character."
Yuanbao looked down at the little fellow in his arms and asked him, "Jinbao, are you feeling dizzy? Are you uncomfortable? If you are, brother will slow down."
Jinbao shook his head vigorously, "Not dizzy, giddy-up, giddy-up～"
True to the saying that newborn calves aren’t afraid of tigers, it was Jinbao’s first time riding a horse, and he wasn’t afraid at all; he seemed very enthusiastic and got excited when the horse began to run.
Good thing Yuanbao had a tight grip, and the saddle was specially made for him, allowing the little fellow to be snugly seated without swaying around. Otherwise, Yuanbao would have really worried about him accidentally falling off the horse.
The Yun Family people were the first to arrive at the destination. By the time Ye Rong and the others got there, Yun Huai and his companions had already been resting for quite a while.
Ye Rong couldn’t help but exclaim, "Even in snowy weather, your riding skills are impressive. No wonder you’re the famous Yun Six Lang."
Yun Huai smiled faintly, "You’re too kind."
Ye Rong said, "My senior sister’s riding skills are also good. I wonder how she compares to you?"
Xu Jia didn’t speak, but looked at Yun Huai.
Yun Huai met Xu Jia’s gaze, his eyes calm, "The lady injured her foot a few days ago, so it might not be convenient for her to race."
Upon hearing this, Ye Rong’s expression changed slightly, turning to Xu Jia, "Senior sister, you got injured?"
"It’s just a sprain," Xu Jia said with a slight smile, "It’s almost healed."
"A sprain?" Ye Rong’s brows furrowed even more.
"It happened accidentally that day when I was playing at the Song Mansion, slipped on the ice and snow on the steps."
"Are you okay today?" Ye Rong’s face showed unrestrained concern.
"Really, I’m fine." Xu Jia was questioned to the point where she didn’t know how to explain, "If there were still issues, would I dare accept your invitation to come out and play?"
Ye Rong thought for a moment, then said, "Alright then, how about this, you don’t participate in the hunting later. Just rest here, leave your share to me. I’ll make sure to catch a sable for you."
"I..."
Xu Jia was about to protest when Yun Huai’s calm voice came from the side, "Since you’ve been injured, don’t push yourself."
Xu Jia swallowed back the remaining words.
Song Yuanbao also chimed in, "They’re not wrong, Aunt Jia, don’t push yourself. To avoid your foot injury from flaring up again, just stay here and help me watch Jinbao."
Xu Jia glanced at the little cutie in his arms, her eyes suddenly softening, and she smiled, "Alright then, I’ll stay."
So Jinbao was carried down from the horseback by his brother, and given a blanket to sit on the ground. They made a bonfire to keep him warm, and gave him snacks to hold, before going aside with Ye Rong to discuss hunting rules.
Xu Jia sat next to Jinbao, and her gaze seemed to inadvertently drift to that white figure not far ahead.
The person, sensing something, looked over, and Xu Jia immediately lowered her eyes, avoiding the meeting of their gazes.
Then, she secretly smiled to herself.
She didn’t even know when it started, that she became so timid, clearly just needing to ask if she could borrow the jade bracelet, whether or not it was possible. Whenever the topic was about to come out, she couldn’t bring herself to speak, making it seem as if she had some indescribable feelings for him.
Thinking of this, Xu Jia looked at Jinbao, "Little cutie, if there’s something you really want, but it belongs to someone else, what would you do?"
Jinbao said, "I’d trade something with him."
"What if he doesn’t trade?"
"If not, then not. I wouldn’t want it anymore."
Jinbao’s little mouth was stuffed full, his words were muffled and unclear.
Xu Jia took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth, telling him to eat slowly. When she looked up again at that spot, Yun Huai was no longer there.
Not only Yun Huai, Ye Rong and the others had also shouldered their bows, mounted their horses, and charged into the woods with a whoosh.
Earlier, when Ye Rong and the others were discussing the rules, Xu Jia was lost in thought and didn’t know what their plan was for the day. So she accompanied Jinbao by the fire, played for a while, and feeling sleepy, leaned against the tree trunk and fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, she found that Jinbao was no longer by her side.
Xu Jia immediately became alert, stood up and scanned around, but could not see any sign of Jinbao. She shouted a few times but received no response.
Panic began to rise in Xu Jia’s heart. She picked up her short knife for self-defense, intending to head into the woods to find him.
Just as she took a few steps in the snow, she saw Yun Huai carrying Jinbao, walking out from deep within the woods. His steps were light, yet they left a series of clear footprints in the snow.
When they came closer, Xu Jia looked at the little guy with full concern, and asked him, "Jinbao, did you hurt yourself anywhere?"
The little guy shook his head and pointed into the woods, "Aunt Jia, there are pheasants." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
Hearing him speak normally, without any discomfort, Xu Jia let out a sigh of relief. She then asked, "Where did Master Yun find him?"
Yun Huai put Jinbao down and turned his gaze to Xu Jia, "Is your foot injury healed?"
His seemingly casual tone made Xu Jia feel a pang of guilt.
After all, at the Song Mansion, she had intentionally injured herself, wondering if he had noticed.
"It’s almost healed."
Holding Jinbao’s tiny hand, Xu Jia pretended to brush off the snowflakes from his body, without looking at Yun Huai again.
"A sprain is no small matter, at best you’ll rest for a few days, at worst it can lead to a fracture, you shouldn’t do this again in the future."
His tone was like that of an elder advising a mischievous child.
No blame, just guidance.
Xu Jia didn’t know how to respond. After a while, she looked up to meet his eyes, "You already saw through that I did it on purpose, didn’t you?"
Yun Huai neither confirmed nor denied.
Xu Jia felt defeated, "Should I praise you for being clever, or say you’re sensitive?"
Yun Huai said, "Each part of the body is given by the parents, and should not be damaged at will."
A response irrelevant to her question.
Xu Jia ignored his advice and simply asked, "Are you caring for me, or are you controlling me?"
Preventing her from getting close, yet asking about her foot injury, and telling her not to hunt with injuries.
She suddenly couldn’t understand him.
As expected, she didn’t get his answer.
Xu Jia realized that this was not a solution. A married woman like her had zero chance of successfully seducing him, so she might as well be honest.
So she took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I admit it, I approached you with a purpose. As for the purpose, it is the Yun Family’s ancestral treasure. Can you lend it to me, or if you want, I can find something to trade for it."
Yun Huai looked at her for a moment, "That bracelet has only ever been seen on the wrist of the Family Head’s wife."
The implication being that unless she was the next Family Head’s wife, his fiancée, no one else had the right to take it.
"Can’t you even lend it? I can collateralize anything you deem worthy," Xu Jia said earnestly.
