Because of You

Jiang Junyi watched Wan Xiaoxiao and Su Shuangshuang walk off in the other direction, then shook his head. "Let's go the other way."

Wan Qingyun nodded. "Mm, okay."

In truth, Su Shuangshuang was someone she had deliberately called over. Her goal had been to get Wan Xiaoxiao out of the way.

She had her own little selfish thoughts too. She did not want Wan Xiaoxiao disturbing the private world between her and Jiang Junyi.

Jiang Junyi did not think too deeply about that. He simply assumed Su Shuangshuang had come here for a normal walk.

He knew Su Shuangshuang was now a member of Black Palace, but that did not mean joining Black Palace stripped her of a normal life.

Jiang Junyi pushed Wan Qingyun slowly toward the shaded path.

"Toot, toot, toot—!"

"Creak, creak."

A strange sound came from up ahead. Wan Qingyun's ears twitched. "Is there something ahead?"

Jiang Junyi took a look. "There's a clown performing."

Up ahead, a red-nosed clown was putting everything he had into a juggling act, with little magic tricks mixed in from time to time.

It drew constant cheers from the people nearby.

But what Jiang Junyi found strange was why there were only adults!

Wasn't this sort of thing supposed to be something parents brought their kids to watch?

What were a bunch of adults doing crowding around here?

And the more he looked, the more something felt wrong. Wasn't one of them the guy who bought soup dumplings at White Court?

Why was his impression so deep? Because every time he went to that spot in White Court, this guy was there buying soup dumplings, and there would inevitably be an argument.

Something was off. Very off.

Jiang Junyi pushed Wan Qingyun forward, but just then, the clown suddenly turned to look at him.

The clown stepped toward Jiang Junyi in his ridiculous shoes, waving his arms and legs about.

He whistled, taking exaggerated steps as he circled around Jiang Junyi and Wan Qingyun.

The clown waved both hands, and after a dazzling flurry of movements, he suddenly produced a rose.

Jiang Junyi became interested. "Is that flower for us?"

The clown nodded. Jiang Junyi reached out to take it, but the clown abruptly pulled the rose back, waved a hand at him, then pointed at Wan Qingyun.

Finally, he brought his two thumbs together.

Jiang Junyi understood what the clown meant.

He bent down and leaned close to Wan Qingyun's ear. "Do you want the flower?"

From the sounds around her and Jiang Junyi's conversation, Wan Qingyun had more or less guessed what was going on. She smiled softly. "I do. Can Mr. Jiang help me get it?"

Jiang Junyi froze slightly. He had never seen Wan Qingyun speak in such a relaxed, happy way before.

This version of Wan Qingyun seemed to carry a strange charm.

"Well, I can't do it alone." Jiang Junyi smiled.

"What do you mean?" Wan Qingyun looked toward Jiang Junyi, confusion showing on her face.

"What I mean is..."

Jiang Junyi held Wan Qingyun and pressed his lips to hers firmly.

"Muah~~"

"This."

Wan Qingyun froze for a moment, then two patches of red swiftly climbed up her cheeks.

"You... what are you doing... There are so many people here!"

Jiang Junyi chuckled. "No helping it. The clown's condition was a kiss."

"Th-then... I suppose there really was no helping it..." Wan Qingyun turned her head away, the hands resting on her knees looking somewhat flustered and uneasy.

"Toot, toot, toot!"

The clown tilted his head back and blew his whistle, making movements of extreme happiness.

He placed both hands behind his back, and when he brought them out again, there was suddenly an exquisitely wrapped bouquet of roses.

Jiang Junyi took the flowers and handed them to Wan Qingyun. "Miss Wan, your roses."

Wan Qingyun's delicate nose twitched as she caught the fragrance before her. She accepted the roses and lowered her head to smell them.

The dewdrops lingering on the petals seemed to grow shy because of her beauty, slipping away and vanishing.

For a moment, Jiang Junyi was entranced.

Wan Qingyun in that scene was holy and beautiful, a quiet, distant atmosphere lingering around her.

"So beautiful," Jiang Junyi murmured.

The corners of Wan Qingyun's mouth curved up. "Are the flowers pretty?"

"The person is even prettier." Jiang Junyi couldn't help himself and pecked Wan Qingyun on the cheek again.

"I know~" Wan Qingyun turned her head away. "Let's keep going~"

The smile on Jiang Junyi's face was especially deep just then. This was the first time he had seen Wan Qingyun like this, too.

Now that she no longer used coldness to protect herself, she also had the side of a young girl in the bloom of youth.

Jiang Junyi was very happy that his arrival had brought such a considerable change to Wan Qingyun.

He pushed Wan Qingyun along the tree-lined path. The wind blew over from afar, turning into gentle whispers as it swept past the trees, lingering around the two of them.

A coolness seeped into their lungs, making one feel genuinely refreshed.

"I really like this," Wan Qingyun said, unable to help herself.

Jiang Junyi gave an "Mm." "Like what? The atmosphere here, or..."

He lowered his head. "Having me here?"

As if sensing that burning gaze, Wan Qingyun turned her cool, exquisite face toward Jiang Junyi and said seriously, "It's because you're here that I like it."

This was the first time she had spoken her feelings aloud without the slightest attempt to hide them.

Her sweet words were a little clumsy, but the emotions contained within them were utterly real.

Jiang Junyi froze for a moment. He had only meant to tease Wan Qingyun just now, but he hadn't expected to receive such a sincere answer.

The expression on his face instantly melted into tenderness, and the gentleness in his eyes as he looked at Wan Qingyun nearly overflowed.

Now this was the perfect time for his collection of romantic lines to shine!

"Before I met you, the changing of the seasons was nothing more than the law of nature; after I met you, the spring breeze gained a shape, the summer rain became a heartbeat, the autumn leaves hid longing, and the winter snow fell full of tenderness."

"Every dawn and dusk now is worth savoring again and again, because when I think of the days to come, you will always be the heroine of my story, and even breathing becomes sweet."

Listening to the moving sweet nothings by her ear, Wan Qingyun's ears grew hot.

"Where did you learn all these lines..."

Jiang Junyi smiled softly and pushed Wan Qingyun as they strolled beneath the trees.

"The reason such words of love exist in this world is because blazing emotions need an outlet."

"If I hadn't met you, they would just be slightly more elegant words."

"It's because of you that I can give them true meaning."

Wan Qingyun's heart felt as sweet as though she had eaten honey, and she joked again, "With a mouth that sweet, don't tell me you've said that to lots of little girls?"

"I'm innocent! I only started memorizing them after meeting you. See? They came in handy just now, didn't they?" Jiang Junyi said, sounding a little mischievous.

"Hmph~" Wan Qingyun gave a playful little huff.

Seeing Wan Qingyun's playful expression, Jiang Junyi's face gradually revealed an indulgent auntie smile. Playful Qingyun was so lovable too!!

"Actually, I'm very curious. As the Young Master of the Jiang Family, did you really not have that kind of... that kind of life?" Wan Qingyun couldn't quite recall the phrase for a moment.

"Drunk on luxury? Extravagant and decadent?" Jiang Junyi supplied the words for Wan Qingyun.

"Right!"

Jiang Junyi shook his head. "The more powerful a family is, the less likely something like that is to happen."

"All the wastrel heirs you can see, in the end, exist because their foundation isn't deep enough."

"The excellence of true scions of wealthy families surpasses ordinary people's understanding."

He explained it to Wan Qingyun. After all, he himself was exactly like that.

Also, did you think the things Uncle Wu had said Jiang Junyi experienced at the beginning were fake?

Wrong. They were all true!

It was just that Wan Qingyun had thought Uncle Wu was lying and hadn't taken it seriously.

"So that's how it is. But from what I've seen, a lot of big families have political marriages." Wan Qingyun looked worried. "You won't suddenly have something like that pop up one day, will you?"

"Qingyun, you need to have a little more confidence." Jiang Junyi flashed a mouthful of white teeth.

He stopped walking, cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone, and shouted into the empty woods:

"The best woman in the world is my Wan Qingyun—!"

"As for me, I've already been completely bewitched by her—!"