Chapter 1866: The Frail Young Master's Blessing Marriage Beauty Wife 21

After New Year's Eve, the days passed quickly; visiting to pay New Year's calls was never Jin Chen and his husband's turn, as it was naturally handled by their parents and elder brothers and sisters-in-law.

According to convention, Ye Yuchi should still return to the Ye family to pay New Year's respects, but no one brought it up.

On the other hand, Ye Lao San kept having people come ask, asking when Ye Yuchi would let them have the shop, and when they could split off to live in the grand residence.

Ye Yuchi merely, in front of many neighbors, drew up a sizable New Year's gift list and sent it back to the Ye family, completely shutting the mouths and greedy eyes of Ye Lao San and Ye Bing Tian.

【How strange, Host.】

Ling Gun Gun wobbled his head, puzzled.

Jin Chen hummed, watching Ye Yuchi's back as he saw off the gift-bearing procession, naturally understanding what Zero Egg was puzzled about.

Now Ye Zi Ning's rash has faded; out of respect for Duan Linfeng, the prefecture's second daughter did not break off Ye Chang's engagement, and Ye Hui likewise got her wish to marry the young master of the Su family, and she has even recently become pregnant.

On the surface, the Ye family is getting better and better.

【Ah Ci has his plans.】 Jin Chen said.

Jin Chen saw Ye Yuchi glance back at him, raised the corners of his mouth in a smile, and caught his husband striding over.

"With the wind so strong today, weren't you supposed to be reading indoors?" Ye Yuchi asked.

Jin Chen shook his head, his fingertip brushing Ye Yuchi's eye corner, and smiled: "Tomorrow is that damned little marquis's plum-blossom gathering; Ah Ci, will you prepare a surprise for the Ye family?"

"Of course."

Ye Yuchi felt a little itchy from his touch, shrank back slightly, and grabbed Jin Chen's hand, saying, "Tomorrow you also need to be careful; bring a couple more prefectural guards."

The matter of Da Niu still left him uneasy, fearing that Jin Chen might encounter another mishap.

The prefectural doctor had said that Jin Chen's constitution could no longer withstand further strain.

"Then Ah Ci must stay by my side without leaving." Jin Chen lightly embraced Ye Yuchi and whispered, "If you come to no harm, neither will I."

Otherwise, dragging this body around to beat people up would still be somewhat too much for me.

【You're already like this—don't think about beating people up.】

——

Liu Manor.

For this plum-blossom gathering, aside from the young ladies and gentlemen of various families, the most invited were the Ye family members.

Not only Ye Zi Ning, but even his concubine-born sister Ye Fu Yue, as well as Ye Chang and Ye Hui from the second branch, were on the invitation list; however, anyone could see that Duan Linfeng, out of respect for Ye Zi Ning's face, was giving the Ye family, which had been in constant turmoil lately, a chance to appear publicly again.

But it's unclear whether this was done intentionally or simply arranged according to protocol.

Ye Yuchi's seat was not at the same table as Jin Chen's, but placed among the seats of the few Ye family members.

Three well-trained prefectural guards stood behind Ye Yuchi, which left Ye Chang, who originally wanted to give him a tough look, only able to stand down.

But even though he couldn't act, Ye Chang still couldn't swallow this anger, eager to show off properly in front of Ye Yuchi.

He especially noticed that, as Ye Yuchi spent more days at the Jin manor, his noble bearing had become completely different from what it was in the Ye household, and he also felt that this person was remarkably scheming.

"Ye Yuchi, you didn't expect that, did you?" Ye Chang couldn't help but sneer, "You threatened me with that day's leverage, yet the Miss Xin of the prefectural manor still hasn't called off our engagement."

"You may scheme endlessly, but you can't destroy me—I will still pass the imperial examinations and rank high!"

Ye Yuchi leisurely lifted the plum-blossom wine, lowered his head to sniff at the tip of his nose, his brows and eyes showing no trace of anger.

Waiting until Ye Chang's own anger twisted his face into a distorted expression, he then gave him a glance as if bestowing favor, looking at Ye Chang's utterly ordinary face, and said, "Well then, first congratulations, third brother."

What kind of weird reaction is this.

Ye Chang's face flushed red, he slammed the table hard: "Your goal hasn't been achieved—don't you feel embarrassed at all!"

"And my little sister Hui also got her wish to marry into the Su family—your wicked schemes are useless!"

Ye Hui covered her mouth with a handkerchief and let out a delighted laugh, her finely drawn brows full of pride.

"Speaking of which, I still need to thank my second older cousin; if it weren't for your prescription, I wouldn't have gotten pregnant so quickly."

Even if we were once handkerchief friends, now that the nominal young mistress has fallen out, it's simply that whoever becomes pregnant first gains authority over the household.

Ye Yuchi lifted his eyes to glance at Ye Hui's belly, then at her face, which remained pallid even with powder, and the smile at the corners of his lips grew deeper.

"Older brother, how is your rash? Is it better?" Ye Yuchi then turned his gaze toward Ye Zi Ning, whose thoughts were clearly elsewhere, and asked with concern.

Ye Zi Ning withdrew his gaze from Duan Linfeng, frowned at the words, held back his temper, and retorted sarcastically, "You do care about me, then why don't you come visit the Ye residence?"

"I've heard that your aunt takes care of you day and night, and your uncle even stayed specially in the concubine's quarters, not setting foot in your aunt's courtyard for half a month."

Ye Yuchi let out a mocking laugh: "Even your father behaves this way—how can you, as an older cousin, be overly harsh toward me?"

Ye Zi Ning: "……""

He gripped his tea cup tightly in anger, his face turning ashen.

The concubine's daughter Ye Fu Yue, hearing this, lowered her eyes, hid her smile, and gave Ye Yuchi a slight nod in greeting.

The young ladies and gentlemen of the aristocratic families who overheard their conversation gathered all the gossip, then stepped forward to chat with Ye Yuchi, after all, as the young mistress who holds real power in the Jin manor, she is far more worthwhile to befriend than Ye Zi Ning.

Ye Zi Ning's expression visibly worsened to the naked eye; the faint ache that had just barely subsided resurfaced, and he downed several cups of wine to suppress it.

On the other side.

Jin Chen sat on the left side of the long table where Duan Linfeng was, idly plucking at the wax plum, occasionally glancing at his husband beside him, pondering whether to slip over directly just to overhear the chatter.

"I've heard that Young Master Jin Chen's health has improved considerably; Duan Mou toasts you with a cup."

Duan Linfeng deliberately stepped closer, raised his wine cup toward Jin Chen, and smiled affably.

Jin Chen pushed aside the plum-blossom wine before him, his demeanor cool and detached: "I won't drink."

If I drink, my husband will scold me!

"Young Master Jin Chen, the marquis offers you a toast—how dare you refuse?" Those at the same table who took a dislike to Jin Chen began to jeer.

Jin Chen glanced over casually, saying, "Who said that? If I drank myself to death and lay in your ancestral hall, you'd have to kowtow to me."

That person: "……""

Nutcase!

Yet in Duan Linfeng's eyes, a clear pity shone; he ordered someone to fetch the item.

"This is the medicinal pill I had the imperial physician rush over; it has some effect on your illness. Consider it a gift for making friends with A Chen."

Jin Chen froze for two seconds, his face tightening in fear, unable to believe, he slowly took in the meaning of those words.

Seeing Jin Chen silent, Duan Linfeng thought he was deeply moved and reached out to pat his shoulder.

In the instant his hand reached out, Jin Chen reflexively threw a punch.

"Get out!"

This protagonist's brain must have been kicked by a donkey!