Free Web NovelChapter 355: Chapter 141: Chance Encounter (Part 2)
"Sister, be careful."
Zhao Jing threw an arm around Chen Wanqing’s waist and spun her out of the way. Chen Wanqing narrowly avoided disaster, her chest heaving, her eyes wide with shock.
"I’m so sorry, I was walking too fast and wasn’t looking. Did I hurt you, miss? Do you need to see a doctor...?"
Their eyes met. Not only was Chen Wanqing stunned, but the chattering young man also froze.
Even Zhao Jing, who had been frowning and glaring angrily at the man, schooled his features after getting a clear look at his face.
But his hand tightened its grip on Chen Wanqing’s wrist, and deep in his eyes was a profound wariness.
The man before them wore a royal blue, cloud-embroidered robe, with a jade pin in his hair and a pouch and Jade Pendant hanging from his waist. His features were handsome and open, and he had a ready smile that suggested a warm and generous nature.
And this was no stranger, but Meng Jintang—the man who had once been engaged to Chen Wanqing.
When Meng Jintang saw that the woman before him was Chen Wanqing, he too couldn’t help but stare blankly for a moment.
But he quickly noticed her married woman’s hairstyle and the way the young man beside her was tightly gripping her wrist.
The young man looked familiar. Thinking back, he was sure they had met a few times.
’Isn’t this De’an’s good friend, the one who was always visiting the Chen family?’
But here he was, out alone with Chen Wanqing, their actions intimate. Combined with her married woman’s attire, a look of sudden understanding dawned on Meng Jintang’s face.
’It seemed they were married.’
At this realization, Meng Jintang’s eyes showed a flicker of shock, and his heart sank with a bit of disappointment.
Even though he had long known this day would come, seeing her as another man’s wife still left a complicated feeling in his heart.
But Meng Jintang was a respectable man and didn’t want to make things awkward for any of them, so he opened his mouth to offer some pleasantries.
Unexpectedly, however, Zhao Jing just gave him a slight nod, then took Chen Wanqing’s hand and started to walk away. "Wife, let’s go check the spice shop and see if the spices you need have arrived."
Chen Wanqing only had time to press her lips together before Zhao Jing led her away.
Hearing him, she responded reflexively, "They should have. The Shopkeeper promised me repeatedly that they would definitely arrive today. If he can’t deliver on time, he has to refund my deposit threefold."
It wasn’t until they were far from the brokerage house that Chen Wanqing belatedly realized what Jing had just called her.
For a moment, her face felt hot. Her cheeks were flushed, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the sun or something else.
But she had no time to dwell on that, because she suddenly realized a more serious problem.
’Jing was staking his claim in front of Meng Jintang. Was he wary of him?’
She glanced sideways at Zhao Jing and saw that his jaw was tight and his expression was grim. He looked unapproachable, lost in some unknown thought.
Chen Wanqing pulled Zhao Jing to a stop and led him into a nearby alley.
It was a dead-end alley, situated between two shops. The alley was long, with two quiet residences along it. Their gates were small, and their courtyards didn’t look very large.
At the far end of the alley, sheltered by the buildings, the light was dim even in broad daylight. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Zhao Jing didn’t struggle, quietly letting her lead him.
He didn’t seem curious about what she was doing. Or perhaps he was too agitated to pay attention. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
When they reached the end of the alley, Chen Wanqing finally stopped.
"Jing, you know about the situation with Meng Jintang and me. We were engaged, but our families had a falling out because his family wanted me to be buried alive with him."
Zhao Jing nodded slightly. "I know about that."
"My parents were furious about it. My mother even had to take medicine for a long time just to be able to sleep at night. I wouldn’t dare call myself a filial daughter, but my parents suffered because of me, so I hold a grudge against the Meng Family."
"But Meng Jintang was innocent in all this."
At these words, Zhao Jing snapped his head up and stared directly at her.
His expression was calm, but his hand tightened on her fingers, hurting her a little. Chen Wanqing didn’t show it, however, simply continuing to explain in a steady voice.
"Meng Jintang being innocent doesn’t mean I still have feelings for him. To be blunt, I didn’t even know what love was back then. I only felt guilty because his devotion to me ultimately led to his death. But all that guilt vanished the moment I saw he had returned safely."
"Before we got married, he came to Xiaoao Mountain, where I grow huangqi, to wait for me. He personally returned our families’ engagement tokens and wished that we would both find peace in our separate lives."
