Inlaid With Jade - Chapter 87

Chapter 87
Eating pear

Li Heming and Lin Jing said goodbye on the street, bearing the strange gazes of passers-by, and each returned home with large and small bags of food.

The weather had recently changed between hot and cold, and Lin Yu was a little unwell. When Li Heming returned, she sat on a rocking chair under the plum tree in the yard, her eyes closed, basking in the gentle sun above her head.

The soft spring light shone on her side through the plum tree, exposing the tip of her shoes under her sky-blue skirt. She spread a book on her knees and lay in the rocking chair as if she were dreaming.

A pot of tangerine peel tea was boiling on the stone table, and a hot mist rose from its mouth. On one side was a plate of crushed ice and pieces of golden pears, and Zelan was sitting quietly peeling pears on the other.

Seeing Li Heming enter the courtyard, she stood up and saluted. Her lips moved slightly, and she was about to speak when Li Heming raised his hand and made a gesture of silence, so she immediately swallowed the word “Mister” on the tip of her tongue.

Li Heming walked lightly, put the things in his hand on the stone table, took the pear from Zelan, and waved her to leave.

Lin Yu looked calm, breathing lightly, and didn’t notice that someone had changed beside him. It seemed she had indeed fallen asleep.

Li Heming took the upside-down tea bowls on the plate, poured boiling tea into it, and then silently lowered his head to peel the pear.

The thin blade scraped against the layer of golden pear skin, making a “sha sha” sound, and the pear skin, half a finger wide, fell on the table in circles. Li Heming cut the pear open, cored it, and cut off a piece of pear flesh that was still cool and handed it to Lin Yu’s mouth.

The pear flesh pressed against her pink lips. Li Heming did not wake her but quietly waited to see when Lin Yu would wake up. The fragrance of the pear flesh entered her nose. After a moment, the eyelashes of the person in the chair moved slightly. She instinctively opened her mouth to bite the pear in Li Heming’s hand gently before slowly opening her eyes.

She did not bite hard but only held a little of the pear’s tip. If Li Heming loosened his hand, it might fall on her skirt. This pear was a Su pear produced in Dangshan. The flesh was delicate and tender; it was sweet and refreshing. The pear juice flows into the thirsty tongue after a long sleep. Lin Yu blinked her sleepy eyes and sucked it subconsciously.

She looked at Li Heming, who had returned at some point in a trance. She was about to lower her head to eat the pear flesh, but the bad guy, Li Heming, took the pear away and threw it into his mouth. Then, facing Lin Yu’s blank eyes, he cut another piece of pear and put it against her lips.

Lin Yu had just awakened, and her brain was still unresponsive. Seeing Li Heming handing her another piece, she opened her mouth and bit it obediently. However, Li Heming took the pear away before she could bite and put it in his mouth. The two did not say a word but cooperated tacitly. The tacit understanding was that Li Heming teased Lin Yu, and Lin Yu let him lead her by the nose.

After three times, Lin Yu finally woke up and realized Li Heming didn’t want to give her the food, only teasing her.

Lin Yu tilted her head to look at his calm, handsome face, thinking: It’s so strange. He was so steady before getting married; how come he has become so childish in less than a year?

This time, when Li Heming handed the pear to her again, Lin Yu didn’t eat it but opened her mouth and bit his slender fingers. Her tooth pierced the joint, which was painful. Li Heming’s arm stiffened and frowned. He finally said, “Qiqi, stop biting.”

Because of the pain, his voice sounded heavy, but Lin Yu didn’t listen and even rubbed the bone with her teeth.

Li Heming felt pain and put down the pear to pry her teeth. At this moment, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the yard. The two of them paused, and Lin Yu immediately let go.

Uncle Chen led the solemn He San into the yard and saw two people sitting upright under the plum tree, sipping tea carefully around the stone table, leisurely and contented.

The rocking chair behind Lin Yu was still rocking, but He San didn’t notice anything unusual. After entering the courtyard, he walked towards Li Heming. He respectfully bowed to Lin Yu and said, “Mrs. Lin,” then bowed his head and whispered in Li Heming’s ear: “Leader, Xu Qingyin went out in disguise this morning and went to Jianghai Tower to meet Wei Lin.”

Li Heming held the hand with teeth marks as if he was not surprised that Wei Lin would find Xu Qingyin. He drank tea without changing his expression and asked: “What did they talk about?”

He San looked at Lin Yu hesitantly, frowned and said: “She said that when you were interrogating Wang Changzhong, you met Miss Lin several times in private.”

Li Heming did not seem afraid of Wei Lin’s impeachment and said lightly, “I understand. Keep watching.”

“Yes. “He San stood up and left but turned back after a few steps. He scratched his earlobe and said hesitantly, “Leader, I — I have something to ask you.”

Li Heming saw him hesitating, looked up, and said, “Speak.”

The following words seemed challenging to say. He San was silent for a moment before saying, “You know I have always wanted to redeem Miss Bai Zhen, but a few days ago, someone from the Ministry of Rites told me privately that there was someone behind Miss Bai Zhen and there was no way to redeem her. I want to ask, do you know who is behind Miss Bai Zhen?”

Seeing he was so anxious that his lips were on fire, Li Heming poured tea and pushed it to him. The tea was boiling, but perhaps He San didn’t see the steam or what, so he took a sip.

The boiling water numbed his tongue, and he swallowed it with a stiff neck. Seeing this, Lin Yu patted Li Heming subtly and quickly picked up a few pieces of crushed ice from the ice tray and put them in the tea bowl for him: “Lord. He, have some ice to cool down.”

He San took it with both hands: “Thank you, Mrs. Lin.”

He threw two pieces into his mouth. As the tea was hot and the ice cubes were cool, He San finally calmed down slightly. Li Heming said slowly: “If you want to know who is behind Bai Zhen, you need to know her origin first.”

He San liked Bai Zhen and knew her background very well. He bit the ice cubes and swallowed it: “I have checked the previous documents. The Bai family was originally a general family. Miss Bai’s father was ordered to go to Wugang to suppress the Miao’s uprising, and because of his mistake, 30,000 soldiers were buried in Wugang. All the men in the family were beheaded, and Miss Bai entered the Jiaofangsi.”

Li Heming knocked on the stone table with his fingers: “At that time, the Sixth Prince and General Bai were in Wugang. After the war, Zhu Ming took control of General Bai’s 60,000 troops. The truth of disobeying military orders is still unknown.”

He spoke the treasonous words steadily, which shocked He San. Li Heming continued: “After the Bai family fell into trouble, besides Bai Zhen, someone had also rescued her younger brother.”

He San looked surprised: “Who?”

Li Heming said: “Wei Lin.”

As soon as the voice fell, He San froze in place. He looked at Li Heming, who was calm and remembered what Wei Lin said when he met with Xu Qingyin. He suddenly lifted his robe and knelt. He lowered his head: “I grew up in the general’s camp. The general treated me with great kindness, just like a father! My surname is Li in this life. No matter what happens, I will never betray you!”

Li Heming didn’t say anything. He just picked up the teapot, filled his cup with tea, and threw a piece of ice in. The ice hit the bowl with a light sound. He San heard the sound and raised his head. Without waiting for the ice to melt, he picked up the tea bowl and drank it all.

Li Heming said, “Get up.”

He San stood up, his mind raced, and then he suddenly understood: “The man behind Miss Bai is the one who saved Wei Lin. Does he want to use her to threaten Wei Lin to do his will?”

“Yes.”

He San clenched his knife: “Who is that man?”

“The second prince, Zhu Xi.”