Miss Truth
Chapter 239 - 151 Temporary Farewell from Jiangning

Chapter 239: Chapter 151 Temporary Farewell from Jiangning

Night had fallen, and Jiangning was already in sight.

Not long after Ran Yan had finished her evening meal, she heard some commotion outside and faintly discerned the boatmen saying that Jiangning Pier was approaching.

"Wife, would you like to bid farewell to Xiao Langjun? After all, he’s helped you a great deal," Xing Niang mused all afternoon before asking for Ran Yan’s opinion.

"Hmm," Ran Yan responded, "Let’s go then."

Wan Lu helped Ran Yan with her cloak.

Ge Lan pushed open the door, only to see the tall and straight figure of Xiao Song standing at the doorway under the moonlight, clad in a dark red round-necked robe, his black hair tied up, appearing much more vigorous than he had in the afternoon.

"Please inform Seventeen Niang that..." Xiao Song started to speak but stopped as Ran Yan appeared at the door.

A natural smile rose on Xiao Song’s face, "We’ve arrived at Jiangning; I’ve come to bid farewell to Seventeen Niang."

"Hmm..." Ran Yan hesitated for a long while, unsure of what to say, she merely said, "May Xiao Langjun have a smooth journey."

"The same to you," Xiao Song smiled again, but his smile clearly lacked some of the joy he had before. In the presence of the servants, it wasn’t right to say anything too intimate, so he simply said, "Seventeen Niang, rest well. If you encounter any difficulties in Chang’an, feel free to find me."

"Thank you, Xiao Langjun," Ran Yan inclined her body slightly.

"You’re welcome," Xiao Song, with his hands behind his back, pinching something in the sleeve, nodded slightly toward her but ultimately couldn’t bring it out and turned to stride away.

After six or seven steps, the clear, cool voice of Ran Yan called from behind, "Xiao Langjun, don’t you have something to give me?"

Xiao Song halted in his tracks, turned around, a bright smile on his handsome face, "Let’s go to the deck to enjoy the night view of Jiangning."

Ran Yan nodded, signaling Wan Lu and Ge Lan to follow at a distance.

Side by side, the two climbed onto the deck where a sudden gust of river wind roared, forcefully sweeping past their ears.

Xiao Song reached out to adjust Ran Yan’s cloak, then positioned himself in the wind, his tall body blocking most of the river breeze. He took out a thin booklet and a small white porcelain bottle with a red stopper from his sleeve, "Here’s the score of "Guanshan Yue", it might come in handy if you want to practice the xiao. This bottle contains medicine to alleviate seasickness; it was somewhat effective when I suffered from it."

"Thank you," Ran Yan said, not refusing but tucking both items into her pocket.

"How were you so sure I had something for you?" Xiao Song inquired.

Ran Yan lifted her gaze, her calm eyes fixating on him for a moment, "Your disappointment was too obvious, and you were clutching your sleeve so tightly; it was clearly intentional... What you really want to ask is, why I would accept your gifts, isn’t it?"

Xiao Song indeed did it on purpose. After what happened the previous night with the bidding scheme for the raw stone, he had hinted at it, knowing Ran Yan’s observational skills. If he went to this extent, she would surely notice. He just wanted to know Ran Yan’s attitude towards him.

"Beating around the bush," Ran Yan smiled faintly, like an epiphyllum blooming in the dead of night, "Although you often wear a mask that prevents me from seeing the real you, I can clearly discern the good from the bad. I won’t push away someone who’s been kind to me."

"Even if you know I have ulterior motives?" Xiao Song felt a glimmer of anticipation. Since the incident in the carriage, he had become much more straightforward, and in front of Ran Yan, he had tried his best to drop his facade. Although sometimes he still seemed calculating, it was due to the long immersion in officialdom, and it wasn’t possible for him to become as innocent as Sang Chen overnight.

"Giving others a chance is also giving oneself a chance; it’s not a bad thing," Ran Yan said slowly.

Unable to contain the joy in his heart, Xiao Song extended his arm and drew Ran Yan into his embrace, being extremely gentle and careful to avoid her injured arm.

From Xiao Song’s observation of Ran Yan, she was not an impulsive person, nor one to frivolously dispense affections. Since she had made this decision, she must have thought it through thoroughly.

The embrace didn’t last long, only about five breaths before Xiao Song reluctantly let go.

"However, this period is limited to six months," Ran Yan added.

In Ran Yan’s analysis, love is nothing more than different hormones coming into contact and undergoing a qualitative change, much like a chemical experiment. Some hormones are naturally attracted to each other, reacting immediately upon contact, while others merge through prolonged exposure, eventually leading to a qualitative change through quantitative increase. The longevity of the relationship doesn’t necessarily relate to the process of change.

Xiao Song was a decent person, and Ran Yan’s initial sense of aversion towards him was gradually dissipating. She wanted to see if, over some more time, the expected qualitative change could occur between them.