Chapter 4 — Sister Married to the Emperor, Forcing Me to Marry a Playboy, No One Knows He is a Hidden Dragon

Tan Dien Chi has never been a waste before. He just hid himself too deeply.

“Master Qin.”

"Last December, on the riverbank outside the north gate, he drew an irrigation map."

His fingers stopped.

“After drawing, burn it with fire, the ashes will be washed away by the river water.” I continue.

His eyelids finally lifted completely. The pupils shrank slightly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. In the blink of an eye, it went from lazy to sharp.

“How do you know?”

In my previous life, he told me with his own mouth. At that time, we arrived at the border, on a certain night when heavy snow filled the sky, he rarely drank more than usual, leaning next to the fire and telling me this story. He said that since he was thirteen years old, he began to secretly research irrigation and military affairs, but the old master of the Qin family was afraid of the Emperor's taboo, forcing him to hide his key points - pretending to be stupid, fighting crickets, hanging out in flower houses, making himself the biggest joke in the capital.

“I guess.” I said.

“You guess.” He stared at me.

“A delinquent spends all day leading birds and drinking wine, but has calluses on his hands from holding a sharpening pen all year round.” I pointed to the thin layer of callous on his right mouth, "You're either a bookworm, or—secretly doing something you don't want others to know about."

He bowed his head and looked at his hands. Then when I raised my head, the look in my eyes had changed. It's no longer exploration, it's no longer defense. It was something very complicated—like a person who had been walking in the dark for a long time, suddenly having his true face recognized by others. He placed the wine gourd on the table.

“Tham Uan Ninh.”

The first time he called me by my full name.

“You are very dangerous.”

"Some people are eight ounces, some people are only half a kilo."

He stared at me for a long time, then burst out laughing. This smile is different from before. The previous smile was a social mask, a perfect set up, the corners of the lips curled up very standardly, but there was nothing at the bottom of the eyes. As for the smile this time— The curve of the corners of his eyes moved first, then the corners of his lips slowly followed, and the aura of his whole body relaxed for a moment.

"Okay." He stood up, took off his coat and put it on the back of the chair, "I'll sleep on the small bed, you sleep on the bed. If you need anything, call me."

He walked to the small bed next to the door and lay down, his back facing me.

“Tan Dien Chi.” I call him back.

“What again?”

“Your secret, I will keep it.”

He didn't turn around. Silence for a few breaths. The voice was much lower than before. Three days later, Mrs. Qin invited me to have tea. Old lady Qin was over seventy years old, her hair was white all over her head, but her eyes were as clear and sharp as an eagle. She held a cup of tea, looked at me from top to bottom, didn't even have a single conversation, just opened her mouth and said—

"The Shen family brought you in to marry, making you feel resentful."

“No resentment.”

“No resentment?” She raised her eyebrows.

"It's my own choice, so it doesn't count as resentment."

Her fingers lightly tapped the edge of the cup, making two clicking sounds.

"That older sister of yours, I've met her several times. She has a beautiful appearance, many eyes, her mouth is like honey, but she has a scale in her heart."

I don't answer.

“You are not like her.” She looked at me, "There's something in your eyes."

She spoke very calmly, as if she was just saying that the tea was a bit strong today. The hand is holding My teacup is a little tighter.

"But—" She put down the teacup, "People with hatred are trustworthy. People without any temper are scary."

She waved at me.

“Come here and sit.”

I sat down next to her, she patted the back of my hand.

"I've been looking at you all my life, old lady. I haven't seen you wrong many times. You girl, you have a good idea."

"From now on, in the Qin family, just live with a straight back. Who dares to give you an unsightly face? Come and tell me."

This is the first time in this life that an elder has said such words to me. In my previous life, Mrs. Tan passed away in the second year after I got married here. Before she died, she held my hand and said: "Grandmother is sorry for you, she didn't have time to protect you." At that time I cried so much that I could barely breathe. My eyes were stinging, but I still stubbornly endured it.

“Thank you, old lady.”

“Don't thank me.” She patted my hand, "If you marry my grandson, you are a member of my Qin family. People of the Qin family don't need to be polite to outsiders."