Five Years After My Death, the Mad Emperor Still Summons My Spirit

Ming Lingyi’s voice startled both Huang Yi and Jiang Yuchuan.

When the two turned around and saw Ming Lingyi’s face, their expressions were starkly different.

Jiang Yuchuan’s face instantly flushed. "Miss Ming..." he murmured. The thought that the woman before him might have overheard what he’d just said made him blush to the tips of his ears.

He had never been infatuated with any woman before, nor had he ever given much thought to the kind of person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

But the day he met Ming Lingyi, he found his answer.

He had originally planned on waiting until Mrs. Ming grew accustomed to him and accepted him, then he would ’make his move slowly,’ fearing that his forwardness would startle the fair maiden. But he never expected an accident like this to happen today, leaving him completely unprepared.

Meanwhile, when Huang Yi heard his friend call out "Miss Ming," the expression on his face became quite a spectacle.

Previously, when he was unaware of Ming Lingyi’s identity, Huang Yi had been a bit flustered by the sudden appearance of a young woman. She was particularly striking, with a lovely face, bright, clear eyes, and outer corners that tilted up slightly, giving her a radiant air even when she wasn’t smiling. But when he heard Jiang Yuchuan reveal her identity, Huang Yi froze in place.

What could be more awkward than being caught bad-mouthing someone by the very person you were talking about?

Huang Yi’s face alternated between red and white. Unsure where to look, he glanced helplessly at Jiang Yuchuan in a silent plea for help.

Jiang Yuchuan: "..."

’He himself didn’t know how to handle his emotions. His heart was hammering in his chest; how could he possibly notice Huang Yi’s plea for help?’

Ming Lingyi acted as if she hadn’t noticed Huang Yi’s discomfort. She walked up to Jiang Yuchuan and offered him the green balls she was carrying. "Xiao Chun was going to bring you these, but you disappeared the moment she turned around. I came out to look for you. I’m glad I found you. Thank you for your patronage today, Lord Jiang."

Ming Lingyi was all smiles as she spoke, looking for all the world as if she hadn’t overheard their conversation.

Jiang Yuchuan’s ears flushed, and a surge of delight welled up in his heart. "N-not at all. I just think your cooking is excellent, Miss Ming, so I came to eat with my colleagues. As for these green balls, I should be the one thanking you."

Ming Lingyi asked cheerfully, "Does Lord Jiang truly think the food at our eatery is good?"

She acted just like any other restaurateur dealing with a customer, her primary concern being their opinion of the food.

Jiang Yuchuan nodded eagerly. "Of course! And it’s not just me, he thinks so too." As he spoke, he abruptly yanked on Huang Yi—who currently wished he could either teleport away or at least turn invisible. "Right, Huang Yi?"

Unfortunately, Jiang Yuchuan was completely oblivious to his friend’s silence and pulled him right into Ming Lingyi’s view.

Huang Yi: "..."

’Unbelievable.’

"Y-yes, it’s quite good. The food is great, really great..."

’Huang Yi didn’t dare to meet Ming Lingyi’s eyes. He didn’t really get it. She was just a merchant’s daughter. Even if he’d said some unpleasant things behind her back, they were facts. So why did he feel so small in front of her?’

But when their eyes had accidentally met a moment ago, Huang Yi had felt a strange sense of guilt and... fear.

’It was as if he really had said something he shouldn’t have, and her presence was so overwhelming that it made him want to back away.’

Ming Lingyi: "That’s good."

’She ran a business, so of course she wanted every customer at her eatery to eat and drink their fill.’

After saying this, Ming Lingyi turned to Huang Yi. "I have a few things I’d like to discuss with Lord Jiang in private. Sir, perhaps you could..."

Before Ming Lingyi could finish, Huang Yi had already piped up, "I’ll wait for him outside."

With that, Huang Yi scurried away.

’He couldn’t stand to be there a second longer!’

’So awkward!’

’He had no idea his friend was into a woman like her. She was nothing like an ordinary merchant’s daughter.’

Jiang Yuchuan was oblivious to the chaotic thoughts running through Huang Yi’s head. His own mind was probably just as muddled.

Once it was just the two of them, Jiang Yuchuan asked in a low voice, "Did you hear everything Huang Yi and I were saying, Miss Ming?"

Jiang Yuchuan wasn’t one for wishful thinking. He suspected that, given Miss Ming’s character, she had spoken up to prevent them from saying anything that would make the situation unsalvageable.

Ming Lingyi had no intention of hiding it. ’Mainly because she didn’t think she was that magnanimous.’

’Even if what that Huang Yi said had some logic to it, she was the one being disparaged. She couldn’t be expected to feel no dissatisfaction at all, could she?’

"Yes, I heard."

Jiang Yuchuan’s face paled. "I—I didn’t mean it like that. Miss Ming, even though you’re a merchant, for a woman to be able to support herself with her own skills is a remarkable thing."

Jiang Yuchuan wanted to say that he had never looked down on her for being a merchant.

But before Jiang Yuchuan could get the words out, the woman standing before him suddenly asked, "You said you have feelings for me?"

Ming Lingyi’s question struck him like a gong in the dead of night, ringing in his ears and leaving him stunned where he stood.

’He’d been completely caught off guard...’

At the Ministry of Justice, Jiang Yuchuan was famous for being strict and meticulous. He could face the thorniest of cases without a change in expression. But right now...

Jiang Yuchuan’s face flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"I..." Jiang Yuchuan licked his lips nervously. "Miss Ming, I... what I said just now wasn’t a lie. Although we haven’t known each other long, I have absolutely no frivolous intentions toward you. I am serious. I want to ask for your hand in marriage."

As he finished his last sentence, as if he’d finally found his resolve, Jiang Yuchuan raised his head and looked directly into Ming Lingyi’s eyes.

Ming Lingyi was genuinely surprised.

Jiang Yuchuan’s earnestness was more than she had expected.

After a moment of silence, Ming Lingyi said, "As you said yourself, Lord Jiang, we haven’t known each other long. How can you be so sure of your feelings so quickly?"

Perhaps because he had already made such a bold proposal, Jiang Yuchuan seemed to abandon all attempts at composure. "My feelings for you began at Qinglong Temple, Miss Ming."

He had fallen in love with Ming Lingyi at first sight.

Ming Lingyi said, "Your friend wasn’t wrong, Lord Jiang. You are a man of distinguished appearance with a boundless future. If you were to marry a humble merchant’s daughter like myself, in the future, it might..."

"My parents are both gone. I can make my own decisions. Now that I’ve said this to you tonight, Miss Ming, I will not regret it." Jiang Yuchuan looked at Ming Lingyi, his gaze intense.

’He knew exactly what he was doing and what he wanted.’

’What did other people’s opinions matter to him?’

’He couldn’t be more certain of who he loved.’