Chapter 4 Chapter 4 It seems that you really don’t remember me...

Xie Zhi looked up at her, his dark eyes like a deep spring, "You trespassed into the Divine Strategy Division just to ask this?"

He had seen her twice since she returned to Beijing, and each time she made quite a commotion. Unless his head was injured, how could he not remember her?

Nie Xiangyi seemed to know what he was thinking and hurriedly shook her head, "I'm not talking about the time at the Xue Mansion!"

She paused, "It wasn't the time at Qingji the other day!"

She seemed a little anxious, and without thinking, she jumped over the wall into the Shen Ce Division, wanting to get in front of Xie Zhi, get closer to him, and let him see her clearly.

The spears of the Shen Ce Army immediately blocked her way, preventing her from getting closer.

She ignored him, ducked down, slipped under the spear, and stood in front of Xie Zhi.

Xie Zhi looked at her and found her quite flexible as she completed the task in one go.

The distance between them was shortened so abruptly. Against the faint light of the setting sun, the girl's peach-pink, slightly rosy cheeks were rosy and plump. In the sunlight, Xie Zhi could almost see the tiny hairs on her pink skin, soft and vivid.

He raised his eyes and stopped the Shen Ce Guard beside him.

As soon as she met his deep eyes, Nie Xiangyi became inexplicably nervous. She kneaded the corner of her clothes, but her eyes sparkled with hope.

"I'm talking about the Lantern Festival! Do you still remember me?"

Xie Zhi suddenly pursed his lips. The girl before him leaned slightly toward him, looking up at her eagerly. He suddenly felt the rich fragrance of gardenias surrounding him, slowly reaching his nose.

He took a half step back without any expression, "Lantern Festival?"

Hearing his doubtful tone, Nie Xiangyi was afraid he had forgotten, so she hurriedly reminded him, "It was the Lantern Festival in the seventeenth year of Jinggan! I gave you a white jade mask, and you gave me a celestial palace lantern in return! Have you forgotten?"

Seventeen years had passed since Jinggan's death, and that was three years ago. She even remembered the time so clearly, and she must have replayed the scene of that day countless times in her mind.

Even Xie Zhi could get a glimpse of something from her words: the bright night of the Lantern Festival, the beauty that the young man and the girl cherished at first sight.

His voice suddenly turned cold, "You got the wrong person."

Although he had the same expression as before, Nie Xiangyi always felt that he seemed to have become much colder, with the corners of his mouth slightly pursed and even his eyes showing coldness.

"I won't make a mistake! It must be you!" Nie Xiangyi said anxiously and firmly.

"Really?" Xie Zhiqing raised the corner of his mouth, with a cold mocking tone in his voice.

Nie Xiangyi nodded repeatedly, looking steadily into Xie Zhi's eyes, "Although you were wearing a mask that night, I could recognize it was you at first glance!"

She believed it so firmly because she had seen him seventeen years before Jing Gan, or even earlier.

But at that time she had just arrived in Shanzhou and was timid by nature. She could only hide behind the screen and glance at him secretly.

At that time, he was still the ghost-faced young general at the border, always wearing that pitch-black mask. The mask looked fierce and ugly, but underneath the mask, there was a pair of beautiful eyes that she still remembered vividly.

She knew those eyes instantly.

Unfortunately, by the time she had the courage to talk to him, the ghost-faced young general was no longer at the border.

Later, in the seventeenth year of Jinggan, she returned to Beijing with her grandfather to report on her work, which happened to be the Lantern Festival.

She still remembers it clearly: that night was dotted with stars, with bright lights, and the city buildings casting shadows one after another in the moonlight.

She saw the fierce and ugly mask from a distance.

But she decided not to be that timid little girl anymore, so she ran towards him happily with her skirt lifted up.

But when she handed him the white jade mask in her hand, she was still too shy to look him in the eye. She just blushed and rubbed the corner of her clothes, "I think... this mask suits you better."

A face as beautiful as a jade is probably more worthy of such a pair of beautiful eyes.

That was the first time Xie Zhi met her.

But it was not the first time she met Xie Zhi.

The girl's regret for not being brave enough disappeared that night, and she received a response from a lantern.

She blinked and leaned forward again, "Your Highness, please think about it carefully."

The rich fragrance of gardenia once again filled the air. Her voice was soft and pleading, and her eyes were looking at me so eagerly, as if she was acting coquettishly.

The inescapable aroma made Xie Zhi frown for no reason. His voice was icy, "Do you know that trespassing into the Divine Strategy Department is a serious crime?"

"Ah?" Nie Xiangyi was stunned.

Seeing that his expression was still cold and he was talking about this without any reason, she couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. She just pursed her lips and said with her head down, "It seems that you really don't remember me..."

He was full of enthusiasm just now, but now he looked as dejected as an eggplant hit by frost, with even his eyes drooping pitifully.

Xie Zhi's emphasis on "You've got the wrong person" seemed to be stuck in his throat and he couldn't say it.

"Never mind."

She quickly raised her head again, as if she had figured something out, and her eyes regained their lively look. "It's fine if you don't remember me, but I remember you!"

She shrugged her small, radiant nose and tilted her head to look at Xie Zhi, "Anyway, you know me now! Your Highness, please remember me next time we meet!"

Xie Zhi looked at her expression which had become lively again and couldn't help but sneer in his heart. Did she really still remember the person she met during the Lantern Festival?

A fool who can even make mistakes.

Nie Xiangyi finally asked what she wanted to ask. Even though she didn't get the answer she wanted, it wasn't a wasted trip. So she clapped her hands and turned to walk towards the courtyard wall.

"Wait." Xie Zhi stopped her, with a puzzled look in his eyes, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going back." Nie Xiangyi was also confused. What else could he do?

As he said this, he wanted to jump onto the wall of the Shen Ce Division.

Xie Zhi couldn't help but feel a vein throb at his forehead at the sight of such a self-righteous expression. He subconsciously reached out to grab Nie Xiangyi, who was about to jump out, and said in a cold voice, "Go through the main entrance!"

What kind of place is his Shen Ce Si, where a girl is allowed to climb walls and fly over rooftops?

The girl's wrist in his palm was slender, but with a gentle grip, he could touch her smooth and delicate skin, as smooth as cream.

Xie Zhi realized that he had overstepped the bounds, frowned, and let go of his hand.

Nie Xiangyi didn't seem to notice, and just looked at him, "But didn't you say that trespassing into the Divine Strategy Department is a serious crime?"

Xie Zhi didn't understand what the relationship was between the two.

"If I climb out of here, no one will know that I have trespassed into the Shen Ce Division!" Nie Xiangyi raised his head, his eyes full of an attitude that said, "I'm very smart."

Very rigorous logic.

Xie Zhi finally understood where the phrase "stealing a bell while covering one's ears" came from.

He sullenly ordered the two Divine Strategy Guards, "Send Miss Nie out."

He looked at Nie Xiangyi again and said in a cold voice, "If you do it again, I will punish you severely."

Nie Xiangyi pursed her lips and said "Oh". She wanted to ask what to do if she wanted to find him next time, but before she could ask, she was urged to go out by the Shen Ce Guards.

She returned to the Qingfang Courtyard as if she knew the way, without disturbing even a leaf. Only her own cat Xuemo was squatting on the roof, meowing at her.

Xue Mo is a kitten she picked up on her way back to Beijing last year. It is snow-white all over, with only a tuft of black hair on the top of its head, like a dot of ink, so she named it Xue Mo.

As soon as it saw Nie Xiangyi coming back, it stood up and stretched, then rubbed its claws on the beam twice, and then followed Nie Xiangyi closely, sticking to his heels.

Nie Xiangyi held it in his arms and rubbed its head randomly as if he was upset. Until Xue Mo's head was rubbed until it was messy and it meowed in dissatisfaction, Nie Xiangyi smiled softly.

But her expression was still gloomy, as if she was talking to Xue Mo, but also as if she was talking to herself, "How could he not remember me!"

The exquisite heavenly lantern was still hanging in her room as new as ever, but the person who gave her the lantern no longer remembered her.

Nie Xiangyi was a little angry.

How could the Third Prince, the Commander-in-Chief of the Divine Strategy Department, a man of great learning and elegance, have such a bad memory!

She also said that she recognized the wrong person!

She poked Xue Mo's cheek with her fingertip in dissatisfaction, "How could I admit my mistake! That ugly, black mask, even if the king of heaven came, I would never admit my mistake!"

Xue Mo just tilted his head, blinked his cat eyes and meowed at her.

She felt that she should appear in front of Xie Zhi more often, otherwise what if he forgot about her again one day?

Unfortunately, from that day on, even in the outskirts of the Shen Ce Division, there was a soldier every five steps and a sentry every ten steps.

I don’t know who I’m guarding against, Nie Xiangyi thought angrily.

Up to this point, there was no change in the days. Aunt Wu still came at the hour of Chen and left at the hour of You every day, scolding her for being spoiled and willful, and scolding her for wasting her time on pleasure.

Nie Xiangyi still turned a deaf ear to her and would climb over the wall to go out and play every day after she left.

Until this day, when she just returned home, she felt that the courtyard was different from before and was very quiet.

"Xue Mo?" She wondered why Xue Mo didn't come to greet her today. So she sucked twice more, "Mimi?"

Still quiet.

She asked the servants in the courtyard where Xue Mo was, but they replied timidly, "Aunt Fangrui, who works for the Madam, came later. Since then... Xue Mo has disappeared."

Nie Xiangyi's expression suddenly changed, and he ran out like a gust of wind.

When she found Jiang Yun'e in the backyard's Zhuxi Spring Garden, she was enjoying the sunset and admiring the flowers. Zhuxi Spring Garden was planted with a large area of ​​gorgeous spring flowers, which bloomed in the sunset, competing with each other in beauty, a truly beautiful sight.

The stone path in the spring garden twisted and turned. She bumped into Jiang Yun'e head-on with a cold face. Without saying much, she only asked, "Where's Xue Mo?"

"What?" Jiang Yun'e was stunned.

"Don't play dumb!" Nie Xiangyi's eyes were filled with impatience. "I'm asking you, where's my cat?"

Jiang Yun'e seemed to understand her purpose at this moment, as if suddenly enlightened, "You are talking about that cat..."

She paused slightly, then continued with a gentle and calm voice, "Aunt Wu said that you've been focusing all your attention on that cat. She's tried so hard to teach you, but it hasn't paid off. I'm afraid you've lost your ambition because of playing with it."

Fang Rui also chimed in, "That beast has a terrible temper. Not only did she almost scratch someone, she even nearly pounced on the girl's parrot. You know, that parrot was bought from a foreign barbarian, it's very precious..."

Nie Xiangyi was furious when he heard this. He took a step forward and slapped Fangrui hard on the face.

She didn't look at Fang Rui, but stared straight at Jiang Yun'e, "Who do you say has a bad temper?"

She was too lazy to listen to Jiang Yun'e's words and just asked with a sullen face, "Where is it?"

Jiang Yun'e didn't expect that she would actually attack her people directly. This palm was like a slap in the face, and her face, which usually had a decent smile, couldn't help but look a little gloomy.

She smiled faintly, "Such a bad-tempered cat has disturbed your peaceful teaching. If you let it stay in the mansion, it might hurt others, but if it hurts Aunt Wu, it will ruin your reputation."

Nie Xiangyi's heart tightened when he heard this. He immediately grabbed her wrist and approached her with an oppressive look. "What are you going to do with it?"

Jiang Yun'e saw that she was so angry that she didn't care about anything and didn't even care about the rules of respect and filial piety. She dared to go forward and try to get involved. She was afraid that she would be slapped in the face.

Her tone couldn't help but stagnate, but she still smiled, "I just asked the servants to throw him out of the house."

"Just wait for me!"

Finding Xue Mo was the most important thing right now, so Nie Xiangyi didn't bother to get too entangled with Jiang Yun'e. He sent his servants to look for her separately, and then turned around and left the house.

Jiang Yun'e watched her leave with a sullen look, rubbing her wrist, which had been pinched red by her. "Fangrui, go get them to fish out that beast's body from Jinlin Pond and throw it out."

Fang Rui's face was red and swollen, and the red fingerprints on her cheeks were clearly visible. She looked a little hesitant, "Madam, if the eldest girl knew..."

"What are you afraid of? After all, I listen to Aunt Wu and do everything for her good."

Jiang Yun'e sneered, "Even if she knew, I'd just let her make a fuss. If I can't control her over such a small matter, how can I manage the household affairs of the Marquis' Mansion?"

As the sky gradually darkened, the sun gradually turned dim, blurring the outlines of the streets.

Nie Xiangyi searched carefully along the streets and alleys, calling Xue Mo's name softly.

The sun had already set, and a spring night rain began to fall. Hanxu and the servants gradually found her, bringing one piece of bad news after another about Xuemo's whereabouts.

She still searched stubbornly.

She knew that the longer the time dragged on, the slimmer the hope of finding Xue Mo would be.

But she didn't want to give up her kitten just like that.

Street after street, alley after alley, the harder it was to find Xue Mo, the angrier and more resentful she became.

She resented Jiang Yun'e for daring to treat her like this, and was also angry about why she left the house, allowing Jiang Yun'e to take advantage of the opportunity.

Self-blame and anger kept pulling her back and forth, making her almost cry.

The spring raindrops fall, mixed with tears on the cheeks.

In the hazy night, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure not far away, seemingly walking towards her.

He was always so calm and composed, with a servant behind him holding an umbrella for him. The rain was drizzling like silk, and he was dressed in a simple and elegant blue robe, spotless.

The Shen Ce Division had been very busy these days. When Xie Zhifang came out of the Division and before he even got on the carriage, he saw Nie Xiangyi's shadow in the distance in the dark sky.

She bent over and walked along the wall of the street, as if she was looking for something carefully.

The rain fell on her dark hair, dripping down her cheeks bit by bit, leaving her hair sticking wetly to her pale cheeks.

She seemed unaware.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally raised her head and met Xie Zhi's gaze. The corners of her eyes were a fragile red, and her cheeks were stained with a shimmering liquid, not sure if it was tears or rain. She looked like a distressed kitten caught in the rain, so pitiful.

But after she caught sight of Xie Zhi, she quickly wiped away the tears from her face, as if she was afraid that others would see her in such a pitiful state.

He just stiffly saluted Xie Zhi, "Your Highness."

The voice also has a nasal hum.

Xie Zhi just nodded at her in return and was about to pass by her.

He has always been cold-hearted and doesn't meddle in other people's affairs.

But the annoying fragrance of gardenia came back to haunt him.

He stopped for no reason, turned sideways and asked her, "What's wrong?"

The sudden concern made Nie Xiangyi unable to hold back any longer. She curled her lips into a downward arc, feeling extremely wronged. She blinked her eyes, trying her best to hold back the tears in her red eyes, and said with a sobbing voice:

"They lost my kitten."

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