Chapter 135 Between the Clouds (Twenty-Five) Wei Yuanzhan, please help me. ...

Wei Yuanzhan's tone was threatening, but his eyes were unusually gentle.

Zhi Rou couldn't help but nod in his palm, smiled mischievously, and then pulled his hand away: "I plan to go to the Ling residence tomorrow, but before that, I need to meet with Young Master Ling Wu. Wei Yuanzhan, please help me."

As dusk fell, the sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, and stars twinkled in the heavens, their light spilling onto the ground. The night market, with its rows of lanterns, was bustling with activity, and people's clothes seemed to sway like fish as they swam among the crowds.

Ling Zifu ran breathlessly, glancing back every few steps.

The waiter's voice was getting closer; he was catching up!

He is getting married tomorrow, but he has not returned home this morning. The servants sent by his family seem to be watching him closely. As soon as he turns a corner, his footsteps follow him like a shadow.

Without a moment's rest, they ran somewhat disheveled to the edge of the ditch.

At this hour, there were very few boats left available for rent, and the nearest one was still several feet away. Seeing that the people behind him were about to catch up, he couldn't worry about anything else and quickened his pace towards the small boat, running as fast as he could.

Upon closer inspection, a hand emerged from the awning boat, slender and bony, before revealing a beautiful face. The hanging eaves lamp illuminated the face, making it appear even more profound.

Although Ling Wu and Zhi Rou had never met in person, they had seen each other from afar. At present, she was wearing a plain white robe and her hair was tied up with a blue scarf. Although her attire was simple, it was clean and neat, and Ling Zifu recognized her immediately.

Upon further reflection, I realized that since parting ways with Chang Jinchen, I had always kept a low profile and had never aroused suspicion from my grandfather's people with this outfit. How could I be so unlucky today?

He looked directly at Zhi Rou, and couldn't help but chuckle. He straightened his sleeves and asked breathlessly, "May I board the boat, young lady?"

A section of oar was presented to him, which he grasped and applied steady force to the other end. With a step on the pedal, he climbed onto the boat and held onto the awning for support.

Footsteps mingled on the shore; the Ling family had caught up. Zhi Rou gently lifted the oar, and the boat swayed slightly, slowly moving forward.

Once inside the awning, Ling Zifu sat down, his robes tucked in, and stared at Zhi Rou calmly and silently.

The flickering lamplight cast shadows inside the boat. She crouched down to enter, her face possessing sharp, cold lines, and her eyes sparkling. When their eyes met, she raised an eyebrow slightly, slowly lowering her gaze to face him, silently returning his look.

This person bears no resemblance to Ling Ziheng whatsoever.

He was fair-skinned, with straight, handsome eyebrows and a strange smile in his eyes. He boarded her boat and sat there calmly, a small hat covering his forehead and wearing a ramie robe, looking like a nobleman dressed in plain clothes—it was odd no matter how you looked at him.

Zhi Rou cut to the chase, saying, "Since you've received my help, I have a small matter I'd like you to handle as a way of repaying this favor. What do you say?"

"Since you have said so, how could I not comply?"

Zhi Rou took out a letter from her sleeve, and Ling Zifu reached out to take it. He glanced at the farewell message and subtly raised his eyes: "Sending a letter?"

He held it in his hand for a moment, then said, "Miss, you could have just given it to the gatekeeper of the Ling residence. Why did you entrust it to me?"

"Why aren't Fifth Young Master's hands as good as others'?" She spoke with a smile, her eyebrows slightly curved, her brown eyes like those of a cunning wolf.

Ling Zifu looked at her, and after a moment, returned the letter: "Aren't you afraid that you've mistaken me for someone else? Perhaps I'm not the Fifth Young Master you're talking about."

Zhi Rou was initially worried that the person in the Su Du room at noon wasn't him, but when they met just now, he addressed her as "Miss" as soon as he opened his mouth, and his scrutinizing gaze seemed to know her identity clearly, which put her mind at ease.

Seeing that he seemed to be making things difficult for her, she smiled gently: "Just now on the shore, how did you determine that the person in front of you was a 'girl'?"

Ling Zifu was taken aback. He looked at her, her plain clothes covering her tall and strong body, her appearance not showing her age. If he didn't hear her voice, she really looked like a handsome young man.

His gaze swept over her, and he said, "Narrow shoulders, a slender waist, and especially your wrists... how can you say you're not a woman?"

She enunciated each word clearly, and as if in return, she looked him up and down twice.

"It looks ordinary, but it can move around without making a sound. Such craftsmanship is no ordinary product. If you are not Young Master Ling, then all my efforts to lure you here would be a great waste."

After a moment of surprise, he laughed heartily and asked, "How should I address you, young lady?"

“My surname is Song, and I am the fourth among my sisters.”

"Fourth Miss Song." He hesitated for a moment, his fingers tracing the words on the envelope. "I can deliver this letter to your grandfather for you. Why don't you tell me how Little Jiu is doing in the capital?"

The word "Little Jiu'er" made Zhi Rou pause slightly. After realizing what was happening, she lowered her eyelashes and said, "To be honest, I have only been back in the capital for a short time and have no close relationship with the Ninth Prince. I dare not speak ill of him."

Ling Zifu clearly didn't believe her, but since she answered that way, he didn't press the matter. He put the letter in his sleeve and said with a smile, "Then now, Miss Song owes me, Ling Wu, a favor."

"Of course." Zhi Rou poured him a bowl of tea that had been brewed, and then changed the subject, "I heard that there is a happy occasion at your residence tomorrow. I wonder if I could be invited to join you for a meal and share in the joy?"

Remembering Chang Jinchen's request, Ling Zifu put down his hand that was about to serve tea, and smiled faintly: "It's not that I'm unwilling, but my family has strict customs and the seating arrangements for the guests have already been decided by the elders. It's difficult to change them without permission. Please forgive me, young lady."

Zhi Rou understood: "No, it was my presumption." She picked up the teacup and said, "I will offer you this cup of tea instead of wine as a congratulatory gesture."

That night, Ling Zifu returned home, changed his clothes, and a letter fell out of nowhere. His maidservant picked it up and went over, saying, "Young master, shall we keep this?"

Ling Zifu glanced up and said, "Leave it there." After a moment, he added, "You all get out."

"yes."

The door was closed, and several bright circles of light shone in the room. The envelope lay on the corner of the table, seemingly inconspicuous, but Ling Zifu felt it was somewhat of an inconvenience.

He slowly leaned back in his chair, rested his head on the headrest, closed his eyes and rested for a long time. Finally, he called his attendant in and instructed him: "Send this letter to your grandfather first thing tomorrow morning."

The attendant glanced at the signature on the envelope, then looked up in surprise: "The Ninth Prince is coming back?"

Ling Zifu was unaware of this and sat back down on the rose chair, looking somewhat lazy: "Whether he comes back or not, what does it have to do with me? You just do what you're supposed to do."

The attendant moved his lips twice and then retreated.

The moon hung high overhead, casting slivers of cold light through the window. Wei Yuanzhan, having removed his undergarments, sat on the couch. A knife scar, embedded in his firm muscles, ran diagonally down his shoulder bone, like a torn piece of silk that had not yet healed, from which a few lines of crimson blood seeped.

As Lan Ye changed the dressing, he muttered, "If Madam saw this wound, she would faint."

A fine layer of sweat seeped from his youthful skin. Wei Yuanzhan gritted his teeth for a moment, and when he stopped, he glanced at him and said, "When we get back to the capital, don't talk nonsense." He pulled up the collar of his robe that was hanging on his arm, put it on, and stood up.

“No,” he followed Wei Yuanzhan around, shoving the porcelain jar in his hand into Changhuai’s hands, “Master, why did Fourth Miss come to Qinyang? You insisted on getting the imperial decree to leave the capital, and then you made yourself into this state…”

"You have complaints about sharing the burdens of the sage?"

"How dare I?!" Lan Ye went to the table and poured Wei Yuanzhan a cup of water. "I'm just concerned about you... Changhuai, say a few words."

Wei Yuanzhan knew exactly what his intentions were, so he comforted him, "Alright, I'm still alive, aren't I? With the two of you by my side, what could possibly happen to me?"

Lan Ye pouted: "What if that little man is gone? You'll be walking into a sea of ​​corpses every day..."

"Nonsense." Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yuanzhan had already frowned, as if he was very careful to avoid unlucky words after the Battle of Suyuan.

Lan Ye spoke without thinking, and realized he had misspoke as soon as the words left his mouth. He tried to cover it up, but then Wei Yuanzhan said, "Don't follow me tomorrow, and the same goes for Changhuai."

The early summer morning breeze wasn't too hot. After getting up, Zhi Rou sparred with Chu Lan and the other guards. She wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve and sat down to wait for Pei Cheng to brew tea.

Since entering the city, Chu Lan and the others have been forcibly relieved of their missions and have been idling around every day. They have inevitably gathered many interesting stories in the city and told them to Zhi Rou one by one.

Just as we were talking, the hot water in the backyard was heated, and Zhirou was asked to go and take a bath.

"You guys chat. I need to go out around 3 PM. Don't wait for me for dinner."

Chu Lan stood up and asked, "So you're not going to eat lunch either?"

"I'm not eating anymore."

Seeing her walk away, Chu Lan sat down next to his companion and said, "Fourth Miss is being so mysterious... Are we really going to stay in Qinyang and become useless, instead of following the young master? That's not what the master instructed."

"Why don't you go and try?" Pei Cheng pushed aside the hanging flower vines above his head and stood up. "Our young lady is shrewd. If she notices someone behind her, she'll definitely change her mind. If you follow her, wouldn't that just get in her way?"

"If anything happens to the young master, how will we report back to the master?"

Pei Cheng felt a little uneasy after hearing this. He thought to himself that Qinyang City was not like Yuanzhou. The people there were wealthy and the wealthy families lived in high-ranking positions. There shouldn't be any trouble there.

"Where are you going?" Chu Lan reminded him, "Fourth Miss is still behind us, don't bump into her."

"Change your clothes," Pei Cheng said, then abruptly changed direction and walked in the other direction.

The most popular restaurant on Yanmen Street was called "Songfeng Pavilion". At this time, there were few people, and most of those sitting outside were elderly men who were retired.

Compared to them, Wei Yuanzhan appeared too handsome and dashing. The people around him, sipping tea and chatting, would occasionally glance at him.

Zhi Rou stepped inside with her hands behind her back, her shadow blocking his face: "Wei Yuanzhan."

She smiled, her jet-black hair damp with moisture. "How's your injury? Have you taken any medicine?"

His cold face instantly softened, and Wei Yuanzhan said, "It's getting better, it's just a little itchy."

Zhi Rou understood his feelings and advised him, "Be careful and don't overwork yourself." After sitting down, she glanced around and asked, "Where are Chang Huai and Lan Ye?"

This question seemed rather unusual, and Wei Yuanzhan frowned: "What's wrong?"

“Someone is following me.” She said casually, without a trace of surprise on her face.

Wei Yuanzhan understood her meaning, pondered for a moment, and said, "It can't be them."

That's strange, since she entered Qinyang, she hasn't been followed by anyone. Su Du already knows her purpose, so there's no need for him to keep an eye on her.

Zhi Rou pondered for a moment, then set aside the matter and told him about her progress with Ling Zifu last night: "I have already entrusted the letter to Young Master Ling, but I have not been able to obtain the invitation. If there is still no reply from the Ling family by the afternoon, I am afraid I will have to take the liberty of doing so."

Scaling walls and leaping across rooftops was one of her specialties. Wei Yuanzhan stared at her intently, a bright smile appearing in his eyes, before asking, "Do you know which family's bride is the Fifth Young Master Ling's new wife?"

"All I know is that her surname is Xiao, and she seems to be from Jiangdong."

“Not bad.” Wei Yuanzhan took out a red invitation card from his pocket and placed it on the table. “The Xiao family and my grandmother’s lineage are close relatives. It’s not presumptuous of you to come with me, is it?”

Zhi Rou was slightly taken aback.

They spent the first half of yesterday together. When he obtained Xiao Niangzi's red invitation, wasn't that during the time she and Ling Zifu were on the river?

Her thoughts shifted slightly, and she thought of the banquet at the Ling residence. If the two of them were to attend together, they would probably be regarded as a married couple... Zhi Rou's ears turned red little by little.

Wei Yuanzhan gave her another frivolous smile, admiring the expression on her face: "If you'd like, you can also pretend to be Changhuai. As long as you don't speak, you might be able to fool her."

A blatant teasing glint in her eyes. Zhi Rou's eyes flickered, but she pretended nothing was wrong. She raised her lips and said, "Do I still have to serve you?"

Wei Yuanzhan said, "I can serve you too."

"Who cares?" Zhi Rou turned her face away, took a sip of tea, and then subtly curled the corners of her mouth.

After lunch, Zhi Rou remembered the tail following her and said to Wei Yuanzhan, "Find a place to wait for me, I'll go and shake them off."

"Don't you need my help?" He grabbed her wrist, then gently let go in an instant.

Wei Yuanzhan had served as a scout in the army, and he was extremely skilled in concealing his whereabouts and escaping.

Zhi Rou blinked and said to him cheerfully, "Just you wait and see."

This was a rejection. He smiled helplessly: "An arched bridge."

"Okay." Zhi Rou patted her sleeves and stepped out gracefully.

As the weather gradually warmed up, the golden sun adorned everything with a halo of light. The shop signs, vying for attention, swayed in the wind, their patterns of light resembling ocean waves, dazzling the eye.

Zhi Rou walked to the wall, but before she could get close, she stopped abruptly, stood silently against the wall, and held her breath.

A group of men in disguise emerged from the gate of the house. They were all tall and spoke a language completely different from Mandarin. Zhi Rou's heart pounded even harder. She hid behind the wall, recalling the fleeting glimpse she had just caught, still unable to believe it.

She clenched her hands tightly and cautiously peeked out from behind the wall. The young man surrounded by people wore a helmet, obscuring most of his face. From this distance, she could only see his sharp chin and a barely noticeable braid peeking out from under his clothes.

Zhi Rou found the silhouette quite familiar, and disregarding the shadow behind her, she turned and walked back.