Chapter 30 Ripples (Part 8) Flowing upstream through the gaps in the fingers, burning quickly...

Beneath the offering table, the light dimmed, and shadows loomed.

Wei Yuanzhan's hand was clasped with Zhi Rou's, and half of his attention was drawn to her palm. He wanted to comfort her and tell her to stop struggling, but now his breathing was unsteady, and his chest felt like it was locked up, pounding incessantly.

His mind was not at peace.

Footsteps came from afar, thump, thump.

Unable to do anything else, Wei Yuanzhan, in a moment of tension, pressed Zhi Rou's hand down hard, forcing her to look at him.

At this moment, Zhi Rou regarded Wei Yuanzhan as a comrade-in-arms. When their eyes met, she calmed down a bit and unconsciously pulled her grip on his hand back, but her body remained still.

Everything was silent, except for the heartbeats in each other's palms, which felt very real, almost like they were jumping into each other's ears.

A moment later, someone came in. Judging from the footsteps, there were two people.

Zhi Rou held her breath and concentrated, suppressing even her breathing.

Changhuai and Lanye stepped into the hall, only to find it empty. They seemed incredulous: "Master...where is Master?"

Their master is always decisive and responsible, he won't run away... right?

Lan Ye was getting anxious. She searched inside and out, feeling every corner of the wall, but couldn't find a single person.

"My lord, where are you... Don't scare me."

The sound drifted back and forth, clearly weak, yet it sounded like a demon king coming to capture a little devil.

The two ghosts under the confession table didn't dare to breathe, their hearts pounding in their throats, feeling as if they were about to die.

Zhi Rou thought about it and found it absurd. In the past half of her life, when had she ever encountered danger and not been able to turn bad luck into good? This time, she was actually going to die under a confession? And die together with Wei Yuanzhan?

No! Zhi Rou was so frightened that her soul almost left her body. She quickly told herself that she still had her mother, and she had to live well.

The pain in her hand made Wei Yuanzhan lower her head. She was gripping too tightly, and a tingling sensation spread throughout her body, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Wei Yuanzhan couldn't help but wonder, if his arm broke and made a noise, exposing the two of them to Lan Ye and Chang Huai's sight, how would he prove his innocence?

He knelt cleanly in the ancestral hall.

The two were filled with worries, but their goal was the same: to get Lan Ye and the others to leave as soon as possible.

Suddenly, there was a "thump" outside.

Chang Huai knelt down, his back straight, but he dared not raise his head, seemingly ashamed. He whispered to Lan Ye, "Go and go find him. I'll wait for you here, Master."

Lan Ye was slightly taken aback, then gritted his teeth in anger: "Why didn't you wait until I was dead before you knelt down?"

Lan Ye felt he had been clever for once and refused to go alone. He stepped forward and pulled him up, saying, "Get up!" He added with a bitter taste, "If we can't find our master, you'll be buried with me."

Chang Huai was like an empty shell. He was dragged to his feet and then dragged out, without any enthusiasm whatsoever.

The Marquis's punishment seemed light, but in reality, it felt like a thousand pounds had fallen on him, making him feel very uncomfortable.

After the person left, Zhi Rou took a breath and then realized that there seemed to be a ball of fire in her hand, flowing up her fingers and almost burning into her sleeve.

The feeling was indescribable. Zhi Rou didn't want to delve into it, so she immediately pulled it out, rubbed it on the hem of her clothes, and wiped it clean.

"Have they gone far?" she asked softly.

Between the silk fabrics, the shadows were slightly blurred, and the light filtering in was deep and dark, yet it still clearly illuminated each other's movements and expressions.

Wei Yuanzhan was clearly taken aback by her actions, and found it amusing. Who was she looking down on? His tone suddenly turned harsh as he glanced at her and said, "They're gone, but you're still here."

The implication is: you are the one who should leave.

Zhi Rou understood immediately. Of course, she had to hurry back; staying any longer would shorten her lifespan.

She lifted the cloth and crawled out from behind the offering table. It was too hot inside, and partly due to her anxiety, she was sweating. A few strands of hair clung to her jade-white neck. In the dim light, her alabaster skin looked like it was dotted with gold, with a subtle warmth.

Wei Yuanzhan followed closely behind, his gaze merely glancing up to see her, his brows furrowing slightly, without giving her another second glance.

He turned his head and straightened his crumpled sleeves.

Zhi Rou glanced outside the door and said to Wei Yuanzhan, "I'm going back to copy books. I'll repay the favor I owe you later."

He stopped after taking only two steps and turned back to look at Wei Yuanzhan.

He stood there in a brocade robe, looking like a pine or bamboo, with long arms and legs, and very precious.

But when she first entered the ancestral hall, this precious person broke her knee and stuck it to the hard, cold blue bricks.

Because of her.

Zhi Rou felt guilty and didn't want to see him punished, so her brows furrowed more tightly than usual. It took her a long time to relax a little: "He Tingzhou can't beat me. If this happens again in the future, don't stand up for me."

As soon as she finished speaking, the light in the hall flashed, and Zhi Rou, just like before, slipped into the night unnoticed.

They didn't even leave a goodbye.

Wei Yuanzhan paused for a long time, looked at the open door, and chuckled to himself.

"Ungrateful wretch." He scoffed, lowering his knees back to the ground and kneeling upright once more.

The firelight on the desk was like the mouth of a beast, yawning, and a halo of light grew continuously. When it reached its maximum, it suddenly shrank and went out. There was no sound, but Wei Yuanzhan found it extremely noisy.

His gaze was level, just enough to reach the confession table. Recalling the interior space, its dampness and stuffiness made his thoughts race.

He had been too focused on the moment to properly appreciate the feel of her hand, and now, looking back, he was quite surprised. Her hand was so soft, with slender fingers. She looked extremely thin, but it didn't feel harsh in his hand; it was soft and boneless, quite adorable.

As the recollection progressed to this point, Wei Yuanzhan immediately recalled her undisguised and disdainful actions, which made his head ache with anger.

He clenched his fist and placed it firmly on his thigh, adopting the composed demeanor of a noble young master.

Lan Ye and Chang Huai searched the area near the passageway for a long time, but couldn't find a trace of him. Where could a grown man like him possibly have gone?

Changhuai turned around, looked at the ancestral hall for a while, and said, "Let's go back."

"Go back where?"

“Look,” he said, pointing to the outermost black door, “isn’t that door even more open now?”

Lan Ye glanced at it and realized it was true! He didn't even bother with the lamp and rushed to the ancestral hall.

In the stillness of the night, the solemn candlelight flickered, illuminating the dark figures in the ancestral hall.

Lan Ye called out softly, but received no response. Thinking she was seeing things, she rushed over and looked him up and down, asking, "Master? Is it really you?"

Isn't there only one road leading to the ancestral hall? I haven't seen it on the passageway, so where did you come from?

Wei Yuanzhan didn't need to explain to him, and glanced at him: "I'm hungry, Father, may I eat something?"

Hearing his voice, Lan Ye felt a surge of joy that brought tears to her eyes. The master didn't run away; it was the twenty lashes that escaped!

Upon further consideration, the Marquis hadn't mentioned bringing a food box for the young master, and based on past experiences, it seemed he probably wouldn't allow him to eat it.

Lan Ye shook his head, feeling somewhat ashamed, but Wei Yuanzhan remained indifferent and stopped looking at him.

Chang Huai entered half a quarter of an hour later than Lan Ye. His steps were heavy as he silently walked to Wei Yuanzhan's side, bowed his head, and knelt down.

Although Chang Huai was quieter than Lan Ye, he wasn't the type to be melancholy. Seeing him remain silent, Wei Yuanzhan couldn't help but turn his head slightly and ask, "What are you doing?"

Lan Ye spoke up for him: "It was the Marquis who punished him." As for why he was punished, Lan Ye thought his master wouldn't ask, so he avoided the question.

Wei Yuanzhan did not ask any further questions; he would not refute his father's orders.

But ultimately, it was his impatience today that caused trouble for those who followed him. Wei Yuanzhan felt very guilty. A sliver of yellow light shone on his face. He turned his face back and suddenly said, "You've all suffered."

Chang Huai was startled, felt uncomfortable listening to this, and lowered his eyes further and further.

Lan Ye was standing there, but she couldn't see him clearly. She could only hear his voice, which was calm but sincere.

Their master was a man of great loyalty and compassion. Lan Ye suddenly felt that twenty lashes were nothing; if it was for his master, it was worth it.

As dawn broke, Zhi Rou woke up from her bed, wanting to go to Xixiang Garden to keep her mother company. Xing Hui stopped her, whispering, "You're still under house arrest, don't go out of the courtyard. I've heard that the released Wu Shanggong is quite frightening, Miss, I'm scared."

Zhi Rou just remembered this incident. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that her mother must also know that she was confined to her home. Going there now would indeed be inappropriate.

He got out of bed and asked Xinghui, "Did Second Brother's men come by yesterday?"

Xing Hui said, "The Second Young Master invited you to the Zhiyu Pavilion, but I declined on your behalf. From what he said, it seemed that the Second Young Master had something important to discuss with you, but you weren't there at the time..."

Zhi Rou closed her mouth, got up and dressed. As the fabric brushed against her fingertips, she couldn't help but think of the confession from yesterday.

She asked in confusion, "Sister Xinghui, do you think those who disturb the peace of our ancestors will be punished by heaven?"

"Don't you disbelieve in supernatural phenomena and strange tales, young lady?"

"Just asking."

Xinghui helped her wash up, and after breakfast, Zhirou practiced her martial arts in the courtyard without fail.

Although it appears to be a house arrest as punishment, nothing has been taken away from them.

Every day after school, the third daughter would come to Longyue Pavilion to help her copy books, and she would also transcribe the content taught by the family tutor and pass it on to her.

Song Qizhang was getting older and it wasn't appropriate for him to enter his sister's courtyard alone, so he had to put the matter of Lan Wen aside for the time being.

On the seventh day of confinement, fearing that Zhi Rou would feel bored, Song Qizhang sent someone to invite a shadow puppeteer to dress up as a newly bought maid and go to Longyue Pavilion, where he rewarded her several times.

The girl who made the shadow puppets chatted happily with Zhirou and personally taught her how to make a set of generals and princesses. The designs were beautiful and serene, but even more impressive was the care she put into them.

Thinking of all the gifts Jiang Luoya had given her over the years, Zhi Rou had just finished making them and asked someone to deliver them to the Jiang family and hand them over to Jiang Luoya.

Her sincerity traveled through many twists and turns, from the west of the city to the east, and then from Madam Jiang to Jiang Luoya's boudoir.

The warm silk curtains flowed in through the carved window, making the room cozy and inviting. The girl on the couch seemed oblivious, her gaze cool and indifferent as she glanced at the wooden box on the table.

On the day of the Spring Banquet, she saw Zhirou at the small training ground.

It's strange, no matter where Zhi Rou goes, there are always people paying attention. Even though the status of "the fourth daughter of the Song family" is not high, she seems to be very dazzling, making people unconsciously expect something.

Jiang Luoya was close to Zhi Rou precisely because she appreciated this aspect of her, so when Zhi Rou unexpectedly appeared at the Spring Banquet, she was not annoyed, but rather pleasantly surprised that Zhi Rou had still come.

It's understandable if someone changes their mind at the last minute.

But that day in the stands, she waved to Zhirou, but Zhirou did not respond.

She didn't want to argue with Zhirou about such a backward matter, but she felt uncomfortable. Without even looking at what was in the wooden box, she called in a servant and coldly ordered, "Take it away."

Since their parting at the ancestral hall, Zhi Rou has not seen Wei Yuanzhan for half a month.

The day she was released from confinement, she got up very early, paid her respects to her elders, and then went to the family school with Song Hanjin.

That spot is empty.

Wei Yuanzhan did not come.

He's always punctual, but today... could he be ill?

Zhi Rou suppressed her doubts and forced herself to concentrate, her ears perked up. One moment she felt the Master's voice was right next to her ear, and the next moment it seemed distant, as if veiled by mist, indistinct.

When Zhi Rou went out in the afternoon, she ran into the He family members on Liuli Street.

She was sitting in the carriage, and we didn't meet.

Hearing them speak of Wei Yuanzhan with such smugness, she learned that He Tingzhou's father had impeached the Marquis of Yining, accusing him of failing to properly educate his son.

Therefore, this morning, Her Majesty the Empress issued an imperial decree summoning Wei Yuanzhan to the palace for an immediate audience.

Author's Note: I'm taking a day off tomorrow. I have some new ideas for the later plot and want to spend some time adjusting the subsequent chapters. I'll be back on Thursday to give out red envelopes to everyone. Thank you for following!

See you on Thursday!