Chapter 46 Dust and Light (Part 5) What makes Song Zhirou different?

Zhi Rou looked at Wei Yuanzhan with a wary gaze and snorted softly, "You want to make me suffer to death? Not so easy."

Her voice, like ink wash painting, pushed time back three or four years.

Back then, Song Zhirou and he often competed on Xiaocang Mountain, sometimes seeing who could run down the mountain faster, sometimes seeing who could catch a rabbit. They did this every day.

One day, just as he was about to reach the top of the mountain, Song Zhirou cried out behind him. He turned around and saw a small figure huddled on the ground, its shoulders trembling.

He was startled and rushed over to check on her: "You...you're crying?"

He was about to say, "Let's not compete anymore, I'll carry you down the mountain," when she forcefully pulled his palm to the ground. She quickly got up and ruthlessly won against him.

Later, when catching wild rabbits, Song Zhirou used the same trick again. Wei Yuanzhan didn't even turn his head. Only after catching the rabbit did he stroll over to her, holding it by its ears, and said with a hint of contempt, "Crying again?"

Song Zhirou didn't utter a sound, but gritted her teeth and carefully glanced at her right elbow. She did it convincingly, as if there was something really going on.

Wei Yuanzhan refused to be deceived by her any longer. He was seized by a playful impulse, released the rabbit, grabbed her elbow, and said, "Let me see if it's broken."

Unexpectedly, this time it was for real. He pulled, and Song Zhirou screamed in pain.

Recalling it, Wei Yuanzhan felt a little guilty. He glanced at her and retorted casually, "It's easy for you to drive yourself to your death."

Zhi Rou raised an eyebrow in disagreement: "Who hasn't made a mistake?"

It was her first time doing this kind of petty theft, and she was incredibly nervous, but thankfully she didn't come away empty-handed. She lowered her eyes to the satin boots, deep in thought.

Wei Yuanzhan said, "You won't always be this lucky."

Yuan Zhaobi was a voracious reader, but he did not have the pedantic manner of Gong Yan. Everyone who met him said he was a gentle and kind man. Even if he caught Song Zhirou tonight, he probably wouldn't report her to the authorities because of her young age.

"You mean I won't run into you every time?" Zhi Rou turned to look at Wei Yuanzhan.

Why was he here, and how did the people outside the attic leave? Doubts arose in her mind, and after a moment's thought, Zhi Rou's eyes brightened slightly.

"Your gift is so insincere. Four shops, and five more along the riverbank, all closely connected. You didn't even think of choosing a different place to pick out a gift. It's really disheartening."

The hustle and bustle of the street had long since subsided. Since boarding the carriage, the world had been quiet, with only the two of them speaking.

Hearing his tone, Zhi Rou felt a little lost for some reason. Her chest tightened for a moment, and she quickly looked away, clearing her throat. "Thank you."

She no longer cared about the details; in the end, Wei Yuanzhan was able to find her because she wasn't skilled enough and had given herself away.

"Based solely on words?"

What do you want?

Wei Yuanzhan thought about it seriously for a while and said, "You must come when I need you. It's an equal exchange. I don't do business at a loss."

Zhi Rou readily agreed: "Alright, it's a deal."

The carriage had just passed the Yining Marquis's residence and was still some time away from Qiyun Garden.

Wei Yuanzhan glanced to the side and saw that she hadn't moved for a while, seemingly no longer in pain, but her brows were still slightly furrowed.

He deliberately struck up a conversation with her: "Who dressed you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhi Rou lowered her eyelids. As soon as her gaze fell on her dress, she pursed her lips, feeling that her current appearance was quite inappropriate.

Before she could speak, Wei Yuanzhan smiled and praised, "Beautiful." It was clear he was teasing her.

Her tied-up hair and the clothes tied up like a football were less pleasing to the eye than men's clothing.

Zhi Rou suddenly remembered Xing Hui and her second brother, and paused, pointing: "What time is it now?"

Wei Yuanzhan calculated when he came out: "It was probably around 7:45 PM."

"It's over," Zhi Rou thought to herself.

Xinghui, seeing that she hadn't returned to the manor for a long time, would surely go to find her second brother as she had instructed. But if her second brother came, wouldn't that needlessly disturb Lord Yuan and arouse his suspicion? After all, she had already left safely, and there was no need for her second brother to help her out.

Zhi Rou glanced at Wei Yuanzhan: "Can you help me one more time?"

"do what?"

"Could you ask Changhuai to deliver a message to my second brother?"

Wei Yuanzhan stared at her for a long time, then suddenly laughed, his eyelashes lowering slightly, a laugh born of anger.

Then he looked up and said, "You want me to drive you?"

A hint of malice flashed in his eyes. "Then you don't need to go to Qiyun Garden. Come back to the Marquis's residence with me."

Zhi Rou was taken aback.

Wei Yuanzhan secretly regretted that he had said the wrong thing, which had made him seem frivolous, so he turned his face away and stared at the door.

Zhi Rou was still trying to discern whether his tone was angry or not. She glanced at him for a moment, then reached out and grabbed his sleeve, trying to turn his face back to her: "Wei Yuanzhan? Consider it a favor I owe you twice. Please."

Wei Yuanzhan was extremely unwilling to be her driver, but judging from her tone, she seemed genuinely anxious. After a moment's internal struggle, he gave in to her.

So he stopped the carriage and went out.

Zhi Rou was the only one left in the carriage.

Her knuckles tightened as she began to consider her options.

She couldn't stay out overnight, nor could she let her family discover her whereabouts. She remembered that her master had a Qinghen Powder, which was very effective and could last for an hour.

Thinking this, Zhi Rou reluctantly lifted the hem of her boot, took out the item she had hidden in the pavilion, and stuffed it into her bosom.

He leaned his head against the car wall, tilted it slightly back, and exhaled.

Ouch, that really hurts.

As the carriage arrived at Qiyun Garden, the night grew deeper. Xue Nan was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard. Since taking on two disciples, he had gradually developed the habit of practicing at night.

Upon hearing the sound, he abruptly stopped, and saw Wei Yuanzhan carrying Zhirou in his arms, with the old servant following closely behind, asking him if he wanted to find a doctor.

"What's wrong with Rou?" Xue Nan asked, her brows furrowed.

Wei Yuanzhan said, "She sprained her ankle, and she's in a lot of pain."

Xue Nan let them into the house, and after placing Zhi Rou on the bed, she examined her and found that she had injured her bone.

"What happened?"

Zhi Rou lowered her eyes, her voice softening slightly: "I jumped down from the wall, but I lost my footing... There seemed to be a rock next to me, but I didn't see it clearly..."

Wei Yuanzhan sat behind the round table and poured himself a cup of tea. It was obviously brewed during the day, and it was cold and astringent, causing him to frown as he sipped it. He glanced at the couch every now and then, without making a sound.

Zhi Rou asked, "Master, can you give me Qinghen Powder?"

Xue Nan looked at her for a while: "Qinghen Powder can only provide temporary relief. After I heal your injuries, you need to rest. Don't come to practice martial arts for the next two months, not even at home, until you are fully recovered, understand?"

“Master,” Zhi Rou called softly, with a hint of a smile, “It’s not that bad… I didn’t even need to rest for long after my sprain before, and I recovered very quickly.”

Xue Nan's gaze was indifferent, her tone utterly dismissive: "You don't even cherish your own body, what can I say?"

Hearing this, Zhi Rou quickly composed herself and said, "I understand, I will obey Master."

Xue Nan smiled, got up and went outside to get the medicine.

Wei Yuanzhan turned around, adjusting his robe, his gaze falling on Zhi Rou's face: "Did you go to Lord Yuan's residence to steal?"

It wasn't until the entire evening that he asked Zhi Rou about her purpose in coming to the Yuan residence.

Upon hearing this, she suddenly felt something uncomfortable poking her chest, but then she thought to herself, "I guess I managed to get something with me."

Zhi Rou fabricated a story: "The layout of Lord Yuan's house is unique. I have always admired building construction and wanted to observe it. Unfortunately, I don't have the status to befriend you, so I had to resort to this tactic."

“Lying,” Wei Yuanzhan judged, tapping his fingers on the edge of the table before stopping, his gaze darkening as he looked at Zhi Rou.

"I helped you, but you didn't tell me a single honest word. How can I really expect you to repay me for the favors I didn't even have an IOU for?"

The dim candlelight illuminated the room. Zhi Rou neither dodged nor flinched, looking at him directly: "What if what I did was not good? Do you still want to know?"

Their eyes met, and Wei Yuanzhan's gaze grew increasingly deep.

Just then, Xue Nan came in. He looked away, silently holding his teacup, wondering to himself if his curiosity about Song Zhirou was a little too much.

On the other side, Song Hanjin learned that the Princess of Jiayang would be of marriageable age next month, and her mother would take them to the Prince's Mansion to watch the ceremony.

When his worries became too much, he went to Longyue Pavilion to talk to Zhirou about the matter. It had been a while since he had spent the night with Zhirou, so he decided to take this opportunity to have a long talk with her.

"Where is your daughter? Is she asleep?"

Xinghui heard the Third Miss's voice from inside the room and was terrified. She hurriedly turned off the lamp, took off her outer clothes, arranged the pillows and quilts, and lowered the bed curtains.

After doing all this, she opened the door a crack and slipped out, just in time to see the Third Sister coming up the steps.

Xing replied, "Third Miss, our young lady is feeling a little dizzy, so she'll rest for now."

Song Hanjin glanced at her, then asked hesitantly, "Did you have someone check it?"

"The young lady said she would feel better after a nap; perhaps she was too tired from practicing archery this afternoon," Xing replied.

Song Hanjin had some doubts in her heart, but she didn't think much of it. She just instructed, "Take good care of your girls. If they feel unwell, take Mother's invitation to ask the imperial physician. Don't try to tough it out."

"Yes." Xinghui clenched her hand in her sleeve, forcing a composed demeanor. After Song Hanjin left, she felt all her strength drain away and trudged back to her bedroom with lingering fear.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a creaking sound came from the window, startling Xinghui.

A moment later, Zhi Rou appeared, walking with a slight limp. Xing Hui quickly went to help her: "Are you injured, Miss?"

"It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about." Zhi Rou smiled at her, her expression showing no sign of pain; she was still the same bright and clever Fourth Miss.

Xinghui helped her to the bed. Zhirou took off her hair and clothes. Now that they were not in front of others, she finally bent down to examine the injury properly. It didn't look serious. Why did she need to rest for two months?

Zhi Rou pursed her lips sullenly, and after a moment, said, "Sister Xing Hui, could you get me some hot water?"

Meanwhile, Wei Yuanzhan returned to the Marquis's residence and saw Song Zhirou's jade pendant lying on the table as soon as he entered the room.

He glanced back, walked to the window, and his peripheral vision was drawn to a bunch of wildflowers to the left of the calamus. It was her again.

I feel inexplicably irritable.

He seemed never to be so curious about the behavior of others.

What makes Song Zhirou different?

Wei Yuanzhan tightened his grip on the windowsill, his thoughts swirling, and he even thought of Wei Mingying.

He would get angry if someone teased his sister; he would definitely retaliate if someone bullied Song Zhirou.

He was very unhappy that a man like Jiang Yun appeared in his sister's life; he was also displeased that Song Zhirou was coming and going from the Ling residence.

Although he was angry that his sister had entered the palace without permission, he felt more uneasy because he cared about her deeply. He couldn't help but worry about Song Zhirou's safety while she was alone away from home, and he couldn't bear to leave her unattended.

There were too many things to compare, and as Wei Yuanzhan listed them one by one, his heart gradually calmed down as if he had been granted a pardon, and he smiled with one side of his lips twitching.

So he considered Song Zhirou as a younger sister?