Chapter 64: Country Girl, Just a Plaything

It was the first time that Huo Zheng saw such a strong look of vigilance in Chunzhi's eyes. He stood where he was and did not move forward.

Chunzhi stepped back again, closed the gate and locked it.

Outside the door, a group of Nanzhou officials were still kneeling on the ground. Faced with such a scene, they looked at each other, and no one knew whether they should get up at this time.

Huo Yu walked to Huo Zheng's side and said with a smile: "You are locked out, Qilang. You have a bad temper because of this beauty you are hiding."

Huo Zheng wished he could slap Huo Yu away with one palm.

Huo Yu also asked him, "Do you want me to have someone break the door down?"

Huo Zheng said in a deep voice: "No need."

Huo Yu smiled and said, "Then you can comfort the beauty. I will go back first."

"Nothing to coax."

Huo Zheng raised his hand and signaled the officials to stand up.

A group of Nanzhou officials said repeatedly: "Thank you, King Chang'an."

Huo Zheng jumped on his horse and said to the officials, "All of you, follow me."

All the officials responded in unison: "Yes."

Huo Yu also boarded the carriage. Before entering, he asked Huo Zheng, "So you're not going to coax this beauty anymore?"

Huo Zheng remained silent.

Huo Yu continued, "You're not going to take the beauty back to Nanzhou City? What are you going to do with her?"

Huo Zheng said expressionlessly, "She's just a country girl, a plaything."

After saying this, he rode away on his horse, and a group of officials followed him in carriages or on horses.

Huo Yu said "Interesting", got into the carriage, and told the driver to return to Nanzhou City.

At this moment, Chunzhi, who was standing behind the door, clearly heard Huo Qi's words, "A country girl is just a plaything."

It turned out that in Huo Qi's eyes, she was just a plaything.

Chunzhi leaned against the door, tears falling silently.

One after another.

Chunzhi covered her mouth to prevent herself from crying out loud.

On this day, she learned that Huo Qi was the extremely noble King of Chang'an.

She also knew that Huo Qi didn't like her at all.

More than two months of being together and relying on each other several times have all become a dream bubble that shattered at the slightest touch.

She originally thought that even if she and Huo Qi could not be husband and wife, they could still part ways amicably.

Perhaps it was because she had lived such a peaceful and stable life during this period that she forgot her previous pain and gradually fell in love with Huo Qi.

Fortunately, this heart was not completely entrusted to Huo Qi.

Chunzhi didn't cry for long. She raised her sleeve to wipe away the tears on her face and said to herself, "It's okay."

"Fortunately, I don't like Huo Qi very much either."

"I just... want a child."

Now Huo Qi has regained his identity as King of Chang'an and left here.

Maybe I will never come again.

Chunzhi raised her hand and placed it gently on her belly. It didn’t matter, as long as she had this child, it was enough for her.

After Huo Qi left, Chunzhi was still busy soaking beans, preparing to make tofu the next day.

She took apart the robe that was almost finished. After a while, she felt a little tired and put away her scissors, needle and thread.

The red silk curtains in the room and the wedding characters on the doors and windows seemed very annoying at this moment. Chunzhi tore off all the wedding characters and replaced the red silk curtains with the original green gauze curtains.

Even the bedding was changed.

She didn't want to use the things she had used with Huo Qi again.

This busyness lasted until the evening.

Chunzhi fried two dishes for herself, steamed some rice, and ate slowly while sitting at the eight-immortals table.

She didn't have much of an appetite, but she had to eat well for the sake of the baby in her belly.

Huo Zheng is gone, but Laicai is still here.

Chunzhi forced herself to eat a bowl of rice, then stood in front of the donkey shed and talked a lot with Laicai.

She wondered if the donkey could understand her.

She was just too lonely.

When something happens, there is no one to talk to.

I can only talk to Laicai.

Fortunately, this donkey has a good temper and doesn't find her annoying.

The sky was getting darker and darker, the night was dark and windy, and dark clouds covered the moon.

When Chunzhi was about to return to her room, there was a knock on the door outside the yard.

If it were usual, it must be Huo Qi who came back.

She would run to open the door with a smile and ask him if he was hungry.

But today, he saw with his own eyes those high-ranking officials kneeling before Huo Qi and calling him the King of Chang'an.

He said of her so contemptuously, "A country girl, a mere plaything."

From that moment on, Chunzhi wanted to break up with him completely.

No matter who came at this moment, she didn't want to open the door, so she simply turned back to the house, closed the door, turned off the oil lamp, lay on the bed, closed her eyes but couldn't fall asleep.

She had once fought to the death with Huo Qi on this bed.

At this time last night, they were even kissing passionately.

Chunzhi tried hard not to think about what happened before.

I want to completely put Huo Qi out of my mind.

But as soon as she closed her eyes, all she could see was Huo Qi.

The knocking on the gate continued for a long time before it stopped.

Chunzhi still couldn't sleep.

Someone climbed over the wall and came in through the window, and in two or three steps he arrived in front of the couch.

The oil lamp had gone out long ago, and the room was pitch black, and nothing could be seen clearly.

Chunzhi picked up the scissors and stabbed the person who was approaching the bed.

The man grabbed her wrist and whispered, "It's me."

It was Huo Qi's voice.

Chunzhi didn't let go of the scissors, still keeping the tip of the scissors pointed at Huo Qi, "Prince Chang'an...what are you still doing here?"

When Huo Zheng heard Chunzhi calling him King Chang'an, he felt indescribable.

He took the scissors from Chunzhi's hand, put them down on the table, took the tinder on the table, and lit the oil lamp.

The fire lit up and illuminated everything around.

The wedding characters on the doors and windows, and the red gauze curtains on the bed were all gone.

It returned to its original appearance, simple and quiet.

Huo Zheng has lived in this house for more than two months and has become familiar with everything here.

But today, it has become a stranger.

Chunzhi sat on the bed with her hair disheveled and her eyes red.

She cried.

Huo Zheng felt a dull pain in his heart.

"I am indeed the Prince of Chang'an." Huo Zheng looked at Chunzhi and said to her, "It was not my intention to hide this from you. My last name is Huo, my given name is Zheng, and I am the seventh child. When I said I was Huo Qi, I wasn't lying to you."

Chunzhi said, "Even if you lied to me, what can I do? You are the high and mighty Prince of Chang'an, and I am just a country girl."

She couldn't even utter the words "just a plaything" and said in a hoarse voice, "Our marriage was originally a fake one. I kept you here to recuperate while you helped me hide it from the authorities. We each got what we wanted. Now that you've regained your status, go and be the Prince of Chang'an. I'll still be selling tofu in Taohua Lane."

Chunzhi looked at Huo Zheng who was a few steps away, trying hard not to cry. She called out, "Huo Qi," and said in a very serious tone, "Our relationship ends here. Don't come to see me again."

"Haruji."

Huo Zheng didn't expect Chunzhi to say such decisive words as "Our fate ends here."

He said to Chunzhi: "Even if I were the Prince of Chang'an, I would not abandon you. I will take you away, whether it is Nanzhou or the capital, I will..."

"That's not necessary. Our statuses are vastly different, like heaven and earth. We're not compatible. We're destined to be apart, so let's not get into any more unnecessary entanglements." Chunzhi said coldly, "Go away. I don't want to see you again."