Chapter 2272: Strike First

"Did something happen? Or did you meet someone?"

"No, nothing."

Although he said so, Xu Shifeng's eyes flickered even more. Seeing him like this, Xu Shizong did not ask any more questions. He just coughed twice and said, "If you don't want to tell my brother, that's fine."

“…”

Such a simple sentence, but it was like a huge stone pressing on Xu Shifeng's heart.

He immediately said, "Brother, that's not what I meant."

“…”

"Actually, it's nothing, it's just, it's just——"

"Um?"

Xu Shifeng also coughed lightly, and then said, "Just now when I went to get this set of books, I met that, that, Miss Xiaoyu."

"Miss Xiaoyu?"

Xu Shizong seemed to think for a moment before he said, "Oh, that's the one next to the Imperial Concubine, Miss Ran Xiaoyu?"

"That's her."

"She, isn't she serving in the palace? Why would she go to Yayi Zhai?"

"It's not Yayizhai, she is——"

At this point, Xu Shifeng himself was stunned for a moment, muttering: "Yes, I forgot to ask her why she left the palace. However, judging from her appearance, it seems that she came out to do something."

"oh……"

Xu Shizong nodded calmly, then said, "Anyway, you two just met."

"Why."

"What a coincidence! The capital is so big, and she happened to go to that place when she was out of the palace on business. And you, you happened to help me get the book at this time, so you met her."

“…”

It was obviously just an ordinary matter, but after Xu Shizong's comment, Xu Shifeng became more uneasy.

He said, “It was just a coincidence.”

Xu Shizong said: "It is fate that brings us together despite the distance."

“Brother…”

"Okay, I won't say much."

Xu Shizong's pale face held a faint smile as he said, "But since you met her, you met her. Why didn't you even put on your clothes properly? You took them off and brought them back yourself. What's going on?"

Only then did Xu Shifeng tell him what had happened before.

Naturally, he skipped over how he saved Ran Xiaoyu, but Xu Shizong listened, just nodded silently, and didn't say much.

After he finished speaking, he said, “It seems that this little palace maid is different from other women.”

Xu Shifeng said: "She is different from others."

“…”

"Ordinary girls are weak and powerless, unlike her."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"Um?"

"What I'm saying is, if an ordinary maid had the chance to get close to you, General Xu, she would probably be eager to throw herself into his arms. However, this little maid doesn't try to curry favor with you because of your status. Instead, she deliberately distances herself from you."

“…”

"That's rare."

Hearing him say this, Xu Shifeng seemed to have just remembered and nodded, saying, "She is indeed different from others."

“…”

"I've never seen a girl like her."

Xu Shizong glanced at his brother and saw that he looked a little dazed. He remained calm, covering his mouth and coughing softly. Then he sat down opposite him and said, "Since that's the case, you better hurry up."

"What?"

Xu Shifeng was stunned: "What do you mean by hurry up?"

Xu Shizong said calmly, "Such a good girl, I'm afraid you are not the only one who likes her."

“…”

"If someone else were to show her affection every day and take the initiative, wouldn't you regret it for the rest of your life?"

“…”

These words left Xu Shifeng stunned.

But he immediately said: "Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? I didn't mean that at all."

"oh?"

Xu Shizong glanced at him, and this glance made Xu Shifeng feel even more uncomfortable, and he turned his head away to avoid his gaze. Xu Shizong didn't say much, just said: "Okay, then you think about it yourself, I won't say much."

After saying that, he stood up and left the lobby.

As he walked out of the door, he still covered his mouth and coughed softly, and the light in his eyes flashed and disappeared in an instant.

Xu Shifeng was left sitting alone in the lobby, looking at the fox fur coat in his hand that was stained with a lot of snow foam and had now turned into water droplets. His mind couldn't help but drift back to the moment when he met the girl not long ago.

Although the weather is cold, a warmth wells up in my heart.

|

At this time, Ran Xiaoyu also returned to the palace.

As soon as she entered the bedroom, like Xu Shifeng, she was stimulated by the heat from the floor heating in the room and sneezed several times in succession. Aunt Tongyun was so scared that she hurriedly brought a towel and hot tea. While helping her wipe her hair that was wet by the snow foam, she kept nagging: "How is it? I told you to wear something thicker when you went out this morning, but you didn't listen. Now you caught a cold, didn't you?"

“…”

"If I get sick, what should I do?"

Ran Xiaoyu relied on her good health and didn't care. She drank the hot tea in the cup in two gulps and felt her body warm up. She said, "Aunt, don't make a fuss. I'm fine."

Nan Yan sat inside and said, "Ignore her."

“…”

"She won't realize how serious it is until she falls ill one day."

Ran Xiaoyu snorted at her.

Aunt Tongyun was angry and amused at the same time. She helped her change her clothes and kept her warm. Only then did Ran Xiaoyu come to the inner room. Nan Yan glanced at her and said, "Why don't you go down and rest? What are you doing here?"

Ran Xiaoyu pouted slightly and said, "If I didn't have something important to tell Her Majesty, I would have left long ago."

"Um?"

As soon as she heard the words "important matters", Nan Yan's expression suddenly became serious.

He also sat up from his reclining position on the couch and said to Ran Xiaoyu, "Why, did you see a 'snake' in that jade shop?"

Ran Xiaoyu said: "It's not in that shop. No one has been in the shop all day today."

"That--"

"It was after dark when I left the shop that I met someone."

"Someone from the Xu family?"

"good."

"Xu-Sejong?"

Seeing Nan Yan said this directly, Ran Xiaoyu shook her head slightly and said, "Xu Shifeng."

"What?!"

When Nan Yan heard Xu Shifeng's name, she showed an expression of disbelief.

Xu Shifeng?

No matter how they guessed or how boldly they pushed forward, they only thought of Xu Shizong.

But, how could it be Xu Shifeng?

She said, "You, you are not mistaken, are you?"

Ran Xiaoyu's face darkened, especially when she thought of herself standing on the street in a trance, and being rescued from the horse's hooves by Xu Shifeng, she whispered, "How could I be wrong?"

I felt that her complexion was different.

Nan Yan asked, "Did...what happened to you?"