Chapter 30 Brother Bamboo Wears a Bamboo Jade Pendant

This jade pendant is lifelike and made of excellent material. It feels warm to the touch and is clearly not an ordinary object.

"Wow."

The slender, white fingers involuntarily reached out and touched the bamboo, the raised bamboo stalks undulating at the fingertips.

The moment Sheng Sheng saw this jade pendant, she immediately thought of Pei Ji, who lived in the bamboo forest.

The bamboo-shaped jade pendant and the bamboo-shaped pendant are such a perfect match!

Sheng Sheng held the jade pendant in her hands and pondered silently for a moment.

Then, Sheng Sheng ran up to Xie Yun Chuan, showed him the jade pendant, and asked in a clear voice, "Brother, can I have this jade pendant?"

"Of course, all these things are yours." Xie Yunchuan patted the dust off her skirt. "These are gifts for you, so they are yours. You don't need to ask your brother."

Sheng Sheng smiled gently, revealing two small dimples.

After a while, he asked again,

"Brother, it's still a long, long time before lunch. Can Shengsheng go play for a while first?"

Xie Yunchuan paused for a moment, staring at the bamboo pattern on the jade pendant, and inexplicably felt that she must be going to the bamboo forest to find that hostage.

Feeling guilty and inexperienced at lying, Sheng Sheng panicked after being stared at for a while, and stammered, "Sheng Sheng isn't going to the bamboo forest! Sheng Sheng knows you can't go there, Sheng Sheng just wants to take a walk by the lake~"

After saying that, as if afraid that what he said was not convincing enough, he nodded to himself very seriously, affirming himself.

Yan Hu: "..."

Huang Ying: "..."

The shadow guard, Zhui Feng, was speechless.

Xie Yunchuan: "..."

What a self-deceiving act!

Apart from Zijuan, who knew nothing, everyone else had rather interesting expressions.

It would have been better if she hadn't said anything. Now that she said it, Huang Ying, who had genuinely thought she just wanted to go out for a trip, understood what she really wanted to do.

Xie Yunchuan suppressed a laugh, seeing through her intentions but saying nothing, and didn't stop her: "Have Huang Ying and Zi Juan come with you, and return within an hour, okay?"

"Okay, okay!"

Sheng Sheng would never refuse. From the moment she saw the jade pendant, she wanted to give it to Pei Ji.

Perhaps this jade pendant was just too perfect for him.

Sheng Sheng wasn't afraid of the orioles and cuckoos following her. When they were almost at the lake, Sheng Sheng and Yan Hu started their "old routine".

The two little ones chased each other, leaving the oriole and the cuckoo far behind. As they chased, they unknowingly ran into the edge of the bamboo forest.

Then I looked again, and there was no trace of it.

Zijuan was new to the area. She had only heard of the hostages from the Song Kingdom living in the bamboo forest at Jinxiu Palace before, and no one would go there.

Seeing Sheng Sheng run inside, Zijuan hurriedly said, "Sister Huangying, Her Highness the Princess has run into the bamboo forest! Isn't that where that hostage is? Let's go and bring Her Highness back!"

Huang Ying still slowed her pace, deliberately walking very slowly.

Hearing Zijuan's anxiety, she comforted her, "Don't worry, the princess is well-behaved and sensible. She just accidentally wandered into the bamboo forest while playing with Yanhu. She'll be fine. We can catch up slowly. The princess is having a great time right now, so let's not disturb her."

Zijuan nodded blankly: "Oh, is that so?"

"Of course, why would I lie to you?" Huang Ying smiled and nodded.

As soon as the little dumpling entered the bamboo forest, it nimbly slipped into the depths of the bamboo grove.

At the entrance of Jingyue Pavilion, they happened to run into Pei Ji, who was on his way to Wenhua Hall for his morning lesson.

"Brother Bamboo!"

Pei Ji saw a small pink ball of fluff running towards him in a flurry, followed by the big yellow dog.

After a moment's hesitation, Pei Ji put on a smile and asked, "Why has the princess come to Jingyue Pavilion?"

The little dumpling ran quite fast, and apart from a light sweat, it quickly disappeared as the cool autumn breeze blew it away.

He patted his chest, panting, "Thank goodness I made it in time."

The little dumpling's cheeks were flushed from running. Pei Ji stared at her, and he didn't even notice that when he saw the little dumpling, besides being surprised, he also felt a very slight joy for a moment.

Afu glanced at Pei Ji, then at Sheng Sheng, and wisely turned and went inside: "Oh dear, what a forgetful thing I am! How could I forget to take the young master's writing materials?"

An autumn leaf landed on Sheng Sheng's head. Just as Sheng Sheng was about to remove it, Pei Ji had already picked it off for her.

"Thank you, brother!" Sheng Sheng smiled sweetly, knowing that he still had to go to his morning class, so as not to waste any more time, she handed him the jade pendant in her arms, "Brother Bamboo, this is for you."

Pei Ji stared at the jade pendant, which was clearly very valuable, for a while, but did not take it.

Jingyue Pavilion is far from the hustle and bustle, located in a secluded corner of the palace.

The closest palace to Jingyue Pavilion is Yuqing Palace.

Normally, no one would come looking for him, and he was out of touch with the news. Pei Ji was unaware of what had happened in the palace yesterday.

Pei Ji scrutinized her carefully for a while: "Princess, what is this...?"

Sheng Sheng's eyes narrowed with laughter, her eyebrows curving into crescents, radiating pure and adorable charm: "Brother treated me to a meal yesterday, this is my way of returning the favor!"

requite?

Pei Ji scoffed inwardly. Mushroom stir-fry with meat and stir-fried vegetables, a simple meal, and he was returning the favor with a jade pendant?

Pei Ji also narrowed his eyes. Before he uttered those words, he could have easily concealed any further probing.

But at this moment, for the first time, Pei Ji couldn't suppress his doubt and confusion: "Why?"

Why?

First she came to this place where no one had ever set foot before to rescue him, then she came to him saying she wanted to be friends with him, and now she's bringing him things.

What could she possibly want from him, a hostage from an enemy state and a discarded pawn of the Song state?

Pei Ji's special status and the cold-heartedness he had witnessed made it impossible for him not to be suspicious and wary.

Pei Ji stared intently at the smiling little girl in front of him, trying to glean some information from her face that he had anticipated.

However, no, the little dumpling's tiny face, no bigger than a palm, could hold nothing but a sincere smile and bright eyes.

The little dumpling held the jade pendant up a bit, wanting him to see the patterns on it clearly: "Because Sheng Sheng wants to be friends with brother! Brother, look, this has bamboo on it. The first thing Sheng Sheng thought of when she saw it was brother, so she brought it over to give to brother!"

Pei Ji was stunned.

No matter how he looked at it, the little dumpling's eyes were always so innocent.

After a long silence, Pei Ji smiled and accepted the jade pendant: "Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome, it's just a return gift!"

The little dumpling was still thinking about yesterday's meal.

The two looked at each other in silence. Afu peeked out from behind the door and muttered, "Oh dear, if we don't go out soon, we'll be late! If we're late, the young master will definitely be mocked by those royal children! Why hasn't the young master finished speaking yet?"

Pei Ji hadn't said anything, as if he wasn't in a hurry at all. Suddenly, Sheng Sheng remembered that he had to go out, so she quickly stepped aside to make room for him.