Desire

After the meeting, Qin Lan was delayed by the entanglement of the three intelligence departments. Jiang Nian took advantage of Ai's inattention and stood up and walked out of the door of the conference room. He stood outside the corridor and looked around, and saw Xiao Yingzhu's figure behind the rockery in the pond.

She hesitated for a moment, suppressed the resistance in her heart and walked across the pavilion on the stone bridge to the viewing area at the back.

The trees are green and the sky is endless.

From here, you can't see the scenery behind the rockery and green shade at all.

The pool was deep, and Jiang Nian sat opposite Xiao Yingzhu, with a school of carefree fish behind him.

His extremely long black hair hung down on the stone slab, shining brightly in the sunlight. Jiang Nian's eyes fell on him for a moment, then he looked away, blocking out the glaring light.

She took a deep breath, maintaining a gentle smile, and asked, "What do you want from me today? I'll do whatever I can."

Whether it's an alliance or exploitation, let's put an end to this farce.

Let her no longer be trapped in this and live a peaceful and comfortable life.

——She is already a little tired.

—

meeting room

"So, who is responsible for Miss Jiang's clothing when she enters Zuihualou? We need to design clothes similar to those worn by the maids in Zuihualou."

"The original maids' clothing at Zuihualou is not suitable for concealing items, and it is not suitable for large movements. If you encounter danger, it will be difficult to escape in this attire."

The soldiers of the Wu Department scribbled on the table and finally gave the designed plan to Qin Lan for review.

"How about this? This is already the tenth edition, Pavilion Master."

"Let me see..."

Qin Lan took the scroll and put it back after a moment: "Actually, I think the first edition is also pretty good."

"? You don't need to feel that way."

The Wubu's subordinate put down the scroll, a faint sense of death appearing on his face: "This is the only version, Pavilion Master."

"No, how about the first edition?"

""

The soldiers of the Wu Department were silent for a moment, and finally, unable to resist the expectant gaze of their leader, they struggled and pointed to the side.

"Pavilion Master, Miss Jiang is missing."

"?"

After recovering from the excitement of changing the plan, Qin Lan looked behind him.

The place where Jiang Nian originally sat was indeed empty.

And Xiao Yingzhu is nowhere to be found.

It seemed like she really had sneaked away without telling him.

——You are obviously having a conflict, but in fact, even if you have a conflict, you will still get together if you have something to discuss?

It seemed like there was no place for him in this house anymore.

Qin Lan, feeling inexplicably isolated, shook his head and sat back in his seat with a sigh.

"Forget it, leave them alone. I think I'm just worrying for nothing. Even if the sky falls and the earth breaks, they will still get along well together. Alas, men can't be kept at home when they grow up."

Seeing that diverting Qin Lan's attention failed, the soldier from the Wu Department stood up and tried to slip away. An honest man should not be bullied like that. However, the next second when he was about to step out of the conference room, Qin Lan grabbed his foot by the hem of his clothes.

"What are you doing? Continue altering this dress."

Wu Bu's followers burst into tears and stretched out their hands towards the sky outside. "Boss, I'm not a tailor—"

—

The crow's feathers fell to the ground, and its shiny black fur gleamed in the sunlight.

Jiang Nian lowered his head and looked at the fan in his hand, then tried to open it.

Perhaps he had pressed a hidden mechanism in the fan, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes. Jiang Nian subconsciously retracted his fingertips and turned his wrist, only to realize that the fan in his hand was a pair, as if it was a pair when he first met Xiao Yingzhu.

Is this even a pair?

Jiang Nian suddenly felt the fan in her hand was a little heavy. She gently placed the fan on the stone table and looked up at Xiao Yingzhu:

"This fan is the same as the pendant, right?"

The black pendant still adorns her earlobe. When she tilts her head slightly, the tassel falls down.

Xiao Yingzhu responded casually and calmly shifted her gaze away from her pendant.

"The place you are going to is dangerous. What Qin Lan gave you is not enough to escape."

"But this fan..." He propped up his head and picked up the fan that Jiang Nian had just been looking at in his hand.

A red and black fan flashed in Jiang Nian's eyes, and a sharp blade immediately emerged from the skeleton.

In order to let her see more clearly, Xiao Yingzhu slowed down his movements so that she could see how to use the fan correctly without hurting herself.

The bony fingertips became more and more conspicuous on the red and black fan. As he looked at it, it was easy for his attention to shift to Xiao Yingzhu's hands. Realizing that he was distracted, Jiang Nian shifted his gaze slightly.

"Have you watched it yet?"

Xiao Yingzhu's observation was so sharp that the moment she looked away, she lowered her fan and tapped the tip of the fan on the stone table.

Realizing the faint smile in the other person's tone, Jiang Nian tilted her head to cover her hot earlobes to prevent him from seeing her.

"I think I know..." After reviewing the key points of using the fan and confirming that everything was correct, she turned around and looked directly at Xiao Yingzhu, "Why?"

Why give her so many things?

In fact, he didn't have to give it to him. After all, Qin Lan had a lot of these decorative items that were actually offensive tools.

If you just treat her as a pawn, keep her in the dark to prevent her from escaping, and ask her to cooperate in completing these things, there is no need to give her such a precious item.

Whether it is the pendant or the fan in his hand now.

They must be his family's things.

If she presses it all the way, she won't get it.

Even if she died in Zuihualou, the insect repellent formula currently given to him would be enough for him to deal with Donglan and Emperor Changde.

Why should we protect her life?

Is it just because she is the most special chess piece?

If this matter is not explained clearly, how can she know what Xiao Yingzhu is thinking?

“…”

Xiao Yingzhu concealed her smile, put away the elusive and casual distance, and simply used a calm tone to narrow the seemingly "unequal" gap between them.

"You have the right to be 'free', Jiang Nian, you are very special."

"But it doesn't refer to the chess game, it's just about the chess pieces being special."

“…”

Jiang Nian didn't know what her expression was at the moment. She was trying her best to make herself look impeccable and not reveal the emotions that were about to be hidden.

She could have shown her gentle face to others, but she couldn't.

This kind of thing, which involves deeper emotions, can only be dealt with by her true self.

"so what?"

Jiang Nian sighed lightly and lowered his eyes to look at the red and black fan.

She could never understand what Xiao Yingzhu was thinking. This person always gave her a vague feeling. Even after clearing away countless thick fogs, she still couldn't see clearly.

"So, it's my fault for hiding some things from the beginning. I apologize."

Xiao Yingzhu did not look away, but looked at her seriously, as if he could not remember her appearance and would never have the chance to recall it in the future.

"But there are still some things that I cannot predict. So, can you forgive me for hiding this from you even under these circumstances?"

"......" Jiang Nian opened his mouth and looked at him in surprise.

She didn't expect Xiao Yingzhu to apologize.

Something like an apology...it was like it would never happen to him.

But now it appears.

"The current situation is unclear. I still cannot accurately determine where Meng Jian is, and what Your Majesty is thinking at this moment."

"Your abilities are extremely desirable to them, more valuable than precious stones and gold. Even the most priceless objects are beyond their reach, and nothing can replace them. They are the most important factor in winning or losing this game."

"Even His Majesty is eager for your talent. If he knew of your existence, I don't know what would happen."

"When it comes to matters involving you, I often find it difficult to rationally speculate or infer things that are beyond my estimation, and I am not an omniscient person."

Xiao Yingzhu smiled faintly, his self-mockery was obvious. Even though he had reached his current high position, there were still things that were difficult to control.

"So my first reaction was to isolate you from everyone else, put you somewhere that no one else could reach, and treat you as a collection that belonged only to me."

"——Only in this way can I feel safe and at ease."

Xiao Yingzhu never likes to show weakness, as that is the behavior of a loser.

And in his life, failure is not allowed.

Once you fail, there is no recovery.

Therefore, it is difficult for him to express his inner thoughts sincerely and honestly.

This is no different from handing your neck, the most vulnerable part, to someone else.

A few strands of black hair fell down because the owner tilted his head, hiding the somewhat tired expression on Xiao Yingzhu's face.

It's a very uncomfortable feeling to be seen by others.

Jiang Nian pursed his lips and wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words at this moment.

It's not that she can't understand this kind of feeling. Although their past experiences are different, they can become allies at first sight, so there must be similarities.

Suddenly, she wanted to touch Xiao Yingzhu's head.

This was very abrupt and not in line with what she should do given her status, but at this moment, she wanted to do it, so she did it.

But the moment he stretched out his hand, it was loosely grasped by the other person's hand.

The touch of warm and cool skin caused a tremor to appear. Jiang Nianxin shrank back suddenly. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, he held it tightly.

They were already sitting very close to each other, and when Xiao Yingzhu moved closer, Jiang Nian could even see each of his eyelashes clearly.

"...Will you still leave?" Xiao Yingzhu held her hand and pulled it close to him. His drooping eyelashes and lonely expression made him look like a helpless and fragile person, desperately wanting help from others.

She is more beautiful than flowers. Jiang Nian never thought that this idiom could describe Xiao Yingzhu's beautiful facial features.

After not hearing her answer for a long time, Xiao Yingzhu tilted her head, and a hint of flattering and obedient expression appeared on her face.

Jiang Nian's wrist felt a little painful from being held, and just as she was about to turn it, she caught a glimpse of his pitiful expression.

"......Won't."

"I won't betray my alliance easily. Besides, this is what I want to accomplish."

Unable to bear Xiao Yingzhu's pitiful look, Jiang Nian silently shifted his gaze towards the green shade in the distance, trying to calm his violently beating heart.

"Yeah?"

Xiao Yingzhu's question still seemed fragile, but for some reason, it seemed mixed with a bit of coldness. Jiang Nian was stunned and looked at Xiao Yingzhu's expression. He still had a touching and sad look.

——Did I hear it wrong?

The sound of fabric rubbing against each other rang out as the other person put her hand down. Xiao Yingzhu still held her hand, but the lonely look on his face had disappeared. His eyes were still fixed on her, longing for an answer.

"So, wait a little longer and I'll tell you, okay?"

"......Um."

At this point, there is no choice left.

The road was blocked by Xiao Yingzhu.

Jiang Nian was speechless for a moment and was considering what to say when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the pavilion, interrupting her thoughts.

Attention shifted outside, and the young man with his hair tied up leaned out of the pavilion and bowed to them apologetically.

"Excuse me, I hope the crows I sent here haven't disturbed you all."