twins
The moonlight cast dappled shadows.
The shadows of the trees swayed.
Zhou Yanzhi smiled, then lowered his head and carefully flipped through the book again, stopping abruptly when he reached a certain page. This page... had a tear in the cover, as if it had been ripped out.
After thinking for a moment, he looked up and asked, "This page...?"
"What's wrong?"
Hearing his questioning words, Jie Xiangsi leaned over and glanced at the page that was indeed missing a corner, her movements suddenly stiffening for a moment.
—She broke it.
The book was placed too high on the shelf. When she tiptoed to get it, she twisted her ankle and heard a "rip." When she looked down again, she found a piece of paper in her hand, and a corner of the book was missing.
But honestly, she never expected it to turn out this way.
Silently twisting her fingers, Jie Xiangsi lowered her voice, carrying a guilty feeling: "Oh, I accidentally tore it when I was getting the book, I'm so sorry..."
With a "snap," Zhou Yanzhi closed the book. He had thought it was some kind of secret code, but it turned out to be just such a small matter.
Seeing Xie Xiangsi's cautious appearance, Zhou Yanzhi couldn't help but smile. "It's alright, it won't stop me from watching."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xiangsi let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief: "That's good."
After all, it's quite embarrassing to have damaged someone's collection of books.
Before we knew it, the bright moon that hung high in the sky had disappeared into the thick clouds. The insects that had been climbing the trees and hiding in the grass gradually fell silent, and all was still.
"Bang—bang—"
The night wind gradually picked up, rhythmically pounding against the closed door, like some kind of lullaby, making people blink and feel sleepy in an instant.
Hearing the sounds, the two people inside the room exchanged a knowing glance and then spoke in unison.
"I'm leaving."
It's late at night.
After a moment of silence, the two smiled knowingly again.
Jie Xiangsi opened the window, and the night wind rushed in, ruffling the hair at their temples and bringing a slight itch.
In the darkness, Zhou Yanzhi's eyesight wasn't affected, but everything appeared strangely gentle to him. The red plum blossoms in the courtyard were, the swaying shadows of the trees were, and so was she. The evening breeze stirred the hem of her dress, which seemed to ease her longing, and the flickering candlelight under the eaves cast a soft glow on her, making her appear exceptionally tender.
As he watched, the usually aloof young man's ears turned red, and the sound of his heart pounding filled his ears, but he could only hear the voice of his own mind.
He really, really liked her.
He loved her so much that he could only see her at that moment, loved her so much that he wanted to be impolite, loved her so much that he could imagine growing old with her.
...
Feeling the cool breeze on her face, Jie Xiangsi took a deep breath and then turned around to Zhou Yanzhi behind her, raising an eyebrow and smiling, "It's late, so I won't see you off. I wish you a safe journey, cousin."
After saying that, she raised her hand and gestured for Zhou Yanzhi to enter, her eyes gleaming with a sly light.
Watching her actions after opening the window, Zhou Yanzhi chuckled and then said in a hoarse voice, "You really think I'm a lecher?"
They wouldn't let us through the door, only open the window.
"No."
Jie Xiangsi's expression was serious, her eyes fixed on him. She just wanted to see how he always climbed in through the window. Why was he always so quiet?
Seeing her exceptionally sincere appearance, Zhou Yanzhi paused for a moment, a plan flashing through his mind. Then, he looked up and said gently to the oblivious Xie Xiangsi, "Then I'll be going."
"Hmm." Jie Xiangsi stepped aside, making way for him, "Cousin, please..."
A gentle night breeze caressed the scene, and the night was picturesque.
The gentle breeze playfully tousled and tangled their hair...
Zhou Yanzhi understood the pain of unrequited love.
Sensing the sudden intrusion, Jie Xiangsi abruptly opened her eyes wide. Before she could even close them, her bright eyes reflected Zhou Yanzhi's magnified face.
Her eyes were open, and his were open too, their eyes reflecting each other's images. She looked surprised, while his eyes were filled with tenderness. She was caught off guard, while he had been planning this for a long time.
Their lips touched, and her last word was gently sealed between their lips.
The warm touch dissolves instantly.
Held in someone's arms, with a very light touch on his hair, Zhou Yanzhi released her, lowered his head and whispered, "I'm really leaving."
A flush of heat rose to his face, and Jie Xiangsi nodded haphazardly.
"Hmm, you... be careful when handling cases."
"good."
A clear moon shines, and a peaceful night's sleep ensues.
...
The next day, Jie Xiangsi was awakened by the sound of servants sweeping. The rustling sound woke her from her deep sleep.
A rustling sound arose, and the dark blue gauze curtain that had been drawn was gently lifted. Jie Xiangsi rubbed her temples and called out, "Sister Qingshu."
With a creak, a slow, steady pattering sound followed. Qing Shu entered carrying a basin of warm water. "Miss, you're awake. Would you like to wash up now?"
"Hmm." Xie Xiangsi nodded listlessly, her eyes slightly narrowed as if she hadn't slept well, and her voice was still a little hoarse. "What time is it now?"
As Qing Shu lifted the gauze curtains on both sides, she replied, "It's just past a quarter past Mao Shi (5-7 AM)." Looking at the drowsy Jie Xiangsi, she paused and hesitated, "It's still early. If you're sleepy, why don't you sleep a little longer?"
After all... her eyelids were already closed, and at this moment, she was "looking" at him with her eyes closed and her face covered with dark circles, which was strangely comical.
Upon hearing this, Xie Xiangsi abruptly raised her head, which had been lowered unconsciously. She shook her head haphazardly, forced her eyelids open a crack, and mumbled, "No, no, I'm just a little sleepy. I'll be fine in a bit."
While struggling with Zhou Gong, who was discussing life ideals with her, she secretly cursed Zhou Yanzhi in her heart.
—It's all his fault for that kiss. It was late at night, and I was inexplicably moved and couldn't calm down. I lay in bed with my eyes open for a long time and couldn't fall asleep at all!
Every time I close my eyes, I see the scene of the two of them kissing and looking at each other. The more I think about it, the more blushing I get and the more excited I become. I can't sleep at all!
Male beauty can be a trap!
She pinched her thigh hard, shook her head and flung Zhou Yanzhi's face away, regaining some clarity. She turned to Qing Shu, who looked worried, and said, "Help me get dressed."
"yes."
Seeing the inexplicable blush on Jie Xiangsi's face, Qing Shu felt a little strange. She glanced at the morning mist outside the window and couldn't help but gently tug at her collar.
Is it hot this spring?
While thinking, she helped Jie Xiangsi with her washing and dressing. When the girl sat down in front of the dressing mirror, Qing Shu thought and thought and finally couldn't help but say, "Miss, you should go to bed earlier in the future. You can read the book the next day. Don't hurt your health."
Knowing what she had been doing last night, Jie Xiangsi said, "...Yes, I understand. Don't worry, Sister Qingshu."
...
After paying her respects to Aunt Xie and chatting with her for a while, as the morning mist began to dissipate, Xie Xiangsi plunged into the library and took out a copy of "Records of Customs of the Northern Barbarians" from the bookshelf, where she began to read it by herself.
It wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision; she had wanted to investigate the customs of the Northern Barbarians ever since she learned that He Yun might be one of them.
If he could quickly become the Fourth Prince's confidant, his identity as a Northern Barbarian would not be enough. Besides, judging from his appearance, he was definitely not a pure-blooded Northern Barbarian.
With so many Northern Barbarians in the world, why is it that he, a mixed-race Northern Barbarian, can win the favor of the Fourth Prince?
Unless... his true identity is enough for the Fourth Prince to reach an agreement with him.
Thinking of this, Jie Xiangsi paused in her book-turning motion, and her eyes gradually darkened.
—For example, he was a member of the royal family of the Northern Yi tribe.
After a moment of silence, she quickly flipped through the book "Records of Customs of the Northern Barbarians" in her hand. When she turned to a certain page, she suddenly stopped, and her breathing gradually became heavy.
The place the fingertip pointed to clearly read: "The Northern Barbarians, when twins are born, abandon the weak to worship the gods and support the strong to protect their people."
A sudden "boom" went through my mind.
Jie Xiangsi's fingertips began to tremble unconsciously as she stared intently at the sentence, reading it over and over again.
He Yun... could he really be a member of the royal family of the Northern Barbarians?
However, his face clearly resembled that of a person from the Central Plains. The Northern Yi tribes were martial, and apart from commoners, the royal family often chose Northern Yi people as spouses to preserve their rugged and mighty characteristics. Therefore, they almost never intermarried with people from the Central Plains.
So how could He Yun be a member of the Northern Barbarian royal family? But if he wasn't, why did Zhou Yu'an accept his surrender?
And then there was the turmoil at the Danzhou Prefectural Governor's Office that day...
Jie Xiangsi tapped the book a few times with her fingertips, then suddenly stopped.
If so, what if He Yun was a bridge connecting Zhou Yu'an with the leaders of the Northern Barbarians?
But if you think about it that way, He Yun's status shouldn't be low either. If Zhou Yu'an wanted to cooperate with the Northern Barbarian leader, he could simply send a trusted confidant to talk to the leader, and vice versa. What charm does He Yun, a mixed-race person, have to convince people of such high status on both sides?
This is so strange, so incredibly strange...
Unable to understand, Jie Xiangsi couldn't help but look outside at the chinaberry tree where small flower buds were gradually emerging.
The huge corolla is dotted with a few light-colored flowers. The small buds are crowded together and hang heavily on the branches. Although they have not yet bloomed, one can already glimpse the magnificent scene when they bloom.
Flowers bloom and fade, flowers come and go. The red plum blossoms in her Morning and Evening Pavilion are almost gone, while the chinaberry flowers in the Library Pavilion are just about to bloom.
It begins with plum blossoms and ends with chinaberry.
The chinaberry flower truly deserves to be called the flower that heralds the end of spring.
etc!
A sudden flash of inspiration struck her, and Jie Xiangsi withdrew her gaze from the chinaberry blossoms, turning instead to the "Records of Customs of the Northern Barbarians" on her desk.
As the saying goes, "The northern barbarians, when twins are born, abandon the weak to worship the gods and support the strong to protect their people."
Twins...
A glint suddenly flashed in Jie Xiangsi's eyes.
If He Yun is indeed the abandoned twin from the Northern Barbarians, then the Northern Barbarians should also have a face like his.
Therefore, as long as you take He Yun's portrait to someone who has seen the Northern Barbarian leader, you will naturally know whether he is a member of the royal family or not.
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