fox spirit
Hearing this, Chi Yuming stared at her blankly, a look of pain in his eyes: "Niao Niao, is he really that good?"
“Cousin Ming,” Zhao Youyi sighed softly, “you know that the road ahead is difficult and destined to be filled with bloodshed, and the Prince of Chu is the one who can walk with me.”
"So it's still because he's a prince and I'm just a merchant's son, right?" Chi Yuming glared at her intently.
“No,” Zhao Youyi looked at him with firm eyes, “He is highly skilled in martial arts and medicine, and he is kind-hearted, loyal, and broad-minded. All his wonderful qualities are so attractive, I have no reason not to choose him.”
"Most importantly, he never forces me to make choices. He always stands behind me, offering help and a hug only when I need it." After saying this, Zhao Youyi turned and left without hesitation.
Chi Yuming grabbed her sleeve, tears streaming down his face: "He's just an abandoned pawn with an unknown background, a vixen! He only got the throne by luck. All these years he's painstakingly built his reputation, isn't it all so that one day he can become the emperor above all others? Are you willing to assist him? Are you willing to be his stepping stone? Do you like him that much?"
Zhao Youyi's expression changed slightly, and she shook off his hand: "How about we make a bet? If I say I want to emulate the Martial Emperor's ascension to the throne, do you think Chu Huaicong will support me?"
After saying this, she turned to Chi Yuming and smiled, her eyes full of determination.
Perhaps she didn't trust Chu Chanyin as much as Chi Yuming claimed, nor could she say she liked him, but she was confident that if she displayed the talents of an emperor, Chu Chanyin would definitely bow down to her as he had done during their conversation in the plum grove.
Just as she understood Chu Chanyin, Chu Chanyin understood her just as well. They were the same kind of people. They might not trust each other enough or love each other enough, but they would never betray each other.
Zhao Youyi arrived at Zhao Zhile's courtyard, where Chu Chanyin was squatting down playing with Zhao Zhile. His face was adorned with the gentlest smile, and his gaze towards Zhao Zhile carried a hint of nostalgia.
Not only was she deeply attached to her brother, but Chu Chanyin was also a close friend of her brother. The bond between the three of them had already begun in their childhood. Now that her brother has passed away, only the two of them are left to cherish the memories.
Zhao Zhile is the last thing my brother left in this world... a gift.
"Huai Cong," Zhao Youyi called out his courtesy name, which unconsciously shortened the distance between the two of them, as if they had become much closer with this "Huai Cong."
Chu Chanyin raised his head, a gentle breeze ruffling his hair. In the spring sunshine, his white robes appeared exceptionally ethereal, like a god descending to earth. His thin, red lips curved into a slight smile, captivating and mesmerizing.
"Nianwan, you've arrived." He said this very naturally, as if he knew nothing about the argument that had just taken place between Zhao Youyi and Chi Yuming outside the courtyard gate.
But he knew better than anyone what had just happened. Given Chi Yuming's personality, he had probably confessed his feelings to Zhao Youyi. Based on his understanding of Zhao Youyi, he would naturally reject her without hesitation.
Chu Chanyin picked up Zhao Zhile and let her play with his hair. Zhao Youyi couldn't help but laugh and pinch her little nose when he saw the little girl like this: "Naughty, why do you like playing with your uncle's hair so much?"
"I guess it's because of you." Chu Chan smiled and touched Zhao Youyi's hair, his tone extremely natural.
Zhao Youyi blushed at his words, but she couldn't say anything to him in front of the child, so she could only secretly reach out and pinch his waist.
Receiving Zhao Youyi's reproachful look, Chu Chanyin blinked innocently, feigning ignorance.
Zhao Youyi took the bundle from the servant, which contained Zhao Zhile's clothes and toys. Because Zhao Youyi had been sick for three days, the two decided to go to the last place today and then return to Fuzhou.
With Zhao Zhile in mind, Zhao Youyi borrowed a carriage from the Chi family and left Songtian County amidst the reluctance of Chi's uncle and aunt and the ambiguous gaze of Chi Yuming.
"Auntie, Uncle, Lele wants candy!" Zhao Zhile blinked her bright eyes, staring longingly at the bag of snacks in Zhao Youyi's hand.
Zhao Youyi took out a pine nut candy from inside and handed it to her, saying, "Lele, be good. You can't eat too much candy, or your teeth will hurt."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhile pouted unhappily and looked at Zhao Youyi with teary eyes: "Auntie... doesn't like Lele anymore!"
Seeing her like this, Zhao Youyi felt heartbroken and quickly hugged her, comforting her, "How could that be? Auntie loves Lele the most!"
"Liar!" Zhao Zhile's eyes welled up with tears. "Auntie clearly loves Uncle the most! Lele heard it all!"
Zhao Youyi: ...
She turned to look at Chu Chanyin, and seeing his evasive gaze, she knew that while she and Chi Yuming were arguing in front of the courtyard gate, this guy Chu Chanyin was nearby, holding Zhao Zhile and eavesdropping!
Zhao Youyi looked at the guilty-looking Prince Chu and cleared his throat a few times: "Aren't you going to explain?"
Chu Chanyin blinked innocently, "A-Wan, what are you talking about? Your cousin doesn't understand."
"Pretending! Just keep pretending!" Zhao Youyi thought to himself.
Zhao Zhile looked at the two of them, then clapped her hands happily: "Auntie and Uncle, are you going to kiss? Kiss!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Youyi and Chu Chanyin both looked at Zhao Zhile. Zhao Youyi frowned and asked her, "Lele, who told you the word 'kiss'?"
Zhao Zhile blinked: "No one told Lele, Lele saw her uncle and aunt kissing!"
Chu Chanyin raised an eyebrow with interest: "Oh? Brother Chi got married?"
Chu Chanyin found this matter increasingly interesting. Chi Yuming, that womanizer, was already married but still shamelessly ran to his wife to pledge his loyalty.
"No way?" Zhao Zhile's little brain couldn't handle so many things. Recalling her memories of Chi Yuming, "He wasn't wearing red! But they were kissing!"
"Indeed, I haven't heard my uncle and aunt mention anything about Cousin Ming getting married. It's probably just someone from Cousin Ming's household," Zhao Youyi said in a calm tone. From her tone, you couldn't tell at all that she had just been confessed to by this man.
Chu Chanyin covered his gloating smile with his folding fan: "That's true. Brother Chi is so much older than us, it's not surprising that there are other people in the room. Not everyone is as chaste as I am."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Youyi glanced at him and asked suspiciously, "Cousin, you're not young anymore, are you? Don't you have any beauties in your household?"
Seeing the obvious distrust in her tone, Chu Chanyin grabbed her hand and whispered seductively, "Yes, I am chaste and pure. Do you want to verify it, cousin?"
Zhao Youyi, who was being teased, smiled and raised an eyebrow with interest, reaching out to hook his chin: "Are you serious, cousin?"
Now it was Chu Chanyin's turn to blush. He cleared his throat a few times and explained, "Didn't Brother Chi say I was a fox spirit? I was just testing whether I looked like one. Do you think I do, cousin?"
Zhao Youyi pretended to be thinking, her gaze lingering on him until he felt uncomfortable before she looked away. "I think... my cousin is simply a male femme fatale. As for whether he's a vixen... I won't tell you."
Left out in the cold, Zhao Zhile voiced his discontent: "Uncle isn't a vixen! Uncle is handsome!"
Although Zhao Zhile was young, she knew that "fox spirit" was not a good word, especially since Chi Yuming's tone when he said "fox spirit" sounded like he wanted to kill Chu Chanyin on the spot.
Zhao Youyi abandoned her intention to tease Chu Chanyin and hugged the little girl in her arms. "So, does Lele really like her uncle? Tell Auntie why, okay?"
Zhao Zhile danced with excitement: "Because Daddy said Uncle is a good person! Lele has to like him, otherwise Auntie will be sad!"
Upon hearing her mention Zhao Youli, Zhao Youyi's eyes involuntarily welled up with tears. Holding back her sobs, she asked, "What else did Father say to you?"
“Listen to your aunt,” Zhao Zhile counted on her fingers, “Eat well and don’t think about him.”
Zhao Youyi carefully took her little niece, who was related to her by blood, into her arms, afraid of hurting her: "Anything else?"
"Don't cry, Auntie." Zhao Zhile sensed her sadness and subconsciously comforted her.
Chu Chanyin patted her shoulder reassuringly and slowly pulled her into his arms, saying, "Cousin, don't cry, or Lele will laugh at you."
Zhao Youyi quickly turned her head away to wipe her tears. Chu Chanyin hugged Zhao Zhile, giving Zhao Youyi space to compose herself.
The speed of a horse-drawn carriage was not as fast as that of riding a horse, so the group stopped at an inn to rest in the evening.
The driver was a servant from the Chi family. He was naturally very respectful to Zhao Youyi and Chu Chanyin. Zhao Youyi called him aside and asked, "Cousin Ming, have you gotten married?"
The servant's expression changed, clearly not expecting her to ask this. He stammered, "My lord... my lord only kindly saved that woman. That woman looks a bit like you, so my lord felt pity for her."
Zhao Youyi felt disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly upon hearing this. Chi Yuming was a few years older than her, and although they hadn't grown up together, he had always been a well-behaved person when they were young. Why would he do something so disrespectful as an adult? Using another woman as a substitute for her? It was an insult to her and to that woman as well.
The servants' voices weren't quiet, and Chu Chanyin, who was holding the little girl Zhao Zhile nearby, naturally heard them. Upon hearing this, he walked over with a shocked expression and looked at Zhao Youyi earnestly, saying, "I never expected Young Master Chi to do such a thing. It's truly disappointing! Cousin, it's fortunate that you weren't misled by him, and it's also fortunate that you didn't leave Lele with him, otherwise she would have been corrupted by him sooner or later."
Seeing the smile that Chu Chanyin couldn't suppress, Zhao Youyi felt much less disgusted. This Prince Chu, although not exactly a vixen, was certainly eloquent, and his words thoroughly insulted Chi Yuming.
“Cousin, although I don’t mind your gloating, please watch your tone, or you might get revenge from Cousin Ming,” Zhao Youyi said, arms crossed.
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