Chapter 44 Han Zhi? !
Luxurious golden and red silk swooped down from the dome, like flowing clouds across the sky, complementing the golden bricks paving the floor. Beside vermilion pillars carved with dragons and painted with phoenixes, flickering candlelight from enormous glazed lamps released a warm glow, illuminating the entire space as bright as day.
Chi Changyuan's face turned pale. He raised his glass and drank one glass after another, completely unaware of being drunk.
"Your Highness, please stop drinking."
Jiang Mo looked at him with worry. Yesterday, His Highness came back from Yu Chengyu in a distraught state. He didn't say anything when asked, as if he had been upset by something.
Jiang Mo didn't know what he had learned from Yu Chengyu. Was Yu Chengyu Han Zhi? Or was it because he wasn't Han Zhi that His Highness was so distraught?
"What's wrong with him?" Fen Nishang walked over cautiously and looked at Chi Changyuan who was sitting there drunk. "Aunt Jinshen will be here soon. It's not good for him to be like this."
Jiang Mo: "I can't do anything about it. Your Highness won't listen to me, Han Zhi?!"
He seemed afraid that he had seen it wrong, so he opened his eyes wide and rubbed them carefully.
Not far away, Han Zhi, dressed in a plain white robe, used his true form. As his sleeves swept across the jade steps, even the frozen flowers seemed to shy away. His brows and eyes were as serene as distant snow-covered mountains, and a faint chill lingered around him, as if every step he took sent tiny ice crystals floating in the air, and even the wind carried the chill of approaching winter.
The Golden God stood beside him, his expression stern, his golden hair flying, and his black robe embroidered with intricate sun patterns in gold thread. As he walked, the light flickered, as if the sun was draped over his body.
"Master, what do you think of the white marble on the floor?" Han Zhi supported Jin Shen and said sincerely, "I was in a hurry and didn't have time to prepare a gift for you. This is the only way to express my gratitude. I hope you don't mind."
The Golden God laughed heartily: "Why would I dislike it? Your Golden Palace, paved with white marble, is everywhere, and each one has a warm color. This is a great achievement."
Han Zhi let out a long sigh: "As long as Master likes it."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and then Han Zhi followed Jin Shen to the other guests, the first one to be seen was Fen Jin.
"Good morning, Your Majesty." Han Zhi raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp, a smile playing on his lips: "Uncle Master, it's only been one night since we last met, why don't you seem to recognize me?"
Fenjin opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was blocked by a ball of hot cotton and he couldn't make a sound.
“Han Zhi…?”
"Master uncle, you are so forgetful." Han Zhi chuckled: "I am Chengyu, not Han Zhi."
"you……"
"Good morning, Your Majesty the Ice God."
Han Zhi no longer paid attention to him and greeted Leng Baibai next to him with a smile.
When the other party saw him, he looked as if a mortal had seen a ghost, with an expression of disbelief on his face.
He didn't rush to say anything to Han Zhi, but instead glanced at Chi Changyuan, who was drinking so much that his mouth was sore. His intuition told him that it must be something Chi Changyuan did yesterday.
"What did you call me just now?" Leng Baibai was stunned for a moment. Has this child ever called him like this before?
He remembered that the child once timidly handed him an ice sculpture he had carved, but he thought it was too rough and swept it to the ground. At that time, he still called him father.
He remembered that when the child had an argument with Xiangyu and was punished by him to kneel, whipped, and thrown into the ice cellar, all he talked about was his father.
He still remembered that when he was about to send him away, he knelt in the snow and cried, "Father, I was wrong, please don't send me away."
"Your Majesty the Ice God." Han Zhi repeated.
The words "Your Majesty" brought back memories. Leng Baibai stared at the child. The standing boy had vague outlines of his mother between his eyebrows, but he looked more like his mother.
It was precisely because of these similarities that he became more and more disgusted with him.
But now...
He closed his eyes and thought, what crime has the child committed?
In the time since Han Zhi's death, he had tried countless times to find the ice sculpture he had discarded centuries ago. It was the only thought he could think of that was related to Han Zhi. But the ice sculpture, like his thought, had long since melted away in the vastness of time.
It was not until now, with the living person standing in front of him, that he realized that those so-called "thoughts" were just excuses for him to escape guilt.
"...Are you doing well?" Leng Baibai's voice was as dry as ice cracked by the cold wind. He seemed to feel guilty, but Han Zhi didn't care about his guilt now.
He smiled and said, "Of course, Master treats me very well."
He holds a high position of power in the Nine Lands, his robe embroidered with cloud patterns, his body shrouded in starlight, and a mermaid pearl dangling from his neck. Second only to the emperor, above all others, what could possibly be wrong with him?
Han Zhi's smile was like an icicle, piercing his heart fiercely. He suddenly remembered that he had never smiled at him since Han Zhi turned a hundred years old.
What is the reason...
It seemed like... every time his smile reminded him of Fen Jin, so he turned his anger towards him, making Han Zhi increasingly afraid to smile at him.
Han Zhi didn't care what Leng Baibai was thinking. He had spoken frankly with Chi Changyuan yesterday, so he had no intention of hiding anything today. Besides, why should he hide it?
He thought about it for a long time. With his current status and position, no one could do anything to him. He no longer needed to be afraid of them.
As for Fen Jin and Leng Baibai, they were just his parents in the previous life. Now he has no father or mother and was raised by nature.
"sorry."
"Your Majesty, do not feel guilty."
The two spoke in unison. After hearing Leng Baibai's words, Han Zhi was obviously surprised for a moment. What is this? Is there a day when the always arrogant Ice God will apologize?
He whispered, "You don't have to do this."
He really didn't hate them.
Leng Baibai failed to hear his hidden meaning and was about to speak when Fenjin's white fingers suddenly rested on his shoulders. Her red eyes, like dormant flames, met Han Zhi's eyes.
"Today is my junior sister's birthday, so let's not talk about that. We should talk about family matters when we get home."
It seemed like he was putting himself and Leng Baibai in the position of a family for the first time. He was surprised to hear this and subconsciously obeyed his words.
Fenjin showed an apologetic look on his face and said to the Golden God, "On your birthday, I send you my heartfelt greetings."
"You're welcome, Senior Brother." Jin Shen waved his hand nonchalantly, his eyes falling on Han Zhi: "I once read a poem that goes, 'Pick the flowers when they are in bloom, don't wait until they are empty and the branches are empty.' Senior Brother, I think it makes a lot of sense. What do you think?"
Fen Jin's expression remained normal, but there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "You knew that too?"
"Ha." Jin Shen smiled and said carelessly, "I just came out of retreat and didn't have time to look for you... This is what Senior Brother wanted. There's nothing I can do about it."
She said, "I heard you asked him. Why doesn't the eldest brother want to tell you?"
Fen Jin turned his head away and sat down. "Today is your birthday. Why are you telling me so much? Let's eat."
Jin Shen smiled awkwardly, knowing that he had hit his sore spot, and stopped provoking him. He pulled Han Zhi to sit in the main seat.
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