Chapter 107 Acting
Pei Ji's gaze fell on her slightly messy temples and slightly wrinkled sleeves, which were the traces left when she rescued someone just now.
"It's just a small favor." His voice remained calm, no emotion could be heard. "Miss Luo, are you alone?"
"The maid went to buy lanterns. We agreed to meet up in front." Luo Zhaohan replied softly, the brocade bag in her sleeve seeming to be a little hot. She hesitated, should she give him the amulet now?
"Yeah." Pei Ji responded, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp.
Luo Zhaohan followed his gaze in confusion, but saw only crowds of people and flashing lights, nothing unusual.
"Master Pei?"
Pei Ji retracted his gaze and looked at her, his tone aloof: "There are too many people here, and since Miss Luo is alone, it would be better for her to find a maid and return home as soon as possible."
He paused and added, "When Situ Changrong left just now, his eyes were unfriendly. I'm afraid something might happen."
Is this considered caring? Luo Zhaohan's heart moved slightly, but he felt that his tone was too formal, as if he was handling an official business.
"Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will be careful." She suppressed her thoughts and decided to stick to the original plan. "Sir Pei, I..."
"Pei Ji!" A clear and surprised voice suddenly interrupted Luo Zhaohan.
I saw a young man in a moon-white brocade robe, holding an exquisite revolving lantern, walking quickly from the crowd.
He had a handsome face, smiling eyes and a carefree and unrestrained demeanor. He was none other than Xiao Heng, the son of the Marquis of Zhenbei.
Xiao Heng took a few steps closer, his eyes first landing on Pei Ji, with a familiar smile: "What a coincidence! Just now, when we were guessing lantern riddles over there, he looked just like you from afar. It really is you, the cold-faced god!"
His gaze naturally turned to Luo Zhaohan, and his smile deepened, with undisguised admiration. "Miss Luo is here too? I saw the thrilling scene just now. Miss Luo's chivalrous heart is admirable."
As he spoke, his eyes fell gently on Luo Zhaohan's face.
Pei Ji looked at the smile Xiao Heng showed to Luo Zhaohan, his eyes darkened, and his thin lips were pursed into a cold and hard straight line.
Luo Zhaohan felt a little uncomfortable under Xiao Heng's gaze and nodded slightly: "Prince Xiao, you are too kind."
Xiao Heng seemed unaware of the sudden drop in pressure around Pei Ji. He was still in high spirits as he handed the revolving lantern to Luo Zhaohan. "Miss Luo, this is the prize you won in the riddle game. This Chang'e Flying to the Moon lantern is quite exquisitely crafted. If you don't mind, I'll just give it to you to calm your nerves."
The lamp was indeed exquisite. The Chang'e painted on the gauze was lifelike. Under the illumination of the candlelight inside the lamp, it seemed as if she was really about to fly away.
"This..." Luo Zhaohan hesitated and glanced at Pei Ji subconsciously.
Pei Ji's expression seemed somewhat dim and unclear under the light, and his eyes were unfathomable, which made her heart inexplicably tight.
"Xiao Heng," Pei Ji's voice sounded, a little colder than before, carrying an invisible pressure, "Miss Luo has her own ideas, there is no need for you to do it for her."
Xiao Heng raised an eyebrow and looked at Pei Ji. He seemed to have finally noticed his friend's displeasure and smiled playfully: "Pei Shaoqing, you are too overbearing as a flower protector. It's just a lantern, and Miss Luo hasn't even said anything yet."
He turned to Luo Zhaohan, his smile still warm, "Miss Luo, what do you think?"
Luo Zhaohan was sandwiched between two men with powerful auras and felt an invisible pressure.
She was about to politely decline Xiao Heng's kindness when a figure dressed as a maid came over breathlessly. It was Xiao Lian.
"Miss! Miss! I finally found you!" Xiaolian looked panicked, still holding the rabbit lantern in her hand. "Just now...just now, I was over there and thought I saw someone staring at you furtively! I was scared, so I hurried over!"
Xiaolian's words were like a stone dropped into the water. Pei Ji and Xiao Heng's expressions froze at the same time.
"Did you see clearly who it is?" Pei Ji asked in a deep voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings as sharp as an eagle.
Xiaolian shook her head, still feeling a lingering fear. "I couldn't see his face clearly. There were so many people around, and he disappeared in a flash. But I felt that his eyes were very cold, not like a good person!"
Xiao Heng's smile faded, and he frowned, saying, "It seems Pei Shaoqing's concerns are not unfounded. This Longqing Street is full of good and bad people, Miss Luo, it's better to be cautious."
He looked at Luo Zhaohan again, "How about I escort Miss Luo..."
"No need." Pei Ji interrupted him decisively, his eyes fixed on Luo Zhaohan. "My carriage is nearby. Miss Luo, I'll take you back home."
His tone wasn't one of negotiation, but of decision. The authority of someone long in a position of power naturally emanated from him.
Luo Zhaohan's heart skipped a beat. He offered to send her off?
Was it because of Xiaolian's words just now, or because of Xiaoheng's appearance? The brocade bag in his sleeve seemed to be getting hotter.
She looked at Pei Ji's deep and compelling eyes, and was unable to say no for a moment.
Xiao Heng looked at Pei Ji, then at the silent Luo Zhaohan, and then he resumed his cynical demeanor and shrugged, "Well, since Pei Shaoqing is willing to serve, I won't take away his credit. Miss Luo, goodbye."
He bowed to Luo Zhaohan in a casual manner, winked at Pei Ji mischievously, turned around and merged into the crowd in a casual manner.
Pei Ji didn't look at the direction Xiao Heng left. His eyes were always locked on Luo Zhaohan. "Let's go."
He spoke succinctly, then turned and walked towards the carriage at the street corner. The dark figure carved an invisible path through the sea of bright lights, and the crowd subconsciously parted for him.
Luo Zhaohan looked at his tall and cold back, took a deep breath, suppressed the chaos in his heart, and whispered to Xiaolian, "Let's keep up." She took a step and followed Pei Ji half a step behind.
The surroundings were still filled with the hustle and bustle of people and lights, but Luo Zhaohan felt as if he had entered a silent space with only the two of them.
Pei Ji's back was like a silent mountain, blocking out all the noise and also blocking her courage to get closer.
After all, there was no chance to give away the treasure bag in his sleeve.
Soon, Pei Ji's black carriage without any unnecessary decoration appeared before his eyes.
Jiao Er opened the car door respectfully.
Pei Ji stopped, looked sideways at Luo Zhaohan, and made a "please" gesture.
Luo Zhaohan lowered her eyes, lifted her skirt, and got into the carriage with the help of Xiaolian.
The interior of the carriage was spacious and simply furnished, carrying the same cool and clean aura as Pei Ji.
Pei Ji then got in and sat opposite Luo Zhaohan. The car door closed, completely isolating the noise from the outside world.
There was only a small wall lamp in the carriage, and the light was dim, making the faces of both people a little blurry.
The space suddenly became small and quiet.
Luo Zhaohan could even clearly hear his own somewhat disordered heartbeat and Pei Ji's breathing opposite him, which was so steady that it had almost no fluctuations.
The air seemed to freeze, with a suffocating dullness.
She clenched the brocade bag in her sleeve, and her fingertips turned slightly white.
I tried to break the silence several times, but I didn't know what to say. Should I explain the note? Thank him for helping me out? Or should I give him this amulet?
In the end, she just turned her head slightly and pretended to look at the lights and shadows flowing outside the car window.
Pei Ji was also silent. He sat upright, his back as straight as a pine tree, his eyes lowered to his hands resting on his knees.
Those hands, with distinct joints, were slender and powerful. Not long ago, they had easily restrained Situ Changrong's whip. In the dim light, his profile was cold and hard, his thin lips tightly pursed. He seemed to be thinking about something, or perhaps just resting his eyes.
Only he himself knows what emotions are churning in his heart at this moment.
In his sleeve pocket, the short note that Luo Zhaohan had asked someone to send him during the day was lying quietly.
There was only a line of beautiful small characters on the note: "Three quarters past ten, at the intersection of Longqing Street. I hope to see you. Thank you, Zhao Han." It was this short note that made him turn down his original official duties in the evening and come to the noisy Longqing Street for some unknown reason.
He thought he would see her waiting at the agreed place, but he didn't expect to see her first, disregarding her own safety, risking her life to save others. Then, there was Xiao Heng's smile of appreciation and familiarity, and the dazzling "Chang'e Flying to the Moon" lantern...
She asked him out, but was chatting and laughing with Xiao Heng?
Thinking about it now, the words "I look forward to meeting you" actually carry a hint of irony.
And the "sneaky person" Xiaolian mentioned, was it Situ Changrong's revenge? Or something else?
The coldness in Pei Ji's eyes grew even colder. He needed to find out as soon as possible.
The carriage was moving steadily, and its wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a monotonous "wheel" sound.
Luo Zhaohan felt that every moment was extremely long. She raised her eyes quietly, wanting to observe Pei Ji's expression, but she happened to run into his bottomless eyes that had been raised at some point!
Luo Zhaohan's heart skipped a beat, like a child caught doing something bad. He hurriedly lowered his eyes, his cheeks slightly hot.
"Miss Luo," Pei Ji's deep voice finally broke the suffocating silence in the carriage, his tone unable to discern joy or anger, "What is the purpose of our meeting tonight?"
He asked! Luo Zhaohan's heart jumped into her throat. She took a deep breath, mustered up the courage to raise her head and meet his gaze: "I...I..." Her hand reached for the brocade bag in her sleeve.
At this moment, the carriage suddenly shook violently without any warning!
"Hiss--!" Zhuiyun's panicked screams and Jiao Er's rapid scoldings were heard outside!
Immediately afterwards, the car body tilted suddenly, as if it was hit hard by something!
"Ah!" Luo Zhaohan was caught off guard, and the huge inertia threw him to the side and front, and he was about to hit the hard wall of the carriage!
A powerful arm suddenly stretched out, clasping her waist with lightning speed. A cold, hard aura instantly enveloped her. Luo Zhaohan felt the world spinning, her body spun half a circle by a tremendous force, and her back slammed heavily into a solid, warm chest.
It’s Pei Ji!
He held her waist tightly with one hand, holding her firmly in his arms, and with the other hand, he quickly supported the violently shaking wall of the carriage, stabilizing both of them!
"Sir! There's a frightened horse charging!" Jiao Er's anxious voice came from outside the car, accompanied by the horse's more frantic neighing and the crowd's terrified screams!
Luo Zhaohan was still in shock, his whole body stiffly pressed against Pei Ji's arms.
The clean and cold breath lingered at the tip of her nose, making her mind go blank and her cheeks instantly burning hot.
"Don't move." Pei Ji's low voice sounded above her head, his arms still tightly wrapped around her, his body tense as a bowstring, vigilantly sensing the chaos outside.
Outside the car, Jiao Er was struggling to control the frightened Zhui Yun.
It turned out to be a wild horse that had been startled from nowhere and ran straight into their carriage. Zhuiyun was startled, and Jiao Er was desperately tightening the reins.
The chaos lasted for a moment, but with the help of Jiao Er and a few kind-hearted passersby, the frightened horse was finally subdued and taken away. Zhuiyun also gradually calmed down.
"Sir, Miss Luo was frightened! The frightened horse has been subdued and is fine for the time being." Jiao Er's voice came with an apology.
Inside the carriage, Luo Zhaohan was still held tightly in Pei Ji's arms.
In the chaos just now, the jade hairpin on her bun seemed to loosen, and a strand of black hair fell down, brushing against the back of Pei Ji's hand that was around her waist.
The slightly itchy touch is like a subtle electric current.
Pei Ji's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Luo Zhaohan finally came back to his senses from the huge shock and realized how inappropriate their current posture was.
She felt as if she was scalded, and she struggled hard to break free from his embrace.
Pei Ji's arm around her waist did not move at all, but instead tightened a little.
"Luo Zhaohan, are you so impatient?"
Luo Zhaohan trembled all over and looked up in surprise.
In the dim light, Pei Ji's face was close at hand. His bottomless black eyes were churning with intense emotions she had never seen before.
"What...what?" Luo Zhaohan was shocked by the terrifying storm in his eyes, and his voice trembled.
Pei Ji's gaze slowly moved downwards. His hand, which was resting on the wall of the carriage, had been raised at some point, and between his slender fingers was a crumpled piece of plain paper.
It was the short note she had asked someone to send to him today!
"Three quarters past midnight, at the intersection of Longqing Street, I look forward to meeting you..." Pei Ji read out the words on the letter word by word, his voice so cold that there was no trace of warmth.
He raised his eyes again, locked onto her panicked eyes, and asked:
"On the one hand, you asked me to meet you, and on the other hand, you were chatting and laughing with Xiao Heng under the lamp, collecting his lanterns. Luo Zhaohan, tell me, what exactly do you want to do? Is it fun to play tricks on me?"
…
The long street during the Lantern Festival.
Luo Zhaohan's carriage stopped at the edge of the noise.
Through the curtain, the noisy sounds are already overwhelming: the hawkers' cries, the children's play, the crowd's exclamations, and the sweet fragrance that is everywhere.
She lifted the curtain slightly, and before her eyes was a strange and dazzling spectacle. The overwhelming bustle of the world almost drowned her.
Yet, in the very center of this clamor, Luo Zhaohan's heart was like a piece of ice sunk into a deep pool. The person she wanted to see today was Liu Yueli.
On the day Pei Ji came to propose marriage, she told the gentle young master of the Pei family who was sitting in the hall, "I heard that Miss Liu Yueli is both talented, virtuous and beautiful. If we live in the capital together in the future, Zhao Han would like to find an opportunity to meet her."
At that time, Pei Ji's hand holding the teacup paused for a moment, and then that impeccable gentle smile appeared on his face again. He only said, "Miss Luo, you are joking." Then he changed the subject.
Are you kidding? A barely perceptible curve appeared on Luo Zhaohan's lips.
She never jokes.
During the Lantern Festival, the whole country celebrates and people of all kinds gather together. It is the perfect time to "get together".
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