Chapter 142 Taibai Tower
Liu Yueli was so filled with anticipation at the moment about to see her savior that she didn't bother to think about what Luo Zhaohan meant by this attitude. She hurriedly followed, saying, "Sister Zhaohan, I was young and ignorant before, and I offended you a lot. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me. What does Lord Pei like? I'm fine too..."
Luo Zhaohan ignored her nagging flattery and inquiries and just walked straight forward.
The two men left the Shangshu Mansion one after the other. A carriage had already been prepared at the door. It looked ordinary but was actually made of very fine materials and workmanship.
The coachman was a man with an ordinary face but extremely sharp eyes. When he saw Luo Zhaohan, he bowed respectfully and silently lifted the curtain of the carriage.
Liu Yueli was anxious to see Pei Ji, so she followed Luo Zhaohan into the car without thinking much.
The carriage rumbled along the wide streets of the capital, and the atmosphere in the carriage was frighteningly depressing.
Luo Zhaohan closed his eyes and rested without saying a word.
Liu Yueli was restless, secretly looking at Luo Zhaohan for a while, and then couldn't help but lift a corner of the car curtain to look out. Her heart was in turmoil, both expectant and nervous.
This road... seems to be getting further and further off the track?
It doesn't look like it's heading towards the east district where the powerful and wealthy gather, nor does it look like it's heading towards Pei Mansion?
Liu Yueli's heart began to beat fast, and she couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Sister Zhaohan, where are we going to meet Master Pei?"
Luo Zhaohan didn't even raise his eyelids: "You'll know when you get there."
The voice was calm and indifferent, but it made Liu Yueli feel a chill on her back for no reason.
She suppressed her uneasiness and consoled herself: Perhaps Lord Pei is in some other courtyard or government office? Important figures are always elusive.
After a long while, the carriage finally stopped slowly.
The driver whispered outside, "Miss, we're here."
Liu Yueli couldn't wait to lift the car curtain and look out, and her face turned pale.
How could this be some grand, elegant courtyard? What lay before him was a remote, deserted alley, at the end of which stood a solemn and austere-looking government office, its dark gates tightly shut.
Two guards with long swords on their waists stood at the door, their eyes sweeping over like knives, making people feel cold all over. Above the gate hung a plaque with two large characters written in a flamboyant style: Xuanyingsi!
Liu Yueli's legs went weak at that moment and she almost fell off the carriage!
Xuanying Division! Pei Ji actually met her in Xuanying Division?
What kind of good person would arrange a meeting in such a place? This is clearly a place for interrogating criminals!
"Sister Zhao, Sister Zhaohan... is, is there a mistake? Why would Lord Pei meet guests in a place like this?" Liu Yueli's voice was shaking, and she gripped the car window frame tightly, her nails almost digging into the wood.
Luo Zhaohan slowly opened his eyes and glanced at her. His eyes were terrifyingly calm. "He's not mistaken. He usually stays here. What, are you scared? Weren't you eager to see him just now?"
"I...I..." Liu Yueli's lips trembled and she couldn't say a word.
Luo Zhaohan stopped looking at her and got off the carriage first.
Liu Yueli sat in the car, not knowing whether to get out or not. She was shaking like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind.
At this moment, the dark door of Xuanyingsi creaked open from the inside.
A young man dressed in the Xuanying Division's unique uniform came out, walked straight to the front of the carriage, and saluted Luo Zhaohan with a fist clasped. "Miss Luo, the commander is waiting inside."
Commander... Pei Ji!
When Liu Yueli heard this name, she was terrified.
Luo Zhaohan nodded, then turned around and looked at Liu Yueli, who was huddled in fear in the carriage: "Come down, Sister Yueli, haven't you always wanted to meet my fiancé?"
The young man also followed Luo Zhaohan's gaze and looked at Liu Yueli in the carriage. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk, without any emotion, but they made people unable to hide anything.
Liu Yueli was stared at by these two eyes and found it difficult to breathe.
She almost rolled and crawled out of the carriage. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt so weak that she almost knelt down. Fortunately, the coachman next to her helped her up casually, but his hand was so strong that she couldn't retreat at all.
"Please." The stern-faced man gestured sideways.
Luo Zhaohan took the lead and walked towards the door.
Liu Yueli was "supported" by the coachman and followed behind involuntarily, and every step felt like walking on the edge of a knife.
When she stepped over the high threshold, she felt a cold and damp wind blowing in her face, almost making her vomit.
The light inside Xuanyingsi was dim, the corridors were long, and the walls were a cold, hard stone-gray color. Occasionally, someone with an indifferent expression would walk by hurriedly, and the sound of their footsteps seemed particularly clear and creepy in the empty corridor.
It is terrifyingly quiet here. It's not that there is no one around, but that all sounds are suppressed by the solemn environment. It's a dead silence that makes people feel creepy.
Liu Yueli was so frightened that her scalp went numb and tears began to well up in her eyes again, but she didn't even dare to cry out loud. She could only bite her lips tightly and was "supported" to move forward while trembling all over.
Finally, the stern-faced man stopped in front of a heavy iron and wooden door and knocked.
A low and cold voice came from inside: "Come in."
The man pushed the door open and stepped aside.
Luo Zhaohan walked in with a normal expression.
Liu Yueli was half-pushed and half-led in. As soon as she entered, she felt a strong pressure.
The room was large, but its furnishings were extremely simple and cold. Opposite the door was a huge ebony desk, behind which sat a person.
The man was wearing a dark brocade robe with dark cloud patterns. He stood tall and straight, his head lowered as he read a file. The lines of his face were cold and hard. Hearing someone coming in, he slowly raised his head.
Liu Yueli was caught off guard when she met those eyes. She felt as if she was pierced by an ice spike, and all the blood in her body froze!
Those were a pair of extremely deep and dark eyes. There was no warmth in them, only the indifference and majesty formed by holding the power of life and death. They were so sharp that they seemed to be able to see through the darkest corners of people's hearts at a glance.
This is Pei Ji!
Luo Zhaohan’s fiancé!
Pei Ji's gaze paused on Luo Zhaohan for a moment, softened a little, and then fell on Liu Yueli, who was shaking so much that she could hardly stand.
He only took one look at her, and Liu Yueli felt as if she was being stared at by a poisonous snake. Her knees went weak, and she fell to her knees with a thump. Her teeth chattered, and she couldn't even utter a complete sentence, "Greetings, Lord Pei."
Pei Ji didn't say anything, just looked at her indifferently, his fingers tapping on the smooth table top from time to time.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Every sound seemed to strike at the tip of Liu Yueli's heart, making her so frightened that she almost fainted.
Luo Zhaohan stood aside, watching the scene quietly, and then he spoke slowly: "Pei Ji, this is the second daughter of Minister Liu, my good sister. She heard that I was engaged, and she insisted on bringing me to meet you, saying that she has a lot of personal things to discuss with you."
She deliberately emphasized the words "good sister" and "personal words".
Pei Ji's eyebrows twitched when he heard this, and his gaze fell on Liu Yueli again, this time with a hint of scrutiny, and his voice was low: "Oh? What did Miss Liu want to talk to me about?"
Liu Yueli was almost scared to death by his question. Her mind went blank. How could she remember to beg for mercy or promise benefits?
Now she just wanted to escape from this horrible place immediately and stay away from this horrible man!
"I... I..." She was crying and could hardly speak clearly, "It's nothing... Master Pei... I, I just came to congratulate my sister... I don't mean anything else..."
"Congratulations?" Pei Ji repeated, his tone calm, but it made Liu Yueli tremble even more. "You come to congratulate empty-handed?"
Liu Yueli was completely stunned. How could this be so unconventional? How could she even remember to prepare a gift?
"It seems that the rules in Minister Liu's mansion are quite unique." Pei Ji said again in a neither light nor heavy tone.
These words sounded emotionless, but they were like a slap in Liu Yueli's face, making her feel ashamed and angry, but too scared to express any dissatisfaction.
Luo Zhaohan looked at Liu Yueli's complete collapse without a ripple of emotion. She smiled softly and said to Pei Ji, "It seems my sister is so happy that she forgot her manners for a moment. Well, you've already met her, so I'll take her back first."
Pei Ji turned his gaze to Luo Zhaohan and nodded, his tone noticeably softer: "Yeah. Be careful on the road."
From beginning to end, he never looked at Liu Yueli who was lying on the ground, as if she was just a piece of insignificant air.
Luo Zhaohan walked over to Liu Yueli and looked down at her: "Let's go, my dear sister. You have also met this fiancé. How do you feel?"
Liu Yueli was speechless. She was almost crawling as she was carried out by the cold-faced man and the coachman. She looked very miserable, and her makeup was completely smudged.
Even after being thrown back into the carriage and leaving the alley of Xuanyingsi, Liu Yueli was still in a daze. She huddled in the corner of the carriage, shaking constantly.
Luo Zhaohan sat opposite her and looked at her coldly.
She knew that after what happened today, the little bit of luck and hope in Liu Yueli's heart had been completely crushed.
Pei Ji, her backer, would not only fail to become her savior, but instead become the sharpest knife hanging over her head.
The feeling of falling from the peak of hope into the abyss of despair in an instant must be... very profound, right?
The carriage swayed as it went back. Luo Zhaohan's voice was faint, but it penetrated into Liu Yueli's ears like a nightmare.
"Sister Yueli, do you still think I need to take revenge on you personally?"
Liu Yueli suddenly looked up, looked into Luo Zhaohan's eyes, and instantly understood something.
Luo Zhaohan didn't need to do anything herself. She just needed to let people know that she was Pei Ji's fiancée.
Pei Ji's existence itself is the greatest deterrent and the most terrible revenge to her!
Who would dare to easily provoke someone that Pei Ji was protecting? And she, Liu Yueli, had once tried to kill Luo Zhaohan. This matter was like a powder keg ready to explode at any time. Once Pei Ji knew about it...
Liu Yueli didn't even dare to imagine the consequences!
All her previous calculations became a ridiculous and pathetic joke in the face of absolute power and strength.
Liu Yueli collapsed completely in the carriage, her face ashen, with only endless despair in her eyes.
She lost this round miserably and didn't even see a chance of a comeback.
Every day from now on, she will live in fear of Pei Ji and Luo Zhaohan, unable to sleep or eat.
Luo Zhaohan stopped looking at her and turned to look out the window.
The streets were bustling with people and the sun was shining brightly.
But she knew very well that some games, once started, were destined not to end easily.
This is just a warm-up.
…
It is true that Taibai Tower is one of the best restaurants in Chang'an City.
The three-story building had flying eaves and pointed corners, and was hung with strings of big red lanterns. They were all lit before it was completely dark, making the hustle and bustle of traffic in front of the door as if it were daytime.
It was even more lively inside. Waiters were carrying steaming plates of food and shuttling between the tables and chairs. The sounds of shouting, laughter, and the clinking of cups and plates blended together. The air was filled with the tempting aroma of wine and meat, which made people's stomachs want to crawl out.
Pei Ji and Luo Zhaohan walked in one after another.
Pei Ji was wearing a dark blue brocade robe today, with a jade belt around his waist. He had an upright figure, but his expression did not look very happy. His thin lips were slightly pursed, and his eyes swept across the noisy lobby with a hint of imperceptible irritation.
His father was a duke of the current dynasty, and he himself was a high-ranking military officer. His whole body was full of aura, and whenever he stood there, he would attract many diners to secretly look at him.
Luo Zhaohan followed half a step behind him, wearing a water-green skirt and a moon-white gauze cloak. Her black hair was simply tied into a bun with a jade hairpin inserted in it. She was as beautiful as a hibiscus flower just out of water.
She lowered her head slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her cloak, looking a little absent-minded. Although the two walked side by side, there seemed to be something between them.
The waiter had sharp eyes and saw that the two men were not ordinary people by their appearance and attire. He immediately came forward with a big smile on his face and said, "My two lords, there is a private room upstairs. It is quiet and peaceful!"
Pei Ji said nothing, but nodded. The waiter immediately bowed and led them to the stairs.
The wooden stairs made a slight creaking sound as people walked on them. The higher they went, the quieter the noise from below became.
On the second floor, the corridors of the private rooms were much quieter. The doors to each room were closed, with the occasional sound of stringed instruments or whispers leaking through the cracks. The waiter led them to a room near the back and pushed open the door. "Please, sir. This window faces the flowers and trees in the backyard. It's a beautiful view and quiet."
Pei Ji stepped in first, and Luo Zhaohan hesitated for a moment before following suit. The room wasn't large, but it was elegantly furnished, with a round mahogany table, a few chairs, and a landscape painting hanging on the wall. The window was indeed open, letting in a cool evening breeze, carrying the scent of an unknown flower.
"First, serve a pot of your best Jiannan Shaochun, and some exquisite snacks and side dishes." Pei Ji ordered.
"Okay! Please wait, the food and drinks will be here soon!" The waiter responded promptly, went out, and carefully closed the door.
As soon as the door closed, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became a little stagnant.
Pei Ji walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back and looked out, leaving Luo Zhaohan with only a tall but distant back.
Luo Zhaohan sat down at the table, her fingers stroking the smooth surface, not knowing what to say. Her marriage to Pei Ji was arranged by their elders. They were well-matched, and in the eyes of outsiders, it was a match made in heaven.
But Pei Ji is a cold-tempered person who doesn't talk much. Sometimes Luo Zhaohan feels that he can't see through him.
Just like today, it was clearly him who asked me to come to Taibai Tower, but he hasn't said a few words since we met.
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