Chapter 136 Amidst the Clouds (Twenty-Six) The kiss was like revenge. ...
The alleyway by the stream wasn't very well lit. A few feet ahead, there was a large stone tablet with poems, almost as tall as a person. Zhi Rou was fiddling with something in her hand. Hearing the unhurried footsteps behind her, an idea suddenly came to her mind.
The moment they passed the stone tablet, the sound of water splashing suddenly rang out, and the lingering shadows in the stream rippled, but there was no trace of anyone there.
The follower rushed forward upon hearing the noise, but before he could investigate, his wrist was suddenly grabbed, twisted behind his back, and his shoulder was twisted, causing him to be thrown against the stone tablet.
The pain came suddenly; he clenched his teeth, unable to turn his head even an inch. Feeling the coolness against his neck, he immediately cried out, "It's me! Fourth Miss! It's me!"
Zhi Rou released her grip, turning the man around. Seeing his face clearly, she was startled: "Pei Cheng?" She sheathed her short sword, glanced at him, and asked, "What are you doing following me?"
His gaze darted away as if it had been soiled, and he rubbed his arm: "This humble one... was worried about Fourth Miss's safety. Fourth Miss, please forgive me!"
"Go back, don't follow me anymore."
Seeing her hesitate, Pei Cheng staggered to the side and hurriedly said, "When will you return, Miss? Chu Lan and the others are worried about you."
Zhi Rou thought it over carefully and said, "I will definitely come back when the hour of Xu is half over."
Pei Cheng hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
The feeling of being captured by the Fourth Sister hadn't faded yet, so he tried to calm himself down and stopped walking.
Unexpectedly, Zhi Rou walked several dozen steps away, then suddenly turned back and stood in front of him.
"There's something I need you to investigate for me."
After parting ways, Zhi Rou met up with Wei Yuanzhan. His gaze swept over her back: "Did you shake them off?"
"It was Pei Cheng. I sent him back." Zhi Rou approached him, her mind still preoccupied with what had happened at the alley entrance. Her voice was lower as she asked, "Wei Yuanzhan, did you see any people of other races in the city a few days ago?"
"An alien race?" Wei Yuanzhan looked at her for a moment, noticing her serious expression, and tacitly stepped towards the open space, shaking his head and saying, "No."
Once away from the crowd, Zhi Rou slowly revealed what she had secretly witnessed.
"...I always felt that person resembled the Seventeenth Prince. He had a deep-seated grudge against Enhe. If Beili is now truly under Enhe's control, how could there be any reason for such a long-standing feud to remain in the world?...The Seventeenth Prince should not be present in Yan territory."
Upon hearing this, Wei Yuanzhan's expression turned solemn, and he asked to confirm, "You saw it clearly?"
Zhi Rou shook her head: "He was wearing a helmet, so I couldn't see clearly. I asked Pei Cheng to check for me."
Wei Yuanzhan frowned, his usual arrogance and carefree demeanor gone. He became serious, his voice slightly deep: "After the Northern Li invaded the border, the court closed the markets and allowed only tribute envoys to enter. How easy is it for outsiders to set foot in Yan territory?"
"You're right." Zhi Rou lowered her eyes.
These days she often thinks of the people and things on the grassland, and she always feels uneasy. Perhaps it is just like her third sister, who does not want war to break out again and does not want her eldest brother to be in danger.
A beam of light flickered on her cheek. Wei Yuanzhan understood her thoughts, and grasped her shoulders with both hands, imbuing them with an indescribable weight, causing her to lift her head.
"I will have Changhuai and the others investigate the alley you mentioned. If there is any unusual activity, I will report it to the court when I return to the capital."
He paused, then smiled teasingly at her, “‘Excessive thinking leads to mental exhaustion,’ isn’t that the advice you always gave Sheng Xingyun when we were in school?”
Zhi Rou chuckled, her face regaining its luster, and walked around him, saying, "You remember the past so clearly? All I remember is you ignoring me and always lying to me."
Which year's old grievances are they bringing up this time?
Wei Yuanzhan turned around and followed her: "Can't you remember anything good I've done? If we're talking about ignoring each other, you've ignored me for quite a while now."
The two joked and teased each other, one in front and one behind. But once they were in the carriage, Zhi Rou's relaxed mood suddenly tightened again, and she hesitated.
Would Ling Gonghui recognize her? What was her mother's intention in tacitly allowing her to come here? And what did she herself want?
Tiny dust particles floated in the carriage, appearing with the light. The window lattices were decorated with carved plum blossoms. Zhi Rou frowned and stared at them for a long time. Wei Yuanzhan sat to the side, tilting his head to look at her, and suddenly smiled.
"There's a clothing store up ahead. If you don't like it, you can try on another one."
Zhi Rou paused for a moment before understanding his meaning. She relaxed her brows and muttered, "You're the one who's no good."
"What?" Wei Yuanzhan slowly straightened up from his bent-over position and chuckled softly.
Zhi Rou looked completely unconcerned, her curled eyelashes fluttering: "The invitation has your name, Prince Wei, on it. What am I afraid of? Who knows me?"
As if recalling something, Wei Yuanzhan smiled and lazily leaned his back against the carriage wall: "No one knows you, they'll only think of you as my maid, are you satisfied now?"
Zhi Rou glanced at him, then turned her head away haughtily.
After sitting quietly for a while, she lifted the curtain and looked outside. The streets were not very noisy, and there were few tourists.
"When will the wedding procession set off? Are we too early?" Zhi Rou asked, turning her head.
"Isn't it only natural for guests to arrive first?" He noticed her unusual expression and asked gently, "Zhirou, what are you worried about?"
They came with official invitations, not trespassing, so why should they be worried? Isn't her coming to Qinyang to see Lord Ling exactly what she wanted?
Those delicate eyebrows furrowed again, and her fingers clenched: "I don't know, I just am..."
She couldn't quite put her finger on it; a sense of unease and hesitation settled over her chest.
Wei Yuanzhan moved closer, taking her hand in his palm, the warmth seeping into her skin. She lifted her eyelashes. A pair of dark eyes, reflecting a hazy light, met her gaze.
Zhi Rou sensed a sense of stability.
From the moment she first saw him in Qinyang, an indescribable joy welled up in her heart. Although she felt sorry for his injuries, she was still glad that he had come to find her.
Zhi Rou smiled, appearing completely harmless, and stared at him intently for a long time: "Wei Yuanzhan, you are so beautiful."
Wei Yuanzhan was stunned for a moment. His previously serious face suddenly turned into a smile as if a smile had been hooked on his lips. He couldn't help but laugh and let go of her: "What nonsense are you talking about now?"
"That's really what I thought when I first saw you."
Their first meeting was so many years ago; he couldn't believe she could remember his feelings from that time so clearly. Even so, he still looked away from her, gazing elsewhere.
The carriage was not spacious. Wei Yuanzhan's eyelashes were like ink-black feathers, and his neck was stained with a thin layer of red.
Zhi Rou's eyebrows curved slightly, and she found it amusing. Her smile became even brighter, and she even made a sound unintentionally.
When the commotion reached Wei Yuanzhan's ears, he felt ashamed.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her sharply to his side.
She was practically dragged into his arms, her heart pounding with a rhythmic flutter, even though they were only inches apart.
He didn't loosen his grip, and instead placed his other hand on the back of her neck. Face to face, his breath enveloped her entire body like a net.
The carriage curtain was made of a layer of light crimson silk, through which sunlight filtered in, casting dappled shadows. Wei Yuanzhan's pupils were a deeper color than ink, yet very pure, as he gazed intently at Zhirou.
Her heart pounded, and she tried to pull away, but he lowered his head and kissed her lips. As if in revenge, it was more forceful than ever before, as he sucked and nibbled at her lips inch by inch, repeatedly swirling and rubbing them, touching the tip of her tongue.
Since they were outside, Zhi Rou was afraid that the curtain would be blown open. She struggled a couple of times, but he showed no sign of stopping. He boldly and arrogantly pinned her to the corner of the car and stalked her like a captive.
Zhi Rou was anxious and pushed him hard. As soon as they separated, she leaned back and didn't say anything.
Wei Yuanzhan paused, his gaze lingering on her face for a long time, without saying a word.
She pursed her lips, a hint of ambiguity still lingering between them, and a ripple of emotion flickered in her eyes, hidden behind her long eyelashes.
Wei Yuanzhan gazed at her for a moment, then kissed her again.
This time she didn't resist; in fact, she returned his kiss as he demanded. Their kisses became increasingly intense, he took advantage of her advances. After what seemed like an eternity, his kisses gradually subsided.
As if he had won a battle, Wei Yuanzhan was overjoyed. He removed his palm from her waist, took her hand, and gently kneaded it.
A butterfly-wing-like tremor flowed over her skin, and Zhi Rou felt only an itch, so she tried to pull away.
"I won't move it anymore," Wei Yuanzhan assured her, then took her hand back into his palm and smiled. "You can scribble all over my hand, but I can't."
Every time she took his hand, her fingers would wander restlessly.
Zhi Rou paused for a moment, then broke into a smile: "Is it only now that you realize how domineering I am?"
Having shared a past, the two can have endless things to talk about when they're together.
Upon arriving at the Ling residence, a long line of carriages was already waiting in front.
Most of the guests today are veteran officials and their families from Jiangdong, and they are mostly older. It is rare to see people as young as Zhi Rou and her companion.
As the two stepped out of the car, they attracted many glances from those around them. Because of their outstanding appearance, even after they entered the Ling residence, some people were still speculating about which branch of the Ling family they belonged to.
The Ling family mansion was far superior to the mansions of officials and nobles in the capital. After entering through the main gate, there was one gate after another, with countless courtyards. The thick and towering stone walls were as straight as mountains. Although they were polished to be extremely beautiful and elegant, Zhi Rou felt desolate when walking among them.
The guests were led to the main hall, while the female guests were led by servants to a more secluded courtyard.
At this moment, Wei Yuanzhan regretted arriving so early. Sitting among a group of nobles and officials he had never met before, he felt extremely bored.
Zhi Rou had nothing to say to those noblewomen.
She sat there for a while, then got up and walked to the tree in the courtyard. The setting sun filtered down from above, and she looked up.
I looked at it for a long time and saw that the edges of the leaves were serrated, so I recognized it as an osmanthus.
There is also one in the Osmanthus Garden of Songfu.
In her memory, her mother often stared at that osmanthus tree in a daze.
Having been away from the Song residence for many days, Zhi Rou constantly thought of it and unconsciously placed her palm on it, as if she were handling an old object that she was very familiar with.
A group of maids offering incense entered from behind the door. Upon seeing the tall, elegant figure in the courtyard, one of them spoke softly, "...Miss."
There was a hint of surprise in her voice, and Zhi Rou seemed to snap out of a daze. Turning around, she saw the other person's expression and assumed it meant she couldn't touch her. She hid her fingertips behind her waist, politely pressed her chin down, and walked away.
The woman fell to the back of the line. The man in front of her turned around, walked over, gently tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, "What are you looking at? Today is the Fifth Young Master's wedding. If something goes wrong, even if you have a lot of face with the Old Madam, you won't be able to save yourself. Hurry up and go!"
The young woman was no longer under the tree.
But her appearance reminded her of the Third Sister before she got married. When she was in a bad mood, she would shoot arrows in front of an osmanthus tree. The arrows would fall from the branches and scatter a garden full of fragrant flowers.
Ever since the Third Miss's accident, the Ling family returned to Qinyang. Osmanthus trees were planted one after another in the mansion, blooming and fading, but no one ever stopped to admire them again.
The Fifth Young Master is practically a child raised by the Third Young Lady, and given the past events, Lord Ling cherishes him dearly. This marriage, finally arranged after so long, is one that no one is allowed to disrupt.
Her peers' advice brought her back to her senses, and she lowered her head to follow the others.
Among the passing servants, a few seemed to have eyes. They silently observed Zhi Rou from inconspicuous places.
Half of the ladies-in-waiting in the hall were relatives of the bride. They knew each other, chatted and laughed, and sipped tea, feeling joyful and at ease. Zhi Rou already felt reserved, and with the added attention of some clingy gazes, although she sat upright, her feet had wanted to wander off countless times.
Half an hour later, the elaborate auspicious ceremony finally began.
Zhi Rou was seated in the guest section on the west side, a little far from the main hall. A screen blocked her view, and she could see the bride being led by the matchmaker as she slowly walked down the red carpet.
The music and rituals continued, and everyone in the west wing stood solemnly. Zhi Rou glanced around, then stepped outside the screen, attempting to peek at her "maternal grandfather" below.
This attempt failed to achieve its intended purpose, but it caught the eye of Ling Zifu.
Yesterday on the awning boat, his gaze as he examined her was full of interest, but now only surprise and doubt remain.
Looking down into the hall, Ling Shu kept his eyes straight ahead, paying no attention to the people watching the ceremony to his left and right.
When the banquet finally arrived, Zhi Rou could clearly see him from a distance of half a zhang as she moved.
He was probably over seventy years old, with graying temples and a beautiful beard, yet his movements showed no signs of old age. His face appeared extremely kind, but perhaps it was a common trait of the Ling clan that they always exuded an invisible aura of power and coldness.
In that fleeting moment, Ling Shu's gaze swept across Zi Zhirou's face without lingering, just as he would with anyone else, nothing more.
Zhi Rou may have been expecting something, but it never happened. She didn't even know if Ling Zifu had handed the letter to Ling Shu.
I once thought that with her skills, she could easily scale the walls of the Ling mansion. But seeing it today, with its many gates and servants, how could she possibly reach Ling Shu without alerting anyone, even if she could walk through the walls and roofs?
There will never be a better opportunity than today.
It was already completely dark. The music playing at the banquet was low and lingering, and the palace lanterns flickered, illuminating the delicacies on the table as if they were embroidered.
To Yu Zhirou's left, there was a plate of neatly sliced goose meat, its golden-brown skin faintly tinged with reddish-brown. Next to it, in a cold dish, wasabi was served.
She stared intently for a moment, then picked up a piece of goose meat with her chopsticks, dipped it in, and hesitated for two breaths before putting it in her mouth.
...
A breeze swept through the courtyard, and a small commotion suddenly arose from the west. At first, it was just two people whispering, but soon the nobles and guests turned around and leaned forward, and their gossip reached Wei Yuanzhan's ears.
According to them, someone on the teacher's side had fainted.
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