Chapter 35 Ripples (Thirteen): A Cat-and-Mouse Game...
Wei Yuanzhan's threats never worked on Zhi Rou.
She smiled smugly, her face bathed in the warm spring sunlight, making her look exceptionally beautiful.
"I don't want to live, will you take me? Lord Yama."
Upon hearing this, Wei Yuanzhan smiled, but his tone was fierce: "Don't you dare run away." With that, he pulled off his boots and strode towards her.
Before she could even take a step, Zhi Rou had already cautiously moved her foot back, then turned around and jumped down the steps, running faster than a rabbit.
As she approached the artificial hill, less than ten feet from the entrance to the outer passage, she slowed down, turned to look at Wei Yuanzhan with a provocative glint in her eyes.
That's the good thing about loyal subordinates; without their master's command, two tall figures flashed forward and blocked Zhi Rou's path.
She turned around and bumped her forehead into Lan Ye's strong shoulder. She paused for a moment, then tried to move aside.
Unfortunately, wherever she went, Lan Ye and the other man surrounded her, blocking her like blocking a chick.
She glanced at him again, and Wei Yuanzhan rubbed his wrist with an air of nonchalance, looking at her flirtatiously as if she were his prey.
They're getting closer and closer, they're really not far away! Zhi Rou was getting anxious and, disregarding her usual friendship with Lan Ye and the others, grabbed them and tried to pull them apart.
Zhi Rou has considerable strength, but she is ultimately at a disadvantage against two grown men who are already skilled in martial arts.
Then Wei Yuanzhan's voice rang out from very close behind: "Lan Ye, move aside."
The two hesitated for a moment, then stepped back, tearing open a gap large enough for a person to pass through.
Before Zhi Rou could think, she hurriedly tried to escape, but a strong hand grabbed her arm and dragged her over, just like when she was a child. Her shoulder pressed against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her neck. She felt shorter than him, and her breath was filled with his scent.
Wei Yuanzhan didn't like incense; only a faint scent of soapberry wafted around him, a cool aroma that wafted towards Zhi Rou's nose.
He didn't tighten his grip on her, so it wasn't painful, but the position made Zhi Rou feel incredibly embarrassed. She frantically patted his arm, pretending to be in a terrible state: "Wei Yuanzhan, let go! Let go of me! It hurts!"
Wei Yuanzhan asked leisurely, "Who is the Red-Tasseled Spear?"
He ultimately ignored her pitiful appearance, his gaze sweeping down at her with a flirtatious air. No matter how much she struggled, he knew his limits and would never hurt her.
Zhi Rou finally had a moment to think back. He hadn't meant well by telling Lan Ye and the others to leave! He had deliberately let them go, giving her hope of escape, and then casually withdrew, leaving her humiliated and subjugated by him.
This cat-and-mouse game certainly avenged the humiliation inflicted by the "red-tasseled spear".
Zhi Rou was extremely ashamed and indignant, and she was even less likely to back down. Suddenly, she loosened her grip on his arm and tried to strike his waist and abdomen with her elbow to make him cry out and let go.
Halfway through the movement, she hesitated again, suddenly reducing her strength. When she landed, she had little strength left and her body touched his abdomen softly.
It carries a warning connotation, but it doesn't actually harm him.
Wei Yuanzhan reacted quickly. The moment she started to move, he sensed it. He frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then released her a little.
Zhi Rou immediately broke free and moved five steps away from Wei Yuanzhan. She lowered her head and straightened her clothes, occasionally glaring at him resentfully.
Wei Yuanzhan felt slightly uncomfortable under her gaze. He first looked away a few inches, then raised an eyebrow arrogantly and uttered, "You bullied me first."
Zhi Rou almost laughed at his words. Was saying a few words to him considered bullying? He was really precious.
Lan Ye and Chang Huai, who were outside the door, heard this sound and were momentarily at a loss for what to do with their eyes and hands. After exchanging glances for a while, one scratched his ear and the other coughed and touched his face, looking quite busy.
Zhi Rou dusted off her clothes, finally relaxed her brows, and stood in the sunlight, once again becoming a handsome young man in disguise.
She adopted a haughty demeanor, her eyes slightly narrowed, and said to Wei Yuanzhan, "I'm leaving. I'll let you off this time."
With a flick of his long robe, he swaggered into the cave entrance, his black satin boots clicking softly.
Wei Yuanzhan watched her from behind and chuckled.
Lan Ye's gaze lingered on Zhi Rou for a moment. After she left, he strolled in and asked, "Master, shall we continue practicing?"
Wei Yuanzhan was sent by Xue Nan to compare with Zhi Rou. After she left, Lan Ye wondered if he should take her place.
To practice martial arts, you always need to find an opponent.
Wei Yuanzhan glanced at him, his smile slowly fading, a serious look appearing in his eyes. He then asked about another matter: "Have you inquired about that Young Master Jiang?"
Meanwhile, Song Qizhang was sitting in a teahouse opposite Chang Le Lou, listening to the scholars around him discussing the incursion of the Northern Li Kingdom, and couldn't help but feel curious.
He thought for a moment and realized that it was probably untrue. If there really was unrest, how could the court not care? Besides, these matters were handled by those above him, and had nothing to do with him.
What's most important to him right now is his second sister's marriage.
Song Hanyin has already broken off an engagement once, and if the Song family proposes another one, it will ultimately have a negative impact on her. However, Lan Wen is a wicked person and unsuitable as a match, so this engagement must be dissolved before the betrothal is finalized.
Song Qizhang hadn't thought about how to tell his family, worried that his mother would blame herself and that his second sister would be disappointed.
But the moment she thought of Lan Wen's disgusting behavior, her eyes and nose wrinkled, and she couldn't swallow anything.
He had met Lan Wen at Chang Le Lou before.
Chang Le Lou is the most famous art gallery in the capital, and it has been in existence for 25 years since its establishment.
The geisha in the building were selected from all over the country and had extremely high musical skills. They only performed their talents for all the guests who came to the building and did not sell their bodies. Therefore, they were sought after by many literati and scholars and were a place of elegance.
From a young age, Song Qizhang was interested in everything except studying. After hearing Xiaoyu's konghou music at Chang Le Lou, he began to visit her frequently.
That day, as usual, he and his friends were in a private room on the third floor, supporting Miss Xiaoyu.
He didn't drink alcohol normally, but it was a friend's birthday and he ordered two jugs of Yaochi wine. In order not to spoil the fun, he drank a few cups with him. His cheeks burned and he felt unwell, so he made an excuse to change his clothes and went outside.
The sounds of plucking and singing lingered in the building. Song Qizhang, a person who loved music, felt his head throbbing as he listened to the music and could not stay there for even a moment longer.
Just then, a disheveled woman bumped into him. The force was not great, but it instantly made him lose his balance and almost fall to the ground.
He held onto the railing with almost all his might, and the woman grabbed his arms with both hands, falling in close to him.
Song Qizhang showed little pity for the woman in his arms, quickly shoving her away and glancing at her.
Only then did I notice that her cheeks were very red and her expression was somewhat confused. She was not drunk, but rather appeared to be mentally unstable.
After being pushed away by him, the woman got up in a panic, covering her face with her clothes as she ran unsteadily toward the long ladder.
Song Qizhang looked in the direction she had come from and saw the door at the end of the corridor, which was half-open. Layers of curtains revealed several figures.
Judging from their figures, there were two men and one woman. The woman's clothes were half off at her waist, and she was vaguely holding a pipa in her arms.
"Wen Chu, are you sure you can do it?"
Song Qizhang stomped his foot, and was mostly sobered up.
Later, Song Qizhang went to Chang Le Tower several times, intending to find the woman, but he never saw her. She did not seem to be a musician in the tower.
As the spring banquet approached, Song Qizhang encountered a "drunk" man at Xunyinzhai. His appearance was distorted, his clothes were ornate, and his eyes were especially red, as if he had been crying.
The man's unusual behavior reminded Song Qizhang of the woman who had bumped into him that day. He inquired around and learned that the man was a drug user and the illegitimate son of Zhang, the Vice Minister of Revenue.
Song Qizhang was quite surprised for a while, then sent people to follow him and find a place where Five-Stone Powder was traded.
After waiting for many days, Song Qizhang saw the disheveled woman in Chang Le Tower again.
He held back his troops and ordered his men to investigate her background thoroughly.
It turns out that Lan Wen rescued her outside the city and kept her at Chang Le Lou. Every time Lan Wen returned, she would accompany him to take the Five Stone Powder.
The Duke of Wei's mansion was unaware of this.
Because of the marriage proposal to the Song family, Lan Wen was probably worried that if the matter were exposed, it would harm his interests, so he abandoned the woman, regardless of the fact that she was addicted to the drug and left her to fend for herself.
"Why would I do this? It doesn't do me any good." The woman sat by the river, bending her neck and washing clothes. She chuckled at the young man beside her, who looked down at her, with a hint of disdain, without raising her head.
“The one who imprisoned your father and brothers is sitting in the Duke of Wei’s mansion.”
The woman was stunned, her face turning pale and then red. Her hands stopped moving, and the cold river water seeped up from her fingertips, chilling her to the bone.
On the day of the spring banquet, the woman did not appear. Song Qizhang later sent people to look for her, but there was no sign of anyone living in the house.
Song Qizhang had been keeping this matter to himself for a long time and felt very frustrated. So, after Zhi Rou's confinement was lifted, he told her the important and clean parts of the story.
Zhi Rou was also taken aback, but given her status and situation, it was not advisable for her to get involved in this mess. She couldn't help her second brother, so she could only advise him to tell his uncle and aunt about Lan Wen's character as soon as possible and let them decide.
Song Qizhang outwardly agreed, but secretly he was still not convinced. Upon learning that there would be a Dou Kui competition at Chang Le Tower that night, he decided to go and see if he could gain anything.
After hearing what Song Qizhang said that day, Zhi Rou noticed that his expression was off and he seemed to still be concerned about it, so she paid special attention to news from Chang Le Lou.
So today, after school ended, she hurriedly went to Qiyun Garden to change her clothes, hoping to stop her second brother in time. If she couldn't stop him, she would go with him. After all, she knew martial arts, so if they encountered any trouble, she could handle it to some extent.
The sky was ablaze with the glow of dawn, transforming the streets of the capital into a magnificent canvas.
As the carriage traveled along Chengping Street, Zhi Rou lifted a curtain and saw Song Qizhang in this bustling, bubbling place.
She told Pei Cheng to stop, jumped off the carriage, and went straight into the teahouse.
Two quarters of an hour ago.
Lan Ye replied, "This Jiang Yun is the son of Jiang Renyu, the Assistant Prefect of Qizhou Prefecture. The Jiang family were originally merchants who have been established in the capital for a long time and have quite a reputation. The most famous art gallery on Chengping Street belongs to the Jiang family. Speaking of which, the Fourth Miss does know Miss Jiang..."
He went on to say a long string of words, but Wei Yuanzhan only heard "Fourth Sister" before the rest of the words became indistinct.
"The art gallery you mentioned, is it Chang Le Lou?" Wei Yuanzhan glanced at him and asked hesitantly.
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