Chapter 21 To Go or to Stay
Night was falling, and I had already sent Ah Man to bed early.
Sitting in front of the bronze mirror, I loosened my collar and carefully pressed the wound; it didn't hurt. Although I found Hua Yingxiong utterly repulsive, I had to admit his medical skills were truly remarkable. After being treated by him several times, the wound had actually begun to scab over.
The candlelight on the table flickered, and the door opened.
I turned my head and saw Guo Jia standing at the door.
"A fortune teller?" I looked at him in confusion.
He smiled and pushed the door open to come in.
"In the dead of night, a lone man and a lone woman, like dry wood meeting a raging fire, shouldn't we avoid suspicion?" I just couldn't stand his indifferent smile, as if he were a soulless shell, so I closed my eyes and blurted out whatever came to mind.
Sure enough, he paused slightly, and his smile turned into a wry smile.
I leaned forward, smiling suggestively, "You've even frequented brothels, what are you afraid of?"
He pursed his lips slightly and pulled up my collar for me. "Want to go for a walk?"
"Okay," I nodded. I'd been locked in my room for days, unable to leave, because Hua Yingxiong was using his position to settle personal scores. It was really frustrating.
Under the bright moonlight, I walked side by side with him. The back garden of the Prime Minister's residence was unbelievably large, and even though it was night, its beauty was still undiminished.
He walked silently by. He was much taller than me, still wearing a loose blue robe, and his thin figure seemed as if he might be carried away by the wind at any moment. This feeling made me frown.
"Doesn't it sound like a secret rendezvous?" I grinned, lowering my voice to chuckle, "A secret rendezvous with your lover."
The back garden, the moonlight, the handsome man. They really do look alike…
Guo Jia was slightly taken aback, then laughed. Actually, he had a very handsome smile, but he was just too thin.
"Ahem..." He coughed softly as he chuckled.
I reached out and patted his back, shaking my head. "You're too thin. Are you eating well? Is someone abusing you?"
He ignored my rambling and asked softly, "Are you really going to stay?"
I nodded.
"Why?" He looked at me with pity in his eyes.
"Because... the food and drinks are delicious here, and there are people to wait on you... you don't have to worry about where your next meal will come from anymore..." I said with a smile.
He looked at me, his clear eyes unblinking, his gaze like an X-ray, as if trying to see right through me.
"He probably can't let go of Cao Cao." I sighed and spoke the truth without much backbone.
“It is the Prime Minister,” he corrected me.
I was slightly taken aback.
"Don't you like this title?" he smiled faintly. "I also prefer to call him Brother Mengde, but he is Cao Cao, he has lofty ambitions, he is the Prime Minister, he is my lord, and perhaps, more than that..." Under the moonlight, Guo Jia's expression held a hint of longing. "He has so many loyal soldiers who follow him to the death and serve him. Do you know how someone once described him?"
"How would you describe it?" I asked, curious.
"A cunning hero in times of chaos, a capable minister in times of peace." He spoke softly, his expression gentle, a hint of sorrow in his clear eyes.
Why does this sound so familiar? It's from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, right? It must be Xu Shao of Runan describing Cao Cao. But if Xu Shao said it, why would Guo Jia have that expression?
"Did the Rouge Cake girl say that?" I raised my eyebrows, and I knew it from his unusually gentle expression.
Guo Jia was slightly taken aback.
I'm increasingly suspicious that the Rouge Cake Girl also time-traveled, otherwise how would she know the sentence, "I'm very curious, who is the Rouge Cake Girl? Where is she?" Perhaps if I see her, I can go back.
"He has passed away." He said softly.
Huh? I was slightly taken aback. It seems I won't have the chance to ask you for advice...
"You still want to keep Cao Cao like this?" He looked at me and smiled.
"Don't you want me to stay?" I looked at him and smiled. "Perhaps it would be better for you, Prime Minister, if I stay."
"You like him?" Guo Jia looked at me, his smile gone.
"What?" I raised my eyebrows.
"You like Brother Mengde?"
I chuckled softly but didn't answer.
"Love can hurt," Guo Jia said softly.
"Hmm? So what?" I looked at his cold expression and secretly chuckled.
“The current Mengde is not the real lord. All of this is just an illusion caused by amnesia,” Guo Jia said slowly as he looked at me. “Perhaps… he has someone hidden deep in his heart, and you just happen to resemble that person.”
I bent over and lowered my head, my shoulders trembling slightly.
"Stop pretending," came Guo Jia's calm voice.
I looked up, my mouth stretched almost to my ears, laughing so hard I was oblivious to the time. "Why be so smart? It's cute to be a little silly sometimes."
"Enough," he sighed softly, "Your staying would be entirely beneficial to Brother Mengde, but you..."
"Hahaha..." I finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Please, how could I possibly fall for the father of four kids!"
Guo Jia was stunned; I could almost see the black lines on his face.
"Did people in your time have children so young? Look at Cao Cao, he's only in his early twenties, how come he already has four children?" I asked, suppressing a laugh.
"Ancient people?" Guo Jia raised an eyebrow.
I froze, instinctively covering my mouth.
Guo Jia laughed, his usual detachment gone, his spirits soaring, he was truly handsome.
I was slightly stunned and murmured, "It would be better if he were a little fatter."
"What?" Guo Jia didn't hear clearly.
“I said, if you get a little fatter, I’m going to fall in love with you.” I laughed.
Guo Jia's eyes widened, his clear eyes filled with astonishment.
"You can't love either?" I laughed. "Why? Because of the Rouge Cake Girl?"
Guo Jia lowered his eyes and chuckled, "Stop being naughty, go back and rest, your wound is still healing."
I listlessly flicked my sleeves. This outfit was brought to me by a maid in the manor; the sleeves were very wide, and it felt quite stylish to flick them...
"By the way, I asked you to help me find my dog, did you find it?"
"No, I sent people to look for it," Guo Jia said.
I was a little disappointed and turned to go back to my room.
"If one day you want to leave, just tell me," Guo Jia's voice came softly from behind, drifting in the wind.
I waved and went back inside.
Standing outside, I curiously saw the graceful silhouette of a woman through the window.
Who is in my house?
I pushed open the door and went in, looking at the woman.
Hearing the noise, the woman turned around, her expression slightly unnatural.
Yeah, what was she doing in my room in the middle of the night?
She was the woman I met on the day I entered the Prime Minister's residence. She must be the mother of my child. She looked very young and beautiful, at least much prettier than me.
"Miss Pei," the woman smiled, "you've just arrived at the manor and haven't made any preparations, so I instructed the servants to quickly make a few dresses. You also need someone to serve you. It's not convenient tonight, but you can look around the manor early tomorrow morning. You can tell me which of the maids in the manor you like."
She is a very gentle woman, and my feelings for her have grown stronger.
"Who are you?" I asked curiously.
"This humble woman is Ding Shi," the woman said gently, "Thank you for escorting the Prime Minister back to his residence."
“Mrs. Ding.” I nodded, but looking at her, she really didn’t look like she had given birth to four children.
"It's late, Miss Pei, please get some rest."
I nodded and saw her out.
“Miss Pei…” She suddenly stopped, her back to me.
"Huh?" I asked, puzzled.
"Miss Pei's given name... is it Xiaoxiao?" she asked, her head lowered.
"Your maiden name?" I paused for a moment, then laughed. "Yes."
"I see," she replied, her back looking somewhat forlorn.
I watched her walk away, then turned back and lay down on the bed, comfortably dozing off, when I suddenly felt myself lying on a warm mat... and feeling my heartbeat...
With a sudden movement, I lifted the thin blanket and was dumbfounded.
"Aman!" I roared, drawing my breath into my dantian.
He struggled to open his eyes and mumbled, "It's so late, where did Xiaoxiao go?"
I gritted my teeth and shouted, "Why are you in my bed?!"
"Going to sleep," he replied with an innocent look.
"Why are you sleeping in my bed!" I gritted my teeth, trying to control myself from strangling him... He's the Prime Minister... I can't afford to pay for killing him.
"I'm sleepy..." he rubbed his eyes.
I'm furious! What is he doing? Trying to be cute? Well… there is a little bit of cuteness… but! He's the father of four children.
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