Sizhou 19
Rather than saying you're afraid she'll get lost, it's better to say you're afraid she'll bump into someone?
Aruo was being dragged away like this. The warmth of her wrist made her feel a little uncomfortable. She tried to pull her hand back but couldn't, so she just let it go.
Thinking of what she had just said, Aruo frowned and thought about it. She was reluctant to admit that maybe he really had found something and did help her, but... Aruo said awkwardly, "No matter, you used me to make a deal with Qin Zhi anyway, at most we'll be even. Don't forget, I saved you. You should repay a favor, haven't you learned that?"
"No." Su Zirui laughed angrily, turned around and glanced at her, saying with a hint of blame, "You rashly barged into the bureau and almost missed the important task. I had no choice but to exchange with Young Master Qin. What? You still think you're right?"
"Yes, yes, you are right. But you still let Qin Zhi take the risk to transport the official silver because of me?" Aruo couldn't help but remind him. No matter how much he said, he couldn't erase this point.
"Are you feeling heartbroken?" Su Zirui snorted coldly, his black eyes slightly cold.
Aruo couldn't keep up with the man's rapid thoughts, and was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. "Who cares? I don't want to be a tool for others to blackmail my friends. Besides, you promised Qin Zhi to protect me, and now you want me to escort the swapped official silver to lure out Lord Zhu? And he even took advantage of Yanhong's fake death and almost killed me."
"At that time, I thought you were too reckless and was afraid that you would do something bad, so I made an excuse to let Zhu Jiazhen reveal his true colors. I didn't expect that he would choose Yanhong, and I didn't expect that Yanhong herself had problems." Su Zirui tilted his head and snorted.
What a surprise! This guy... no matter how good-looking he is, he can't hide his true nature of asking for a beating.
Aruo felt a little aggrieved, but thinking that he had truly saved her, she stopped caring and said, "Anyway... we're even now."
There was no point in calculating; the other party was of higher status than her, his reasons were more just, and his methods were stronger than hers. She was the most sensible person, and as long as she could survive, she would basically accept it.
"We're even?" Su Zirui curled his lips and waited for her to catch up before glancing at her. "It seems Miss Qi is very forgetful. Count for yourself how many times I've saved you along the way."
Isn't this person an official? The people's nanny, didn't the emperor just reward him? Why is he so stingy?
Aruo turned her head away and counted on her fingers. It seemed that she really did owe him one, um... two? No, that wasn't the point. Twisting the hair on her temples, Aruo looked at him sincerely, "Um... didn't you say we'd repay you in the next life?"
"In the next life, or the next life, you are taking advantage of me. You expect to be rewarded when you save people, and you always say that you will repay others in the next life when they save you. Will your next life know that you betrayed her so casually in this life? Will she be able to pay back your debt by then?" Su Zirui snorted lazily, not accepting this talk of repayment.
"Don't worry, I have already decided. If there is an afterlife, I will be a pig and raise myself fat and white. Then I can be slaughtered to feed all my benefactors." Aruo had made these plans a long time ago and would definitely not be a human in his next life.
"You...are unreasonable," Su Zirui sneered, his sarcasm hidden in the corners of his eyes. "How do you know that in my next life I won't be a monk? And won't be able to eat meat?"
Aruo choked. How could she know?
"Ms. Qi, you must repay a favor." Su Zirui whispered softly, and suddenly stopped and turned around, looking down at the girl who pursed her lips and subconsciously took a step back.
Aruo felt like she was about to be overshadowed by him. She quickly held the few coins in her waist purse tightly, and smiled a little forcedly, "Su Feng, no, Master Su, you have everything you need. Why would you need a little girl like me to repay this little drop of kindness?"
"Think about it yourself, is your brain made of tofu?" Su Zirui raised his eyebrows, looking at her confused expression with amusement. He didn't expect her to do anything, but he wouldn't be so foolish as to waste such a sure win.
Did she get herself into trouble?
Aruo was a little confused and felt that she was being tricked, but she couldn't think of any reason to refute.
The minds of the ancients, no, it was the officials who were really cunning. Someone accidentally touched her shoulder, and Aruo gave up and pulled him forward, stretching lazily under his disdainful gaze, "When will the return of favors end? Really."
Before they knew it, they had stepped off the arch bridge, and not far away on the wide flat ground, many people were standing there lighting lamps.
"Aruo~" Cai Xin, with sharp eyes, waved towards her from where the crowd gathered, calling excitedly, "They said we can release sky lanterns~ Come quickly~"
"Finally you're here. Are you a pig? You can even get lost while walking." Qin Zhi waved his hand with disdain. "Xiao Man is here, and you're still dawdling."
People were already releasing sky lanterns in that direction, and the dark, desolate night sky was beginning to come alive. Aruo looked up at the lanterns drifting overhead, wondering, with dismay, what if they landed in a residential building? That would be a potential safety hazard.
"The government has already made plans for this kind of customary activity, so you don't have to worry about it." Seeing through her thoughts, Su Zirui let go of her wrist, put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky, "Let's go and participate in this grand event."
"Who said that making wishes with sky lanterns is just a mediocre thing?" Aruo used his words to interrupt him with bad intentions.
Su Zirui turned around. His handsome face, lit by the flickering candlelight, had a gentle warmth. His eyes, usually cold and icy, lost their usual hint of irony, now soft and gentle like jade. "Miss Qi, I am nothing but a mediocre person. Or do you think I am a saint?"
"Haha, of course. I have a very good impression of you. You are a gentleman and upright." Aruo turned his head away and rolled his eyes subtly with a hypocritical smile.
A dog official who uses his favor to oppress the people, huh!
"It seems... the girl has a deep misunderstanding of me." Su Zirui knew what was going on in her mind without even looking, and couldn't help laughing.
The night wind began to blow, and the young man in white clothes fluttered his sleeves, his clothes dancing. The lights slowly approached and passed by behind him, floating up into the night sky. His backlit face was unusually clear, with a pure smile on his lips. This young man was unparalleled in the world... so beautiful that Aruo was a little dazed and couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Let's go." Su Zirui chuckled and waved at her.
Suddenly coming back to her senses, Aruo rubbed her cheeks, thinking that beauty is indeed alluring. This is a creditor. Think about the fate of being sent to the Ministry of Justice and his nickname. Shaking her head, she slowly followed.
As soon as she saw them, Cai Xin ran over, passed Su Zirui, hugged Aruo's arm, and excitedly raised the sky lantern in her hand, "Aruo, look, I bought several. Let's make a wish."
Aruo was holding the sky lantern when he suddenly recalled a scene from long ago. He felt a little nostalgic and laughed, "What do you want to wish for?"
"Well, may we all be safe and live happily?" Ning Caixin tilted her head to think about it, then picked up the brush with a smile and wrote down her wish.
"Silly girl, such a rare opportunity must be described in an exaggerated way. For example, getting rich overnight or something like that." Aruo rubbed her hair.
"Why make a wish to get rich overnight?" Qin Zhi asked the question of the rich second generation.
The two girls, who were often on the edge of poverty, glared at him with disdain and turned to ask Li Xiaoman, "Xiaoman, what is your wish?"
Li Xiaoman said righteously, "Peace and prosperity for the country and the people are enough."
"Pfft," Cai Xin couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Could it be that Fatty Fang is getting married this year?"
"How did you know, little Caixin?" Fang Jingsheng grabbed Caixin's sky lantern. "Hahaha, what kind of wish is that? To live peacefully with A'ruo and roam the world freely? Do you think you're a chivalrous hero?"
"Fatty Fang, give me back my sky lantern. If it breaks, I'll kill you!" When the wish was read out, Cai Xin stomped her feet in anger and chased after him.
Li Xiaoman sighed slightly, "To prevent a murder from happening, I'd better go and take a look."
"This is not good. We are a country of etiquette." Qin Zhi raised his eyebrows and walked over slowly carrying his large sky lantern.
"Be careful, don't bump into anyone." Aruo felt like a nagging mother taking her children on a trip. She tilted her head to look at the people around her, and unexpectedly met his gaze. She raised her hand, "Su Feng, what wish are you going to make?"
"What about you? What wish do you plan to make?" Su Zirui took the thing from her hand, found a place with fewer people, and lit it for her.
Aruo raised his eyebrows and smiled softly, "May the years be kind to me, and time be kind to me as before."
"Tsk," Su Zirui scoffed and said lazily, "Miss Qi, it's better to be down-to-earth."
"That's pretty down-to-earth. I didn't even write about getting rich overnight..." Aruo took the brush and started writing on the lantern paper.
Su Zirui looked up at the sky with a rare rude look, "Do you think your wish is easier than getting rich overnight?"
"What else? Good health? Eating and drinking well?" Aruo said as a matter of course, his eyes frankly, "Why waste a wish on something that can be achieved with effort? When you make a wish, you should make it for something that is difficult to achieve but you still want~"
"It's obviously nonsense, but it seems so justified." Su Zirui shook his head.
"Su Feng, what wish do you make?" Aruo wrote his own and generously left the other side blank.
"I won't write it." He just suddenly wanted to release a sky lantern and didn't really plan to make a wish.
His eyes rolled around. "Don't you have any wishes? To get promoted or given a higher rank?"
"Isn't that possible?" Su Zirui looked at the jumping flames as if it were a matter of course.
Aruo put on a fake smile. She didn't want to talk to such a person anymore.
She lowered her head and watched the candle burn. His shadow covered her, which felt strange.
"It's time to turn on the lights." Su Zirui said suddenly, sighed slightly at her dazed look, and reached out to adjust the position.
Their fingertips touched, and Aruo suddenly came back to her senses, looked up at him, and their eyes met. Suddenly, they let go of each other's hands, and the burning sky lantern rose up along the air current.
"It's rising." Aruo looked away and looked up at the sky lantern carrying her and his wishes slowly flying into the night sky, swaying with the wind and blending into the group of other sky lanterns.
Su Zirui looked at her face illuminated by the warm yellow firelight, and felt a corner of his heart soften quietly.
"Man'er~" Fang Jingsheng tried hard to reach Xiaoman's hand, but was always blocked by her machete.
"Walk carefully!" Li Xiaoman frowned and habitually slapped his hand away.
After releasing the sky lanterns, they walked around the riverside. Everyone who was satisfied walked back one after another, and they followed the crowd and slowly stepped onto the arch bridge.
Fang Jingsheng finally got to spend time with his beloved girl. She even changed her clothes specially, which made him unable to take his eyes off her. Whenever she got close to him, he would secretly want to hold her hand, but he was always rejected, and his face wrinkled with frustration.
Cai Xin had seen enough of the show before she smiled and said to Aruo, "There's a beautiful legend in Sizhou that says if two people can walk hand in hand across this arch bridge without separating, they will live together forever. That's why Fatty Fang has been wanting to hold Xiao Man's hand and walk across this arch bridge."
"Huh? Grow old together?" Aruo was startled. He subconsciously turned back, met a pair of playful black eyes, and his heart sank. "You still believe this? If I walked hand in hand with a different person every day, wouldn't I grow old together with many people?"
"Aruo, such a beautiful thing has been destroyed by your words." Qin Zhi looked at her with contempt, and he really wanted to be beaten. "Crossing the bridge hand in hand, staying together for life, how attractive it is."
Aruo raised an eyebrow and teased, "Do you think you are Xu Xian or White Snake? Do you want me to find you a Xiaoqing?"
"You can find her and let her transform into her original form to play with you." Qin Zhi smiled maliciously.
Prototype… A chill ran down her body, giving her goosebumps. She unconsciously clung to Caixin's arm, "I'll find you a Cui Yingying or Chen Miaochan, or do you want to be like Wei Rong and have one wife and five concubines?"
"Miss Qi, it seems that you have a wide range of knowledge about these banned books." Su Zirui said coldly when he saw that her words were getting more and more outrageous.
Blinking, Aruo smiled shyly, "I just took a quick look..."
Su Zirui looked at her guilty expression coldly and snorted.
This guy is even more controlling than the old master. Ruo touched his nose awkwardly, glared at Qin Zhi, and hopped over to Su Zirui, "Master Su, why isn't Sister Yurong here? Is she with the Second Young Master Bai? Speaking of which, that young master seems quite nice and gentle."
"Isn't it? He has handsome features, a good family background, and looks like he'll love his wife." Su Zirui glanced at her, so gently that no sarcasm could be heard. "It's a pity that he's devoted to someone else."
"Uh," Aruo opened his eyes wide, turned his head away uncomfortably, and his ears turned slightly red, "This is a very good condition."
How could this person know... Could he have eavesdropped? Aruo muttered inwardly, brushing her hair aside with reserved demeanor, like a lady from a noble family.
Before they knew it, they had reached the intersection of the White Flame Gang branch. Aruo and the others bowed and said goodbye. After walking a few steps, Aruo turned back and saw Su Zirui and the others still there. The young man stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, which unexpectedly gave Aruo a feeling of being cherished.
"Master Su," Aruo felt his gaze on her, turned around and waved, "Goodbye."
The night was deep, and the bright lights lit up by the branch for the Sky Lantern Festival illuminated half of the street. Under the stone steps, two exquisite and spacious carriages were parked in the middle of the street, one after the other. A handsome man with fluttering clothes stood in front of the carriages, looking up at the gate of the Qin Mansion.
Probably hearing footsteps at the intersection, the man tilted his head to look, revealing a gentle smile, with a kind of surprise under his curved eyebrows.
Before Qin Zhi could react, the girl next to him had already lit up her eyes and ran towards the man.
With her pink skirt fluttering, Aruo smiled brightly, opened her arms and quickly threw herself into the man's arms, "Brother~"
The man picked up the girl in his arms, spun her half a circle, and then lifted her up like a doll, weighing her. He smiled and said, "It's light now. You must have suffered a lot outside, right?"
"I'll wait until you recover~" Aruo leaned in his arms with a smile, and let him pinch her face obediently.
Qin Zhi ran to them, his face full of surprise, "Brother-in-law, why are you here?"
"I'm coming back from Shuzhong and passing through Sizhou. I'll be going back with you." The man's black hair was tied high in a white jade crown, and he was dressed in a flowing and elegant green robe. His eyebrows were gentle and handsome, and when he smiled, he had a strange and evil beauty. "Who's that over there?"
"Yeah?" Qin Zhi turned around and saw Su Zirui and his group still there. "That's the Minister of Justice Su mentioned in my letter."
"Lord Su has helped me a lot. Brother, do you want to see him?" Aruo asked, looking up.
"No hurry, it's getting late, let's go inside and talk." The man patted Aruo's head and said, "Let's go, Aruo."
The childhood nickname reminded Aruo of the beauty in red under the peach tree, and he felt dazed for a moment.
The man's eyes seemed to see through everything, and with infinite tenderness and tolerance, he raised his hand and stroked her slightly cold cheek.
"Don't be afraid, Ruoruo."
"He actually came here in person to arrest someone." Fang Jingsheng covered the back of his hand that was slapped red by Xiaoman with a wronged look, as if thinking about something.
Bei Li was a little surprised. Although Aruo seemed to get along well with everyone, he had never seen someone so overtly dependent. He secretly glanced at the person next to him. Sure enough, his face was calm and his eyes were cold.
"Who is this person?"
"Her brother is Qi Shaozhen, the eldest son of the Qi family in Shu, who is rumored to have married the eldest daughter of the Qin family." Li Xiaoman answered casually. She had had many interactions with this person over the years.
Su Zirui glanced at her indifferently, turned around and strode away.
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