Looking at the woman Mo Ye brought, she was petite and wore an indigo shawl that draped over her shoulders and covered her whole body. A hat with a dark embroidered brim was tucked into her hair, which was styled in two braids, revealing half of her dark, palm-sized face with a simple and honest expression.
She and Mo Ye shared a horse. Since Zheng Quchi was unfamiliar with horsemanship, it seemed that Mo Ye had done his homework specifically for this trip...
That face… Zheng Quchi squinted, the light shifting and illuminating her facial features, and she was slightly taken aback.
Goodness, where did Mo Ye find someone so similar to himself?
No, it's not just that they look alike, it's that face that's a perfect copy and paste of hers, okay?
Are there really people in this world who look exactly alike?
The world is full of wonders, and perhaps such things do exist, like twins. But Zheng Quchi was certain that she did not have a twin sister.
Even someone with her non-existent understanding of scheming would know there must be some trickery involved.
Xiao Meng grabbed a handful of grass from the ground, suppressing his excitement, and said, "Brother Ya'er, the people in the city should be alright now. Sima has brought people to exchange with the Living Yama of Ye Kingdom."
But Gongchenya rubbed his chin, his eyelids drooping: "But why do I feel like it can't be that simple?"
On the other side, Aunt Mei crouched down and walked over. When she saw that there was a strange woman following Gongchen Cliff, she frowned slightly and said, "Cliff, come here for a moment."
Gong Chenya turned his head and nodded: "Okay."
After Gongchen Cliff was called away, Xiao Meng whispered some gossip between women to Zheng Quchi: "Sister Chi, look at that Ye State general's wife, she's really ugly and so dark-skinned."
Young girls love to look beautiful, and sometimes they can be quite outspoken, which can be disheartening to hear.
"...Really? From this distance, how could you get a good look at what she looked like?"
Not everyone has Zheng Quchi's exceptional eyesight. She didn't believe that Xiao Meng could really see the other person's appearance clearly. If she really could, she shouldn't think that the person looked somewhat similar to her, but rather that the two looked exactly alike.
Xiao Meng choked for a moment, then muttered unconvinced, "I didn't see it very clearly, but sitting in front of Sima, the contrast made her stand out. I had imagined she would be some kind of stunning beauty, but now it seems..."
Zheng Quchi interrupted, "Perhaps she is not Yuwen Sheng's wife. None of us have ever seen her. Aren't we just guessing?"
“You’re right, but look how thin and small she is, she’s definitely not a female general. Logically speaking, shouldn’t it be her who Sima would bring to the dangerous battlefield at this time?” Xiao Meng concluded based on his judgment.
Unable to refute the other party's reasoning, Zheng Quchi changed the subject: "Perhaps so. I was just saying. But do you think she's like me?"
Xiao Meng said embarrassedly, "At first glance, it does look quite similar, but upon closer inspection, it doesn't seem like it at all. Sister Ruler isn't as dark-skinned as her."
Not as dark-skinned as her?
Zheng Quchi suddenly realized.
Yes, she no longer deliberately applies black charcoal powder to her body. As her skin naturally metabolizes the melanin, it's not as dark as it used to be. Could it be that her face...
"Xiao Meng, isn't my face...dark?"
So far, only Xiao Meng has seen her face, although it all started with a rash act.
Without hesitation, Xiao Meng replied, "It's not dark."
Zheng Quchi asked expectantly, "Is it white?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Meng seemed to hesitate for a moment: "How much white is considered white?"
"How does it compare to Gongchen Cliff?"
To be honest, among this group of people, only Gongchenya is fair-skinned. Perhaps good-looking people all have the same characteristic: they can be spotted at a glance in the crowd, and fair skin is definitely an important factor.
"Uh, Brother Ya'er is fairer than all of us, right?" Xiao Meng asked hesitantly.
Oh, I understand.
"We" naturally includes Zheng Quchi.
She estimated that her current state was somewhere between black and white.
Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Since everyone who knew "Zheng Quchi" thought she should be black, she would deliberately be as white as a ghost, focusing on the contrast.
That way, no one will recognize her.
Yes! I'll use some strong soap to wash it in a bit, and try to clean all the black stains floating on the surface.
Not long after, Gongchen Cliff returned. Aunt Mei glanced at Zheng Quchi again, but this time her expression was no longer one of wariness and suspicion, but rather one of slight inquiry and surprise. She then called Xiao Meng away.
Gongchenya then took Zheng Quchi back to the cave. He walked slowly, keeping pace with Zheng Quchi's pace. The two strolled under the moonlight and gradually opened their hearts to each other.
Why did you bring me here to see all this?
Zheng Quchi turned his head and asked him.
Gong Chenya smiled and said, "If I left you here, they would definitely bombard you with questions, so I simply took you with me. By the way, Chizi, tomorrow Aunt Mei and I are going to Fenggu Sand City. Are you staying here to recover from your injuries, or are you coming with us?"
Zheng Quchi remained silent for a moment before repeating, "Tomorrow..."
"Yes, tomorrow is the final deadline Yuwen Sheng gave Sima and the others. The closed city gates will be reopened. If the negotiations between the two sides go smoothly, the Ye Kingdom troops stationed in Fenggusha City will be withdrawn, and everything should return to normal. Do you want to go and take a look?"
"I am injured and unable to enter the city, so I won't keep you any longer. I heard from Xiao Meng that you are lingering here to save someone. Who are you going to save?"
Because Yuwen Sheng was in Fenggu Shacheng, Zheng Quchi didn't want to go. If she could, she just wanted to stay far away from him.
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