Her thoughts raced through her mind, over and over again, but this time, she didn't hesitate: "Why don't we cooperate?"
She finally said it.
Yuan Xingzhou paused for a moment upon hearing this, gazing intently at her profile: "Why did you suddenly agree?"
Zheng Quchi smiled casually, "You suddenly figured it out, didn't you? People can't live just to survive. Maybe it's for Yuwen Sheng, maybe it's for me and my family, or maybe it's for this bag of maltose in your hand."
Her first thought was Yuwen Sheng… No matter how much she wanted to get rid of him and sever ties with him, he was like the air that seeps into every crevice, and in the end, through his tragic death, he left a deep and colorful mark on the blank space in her heart.
A smile appeared on Yuan Xingzhou's enigmatic face.
"Okay, I'll take what I want, and you can do what you want."
"Let's discuss the details and methods of our cooperation privately sometime. Here, take this as a token of my sincerity." Zheng Quchi tossed the bag of candy to Yuan Xingzhou.
Yuan Xingzhou subconsciously reached out and took it, then glanced down at it: "You don't want it anymore?"
“I don’t like sweets,” Zheng Quchi shook his head.
She couldn't take the candy back either, otherwise her younger sister would see it and keep pestering her for more. Her younger sister's little white teeth had been ruined by the candy she had bought before, and now Zheng Quchi would never give her such high-sugar food again.
He looked at her again: "Then why did you buy it?"
She turned around and stopped wandering aimlessly through the streets, heading back towards the inn: "I thought eating candy could really make people happy, but after trying one, I realized it was all a lie told by the candy seller."
Yuan Xingzhou watched her retreating figure, poured out a candy from the bag, twisted it, put it in his mouth, and slowly let it melt. He could feel its sweetness spreading across his tongue, both physically and mentally.
"...But why do I feel like this isn't a lie?"
——
The next day, Wei Yao and his group arrived, and the official who had been waiting outside the city gate led Wei Yao, Wang Zebang and the others to the inn.
As for Princess Sheng'an and the bandits, they were still outside the city. It would be too conspicuous for such a large group to enter Lushui Town together, so only Wei Yao and Wang Zebang came.
Upon seeing them, Zheng Quchi immediately asked, "How was it? Did anything happen on the way?"
Wei Yao shook his head: "It's just a few minor troubles. As long as Princess Sheng'an shows her face occasionally, all those who were secretly plotting will go back into hiding."
Hearing that nothing had happened, Zheng Quchi relaxed and smiled, "That's good. We're mostly unfamiliar faces here, so no one paid any attention to us. The journey was surprisingly smooth. You should rest well for the night, and we'll enter Shengjing tomorrow."
They both nodded. At this moment, Wang Zebang, whose expression had been complicated the whole way, couldn't help but ask, "Madam, have you heard any news in Lushu Town?"
Zheng Quchi didn't mince words: "Are you talking about the notice board posted at the city gate?"
"right."
"Um."
"I heard you," she answered readily.
Wang Zebang clenched his fists and said, "On the way, Fu Rong sent an urgent message. He did see them pull a body out of the river... dressed in what appeared to be a general's clothes, riddled with arrows, and wearing a Nuo mask."
Zheng Quchi lowered his head slightly and looked down into the air, saying, "Whether it is or not, we will know when they bring the body back and we collect the remains."
They observed that the lady's expression was calm, except for a faint red tinge at the corner of her eye, like a wounded crane raising its neck.
But when she looked up, her clear, tranquil eyes were completely blank, as if nothing had been left behind.
"lady……"
Zheng Quchi pursed his lips and lowered his voice: "Don't be too sad. From now on, I will do my best to protect you, just like he did. Let's help each other, overcome difficulties together, and move forward."
Upon hearing this, Wei Yao felt an overwhelming surge of emotion. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt a lump in his throat. Wang Zebang's body trembled uncontrollably, and before revealing his true emotions, he looked away.
"Madam, we...we will also protect you with our lives."
She was equally afraid of the storms that would come her way, yet she still tried her best to spread her still weak and soft wings, wanting to protect them under her wings and let them fly.
——
The next day, Zheng Quchi got up early, intending to dress up nicely. However, since she didn't know how wealthy ladies dressed themselves, she specially invited the most famous makeup artist in the city, which cost her a lot of money (she was heartbroken and almost vomited blood).
She considered that this trip to the palace represented not only herself, but also Yuwen Sheng's wife, the General's Mansion, and the Four Elephant Army.
Since Yuan Xingzhou was also going to see the Prince of Ye, he couldn't be sloppy, so he made sure to dress properly.
When the two of them finished their makeup and came downstairs, Wei Yao, Wang Zebang, and the four members of the group who were waiting below were all stunned.
Zheng Quchi no longer wore the bright, youthful colors of her previous clothes, but instead wore a series of solemn colors, just to suppress her wildness and naivety.
The woman's hairstyle was ultimately not very suitable for Zheng Quchi's face shape, so the makeup artist made some adjustments for her. The high bun was styled with some hair hanging down at the back of her head, called "fenshao," and then fine white feather braids hung down on both cheeks to prevent the overly curly hair from becoming messy.
She wore a long, loose-fitting turquoise dress with a front opening and flowing sleeves. A silk sash cinched her waist, and the hem was adorned with different colored trims. The long skirt trailed on the ground, and the loose hem, with layers of embellishments, did not appear bulky or cumbersome when she moved; instead, it exuded elegance and grace.
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