He Zhizhou and Ye Zongheng were taken away.
The criminal justice envoy had no intention of letting the situation go, and Ning Ning was helpless and could only feel sorry for her fellow villager in her heart.
What greeted them both was definitely the loving education from the elders of the sect, and then music started playing, cloth was spread, and all the people in the sect, young and old, were waiting to be served the food.
The two biggest names in the fraud industry both went to jail in the Criminal Court, while He Zhizhou's fellow disciples, who were like brothers to him, completely let themselves go and visited all the markets in Luancheng.
Luancheng is a well-known commercial city, located at the thoroughfare of six cities, with extremely convenient land transportation. In addition, the Cangjiang River wraps it around like a dragon, so shipping is also unimpeded. It can be said that the wide roads connect the narrow streets, and the streets are filled with beautiful carriages and fragrant cars.
There are rows of shops one after another, and the streets are decorated with embroidered pearl curtains. Wine shops, tea houses, willow-lined bridges, flower streets and dark alleys are all scattered on it like stars. The open alleys are connected to the dark passages, and the roads are as dense as a spider web.
Pedestrians come and go, gathering all kinds of people, including handsome young masters in fine clothes and delicious food, ragged blind beggars, and shop vendors who keep shouting. It is very lively.
The City Lord's Mansion located in the center is the tallest building within sight. Its high walls shade the towers and its painted rafters look as if it is about to take off.
On the top of the mansion stood a phoenix with emerald eyes. Its eyeballs moved slowly in the sunlight, drawing out an endless stream of dazzling light.
Apart from the costume TV dramas of the past, Ningning had never seen such a scene before. Her pair of black eyes swung back and forth, with unconcealable curiosity and excitement in her eyes.
Although she didn't want to admit it, she was indeed no different from Granny Liu when she first entered the Grand View Garden.
——But what does that matter! Being happy is the most important thing!
The trip to the pagoda finally allowed the children to earn some pocket money. Although no one actually got much after the money and belongings were divided up, for Ningning, who had always lived frugally and repeatedly walked on the edge of bankruptcy, it was already a considerable asset.
She was in a particularly good mood today, and even found the noisy shouting around her very cute. The streets were bustling with traffic and the fragrance of silk was in the air. Ningning was just a little girl after all, and the moment she looked up she saw a jewelry store.
The shops in Luancheng are completely different from Zheng Weiqi's simple stall in front of the mountain gate. Not only are they exquisitely designed and cleverly arranged, but the materials used are also ingenious, mainly jade, gems, gold and silver. The prices are visibly high.
As soon as I walked into the shop, I could smell the scent of sandalwood and colorful lights.
Ningning's eyes were almost blinded by the light.
The shop owner was a graceful young woman who came out to greet us enthusiastically: "Are you all here to attend the Ten Dharma Dharma Assembly? Judging from your demeanor, you must be a disciple of a major sect - feel free to pick whatever you like."
Ningning responded politely and lowered her head to look at the items in the store.
The gold hairpin is dotted with kingfisher feathers, and pearls are embedded on the emerald feathers; the colored glaze hairpin is as cold as ice, spotless, and under the sunlight it looks like ice and snow melting, shedding shimmering water-like colors.
What immediately caught the little girl's attention was an exquisite and small jade pendant.
Ordinary pendants are mostly made in the shape of Buddha or dragon and phoenix, but this one is different and is carved into a crescent moon. The white jade is as cold as winter snow and as soft as morning frost. At first glance, it really looks like a small moon hanging in the sky.
Another look at the price would empty her small treasury.
Ningning was so excited that her heart ached. Suddenly, she heard the proprietress laugh and say, "Young Master, you have good taste. This night-shining pearl is from the East China Sea. It is of excellent quality. Whether it is for blessing or decoration, it will be of great benefit."
She looked over and saw Lin Xun standing in front of a round night-shining pearl. When the proprietress called her name, she immediately blushed and waved her hands hurriedly, even her words stuttering: "No, no need! I, I..."
He doesn't have that much money.
The more Xiaobailong spoke, the redder his face became, and the last few words completely melted in his throat, turning into a vague breath and sob. He was too embarrassed to finish his words, so he clenched the hem of his clothes, lowered his head, and stared at his ankles.
Ningning then realized belatedly that the dragon clan seemed to like shiny treasures very much. To Lin Xun, this round and bright night pearl was probably like catnip in the eyes of a cat, with an irresistible temptation.
What's more, this pearl was produced in the sea, which made him feel even more homesick.
You have to know that although Lin Xun is socially anxious, he is unexpectedly stubborn about many things.
The most typical example is that the Xuanxu Sword Sect does not allow disciples to live on family property, so he refused all financial assistance from his family and went from being a spendthrift young master to a moonlit night stealing melons.
Ningning had been to his room before, and it was a typical case of green onion and tofu, nothing special. Not to mention the lack of any shiny decorations, even the candles are only a little bit left, and one never knows when someone will make a hole in the wall to steal the light.
It is said that his father couldn't bear to see it anymore, so he very down-to-earthly brought a huge pile of watermelons, which Lin Xun took away and distributed to his fellow brothers and sisters.
He did not participate in the training in the pagoda that day, and now he is penniless. Even if he likes it very much, he cannot afford to buy the night pearl.
Zheng Weiqi and Meng Jueyuan were at the other end of the store and did not hear the conversation. As a sales expert, the senior sister had long lost interest in jewelry. Seeing that no one else was looking at the goods, she shouted casually, "Didn't you pick out anything good? How about we go to the next store?"
Lin Xun's face flushed, and he nodded hurriedly like a chick pecking at rice.
So everyone walked out of the shop, but Ningning paused when she stepped out of the door and suddenly turned back.
She took one last look at the bright white little moon and touched the storage bag in her arms.
Then he lowered his voice and asked the lady boss: "Sister, how much is that night-shining pearl?"
=====
By the time we were exhausted, it was already evening from noon.
The night banquet in the City Lord's Mansion began an hour later. After some discussion, everyone decided to go back to their rooms to rest first, so as not to be like dead fish out of water.
The reputation of the Xuanxu Sword School can no longer withstand the damage.
While they were back in their room, Ningning went to the jewelry store and bought the night pearl. I wandered aimlessly on the street for a while, and when I quietly returned to the inn, I actually caught a glimpse of a dark figure sitting blankly on the top of the building.
When I looked closely, I realized it was Pei Ji.
This "top" does not refer to the top floor, but the highest eaves of the entire inn.
The boy was still wearing black clothes that matched the night color, which made his face look extremely pale. He seemed to be in a bad mood. He didn't expect to meet Ningning's eyes at this moment, and he was obviously stunned.
Ningning had no idea what he was thinking at this moment. After seeing Pei Ji on the eaves, only a few words remained in her mind -
Wow! It's flying over the eaves and walls!
Sword cultivators of their level can all fly into the air, so it is not difficult for them to climb walls and run on rooftops like in martial arts movies.
But before, when I was in Xuanxu Sword Sect, all I saw were mountains, rivers, forests and seas. There were no roofs, walls or people in the market. It always lacked something.
But now it's different.
Ning Ning squinted her eyes and smiled against the light, then she stepped on tiptoe and landed beside Pei Ji effortlessly: "Junior Brother!"
Her voice was blown into pieces by the evening breeze: "Instead of just sitting here in a daze, why don't you come with me and do something interesting?"
=====
Luancheng at dusk is completely different from that during the day, especially when you walk on the eaves of the houses. Just by looking down, you can take in the beautiful scenery of the whole city.
It is getting dark and the sun is about to set. The bright moon has climbed to the top of the tree, like the fair eyes and eyebrows of a young girl, covered with a layer of floating veil.
Floating lanterns rise from thousands of homes, the flames flickering, connected into pieces, and shrouded in the moonlight, adding a dreamlike sense of illusion.
The sounds of people, water, and horses intertwined like the tide, the laughter of children was endless, and the air was filled with the scent of honey and apricot blossoms, which sneaked into the thin night with the wind, and even the fragrance was dim.
Ningning's body is so light that she makes almost no sound when walking on the eaves. In addition, she walks very fast, often like a dragonfly skimming the water, moving unsteadily among the lights of thousands of homes.
Pei Ji followed her quietly, speaking occasionally to respond to her words.
"Junior brother, have you ever been to such a big city before?"
“No.”
"oh."
Ning Ning held a candy in her mouth and laughed to herself: "That's good too. The first time is very memorable! Since this is your first time coming to Luan City with everyone, maybe you will think of us every time you come here in the future."
Pei Ji didn't say anything. He glanced at her back through the misty firelight.
She was wearing a light-colored long skirt, the hem of which flowed freely like water as she moved, outlining ripple-like curves. Although she was chatting with him, she always kept an unreachable distance from him, as if she might disappear into the twilight at any time.
Suddenly the girl in front stopped and turned around without warning.
Pei Ji was slightly stunned and stopped.
"Junior brother."
She still had a smile on her face and raised her chin behind him: "Look, what's that behind you."
Pei Ji turned his head when he heard the words, and saw only a group of low houses in the corner she pointed to, without any eye-catching sights.
He was secretly wondering in his heart when he suddenly heard footsteps getting closer and closer.
The sound was deliberately suppressed to be very light, almost blending into the evening wind, but he was sensitive by nature and noticed something was wrong in an instant.
Pei Ji turned back suddenly.
Ningning, who was approaching him quietly, froze all over.
She didn't think that her little action would be discovered, because she was startled by the sudden glance back, and her body staggered slightly, and her feet suddenly slipped on the tiles.
Then, when he was only a few steps away from Pei Ji, he fell straight forward.
Ningning:……!
etc! This was not the plot she had imagined!
In any case, the correct plot is definitely not that she dies before she succeeds and falls flat on her face. According to the planned idea, this super harmonious and friendly surprise should be like this:
Today she went out with Pei Ji and noticed that his clothes had faded a little. It seemed that he was so focused on practicing swordsmanship that he had no time to think about how to take care of his appearance.
It was a pity that most of her pocket money was spent on Lin Xun's night-shining pearl. After much thought, she secretly took out the last bit of her private money and bought him a dark cloud brocade headband embroidered with gold-rimmed cloud patterns.
While Pei Ji was turning around, Ning Ning should have approached him quietly. When the junior brother turned around in confusion, he saw the gift so close at a glance, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
This is the correct way to open a surprise!
She never expected that the surprise she originally intended to give Pei Ji would end up being a shock to herself.
Ning Ning's heart sank and she gritted her teeth secretly.
She had already prepared herself to fall down, but the expected pain did not come as expected. A gust of wind rushed past, and a cold pine scent came to her nose.
A hand was placed on her shoulder.
Then the whole person fell into a strong and thin chest.
…Eh.
This scent, and the touch on my face——
The fabric that my cheek touched was soft and warm, and something was beating wildly and violently through the thin layer of chest.
Over and over again, too clearly.
Ningning held her breath suddenly, and her head exploded.
No, no, no, I don’t think so.
She was caught by Pei Ji?
The Jade Emperor, Tathagata Buddha, Jesus Christ, Guanyin Bodhisattva! She had never been in such close contact with any boy in her life. This was too——
So weird!!!
What was she supposed to say?
"What a surprise" or "You didn't expect it, this is a gift for you"?
No, no! The most urgent task now is to get away from Pei Jihuai as soon as possible.
As the night falls, floating lights appear.
Ning Ning's heart was in great confusion, and the young man in black standing on the eaves also had a burning sensation in his ears.
When he saw the little sister fall, he tried to help her up, but he didn't expect her to...
She fell directly into his arms.
Pei Ji seldom had contact with women, and now he felt a warm, soft jade invading his chest, bringing with it a sweet, refreshing, and strange scent similar to that of candy.
Chengying remained silent. He stood there at a loss, not knowing whether he should push her away or wait for Ningning to get up on her own.
He used very light force, just pressing his palm on the girl's shoulder, but all the muscles in his body were tensed up by this action and he couldn't move.
The palms of my hands that touched her felt extremely hot, as if a ball of fire was burning straight into my heart.
In the silence, there was a sudden sound of fireworks rising into the sky not far away.
A long dark golden line shot up to the dome like lightning, and then suddenly bloomed like a night-blooming cereus.
Soon after, the fireworks became more and more numerous and brighter and brighter, and the sky was filled with smoke, making the evening seem like daytime, like a huge galaxy hanging upside down and falling before his eyes.
Those were the fireworks set off in the City Lord's Mansion to celebrate the Ten Dharma Assembly.
At the end of the galaxy, the little girl who had fallen into his arms raised her head.
Ningning turned her back to the fireworks, but her pupils were still filled with gentle neon light.
However, her expression could not really be described as "gentle". She stood up in annoyance, and her face turned a deep red, perhaps from anger or the reflection of the firelight.
Pei Ji thought she would be angry.
Because of the evil spirit in his body, almost no one was willing to get close to him. When he touched other children in the town as a child, he would often be beaten and kicked.
He was used to doing things his own way, but at this moment he felt inexplicably nervous. His throat moved slightly and he quietly grasped his clothes with his fingertips.
But Ningning glared at him but did not utter any harsh words. Instead, she lowered her head without saying a word and took out a long, flat, black belt from her storage bag.
To be precise, it is a headband with exquisite workmanship, and you can tell at a glance that it is not cheap.
"For you."
She spoke in a stern tone, not looking up from beginning to end: "I just... I just happened to see it when I passed by... I bought it anyway, I definitely didn't choose it specially for you."
After saying a lot of things in a confused manner, the redness from falling into Pei Ji's arms had not yet subsided. Perhaps to increase credibility, she added at the end: "The one you are using now is too old. I don't like it at all. Change it quickly."
What does this have to do with anything?
Ningning just wanted to give herself a hard blow in her heart.
The speech she had carefully prepared with great difficulty was ruined by the fall.
Clearly, this headband cost her all the remaining family fortune, but judging by the tone she used now, it was as if she had stolen it from a street stall.
Angry.
Ning Ning's thoughts came and went, her mind was in a mess. While she was daydreaming, she suddenly noticed that Pei Ji in front of her was making some moves.
She originally thought that Pei Ji would take the headband.
Unexpectedly, when he stretched out his hand, the palm of his right hand was not empty, but a small object was placed neatly and quietly.
Amid the increasingly grand fireworks, Ningning's eyes gradually widened.
Then the mouth turns into a small circle.
For no apparent reason, my heartbeat accelerated dramatically, pounding against my chest.
In Pei Ji's palm, there was a small, whitish white moon. In the dim night, it seemed as if the bright moon was slowly growing from the boy's hand, emitting a soft glow.
It was the jade pendant she had seen in the jewelry store.
Everything tonight felt like a dream, totally unreal.
That vague hug.
This is an untimely firework.
There was also the small jewelry that she loved so much and should not have been in Pei Ji's hands no matter what.
She wanted to give Pei Ji a clumsy little surprise, but he gave her a bigger one instead.
——How did Pei Ji discover her thoughts?
Before Ningning could recover from her shock, the hairband in her hand was taken away by him without any explanation, and replaced by the moon jade pendant that Pei Ji stuffed into her hand.
"No, no!"
Ning Ning was very principled: "This is too expensive, I can't accept it."
Pei Ji's voice was very cold, and he raised his eyebrows provocatively: "Why can't I accept it? Senior Sister can buy the Night Pearl for Senior Brother Lin Xun, but why can't I accept a gift of the same value from me?"
Ning Ning was startled again.
Did he also know that she bought the Night Pearl for Lin Xun? No, why did Pei Ji's tone sound strange, like he was a little angry? What was he angry about?
I think he went back to the jewelry store after her. The proprietress was so enthusiastic and talkative, who knows what she said.
She was scolded for a moment, but still felt unworthy of it, and hurriedly said, "I don't deserve it if I have done nothing for it. Why did you give it to me?"
As soon as the words fell, another bunch of fireworks swirled in the air, illuminating the red tear moles at the corners of Pei Ji's eyes and the silent gloom at the bottom of his eyes.
He answered as a matter of course, without any emotion in his voice: "Why did Junior Sister give me the headband?"
Ningning was completely choked.
This kid——
Why didn’t I realize Pei Ji was so eloquent before?
She had nothing to say, so she held the jade pendant in her hand. After hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "Then I'll take it first... Thank you."
What Ning Ning didn't know was that the boy's tense back beside her quietly relaxed a little.
He responded in a calm tone: "Yeah."
There was a period of silence.
Pei Ji watched her calmly as she carefully spread out her hands, carefully examining the small moon in her palms. Finally, she raised her hands slightly and held the jade pendant to the moonlight.
The white lights on the top floor of the City Lord's Mansion made it look like a palace in heaven. I had no idea what year it was.
In addition to the street lights and fireworks, dark red lanterns were also lit up on the vast river. The light on the water was fragmented by the shaking of the oars, and dark shadows floated on the waves, with the sound of falling petals swaying faintly.
Ningning stared at the small jade pendant. The evening breeze blew from the eaves, lifting a few strands of black hair that fell on her cheeks. Pei Ji caught a glimpse of her white neck and looked away without saying a word.
The jade pendant emitted a dim white glow under the moonlight, and fireworks formed a galaxy that covered the sky and the earth, all of which fell into the girl's pupils.
The moon is in front of her eyes and the stars are in her vision.
Suddenly Ningning turned her head, and in addition to the stars and the moon, she also saw Pei Ji's shadow, standing in the center, within reach.
She burst out laughing out loud for no apparent reason, looking extremely surprised: "Wow, Pei Ji, this is the first time I see you laugh."
After a pause, he added, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh... but you look like a fake-smile boy now."
=====
Although Pei Ji had never seen the "fake smile boy" in person, he could guess from Ning Ning's tone and the literal meaning of the term that she was talking about his strange smile.
Now that the dinner had begun, the two of them hurried back to the inn not long after, preparing to attend the dinner with other people from the sect.
Before going to the banquet, one should go back to the room and tidy up his attire. Pei Ji held the brand new hairband in his hand, but did not tie it in his hair.
The gold-rimmed patterns swirled and glowed on the jade brocade. The young man's eyes darkened slightly, and his slender fingers clenched subconsciously.
In that jewelry store, he had seen Ning Ning lingering in front of a jade pendant, but the reason she failed to buy it was probably because of the price.
Pei Ji had always been frugal and had saved a lot of spare money. He had intended to buy it for her, but he didn't expect that amid Cheng Ying's teasing voice [Pei Xiaoji actually knows how to prepare surprises, oh wow], he heard the proprietress say, "What a coincidence! The girl who was with you during the day just left not long ago - she bought the night pearl."
Night-shining pearl.
That's what Senior Brother Lin Xun likes.
It turned out that she failed to buy the jade pendant in order to please Senior Brother Lin Xun.
It was difficult for Pei Ji to describe his feelings at that moment: surprise, confusion, a little bit of grievance and sadness.
…Really, just a little bit.
He was a little angry at first and didn't want to give the jade pendant to her again.
But when I saw the headband without any preparation, the anger and stubbornness that had accumulated in my heart were thrown away because of a thin layer of cloth and disappeared without a trace.
He is really useless because he has a weak character.
As if remembering something, Pei Ji leaned over with a cold face, frowned and stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Then raise your right hand and curl up the right corner of your mouth.
He had lived in darkness, beatings and scoldings since he was a child, and had almost never encountered anything worth being happy about. Over time, laughter became a useless burden and was cast aside.
He doesn't smile much.
The light pink thin lips were forced to raise an arc similar to a smile, but they looked as stiff as a block of iron. With his cold eyebrows and eyes, he didn't look like he was smiling. Instead, he looked like he was possessed or poisoned.
The person in the bronze mirror frowned.
He smiled...is that what he looked like?
Chengying, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke, trying hard to hold back his laughter: "Come on, Pei Xiaoji, Ningning was just saying it casually, but you took it seriously. Look in the mirror and see what you look like when you smile?" How about it? Are you happy to receive the gift today? ]
Perhaps sensing Pei Ji's impatience and irritability, he coughed lightly and said, "Well, listen to me. Who has only half of their mouth curved when they smile? Try using both hands to hook the corners of your mouth upwards, and it will look much more normal. ]
Chengying is equivalent to a middle-aged single uncle who is addicted to love. Pei Ji has always felt that it is unreliable, but at this moment, he lowered his head with an indifferent expression and did as he was told without saying a word.
The corners of her mouth were curved with her fingers, and Chengying taught her in a loving motherly tone:
[Yes, that's it, pull it a little further out—perfect, Pei Xiaoji! Just smile like this from now on, do you understand? Hehehe, hahahaha! Absolutely amazing! What kind of god is this! ]
After saying this, she couldn't bear it anymore and turned from a kind old mother into a cackling old hen.
Pei Ji didn't move, his eyes fixed on the mirror. As far as his sight went, he could see his sword-like eyebrows, calm black eyes and tall nose.
And the extremely funny curved lips, and the two round, white, tender lumps of flesh on the cheeks piled up by the fingers.
This time it wasn't a fake smile.
Acting like a fool.
Pei Ji: ...
Got fooled.
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