They arrived at the restaurant together, and Lin Zhi excitedly led Jiang Chuting to the private room she had reserved, her lips curving into a smile that never faded.
The two sat down at the table. Jiang Chuting sat to Lin Zhi's right. When he turned his head to look around at the elegant environment of the room, he found that Lin Zhi had already dragged a chair to his side and was blinking his eyes at him. There was only about half a fist's width between them, which was almost the same as being close together.
Jiang Chuting was still slightly uncomfortable with his natural and intimate behavior, but since she was here to make him happy, she let him have his way.
Jiang Chuting couldn't help but laugh and said, "Why are you always staring at me?" After their reunion, Lin Zhi seemed to really enjoy staring at his face, and he didn't even know what was so attractive about his face.
"It's just so amazing." Lin Zhi tilted her head and smiled at him, looking incredibly handsome. "So many years have passed, I've grown up, but you haven't changed much, you look almost exactly like I remember you. Chu Ran, do you have some kind of magic to preserve your youth? Or did a fairy secretly descend to earth?"
The effects of the Disguise Pill change with age. Almost ten years have passed, and Jiang Chuting himself has changed somewhat. However, it may be related to the Nine Heavens Inner Strength Technique or his own reasons, but his appearance has not changed much. Therefore, the Chu Ran he disguises will not be too different from the one he wore back then.
But Lin Zhi was being too exaggerated, causing him to be speechless for a moment before he couldn't help but lower his eyes, smile slightly, and shake his head: "When did your mouth become so sweet?"
Lin Zhi gazed at his slight smile and said sincerely, "I'm telling the truth. Do you think I'm just flattering you? In my heart, you're no different from a god."
Jiang Chuting's heart skipped a beat, but her smile remained unchanged. She said softly, "Is that so?" She poured a cup of tea and placed it beside him. She then picked up her own teacup and began to drink.
It wasn't a misperception; the more he interacted with Chu Ran, the more he felt that the influence "Chu Ran" had on the child was far more profound than he had imagined. Whether through actions or words, Lin Zhi expressed a very warm and straightforward affection, even reverence, for "Chu Ran." Because of a childhood memory, Lin Zhi had idealized his image of Chu Ran to an excessive degree.
However, he knew very well that he was not as perfect and ethereal as Lin Zhi thought.
If Lin Zhi were to discover that Chu Ran was actually Jiang Chuting, then Lin Zhi would not only hate and loathe him, but would also be furious because his ideal of perfection had been completely destroyed.
He just hoped that day would never come.
Lin Zhi kept talking to Jiang Chuting and even explained his identity to him. Jiang Chuting pretended to realize this only then and said in surprise, "The Lin family of Anyang, so you are the young master of the Lin family."
"Hmm. You've heard of it?"
Jiang Chuting said, "Of course." Who doesn't know the Lin family of Anyang?
Lin Zhiyou said to him, "My mother has always forbidden me from leaving Anyang. That time, I sneaked out on my own."
Jiang Chuting thought he was just playful and wanted to go out, but then she heard him continue, "I was originally planning to go find someone, but before I could find them, I got poisoned and you picked me up."
Looking for someone? Yes, Jiang Chuting did ask him then, and he said he was going to find someone, but he didn't tell him who it was. Lin Zhi didn't want to go home and was also poisoned, so Jiang Chuting kept him by his side to take care of him without asking any further questions.
But hearing him say it now, a feeling suddenly welled up in my heart. I put down my teacup, looked at him and asked gently, "You're still so young. Who are you trying to find by running off all by yourself?"
"Find someone..." Lin Zhi seemed to recall something unpleasant, and frowned before saying, "Find someone I've hated since I was a child, just want to see what they look like, but my mother has always forbade it. I did meet them a while ago, and they were even more annoying than I imagined... Sigh, why talk about these unrelated things when we finally have a chance to talk? Chu Ran, why don't you talk about yourself?"
Before Zi Que died, he made Lin Xi swear a poisonous oath that no one in the Lin family would ever seek trouble with him again. Jiang Chuting was almost certain that the person Lin Zhi had mentioned, whom Lin Xi had disliked since childhood and whom Lin Xi forbade to contact, was him.
It turns out that Lin Zhi ran away as a child because of him. But the absurd thing is that at that time, neither of them knew who the other was.
Now he knows, but Lin Zhi is completely unaware and is still treating him affectionately.
"Tell me, where did you go? What did you do? I really want to hear it, I want to know more about you." Lin Zhi looked expectant, and Jiang Chuting's lips curled into a smile, but he felt a lump in his throat. He really wanted to tell Lin Zhi that he was actually the person he hated even more than she imagined, and that she didn't actually not want to know more about him.
After a moment, Jiang Chuting said in a natural tone, "My experiences are very dull, there's really nothing to talk about, I'm afraid you'll fall asleep if you listen."
"It's rare to be with you, how could I fall asleep during such precious time?" Lin Zhi tilted her head and leaned on Jiang Chuting's shoulder, urging, "Tell me quickly, I want to hear it."
Jiang Chuting has been traveling the world in disguise for many years, not just casually observing. Whenever he encounters someone suffering injustice or unfair treatment, regardless of the scale or severity, he will do his best to help. It's not for fame; it's simply a matter of following his heart. Saving Lin Zhi is one such example.
He insisted on listening, so Jiang Chuting casually picked a few trivial things to tell him. As a result, Lin Zhiwang's eyes shone even brighter as he looked at him. "Chu Ran, you are so good. There is no one better than you in the world."
This silly child! He was just talking about simple things like helping an old man carry firewood to repair a house, helping a child climb a tree to retrieve a kite, and bandaging a dog's injured leg—things that are all easy to do. How come they sound like monumental achievements to him? He's really just blindly praising Chu Ran. Jiang Chuting forced back the urge to sigh and managed a weak smile.
Soon the dishes began to be served. The young master was incredibly extravagant, ordering a table full of all sorts of delicacies. Lin Zhi specially used a clean pair of chopsticks to pick up food for Jiang Chuting, saying, "I still remember when I had boils on my face, it hurt so much I couldn't even open my mouth. Every time I drank medicine or ate, you would feed me little by little. I would always cry and fuss, but you were very patient and always gently coaxed me, never getting angry with me. I often thought back then that I would never be separated from you, otherwise, I would never find another you in the whole world. It's just a pity that I still lost you."
Jiang Chuting selectively ignored Lin Zhi's unintentional but forceful praise. Seeing the bowl piling up, she said helplessly, "Lin Zhi, that's enough. I can do it myself. You should eat too."
"I don't want to." Lin Zhi raised his glass and took a sip of wine, meeting the gaze of the man looking at him. He smiled and said, "I want to eat slowly, so this meal can last a little longer, and you won't leave so soon."
His words sounded so pitiful and endearing that Jiang Chuting's heart softened. She put down her chopsticks and said softly, "Lin Zhi, parting is a common occurrence. There's no need to be too sad. I already know where you live, and we'll have opportunities to meet again in the future."
“But we could have avoided parting, but you…” After a pause, before Jiang Chuting could speak, Lin Zhi sighed softly and continued, “Alright then, you must come to the Lin family to find me whenever you have time.”
Jiang Chuting hesitated for a moment, then nodded and agreed: "I definitely will when I have time."
Lin Zhi's eyes flickered slightly. He knew perfectly well that this was just empty talk, but he pretended not to know and smiled, saying, "Then it's settled. Let's eat."
The two then chatted and laughed, and even drank some wine, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
The meal lasted a long time, and they chatted for quite a while afterward. But as they talked, a strange fluctuation seemed to appear in the air, and the two of them inexplicably fell silent. This silence came very abruptly.
Jiang Chuting opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. Lin Zhi's originally happy expression turned extremely desolate, and her eyes dimmed. "You... are you leaving already?"
Jiang Chuting wasn't in a hurry. He had originally planned to find a place to stay for the night before returning to the Nine Heavens, but since they had already eaten and talked, it was indeed time for him to leave.
This close and peaceful relationship with Lin Zhi was never meant to be his.
Jiang Chuting nodded and said softly, "Yes, it's time to go. I still have a lot to do." Perhaps influenced by Lin Zhi's emotions, she also felt a little sad.
Lin Zhi was silent for a moment, then said in a muffled voice, "Did time trick me today? How did it go by so fast?"
Lin Zhi saw him off for a while, without saying a word. Jiang Chuting told him not to see him off any further, but Lin Zhi reluctantly followed for another ten steps or so before finally stopping and standing there watching him leave.
Her gaze was like a clinging hook, constantly following him. But this time, she didn't sneak up on him.
Once she had walked a distance, Jiang Chuting finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had met, and he hadn't discovered her true identity yet; at least one worry was gone.
To be honest, although Lin Zhi looks very similar to Zi Que, their personalities are completely different. At first, he might have been a little confused and thought he had mistaken him for someone else, but after getting to know them a few times, he realized that the two of them were ultimately different.
Jiang Chuting walked to the entrance of Changhuan Garden again; he had come here intentionally. The bloodstains on the ground had been washed away, but a stain remained.
He had a gut feeling that there was something fishy about the young male prostitute with the strange illness, and his doubts were hard to dispel. Given his nature, he would definitely go and investigate no matter what.
As for how to investigate... actually, it's quite simple.
That means just going straight in. Spend a little money to find someone, and you're bound to find out something.
Jiang Chuting found a teahouse nearby and sat there until dusk. From upstairs, she saw that Changhuan Garden had finally opened its doors to welcome guests. The entrance was brightly lit and bustling with activity. The young women who came out to greet guests were numerous, and the place seemed unaffected by the events of the day.
Jiang Chuting paid the bill, picked up his sword, and went downstairs.
He walked straight to the entrance of Changhuan Garden without the slightest hesitation and stepped up the stairs. It was actually his first time entering such a place, but that didn't stop him from displaying a calm and collected demeanor, as if he had seen it all before.
However, that expression froze the next moment.
"Chu Ran!"
Someone called that name from behind; it was Lin Zhi, whom they hadn't seen for long.
Jiang Chuting wondered if he had misheard. He paused for a moment, then turned around. Lin Zhi was slowly approaching, looking at him with a bewildered expression.
Jiang Chuting felt a little embarrassed, but her face remained calm: "Lin Zhi? What are you doing here?"
"Just passing by." The brief answer dismissed his question. Lin Zhi glanced at the group of scantily clad women soliciting customers at the entrance of Changhuan Garden, his dark eyes fixed on him for a moment before he asked, "Chu Ran, the many things you mentioned you had to do... is this where you came?"
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