Chapter 45. A very light and shallow kiss. ...
It had been a long time since I had seen Huo Yuan.
Upon meeting, Huo Yuan was again handing Huo Ming things, and her gaze towards Shen Yunzhi became complicated.
Shen Yunzhi did not explain, but only thanked her.
Huo Yuan parted her lips, wanting to say a few words of concern but not knowing where to begin. She looked up and caught sight of Cui Lizhu in the crowd. She nodded and took the lead.
"Zhi Niang, why didn't you wait for me?"
Choi Li-zhu and Shen Yun-zhi strolled through the lantern festival together. Amidst the crowds, they got separated. After much effort, Choi Li-zhu finally found Shen Yun-zhi, only to discover that Shen Yun-zhi had already reached the most bustling part of the festival. Choi Li-zhu couldn't help but complain.
Shen Yunzhi, who had already quickly and neatly packed her things, stepped forward and took Cui Lizhu's arm: "It's not that I didn't want to wait for you, it's that I was waiting for you on purpose."
After coaxing Cui Lizhu for a while, she dragged her along to guess riddles.
Cui Lizhu is a master at solving riddles.
Shen Yunzhi led the onlookers, young and old, to cheer for her, which made Cui Lizhu smile again. She also particularly liked the lucky lantern.
After enjoying the lantern festival to the fullest, Cui Lizhu asked the servants about the time and then handed the lanterns to her maid.
"Zhi Niang, let's go somewhere."
Shen Yunzhi nodded and let Cui Lizhu lead the way.
On the Lantern Festival, the capital was bustling with activity and people everywhere. However, Cui Lizhu took Shen Yunzhi away from the hustle and bustle and climbed to a high pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, Cui Huai stood with his hands behind his back, his tall and slender figure as aloof as ever.
After bringing the person to the pavilion, Cui Lizhu "retired after accomplishing her mission," leaving Shen Yunzhi and Cui Huai alone in the pavilion.
After realizing they were getting further and further away from the main street, Shen Yunzhi guessed that Cui Lizhu didn't intend to take her anywhere. However, she was currently dealing with Cui Huai, and since it was the Lantern Festival, she didn't want to spoil the mood, so she didn't bring it up herself.
"Your Highness," Shen Yunzhi stepped forward and called out softly.
Cui Huai turned around, his gaze falling on her, gesturing for her to step forward and stand beside him.
The pavilion here is in a superb location.
Here you can overlook the entire night view of Beijing and appreciate the warmth and peace under thousands of lights.
Being at a high place, looking down at the festive atmosphere, gives one a sense of detachment.
It was as if they were outside the vast world, with everything unrelated to them. Amidst the multitude of people and the bustling world, only the two of them remained.
"Does Your Highness often come here?"
Shen Yunzhi felt that Cui Huaiying really liked this place.
“I will be here every year on the Lantern Festival.”
Cui Huai gently explained to her, then turned around again, "Isn't the scenery here wonderful?"
Shen Yunzhi nodded.
Cui Huai then said, "There are better ones."
Before Shen Yunzhi could ponder the meaning of Cui Huai's words, the faint sound of fireworks exploding came from the distant horizon. Then, dazzling fireworks came into view, one after another bursting into the night sky. A grand fireworks display appeared over the capital, and from their location, they could even faintly hear the cheers of the people of the capital.
Shen Yunzhi suddenly understood Cui Huai's intention.
He was clearly holding a grudge against the fireworks display that Cui Hong had set off outside the library earlier.
"Did His Highness arrange this himself?"
Even in Cui Huai's eyes, Shen Yunzhi had already celebrated her second Lantern Festival in the capital and had naturally seen what the fireworks displays of the Lantern Festival were like in the past, far less grand and lively than today's. It was not surprising that she would ask such a question.
Cui Huai turned his head to look at Shen Yunzhi: "Do you still like it?"
He saw fleeting brilliance as not worth pursuing or cherishing, and thus couldn't understand why so many people praised it so highly.
But Shen Yunzhi liked it too.
He clearly remembered the bright eyes she looked into Cui Hong's eyes and the surprised smile on her lips at that moment.
She liked it, genuinely liked it.
Shen Yunzhi lowered her eyes and simply hummed in response.
Cui Huai was not satisfied with her reaction and frowned slightly, but then he saw her take out a sachet from her sleeve.
The light inside the pavilion was dim, making it difficult to see the appearance of the sachet. What he saw was her handing it to him: "Seeing that Your Highness wears amulets every day, I embroidered this sachet."
After a pause, Shen Yunzhi added, "It seems that the sachet that was once given to His Highness is now hard to find."
Cui Huai reached out and took the sachet, without explaining that the item was still there, only saying, "Huo Ming and Chen Zhaoyu also had them?"
Shen Yunzhi seemed to suddenly become angry: "If Your Highness doesn't want it, then give it back to me."
Cui Huai chuckled and slowly put the sachet into his bosom.
"I'll watch the fireworks with you again next year."
As he left Gaoting, Cui Huai made a gentle promise to Shen Yunzhi.
He used to not understand why people were so obsessed with love, and the stories in those folk tales were even more bizarre.
Although he still doesn't quite understand things, being with Shen Yunzhi like this often fills his heart with joy.
That was something that nothing else could give him.
On the city wall, the Seventh Princess Cui Xuan, adorned in elegant attire and surrounded by jewels, smiled at Liang Zhi beside her: "You insist on seeing it with your own eyes before you'll believe it?"
She then looked at Shen Yunzhi and Cui Huai, who were walking towards the carriage in the distance.
Cui Huai stood beside the carriage, considerately extending his arm to help Shen Yunzhi into the carriage before getting in himself. In the past, not only would it be rare for Cui Huai to help a young lady into a carriage, but it would also be extremely rare for him to ride in a carriage with any young lady.
"Where did this lack of interest in love come from?"
"It's not that I'm being unreasonable. It might not apply to you, but it's a different story for others."
Cui Xuan's words, which were anything but merciful, pierced through my ears.
As the carriage drove away, Liang Zhi slowly withdrew her gaze, maintaining her usual generous and virtuous demeanor, and said, "That's just how things are; you can't force it."
"Is that so?"
Cui Xuan disagreed, saying, "Even if a forced relationship isn't sweet, I still have to taste it myself to know."
...
Once the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has passed, the festive atmosphere of the New Year gradually fades away.
Near the end of the month, Shen Yunzhi chose a day to go to Yuhua Temple under the pretext of offering incense to her parents and brothers.
She had accompanied her aunt to handle similar matters before, so she was familiar with the process.
Upon arriving at Yuhua Temple, I began to communicate with the monks there in detail about all the matters.
These matters are extremely complicated and will take several days to confirm.
Therefore, Shen Yunzhi stayed temporarily at Yuhua Temple.
It was her third day at Yuhua Temple.
As soon as she got up and opened the window, a juniper branch lying quietly on the windowsill caught her eye.
Shen Yunzhi looked at the dark green juniper that had been specially placed there, and her heart was at ease.
She found what she wanted in the box in the small shrine.
A fake death drug.
In her past life, Cui Hong helped her escape the capital, but Cui Huai, knowing she was still alive, never gave up hope and wished he could dig her out from the ground. This time, she had to be even more ruthless, making Cui Huai believe she was dead. Only when Cui Huai saw her "corpse" with his own eyes would he truly believe it; she wouldn't allow herself to use any other methods to cover it up.
She also hoped to live a life of luxury and wealth, a life of privilege.
If that doesn't work out, at least I should live comfortably, rather than being tied to a madman and tormented by him.
On the day Shen Yunzhi returned to the Prince's Mansion, Cui Huai came to Yuhua Temple to pick her up.
On that day, something shocking happened at the Chu Prince's residence—Cui Hong made a request to the Chu Prince, hoping that he would agree to his engagement with Shen Yunzhi.
Shen Yunzhi was completely unaware of this matter.
Upon returning to the Prince's residence and sensing the tense atmosphere, and hearing this news, she wasn't as surprised as she appeared. However, Cui Hong's direct move to provoke Cui Huai far exceeded her expectations. Her only consolation was that everything was ready; she only lacked the right opportunity.
Cui Huai's reaction upon learning of this was remarkably calm.
He escorted Shen Yunzhi back to Yunxi Courtyard, and then went to the Chu King's study.
Cui Hong waited under the eaves.
Upon seeing Cui Huai, he called out "Big Brother" and apologized before Cui Huai could speak.
Cui Huai looked coldly at Cui Hong, ignoring his apology, and simply stated the facts: "You two are not a good match." Cui Hong tried to detect resentment or anger in Cui Huai's eyes, but to no avail.
Cui Huai appeared calmer than ever.
Cui Hong then said, "What makes you think that I am not a good match for my cousin? If my cousin were to choose for herself, she might very well choose me."
Cui Huai found it ridiculous; these days, Shen Yunzhi had only him by her side.
"Do you want to marry her?" Cui Huai asked.
"Does this mean that you, elder brother, can marry my cousin as your heir?" Cui Hong stared at Cui Huai and said, word by word, "Father will not agree, and neither will my imperial uncle. If you insist on going your own way, I'm afraid you will harm my cousin. If something happens to her in the future, can you bear the responsibility?"
“My cousin is always very smart; she wouldn’t be unaware of these things.”
"So, does Big Brother really think that between you and me, the person my cousin would choose would never be me?"
Cui Huai said, "Absolutely not."
Cui Hong gave a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, neither confirming nor denying.
The slight smile on his face kept flashing before Cui Huai's eyes, accompanied by the words, "The person my cousin wants to choose may not be me," which made Cui Huai feel as if his internal organs were squeezed together, making him want to draw his sword and kill someone.
Cui Huai didn't think Shen Yunzhi would have any other thoughts now, but he secretly wanted to agree with Cui Hong's words.
In Shen Yunzhi's eyes, he was by no means the first or best choice. If she had a choice, she would probably choose Huo Ming or Chen Zhaoyu without hesitation.
It was only because none of them were good enough that it was his turn.
Shen Yunzhi even said that Cui Hong had always taken good care of her.
Cui Huai returned to Qiyun Residence.
When Shen Yunzhi was invited over by his men, he was standing quietly in front of an exquisite birdcage.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the beautiful thrush inside the cage was being held firmly in Cui Huai's hand.
He was about to be strangled to death if he used force.
"What is Your Highness doing?" Shen Yunzhi asked in surprise as she pried open Cui Huai's hand. The thrush immediately escaped from his grasp and did not return to its cage. Instead, it briefly regained its freedom and circled freely in the study.
Cui Huai looked at the empty birdcage: "Cui Hong wants to marry you, Cousin Zhi, do you want to agree?"
Shen Yunzhi did not answer immediately, and then heard him chuckle, "Actually, what you wanted to say was yes, wasn't it?"
"If you could choose, you would choose him."
"His confidence actually comes from you, because even today, you still genuinely want to choose him."
Cui Huai kept his back to Shen Yunzhi as he said these words.
If you only judge him by his tone, you would think he is calm and without a trace of resentment.
"It may not be what I want to say. I'm afraid that in His Highness's eyes I am just that kind of person, fickle and unfocused," Shen Yunzhi said calmly. "If His Highness believes that this is my true nature and wastes so much time on me, wouldn't he be asking for trouble?"
Cui Huai nodded: "I did bring this trouble upon myself."
"That would truly be an injustice to Your Highness." Shen Yunzhi smiled coldly. "Your Highness can still back down now if you wish, at least you can minimize your losses."
He stopped, and then watched as she nestled into someone else's arms, laughing and chatting happily.
Cui Huai chuckled, "It's too late." He turned around and suddenly pulled Shen Yunzhi into his arms, pinching her chin with his fingers and forcing her to look up at him. "You've promised me your life, so don't even think about getting rid of me."
"Isn't it that Your Highness doesn't believe me?"
Shen Yunzhi looked back at Cui Huai, "If Your Highness trusts me, there is naturally no need for you to question me repeatedly here."
"To this day, Your Highness remains unchanged; you still do not know what it means to like."
"Your Highness is truly an extremely boring person."
The merciless words darkened Cui Huai's eyes, as if a silent storm was brewing. Shen Yunzhi, however, did not break free from his embrace. Instead, she subtly pinched her palm, forcing herself to lean forward. She tiptoed and leaned close to Cui Huai, sealing his lips with a kiss before he could react.
It was a very light and shallow kiss, but it was enough to leave Cui Huai stunned on the spot.
He didn't have time to savor what it felt like; he only felt something warm and soft cover him and then quickly leave.
she……
I just kissed him.
Cui Huai suddenly came to his senses and wanted to keep Shen Yunzhi in his arms.
However, she had already slipped away from him as swiftly as a cunning fish.
Shen Yunzhi's gaze quickly swept over Cui Huai's robes, making her feel extremely embarrassed. She had only touched her lips to his, yet he had reacted so strongly. If she had walked any slower, who knew if he would have become lustful and forced her to stay at Qiyun Residence.
"Your Highness, I deliberately seduced you."
"Such a clumsy trick, Your Highness, are you going to fall for it too?"
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