Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Burning in flames.
“Wake up!”
Lin Zhen was awakened by a clear voice. She supported her aching neck and sat up. Xinyi was standing beside the couch, leaning on a cane. She held a lunch box in one hand and held it in front of Lin Zhen. She said coldly, "Young Master, I'm kind enough to give you a ride, but I can only take you to Ling'an. Once you get there, you can disembark on your own. Don't burden us."
As she spoke, she deliberately raised her chin, looked at Lin Zhen with disdain, and continued, "Of course, I can't bring you along for nothing. I'm not able to move around easily now, so you'll be the one serving the young master from now on. This is his meal, you'll be responsible for delivering it."
In any case, this time it was indeed they who helped her leave the capital. Lin Zhen paused for a moment, then reached out to take the lunch box and walked out of the room.
It was late at night, the wind was blowing, and there was no one outside the cabin. Lin Zhen looked at the wide and rippling river surface, slightly distracted, and for a moment he felt a little unreal.
She really left the capital and left that place.
Also escaped from that person.
Lin Zhen took a deep breath. The river breeze was cold, and her nose turned red. She tightened her hand holding the lunch box, and then she went to find the man's room according to the house number Xinyi had just mentioned.
After knocking on the door twice and hearing a response from inside, Lin Zhen pushed the door open and walked in.
The man was supporting the wooden wheelchair with both hands, moving from the couch to the wheelchair. The moment they looked at each other, they were both stunned.
Lin Zhen felt that the timing of his entry was an offense to him, while the man was a little surprised by Lin Zhen's arrival.
The moment Lin Zhen turned his head, he heard the sound of the man falling to the ground.
She quickly put down the lunch box in her hand, and when she was about to turn around, she heard a voice behind her: "Don't come over here."
Lin Zhen stopped moving until the sound of the wooden wheels rolling got closer, then she picked up the food box and turned around.
"It seems that I always meet you at the most embarrassing time."
The man parked his wheelchair in front of an eight-immortal table and spoke softly.
Lin Zhen caught a glimpse of the slight curve at the corners of his lips, but it was a smile that did not reach his eyes. A strange feeling flashed through her heart. She slowly walked to the table and placed the porcelain plates in the lunch box one by one.
"Did that girl ask you to come? You don't have to listen to her. That's not why I saved you."
The man calmly picked up the wet towel on the table and wiped his hands gently. His expression was calm and gentle, as if he was not affected at all by the embarrassing episode just now.
"No reward without merit. I should do what the young lady asks." Lin Zhen took the bowl and chopsticks out of the lunch box and replied lightly.
Hearing this, the man raised his eyebrows slightly, unable to deny it.
Lin Zhen set the table and stood silently by. The man slowly picked up the wooden chopsticks and suddenly looked up at Lin Zhen. Her face was pale and her lips were chapped.
He picked up the empty soup bowl beside him and handed it to Lin Zhen, "Sit down and eat together."
“No need.”
Lin Zhen didn't even respond to his gaze, but just stared out the window and replied calmly.
The man suddenly doubled up and started coughing violently. Lin Zhen hurriedly leaned over. She didn't know what to do, so she just tried her best to smooth his back with her hands. After a while, seeing that he gradually calmed down, Lin Zhen frowned at him and asked, "Are you feeling better?"
The man took a few breaths and looked at Lin Zhen who was approaching him, his brows slightly frowned and his face anxious.
He suddenly laughed, and this time his laugh was obviously much more genuine than before.
Seeing this, Lin Zhen's brows furrowed even more tightly, but she soon realized that she was too close to him. She quickly pulled her hand back and tried to step aside, but suddenly a bowl appeared in front of her. The man smiled and said, "It seems that I am even worse at serving people than you."
Lin Zhen was stunned for a long time, and finally could no longer say no, so he just accepted it silently.
*
Lin Zhen returned to the room he had just been in. There was only a thin candle left in the room, burning on the small wooden table near the door.
Hearing the sound of the door being pushed open, the person lying on the bed in the dark said lazily: "You're back so late, the food is already cold, you just have to make do with it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room suddenly became dark.
Xinyi felt that this man was really ungrateful. She sat up angrily and was about to scold him, but she saw Lin Zhen silently pull open the thin quilt on the low couch and lie down with his back facing her.
"Young Master... actually invited you to have dinner?"
The dark room was silent and this was the clearest response. Xinyi stared straight at the low couch in the dark. After a while, she pulled the quilt back on herself and turned her back to Lin Zhen, but she was no longer sleepy.
*
It was two days later that Ji Sui woke up in the general's mansion.
Shizhu was dozing off on the couch. When she heard a slight noise, she immediately opened her bloodshot eyes and called out with concern, "General!"
Ji Sui was lying face down on the couch, with a large piece of blood-stained gauze on his back. As soon as he moved, blood spread along the torn wound.
Shi Zhu hurriedly stood up and stopped Ji Sui, "General, the doctor said you can't stay in the hotel for the next few days!"
Ji Sui raised his eyes and looked at Shi Zhu coldly. Even though his face was pale and bloodless, the oppressive aura he exuded did not diminish in the slightest. Shi Zhu had been following him since childhood and naturally knew his temper. She did not dare to stop him and hurriedly went to put on the clean brocade clothes hanging on the screen for him.
He wore a brocade robe with a white background and gold edges, a white jade belt, silver combat boots, picturesque eyebrows and features, and light-colored lips, giving him a charming look.
Shizhu put on her jade crown and saw him striding out. She didn't dare to stop him and could only follow closely.
***
As dusk fell, the group from the general's mansion strolled towards the Music Bureau. This was the first time that Ji Sui entered the gate of the Music Bureau openly.
In the Jiaofangsi, headed by Fengluan, the left and right Shaowu, the left and right Siyue, and Sishi all knelt in the hall to welcome him.
For a moment, the dancing and music in the alley stopped, the guests dispersed, and everyone held their breath, concentrating and lowering their eyes respectfully.
Ji Sui sat on the armchair placed on both sides with his horse and sword, his peach blossom eyes slightly closed, looking down at the people sitting below.
"This general is here to take someone away. Hand over Lin Zhen."
In order to conceal the news of Ji Bai's injury, Shi Zhu had already covered up the fact that Ji Bai had been to the Jiaofangsi two days ago. The Shenwu Camp went to the Jiaofangsi just to search for the unknown assassin.
A clerk sitting below was once ordered to tie Lin Zhen's hands and feet with silver chains and send him to Shanglin Garden as a prey to please Ji Rui. Seeing this scene today, he just thought that the general was in a bad mood today and wanted to bring up old scores and vent his anger on Lin Zhen.
He hurried forward on his knees, and replied in a flattering tone, "The general came to request a person, and we should have handed her over immediately. However, there was an unexpected fire in the neighborhood two days ago, and that remote courtyard is not noticeable. I'm afraid the person the general wants... cannot be handed over now. However, she died a worthy death in the flames."
He just kept lowering his eyes and reporting, but didn't notice Ji Bai's face gradually getting gloomy.
After he finished answering, he didn't hear any reply for a long time. Finally, he mustered up the courage to look up at Ji Bai, only to see that the latter's face was clouded with gloom, his thin lips were moving, and he was saying words that he couldn't believe.
"Whoever speaks nonsense will be beaten to death immediately."
"Your humble servant, your humble servant never spoke nonsense! She was truly burned to death in the fire, reduced to ashes!"
Several people who were usually on good terms with the historian knelt down to plead for him, but to their surprise, Ji Sui only said: "If you make excuses, you will be beaten to death."
Although Shizhu wanted to speak up to stop him, he was afraid of angering his master and causing him to hurt his wound, so he had to do as he was told.
For a moment, the once noisy and decadent lobby of the Jiaofangsi became like hell on earth, with cries and shouts rising one after another.
Seeing dozens of people lying on the ground, their skin torn and flesh ripped, nearly dead, Feng Luan, who was kneeling in the front, finally pulled out a white jade pendant from his sleeve with trembling hands and presented it. Given the fate of the previous few people, he didn't mention Lin Zhen at all, saying only, "This is what I found under the rubble. Please take a look, General."
Since you can't hand over the person, then hand over an object. Shi Zhu glanced at Ji Sui's expression, and seeing that he was supporting his chin with one hand and his eyes fell on the jade pendant, he stepped forward and took it.
"General."
Ji Sui stretched out his long fingers to pick up the jade pendant in his hand, raised it high, and squinted at the lantern hanging high in the air.
It was a piece of fine mutton-fat jade with the word "Ning" engraved on it in beautiful handwriting.
The corners of the man's lips suddenly curled up into a charming smile. As his lip line gradually flattened, his grip tightened. The jade pendant in his hand broke with a bang because it could not withstand the force, and blood flowed out from between his fingers.
"General!"
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