Chapter 25 His thin lips pressed tightly together, capturing the girl's slightly...
Under the cover of darkness, the Prince Su's mansion was brightly lit, as if it were daytime. The clear spring water gurgled and rustled through the treetops in the breeze, creating a crisp and melodious sound. Guards stood guard everywhere inside the mansion, ensuring that even the smallest fly could not escape its reach.
Biezhi followed the man without looking to the side, through the shady cobblestone path in the front yard, and up to the pavilion. A gentle breeze rustled the octagonal lanterns under the eaves, casting shadows on the figures standing there. Standing in front of the door were the guards who had accompanied Prince Su on the previous two occasions.
She remembered this person: Jiang Yue.
Before they had even crossed the high bridge, Jiang Yue raised his hand and knocked on the door three times.
Biezhi didn't hear an echo from inside. After a moment of silence, Jiang Yue pushed open the door and stepped aside to make way for him.
Looking at the interplay of light and shadow inside the pavilion, her heart, which had been in her throat, jumped up again by half an inch.
Every step she took seemed to be within the man's expectations inside the pavilion.
The guards on both sides of the street in the Prince's mansion were not surprised by her arrival at all. Some of them were even waiting at the gate of the mansion. Jiang Yue, who was accompanying Prince Su, also seemed to have been waiting for her for a long time.
Biezhi tightened her grip on the sword hilt.
She stood in front of the door, quietly took a deep breath, and went inside.
The soft rustling sound of the brushstrokes on the folded paper was hidden beneath the footsteps. Fu Huaiqing, who had been waiting for a long time, put down the brush in his hand, lifted his eyelids to look at the girl whose face showed a slight unease, and paused for a moment with the pads of his fingers resting on the table.
Biezhi cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
She waited for a long time, but received no reply.
In an instant, the mountain that had been pressing down on her back seemed to press down even more heavily, making it hard to breathe.
Normally, the branches would have already run away.
But she couldn't run away right now. Whether it was the sword she had lost and needed to be returned, or his sudden appearance, it was enough to prove that he cared about her more than she had imagined.
After a long silence from the man, Biezhi took a deep breath and slightly lifted her eyelids. The moment she lifted them, she was met with a sudden gaze into the depths of the man's seemingly smiling eyes.
Her breath caught in her throat.
The dappled candlelight flickered across the man's handsome face, his sword-like eyebrows like a painting.
In this setting, he appears even more handsome.
Biezhi's eyelashes trembled slightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the man's slightly pursed thin lips, and quickly snapped herself back to reality.
When death is imminent, there's no time to care whether he's more handsome than usual.
Footsteps sounded behind him, and soon Jiang Yue appeared in Bie Zhi's sight. He entered with a teacup in his hand and silently landed beside the man.
Fu Huaiqing's gaze, which had been fixed on Biezhi, shifted slightly, passing over the steaming teacup to look at Jiang Yue.
Jiang Yue nodded calmly.
He searched for most of the day before finally finding the medicine in the mountains.
It is said that this is a new drug developed by Shan Ju Chu Chu. Nearly twenty people have used it, and all of them have been able to change their voices. However, the voice changed by this drug varies from person to person. When he used this drug on the guards of the royal palace, one of them had a voice that was indistinguishable from that of a woman after the change...
Fortunately, the effect only lasts for the duration of a cup of tea, and the voice will return to normal after that.
When Fang Shan, the steward of the mountain dwelling, handed the medicine to Qing Shan, he repeatedly instructed that the medicine could only be used once a day, and that it would not be effective again if used again within twelve hours after the first use.
Fu Huaiqing cupped the teacup in his palm and sipped half of it without making a sound.
Biezhi's eyes widened slightly when she caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of her eye.
Isn't he afraid of getting burned?
Before the grumbling in his heart could even settle, a voice suddenly rang in his ears, "Get up."
Bie Zhi suddenly raised her eyes, her surprise clearly visible. When she met the man's suddenly darkening gaze, she hurriedly lowered her eyelids again.
Fu Huaiqing's unwavering expression changed slightly. He glanced at Jiang Yue, whose eyes were filled with a hint of panic, then his eyes closed slightly before opening again, his expression returning to normal.
Biezhi's lips parted slightly, then fell back down.
She had a hard time accepting it.
I can't accept such a handsome face paired with such an indescribable voice.
Like a water buffalo...
Biezhi thought to herself, "It wouldn't be so bad if Prince Su were mute."
I'd rather he were mute than see his face so ravaged.
It makes one lose all desire.
In her imagination, Prince Su's voice, even if it wasn't inferior to her master's, should at least be half as good as her master's.
Biezhi initially thought Prince Su was feigning profundity by remaining silent, but unexpectedly...
Indeed, if she were Prince Su, she would also be willing to remain mute.
Fu Huaiqing, with his keen eyesight, noticed the slight twitching of her lips. He stared at her silently for a moment before saying, "I need you to do something for me."
Upon hearing this, Biezhi frowned.
On one hand, she hoped he would say less and not tarnish his image; on the other hand, she didn't understand what he meant. When she passed by the Prince's mansion earlier, she could sense that there were quite a few secret guards inside. She found it hard to imagine that the powerful Prince Su would need Xianyun Tower. It seemed like there were traps lying in wait for her to fall into them.
Biezhi didn't mince words and said bluntly, "Since Your Highness knows my identity, your subordinates should have told you that everyone in Xianyun Tower follows the master's orders, and I also have a mission to complete, so I can't do two things at once."
Fu Huaiqing was not surprised at all and said, "Someone will inform your master about this matter."
Biezhi understood his implication: he couldn't do without her. She remained silent for a moment, then asked, "What does Your Highness need me to do?"
"Report to me, in detail, the list of officials who have corresponded with Xu Wenche, and the matters they have discussed," Fu Huaiqing said calmly, glancing at Biezhi, whose expression was slightly tense.
Biezhi's brow twitched.
She realized more and more that Xu Wenche's journey to the capital was indeed being watched by many eyes, and it was reasonable for the Xu family to offer ten thousand taels of silver to seek out Xianyun Tower.
If Xianyunlou were to take on the task assigned by Prince Su, it would most likely fall to them.
However, Biezhi did not agree immediately. After all, there had never been a case of accepting external business without permission in Xianyun Tower. She had not seen the old man for many days and did not know how he was in a good mood. If he was in a bad mood like the Prince Su in front of her, wouldn't she become the chicken in the story of killing the chicken to scare the monkey?
But the Prince Su in front of her was not someone she could afford to offend.
Thinking of this, her fingertips trembled slightly, and she said, "Your Highness may send someone to Xianyun Tower to discuss this."
Fu Huaiqing twitched the corner of his mouth. "That works too."
The man's extremely unpleasant voice carried not a trace of anger at being repeatedly rejected. Biezhi paused, slightly lifting her drooping eyelids to glance at him.
Her heart, which had been in her throat, eased a little.
Although Prince Su's voice was rather unpleasant and unlike his master's, his temperament was not as frightening as rumored; he seemed to be somewhat gentler than his master.
"If only the two of them could balance things out," I thought.
If Prince Su's face, his master's voice, and his temperament were like Ji Ran's, he would be an excellent choice for a husband. It's a pity she will never meet him.
Fu Huaiqing couldn't tell what she was thinking, but her round almond-shaped eyes sometimes shone with a little light and sometimes dimmed, so she probably wasn't thinking about anything serious.
He was probably muttering to himself about his throat.
Fu Huaiqing's eyes darkened, and his expression turned cold.
He glanced coldly at the still-smoking teacup, closed his eyes with a displeased expression, and took a deep breath.
Jiang Yue, standing beside the desk, twitched his eyelids several times upon seeing this; no one could have predicted that the prince's voice would change like this—
It sounds awful.
However, now was not the time to think about it. He glanced at the water clock on his desk, then coughed discreetly, covering his mouth, to remind the prince that it had been almost a cup of tea's time.
Fu Huaiqing lowered his eyes, suppressing the displeasure on his face.
He looked at the girl whose eyes were darting around and said, "Go down."
As soon as she finished speaking, Biezhi suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fu Huaiqing watched as the girl hurriedly cupped her hands in greeting, as if afraid he would call her again, took a few steps back, and then turned and left.
Watching the girl's figure disappear, he paused slightly, tapping the folded document with his fingertip, and said, "Disguise me."
Given her personality, if she were to suddenly encounter such a 'spectacle' that cannot be spoken of, she would surely seek tranquility tonight.
Fu Huaiqing's prediction was correct; Biezhi was indeed going to find Jiran.
She had made the decision to go find Ji Ran as soon as she entered Wanghe Tower. Initially, she planned to escort Xu Wenche back to his courtyard before going to find Ji Ran, which is why she ordered so many dishes by herself, intending to bring them to Ji Ran.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yan's appearance broke the peace. Now it seems that Xu Wenche has become suspicious. If I rashly appear by his side again, something bad will definitely happen.
Biezhi, walking along the path in the Prince's Mansion, sighed. No matter what, she had to find a reason to get in touch with Xu Wenche tomorrow.
After leaving the Prince's Mansion, Biezhi did not rush to find Jiran, but secretly returned to Wanghe Tower.
After climbing through the window into the side room, she didn't rush to leave. Instead, she examined the items inside until she was sure they were exactly as they had been when she left. Only then did she move the cabinet that was blocking the door back to its original place and call the waiter to pack up the dishes on the table.
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Biezhi put on her veil, picked up her food box, and left Wanghe Tower.
She bought an oil lamp and about twenty candles before heading toward the thatched hut where Jiran lived.
As night fell, the area where the thatched cottage was located was not as bustling as Ning'an Street. The surrounding houses had already closed for the night, and the bright moonlight shone down on the cottage, with no other light or shadow.
The bright moonlight generously poured down on the man's tall figure.
He sat under the eaves of the thatched hut, his eyes slightly lowered, seemingly doing something.
Only when he got closer did he see the bamboo dragonfly under Ji Ran's slender fingers. When the shadow fell on him, he looked up.
"Why are you making all this in the middle of the night instead of resting?" Biezhi looked at him suspiciously, slowly putting down the various objects in her hands. Just as she was about to point to the bamboo dragonfly and ask him a question, she suddenly saw him raise his hand, and the next moment, the bamboo dragonfly landed in front of her.
Biezhi paused, then looked at him: "For me?"
Seemingly seeing that she wouldn't accept it, Ji Ran moved it forward another half inch.
Biezhi accepted the bamboo dragonfly with some skepticism, but seeing that he didn't show any other expression, she was certain it was for her, and her eyes couldn't help but curve into a smile.
She sat down next to Ji Ran and held out her hand: "Let me see your injury."
Fu Huaiqing remained silent, his gaze fixed on her.
Biezhi stared at him for a long time, then took his hand and looked him over in the moonlight.
The girl's fingertips gently caressed the scabbed wounds on her palm, a soft, tingling itch spreading through her. Fu Huaiqing's eyes darkened, his gaze fixed on her deep and inky.
“New flesh has grown, in a few more days—” Bessa raised her head without noticing anything, and the moment their eyes met, the corners of her mouth, which were moving up and down, froze.
The man's breath was as hot as the midday sun.
Biezhi's tongue darted out, unconsciously licking her slightly dry lips. She leaned forward, and just as her lips were about to touch Jiran's, everything went black before her eyes as a large hand covered her face.
Fu Huaiqing's palm covered her entire face perfectly.
He naturally saw what Biezhi was planning to do.
But no, that won't work.
Fu Huaiqing is acceptable, but Ji Ran is not.
Biezhi didn't care about whether it was possible or not. She pulled Jiran's hand away, secretly used a little force to press it down, and pressed her lips against his thin lips without regard for anything else, not forgetting to say, "I told you, you are not allowed to refuse me."
With each opening and closing of her lips, her breath seeped through the gap. Fu Huaiqing's wrist, which was trying to break free, paused, and his gaze became heavy as he stared intently at the girl whose eyes were shimmering with tears.
Because of her identity as an assassin, Biezhi was afraid of leaving any traces, so she never used incense.
Even so, Fu Huaiqing still smelled a faint sweet fragrance. The sweet scent drifted by slowly and gently, like the osmanthus blossoms that bloom in the middle of the night, sweet but not cloying.
When I went back last time, Biezhi studied very diligently.
Recalling the descriptions in the storybook, she slightly extended her tongue and licked the man's dry lips bit by bit. When her tongue touched the gap between his thin lips, the man's breath seemed to deepen. She couldn't help but be stunned, her eyelashes trembling as she looked at him.
Fu Huaiqing, trying his best to restrain himself, pressed his thin lips together and took the girl's slightly probing tongue into his mouth.
In an instant, the look in their eyes changed.
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