Love and Hate
When the lights faded, Jiang Nian came back to his senses from the fireworks that had just bloomed.
There were still some people around who were reluctant to leave the riverside, and were standing in the venue after the gathering and talking.
Xiao Yingzhu turned his eyes away from the lanterns and walked forward a few steps. His gaze fell on the street for a while, then he looked back and said, "Go through the alley next to it."
The return journey was not as good as the coming one. There were far fewer people on the streets now than before. Walking on the street, it was somewhat eye-catching.
Xiao Yingzhu has always been unwilling to let others know his whereabouts, and it seems safer to go to the dark.
Jiang Nian turned and glanced at the dark alley not far away: "I was wondering if your secret guards are already in there?"
Xiao Yingzhu smiled but did not answer.
It's clear at a glance.
Jiang Nian smiled for a moment and said, "Since it's safe there, let's go there."
The fawn that had just been bought at the market had been eaten, and the remaining wooden sticks were wrapped in a handkerchief and placed in a clean place.
There were a few lanterns lit outside the houses in the dark alley, and the architectural style was slightly different from that of Pingzhou.
Jiang Nian walked beside Xiao Yingzhu, looking up at the layout of the nearby houses.
Occasionally, when passing by some small houses with carved beams and painted rafters, I would stop in surprise to take a few more looks.
She remembered that this was a time of famine, so how could houses be decorated so exquisitely?
Xiao Yingzhu felt that the pace of the person next to her was a little slower, so she turned around and looked in the direction of her gaze: "What's wrong?"
"The houses here..." Jiang Nian pointed at the building in front of him, "Are these where ordinary people live?"
Xiao Yingzhu glanced at the half-open house and said calmly, "This temple was renovated with funds from the people of the town."
temple?
Jiang Nian blinked and his gaze fell on the half-open door. It was dark in there and there was no light. Faintly, there seemed to be a scent of sandalwood lingering in his nose.
“…”
Seeing that Jiang Nian was a little distracted, Xiao Yingzhu glanced over and gently hooked her fingertips: "What's wrong?"
"...No, it's nothing. Let's go."
Jiang Nian wanted to ask him if he didn't smell the subtle fragrance of sandalwood, but then he remembered what happened when he first entered the sect.
It's an illusion, or it may be related to time travel... Maybe once I go in, I will fall into the memories of the past. There are still many things to do right now, so it's better to come back after everything is over.
Putting aside his thoughts, Jiang Nian shook Xiao Yingzhu's hand, raised his eyes and smiled at him, changing the subject: "Let's go back to Pingzhou first. If you don't go back, I'm afraid Guizhi and Fuling will be waiting for you."
Xiao Yingzhu looked away from the temple in front of him and said, "This temple in Pingzhou is built on a mountain."
I went to the temple before to ask about the price of medicine.
Jiang Nian recalled that when he went to the temple in Pingzhou, he did not have any hallucination-like reaction.
The carriage that was picking them up was parked not far away. Xiao Yingzhu seemed to know what she was thinking, but did not ask any more questions, giving her some time to think alone.
The driver's face was still invisible.
Jiang Nian's gaze lingered on the driver for a moment, then he turned and walked towards the carriage. Seeing that Xiao Yingzhu had nothing else to do, he waited until the carriage started moving before asking, "...Are these drivers required not to show their faces?"
Xiao Yingzhu looked at her for a moment: "No, what's the matter?"
Noticing that Xiao Yingzhu asked more questions than usual at night, Jiang Nian smiled and sat back in her seat. The wind outside the car window gently wrapped around her cheeks, blowing away the warm color on her cheeks.
"Do you remember the wooden box that contained the agarwood?"
"The driver I saw at the time didn't have a face... Every time I see something like this, I always feel like someone with ulterior motives has replaced the original driver..."
She didn't finish her words, but stopped talking in embarrassment.
It's not that she is sensitive and suspicious. Too many things have happened recently, and Zhou Jinyu had replaced the items in the carriage before. It is hard not to associate these people with slightly mysterious things with Meng Jian.
Xiao Yingzhu noticed what Jiang Nian was worried about, her eyes flickered, and she said, "Meng Jian and I have already met."
"He and Donglan have a long-standing feud, and the situation is unresolved, so it's difficult to make a hasty decision."
"...What?"
Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment, and suddenly a doubt arose.
Meng Jian went to great lengths to lay out this series of plans, and even at the cost of risking being discovered by Emperor Changde, he tricked Meng Yao into the game.
Wasn't it just to allow Donglan to get Huandu's prescription, and at the same time, take advantage of the excuse that 'insect plague suddenly occurred, thousands of fields were ruined, no grain was harvested, Huandu has a pest control unit, and no one is willing to help' to attack Huandu and seize food?
Is he going to change his mind now or wants to change his original plan?
"Donglan will use some excuses to challenge Huandu's bottom line. This is bound to happen, but..."
Xiao Yingzhu explained: "Meng Jian might have some changes."
For example, if you were halfway through cooperating with Donglan and felt unwilling to do so, you would run away.
Jiang Nian understood what Xiao Yingzhu meant, but did not understand Meng Jian's motive.
After pondering for a moment, and seeing that no one was passing by, Jiang Nian leaned over slightly, raised his hand and whispered in his ear, "Second Prince originally formed an alliance with Donglan because he intended to take revenge on Huandu. Now he wants to change his original plan. Is it because Donglan's goal is different from what he has in mind?"
In the fierce battle of Shenjiang, Huan Dynasty repelled the combined forces of Xuanmo and Donglan, and at the same time massacred Xuanmo's royal family.
Meng Jian's original identity should be a prince of the Xuanmo royal family.
Xiao Yingzhu's eyes flickered for a moment, and she replied casually, "Well, he's thinking about destroying Huandu, while Donglan has his sights set on food. Plus, he's unhappy with the Donglan court handing over power to a cult."
"We are now in a stage of passive complicity."
Jiang Nian nodded at the table: "Then I should still take his anti-worm formula, right?"
"yes."
“——”
Jiang Nian sighed, then suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Whose insect repellent recipe do you prefer in this competition?"
Xiao Yingzhu's gaze was fixed on Jiang Nian, and the meaning was self-evident.
"I think Meng Jian has noticed me, but he hasn't made any move yet."
"While we were deworming the rice paddies this morning, we didn't see anyone like Meng Jian arrive... Does he plan to show up in the next few days?"
Xiao Yingzhu didn't respond immediately. His gaze fell on one of the spots. After a moment, he asked, "Have you seen me at Si-time today?"
Jiang Nian was bewildered, his eyes falling from the window to Xiao Yingzhu's face: "No."
She was always paying attention to the movements around her.
"......" Xiao Yingzhu narrowed her eyes slightly and said pointedly, "But I've been there before."
"That was my oversight."
Jiang Nian lowered his eyes and thought: "Then Meng Jian's men may have arrived at the scene today, but I just didn't notice it."
The task of protecting Fangzi during the competition was assigned to Jiang Nian. In the morning, Xiao Yingzhu just took a look from a distance and left - he never liked crowded and noisy places.
Following Xiao Yingzhu's instructions, Jiang Nian carefully recalled in his mind the faces of the people who had demonstrated the insect repellent recipe in front of everyone, and suddenly remembered that one of them was indeed holding on to the insect repellent recipe and kept asking questions.
But would Meng Jian’s manpower be so obvious?
Knowing that he is cunning, if he doesn't want to be caught, he will only reveal his whereabouts when he is willing to show up.
Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment, then something suddenly occurred to him. He frowned and asked Xiao Yingzhu, "Has the Second Prince made preparations for both scenarios?"
Xiao Yingzhu's gaze paused slightly, as if she was a little interested: "How did you come up with that?"
Jiang Nian looked away slightly.
Outside the window, the carriage returned along the same route, and the scenery at the lantern festival was getting farther and farther away from them. The time for rest was always short, and in the blink of an eye they had to plunge back into the day and night work.
This time I parted with Xiao Yingzhu, and I probably won’t see her for a while.
......
Jiang Nian didn't answer directly, but suddenly changed the subject.
She knew the end was near.
"Xiao Yingzhu, do you think the relationship between us...will change from now on?"
She stopped talking suddenly before she finished speaking.
Let's talk about this kind of topic later, until she understands it better.
She always wanted to avoid such emotional matters.
But as they were about to part ways, she still wanted to fight for it again, resisting the avoidance in her heart, the embarrassment, and a little unwillingness, to ask and get the answer.
But it was obvious that she had no talent in this matter. She even lost her previous social skills and could only express her thoughts in pale words.
It's so painful.
This is a vague question that you can't answer no matter how many times you ask yourself.
Leaving it to the other person to answer will make you feel like your heart is hanging in the balance, in the hands of someone else. As long as the other person exerts a little force, you will be exploded and your juice will be blown out of your body.
It’s better to avoid this kind of relationship that will make her lose her sense of direction.
Jiang Nian didn't wait for Xiao Yingzhu's reply, and she didn't want to look up.
They all ignored such 'useless' things, and even if they did exist, they would treat them as if they didn't exist. If they were to be frank and expose such feelings, they would be torn to pieces and bleed.
This is not a good time for romance.
But sometimes when she thought too much, she couldn't help but ask herself and Xiao Yingzhu.
Only she and Xiao Yingzhu can solve this kind of problem.
Only when what she thought coincided with what Xiao Yingzhu thought could she get a correct answer.
......
Jiang Nian took a deep breath and his body trembled. He suddenly realized that his hands had been tightly clenched in his palms. His palms were pinched and turned white, and even his fingertips were shaking.
She took a calming breath, avoiding Xiao Yingzhu's slightly lowered gaze, and pretended to curl her lips: "Nothing, let's skip this topic and change it..."
"Didn't you just ask me how I knew Meng Jian did this?"
"I guessed."
"Since he has always been dissatisfied with cooperating with Donglan and living under the identity of the Second Prince of Huandu, he will definitely find a way out and break out of the airtight environment that has troubled him."
"Then he will definitely make sure there are no loopholes in his plan."
Jiang Nian's eyes shifted slightly, as if she was hesitating whether to meet Xiao Yingzhu's gaze. After a moment, she suppressed the discomfort in her heart and raised her eyes: "He doesn't trust anyone, and he doesn't have any close confidants around him. He is a suspicious person. Now that his plan has been discovered by us, he will definitely prepare for both situations."
"You look familiar, Xiao Yingzhu."
Meeting Xiao Yingzhu's cold eyes, her words spoke louder than words.
"It's like history repeating itself... I don't know if your history is the same as mine, but I do think of someone."
Jiang Nian pondered for a moment and uttered a few words quietly: "He found a substitute, right?"
Xiao Yingzhu raised her eyebrows, as if she had discovered something funny, and tilted her head: "How did you know about him?"
"Because of you."
"Xiao Yingzhu, because of you."
Jiang Nian looked at him frankly, resisting the madly beating heart that hurt. She felt a faint smile on her face, perhaps a little helpless and sad.
"Only you."
"Because I've been following you...I can always empathize with you, or think about how people in your situation would usually do these things."
"I want to see how people like you think about things, and then imagine... what would you do?"
Jiang Nian's heart ached, she hated herself for being so weak.
She thought for a moment with her eyelashes drooping, and as if she was tired, she slowly closed her eyes to block the face of the man in front of her, which was so beautiful that it shocked her.
"Let's do this for now, Xiao Yingzhu."
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