Chapter 10 Cannon Fodder White Moonlight 9 First Sight
The closer they got to Dingcang Pavilion, the stronger the strange sense of familiarity became, and He Zhiyan's heart sank to the bottom.
The plaque of Dingcang Pavilion was right in front of him. He flew down silently and the courtyard was as silent as death.
He Zhiyan pursed his lips tightly, and his usually cold eyes were filled with uncontrollable anxiety. He was full of hostility. He looked around for a moment and then quickly jumped into the pavilion.
It was clearly his first time here, but He Zhiyan was inexplicably looking at the screen in the east pavilion.
He stared at that place and walked slowly. He saw the stairs leading up. Some scattered images suddenly flashed through He Zhiyan's mind.
It seemed that he had been monitoring this entire mansion for a long time, just waiting to take action tonight.
What is the action?
He Zhiyan shook his head, and the scene changed. He was in a dark room, with a rotten smell in his nose and no sunlight.
Someone handed him a box with a piece of paper inside. He Zhiyan couldn't see clearly what was written on it. He seemed to have been seriously injured and even his breathing sounded like slow slicing.
There were three or four people standing in the dark room, led by a woman. He Zhiyan knelt on the cold ground. The woman's intimidation made him unable to stand up. He saw his overly tender hands and the dense wounds on them.
"He will be the sharpest sword in the Pavilion Master's hand."
The person in front of him was whispering something, as if he was very close to him, but also very far away. He Zhiyan could only stare at his bleeding hands, which were thin, ugly, and covered in blood.
A few crooked insects crawled up at some point and feasted on the wound. He Zhiyan just watched indifferently.
The scene changed several times, and strange yet familiar scenes kept attacking him like evil spirits, tearing at his mind one after another.
He Zhiyan stopped stiffly behind the screen, his hands clenched into fists, his breathing becoming heavy and stagnant. Could this be a memory of his past?
Before he could figure out what was going on, the violent emotions in his heart surged like a huge wave, and a voice frantically shouted, "Kill them! Kill them!"
The bloodshot in He Zhiyan's eyes grew darker.
Suddenly, he was awakened by the noise upstairs. The blood in front of his eyes was dispelled, and the scene changed again. He saw a girl in coarse clothes.
The girl looked very young, with her head lowered. Her long, thick black braid hung by her ears. A small purple flower was pinned on the braid, and her fluffy hair fluttered slightly in the air.
He Zhiyan felt his hand being gently lifted up, and a warm cloth wiped away the sticky discomfort on his palm.
He moved uncomfortably and found that the bedding beneath him was thick and warm, with a hint of unknown floral fragrance. The warm autumn sunshine enveloped the two of them, and they felt warm all over.
This was the first time he looked at her.
He Zhiyan suddenly looked up, the sunlight leaking from the pavilion shone into his eyes, and he seemed to have just woken up from a dream.
"Brother!"
The anxious girl hiding in the corner threw herself into his arms, and He Zhiyan hugged her back without hesitation.
He allowed himself to tighten his arms, and his empty and numb heart seemed to be filled, followed by endless joy and relief, overflowing his entire chest.
Fortunately, fortunately.
Before the two of them could say anything, there was another noise from the front yard.
Ali suddenly grabbed He Zhiyan's clothes with a look of panic.
He gently wiped the tears from Ali's face, patted her back soothingly, picked her up lightly, walked to the back of Dingcang Pavilion, tapped his toes, and jumped down.
The scenery in front of him changed rapidly, and Ali landed steadily on the ground before he even had time to scream.
She huddled in He Zhiyan's arms, not daring to move. After a long while, she opened her eyes and heard a soft laugh from above her head: "It's okay."
Ali's face was hot and she moved slightly, and then He Zhiyan put her down.
This is a rockery not far from Dingcang Pavilion, and few people come here. Ali tidied his clothes facing the lake, turned around and saw He Zhiyan staring at the eaves of Dingcang Pavilion in a daze.
She walked quietly behind He Zhiyan and asked, "Brother, how did you know I was here?"
He Zhiyan paused for a moment and told what had just happened.
After hearing this, Ah Li's expression turned serious: "Perhaps that servant didn't just meet my brother by chance."
He Zhiyan lowered his eyes and looked at her, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Aliqing's gaze fell on He Zhiyan, but he looked away.
Ali felt that He Zhiyan's eyes were a little strange, but he had something on his mind at the moment, so he didn't think much about it.
She took a few steps and thought about what happened in front of Dingcang Pavilion. She was originally worried that the time they had spent together was not enough to change the established plot in the book. Ali was not completely sure whether He Zhiyan would rush to Dingcang Pavilion for her.
Fortunately, this time, she made the right bet and He Zhiyan came.
Now, with the development being completely different from what is described in the book, has the purpose of the person behind the scenes also been achieved?
Seeing Ali's bitter face and thoughtful look, He Zhiyan stepped forward and squatted down, holding up Ali's soft skirt and wiping off the dust on it, as if he was doing something particularly important.
After a moment, he placed one hand on his knee and looked up at Ali: "Let's go back."
A-li was confused. He Zhiyan smiled, but his tone was unyielding: "Go back. Don't think too much."
By the Green Grass Lake, a young man in white kneels on one knee in front of a young girl. Their postures are intimate and gentle, like a beautiful painting.
Ah Li fell silent, looking into his eyes that didn't seem to smile for a long time, then slowly nodded: "Okay."
*
After the banquet, He's father and He Zhiyan were stopped by Dean Tan from the Medical Academy when they were leaving the house, so Ali had to return to his own carriage first.
Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name outside. Ali lifted the curtain of the car and saw Pei Miao who had not appeared for a long time.
"It's really because the mansion was too busy today and the servants neglected to discipline her, which caused Miss He to get lost and frightened."
Pei Miao's face was full of apology, and he spoke sincerely: "I just heard about this matter. It was me who invited Miss He to visit my house. Now that this has happened, I am truly sorry."
Ah Li shook his head and said softly, "Master Pei, there's no need to be like this. I was so engrossed in the garden's scenery that I wandered into a deserted area and forgot the way back. Luckily, my brother found me and brought me back to the table. It's nothing serious."
"Miss He's words make me feel even more ashamed. I'll take this as an apology. Please don't refuse it." He stepped forward and handed over an exquisite little box.
Ali just looked at him and didn't take it.
There were people coming and going outside the mansion, and if Pei Miao gave her something at this time, people who didn't know the truth would think it was a private transaction between a man and a woman, which was unlike his usual behavior.
Seeing that she was unwilling to accept it, Pei Miao said, "If Miss He has any difficulties in the future, please feel free to come to my house. I will do my best to help you."
Just at this moment Xu Lingjia came over. Pei Miao put away the brocade box and said no more.
Xu Lingjia was originally talking with the maids beside his carriage, when he suddenly saw Pei Miao not far away. He slipped over when the nanny wasn't paying attention, and when he got closer he realized that the person talking to Pei Miao was the girl from the He family.
Ali greeted Xu Lingjia, and seeing that her eyes were only on Pei Miao, he tactfully lowered the curtain.
After spending most of the day in the Prime Minister's Mansion, this body was extremely tired. Ali leaned against the wall of the car and was drowsy.
But the conversation between the two people outside the car kept coming into her ears, which was really annoying.
Ali closed her eyes and opened them again, sighed, and thought about the way Pei Miao spoke to her just now. He was no longer as enthusiastic as in the previous times, which made Ali's guess more certain.
She knew from the beginning that Pei Miao had other intentions in approaching her, and his real target had always been He Zhiyan.
Invite the He family to the house, lead her to Dingcang Pavilion, and then let He Zhiyan know the news, but do not tell him the specific location of Dingcang Pavilion, to see what he will do.
If He Zhiyan went there, it would mean that he was familiar with the terrain of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Otherwise, as in the story, Pei Miao would appear and rescue A Li, and the relationship between the two would become closer, and Pei Miao would have more interactions with the He family.
The subtle change in Pei Miao's attitude towards her now shows that his purpose of testing He Zhiyan has been achieved, and there is no need to spend more time on her.
But what was there about He Zhiyan that was worth Pei Miao going to so much trouble to set up this trap?
Ali's eyes became clearer, and there was only one answer to the question.
He Zhiyan's identity, or more accurately, his origin.
The curtain in front of him was suddenly pulled open, and Xu Lingjia got on the carriage like a gust of wind and squeezed in to sit next to Ali.
"Your carriage is too small, and the cushions are so hard."
Ah Li was startled and looked over with wide eyes: "Ms. Xu, you..."
Xu Lingjia glanced at her and snorted twice, "What? You don't want to see me? I've been waiting for you outside Jingyong Courtyard for so long, and you actually went off to see some scenery?"
"I--"
"Alright, alright. I don't want to hear your explanation." Xu Lingjia waved his hand indifferently, raised his eyebrows, and looked at the refreshments on the table.
Ali understood the elegant meaning of the music from the sound of the strings, and sat a little further away from Xu Lingjia without leaving any trace, and raised his hand to pour her a cup of tea.
Xu Lingjia took it with satisfaction, skimmed off the foam on it, and took a sip.
"Well, the tea isn't very good either."
Ali didn't respond and sat quietly aside. The car suddenly became quiet again.
Finally, Xu Lingjia couldn't bear it any longer and looked at the calm Ali: "Why don't you ask me why I'm looking for you?"
Ali smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear: "Miss Xu, do you want to say something to Ali?"
Xu Lingjia nodded reservedly, glanced around and said, "But this is not the place to talk."
Ah Li's gaze rested on her face for a long time. When Xu Lingjia looked over, he lowered his eyes and said slowly, "The sixteenth of next month is my mother's death anniversary. I will go to Puji Temple to burn incense and stay there for seven days. If Miss Xu wants to look for me, you can come find me there."
Xu Lingjia thought about it and seemed to think that this was a good idea, so he agreed: "Puji Temple? Okay, but you must not break your promise again this time."
"If you break your promise again, I will—"
Before she finished her words, she heard someone knock on the carriage twice. "Excuse me, Miss He. I am from the Fuguogong Mansion. I heard my young lady talking to you in the carriage, so I came to take her back to the mansion. The Duke will be waiting anxiously."
Ali recognized that this was the voice of the nanny beside Xu Lingjia. Xu Lingjia then stood up reluctantly, thinking of what he had not finished saying, and turned back to look at Ali.
"Definitely not." Ali nodded with a faint smile and watched Xu Lingjia get off the carriage.
Ali thought that she could probably determine the identity of the person in the painting in Dingcang Pavilion.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
