Chapter 16 Chapter 16 The two arms hugged her tighter and tighter...
With Qian Yingyi's words, everyone turned to look at Yu Minsen, who had fallen to the ground. Recalling his startled jump, they all wanted to laugh, but they suppressed their laughter because Yu Minsen was there.
Only the drunken Lin Yuhu remained standing there for a moment, as if just coming to his senses, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
Good heavens, how dare he laugh? Yan Wenying was somewhat bewildered; she should have known that Yu Minsen's involvement was never a good thing.
Yan Wenying quickly ordered two servants to cover Lin Yuhu's mouth, and then rushed to Yu Minsen's side with great concern, asking anxiously, "Oh dear, did the young master fall and hurt himself?"
"We should all have fun and be happy, so let's not let those who don't know the situation laugh at us."
The implication is that this back-and-forth feud was just a joke.
Unfortunately, Yu Minsen had recovered from his shock and didn't listen to her at all. He broke free from the servant who was supporting him and walked menacingly toward Qian Yingyi.
Yan Qiuyan and Wen Ninglan were shocked and quickly took two steps forward to shield Qian Yingyi behind them.
Yu Minsen stood still three zhang away. After a long while, his heaving chest gradually calmed down, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. "Very well, you still dare to hurt me. I was right back then, you are just a pitiful wretch who has no parents."
He spoke rapidly, seething with resentment, determined to endlessly humiliate Qian Yingyi with his words, "So what if your father is the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture? So what if your brother is a member of the Hanlin Academy and your sister is well-married? So what? You're the only one who's different in your family. Oh, you're eighteen now, the age to be considered for marriage, so why don't your parents arrange anything for you?"
"No matter how capable you are, if no one cares about you, you're still pitiful. If your parents care about you, why don't they bring you back to the capital sooner?" He glanced at Wu Niansheng lightly, becoming even more disdainful. "Why leave you in Jinling, letting someone revolve around you every day?"
Those familiar with the situation, such as Yan Qiuyan and Wen Ninglan, would naturally know that what he said was all a lie.
However, there were also those who didn't understand. In addition, Qian Yingyi was a young woman, and to expose this matter in front of everyone was no different from tearing off her fig leaf.
Yan Qiuyan was also an impatient person and had long since lost patience with the argument, so she immediately stepped forward to argue.
Before she could react, Qian Yingyi was faster. She squeezed through the gap, ran up to Yu Minsen, and slapped him twice, once on the left and once on the right!
Yu Minsen was stunned by the blow and instinctively covered his face.
Qian Yingyi pulled out a dirty handkerchief to wipe her hands. "You're right. I'll still hit you, just like I did back then."
After saying that, she glanced at Guo Yue with a half-smile, then stared at Yu Minsen and asked softly, "And you? Do you still dare to fight back now?"
When he first arrived, Guo Yue greeted him shyly, and Qian Yingyi immediately sensed that there was something fishy going on between them.
Prince Rui is still living a prosperous life. His mansion has everything good, except for this small glass incense bottle.
Yu Minsen has only two kinds of thoughts.
Firstly, he would trip her up and oppose her; he would try to take what she wanted.
Secondly, it was to please Guo Yue.
Guo Yue was watching from the side, twisting her handkerchief back and forth in her hands, probably out of fear. Therefore, she guessed that even if Yu Minsen was about to explode, he wouldn't lay a hand on her in front of her.
Previously, when Qian Qiyu beat up Yu Minsen on his behalf, Qian Yingyi was able to try to persuade him to stop, adhering to the idea of avoiding the situation if possible.
Seeing Yu Minsen becoming increasingly domineering and outrageous, she realized that she was not one to be bullied.
At worst, we can break ties with him today, and from now on, throughout Nanjing, whenever people mention our two families, they'll know we're at odds.
As for Grandpa's concerns... after this commotion, whatever measures Prince Rui takes will have absolutely nothing to do with the Qian family.
Yu Minsen was indeed so angry that his face turned red, he couldn't catch his breath, and his jaw clenched tightly. "You really think I wouldn't dare to hit a woman?"
Qian Yingyi smiled but remained silent.
Her gaze, however, fell upon the figure of the patrolling guard outside the crowd, secretly glancing at him to make sure that if Yu Minsen acted rashly and attacked her, she would be sure to come out and restrain him in time.
Unexpectedly, Yu Minsen followed her gaze and saw a young man dressed as a guard standing behind the crowd, staring at him indifferently. His thoughts immediately changed.
This guard... must be the one who missed that arrow earlier!
Yu Minsen glanced around again. The young masters and ladies were about the same age as him. Some of the young masters were his classmates at the academy, or even his classmates. He had lost a lot of face today!
Therefore, he suddenly harbored a grudge against that guard. If he hadn't intervened, he would have been able to scare Qian Yingyi away, and what would have happened afterward?
Yu Minsen remained silent for a while, pondering deeply, then suddenly rested his cheek on his hand and smiled, "Brother Lin."
He looked at Lin Yuhu, whose mouth was covered, and said, "Archery isn't very interesting anymore. How about we try something more exciting?"
Lin Yuhu haphazardly broke free, laughing as she took two steps forward. "Does Your Highness have even more exciting ways to play?"
Things have developed to such an extent that they are no longer within Yan Wenying's control. She closed her eyes and instructed two maids to go to the government office to invite her father-in-law, Lin Bianhong, back home.
If Lin Yuhu hadn't interfered and opposed her, and hadn't invited Yu Minsen, that troublemaker, Qian Yingyi would have already won two prizes.
Making her happy is the most important thing!
Yan Wenying glared at Lin Yuhu with hatred, secretly thinking that Lin Bianhong would deal with him when he returned home.
Yu Minsen glanced at the guard with a smile and pointed at him, "I missed just now, and it was this guard who knocked my arrow away. He seems to have excellent skills."
“We in Jinling have always valued etiquette the most, but I’ve heard that the officials and their families in the capital secretly enjoy watching warriors fight each other. How about this…” Yu Minsen smiled with a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes, “This glass incense bottle, I suppose only Qian Yingyi and I will be able to compete for it. Her guards are formidable, but my men are not bad either.”
"The two sides compete, the winner takes the prize, and the loser must obey the winner from now on. How about that?"
A commotion erupted around them, and the gazes directed at Yu Minsen gradually changed, as they sensed a sinister and terrifying aura emanating from his handsome face.
Who would relentlessly pursue someone like that?
Lin Yuhu ignored all of that and glanced around. "The young master only has servants with him."
"Who said that?"
Yu Minsen took out a small whistle from his pocket and blew it gently.
Before long, ten people rushed in from all directions, each with half their face covered. They appeared to be secret guards from Prince Rui's mansion, who usually followed Yu Minsen.
Even Yan Ruheng's expression changed, and his tone gradually became serious, "Your Highness, this is not a royal residence. It's not proper for a spring banquet to be filled with fighting and killing."
Lin Yuhu stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Hey, if the young master wants to play, he should play to his heart's content. Qingxi, step back a bit."
Qian Yingyi's face darkened, and she clenched her fists tightly. "How can you bully the weak with numbers?"
Yu Minsen said smugly, "You can find some help too."
The crowd retreated in fear, and no one dared to step forward.
Their gazes also fell on the guard. Although he seemed tall and strong and capable of fighting, how could the guards of the Prince Rui's mansion be a pushover? Yu Minsen truly didn't care about human life. Ten against one, how was this any different from one-sided torture?
After waiting for half a day, Yu Minsen smiled contemptuously, "Qian Yingyi, do you still want that bottle? Or are you just reluctant to see this guard get hurt?"
The sun was shining brightly, and the breeze was just right, but it made Yu Minsen's face look like a cannibalistic demon.
Qian Yingyi's gaze lingered on the glass incense bottle, a hint of sadness in her eyes. Ultimately, reason prevailed, and she prepared to give in.
Before she could finish speaking, a guard appeared beside her, giving Yu Minsen a knowing smile. "May I ask, Your Highness, is it that we disregard fighting style and life or death, and only consider victory or defeat?"
Yu Minsen glanced at him in surprise, not expecting this guard to have the courage to stand up. Therefore, he paid even less attention to him and nodded, "Yes, if you can win, I will not punish you."
Qian Yingyi hurriedly grabbed the guard's sleeve, her eyes wide with shock, "Are you crazy? I'm not going to argue with him anymore, you don't need to go!"
The guard turned to look at her, and whether it was due to her eyesight being impaired or not, Qian Yingyi suddenly felt that she caught a glimpse of... hatred in his eyes in that instant?
In the blink of an eye, the guard brushed aside her fingers, walked to an open space, drew his sword with a "whoosh," pointed it at the ten guards, and calmly said, "Please."
The guards immediately surrounded the attendant from all sides.
Yu Minsen, smug and with a disdainful smile in his eyes, waved his hand and ordered, "Go get them!"
The guards drew their swords and charged forward in a commotion.
Ever since arriving in Jinling, Qin Lizheng has always deliberately avoided Prince Rui's family, fearing that he might impulsively kill his enemies.
Upon seeing Prince Rui's son and hearing Yu Minsen's words that implied he didn't value human life, he was suddenly filled with rage. Back then, Prince Rui hadn't taken his brother's life seriously either.
So when he struck, Qin Lizheng's sword flashed with fierce killing intent, as if venting his anger, with the air of a sword that could kill someone's throat.
The leading guard hadn't taken him seriously at first, but after this exchange, his heart started pounding. He quickly dodged with a feint and exchanged glances with the remaining nine men.
That guard is incredibly brave!
The guards were on high alert, drawing their swords and changing formations, attempting to disrupt him from multiple directions. Qin Lizheng swiftly dispatched two of them, then delivered a powerful kick to the waist and abdomen of one of the guards, using the momentum to somersault in mid-air. The next instant, as he landed, he slashed a bloody gash into the arm of another guard.
The remaining six guards gritted their teeth inwardly, thinking to themselves how fast he was!
Before they could react, Qin Lizheng had already closed in on them, his whole body exuding a cold and sharp aura, and each move was ruthless.
Everyone was dumbfounded. This was no hunt; it was a one-against-ten slaughter.
The sunlight had been gentle, but in an instant the sky changed color, becoming gloomy, and a gust of wind swept through, revealing the killing intent in the young man's swordplay.
The six guards were no match for him; he single-handedly slashed several strands of blood beads into the air.
The sky was like a gray painting, with blood droplets scattered in the air, adding a vibrant touch.
The sky over Jinling changed instantly. As the wind pierced everyone's eardrums, Qin Lizheng knocked down the last person. With a "crack," he crushed the leg bone of the guard on the ground with a heavy kick. His face was stained with blood. He looked at Yu Minsen, whose face had already turned pale.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, and everyone's heart was in their throats. The way the guard looked at them was as if they were looking at a vengeful ghost that had crawled up from the underworld!
Qin Lizheng coldly sized up Yu Minsen, then pressed down on his foot. Amidst the incessant wails of the guards, he curled his lips into a smile, "The young master's men are nothing special."
Yu Minsen stumbled backward, stammering, "You...you..."
He stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.
How could a mere guard be so powerful? Yu Minsen was now somewhat frightened. He suddenly noticed that some of the young masters and ladies around him were gradually moving away from him. He looked up and saw the guard with that bloody and terrifying face walking towards him step by step.
"You...you...you!" Yu Minsen, unable to bear the chills, asked in a hard voice, "What do you want to do!"
Little did he know that the guard simply bypassed him, carrying a faint scent of blood, and went a short distance away to pick up the small glass incense bottle.
Observing the whole situation, Yan Qiuyan murmured, "Yingyi, the new guard beside you is incredibly agile..."
Qian Yingyi suddenly snapped back to reality, staring intently at the guard, a sense of unfamiliarity she had never felt before creeping into her heart.
Is he really that amazing?
Now that blood has been drawn, Yu Minsen seems to have calmed down a bit, but he can't bring himself to do it. Thinking of the bet they made earlier, he feels even more ashamed.
His face immediately darkened, and he turned away, intending to leave.
A single word, "wretch," tripped him up.
Yu Minsen turned his head and looked back. Two figures were rushing towards him from outside the crowd. He couldn't contain his anger and hurriedly turned around to run towards them. As he got closer, he shouted, "Dad! You have to teach that damned guy a lesson for me..."
"Smack!"
Suddenly, he was slapped in the face, the force of which made Yu Minsen spin halfway around, his head spinning.
Yu Minsen looked up in disbelief, “...Dad?”
The two were the saviors that Yan Wenying had her maid bring over.
The man dressed in a red official robe was none other than Lin Bianhong, who had come from the government office.
The other man was clean-shaven, with round eyes, and a tall, upright figure despite being middle-aged. He wore a winged crown and a dark green dragon robe. He was none other than Prince Rui, Yu Chenghe, who had escaped unscathed from the case of the rebellious prince.
It is unclear why the two of them came together, but Yu Chenghe clearly did not want to spoil his son in front of others. Judging from his expression, he must have heard the whole story on the way here.
Then, he shoved Yu Minsen's shoulder hard again and scolded, "Go apologize to Miss Qian!"
"I should apologize to her?" Yu Minsen was indignant. "Why should I? She almost shot me in the leg with an arrow!"
"That's because you deliberately shot the arrow at the instrument first!" Yan Qiuyan retorted hastily when she saw someone trying to teach her a lesson.
Yu Chenghe coldly ignored the bodyguards lying haphazardly on the ground, grabbed Yu Minsen's shoulder, and forcibly led him to Qian Yingyi.
Yu Chenghe couldn't help but smile warmly, "Good child, you've been wronged today. This wretched child deserves to be taught a lesson. When we get back, I will definitely give him a good beating and have him come to apologize to you in person another day."
Every word was sincere, yet the bet of "obeying the winner's orders" was never mentioned.
Qian Yingyi understood his meaning perfectly well. Yu Minsen was, after all, a prince, and if he were to obey her every command from now on, how would the entire Jinling view the Prince Rui's Mansion in the future?
With an elder involved, she couldn't get her way with Yu Minsen even if she wanted to. So, after a long while, she managed a slight smile. "Greetings, Your Highness. Today's game was originally supposed to be archery, but the young master found it boring and changed it to foot archery, and then to mutual shooting. I had no choice but to play with the young master. I suppose it's because the young master and I haven't had much contact in the past two years and we're not familiar with each other's temperaments that things got a bit out of hand. Your Highness needn't worry, I have a good temper and never take things to heart."
"As for visiting to apologize..." Her smile deepened, "that's unnecessary."
Her words made it seem as if she was never familiar with Yu Minsen, and although today was over, she would not hold it against him in the future because he was the heir. As long as Yu Minsen didn't show up in front of her, she and he would continue to go their separate ways.
Yu Chenghe looked at the clever girl in front of him and smiled, but his hand pressed Yu Minsen down so that she was a head shorter than him. "Apologize."
This little tyrant wouldn't allow it! He stubbornly struggled repeatedly.
In the end, Yu Chenghe warned him in front of everyone, saying that if he did not apologize to others today, he would be treated as if he did not exist as the heir.
Yu Minsen reluctantly squeezed out a "sorry" through gritted teeth.
The farce ended abruptly. Yu Chenghe ordered the accompanying guards to drag away the dying bodyguards. His expression softened slightly as he glanced at the young man behind Qian Yingyi.
He then left with his own wicked child.
As he reached a corner, Yu Chenghe seemed to sense something, feeling a chilling gaze following him from behind. When he turned around, he looked around, but he couldn't find the owner of that gaze.
Even after boarding the Prince's carriage, Yu Minsen remained unconvinced, only to be met with another blow from Yu Chenghe.
Yu Chenghe coldly warned him: "Do you know that you have ruined things today?"
Yu Minsen cried out in pain and couldn't help but ask, "What did I do wrong?"
"I'll settle things with you when we get back. Sit still!" Yu Chenghe narrowed his eyes slightly and warned, "As for Qian Yingyi, don't mess with her in the future."
"Why should I?" Yu Minsen glared, shouting incessantly, "She hit me before, and she dared to hit me again today! How can I let her bully me again!"
"I told you not to mess with her, so just do as I say. Otherwise, you'll be staying at home from now on and not going anywhere."
After uttering those threatening words, Yu Chenghe remained silent for a long while before asking, "The bodyguards I assigned to follow you are all highly skilled; were they all beaten up by the guards beside her?"
Yu Minsen thought of the blood on the guard's face and felt a little scared. He shrank his neck and nodded frantically.
The streets were bustling and vibrant. A carriage was passing by the river. Yu Chenghe lifted the curtain to look, and the light shone on half of his face, making his expression inscrutable. "I feel like he looks somewhat familiar..."
The carriage sped by quickly, passing a section of gravel road where it bounced for a moment before returning to a steady state. The strange feeling in Yu Chenghe's heart was also dispelled by this bump.
Having witnessed a thrilling spectacle at the Lin family's residence, the young masters and ladies no longer cared about the spring banquet. They quickly found excuses to bid farewell to Yan Wenying and leave.
When Lin Bianhong learned the whole story, he was extremely disappointed in Lin Yuhu and angrily ordered his servant to throw him into the pond to sober up.
The Yan and Lin families are already in the same boat. Today's banquet was originally for Qian Yingyi, but this fool has ruined it!
After a long and winding day, the spring banquet ended on a sour note. Qian Yingyi did not linger any longer, forcing a smile as she curtsied to Yan Wenying, intending to return home with Qian Qiyu.
Just before departure, the carriage was suddenly knocked on. Qian Yingyi lifted the curtain to look and saw Yan Ruheng holding a painting. He smiled at her and said, "I am truly sorry for today. My elder sister did not expect the young master to come. This painting... will serve as an apology."
He still had that extremely handsome face. Looking at him up close, one wanted to reach out and touch it even more, but Qian Yingyi felt something was missing at the moment. She simply waved her hand politely, "No need, I didn't take it to heart."
Before Yan Ruheng could say anything more, Qian Yingyi spoke up first: "Lord Yan, I'm a little tired today."
Yan Ruheng was slightly taken aback, and after a moment, he could only say softly, "I'm sorry."
By the time she returned home, it was already dusk. She caught up with Qian Lanting returning from the Ministry of Works, and Qian Yingyi quickly told him about what had happened that day.
Qian Lanting first pulled her to look her over, asking, "Did that arrow hurt you?"
Qian Yingyi shook her head.
"Hmph, arrogant brat. If a son is disobedient, it's always because the father hasn't taught him well," he said, flicking his sleeve. "So what? Let's tear off the mask. What about the Prince's Mansion? Apart from the Emperor, no one can control our family!"
These words gave Qian Yingyi a lot of confidence.
Therefore, Qian Qiyu and he exchanged glances, ate a few bites of food during dinner, and then each grabbed a wine jar and sat in the garden, angrily cursing Yu Minsen.
There was no moon that night. Two maids lit lamps nearby. Qian Qiyu's eyes were moist. He raised his cup to clink with Qian Yingyi's and cursed, "Who does he think he is? He's just a defeated opponent of my sister! Although he's a prince, he's a coward when trouble arises. He's a disgrace to men. Go to hell! He's no good!"
He was already drunk, as was Qian Yingyi. She laughed twice, tilted her head back and drank a mouthful of wine, then cursed along with him, "Go to hell! You're no good!"
As he drank more and more, Qian Qiyu started to feel a little dizzy and began to sway his head. He wondered to himself, "How come there are two older sisters?" He then smiled and said, "Luckily, Lin Zheng is good at fighting. Sister, don't you think so?"
Lin Zheng?
Qian Yingyi strained her eyes to search for the guards around her. Little Tortoiseshell, Chuntang, and Xialing were all there... but he was nowhere to be seen.
Qian Yingyi turned to ask, "Where is Lin Zheng?"
Qian Qiyu, however, fell asleep on the stone table in a short while.
She smiled and ordered Xiao Daimao to take Qian Qiyu back to her room. She then got up unsteadily, and the two maids rushed forward to help her. She put her arms around them and rubbed her face against theirs.
He walked down the corridor by himself, waved his hand behind him, and said, "You guys go back to Yunteng Pavilion to prepare water. I'm not drunk yet, so I'll just walk around and sober up for a while."
Unable to persuade her otherwise, the two maids had no choice but to leave.
Qian Yingyi walked slowly, secretly planning to find the guards. She didn't know how much time had passed or how many winding corridors she had turned, but suddenly she heard the pattering of raindrops on both sides, so she casually looked up at the outside of the corridor.
Upon looking around, she saw a large man standing under a magnolia tree at the corner of the corridor. Seeing that the rain was getting heavier, Qian Yingyi silently hiccuped, grabbed an oil-paper umbrella from the corner of the corridor, and headed straight for the man.
.
Qin Lizheng had been standing here alone for a while.
His trip to the Lin family was not entirely fruitless. Earlier, when the opera troupe was performing, he sneaked into Lin Bianhong's study and found an unexpected letter, which seemed to have not yet been destroyed.
The letter came from the capital and was written by Chang Rong, the chief eunuch serving the emperor.
He never imagined that Chang Rong would be their protector in the capital.
Qin Lizheng felt a strange sense of unease. If the emperor hadn't become suspicious and ordered him to investigate, perhaps in the near future, the land of Jinling, or even the entire Southern Zhili, would not have been able to satisfy their boundless greed.
And Prince Rui... he was also one of those who enjoyed the luxuries.
Prince Rui...
Qin Lizheng's gaze fell on a certain spot, his thoughts gradually drifting away. He had almost lost control and rushed to kill Prince Rui today.
In the stillness, a muffled clap of thunder sounded in the sky, and a light drizzle suddenly began to fall. Several servants hurriedly sought shelter from the rain in the distance, but Qin Lizheng remained oblivious, standing silently in place, drawing a circle around himself and gradually trapping himself in hatred.
After his elder brother passed away, his family was able to remain in the capital because the late emperor had granted his father a position.
My father once deduced that Prince Rui was a meticulous man and might not settle scores with their family at first. However, if the late emperor gradually lowered his guard, it was hard to guarantee that their family, as "insiders," would not be secretly killed by Prince Rui.
The father had already lost his elder brother and could not afford to lose him as well, so he decided to send him to the border.
This led to a disagreement with his father, resulting in a major argument.
Unfortunately, he couldn't resist his father's pressure and eventually gave in. But while being escorted to the border, he couldn't resist running away when they passed through Jinling.
At that time, he was blinded by hatred and, in his youthful impetuosity, stormed alone with a sword to the vicinity of Prince Rui's mansion.
But when he saw Prince Rui and his family of three chatting and laughing in front of the door, he suddenly changed his mind and gradually calmed down.
Like a rat lurking in the shadows, he spyed on Prince Rui for three or four days. Prince Rui took his elder brother's life and shattered his happy family...
He also wanted Prince Rui to experience the full flavor of it.
Repay double.
Later, he still went to the border, but halfway there a man appeared, saw that he had a very good physique, wanted to take him as a disciple, and forcibly kidnapped him.
When he met his master, he was already old. He and his master stayed in a desolate mountain for several years. After his master died, he returned to the capital to participate in the selection of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He climbed up by stepping on the corpses of others, and finally climbed to the side of the current emperor, becoming a "lackey" that officials privately despised.
He would do anything to serve the emperor, just to show his loyalty.
The Emperor knew his identity and the death of his brother. Therefore, after gaining the Emperor's trust, the Emperor granted him an oral decree. If he could exonerate his brother and produce evidence, the content of the decree would be determined by him.
From then on, he worked even harder.
As a reward, the emperor granted his parents peace and good fortune.
Therefore, he never went home, and only claimed to the outside world that he had severed ties with his parents. Whether his parents lived or died was none of his business. So even if Prince Rui found out that he had joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard and wanted to kill him, with the Emperor's men protecting him, Prince Rui could not succeed.
Raindrops quickly soaked into Qin Lizheng's shoulders and back. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, as if he were struggling, wanting to kill Prince Rui regardless of the consequences.
Qin Lizheng abruptly closed his eyes, suppressing his thoughts and pulling himself out of his hatred.
As the rain began to fall, the night grew even colder, as if it had instantly transported us back to before spring. The pitter-patter of the rain enveloped Qin Lizheng, whose face was expressionless. He was about to turn away when he suddenly paused, startled.
The rain that was dripping on me stopped.
Qin Lizheng glanced up and saw an oil-paper umbrella. He suddenly turned around and saw two fair and delicate hands tightly gripping the umbrella handle in front of him. Further ahead, there was a pair of bright and clear eyes.
The girl, quite drunk, stretched the oil-paper umbrella over his head again and called out to him with a grin, "Ah Zheng."
Qin Lizheng's gaze swept over her entire body. The hem of her horse-face skirt was slightly dirty. He stared at her quietly, suddenly remembering that this was the second time she had held an umbrella for him.
What's different is this pair of eyes.
Last time, although it was sparkly inside, it only inspired exploration and curiosity.
This time, it was full of concern.
He took the umbrella without thinking, his voice soft, "What did you call me, Miss?"
“Ah Zheng,” she squeezed closer to him, sharing the small space under the umbrella with him, “Xiao Dai Mao’s name is so nice. I never call him by his full name. Lin Zheng sounds too formal, but Ah Zheng is just perfect.”
"Ah Zheng, are you stupid to stand in the rain here?"
Are you cold?
She was clearly quite drunk; instead of being aggressive and unruly in front of him, she was surprisingly docile.
Qin Lizheng forced a smile and walked down the corridor. "It's raining. I'll take Miss home."
Before he could take two steps, his belt was hooked by a hand.
Qin Lizheng looked back in surprise. She pursed her lips slightly, then leaned closer to him, stood on tiptoe, cupped his face in her hands and moved it from side to side. Her voice was soft, "You were amazing today, taking on ten people at once. I've been looking for you. I'm sorry, you stood up for me today, but when I got home I was only focused on going to drink and forgot to ask if you were hurt anywhere."
A gust of wind blew out the two yellow gauze lanterns under the corridor. In the dim light, Qian Yingyi said to him very seriously, "If you have any pain, I will ask a doctor to treat you."
Half of Qin Lizheng's face was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to discern his emotions. "I'm not injured."
He gently pulled her along, saying, "Come on, I'll take you home."
Qian Yingyi was unusually stubborn at this moment, shaking her head while grabbing his collar with both hands, "I don't want to go back yet."
"Okay, let's go find shelter from the rain first."
When Qin Lizheng led her to the corridor, he closed his umbrella and turned around to look for her. She was already leaning against a pillar and slumped on a chair.
He walked over quietly, leaned against a pillar, and took out the glass incense bottle from his pocket, handing it to her.
Qian Yingyi's dazed expression changed slightly. She took the bottle in a daze and stroked it from the horn wrapped around the top of the bottle all the way to the bottom, as if she had obtained a priceless treasure.
Qin Lizheng stared at her expression, and while she was still dazed, asked, "Is this thing very important to you?"
Qian Yingyi blinked and nodded her delicate chin. "I already have one, which was given to me by someone very close to me, so I want this one too."
Strange, he had investigated the Qian family before. She had never suffered since birth, so why was she so melancholy when mentioning this person?
He couldn't help but ask again, "Who is it?"
Qian Yingyi carefully tucked the glass incense bottle into her sleeve, her voice soft, "It's from the older sister who used to live behind the side gate of my house. Her rice cakes were delicious."
"But then she died, leaving me only a bottle."
Qin Lizheng belatedly realized that this was the reason she always ate that rice cake.
After a moment of silence, he added, "Please accept my condolences."
As the rain intensified, Qian Yingyi seemed a bit cold. She rubbed herself with her arms, but soon got tired and slumped back onto the bench.
She seemed to have come to him on purpose tonight, and suddenly blurted out, "Ah Zheng, do you know, ever since she died, I have secretly vowed that from now on, I will never let the people around me be bullied again."
“So, when that idiot Yu Minsen brought those people today, I didn’t want to ask you to go. I was afraid you couldn’t beat them,” she said, her voice so low it was almost drowned out by the rain. “I really want this bottle, but when I compare the two, I don’t want you to get beaten up.”
Qin Lizheng turned his head and, for the first time, gazed at her quietly without any scrutiny.
When he spoke again, even he was surprised to find that his voice could be as gentle as a warm spring when he was facing her, "Is Miss cold?"
He was reluctant to admit it, but because of her sincere words, his often hardened heart seemed to crack open with a long, deep wound.
So they changed the subject.
Qian Yingyi placed her hands on her knees and replied, "My hands are cold."
She lowered her head and pouted, "Actually, today, Yu Minsen said those things to humiliate me. I know it was false, but I still care a little."
“I have been in Nanjing for a long time and I miss my parents, but I don’t want to go back to the capital. I don’t want to marry a complete stranger, and I don’t want to think of my deceased elder sister as soon as I go back.”
Her words were scattered, and at one point she said something else: "When I was little, my hands were cold, and my mother would hold them and warm them up for me."
Qin Lizheng lowered his gaze to look at her pair of fair and delicate hands, remained silent for a moment, and then extended his broad and warm palms to her, "Put them on."
Qian Yingyi was probably quite cold. She suddenly curled her hand into a fist and gently placed it on his hand. After a while, her fist was tightly wrapped. She sighed with comfort, smiled, and then used her other hand to hold the back of his hand. "Your hands are so warm."
The air seemed to freeze, and Qin Lizheng could barely hear the rain; he only stared at the two people's tightly clasped hands.
After a long pause, he hurriedly turned his head, concealing his helplessness and bewilderment.
Qian Yingyi had been sitting there for a while, and the effects of the alcohol were starting to creep in. She felt that his entire arm was very warm, so she tilted her head and gently rubbed her face against his firm forearm. She was still able to spare a thought to ask him, "Ah Zheng, your arm is warm too, but you were caught in the rain just now. Are you cold?"
She kept asking him if he was cold, and Qin Lizheng inevitably pulled his hand back hastily, lifted her up from the bench, and pushed her back forward, saying, "If you're cold, hurry back."
Qian Yingyi, however, insisted on going against him, stopping in her tracks, saying, "This is my home, I can go back whenever I want!"
Having tried to stop him from pushing her, Qian Yingyi was a little weak again. She gently pulled him and said, "I can go back if you want, but I don't want to walk. I don't have much strength left. You can carry me back."
She pulled Qin Lizheng closer and closer to her, his face hovering right in front of her.
Qian Yingyi opened her bright eyes and stared at the two slightly asymmetrical moles on his nose. She couldn't help but slowly raise her other hand and gently touch his nose. "Tell me, why doesn't this one grow on the other side? It would look so much better if it were symmetrical."
She fluttered her long eyelashes, staring intently at his face as if this was the only important thing in the world.
She pressed her fingertips against his nose again, when suddenly her wrist was grabbed by a hand.
Qian Yingyi snapped out of her little world and stared at him blankly, somewhat puzzled.
Qin Lizheng's gaze swept across her face, and he suddenly recalled the dreams that had disturbed his thoughts. He immediately felt that she was too dangerous for him at this moment.
So he took a half step back, trying to get away from her.
Little did she know that he was still holding her wrist, and she was pulled away from where she was, lunging at him.
She tiptoed and planted a light kiss right on his Adam's apple.
Now he could care about nothing and hear nothing. Qin Lizheng's body stiffened, and even his breathing became light.
Even the two arms that quickly lifted her up felt somewhat like they weren't her own.
Unfortunately, Qian Yingyi was drunk. She took a light sniff of the minty scent on him, mixed with the dampness of the rain, and the coolness made her shiver involuntarily.
Then I asked him, "Are you cold?"
She lifted his chin with both hands and repeatedly instructed him, "Remember, I am your master. I have taken you in and will protect you from now on. If that fool tries to take revenge on you, don't be afraid, I will stop him for you."
His words were so sincere that Qin Lizheng was reluctant to let go of his hand.
She kept asking him if he was cold, and repeatedly emphasized that she would protect him. Even though she said it while drunk, Qin Lizheng had to admit it.
At this moment, something in his heart was pounding wildly, like the drizzling rain outside.
He couldn't catch it.
He didn't want to grab her anymore. Qin Lizheng looked at her face and felt that it was gradually overlapping with some dreams, but the touch under his hand was so real.
He thought, "I don't need to worry about the separation between men and women anymore, or about what's real and what's fake."
He pulled her into his arms, their bodies pressed tightly together, his arms holding her tighter and tighter.
It was as if an invisible thread bound their bodies together, carrying his heartbeat to her and making her heart flutter as well.
Qian Yingyi seemed to sense something, and suddenly her feet were forced to stand on tiptoe, her whole body felt warm, and she blinked blankly without saying a word.
She heard his voice in her ear, low and captivating, "You always ask me, but you'll know whether I'm cold or not just by feeling it yourself."
She was still dazed, looking up over his shoulder at the top of her head, feeling a sense of dizziness.
She struggled to break free from his embrace until she was almost out of breath, saying, "I...I can't take it anymore."
She pushed him away, momentarily forgetting to speak.
His body was burning hot, like a red-hot coal, so hot that even the area under her eyelids turned red, and it seemed as if his ears were also bright red.
Whether it was from being hugged too tightly or from being too drunk, Qian Yingyi was unsteady on her feet and stumbled a couple of steps to the side before regaining her balance and sitting down again.
He then tilted his head and leaned against the pillar, gently closing his eyes.
Qin Lizheng's gaze followed her, the flutter in his heart lingering. It seemed that only now did he understand what Xiao Daimao had said: "Perhaps liking is also a man's possessiveness towards a woman."
He confronted his earlier impulsiveness and found himself walking up to her again. After gazing at her for a moment, he realized that she was asleep.
When a girl is asleep, she is very quiet and obedient.
Qin Lizheng gradually moved closer to her, bent down, and quietly placed a light kiss on her forehead.
Touch and then leave.
He had to admit that she was like a firefly, finally burning away his composure with her faint yet resilient strength.
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Author's Note: Qian Yingyi won the heart of the guard, and from then on, the guard began his secret crush.
I've entered the paid section, hehe, I hope you'll leave lots of comments and discuss the plot with me!
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