Chapter 25 A Broken Mirror Cannot Be Mended 2 "Please don't play matchmaker..."
Two lines of tears flowed silently down Chi Yanzhou's face, dripping onto the ground the instant they reached his chin, disappearing into the earth with the moonlight.
He raised his hand to wipe his tears with his sleeve, but the more he wiped, the wetter they became. Tears rolled down his smooth chin and landed on the brocade fabric, leaving a small, dark stain.
The jade hairpin in his hair swayed gently with his slightly trembling movements, reflecting the candlelight and making the moisture in his eyes even more distinct.
Chi Yanzhou turned his head away, but the trembling in his shoulders was undeniable, and his voice was trembling with sobs: "This fabric, she picked it out herself... it can't be dirtied."
Before she could finish speaking, another tear fell onto the fabric, soaking the clematis petals and making them appear even more vibrant.
It is becoming increasingly hurtful.
Chi Yanzhou's hands trembled as he held the wooden food table, and he tried his best to control himself so that not a single drop of the hangover soup spilled.
Hearing it from the young lady's own ears was even more heartbreaking than he had expected; he thought he was prepared.
Yet a throbbing pain still lingered in his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
Inside the room, Zhu Jin's voice still rang out, "I knew it, Miss naturally deserves someone better."
In her heart, Cui Fuyu was the best, so naturally she had to be matched with an even better man, not a poor scholar who needed his mistress's help at every turn.
Therefore, she secretly did not think highly of Chi Yanzhou and her young mistress.
Fortunately, her mistress was just playing around with Chi Yanzhou.
"Alright, you mustn't say these things in front of Chi Yanzhou."
Cui Fuyu simply told Zhu Jin to keep her mouth shut.
There was no protection for Chi Yan.
Chi Yanzhou quickly wiped away the tears on his face, revealing a smile that looked even uglier than crying, concealing the marks on his sleeve, and walked into the room as if it were nothing.
As Chi Yanzhou approached the door, he deliberately made some noise to let the two know that he had arrived.
After entering the room, Chi Yanzhou placed the food tray on the table, picked up the bowl with peach and daffodil patterns, and steadily walked towards Cui Fuyu, handing her the hangover soup.
He forced a smile and said, "What makes you so happy?"
Cui Fuyu took the soup bowl with a natural expression. "It's nothing, just a joke to pass the time."
After she finished speaking, she drank the hangover soup in one go. The hangover soup didn't taste good, and she didn't like to drink it, but she forced herself to drink it all so that she wouldn't have a headache when she woke up the next morning.
Little did she know that her few words had caused Chi Yanzhou some harm.
Chi Yanzhou's smile froze as he once again realized the young lady's cold-heartedness.
Words spoken unintentionally are the most hurtful.
Another pang of pain shot through her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She continued, "Is that so? It's getting late. Ah Yu, go wash up early. Miss Juning said she's already prepared bathwater for you. I'll go wash off the sweat too, and then come back to keep Ah Yu company later, okay?"
Chi Yanzhou was already asking Cui Fuyu in a somewhat humble manner.
Even the most densely-minded Cui Fuyu noticed something was wrong with Chi Yanzhou at this moment.
She frowned slightly, and her tone became imperceptibly indifferent: "Okay."
Chi Yanzhou bent down and lightly kissed Cui Fuyu's forehead.
He took the soup bowl from her hands and left the room with the food tray.
He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would burst into tears in front of the young lady.
Chi Yanzhou slowly leaned against the door, gripping the food table tightly with both hands, forcing a smile to compose himself.
After a few breaths, Chi Yanzhou slowly left.
With the help of Ju Ning and Zhu Jin, Cui Fuyu quickly finished washing up and was now having the two of them dry her wet hair.
When the hair was dried, Chi Yanzhou had not yet arrived.
Inside the room, Juning was lighting calming incense, the fragrance slowly rising from the burner, while the candles in the villa went out one by one.
Before leaving, Juning thoughtfully left a candle burning.
Cui Fuyu lay on the bed, closed her eyes to rest, and drifted off to sleep.
Chi Yanzhou slowly entered the room when the candlelight was almost gone.
He looked at the spot that Cui Fuyu had specially made empty, fell into deep thought, and after a while gently lifted the quilt and lay down.
He had just lay down, his body stiff and flat, when in an instant the young lady turned around and hugged him.
While Cui Fuyu was half asleep, she felt Chi Yanzhou lie down and subconsciously turned to face him.
He thought Cui Fuyu had turned over because she was awake, but when he turned around, he found that she was still asleep.
It's a subconscious habit.
I'm used to sleeping with him, being held in his arms.
Chi Yanzhou gave a wry smile, but still held Cui Fuyu in his arms.
But his tears, which he couldn't control, slowly began to flow again.
Chi Yanzhou felt a lump in his throat, and tears streamed down his face and onto his pillow.
All sleepiness vanished, leaving only weeping in the darkness.
He didn't make a sound to disturb Cui Fuyu. He thought sadly: It's enough to just hold the young lady like this.
He admitted that she never loved him.
A very long time passed, and Chi Yanzhou's tears soaked a large part of his pillow.
The next day, the sunlight was already quite bright. Cui Fuyu slept until she naturally woke up, and no one in the villa disturbed her.
Because of what happened last night, Chi Yanzhou also fled the villa early.
He really didn't know how to face Cui Fuyu if he stayed.
Cui Fuyu simply took another nap.
In the morning, Chi Yanzhou tiptoed out of bed, waking her up in the process.
Cui Fuyu opened her eyes groggily and sat up. "Why did I get up?"
She was unaware that Chi Yanzhou had spent the entire night without sleep and had no intention of staying at the villa.
Chi Yanzhou froze as he stood up, turned back to her with a smile, raised his hand to touch the top of her head, and lied to her: "I was writing an article last night, and I suddenly had an inspiration, so I thought of finishing it."
She said, "Then wait for me when you leave, I'll see you off."
Chi Yanzhou forced a smile, "No need, Ayu, get some sleep."
She was still sleepy-eyed, looking like she wanted to keep sleeping.
Chi Yanzhou also insisted that she not deliver the package.
Cui Fuyu drank too much last night, and even after drinking hangover soup, she still couldn't avoid a headache, so she lay down and closed her eyes to sleep.
She slept until late morning.
——
After having a simple meal at the villa, Chi Yanzhou packed his things early and left, as it was still early to go to the academy.
He wandered aimlessly through the streets, looking lost and haggard, with the dark circles under his eyes most noticeable from lack of sleep.
He was thinking about what to do next.
Is he going to say it directly, or wait until Ayu no longer likes him and gets tired of him before leaving?
Chi Yanzhou was so engrossed in these thoughts that he didn't notice someone walking towards him.
The person opposite him wore a bamboo hat and a black robe with brocade and gold thread, deliberately suppressing his extraordinary aura, and did not notice that Chi Yanzhou was walking towards him.
He walked very fast, just as Chi Yanzhou was walking slowly, and the two bumped into each other.
Both men were about eight feet tall. When they collided, the man's straw hat was knocked off by Chi Yanzhou, and Chi Yanzhou's book also fell to the ground.
The two were stunned for a moment, but after their thoughts came back to them, they actually squatted down at the same time to pick up their things.
Chi Yanzhou looked up and stared at the other person, suddenly realizing that the other person's face looked very familiar, especially the eyebrows and eyes.
His eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes refocused on the other person, which shocked him even more—the resemblance between them was striking.
How can there be people in the world with such similar eyes and eyebrows?
Zhao Chengxu was also stunned. He was also squatting down and looking at Chi Yanzhou, and naturally he also noticed that the other party looked like him.
Just as the two were looking at each other, a gust of wind blew up Chi Yanzhou's books.
The pages rustled in the wind, finally settling on a page filled with dense, chaotic handwriting.
There is only one name—Cui Fuyu.
The words here were scribbled down haphazardly when he was filled with both love and hate, but he never expected that they would be seen so clearly by others now.
Chi Yanzhou hurriedly packed his things away, his fingers clenching instinctively until his knuckles turned white, then he relaxed them.
After he stood up, he apologized to the person opposite him and instinctively wanted to leave. He didn't want to investigate why they looked so alike, so he quickly walked away before the other person could speak.
When Zhao Chengxu stared in astonishment at the fact that the other person's book was filled with Cui Fuyu's name, he was stunned for a moment and wanted to ask about the relationship between Chi Yanzhou and Cui Fuyu, but the other person seemed to be afraid of him and hurriedly ran away.
Chi Yanzhou even fled in panic and ran far away in no time.
Zhao Chengxu coldly watched his back, wondering if he was some kind of plague god.
He wiped the straw hat off his hand, put it back on his head, and left.
Since the other party is unwilling to tell him, he can always find out by asking Cui Fuyu another day.
After that day, Chi Yanzhou seemed to be deliberately avoiding Cui Fuyu, spending his days either in the academy, busy with the reconstruction of the Chi family, or in his study.
Anyway, he just avoided Cui Fuyu. Whenever Cui Fuyu came to the villa, Chi Yanzhou would find a way to avoid her.
For three consecutive days, Cui Fuyu was unable to find Chi Yanzhou.
That day, Cui Fuyu intended to go directly to the academy to catch Chi Yanzhou, just as she was about to leave.
Her mother arrived at the door and stopped Cui Fuyu, "Yu'er, where are you going?"
Cui Fuyu paused in her act of getting into the carriage, turned around and saw her mother, then quickly walked to her mother's side with a smile, "I have something to do outside, Mother, what's wrong?"
She asked as usual, and her mother usually wouldn't easily stop her if there was nothing wrong.
Zhao Ying took her hand and said, "It's your brother who wrote this morning saying he'll be home soon. He thinks it's rare for the family to see each other, so it's better for you to stay home."
Cui Fuyu's eyes lit up with joy: "Brother, he's so fast! I must be waiting for him at home. If he hadn't seen me, he would have scolded me. Why didn't Mother tell me sooner?"
She affectionately linked her arm with Zhao Ying's and said coquettishly that she had told her the news too late.
Today is not a day off, and Cui Shihai is still working in the palace. However, after learning that Cui Hexuan was coming back today, he said that he would go home early at noon to have lunch together.
Therefore, Zhao Ying hurriedly asked the kitchen staff to go out and buy more food, so that she could prepare a sumptuous meal today.
Zhao Ying and Cui Fuyu waited for Cui Hexuan outside the house, while Ju Ning, Zhu Jin, Aunt Xi and others also waited behind their master.
The two stood side by side, watching from a distance to see when Cui Hexuan's carriage would arrive. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long.
A quarter of an hour later, a carriage bearing the Cui family emblem sped up, its vermilion wheels rolling on the bluestone slabs with a rumbling sound. The tassels under the canopy fluttered in the wind, the white horse pulling the carriage had its mane flying, and the bells around its neck jingled.
The person sitting outside the carriage and driving it was Meng Bai, Cui Hexuan's personal servant. He quickly drove the carriage towards the Cui family.
A moment later, Meng Bai smoothly brought the carriage to a stop in front of the Cui residence. He jumped off the carriage and greeted Zhao Ying and Cui Fuyu with a cheerful smile: "Madam, Miss, Young Master and I are back."
Cui Fuyu eagerly pulled Zhao Ying down the steps, saying, "Brother, come down quickly."
Her tone was naturally coquettish as she urged him to get down quickly. Cui Hexuan smiled and lifted the carriage curtain, leaning out: "What's the rush? I'm here now."
Cui Hexuan was handsome and looked more like Cui Shihai. He was staring at the person urging him with a face full of doting affection.
As soon as he got off the carriage, Cui Fuyu opened his palm and asked, "Tell me, what gift did you bring me today?"
Cui Hexuan smiled at Cui Fuyu, then slapped Cui Fuyu's hand away. He took out a gift for Zhao Ying from his sleeve. "Mother, I am doing well at the academy. This is a pair of purple jade bracelets for you. I have missed you and Father very much since we last met."
Zhao Ying smiled broadly as she accepted the bracelet and immediately opened it to examine it. The purple jade was of excellent quality, and it felt warm and smooth to the touch. "Xuan'er, you're so thoughtful. It's good that you're back. Why did you bring any gifts?"
Cui Fuyu also leaned forward to take a look, "Brother, your taste has improved."
Cui Hexuan sneered at her, dissatisfied: "When have I ever had bad judgment?"
"Here, this is a gift I picked out for you."
Cui Hexuan magically produced a red coral and shimmering pearl bracelet and displayed it in front of Cui Fuyu.
The bright red of the coral is eye-catching, while the glowing pearl balances out that effect, making the two complement each other perfectly.
He laughed smugly, "When have I ever missed out on you?"
Cui Fuyu immediately took the bracelet with delight, raised her hand and put it on. The bracelet made her fair wrist look even more beautiful, matching the jade bracelet she was already wearing.
She liked the gift more and more as she looked at it.
"Thank you, you conman brother."
Cui Fuyu showed her wrist to Cui Hexuan, letting him see how beautiful the bracelet looked on her wrist.
Cui Hexuan disgustedly removed her hand and covered her exposed wrist with his sleeve: "You got off easy."
Zhao Ying watched the brother and sister bickering from the sidelines. Afterwards, the three of them went into the Cui residence together. Cui Hexuan had just returned and was already bickering with Cui Fuyu as usual. From then on, the Cui residence became lively again.
Before we knew it, it was almost noon.
Zhao Ying sat down in the hall with her two children. The two siblings were much quieter there. They had been making a lot of noise earlier, which had given Zhao Ying a headache, and she had told them to shut up.
The servants carried the exquisite dishes into the hall in an orderly fashion, placing them one by one in a neat and orderly manner. Each dish was so delicious and visually appealing that it made one's mouth water.
Cui Hexuan picked up his chopsticks with a flourish, about to grab a dish from in front of him, but Zhao Ying slapped them away.
"Xuan'er, how dare you be so disrespectful! Your father hasn't come back yet."
Zhao Ying's reprimand forced Cui Hexuan to put down his chopsticks, and he caught a glimpse of Cui Fuyu daring to laugh at him.
Cui Hexuan deliberately poked the soft flesh on her waist, signaling her not to laugh!
Cui Fuyu stuck out her tongue at him and said in a cute little voice, "It's none of your business."
A moment later, Cui Shihai strode into the hall. "Have you all been waiting long?"
His cheerful voice drifted in. Ignoring Cui Fuyu's provocation, Cui Hexuan quickly stood up and bowed to Cui Shihai: "Father."
Cui Shihai stepped forward and looked Cui Hexuan over, then hugged him tightly and patted him on the back several times with satisfaction: "It's been more than half a year since I last saw you. I wonder if your writing has improved?"
"Of course there is."
Cui Hexuan answered with pride, and recently his teacher praised him for his brilliant writing.
The family sat together at the round table, on which were laid out eight dishes and a soup, including fragrant lotus root fish chunks, stewed lamb with mountain delicacies, crab roe noodle soup, honey-fried shrimp stuffing, and jade cicada soup.
Cui Hexuan had been craving it for a while, and now that everyone was here, he immediately started eating, quickly saying, "Wow, home-cooked food is still the best."
The atmosphere at the table became awkward. The three of them simultaneously put food on Cui Hexuan's plate, and his bowl was soon overflowing with fragrant food.
Cui Fuyu couldn't stand it anymore. "Zhu Jin, go and get the young master a big bowl."
Cui Hexuan ate with even more relish after switching to a larger bowl, and the dinner table was filled with laughter.
The days passed by in such a fulfilling way. On the morning of June 15th, Cui Hexuan found Cui Fuyu and said he was going out, and asked her if she wanted to come along.
Of course, Cui Fuyu was going out to play.
Little did anyone know, the "going out to play" that Cui Hexuan mentioned was actually hiking.
Cui Fuyu only found out when he reached the foot of the mountain, and he had also made an appointment with someone else.
Zhao Chengxu, the third son of the current emperor, was enfeoffed as the King of Tai for his military achievements and should now be stationed at the border.
Cui Fuyu asked in confusion, "Zhao Chengxu, why are you back?"
If we're talking about childhood sweethearts, Cui Fuyu and Zhao Chengxu are the real childhood sweethearts.
The three of them grew up together almost from childhood.
It wasn't until two years ago that Zhao Chengxu went to the frontier.
After three years apart, Cui Fuyu noticed that he had gotten darker and stronger.
"Cousin, it's been a long time." Zhao Chengxu said to her with a gentle smile, "We recently achieved a great victory at the border, and the army is returning to the capital. I came back ahead of schedule."
Looking at Cui Fuyu, who was growing more and more beautiful, with her graceful demeanor, Zhao Chengxu suddenly blushed and stammered as he praised her, "You are very beautiful now."
Cui Fuyu chuckled, "Thank you."
Without seeing their old friends and without much reminiscing, the three of them slowly set off towards the mountaintop, while Ju Ning, Zhu Jin, and Meng Bai followed behind, carrying things and climbing the mountain with their masters.
Along the way, Zhao Chengxu deliberately followed Cui Fuyu's pace, walking with her and telling her about the interesting things he had discovered on the frontier. He wished he could tell Cui Fuyu everything that happened each day.
The free-roaming geese of the borderlands, the open-minded folk customs of the grasslands, and the bonfire party filled with singing and dancing.
The vast expanse of galloping horses, the strategic deployment of troops to fight the enemy, the thought of dying when wounded, and so on.
Cui Fuyu listened quietly, occasionally offering a word or two in agreement.
The two walked side by side, forgetting Cui Hexuan behind them. He walked behind, watching his younger sister and best friend's backs.
As a fellow man, Cui Hexuan naturally understood that this person had a crush on his younger sister.
Look at them, they're a perfect match, so pleasing to the eye!
Cui Hexuan thought to himself: Cui Fuyu is such a blockhead, she can't even see how much Chengxu likes her.
Seeing how well-matched the two were, Cui Hexuan wanted to play matchmaker. He deliberately caught up with them and squeezed Cui Fuyu between them.
Cui Hexuan's mischief forced Cui Fuyu to tease him whenever he squeezed through the crowd again.
The oblivious Zhao Chengxu didn't realize that the two siblings had lost interest in listening to him and were instead deliberately teasing each other.
When Zhao Chengxu stopped and asked the two of them, he said, "What's wrong? Was my story not interesting enough?"
Cui Fuyu and Cui Hexuan stopped their little actions and said in unison, "No, it's wonderful."
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cui Fuyu moved to the other side of Zhao Chengxu, allowing Zhao Chengxu to attack from the middle and separate her speechless brother.
When they stopped to rest halfway up the mountain, a group of people came down from the top. As the two groups passed each other, one of the people on the other side stared at Cui Fuyu for a long time.
This man was also a scholar from a poor family, named Shao Zhixue. He was a boarding student at the academy and often got by working as someone's underling.
Cui Fuyu didn't know him, but Shao Zhixue recognized Cui Fuyu as the person who had stood up for Chi Yanzhou during a fight at the academy not long ago, preferring to be punished rather than admit his mistake.
He frowned as he looked at the person next to Cui Fuyu. He looked a lot like Chi Yanzhou, except that this person was a bit darker-skinned and didn't have Chi Yanzhou's pretty-boy charm.
Shao Zhixue suddenly had a bold guess: Could Chi Yanzhou be a stand-in that Cui Fuyu found?
Shao Zhixue, who had always secretly disliked Chi Yanzhou's behavior, suddenly had a bold idea to hurt Chi Yanzhou.
Chi Yanzhou probably doesn't even know he's just a gigolo hired by Cui Fuyu, does he?!
He'd better think carefully about how to tell Chi Yanzhou this "good news".
Cui Fuyu was unaware of this person's presence. If she had known how much trouble this mountain climb would bring her, she would have definitely refused Cui Hexuan and then resolutely gone to find Chi Yanzhou.
Looking from the mountainside, the distant green mountains resemble a light ink painting screen, stretching for dozens of miles from east to west, with the main peak rising abruptly like a green sword piercing the clouds.
The secondary peaks on both sides are lower, spreading out in layers like waves, and finally gradually disappearing into the thin mist on the horizon.
The three of them climbed for another two hours before finally reaching the summit.
It happened to be dusk.
Cui Fuyu gazed at the setting sun on the distant horizon, where the faint sunlight painted the sky a warm yellow, shimmering in the sunlight.
The green mountains on the horizon were also covered in a layer of orange-red, and the wind on the mountaintop was blowing whistlingly, making the leaves rustle.
As the group faced the wind and embraced nature's embrace, a sense of tranquility washed over them, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the capital, allowing them to enjoy the present moment.
After enjoying the sunset, the three of them hurried down the mountain, taking advantage of the slow darkness of summer.
When they reached the foot of the mountain and boarded their respective carriages, it slowly grew dark.
Cui Fuyu and Cui Hexuan rode in the same carriage, along with their two maids, Juning and Zhujin. Meng Bai lit lanterns on both sides of the carriage and then drove it from the outside, embarking on their journey home.
The mountain they went to was in the suburbs of Beijing, not far from the capital.
Moreover, Zhao Chengxu carried a sword with him, and with him riding a fine horse to cover their retreat, and occasionally chatting with the brother and sister in the carriage, the journey was relatively peaceful.
After Zhao Chengxu safely escorted the people to the Cui residence, he bid farewell to the brother and sister and rode away.
As soon as Cui Hexuan got off the carriage, he approached Cui Fuyu with a grin and said, "How is it, little sister? Zhao Chengxu is a good and reliable person. The key is that he makes you feel very safe, and he also likes you."
After he finished speaking, he raised an eyebrow at Cui Fuyu and lightly bumped her shoulder.
What Zhao Chengxu dared not say openly, he, as his brother, naturally had to explain on his behalf.
Cui Fuyu had no intention of talking to him anymore, but she made it clear to Cui Hexuan before leaving.
"Please don't play matchmaker."
——
The next day, at dawn, at the villa in Willow Leaf Lane.
The servants in the garden had not yet gotten up, but Chi Yanzhou had already gotten up early to continue polishing the birthday gift he was going to give to the young lady.
The magnolia hairpin will be finished soon.
Recently, Chi Yanzhou has been distracted because of a quarrel with Cui Fuyu, and his fingers are covered in cuts.
He and Cui Fuyu were in a cold war, not resolving the issue, and neither of them had taken the initiative to contact the other for six days.
Chi Yanzhou still wanted to give the young lady a proper birthday gift.
So he meticulously refined the details of the hairpin, striving to make it perfect, because he wanted the best for the young lady.
He wanted to take the opportunity, when he gave the young lady the hairpin, to properly explain their relationship to her.
Chi Yanzhou worked alone for half a day, and by the time everyone else got up to work, he had already been in the study for two hours.
The magnolia hairpin is now in its final stages.
Another half hour passed, and finally Chi Yanzhou placed the magnolia hairpin in the prepared gift box. He looked at the hairpin in the box with a gentle expression and a genuine smile.
Chi Yanzhou hadn't genuinely smiled for days. A few days ago, his classmates at the academy saw him forcing a smile and privately said he had a sour face.
He thought: I should part ways with the young lady amicably.
Chi Yanzhou raised his hand to touch the exquisite magnolia hairpin lying in the gift box, but suddenly realized that his dirty hands could not touch the hairpin. He sadly withdrew his dirty hands, put the magnolia hairpin in the desk drawer, and locked the drawer with a padlock.
He got up and left the study, went to the well in the villa, threw the water bucket into the well, silently pumped up a bucket of water, and poured the water into a wooden basin.
After finishing everything, Chi Yanzhou slowly squatted down, rolled up his sleeves, wet his hands, and endured the pain to wash them with soap before turning around and going back to his room to get his books and head to the academy.
Chi Yanzhou has been walking to the academy lately. When he arrives, it's neither too early nor too late, and many classmates are already diligently writing their essays.
When he arrived at his desk and put down his things to organize his books and articles, he discovered that someone had slipped a small note into one of the articles.
Chi Yanzhou picked up the small piece of paper, puzzled, and unfolded its contents.
"Chi Yanzhou, I have a secret to tell you. Meet me at the small grove on the back mountain at noon. —Shao Zhixue"
What did Shao Zhixue want to tell him?
Chi Yanzhou recalled Shao Zhixue's appearance but found that the man had a very low profile.
At the end of noon, following the instructions left on Shao Zhixue's note, Chi Yanzhou went alone to the small woods behind the mountain.
Sure enough, someone was waiting for him, and the other person was also alone.
Chi Yanzhou tentatively called out, "Brother Shao?"
Shao Zhixue nodded: "Chi Yanzhou, that's me."
Shao Zhixue made no attempt to hide the disgust in his eyes for Chi Yanzhou. He simply disliked Chi Yanzhou for no reason, and even hated him.
He didn't understand why Chi Yanzhou, who was also a poor scholar, was more talented than him, and why his teacher always praised him.
Chi Yanzhou should also have been imprisoned because of his mother. He should have lived like her, making a living in the academy and under the control of the powerful.
Why doesn't he have that?
What makes Chi Yanzhou so outstanding, noble, and unyielding that he caught the eye of a noble lady?
Is it just because he's arrogant and refuses to submit to the powerful? Is it just because of his face?
How could Shao Zhixue be willing to accept this?
Chi Yanzhou took a step forward, and Shao Zhixue took a step back.
Chi Yanzhou saw the blatant malice in Shao Zhixue's eyes and stopped in his tracks.
He said, "Brother Shao, what do you want to say to me?"
Shao Zhixue stared at him with a cold smile, and said clearly, word by word: "Do you know who I met when I went out yesterday?"
He continued speaking to himself, and Chi Yanzhou, being so clever, vaguely knew what he was going to say.
“I saw Cui Fuyu. The important thing is that she was accompanied by two handsome men. These two handsome men had an air of nobility and were obviously from a prestigious family. They were a perfect match for Cui Fuyu in terms of social status. One of the young noblemen even looked about 80% like you, except that he was a bit darker-skinned.”
Before Shao Zhixue could finish speaking, he saw Chi Yanzhou's face gradually turn pale, just as Shao had guessed.
He finished with a laugh and said, "Do you think Miss Cui is using you as a substitute for the other person?"
Shao Zhixue grew even more smug, laughing loudly a few times, "Tsk, Chi Yanzhou, you're a bit pitiful. Miss Cui already has a new lover of equal status by her side. What do you think you should do?"
After speaking succinctly, Shao Zhixue strode away. Seeing Chi Yanzhou in such a sorry state, he felt a surge of smug satisfaction. As his figure disappeared from Chi Yanzhou's sight...
Chi Yanzhou's heart sank little by little as someone shattered his last illusion.
He suddenly felt short of breath, his body staggered a few steps, and he quickly reached out to hold onto the big tree behind him. At the same time, he clutched his chest and slowly slid down the tree trunk, falling to the ground.
Chi Yanzhou burst out laughing, even though he felt very sad.
He laughed and then burst into tears, letting the tears stream down his face, a laugh tinged with sobs.
Chi Yanzhou's eyes were swollen like walnuts from crying, but after venting his emotions, he came to a realization.
He originally intended to reason with Miss Cui, but now that the situation has worsened, what else could he not accept?!
When Chi Yanzhou wanted to clarify things, he also needed to retrieve the ancestral jade pendant he had given to Miss Cui.
——
These past few days, Cui Fuyu has been spending quality time with her family at home. She thinks it's time to go to the villa to find Chi Yanzhou.
Cui Fuyu thought that since Chi Yanzhou was avoiding her and didn't want to see her, then they should give each other some space alone.
After a brief separation, Cui Fuyu thought that his feelings had probably completely disappeared.
However, what Cui Fuyu didn't know was that Chi Yanzhou's initial sadness had been amplified through repeated stimulation, and coupled with his own tendency to overthink and his inferiority complex, the accumulated emotions were constantly being suppressed, and he was now on the verge of collapse.
Cui Fuyu even specially selected a feathered crown from her own storeroom to give to Chi Yanzhou.
The entire crown is made of ring-shaped jade, with openwork carving and inlaid with gold thread feather patterns. Two gold and jade feathers made of gold pieces are attached to the back of the crown. The gold and jade feathers extend three-dimensionally from front to back, as if they are feathers growing from the back of the crown, which is very lifelike. There is also a long jade hairpin with two green silk ribbons tied to the body of the hairpin. A section of gold and jade feathers is attached to the head of the hairpin.
The feathered crown was very beautiful; she thought it would look great on Chi Yanzhou's head.
Cui Fuyu carefully put away the crown, wanting to immediately put it on Chi Yanzhou.
She did it as soon as she thought about it.
Cui Fuyu has already set off on horseback to the villa and will be there soon.
When she arrived at the villa, Chi Yanzhou happened to be there as well.
With a beaming smile, Cui Fuyu went to find Chi Yanzhou wearing the feathered crown. After quietly arriving at his room, she leaned against the door frame, looked at Chi Yanzhou inside with a smile, and sweetly called out to him, "Chi Lang, you can't hide from me now, can you?"
Cui Fuyu thought that she and Chi Yanzhou had reconciled and that there was no longer any estrangement between them.
Chi Yanzhou stared blankly at the suddenly appearing Miss Cui, and almost couldn't help but shed tears again.
It's been ten days; he hasn't seen Miss Cui for ten days.
For a moment, Chi Yanzhou thought it had been a very long time since they last met, but it turned out to be only ten days.
Her birthday banquet is in nine days.
That was also when I made it clear to her that I wanted the jade pendant back.
Cui Fuyu looked at the stunned Chi Yanzhou, stepped into the room, and opened the box in front of him like a treasure, revealing the exquisite feather crown inside. She looked at Chi Yanzhou with pride, wanting him to praise her good taste.
Cui Fuyu: "How is it? Do you like it? I personally chose this feathered crown as a gift for you."
A reaction completely opposite to that of Cui Fuyu.
Chi Yanzhou was not happy and did not like the expensive gift.
He doesn't want it.
Since you've decided to leave, you can no longer accept anything from Miss Cui.
"Ayu, this is too precious, I can't accept it." Chi Yanzhou declined earnestly. "Besides, I already owe you so much. I can't accept this crown either."
Chi Yanzhou put the feathered crown back into the box, closed it, and returned it to Cui Fuyu with a look of rejection on his face.
Cui Fuyu understood that he didn't want to owe her anything, but could Chi Yanzhou really repay what he owed her?
She put away her smile, revealing the imposing aura of a princess. With a stern face, she approached Chi Yanzhou and, without a word, began to remove the hair ornament he was wearing. Fortunately, it was easy to remove.
Chi Yanzhou tried several times to stop Cui Fuyu from dismantling the structure, but Cui Fuyu brushed his hands away each time.
Cui Fuyu said softly, "Chi Yanzhou, do not go against my wishes."
One sentence was enough to deter Chi Yanzhou from making any further moves. He closed his eyes and let Cui Fuyu change his hair ornament.
Cui Fuyu placed his hair ornament on the table, reopened the box, and took out the feathered crown inside.
She personally adorned Chi Yanzhou with an even more magnificent feathered crown.
After turning Chi Yanzhou around for a closer look, the more she looked, the more she felt that it made him look even better.
She led Chi Yanzhou to the standing mirror in the room, so that he could see for himself how handsome the feather crown looked on his head.
Chi Yanzhou looked at himself in the mirror. The crown on his head felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. The feathered crown that she had put on him with her own hands now felt like a shackle, a cage that she had built for him to imprison him.
He couldn't bring himself to like even the most exquisite crown when he looked in the mirror.
"Chi Yanzhou, I like you even more like this. It would be even better if you could smile."
Cui Fuyu may seem innocent and naive, but the words she utters can be hurtful.
Chi Yanzhou forced a smile, like a puppet.
Cui Fuyu then said, "Chi Yanzhou, my birthday banquet is in a few days. Would you be able to attend wearing your feathered crown?"
She asked Chi Yanzhou, but who was the person she wanted to see through the mirror?
Chi Yanzhou replied numbly, "Okay, I will arrive as scheduled."
Cui Fuyu then smiled with satisfaction.
He later didn't know when Cui Fuyu left that day.
He felt extremely unwell that day, and he had no recollection of what he did afterward.
The only thing he remembered was that day he made up his mind to leave Cui Fuyu.
——
Cui Mansion, Yutang Courtyard.
Cui Fuyu was resting peacefully in the courtyard when a carrier pigeon flew to her side and started cooing. It had a letter tied to its leg, which must have been for her.
Cui Fuyu got up and took the letter tied to the carrier pigeon's leg. When she opened it, she panicked.
The letter read in small print: Cui Hexuan is in danger. If you want to save him, come to Xinghualou alone immediately.
Cui Fuyu initially didn't believe it, so she went to Cui Hexuan's courtyard to look for him, only to find that he was indeed not there.
She asked around, but no one knew where Cui Hexuan had gone.
I had no choice but to believe it.
Cui Fuyu remembered that someone had passed her a note before, which led to the discovery of the salt mine. Perhaps this time it was good news as well.
She immediately went to Xinghua Tower, but before going there, she left a letter in the room to prevent her from falling into a trap. She also had Juning and Zhujin secretly deliver a letter to Zhao Chengxu and Chi Yanzhou respectively.
Cui Fuyu still had a way out for herself; she wasn't foolish enough to actually go to Xinghualou alone.
Xinghualou is a teahouse frequented by leisurely and refined guests.
When Cui Fuyu appeared alone at Xinghualou, someone was already secretly watching her.
She had just dismounted and tied her horse when a masked man suddenly appeared behind her.
The masked man knocked Cui Fuyu unconscious with a single chop to the neck. Despite her best efforts to protect herself, Cui Fuyu was unable to prevent being knocked unconscious and taken away.
This letter was also a setup orchestrated for her.
The messengers, Juning and Zhujin, delivered the letters to them.
When Ju Ning handed the letter to Chi Yanzhou, she said, "Young Master Chi, Miss specifically asked you to read this letter in person."
Chi Yanzhou thought it was another hurtful letter, so he carefully opened it, only to find it was a letter to save his life.
After he finished reading it briefly, he immediately abandoned Juning and rushed towards the door.
Chi Yanzhou felt his hands and feet were ice cold and his whole body was chilled. What would he do if something happened to Cui Fuyu?
Although he wanted to sever all ties with her, he couldn't allow anything to happen to Cui Fuyu.
Chi Yanzhou ran towards Xinghua Tower with all his might, almost disappearing in a blur.
Upon receiving the letter from Zhu Jin, Zhao Chengxu also appeared flustered, his expression changing drastically.
He immediately prepared his horse and rushed to Xinghua Tower at top speed. Fortunately, his palace was close to Xinghua Tower.
Zhao Chengxu arrived at Xinghualou very quickly, and as soon as he entered, he began looking for Cui Fuyu.
He searched the main hall of Xinghualou twice but did not see Cui Fuyu and Cui Hexuan.
When the people at Xinghualou saw Zhao Chengxu causing trouble, they came out to stop him, but Zhao Chengxu unexpectedly revealed the Thai King's token.
As a prince of the current dynasty, the Xinghualou naturally dared not obstruct Zhao Chengxu's search for people any longer.
They even actively cooperated with him in finding people.
Zhao Chengxu was in a private room at Xinghualou, kicking open door after door and meticulously searching for Cui Fuyu. He ignored the anger of the other people in the room. The manager of Xinghualou followed behind him, constantly apologizing and offering to waive the bill for the guests, though he was heartbroken about the money. It was all hard-earned silver.
After knocking Cui Fuyu unconscious, the men carried her into the Xinghua Tower.
The masked man handed Cui Fuyu over to his master and immediately left the room.
The person who took over Cui Fuyu's case was Zhao Jinghuan.
He placed the unconscious Cui Fuyu on the bed.
Zhao Jinghuan was the one who orchestrated this scheme. He had Cui Hexuan lured away, and no one knew his whereabouts. He also sent a message by carrier pigeon to Cui Fuyu, asking her to come to Xinghualou alone.
Zhao Jinghuan took advantage of Cui Fuyu's worries about her family and succeeded in his scheme.
He revealed a triumphant smile, raised his hand to touch Cui Fuyu's face, and said with a smile, "Cousin, you have finally fallen into my hands."
Zhao Jinghuan placed his hand on Cui Fuyu's clothes, about to tear them open.
The door was flung open the next second.
Zhao Chengxu.
He ran into Zhao Jinghuan as soon as he entered, but he was in such a hurry to find someone that he didn't recognize who Zhao Jinghuan was.
Instead, they immediately spotted the suspicious person covered up on the bed.
Just as Zhao Chengxu was about to step forward, Zhao Jinghuan pulled him back. "Cousin, it's been a long time. I'm Jinghuan. The person in bed is my cousin's concubine. She can't see anyone right now."
Zhao Jinghuan's self-introduction did not dispel Zhao Chengxu's suspicions.
He shook off Zhao Jinghuan's hand. "Is that so? I'm looking for someone. If she really is your concubine, then let her show her face."
Zhao Jinghuan knew that his cousin was looking for Cui Fuyu, and was just figuring out how to fool him.
Zhao Chengxu had not yet found Cui Fuyu, and knew that the longer the time dragged on, the more dangerous it would be for her. He was already angry with Zhao Jinghuan for obstructing him.
He found Zhao Jinghuan very suspicious, so he slapped him with all his might, pushed him down, and then quickly stepped forward and lifted the quilt to find Cui Fuyu.
My heart sank instantly; thankfully, she was safe.
Then I blame her for being too impulsive.
Zhao Chengxu's face was extremely pale. He glared at Zhao Jinghuan, gritting his teeth: "This is what you call a 'concubine'?"
He spoke of the concubine in a very harsh tone, questioning Zhao Jinghuan.
"If anything happens to Cui Fuyu, your Prince Gong's Mansion will also be in trouble."
Zhao Chengxu glanced coldly at Zhao Jinghuan, who was lying on the ground clutching his shoulder, then bent down, picked up Cui Fuyu, and left.
When Chi Yanzhou arrived at Xinghualou, he saw Zhao Chengxu carrying Cui Fuyu out unharmed.
After a brief exchange of glances, Chi Yanzhou fell silent. He didn't have the courage to go up and ask Cui Fuyu how she was doing.
Chi Yanzhou stood there helplessly watching Zhao Chengxu lead her away.
He thought: Miss, please forgive me!
-----------------------
Author's Note: There will be random red envelopes in this chapter, thank you for your support, my little darlings! [kiss]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
