Chapter 214 - 149:
"What are you looking at?"
The sudden voice made Xie Wanqing startle slightly. She raised her eyes to meet the gaze he had unknowingly lowered, feeling an awkwardness as if caught red-handed. She took a small step back and said, "I just feel that you have a scholarly air about you. You must have read a lot of books, right?"
Ji Chengfeng paused for a moment and said, "I suppose so."
"..." Xie Wanqing was at a loss. How could he become the top scholar if he wasn’t well-versed in a wide array of books?
Moreover, his death had caused the Holy Emperor to weep bitterly. Would someone who was not genuinely talented and brilliant cause such anguish to a person of high standing?
"You like plum blossoms, cousin?" Ji Chengfeng said, "I’ve seen you picking plum blossoms both times we’ve met."
"I can’t say I like them, it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing," Xie Wanqing said as she unconsciously took another step back, only to have her arm tightened and be pulled back by the person in front of her.
"Careful," Ji Chengfeng released her hand and pointed behind her, saying, "There’s a step right behind you."
Xie Wanqing turned to look, and indeed there was a very steep step. If she had stepped mistakenly and fallen...
Grateful, she thanked him and reached out her hand, "Give me the flower."
Ji Chengfeng avoided her hand and said, "It’s too cold and damp; it doesn’t need to pass through another pair of hands."
"You..." Xie Wanqing blinked and couldn’t help asking, "Are you so considerate to everyone, cousin?"
"... Not really," Ji Chengfeng pointed to the corridor and said, "Let’s go up first, the road here is uneven."
Once both of them returned to the long corridor, illuminated by the bright glow of the palace lanterns, Xie Wanqing finally saw the dirty water stains on his hand holding the flower branch.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, he curled his fingers slightly and asked, "Do you have a handkerchief?"
Xie Wanqing paused, then took out a cotton handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to him.
Ji Chengfeng accepted it and slowly wiped the dirt from his palm.
Xie Wanqing didn’t know what to say, and the atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Suddenly, he said, "Your palm reading was indeed very accurate, cousin."
"What?" Xie Wanqing hadn’t quite heard him.
Ji Chengfeng glanced at her and said in a low voice, "The Holy Emperor summoned me the other day, intending to send me to inspect the Southern Sichuan region. If you count the days, I’ll be setting off soon."
Xie Wanqing: "..."
Was she acting like a mystic?
"Do you believe me now?" She cleared her throat and said solemnly, "I have read many rare books and am quite adept in this area."
"I believe you. You truly are a sage, cousin," Ji Chengfeng chuckled softly and extended his freshly cleaned palm to her, "Would you kindly help me again and tell me who the traitorous follower is?"
"... I can’t tell. I’ve already mentioned everything last time," Xie Wanqing said dryly, "If you trust me, nothing will go wrong."
Stay away from the waters and be wary of followers betraying you...
After thinking, she reminded him once more, "Also, remember to be cautious of epidemics."
She truly did not wish to see him meet an unjust end amid court struggles.
The words ’epidemic’ caused Ji Chengfeng’s brow to twitch sharply. He lowered his eyes and gazed straight at her, yet said nothing.
Xie Wanqing stood there openly, allowing him to scrutinize all he wanted. As brilliant as he was, he wouldn’t be able to tell she was living her life over again, right?
Ji Chengfeng indeed could not guess, but he understood that this young woman genuinely cared for him.
Thinking this, he smiled again and said, "I’ll be careful. I dare not neglect your advice, cousin."
Xie Wanqing also smiled.
In the cold wind, a man and woman stood across from each other on the long corridor illuminated by palace lanterns. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful. From a distance, with a rockery as a backdrop, the scene was as beautiful as a painting.
When Lu Ziyuan came out, this was the scene he saw.
His teeth clenched tight, his gaze towards the two was obscure and enigmatic. Turning to his follower, he issued a command.
Soon, an internal attendant approached the two and said something unknown. Ji Chengfeng handed over the plum branch and said, "I’ll wash the handkerchief clean and return it to you."
Xie Wanqing was taken aback and whispered, "Why don’t I wash it myself?"
Even between cousins, a personal item like a handkerchief was not appropriate...
But Ji Chengfeng seemed not to hear and had already walked away.
Watching him leave in a hurry, Xie Wanqing was left speechless.
In Lu Ziyuan’s eyes, she was left holding a flower, staring blankly at the departing figure, feeling sour in her heart and soul.
"Do you really hate to see him go?"
That familiar cold voice brought Xie Wanqing back to her senses quickly, and she shivered as she faced the man who suddenly appeared in front of her.
Seeing this, Lu Ziyuan grew angrier, "Am I some ferocious ghost? Why do you react like you’ve seen a ghost every time you see me?"