TBR CH149

Chapter 149: Proper Demeanor – “I should properly pursue you, just once.”

The Chancellor’s residence was holding a summer banquet; this quickly became news in the imperial court. No one would be so tactless as to think of the night rain that had fallen two days prior – if a prominent figure felt the heat, then the weather must have been unbearably hot, nothing strange about that.

The key point was who Chu Huaicun had invited.

The Eastern Palace had not yet received an invitation and, unable to find a way to inquire with Chancellor Chu, decided to conspicuously send a sedan chair on the day of the banquet, thinking that if Chancellor Chu still refused entry, both of them would lose face. However, the worried situation did not occur; even without an invitation, the steward of the Chancellor’s residence did not make things difficult.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince leaped out of his sedan chair, only to meet a pair of timid eyes. The other party, meeting his gaze, seemed startled, anxiously and flusteredly averting his eyes, stiffly taking two steps forward.

The Seventh Prince had always appeared rather unaccomplished.

But he suddenly felt a pang of discomfort. The other party undoubtedly held Chancellor Chu’s invitation.

Even such a sycophant who only ever meekly followed His Majesty had actually received an invitation from Chu Huaicun, while he, due to trumped-up charges, was forced to suffer others’ disdain. To him, the culprit was instantly obvious—

“What?” Prince Duan’s voice came from behind, carrying a sinister threat. “This prince decided on a whim to attend Chu Huaicun’s banquet; must I even depend on others’ approval to enter the Chancellor’s residence?”

Then came another equally annoying voice.

Wasn’t the pale-faced court dog, hidden in deep purple viper-patterned official robes, standing beside Prince Duan?

Ji Ying chuckled twice: “If it’s merely a dislike for me, that’s understandable. I am but an insignificant person, naturally beneath Chancellor Chu’s notice. But Chancellor Chu doesn’t even hold the current prince in his regard. Although Your Highness is magnanimous and doesn’t take it to heart, this can be considered an offense of deceiving the monarch…”

He chose his words carefully, each one designed to incriminate Chu Huaicun. With such a loyal lackey who would strike wherever instructed, how could Prince Duan not be delighted? He clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Precisely!” Looking at him, he seemed to vaguely anticipate pinning this crime on Chu Huaicun.

The poor doorman was dizzy from the two people’s sudden onslaught of words, and it took him a while to realize the identity of the person before him.

It was no wonder.

After all, Ji Ying had for some time almost become a regular at the Chancellor’s residence, and he was quite polite to the servants. At this moment, his sudden aggressive demeanor was indeed quite intimidating.

“No entry without an invitation,”

He dryly repeated once more, seeing Prince Duan’s eyes grow darker and darker, then quickly added, “Of course, of course, Chancellor Chu once instructed that if His Royal Highness Prince Duan visits, passage is permitted.”

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had been eavesdropping for a while, when he suddenly realized that Chu Huaicun had already arranged everything in advance. At that time, he had wanted to enter without an invitation, and although he felt extremely guilty, the doorman’s words had been much the same. It was just that at the time, he had still felt that Chancellor Chu had, after all, shown him some leniency.

The two at the entrance also evidently paused. A moment later, Ji Ying spoke again:

“Since Chancellor Chu has already considered His Royal Highness Prince Duan’s position, I shall take my leave first—”

“No,” Prince Duan immediately refuted without hesitation. If he couldn’t even bring one person in, wouldn’t he lose all face? “If I go in, and Lord Ji follows me, Chancellor Chu wouldn’t object, would he?”

This time, the gatekeeper’s response was much calmer. He bowed and said, “Of course not, please come in, both of you.”

Prince Duan walked ahead, and Ji Ying respectfully followed behind. The Crown Prince, of course, could not continue to hide, so he feigned a coincidental encounter and cleared his throat. The two sons of the Emperor maintained their impassive expressions, casually exchanging barbs all the way, until they finally arrived at the lotus pond in the Chancellor’s residence and took their seats at the summer banquet.

—Both of them, upon sitting down, profoundly sighed.

The chairs in the Chancellor’s residence were truly hard.

The rock garden was also poorly constructed, and that lotus pond was even more scattered and growing somewhat wildly, clearly not given much thought by the master of the house.

It was said that Chu Huaicun’s residence was indistinguishable from a military camp. While there was some exaggeration, it was indeed devoid of the leisurely pleasures of the wealthy. Although it was called a summer banquet, sedan chairs were not allowed inside. After walking the whole way, the pampered high-ranking officials were all sweating, constantly wiping themselves with handkerchiefs.

Only Chu Huaicun sat in the main seat, and just looking at him made one feel a chill. He was dressed in snow-white, his ink-black hair flowing softly, with a cool, dry air about him.

Many people were watching him, their gazes varied, their intentions different.

But his gaze lingered for a barely perceptible moment on a certain person.

And that person, as if sensing it, merely lowered his eyelashes, his wine-holding hand pausing slightly, still feigning composure as he took a sip of wine.

“I was ill a few days ago, and still feel a little unwell,”

Chu Huaicun said unhurriedly when most of the guests had arrived. “You all have traveled far, and if my hospitality is lacking, please bear with me. Additionally, there is one guest who has not yet arrived for this summer banquet. Please bear with me.”

Everyone present understood whom he referred to; it was none other than Young Master Qin, whom Chancellor Chu cherished. Even though the poisoning incident had not yet reached a final conclusion, the royal family could not escape blame in this matter. Some of those present cast their gazes upon Ji Ying, seeing him slowly twirl his ink-jade archer’s ring, appearing displeased.

Chu Huaicun, having recovered his energy, directly pressured him; the back-and-forth games of before no longer worked. This Qin Sangzhi was a hot potato that had to be released, whether he wanted to or not.

If nothing went wrong, Young Master Qin should have already left the imperial prison, re-dressed in splendid attire, and be sitting in the sedan chair on his way to the Chancellor’s residence.

—If nothing went wrong.

Qin Sangzhi’s neck was currently held by a knife, its blade gleaming white, radiating a chilling sharpness that could split hair if one got close enough. The young man struggled desperately, kicking the person holding him, tears streaming uncontrollably from his eyes in fright.

The person holding him had a dense, tangled beard, so messy that its color was indiscernible. Clearly, years in the imperial prison had denied him the opportunity to groom himself. He firmly gripped Qin Sangzhi’s struggling limbs with both arms, bringing the knife in his hand a little closer to the flesh, and spoke to the prison guards who rushed over at the sound:

“If you dare to meddle any further, I’ll cut this person down with one stroke.”

In the past, using a prisoner’s life in the imperial prison as leverage was the least concerned matter.

But how could yesterday’s Qin Sangzhi compare to today’s? Who hadn’t heard that Chancellor Chu had specifically sent a luxurious carriage, draped with silk cushions, just waiting to bring back this pearl in distress? When a high-ranking official showed such importance, the attitude of lesser figures naturally changed with the wind.

If anything were to happen to Qin Sangzhi, even several of their heads wouldn’t be enough for Chu Huaicun to chop off.

Qin Sangzhi desperately glanced out of the corner of his eye at his cell. There, a gray-haired, goat-bearded old man lay limply on the ground, as if struck by a blade from behind, whether dead or alive unknown.

In the imperial prison, news didn’t circulate, and he didn’t know that Chu Huaicun was coming to pick him up. He had placed all his hopes on the key in Mr. Fang’s hand. He never expected Mr. Fang to be so gullible, immediately handing over such an important item to another, claiming it was for a transaction.

Now look, they had been resting peacefully during the night, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Mr. Fang collapsing with his back to him, revealing the desperate man behind him holding a sharpened knife. That man had already escaped his cell and was about to walk out, when a prison guard happened to walk in, saw the scene, and cried out in alarm.

Before more people were drawn, the man held the knife to his neck.

Thus, the situation quickly escalated. Qin Sangzhi felt a shove and suspected the blade had cut his veins, letting out a loud gasp, but it turned out the man was pushing Qin Sangzhi to leave. The first prison guard rushed forward recklessly, seemingly intending to do something, but then heard the captor let out a long whistle.

“What?”

The other cells, for some reason, suddenly erupted in noise, as if many firecrackers had exploded. Qin Sangzhi heard the person behind him let out a contemptuous laugh and said in a voice only he could hear:

“That old man’s key of yours is really a good thing; it should be put to good use.”

The initial prison guard hesitated repeatedly, but still gave up on the standoff at the scene of the hostage-taking and quickly ran towards the deeper cells, at least to confirm the situation or block the door before a riot broke out.

This was simply an impossible mission. If all those prisoners truly rioted, then those who had been confined for a long time, some even tortured to a state of complete debilitation, once they realized they could gain freedom, their footsteps rushing outwards would flatten everything.

Undoubtedly, the lone prison guard would be torn apart by this angry crowd.

…Fortunately, he was not a real prison guard.

The people around them made muffled shouts; some had not spoken in a long time. The prisoner he was cooperating with did not open all the cell doors. Due to time constraints, only some were allowed to leave their cells. But this was enough for Mr. Fang, who had been a prison guard just a second ago, to wipe his face in the darkness and chaos, and quickly transform into a different appearance.

The Mr. Fang Qin Sangzhi saw fall was the unlucky prison guard who happened to be on duty.

Although not telling Qin Sangzhi the plan wasn’t very humane, Mr. Fang had long since abandoned the idea of considering friendly treatment. Qin Sangzhi’s cries at this moment were simply excellent; one couldn’t tell at all that everything was an act, and that was good.

At this moment, against the angry prisoners surging outwards, Mr. Fang walked alone into the depths of the cells. The further he went, the more obstacles he encountered, but the patrolling guards had also been lured away to the front sections of the prison to investigate the disturbance. They believed that a few locked iron doors and heavy chains could stop anything unusual.

But for Mr. Fang, this was not the case.

He moved silently, taking advantage of the turmoil in the imperial prison, continuously heading towards his predetermined destination. This was the first time he had taken this path. The deeper he went, the quieter everything became. In some places, there was only a faint sound of water, and a foul, bloody smell assailed him. Patches of darkness were broken, strange odors permeated, but there was still no sign of life.

Mr. Fang even saw a skeleton chained to the wall.

Perhaps no one cared about him. After he died, they didn’t even bother to dispose of the body, leaving only skeletal remains. And those bones were still firmly nailed to the wall with iron chains; it was clear how much His Majesty must have hated him in life.

All this only elicited a few sighs from him.

He had not forgotten the purpose of his trip and continued deeper. Mr. Fang had investigated the size of the imperial prison long ago, but its complexity was still somewhat beyond imagination. He turned left and right, and suddenly a completely sealed wall appeared before him, stretching from top to bottom. The wall had some large and small holes, but they were limited to barely allowing a head to peek through.

The strange thing was, this place was much cleaner than other areas. There was even a meticulously crafted, seemingly expensive chair placed in front of the high wall. Beside the chair, there was a quiver containing bows and arrows.

There was no door here, nor a lock, so Mr. Fang’s skeleton key was useless.

“Is anyone there?” Mr. Fang cautiously approached the nearest opening, vaguely seeing a dark, pungent interior. Other than that, it was utterly silent, quietly devoid of human presence. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke again:

“I am not His Majesty’s person, but was entrusted by someone to come specifically to find someone. In the cells a bit further out, people are in chaos. If there is anyone here, please respond, I might have a chance to release you.”

Still no one responded.

Mr. Fang frowned, then suddenly stepped back two paces and tucked at the arrow quiver with his fingers. Sure enough, he saw a thin layer of dust on it. Not just the quiver, but even the chair, which seemed designed for appreciating pain, was the same.

The time difference since this place was last used, though not too long, was indeed several days.

Could it be that everyone had been moved?

But looking at the “cage” before him, it seemed to have been cast as a single, complete unit, implying that the people inside probably had no possibility of being taken out. Thinking of this, Mr. Fang’s mind shifted, and he softly said:

“I’m telling the truth. Do any of you know Chu Huaicun or Ji Ying?”

This sentence seemed to have some effect. Within this airtight fortress, a very faint sound seemed to appear. Perhaps it was an illusion, perhaps no different from the sound of wind, but it was impossible for wind to blow so deep underground.

Mr. Fang continued, “I am Chancellor Chu’s man… Your suspicions are correct, but I can also curse the old Emperor a few times if that would earn a little trust. I know that a certain event from over ten years ago led to your current plight, and I also suspect it’s related to the current Emperor’s illegitimate ascension, but I haven’t quite figured out the crucial details.”

The sound seemed to grow louder.

In such an environment, there were actually living people, which was quite surprising.

“Are you from the Lin family?”

Mr. Fang said, “If so, please knock on the wall between us.”

He waited patiently and long, almost until the air itself seemed to solidify, and then, as if out of nothingness, a faint, almost hallucinatory sound echoed.

Second question: “Is there any way from my side to open the cage and rescue you?”

This question was met with two consecutive knocks.

This meant there was nothing that could be done. Mr. Fang had just carefully thought about it and felt that this massive and intimidating cage should have other exits. At the very least, while the smell inside was pungent, there was no particularly strong smell of corpses. Although this idea didn’t sound good, it was a fact that half of the people inside were probably dead or injured.

Mr. Fang had not yet asked the third question when he heard a hoarse voice from within:

“The answer you seek… is the imperial edict.”

“What imperial edict?” Mr. Fang leaned down, listening carefully, but the other party stopped speaking.

After a long pause, he heard a sigh again. “You’ve come to the wrong place. Although the people here are considered Lin family members, they are not the ones His Majesty truly valued. We were merely innocent bystanders trapped here. Those with integrity already committed suicide. What remains now are just those clinging to life. Now, only one in ten remains, merely serving to satisfy His Majesty’s sadistic and controlling desires.”

“How many of you are left?”

“The last time His Majesty came to kill, he killed young Fifteen. From then until now, another person went mad and finally bashed his head to death. There are only two or three madmen still alive here, but they are unwilling to speak. Only I still speak. I say, this is all because of that imperial edict—”

“How do I save you?”

“How could an imperial edict be something we know about?”

The voice he was conversing with also gradually became tinged with madness, not answering his question. “It says that the current Emperor usurped the throne, or that he eventually poisoned the late Emperor, so the throne shouldn’t be his. We didn’t know there was such a thing, and we were captured for nothing. But we still have to thank the patriarch. If the old master hadn’t said that the late Emperor’s last will was still hidden outside, its whereabouts unknown, His Majesty would have killed all of us long ago,”

“…Then where are the others?”

Another irrelevant answer: “…Ji Ying is that great treacherous official, why mention him to us? The Lin family has no such fawning, opportunistic people. He begged His Majesty to be a lackey; why should we die for him? Let him roll as far away as possible—Young Master, have you ever met our family’s Young Master? He is truly a divine being, unforgettable to behold, unforgettable to behold.”

Mr. Fang knew that this person’s logic was completely distorted.

But he didn’t feel annoyed, only sad. He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to outline a mental image. This image was not a divine or Buddhist illusion, but a slowly unfolding map of the capital’s terrain.

He meticulously sketched the path he had walked underground, thereby locating the corresponding points on the surface.

This contemplation concluded with a small ink dot located in the palace.

He sighed silently, knowing that the time for his trip was almost at an end, and it was quite a risk. But he couldn’t rescue these old Lin family members from here, at least not this time. Perhaps he should try to blow it open with gunpowder. However, the crucial clues should be in other parts of this strange cage that penetrated the thin soil above.

And Ji Ying and the Young Master… This amount of information was also a bit much for Mr. Fang.

“I will come again.”

Mr. Fang bowed towards the dark opening before him, then paused, and finally withdrew.

Before Qin Sangzhi’s arrival, Chu Huaicun seemed to have little interest in the banquet.

The wine had already been hastily consumed in a round. Chancellor Chu had asked the steward about the sedan’s progress, and still, with no news, he found an excuse to leave. Prince Duan at this moment was wearing a friendly expression and conversing with people. Most of those present had some connection to Chancellor Chu and responded flawlessly. The Crown Prince, conversely, spoke even louder, appearing overly intimate.

It was the Seventh Prince who claimed a headache from the wind and wanted to sit indoors.

Although Prince Duan had little impression of his illegitimate younger brother, he was somewhat wary. He gave Ji Ying a look. Coincidentally, Lord Ji remained on the scene, where the atmosphere was always a bit stiff, and even the space around him was empty. Such an atmosphere was not suitable for Prince Duan to play the role of a gentle, elegant, and discerning man of insight.

Ji Ying waited a few minutes, then left his seat shortly after, following Prince Duan’s instructions to monitor the Seventh Prince.

The banquet guests were all concentrated in the Chancellor’s residence garden. Away from that area, one could only see hurrying servants on the paths, and some courtyards even had guards stationed in front of them. When the Seventh Prince left, someone from the Chancellor’s residence naturally stepped forward to guide him to the main hall, to prevent him from getting lost in any forbidden areas.

Ji Ying followed the guiding servant, but it wasn’t the direction of the reception hall.

If it were another person, they probably wouldn’t calmly sip tea after recently consuming poisoned tea. Chu Huaicun had just used boiling water to brew the tea leaves, which carried a faint, bitter fragrance, when he heard footsteps behind him. The peach blossoms had long fallen, but their petals, now transparently white, still covered the ground, otherwise, why would his footsteps be so cautious?

The tea was emerald green and clear.

Reflecting Chancellor Chu’s eyes. As if ice and snow melted in an instant, Chu Huaicun’s expression softened, and he identified the other’s identity without even turning around. Before Ji Ying could speak, he already gave an instruction.

“The tea was brewed for your arrival,” Chu Huaicun said softly. “I didn’t drink tea with him.”

Ji Ying’s footsteps halted. He pursed his lips, wanting to say that he had actually only been joking and wasn’t so petty as to care about with whom Chu Huaicun drank tea. But he once again didn’t know how to speak. This was the first time he and Chu Huaicun had met while both were sober after he had revealed his identity.

When he arrived, he hadn’t thought about what attitude to adopt; rather, he had deliberately avoided the question.

It was truly too late to start considering the trouble when it was already upon him.

Ji Ying tried his best to smile gently, unaware that this gentle smile, combined with his gloomy aura, made him even more chilling. His gesture of flicking his sleeve was somewhat deliberate, and then he suddenly felt the scent of dragon’s saliva incense on him grow stronger, and his hair kept falling down, casting shadows over his eyes.

“It’s nothing, Huaicun,” he paused for a long while, as if choosing his words carefully. “Thank you for waiting for me. This is indeed my favorite tea. I think it’s new tea picked this spring. ‘Ganlu Ji’ recorded: Tea, the beautiful wood…”

Halfway through his sentence, Ji Ying saw Chu Huaicun looking at him with a bright smile in his eyes. He paused, wanting to take the opportunity to catch his breath and think about what to say next, but the interruption made it even harder to continue.

Chu Huaicun pulled him down to sit, and Ji Ying, who was still struggling to adapt, was tickled in the palm by the other, completely forgetting his previous inspiration, and even the underlying anxiety in his heart seemed to lighten considerably for a moment.

“I… well, I am like this now,”

Although he had made up his mind, Ji Ying’s eyelashes still trembled.

“If both you and I were to be like our past selves, perhaps that would be even more difficult. But I was never the flawless Young Master Lin you imagined—not before, and certainly not now. Even if I try my best, I can’t live like him, or speak these words casually. Last time, you were drunk. If you find it difficult, I’ll give you another chance to reconsider.”

Chu Huaicun reached out and touched his hair, feeling that his tangible presence opposite him was incredibly reassuring. His heart stirred, and he pressed Ji Ying’s shoulders to draw him closer, then lightly kissed his slightly pale lips.

“What are you saying? I was the one who was attracted to you first.”

Then, he gently released his shoulders with considerable restraint. This time, it was Chu Huaicun who sighed inwardly. He had told himself to proceed gradually, but as soon as he saw the other person, his heart beat a little faster. If things continued this way, it would only be Ji Ying giving him chances, and he would have no process of slowly attending to Ji Ying’s thoughts at all.

For instance, this kiss was neither rehearsed nor discussed with the other party beforehand.

Ji Ying blinked, feeling his earlobes flush.

He quickly cleared his throat, trying to cover up his embarrassment, knowing that if the brief time away from the banquet was spent entirely on romance, it would be too inappropriate. Lord Ji adjusted his collar, which had been slightly disheveled by the kiss, and tentatively regained his commanding presence, though his voice was still a little unsteady when he spoke,

“That’s not what I meant just now,”

Ji Ying whispered, “It’s excellent that Chancellor Chu didn’t drink tea with the Seventh Prince, I mean, I’m very happy about that. Since that’s the case, is the Seventh Prince looking for you at your request? Is he about to make a move?”

“He still has no significant power, nor any ready-made means of showing allegiance, so he can’t very well speak the truth—that his poisoning of me was very successful. So, he hopes I can give him a chance to prove himself.”

“Against Prince Duan?”

“He won’t attack His Majesty for now,”

Chu Huaicun temporarily suppressed the thought in his heart and also switched to official business mode. “Indeed, there’s no need to doubt his ability. What I’m considering is to what extent this prince should go this time.”

The two of them, one the arch-enemy of Prince Duan and the other his lackey, were now together in the Chancellor’s residence, discussing a conspiracy against him.

Unexpectedly, the most dangerous ones were actually those closest to him.

Ji Ying said without changing his expression: “Alright, then I’ll compile a list of his dirty deeds for you, with evidence if possible. This task is perfect for the Seventh Prince; if he handles it well, it might make him unable to hold his head up in the capital from now on… Consider it a gift for Chancellor Chu’s protégé.”

“…We didn’t think of directly bringing him down,”

His words were too shocking, Chu Huaicun calmly replied,

“But if you deem the timing suitable, nothing is impossible. However, if Prince Duan declines, you will no longer be under his protection. Moreover, the Eastern Palace has been temporarily set aside by me. If Prince Duan also encounters trouble, the situation for the Seventh Prince would be completely transformed. His Majesty will not take it lightly either. Do you have plans for what comes next?”

Ji Ying was silent for a moment, but then “hmmed” softly, “We’ll take it one step at a time.”

He indeed had his own plans.

“What kind of outcome do you desire?”

Chu Huaicun asked softly.

He himself had no concerns, but he feared that Ji Ying might have scruples, and even more, that Ji Ying at this moment might be hesitant because he was involving him in these old affairs. The other person had walked through countless hardships and difficulties; the only thing that could sustain a person without falling was a conviction. Always the thought of revenge, those thoughts shining brightly and unapproachable, capable of destroying everything.

There were some questions Ji Ying was afraid for him to ask, and he was well aware of this. For instance, why Ji Ying had become the person he was now, why he had to submit to His Majesty’s control, why he couldn’t reveal everything at first sight of him, and what had become of the other members of the Lin family.

Chu Huaicun deliberately avoided bringing up this bloody past.

Ji Ying’s pupils seemed fixed in the center of his eyes, motionless. The dark pupils, following Chu Huaicun’s question, seemed to reflect the old man in bright yellow, ascending the supreme throne amidst a crowd. Then the scene shifted, like burnt ashes, to the dark iron cages of the imperial prison.

He slowly began to smile, and in front of Chu Huaicun, this smile was absolutely unlike anything the graceful Young Master Lin of the past could possess; it carried the reek of rust.

“His Majesty always thinks that murder doesn’t require a life for a life, but this is a truth even a treacherous villain like me understands.”

The Lin clan had always valued imperial grace more than anything.

But Ji Ying no longer bore the Lin surname, nor was he afraid to utter such treasonous words. There was no need to conceal anything from the person before him.

“—I want His Majesty to die.”

If the earlier remarks about Prince Duan were shocking, this statement would be enough to get eight hundred heads chopped off. Fortunately, sitting opposite him was the most ambitious and powerful minister in the court. He looked at Ji Ying, and was suddenly scorched by the burning flames in the other’s eyes, feeling that at this moment, he exuded a sinister sharpness that paradoxically made him appear dazzling and captivating.

Chu Huaicun fundamentally agreed with this idea, with only a few details needing further discussion.

Just as he was about to speak, a martial artist’s keen ears heard hurried footsteps approaching. It seemed that the sedan chair sent by the Chancellor’s residence to pick up Qin Sangzhi had encountered trouble, and the news had finally reached here. The banquet guests would soon learn of this news, and if chaos erupted in the front, he would be needed as the stabilizing force.

Thus, this conversation had to temporarily end with such an absurd and bloody sentence.

An undisputed sentence.

For the powerful minister and the lackey present.

Ji Ying said softly, “As for my other plans, I can’t tell Chancellor Chu everything right now. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need to hear it all now. Before long, Chancellor Chu will probably know what I intend to do.”

Chu Huaicun nodded.

They both knew this meeting was merely stealing a moment from their busy schedules; they couldn’t even finish discussing the current matters, let alone talk about love.

But Chu Huaicun still remained seated, and Ji Ying did not stand up either. Chancellor Chu paused, touched his sleeve, and inadvertently felt a heart beating faster and faster through the thin layer of skin.

In his sleeve was a square box.

That day, he had thought about it: their relationship had begun rather improperly, and Ji Ying was such a good person, like a lost moonlight that had silently shone upon him. Forget youthful exuberance and chilling sword light; Chu Huaicun only wanted to cherish the other person properly, so he had prepared a gift.

He thought he should pursue the other person, to show his sincere attitude.

Chu Huaicun was about to take out the prepared gift box when he saw Ji Ying, who was facing him, also awkwardly averting his gaze. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he merely pushed something forward. On the tea table, the brewed tea had unconsciously grown cold. Beside the white jade cup, another exquisite, beautiful box had appeared.

—And it wasn’t Chu Huaicun’s.

“I think,”

Ji Ying said, syllable by syllable. It was his first time doing such a thing, and he felt a little awkward. As he pushed the gift towards Chu Huaicun, his finger inadvertently touched Chancellor Chu’s finger, which was reaching for the gift.

He feigned casualness and repeated,

“I think… I think I was a bit excessive at first, clinging to Chancellor Chu no matter what, and saying some inappropriate things. And now that it’s already like this, no, I should say that when I met Huaicun again, I did something absurd. I am not insincere; you, to me, have been treated with more seriousness than anything else since a long time ago.”

His voice was a little nervous; Chu Huaicun could tell.

His thoughts, to Chu Huaicun, were equally transparent. Because they were the same as his; it was the desire to pluck the moon.

“So I prepared a gift,”

Fortunately, a touch of shame made him avert his gaze, otherwise he would have seen a small, exquisitely wrapped box appear in Chancellor Chu’s hand as well. Ji Ying’s voice grew softer and softer, “I should properly pursue you, just once.”