The Princess Wei Yang Chapter 80 Part1
Chapter 80 Part 1: t.i.t for Tat
The
beautiful melody ended; Yan Zhi stood up, bowed and left silently.
Li Min De
suddenly stood up: “Sanjie, I have forgotten my cloak, I’ll go out and get it.”
His cloak
was obviously in the carriage, so how could he have forgotten? Li Weiyang was
curious; she wanted to know who Yan Zhi was, and why did she attract Li Min De’s
attention?
She did not
reveal any change in expression in front of the two princes, but gently smiled:
“Go ahead.”
Jiu Gongzhu
jumped up: “I’ll go with you!”
Unexpectedly,
she gave out a shrill scream at the next moment. Li Weiyang said
apologetically: “I am so sorry Princess, I did not do it on purpose.”
Li Weiyang
had spilt her teacup onto Jiu Gongzhu’s beautiful skirts.
Jiu Gongzhu pouted
her lips; her lips were so pouted that one could balance an oil lamp from it.
“You are so clumsy!” She was oblivious to the fact that Li Weiyang did this on
purpose to prevent her from following Li Min De.
She left the
room to change into new attire. Aside from the servants, the only three left in
the room had weird expressions on their faces.
Tuoba Zhen
suddenly laughed and said: “The three of us seem to have a special affinity.”
Indeed, it
was affinity, but an accursed affinity. Li
Weiyang laughed coldly and turned to look at the river. “What’s that?” she
suddenly asked.
Tuoba Yu
followed the direction of her gaze: “Oh, that’s Jade Peak PaG.o.da, built on an
island at the heart of the river. It is especially beautiful at night. If you’d
like, we could visit the island another day to take a look.”
Li Weiyang
had a small smile on her lips, and muttered in thought: “It is a good
location.” Her words had another hidden meaning in it.
Tuoba Zhen’s
eyes flashed and he stilled for a moment in surprise. He asked blandly: “What
do you mean by that?”
She looked
at him and replied with a smile: “The terrain is good. This river is formed by
the merging of the mountain stream and Hu Po Lake. If one were to cut a long
ca.n.a.l at lowest point the watershed where the two meet, he could split the
river into two and obtain easy control of ship navigation and irrigation of
crops. You see, isn’t it a good place?”
Tuoba Zhen’s
face changed. He did not know how Li Weiyang found out, but this was his
original plan, which he did not get the chance to start yet. If he executed it,
he would gain complete control over the two rivers’ transportation; his wealth
would increase immeasurably, far better than Tuoba Yu and the others. He was
however, unable to think of a plan to obtain this land without alerting others
of his scheme. He definitely could not allow anyone else to make the first
move. In shock, he immediately replied: “If this idea could work, why hadn’t
anyone done it so many years past?” Xianzhu shouldn’t think unrealistically, this
is merely empty talk.”
Li Weiyang
had a small smile upon her lips: “San Dianxia should know best if it is just my
wishful thinking. In the past, there was the famous Xian Yuan Yan; the river was
split into inner and outer sections, and the flow of the waters was controlled.
For this river, splitting it could not only prevent floodings, enable trades
and irrigation, there is still the ma.s.sive and gorgeous Dong Jiang Bridge
spanning the banks. These should not have been possible by human hands and yet
they exist, so what else could be impossible!”
Tuoba Zhen’s
smile, which was originally on his face, had completely disappeared.
He suddenly
felt coldness all over.
Li Weiyang
met his eyes, and it was as if she understood what he was thinking, like she
even knew of the next step in his plan. Having seen a gaze like this, it was as
if he was doused in a sheet of cold water.
Tuoba Yu
deftly detected the tense atmosphere between the both of them, and just when he
was about to speak, someone outside spoke: “Jiu Gongzhu says that her stomach
hurt, and ran out from the window!”
This playful
girl! Tuoba Yu didn’t think of anything else; he stood up quickly and said:
“Xianzhu, please remain here, I’ll go out to look for her.”
Li Weiyang
gave a small smile: “Dianxia, Jiu Gongzhu must have gone to the carriage to
look for my San Di.”
Tuoba Yu
hest.i.tated; he was not worried that Tuoba Zhen would have the guts do anything,
as this place was his territory after all. Just... was it really safe to leave Li
Weiyang here? “Pay attention to any movement in the room!” he ordered the
guards outside the door in a low voice.
Tuoba Yu
quickly went downstairs, and it was only Li Weiyang and Tuoba Zhen in the room
now. Li Weiyang stood up; she had no interest in sharing a table with such a
person.
Tuoba Zhen
suddenly said: “Xianzhu, have you ever heard of this story?”
Li Weiyang
turned to face him, her eyebrows quirking up. Tuoba Zhen poured himself a cup
of wine: “In the previous dynasty, there was a strong ruler who led his army
personally in the fight at the Southern Border. Sadly, after repeated attacks
and struggling to maintain the rear, many of his people tried to convince him to
retreat. Still, he insisted. The monarch paced up and down in front of his
tent, and wrote two words “Ji Lei1” in the sand. No one understood what it
meant, except for a smart man who immediately packed up and wanted to leave.
His comrades asked him why, and he replied: “The two words means that the food
is tasteless, but it seems like a pity to give up. Bixia is starting to
consider giving up, but he has yet to make a confirmed move. Since he
definitely will retreat, we should start off early. The others realised that he
had a point, and so started preparations as well. The emperor found out and was
shocked. What do you think he did to the smart man?”
鸡肋1 – Literally chicken ribs; used to
describe something as tasteless.
Li Weiyang
smiled: “I do not know what the ruler would have done, but I do know if it was
you, San Dianxia, you would definitely kill those people who are able to
speculate your intentions.”
Tuoba Zhen
did not even blink. “You are right. On the battleground, even before an order
is issued by the commander, the smart man tried to be clever and thus affected
the morale of the army. As a leader of the troops, only by killing the man
would he be able to demonstrate an example. Therefore, one should be smart, but
not too smart. One should not try to display her cleverness in front of others,
to prevent herself from getting killed. It would not be worth it.”
Li Weiyang
replied coldly: “Sorry, I do not have time to remain here to listen to
Dianxia’s stories.”
Tuoba Zhen downed
a cup of wine, a flash of coldness glinting in his eyes: “Li Weiyang, I was not
telling a story, I am recounting an actual event in history. History does tend to repeat itself; if you
were the smart man, do you think I would kill you?”
In the moment,
Li Weiyang saw the intention to kill in Tuoba Zhen’s eyes.
Tuoba Zhen
would definitely be panicking, because it was always his plan to cut the ca.n.a.l
in the future. Now that the Seventh Prince has found out, he would not be able
to carry it out. Li Weiyang knew of the huge impact her revelation would have
on Tuoba Zhen, but she did it anyway. Moreover, she did it right in his face,
just to make him angry.
Li Weiyang
felt like she was grabbing the scruff of a tiger's neck – filled with a sense
of achievement. Of course, it was a dangerous thing to do; a single misstep and
she could end up hurting herself.
She smiled
gently, her clear eyes dancing alight with sparks, and suddenly took two steps
forward. Her hands were folded on the table, and she faced Tuoba Zhen directly:
“San Dianxia, I’d advise you not to make any moves without careful
consideration, especially if you are thinking of killing me or harming the
people by my side. You definitely will regret making decision.”
Tuoba Zhen’s
voice froze like an iceberg: “Li Weiyang! Do you really not care for anything
at all?!”
Li Weiyang’s
lips curled: “Wrong, I care about much things, especially my own life. So
please do not scare me, San Dianxia, because I cannot stand to be frightened;
if I were to accidentally blurt out things I shouldn’t mention, I’m afraid that
San Dianxia would lose his head together with my own cheap existence!” She
released her grip, and turned around to leave.
Tuoba Zhen
totally could not believe it, he could not believe that Li Weiyang actually had
anything on him. He felt that she was just threatening him, scaring him, or
perhaps it was only a small spark of intelligence that just happened to let her
guess his plans with the river. He therefore, did not take this threat to mind,
and shot forward to block the door; her own exit route: “Li Weiyang! Stand
there!”
Tuoba Zhen
stared at Li Weiyang intently, as if his gaze filled with hatred would tear her
apart.
Bai Zhi, who
was in the room, was stunned with shock. Her far off position did not allow her
to hear their exchange, but seeing San Dianxia’s unusual behavior, an endless
fear surged in her heart. Zhao Yue, who was standing at the sidelines, had her
hand ready on her sword’s pommel.
Li Weiyang
looked back at him coldly. Tuoba Zhen did not know why, but her expression
caused him to have a moment’s difficulty in breathing.
He gritted
his teeth: “You dare leave without my permission?!”
Li Weiyang
smiled and stretched out her slim fingers to brush off a spot of wine stain on Tuoba
Zhen’s chest: “San Dianxia, you have your sunshine path, while I have my wooden
bridge to cross. Remember to stay far away from me, don’t follow me around all
day like a lost puppy. I hated you ever since Day One. Remember that!” She
gently tapped his shoulder and sashayed out of the room, discarding him like a
piece of smelly cloth.
Tuoba Zhen
was left standing there. A cold wind blew towards him, and he felt a shiver
from his head to his feet. Just now, he clearly saw how bone chillingly cold Li
Weiyang’s gaze was; it did not seem human, but as if she was a wronged spirit
who had crawled out of h.e.l.l to demand for his life!
As she
walked past a room, Li Weiyang did not go downstairs; she suddenly pushed open the
adjoining door, smiling: “Qi Xianxia, did it feel good to eavesdrop?”
The man who
said that he was searching for Jiu Gongzhu was sitting there the whole time, smiling
without a trace of guilt. He raised his cup in salute: “Xianzhu has guts!”
Li Weiyang
laughed coolly: “Zhao Yue, keep watch outside. Kill any busybodies who dare to
step in!”
“Understood.”
Zhao Yue and Bai Zhi stepped back.
Li Weiyang
and Tuoba Yu were the only ones in the room.
Tuoba Yu
raised his eyebrows and gave a small smile: “How did Xianzhu guess that I was
next door?”
“The guards
will naturally be the ones looking for our runaway princess. Morever, since you
know that Tuoba Zhen is up to no good, you wouldn’t simply leave me to deal
with him alone, isn’t it?” Li Weiyang replied coldly.
“Xianzhu
knows me well indeed.”
“Too bad
that I was wrong about you!” Li Weiyang retorted. “I had thought that after the
previous incident, even if we cannot not trust each other fully, at the very
least we are still allies. Yet now you’re doing such sneaky things!”
A flush of
red appeared on Tuoba Yu’s cool face; he couldn’t help but admit that he still
could not believe in Li Weiyang with all his heart. “I did not mean this.”
Li Weiyang
suppressed her anger. Actually, it was not unreasonable of Tuoba Yu to not trust
her. In this fight between the princes, it wouldn’t be impossible if Li Weiyang
was actually a supporter of Tuoba Zhen, and her actions towards Tuoba Yu was
all an act to gain his trust! From her previous life as his bitter rival, Li
Weiyang knew that Tuoba Yu was not as naiive as that.
Hence, she
softened her displeasure and said in a low voice: “I know it will not be easy
to gain Dianxia’s trust, therefore I have already prepared a great number of
gifts to prove my sincerity to you.”
“For
example?” Tuoba Yu was suddenly very interested in what she had to say.
“On the
surface, San Huangzi is loving towards his brothers and respectful of the Emperor,
but in actual fact, he has an ambitious heart. He has not only secret ties with
court officials, but connections with people from the underworld. From his
large web of elites serving in his household, there is an honorable mention of
his four generals, three wise men, and two ladies.
The four
generals are Li Jing, Mu Yang, Zhou Heng, and Lu Lu; they are knowledgeable in
the art of war, especially Li Jing, who has the t.i.tle of ‘Heavenly dragon above
the skies’ amongst the soldiers, after he fought and killed 506 men in a battle
at the South border thirteen years ago. Once a grand commander who led
thousands of cavalry into battle, he was however, kicked out after causing
delay in the army due to his drunken state eight years ago. Tuoba Zhen later
helped him to create a false ident.i.ty to re-enter the army, where he is now a
general.
Mu Yang
appears to be a weak scholar, with only a minor role as a censor in the
Imperial Palace, but at the young age of sixteen, he had already taken on the
role of sub-leader in a secret society.
Zhou Heng
was originally a family of court officials who served the previous Emperor;
however, his entire clan of 109 members was beheaded due to a trap set by their
enemies. As a newborn, he managed to
escape death and grew up in the wild. Tuoba Zhen took him in, and also under a
false name, inserted him into the royal guards, responsible for the personal
safety of the Emperor. He rose through the ranks and is now a sub-commander of
the Northern branch of the imperial guard.
Lu Lu comes
from a commoner background, but he has good connections due to his skills in communication.
He is also cruel without a doubt and loyal to the core; that is why he is
situated in the spy camp, specializing in silent a.s.sa.s.sinations.”
Li Weiyang
gave a small grin as she recounted. Tuoba Yu inhaled deeply, folding his hands
behind his back. He fidgeted, brought his hands to his sides, and changed
position yet again, bringing his hands into his sleeves. He was obviously
discomforted, as he did not know all the facts she had just said.
There were some
secrets that only Tuoba Zhen knew, that no one else should know about.
Yet Li
Weiyang had all these information. She continued: “The three wise men are Gao
Cheng, Jing Neng, and Sun Song. Gao Cheng excels at plotting, and is an aide in
the Crown Prince’s household. Jing Neng is knowledgeable in the etiquette and
practices of emperors; he is the Crown Prince’s teacher. Sun Song has the gift
of the gab; at this moment, he might not seem like much use, but at the crucial
moment, his silver tongue is bound to help his master win the hearts of the
officials and people.
As for the
two ladies, well... one has already won the heart of the Emperor as his new
favorite, while the other is now placed in Wu Huangzi’s home…”
Tuoba Yu
stood up, with a face full of extreme shock. “Do you know what you are saying?”
Li Weiyang
smiled: “I know you do not believe that Tuoba Zhen has such power, but it is
true that over the years, he has been making use of the Crown Prince’s wealth,
the Empress’ power, together with Wu Xianfei’s family background, to do things
for his own benefit. His acting skills are definitely good, so good that the
Empress and her son have been deceived by him for so many years.”
Tuoba Yu’s
intuition told him strongly that everything she had said was true; these pieces
of information would not have come out of thin air so easily. However, he still
felt that she might have been reading too much into it – after all, every
single prince would definitely have their own spies installed in their
respective rival’s palace. Tuoba Zhen --- he did not think that he could really
be this scary.
Li Weiyang
knew that he would have doubts; that he would not realise how dangerous this
group of individuals could be. “They are just the cornerstone of an iceberg.
Those who can be bribed will be bribed, if not, he would try to convince them.
If these two methods do not work, he’d kill them off. I know that every huangzi
has their own power and spies; those can simply be bought with money. However,
loyalty cannot be measured with cold hard cash. I dare say that n.o.body else has
the same amount of willpower and patience that Tuoba Zhen has. Not everyone
loves money; if you fail to buy someone over, would you be able to forgo your
sleep and ride for seven days straight to find your target’s desired treasure as
a gift it to him? Would you be willing to pay respects at someone else’s
ancestral tomb on his behalf every Qing Ming festival without fail, just to
convince him to join you? Are you able to demonstrate your sincerity to those
uncouth hooligans from the pugilistic world? To achieve his aim, he will stop
at nothing and fear nothing. Qi Dianxia, you are unable to do this, because you
are of high birth, you do not need to say anything and yet swarms of people
will offer their help to you. However, will they be unconditionally loyal, and
die for you if necessary? Just based on this alone, be it you, the Crown
Prince, or Wu Huangzi, there is no way you all can compare with Tuoba Zhen.”
Tuoba Yu
felt shiver down his spine, as if he was strung up from the roof. He originally
thought that Tuoba Zhen could not resist the temptation of ambition during the
process of a.s.sisting the Crown Prince. Who knew that he had plotted from the
start to use the Crown Prince and the Empress as his chess pieces? No wonder he
is able to be perfectly filial to the Empress and obedient to the Crown Prince;
he is utterly a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Tuoba Yu sat
silently. After a while, he spoke. “I believe you. I would also like to know,
how many people know about this?”
“Other than
the enraged San Dianxia who left in a huff, no one else but me and you.” said Li
Weiyang with a smile upon her face.
Some of
these people have not been used to their full potential as of yet, but at the
most crucial moment, these seemingly small characters would become the key to Tuoba
Zhen’s quest for the throne.
Tuoba Yu
took a deep breath: “Will you mention this to anyone else?”
Li Weiyang
understood his underlying message, so she shook her head. “Not a fourth person
shall know about this.”
Upon hearing
this, Tuoba Yu let out a sigh of relief. He did not know how Li Weiyang managed
to get the information. Everyone has their own secrets; so long as the content
is true, who cares how she found out? Most importantly, she could not reveal
these gambling chips to others.
He
subconsciously sighed again. “Other than this place, I have another eighteen
establishments to obtain news for me. Over the years, I have obtained a vast
amount of detailed information. But based on what you have told me, out of the
seventy scrolls of info regarding Tuoba Zhen, only two of them would be
reliable. The rest would be misleading clues that Tuoba Zhen had purposely
planted. This person, his motives are extremely frightening.”
Li Weiyang
could only smile. Tuoba Yu might be second to none based on his insight and
power of deduction, but in terms of patience in ama.s.sing information and paying
attention to details in plots, he could not hold a candle to Tuoba Zhen. This
was nothing out of the ordinary; no one, including Tuoba Yu, would pay much
attention to a Huangzi who did not pose as a threat. He had wasted much effort
on others and had neglected Tuoba Zhen. Tuoba Zhen, on the contrary, would not
leave any stone unturned; however careful Tuoba Yu might be, however big or
powerful his backer Luo Guo Gong is, there was bound to be traceable
information he could use against him.
“No one is
infallible; there must be someone who is bound to make you negligent. They are
too cunning and cruel, like a snake hiding in the dark, taking a bite out of
you when you’re not alert. So long as you have a hold on him, you have nothing
to fear.”
“I know all
these people you have mentioned, but I have taken them as figures who are
unimportant, and some of them are even my good friends. I have come to realise
that I have committed a grave mistake; much thanks to your advice. I will
remember this debt; if you ever find yourself in need, I will do my utmost best
to help you.” Tuoba Yu said calmly, as if he was just having a casual and
unimportant conversation.
Li Weiyang looked
into those piercing eyes, and she knew that it was a solemn promise. She sank
into silence, smiled gently and said: “Thank you.”
“What you
have said to Third Brother today..” he softened the hard look in his eyes, and
slowly continued, “It was not to agitate him, but to obtain my trust.”
Li Weiyang did
not give any reply in denial or confirmation, she just smiled, and glanced at
him after a long while. Suddenly, she realised that he was watching her
silently, with a hint of gentleness hidden in the depths of his eyes.
He did not
know since when did his interest in her transform into a strange sort of
liking. Tuoba Yu’s eyes took her in deeply, and he sighed: “You…” He seemed to
have wanted to say something, but from the corner of his eyes, he realised that
it was raining outside. “I’ll send you to your carriage.”
It was still
bright and sunny when they’d left the mansion, and now the pitter patter of
heavy rain descended upon them. The people who had been admiring the lanterns
were all searching for cover. As Li Weiyang stood at the entrance of the inn,
Bai Zhi spoke up: “Xiaojie, there is an umbrella in the carriage, Nubi will get
it for you.”
“Here.” Tuoba
Yu had already ordered someone to bring an umbrella to him.
Bai Zhi
stepped forward to receive it, but Tuoba Yu smiled and stepped away. “Allow
me.”
The rain
trickled from the umbrella to his cheek; Tuoba Yu lowered his head, his voice,
mixing with the raindrops, drifted to Li Weiyang’s ears: “Xianzhu should enjoy
a good rest tonight, after you’ve reached home.”
His side
profile appeared extra clear and handsome in the rain. Li Weiyang smiled. “I do
hope so.”
Li Min De
was waiting in front of the carriage. It had been a full two hours since he had
left, and he had not bothered to return. Li Weiyang did not question him, and
boarded the carriage.
Tuoba Yu
gave Li Min De a smile, which he returned coldly, and quickly stepped into the
carriage.
The carriage
headed back towards the Li Residence. Through the curtains, Li Weiyang could
see the tall silhouette still remaining in the rain. She did not understand why
he did not use the umbrella, and he seemed to be gazing at the carriage, deep
in thought..
Li Weiyang
paused, and let the curtains fall. Beside her, Li Min De spoke: “Sanjie --”
She turned
to look at him. “What’s the matter?”
“You’re not
going to ask me where I’ve been?”
Li Weiyang
lifted her hands to softly brush away the thin layer of rain on his shoulders.
“You went to see Yan Zhi?”
Li Min De
was stunned and could not utter a word in reply.
Li Weiyang
smiled: “You did not eat anything during the feast just now. I’ve ordered
someone to bring food and wine here. Bai Zhi.”
Bai Zhi
immediately responded to her name. She opened the purple sandalwood lunchbox,
laying out the dishes one by one. Li Weiyang took one look at Li Min De’s pale
face and said, “It is cold at night when it rains, why didn’t you at least put
on another layer of clothes? Never mind, have some Osmanthus wine, it’ll help
to get rid of the chills.”
Li Min De
froze. Li Weiyang observed him; this youth had a clear and defined facial
structure, blended with a soft beauty and strong willpower. A combination of
these two should have been conflicting, yet on his face, it was enrapturing.
Her eyes were filled with smiles: “Come over, quickly!”
He came to
her, but held on the chopsticks without touching the food.
“What are
you thinking of?” She reached over and flicked his forehead with her finger; Li
Min De clutched his forehead at the sudden pain.
“Drifting
off again.. It looks like you are defying me on purpose!”
“I was not
–” He opened his mouth to explain.
Li Weiyang
suddenly laughed, and although it was gone in a flash, he was captivated by it.
“Do not say
things like ‘sorry I cannot tell you the truth’, although I do not like
trickery…” She sighed. “Whatever the case, you need only know one thing: I will
not blame you, even though you refuse to tell me the truth…”
Li Min De’s
pupils narrowed, and a flash of grat.i.tude appeared in the depths of his eyes,
only to be replaced by sorrow.
Li Weiyang
saw the changes in his expression clearly, and involuntarily, a surge of
heartache welled up in her. She also felt a sense of distance, which made her
feel sad. This child who had depended on her, was he growing up? It was getting
harder and harder to understand his feelings now.
However, at
the next moment, Li Min De suddenly laid his head on her shoulders.
“What’s the
matter?” Li Weiyang wondered, surprised.
Li Min De
did not reply her, and continued to rest on her shoulders. His eyes were
smarting on the verge of tears; every time he thought of the fact that he would
have to leave her in the end, his heart felt twisted up in pain.
“You said
that you’ve grown up, you’ll definitely have your own secrets. You should be
happy that I did not probe, because it means that I trust you.” Li Weiyang
pulled him up and stuffed the chopsticks back into his hands, and personally
fed him a slice of sweet and sour fish: “Eat.”
The
osmanthus wine did not have a high alcohol content, and Li Weiyang enjoyed its
sweet taste. There were outsiders at dinner just now, and she did not think it
wise to drink too much. Right now, with only Li Min De present, she could
slowly savour the wine. As she drank the osmanthus wine, she felt warmth
filling her entire body.
As she looked
at the thin ribbons of rain falling to the ground outside the window, Li
Weiyang thought of Tuoba Zhen’s furious state. She couldn’t help but laugh, and
downed her wine in one gulp.
Li Min De
paused and turned to look at her.
“Sanjie?” He
had never seen her drink, let alone with such a strange expression at this
timing.
Li Weiyang
paused and recovered her senses. “I won’t get drunk, don’t worry. It’s just a
small cup.” she smiled and said.
Li Min De
eyed the cup in her hands. “Didn’t you already drink three cups?”
He took her
cup from her hands and set it on the table, but as quick as lightning, she
grabbed his cup and drank it dry.
“Sanjie?!”
“Hmm?” Li
Weiyang smiled gently, a lock of black hair framing her clear face. Under the
candle lights in the carriage, her eyes were like smoke, clear and understated,
and her expression had a hint of impatience. “Since when did become so naggy,
Mr Caretaker!”
Li Min De lowered
his head, embarra.s.sed. He saw that she still held the wine cup in her slim
fingers, and her eyes, though filled with a tipsiness like crushed jade,
remained staring at him clearly.
Li Weiyang
leaned back in her seat as if drunk, resting slightly on him.
The rich
floral smell of osmanthus, combined with the clear scent on her body, made a
strange fragrance that permeated from his nose, to his limbs, and to the bottom
of his heart.
He suddenly
wanted this moment to last forever, but a voice resonated in his head,
reminding him not to be greedy, not to sink into this warmth... your existence
will only drag her down, and even cause her immeasurable dangers. This is not a
place where you should remain, and you will never be able to pay the price if
you lose her completely...
Li Min De
dropped his head and suddenly reached out for the pitcher of osmanthus wine in
front of him. Using the gla.s.s cup that Li Weiyang had just used, he downed a
cup, but to him, the taste was completely different from what he had drank
beforehand.
Zhao Yue was
guarding the carriage outside, and within it, Bai Zhi was carefully selecting a
candle wick. In truth, her heart had a strange feeling within it. San Shaoye
seemed to be different from the past. He was a smart and clever boy, full of
innocence, but now, especially when he was silent, she did not dare to speak to
him. Somehow, he seemed to be radiating power and n.o.bility, which was an aura
he lacked in the past. His eyes were also constantly darting about, showing a
looming indifference and coldness that usually was present in adults. Did San
Furen’s death really cause such a drastic change in him?
“Min De?” Li
Weiyang sounded as she really was drunk; she tilted her head, like she was
looking at a stranger, and called his name. Her hands reached up and pinched
his cheeks.
“Ah!”
“Smile, I
like to see you smile!” She had regained her fierce demeanour.
Looking at
his red stained cheeks and his eyes like summer waters, Li Weiyang could not
hold herself back from squeezing his cheeks repeatedly.
“Sanjie, you
are really drunk!” It was as if she had been swapped with someone else! Li Min
De was speechless, and his face resembled a bun after all that pinching.
Li Weiyang
murmured: “Wine can make you forget your depression and drown your sorrows. Min
De, you should also have some. You’re being so naggy at such a young age,
imagine how horrible you’d be when you grow older!”
She felt as
if the whole world was shaking, and tried to open her eyes, only to see Li Min
De as red faced as a tomato. She released her hands and adjusted her body to
find a more comfortable position to rest in.
Seeing her
sleeping face, Li Min De suddenly broke into a smile. He lowered his voice:
“This is good, so long as you are happy, anything goes.”
Tonight, he
felt that Li Weiyang’s feelings were in a terrible turmoil. Although he did not
know why, he felt that he would be willing do anything, just to earn a smile
from her.
Translator: Jaslynn
Editor: Panisa (In Progress)
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