Ultimative Intelligenz

Kapitel 25

Shen Zhili was too embarrassed to tell him that there was an even bigger one in his yard.

A scene flashed through her mind: a man in a snow-white brocade robe leaning against a couch, his eyes half-closed as he handed her a slightly yellowed leather map, his voice gentle.

The rough paper and heavy weight feel like they happened just yesterday.

In a daze, Shen Zhili's elbow seemed to have bumped into something.

She hurriedly took a step back, lost her balance, and fell backward violently, her elbow hitting the hard stone edge. A sharp pain shot through her, followed by a loud thud behind her.

Someone pulled her back just in time before her head hit the back of her head.

Shen Zhili, still shaken, clutched her arm and gasped, "Achoo... Thank you."

Young Master Xiaoye didn't even glance at her, staring blankly behind him, and said, "...If the Palace Master finds out we dropped this, we're all doomed."

What!?

Shen Zhili looked back, but the light was too dim to even notice the stone... uh, hedgehog that had appeared behind her at some point?

At this moment, the stone hedgehog broke into two pieces, and the steel needles stuck in the middle gleamed with a sharp light.

"What's this?"

Young Master Xiaoye: "The stone statue of that heartless man."

Shen Zhili: "...Is his body hair really that thick?"

Young Master Xiaoye rolled his eyes at her again: "This was inserted by the Palace Master when she was venting her anger. The Palace Master hates betrayal the most, and betrayal against her is especially unforgivable."

Shen Zhili: "..." What's with this sudden chill down my spine?

She probably isn't worried about Su Chenche...

Shen Zhili hesitated for a moment: "Then what do we do now?"

Young Master Xiaoye pondered for a moment: "Help him up, and pretend nothing happened."

Shen Zhili looked down, searching for a place to start, when he suddenly discovered that there was one spot on the stone statue that had escaped destruction... its head.

He kicked his toes and turned his head, revealing a rather handsome man's face: a straight nose, thin lips, and a pair of captivating, almond-shaped eyes with upturned corners.

But... it looks kind of familiar.

After finally managing to lift the stone statue, Young Master Xiaoye suddenly looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

He seemed to pause for a moment before saying, "Your elbow is bleeding."

Shen Zhili raised her arm and noticed a thin line of blood trickling down her sleeve like a babbling brook. She felt a brief dizziness and swayed before tearing open her outer robe to bandage herself.

Whether it was because the material was too good or Shen Zhili was too weak, she couldn't tear it open even after several attempts.

Young Master Xiaoye sighed, stepped forward and tore open Shen Zhili's sleeve, revealing her smooth arm. He then tore off a strip from his own undergarment and used it to bandage Shen Zhili's arm.

She had teased Young Master Xiaoye so much before, and he had helped her twice in a row. Shen Zhili touched her bandaged but still bleeding elbow and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Thank you, I'm sorry for what happened before."

Young Master Xiaoye coughed, turned around and continued walking, but his voice sounded a little unnatural as he said, "I never argue with women about such things."

After walking a long distance along the secret passage, Shen Zhili felt that the atmosphere between them was still quite harmonious, and couldn't help but ask, "Does this secret passage lead directly to the outside?"

Young Master Xiaoye: "Yes."

Shen Zhili's eyes lit up: "Which one?"

Young Master Xiaoye glanced sideways: "You want to leave?"

Shen Zhili hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. Young Master Xiaoye said without pausing, "Impossible. I won't tell you. Only the Palace Master and I know about this in the entire Bright Moon Palace. You should give up!"

Shen Zhili said "Oh," and the two remained silent.

"We're here. The exit is just ahead." Young Master Xiaoye stopped, seemingly relieved. A glint of coldness flashed in his bright eyes. "Later, I'll go back to my courtyard. You go find your lover and tell him to remember not to bother me again, or I won't be polite."

Seeing that Young Master Xiaoye was about to walk out, Shen Zhili hurriedly called out, "Ah... wait."

She quickly took off her outer robe and handed it to Young Master Xiaoye: "I'll give this back to you... Achoo... After all, it's yours, and it's not appropriate for me to wear it."

Young Master Xiaoye glanced at her and pushed the clothes towards her: "I will not wear clothes that other people have worn."

He strode out, and Shen Zhili chased after him, then handed the bag back to him, saying, "I'll give it back to you then."

Young Master Xiaoye frowned, shook his moon-white robe, and draped it over Shen Zhili's shoulders.

Shen Zhili raised her hand, about to refuse, when suddenly her eyes widened and two words popped out: "Get out of here..."

Suddenly, something unknown flew towards him at great speed and crashed heavily into Young Master Xiaoye's back. Caught off guard, Young Master Xiaoye groaned in pain and fell to the ground.

Just as Shen Zhili was about to turn around to help, a pair of hands gently and carefully lifted Shen Zhili's arm.

"Zhi Li, you..."

Before Su Chenche could finish speaking, Shen Zhili pushed him away and angrily said, "What were you doing just now? Why did you hurt someone for no reason!"

Su Chenche was startled by Shen Zhili's shout: "I didn't..."

"Get out of the way." Shen Zhili brushed past Su Chenche and bent down to help Young Master Xiaoye up.

Young Master Xiaoye was in so much pain that his facial features contorted, and he could only groan softly.

Shen Zhili quickly took his pulse, then decisively turned to the side and lifted Xiao Ye Gongzi's robe. She gently pressed her fingers on Xiao Ye Gongzi's back, untied the hairpin, and carefully took out the sealed ointment inside. She then dabbed the ointment on her fingers and gently rubbed it onto Xiao Ye Gongzi's back.

She whispered in his ear, "Don't let your back touch anything these next few days. Sleep on your side at night. This ointment will only provide temporary relief. I'll prescribe another medicine for you later..."

After the ointment was applied, Young Master Xiaoye seemed to feel better. He leaned against her and said softly, "I understand, thank you."

Shen Zhili: "Sit here and wait a while, I'll go and call your servant to help you."

Young Master Xiaoye said breathlessly, "Alright."

"Zhi Li, I..."

Shen Zhili didn't even turn her head: "I'm very angry right now and I don't really want to hear what you're saying. I want to punch you every time you say a word, so wait until I've calmed down a bit before you come back."

Su Chenche paused for a moment, then silently turned and left.

The sound of wooden clogs hitting the ground echoed one after another.

Shen Zhili glanced sideways and realized that the thing that had just kicked Young Master Xiaoye was also... a wooden clog.

She secretly turned her head and saw Su Chenche's lonely and dejected figure walking away, one foot in a wooden clog and the other bare, swaying unsteadily. It seemed that he was running too fast, and his clothes were still hanging askew...

Is it real or just an act...?

She didn't say anything harsh, so why did she make herself look so pathetic...?

Chapter 22

Shen Zhili had anticipated that Su Chenche would be difficult, but she hadn't expected him to be this difficult.

After watching Young Master Xiaoye being sent back, having his prescription written and a few words of instruction given, Shen Zhili's anger subsided considerably. She borrowed another set of servant clothes from the servant Liuli, changed into them, and then followed the directions given to her to find the courtyard that Ji Mingyue had assigned to Su Chenche.

Pushing open the door, Su Chenche was sitting at the octagonal table, holding a three-tiered mahogany box in his arms.

Upon seeing Shen Zhili enter, Su Chenche stepped aside and gazed melancholically out the window.

Shen Zhili opened the box; inside were rice and vegetables, still warm. After a moment's thought, she understood...

Using internal energy to keep warm is such a luxury...

Shen Zhili was indeed hungry, so he sat down and quickly finished his meal. After finishing, he noticed a pear at the bottom of the table.

The pear was huge; she figured one person couldn't finish it. Unable to bear Su Chenche's expression, she took a knife from the side, cut the pear in half, and handed one half to him: "Hey..."

Su Chenche slowly turned his head, silently pushed away the pear she offered, and then slowly turned back.

Shen Zhili remained expressionless: "...Are you feeling wronged?"

Su Chenche gently shook his head: "No."

...Then please stop making that face that says "I'm so wronged, so wronged, so sad, so sad, so heartbroken, so heartbroken!"

Shen Zhili sighed silently in her heart, then handed the pear over again: "Eat the pear."

Su Chenche pouted: "I won't eat."

Shen Zhili frowned: "Why?"

Su Chenche gave her a long, thoughtful look: "Pears can't be shared."

Dividing the pear...separation...

Shen Zhili held the two halves of the pear, paused for a moment, and said, "Never mind, I'll eat it myself."

Su Chenche glanced at her again, then silently turned his head away, clearly not intending to pay her any more attention.

Shen Zhili's anger, which had just subsided, began to rise again. Su Chenche had casually hit someone, and she was already being lenient by not making him apologize to Young Master Xiaoye. Yet he still had an expression that said, "I did nothing wrong, you're misunderstanding me!"

Wait, what does Su Chenche's capriciousness have to do with her? Why should she be angry!

He's ignoring her, fine!

After finishing the pear, Shen Zhili dropped the core, turned around, picked a bed in the outer room, and slept there rather unhappily.

The next morning, Su Chenche was nowhere to be seen, but breakfast was left on the table.

Shen Zhili's anger had a limited time limit. After finishing her delicious breakfast, she thought that maybe there really was some misunderstanding that day, and she wanted to go find Su Chenche to ask him to clear things up.

As she stepped outside, she ran into Liuli, the servant of Young Master Xiaoye. He was walking hurriedly as if in a hurry. Hearing Shen Zhili's question, he glanced at her contemptuously and said simply, "Want to go find Young Master Quanche? Come with me."

Young Master Quanche...

Actually, the Blackwater Prince would be more suitable...

Shen Zhili thought silently.

After following Liuli for a short while, they arrived at the Linglong Palace where they had met the handsome Haiyang that day.

Although she was mentally prepared, Shen Zhili still felt like her eyes had been blinded by the beauty.

However, things were slightly different this time, because Ji Mingyue was sitting on a huge couch at the very top that could accommodate seven or eight people. She was wearing a white silk robe, simple and neat, and her black hair was casually draped down, which perfectly highlighted the woman's lazy and casual temperament.

Beside Ji Mingyue sat four beauties. One massaged her shoulders, another rubbed her legs, and another trimmed her nails. The last one was picking up a grape with her slender fingers and putting it into Ji Mingyue's mouth. Ji Mingyue frowned slightly, clearly still somewhat dissatisfied.

...How arrogant and hateful!

...When I get back to Spring Valley, I'll be even more arrogant than her!

Shen Zhili clenched her fist silently.

By the way, where's Su Chenche...?