Cen Ji sat silently on the bed; almost half an hour had passed since he woke up.
Chu Ba finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Fine, fine, at worst I'll beg the Palace Master to send someone to retrieve the body from the Cold Pool later."
Upon hearing the word "corpse," Cen Ji paused, then looked at Chu Ba.
Chu Ba felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, so she reached out and pushed his face to the other side. "Forget it, you should just watch the bed. I think you've been drugged by my sleeping potion."
"The Palace Master has arrived!"
On the eighth day, upon hearing the sound, he remained motionless, as if it were some insignificant person who had arrived.
With a rustling of clothes, two maids lifted the curtain, revealing a smiling face.
The Palace Master of Crane Feather Palace strode in, dressed in a wide, dark blue robe, with a thin gold belt around her waist, and nothing else.
Chu Ba smiled and, upon seeing Palace Master He Ling, did not offer any greetings, only saying, "The person has been brought here. This fellow is like a block of wood. Palace Master, you can decide what to do with him." With that, he flicked his sleeve and slipped out the door.
The Palace Master of Crane Feather Palace took two steps forward, her robes fluttering, exuding extraordinary elegance.
"Calm."
Cen Ji felt the voice was both familiar and unfamiliar. He looked up and exclaimed, "Chen Ting?"
Shen Ting smiled and put his hands behind his back: "How have you been, Brother Cen?"
Cen Ji asked in surprise, "How could it be you, Palace Master He Ling?"
Shen Ting strolled to the mahogany chair, sat down slowly, and said, "Remember when we were trained as assassins in the fighting arena, you asked me what I would do if I had a choice?"
Cen Ji frowned. He couldn't quite recall ever asking that question.
Shen Ting said, "You have a really bad memory."
Cen Ji gave a self-deprecating laugh.
Sometimes, a good memory can be a burden; it's better to just forget about it.
“I said I wanted to rule over a region of the martial arts world, but you said you had no interest in it and only wanted to live a leisurely and peaceful life in the future. I even laughed at you for having no ambition.”
"Later, you were chosen by Kongshanling and rescued from the fighting arena. And I, not long after, also entered Heling Palace." Chen Ting took the teacup handed to him by the maid and said, "Twelve years have passed, and you are still just a lowly bodyguard. But I have become the palace master."
As Shen Ting spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Cen Ji.
Cen Ji looked up, his eyes reflecting Chen Ting, who was like a blue rock, devoid of emotion, cold and icy.
Cen Ji said, "You're already engaged to Mo Yin, so why did you kidnap her?"
Shen Ting took a sip of tea and after a long while said, "I was just pretending to marry Miss Wen, as if I had agreed to her request."
Cen Ji blurted out, "Pretend?"
Shen Ting said, "I am also very curious to know why Miss Wen has fallen for you."
For some reason, upon hearing these words, Cen Ji, who should have been overjoyed, became as calm as a lifeless puppet.
Shen Ting was somewhat surprised by his reaction, but his expression remained unchanged. "I only made a deal with her. I helped her this time, so Kongshanling owes me a favor."
Cen Ji pressed further, "What kind of deal?"
Shen Ting leaned back in his chair. "I think it would be better if Miss Wen told you the reason herself."
*******
Dusk is approaching.
The sky is shrouded in mist and clouds; you can see everything, yet you can't see anything at all.
In Wen Moyin's view, the most ethereal and unreliable things are the most elusive. Just like the way Cen Ji used to look at her, seemingly admiring, yet also distant.
Wen Moyin gazed at the vast expanse of water.
The wind at the mountaintop wasn't strong, yet it seemed to have made Wen Moyin appear thinner.
She had never felt so unfamiliar with Cen Ji as she did at this moment. The Cen Ji standing beside her now felt like a stranger to her.
"Seventh Brother," Wen Moyin said softly.
Cen Ji responded, "Yes."
She turned around and faced Cen Ji.
The man in front of her was seven years older than her and had watched her grow up. He was the only person she allowed to call her "Moyin" instead of "Miss Wen".
"Seventh Brother, I'm sorry. I lied to you."
Are you referring to the robbery? Cen Ji shook his head: "It's not your fault."
What kind of answer is that? Wen Moyin was not disappointed.
"Seventh Brother".
"exist."
"You like me?"
Cen Ji was taken aback.
Haven't I... always liked her?