Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 29

Zi Jin turned back helplessly, trying to comfort Yu Luo with her eyes, but Yu Luo never looked up at Zi Jin.

Xi Bao gave Zi Jin a comforting smile, then glanced timidly at Yu Luo, whose face was gloomy.

Zi Jin lowered her head and deeply reflected on her actions: happy Bao, please accept my condolences...

With its red walls and golden tiles, the Chaoyang East Palace was a magnificent sight. Every item inside was personally selected and bestowed by Emperor Xuanlong. Almost all the unparalleled treasures of the Yue Kingdom were gathered in the Chaoyang East Palace, demonstrating the extent of Emperor Xuanlong's affection for his crown prince.

Crown Prince Jun Lin stood by the study window, his brows furrowed, a book in his hand, gazing absently into the distance.

The personal eunuch, Xiao Wu, rushed in, panting heavily: "Your Highness! Your Highness! The master of Taiping Pavilion and Princess Xile have left the palace without permission."

Jun Lin frowned even deeper, and after pondering for a long time, he slowly said, "Continue following..."

"Your Highness, it seems we're not the only ones following us; it appears the Emperor has also sent people..." Xiao Wu looked up with difficulty, observing Jun Lin's expression.

Jun Lin pondered for a moment: "Don't let Father's men find out. Keep following." After speaking, Jun Lin turned his face away and stared into the distance, but his brows were still furrowed, and a look of melancholy filled his eyes.

After seeing Yu Luo, Xi Le's face was unusually gloomy. Although he safely led Zi Jin out of the palace, he ignored her completely.

Zi Jin didn't care about Xi Le's coldness at all. She looked around at the crowd of people selling things and the people on the street with great curiosity. Whenever she saw something new, she couldn't hide the drooling look on her face. She wished she could turn her head 360 degrees and secretly hated that she only had one pair of eyes.

After walking for a while, Xi Le's anger subsided. She turned around to talk to Zi Jin, but found that Zi Jin, who had been following behind her, had disappeared. Xi Le was shocked and her face changed drastically. She quickly turned back to look for her. After walking a few steps, she saw Zi Jin standing by a dough figurine stall, shaking the red-dressed dough bride in her hand, tilting her head and grinning foolishly at her.

Seeing Zi Jin grinning foolishly, still holding a folding fan in her left hand and waving a small clay figurine in her right, Xi Le couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"In the dead of winter, aren't you afraid of being laughed at for carrying a folding fan?" west Le glared at Zi Jin with feigned anger, then said softly.

Upon hearing this, Zi Jin snapped open her folding fan and waved it twice, secretly pleased with herself: How can I show off my elegant and refined demeanor without a folding fan?

west Le's smile deepened, and she affectionately pinched Zi Jin's nose lightly: "Hurry up and go."

Zi Jin closed her folding fan, touched her nose in surprise, shook the clay bride in her right hand with a bitter expression, and then touched her empty purse: she was penniless.

west Le chuckled again: "If I... if I hadn't come back to find you, would you have just stood here all this time?"

Zi Jin nodded, secretly pleased with herself: You took me out of the palace without my permission, how could you easily abandon me?

After paying, Xi Le looked around and saw a teahouse not far ahead: "It's still early, why don't we go to the teahouse ahead and listen to the local customs and culture of the Moon Kingdom?"

Zi Jin was reluctantly dragged into the restaurant by west Le: Men and women should not touch each other; what kind of manners are these...?

As soon as west Le entered the teahouse, she attracted everyone's attention. She gave them a charming smile and then found a quiet corner in the lobby to sit down.

Zi Jin quickly lowered her head and reluctantly sat down on the other side, looking utterly dejected: Green leaves can't compare to red flowers... How tragic...

Seeing that the two men were well-dressed, the waiter asked with a fawning smile, "Gentlemen, what would you like to drink?"

“Huang Ya.” west Le glanced around casually for a moment.

"Young master has excellent taste. This yellow bud tea comes from the most humid south, and at most only twenty catties can be produced each year. It's for tribute, and in such a large imperial city, only our small shop has it," the waiter said, bowing and scraping with great enthusiasm.

west Le frowned slightly, waved his hand impatiently, and the waiter immediately retreated.

Zi Jin watched the waiter with great interest: Just as the legendary sycophant.

west Le smiled, turning her head to watch Zi Jin's every move: "Why won't you speak? Isn't Zi Yingfeng good to you?"

Zi Jin was slightly taken aback. Suddenly, the image of the thin figure sitting on the tree branch, gazing at the crowd from afar, flashed through her mind, along with Zi Yingfeng's helplessness, humiliation, and heartbreak. Her face gradually darkened.

west Le's smile vanished, replaced by a strange expression that quickly turned cold: "Are you willing to be a hostage for Zi Yingfeng? Currently, more than six-tenths of the Moon Kingdom's military force is in Zi Yingfeng's hands. If he harbors even the slightest rebellious intention, the Moon Kingdom's emperor will be the first to target you... Aren't you afraid?"

Zi Jin raised her eyes, smiled slightly, and her dark eyes shone with a piercing light: She was not afraid. Although she did not know much about him, he would never abandon Zi Jin's life.

west Le's expression shifted, her eyes sharpening with a hint of hatred, her hands clenching into fists under the table. After a long silence, she turned to Zi Jin with a seductive smile: "Since that's the case, why doesn't the little mute dare to speak?"

Zi Jin felt dizzy from west Le's laughter, her heart racing: What a monster!

Seeing Zi Jin's loss of composure, Xi Le was in high spirits. She raised her hand to smooth Zi Jin's long hair, whispered in Zi Jin's ear, and said softly, "Would you be willing to marry me?" Her voice was so charming it could melt your heart.

Zi Jin abruptly covered her ears, suppressing her wildly beating heart and trying to suppress the tingling sensation: I'm not glass, not glass, not glass...

west Le leaned weakly against Zi Jin's shoulder and said in a seductive voice, "Why is your heart beating so fast, little mute? Could it be that you've fallen for me?"

Zi Jin stood stiffly, gritting her teeth: In public! Demon, have some self-respect!

west Le leaned gently against Zi Jin's shoulder, laughing joyfully without warning. Her smile was exceptionally bright and pure, reaching deep into her eyes; a thousand pear blossoms couldn't compare to this tender, charming laughter. Unlike her usual smiles, this one came from the heart, innocent yet alluring, breathtakingly beautiful.

Everyone in the teahouse was captivated by this smile. Although Xi Le was dressed as a man, her movements and smile made it clear at a glance that she was a woman. When they saw Zi Jin beside Xi Le, they all shook their heads and sighed: "A beautiful flower has been stuck in cow dung..."

Zi Jin glanced at the people around her with a depressed expression, wishing she could slap Princess west Le, who was laughing hysterically on her shoulder, to death.

"As we discussed yesterday, Sikou Xunxiang is the eldest son of the Prime Minister Sikou, a man of outstanding appearance, exceptional talent, and proud stature. How could he possibly endure such an insult..."

The legendary storyteller suddenly appeared on the central stage of the hall, instantly pulling Zi Jin out of the awkward atmosphere.

Zi Jin and west Le both turned to look at the storyteller. Zi Jin picked up the tea beside her with interest, took a sip, and looked quite pleased.

west Le's face gradually darkened, her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, a half-smile playing on her lips.

"...If Sikou Xunxiang does not allow the Empress to take a consort, the Empress would rather sever the ancestral line of the Nalan tribe than consummate her marriage with anyone. Only then did the ministers realize the reason why the Empress and Sikou Xunxiang had been married for five years without having children. Considering that Sikou Xunxiang was the most handsome man in the world, he still had not caught the Empress's eye. The ministers were all filled with sighs of regret..."

With a loud "crack!", Zi Jin, who had been listening intently, stared blankly at the broken wood chips in front of her. Just a moment ago, it was a perfectly good mahogany table, but now, with west Le's blow, it had become firewood.

Everyone was shocked and looked in the direction of Xi Le and Zi Jin.

west Le's face was unusually gloomy. He stood up angrily, glared at the storyteller, and said fiercely, "Nonsense! If you continue to spout this nonsense, I will cut out your tongue and pull out your bones!"

The storyteller turned ashen-faced and his legs trembled slightly. He tried to argue, but west Le's fierce gaze forced him to shut up.