Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 96
Zi Jin glanced at the book again, then ignored Xiao Bai, who was rubbing against her like a puppy.
Xiao Bai noticed Zi Jin's neglect and, without thinking, reached out to snatch the book from Zi Jin's hand and hid it behind her back. She took two steps back and timidly looked at Zi Jin.
Zi Jin turned around in astonishment. Snatching things? You've gotten quite bold in just one day: "Give it to me."
Her white, feather-like eyelashes trembled slightly. She lowered her eyelids, shook her head, and took two steps back.
Zi Jin chuckled inwardly; they'd finally realized they were scared after they'd already robbed them.
Zi Jin glared at Xiao Bai with a fierce expression and growled in a low voice, "Give it to me!"
Xiao Bai clutched the book tightly in her hand, raised her face, and gazed at Zi Jin with tears welling up in her eyes. Her pink lips were tightly pursed, and she timidly said, "Xiao Zi, don't be angry. Look at me, I'm pretty."
Zi Jin suddenly felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. Was there really someone vying to have this book read? Such idiotic thinking was truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
Xiao Bai sensed that Zi Jin's anger had lessened considerably. He timidly took two steps forward, but when Zi Jin glanced at him, he immediately stopped.
Zi Jin suddenly felt powerless. Thinking that bullying an idiot was pointless, she reluctantly got up and walked to Xiao Bai's side, picked up the book, and placed it on the table next to her: "You can say if you don't like it, but don't do it again next time."
Xiao Bai nodded repeatedly, her dark, jade-like eyes rippling with emotion: "Xiao Zi, I want to sleep."
Want to sleep? It's past 5 PM now, and I've never seen you go to bed that early before.
Xiao Bai clearly sensed Zi Jin's absent-mindedness, and angrily pulled Zi Jin's hand and placed it on her own button: "I want to sleep."
Zi Jin felt depressed: I must ignore him! I must ignore him! I must completely ignore him! But her nimble fingers had already habitually and slowly removed the long robe.
With a "plop," a pile of green powder fell out of the robe.
Xiao Bai immediately squatted down, trying to pick up the thing, but the more she squeezed it, the more it crumbled, and she couldn't lift it at all: "What should I do? Xiao Zi, what should I do?"
Zi Jin squatted down curiously, only to find the pastries had melted: "Where did these come from?"
"They weren't watching, I took it, and gave it to Xiao Zi, what should I do, what should I do?" Xiao Bai squeezed the pastry tightly, her eyes blinking as she looked at Zi Jin with tears welling up in her eyes.
Zi Jin watched as Xiao Bai carefully picked up the pastry, only to drop it again, and suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She slowly reached out, picked up the green powder bit by bit, and put it in her mouth: "Mung bean cake... mmm... very delicious."
Xiao Bai raised her face, stared at Zi Jin who was licking her fingers for a long time, then burst into laughter through her tears, her eyes crinkling and sparkling: "Xiao Zi doesn't like hibiscus, she likes mung beans. I saw it, so I took it."
Zi Jin lowered her head, pulled Xiao Bai up, and patted the crumbs of cake off him: "Go to sleep."
Xiao Bai smiled and reached out, awkwardly unbuttoning Zi Jin's clothes. Zi Jin kept her head down and did not stop him.
Over the years, people have come and gone in my life. There have always been many who think they care about me and understand me, often making decisions for my benefit without my consent. But no one has ever asked how I feel, whether I need it, or whether I want it. Many things are not what I want, yet they are imposed on me with their self-righteousness. That goodwill eventually becomes a burden, a fear, and a reason for me to run away.
Perhaps it was because she was good at pretending, or perhaps they thought it was such a trivial matter. Among so many people, only Yuluo, who took care of her daily needs, knew that she couldn't stand the smell of hibiscus cake at all, yet she often secretly drooled over mung bean cake. But the person in front of her, who had only been with her for a few days and seemed like an innocent child, could accurately read her joys and sorrows from her eyes, and then obey her, rely on her, and need her, making her experience the happiness and satisfaction of being wholeheartedly depended on.
The person beside her held her hand tightly. His hand was rather feminine, slender, white, and soft, yet it inexplicably brought her a sense of security. In just half a month, she had grown accustomed to his companionship, his childlike innocence, and his gaze. If he hadn't appeared during her time in Chen Kingdom, how lonely would she have been?
"How did Xiaobai know I love mung bean cakes?" In the darkness, Zi Jin casually stroked Xiaobai's silky silver hair and asked nonchalantly.
Xiao Bai obediently leaned her face against Zi Jin, comfortably squinting her eyes, like a cat whose fur had been stroked: "I don't know, but in my heart I just know."
Zi Jin stroked Xiao Bai's hair even more gently, and patted Xiao Bai twice: "Go to sleep."
"Little Purple".
"Um?"
"That's really good."
"Um."
Before dawn, Xiaobai quietly climbed out of bed, picked up his clothes, a faint smile on his lips, sat on the edge of the bed, carefully tucked in the blankets, glanced at Zi Jin, and then slowly moved toward the door.
"Xiao Bai." Zi Jin opened her eyes and saw him walking to the door. Without thinking, she called out.
"Hmm?" Xiaobai turned around, holding the clothes, and smiled slightly.
Xiao Bai's retreating figure filled Zi Jin with a deep unease, a feeling that he would never return. She gazed at Xiao Bai's smiling face, trying to dispel the unease in her heart, and tilted her head to smile at him: "It's nothing." After saying that, she quickly lay back down, not daring to watch Xiao Bai leave.
Xiao Bai's smile widened, and her dark eyes rippled with joy: "Don't be afraid, I'll take care of you tonight."
Zi Jin closed her eyes, listening to the soft sounds of the door opening and closing, and drifted off to sleep again...
Inside the Xiayang Palace, four golden pillars with soaring dragons stand at the four corners of the main hall, with purple-gold ceilings and white jade walls, and silk curtains fluttering and beaded curtains surrounding it.
A small cloisonné incense burner emitted a faint fragrance of lotus blossoms, which lingered subtly throughout the hall.
After the change of ownership, Xiayang Palace was no longer as desolate as it had been in the cold palace. Overnight, it became even more magnificent than Weiyang Palace.
Prince Anle stood facing the window, his brow furrowed. It was still pitch black outside. He tapped nervously on the windowsill, and his eyes were dark and swollen, indicating that he had not slept all night again.
Jin Yu quietly entered the room and knelt beside Prince Anle: "Your Highness..."
Prince Anle gripped the windowsill tightly, but his face remained calm: "Speak."
Jin Yu lowered her head tightly: "Jin Yu followed the prince's orders and stayed at Weiyang Palace all night... The emperor entered Weiyang Palace at 5 pm and stayed there until 3 am... He came out before the court session... He was carrying his outer robe as usual, and his clothes were disheveled."
"You vile woman!" Prince Anle smashed the windowsill with a single blow, turned around angrily, his face filled with murderous intent. "So, my brother has been staying at Weiyang Palace for the past ten days or so?!"
"I suppose so." Jin Yu's voice was low, but the certainty in it was undeniable.
"Useless! So many people and you can't even keep an eye on my brother! What use are you all!" Prince Anle kicked away the chair next to him, his face flushed with anger.
"The Prince knows the Emperor's martial arts skills; he has plenty of ways to shake off his followers. This time... if it weren't for the Prince's guess... who would have thought the Emperor would stay at Weiyang Palace every day? The Emperor always walks in the opposite direction from Weiyang Palace; who would have thought that the Emperor would be like this now... like this..."
"Scheming, is that it?" Prince Anle sneered. "You should know what kind of person my elder brother is. Even if he's completely out of his mind, dealing with you is still more than enough for him!"