Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 204

Watching the tide rise amidst the wind and rain (Part 3)

Zi Jin clutched her chest and woke up with a start, the scenery gradually becoming clearer. She hadn't dreamt in a long time, so why was she dreaming about the past again? ...Why was she dreaming about him? She shook her head slightly, trying to recall the scene from the dream, a smile appearing on her lips. Although he was domineering and willful when he was young, he wasn't that unpleasant.

Zi Jin gently rubbed her chest. Strangely enough, seeing him coughing incessantly, she felt both heartache and anxiety.

Jun Ying took the silk handkerchief in her hand and gently wiped the sweat from Zi Jin's forehead: "Are you feeling unwell?"

Zi Jin suddenly realized something and glanced embarrassedly at the half-finished chessboard in the distance: "I fell asleep."

Jun Ying tugged at the silk quilt covering Zi Jin: "But there's so much ice in the room, why is your forehead so cold?"

Zi Jin laughed and said, "No, I had a dream."

Jun Ying asked, "Oh? What did you dream about?"

Zi Jin took off the silk quilt and sat up, saying with a grin, "I dreamed about you, but you weren't as fair-skinned back then as you are now."

Jun Ying paused for a moment, then slowly lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing the emotions within. He slowly turned his face away, and after a long silence, asked, his hoarse voice taut.

Zi Jin's smile froze slightly: "Why should I blame you?"

Jun Ying slowly stood up and said, "Zi Yingfeng... how I treated Zi Yingfeng back then... don't you blame me?"

Zi Jin slowly lowered her eyes, and after a long while, she said, "I did have some resentment towards you back then, but since he left, I have gradually come to understand that the grievances he endured were not given to him by anyone, but were willingly endured by him. Perhaps he felt that the more he made himself suffer, the less self-blame he would feel. So I no longer blame you."

Jun Ying steadied himself against the chair beside him and continued, "Do you know... that Zi Ruan, whom he married, was a fallen woman? Before her marriage, she eloped with someone and was already pregnant when she was found. To humiliate him, I bestowed her upon Zi Yinfeng and made her his first wife, subjecting him to an indelible humiliation..."

Zi Jin shook her head and said, "Perhaps in his view, the heavier the punishment, the less guilt he feels... I don't think he would blame you for it."

Jun Ying suddenly turned around, silently gazing into Zi Jin's eyes. Finally, he looked away and said with a bitter smile, "Why...why don't you blame me? I shouldn't have done that...knowing how much you liked him, how could I..."

Zi Jin jumped off the bed and patted Jun Ying's shoulder with a relaxed expression: "Jun Xiaosan, don't overthink it. You should focus on getting better now. Our game isn't over yet, is it?"

Jun Ying gripped the chair tightly and said again, "Back then... he and I... we weren't... it was just an act..."

Zi Jin paused for a moment, then chuckled softly: "Of course I know! I was so angry at the time that I didn't think about it carefully. But then I thought about it and realized you hate him so much... umm... you despise him so much, how could you do that to him... Hehe, you really came up with that idea."

Jun Ying's ears turned slightly red: "Uh... I... I..."

Zi Jin smiled teasingly, sat down in front of the chessboard, and said in a low voice, "Stop with the teasing... It's getting late, I need to go back after this game."

Jun Ying, head bowed, sat down opposite Zi Jin, frowned, picked up a chess piece, glanced at Zi Jin, and said seemingly casually, "Actually, his death cannot be blamed on Si Kou Xun Xiang. He was poisoned by the Jun clan chief with the same poison as me, and the antidote was lost when the Jun clan was wiped out. Over the years, like me, he has only been able to suppress the poison, but he has been on the battlefield many times and has often been wounded. His body was already at its limit. Even if he hadn't been chased off the cliff... he wouldn't have lived much longer. This poison is excruciatingly painful when it flares up, like the bone rotting and the heart piercing... it's not as good as..."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Zi Jin suddenly interrupted Jun Ying, glanced out the window and said, "Hurry up and play chess! Hurry up and play chess! Look, the sun is about to set."

Jun Ying smiled and then put down the white piece in his hand.

Zi Jin, holding a black chess piece, glanced at Jun Ying with a troubled expression: "So that's why I fell asleep. Turns out I've reached a dead end." After saying that, she chuckled softly.

Jun Ying looked at Zi Jin's playful appearance, his expression softening, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Are you thirsty?"

"What are you laughing at? Why are you all so happy?" Jun Lin strode in and asked with a smile.

Zi Jin jumped onto a chair, looked at Jun Lin with a smile, and said, "Why are you here?"

Jun Lin gently embraced her and whispered, "Look at the time! Doesn't Father need to rest?"

Upon hearing this, Jun Ying paused slightly, then lowered his eyes.

Zi Jin frowned: "No, I don't know how I fell asleep. I just woke up."

Jun Lin smiled indulgently: "Sleep, sleep, sleep. Granny Lu said waking you up is the hardest thing. You always dawdle until noon and then sleep in the afternoon. Why are you still the same as before?"

Jun Ying frowned slightly: "Lin'er, I've asked the kitchen to make some soup, it'll be ready soon. She hasn't looked so good these past few days, let her drink it before she leaves."

Jun Lin glanced back at Jun Ying, then tugged at Zi Jin in his arms: "Look how good your father is to you, hurry up and thank him."

Zi Jin's brows furrowed deeper and deeper as she protested softly, "He's your father, not mine..." But when she met Jun Lin's increasingly sharp gaze, Zi Jin automatically fell silent.

Jun Ying coughed awkwardly: "Uh... if it's cooked, have someone send it to Chaofeng Palace for her."

Jun Lin smiled and said, "That's fine then. Thank you for your trouble, Father. I'll take my leave now."

Upon reaching the palace gate, Zi Jin glanced at the imperial carriage at the entrance, paused, and tugged at Jun Lin's sleeve, saying, "Can we not ride it? Let's walk back; I know a shortcut."

Jun Lin's gaze swept over Zi Jin's clenched sleeve, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Fine, if you don't want to sit, then don't sit."

A hint of joy flashed in Zi Jin's eyes as she took Jun Lin's hand and walked towards another path. Jun Lin's smile deepened. Although he followed Zi Jin's steps, if you looked closely, you could see that his hand was subtly protecting Zi Jin's running body.

“Junlin! Junlin! Do you see that... that's where you beat me and Baoxian back then.” Zi Jin said, pointing to the corridor in the distance.

Jun Lin glanced at the corridor and said contemptuously, "Who told you two to be so blind and offend this Crown Prince back then?"

Zi Jin said indignantly, "You still have the nerve to say that! I was sleeping soundly, and when I woke up I was beaten by you. Then, when I got to the study, the Grand Tutor beat me with a rod. How wronged I am!"

Jun Lin reached out and grabbed Zi Jin's hand: "If you weren't protecting that damned servant, would I have hit you?"

"Xi Bao is my person, I won't protect her..." Zi Jin slowly lowered her head halfway through her sentence.

Jun Lin gently pulled Zi Jin into his arms: "Don't think about those irrelevant people anymore. If you want a loyal servant, I'll find one for you tomorrow, okay?"

Zi Jin shook her head, broke free from Jun Lin's embrace, and walked forward step by step without saying a word.

Jun Lin stepped forward and gently patted Zi Jin's waist: "What's wrong? You dare to give me attitude when you're with me? Let's see how I deal with you!"

Zi Jin laughed out loud, running forward as she laughed.

"You mute! You dare to run away!" Jun Lin said, feigning anger.