Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 206

Before he even got close, Jun Ying suddenly opened his eyes and stared straight in Zi Jin's direction, then revealed a faint smile.

Zi Jin shook her head slightly in disappointment and sat down next to Jun Ying in a huff: "Really, how did you know someone was coming?"

Jun Ying smiled but remained silent. He took out a silk handkerchief and handed it to Zi Jin, saying softly, "Why didn't you have a servant bring you here on such a hot day?"

Zi Jin took the silk handkerchief, wiped the sweat from her face, and said pitifully, "Alas... I am a person of unknown identity who has been banished to the cold palace. Which servant would be willing to send me away?"

"You seem quite pleased with yourself... Don't take it to heart with Lin'er, she's just throwing a childish tantrum." Jun Ying glanced back at the palace servants behind him: "Go and fetch some more ice."

Zi Jin nodded: "It's already dark, why is it still so hot? It's really uncomfortable."

Jun Ying took the teacup that the palace servant had been handing over, which had been placed on ice, and handed it to Zi Jin: "When this palace was being built, I thought you would definitely not like it, since you have always been very afraid of the heat."

Zi Jin took a sip of the plum juice in her teacup and asked thoughtfully, "Were you also afraid of the heat back then?"

Jun Ying closed his eyes slightly and said in a low voice, "Afraid? Of course I'm afraid. As soon as the weather gets a little warmer, ice basins are put out in the palace. I really don't want to go out, and my temper is terrible."

Zi Jin finished the plum juice in one gulp, wiped her mouth casually with her sleeve, and said, "That's the same as now."

Jun Ying frowned: "It's too cold, drink it slowly."

Zi Jin put down her teacup: "Have you prepared everything I asked you to yesterday?"

Jun Ying smiled and said, "I have prepared it, but it's too hot today, you..."

Zi Jin looked at the brightly lit garden illuminated by several palace lanterns and said, "Don't worry, don't worry, there's so much ice around here, I'm not hot anymore. You're in luck, I rarely cook for people."

Jun Ying waved to the people behind him: "Go get it."

As she glanced sideways, Zi Jin's eyes glided over the lotus flowers blooming in the pond under the palace lanterns. After gazing at them for a while, she smiled and said, "The lotus flowers are blooming beautifully this year."

Jun Ying looked up at the pond and responded softly, "When the lotus seeds are ready, I'll have someone send them to you."

The two gazed at the river for a long time. Zi Jin turned her face away, thought for a moment, and then asked, "...Are there any secret rooms or dungeons in the palace where people are kept?"

Jun Ying was taken aback for a moment: "When this palace was built, several secret passages leading outside the palace were constructed. Important prisoners were naturally imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, so there was no need for secret rooms and secret prisons."

"Oh." Zi Jin responded with a hint of disappointment, then casually looked at the lotus pond again.

Jun Ying looked at Zi Jin's profile, thought for a while, and said in a low voice, "I should have thought of that earlier. If Lin'er hadn't used some underhanded methods, why would you have agreed to come back with him?"

Zi Jin lowered her eyes slightly, seemingly idly tugging at the grass on the ground, and stopped talking.

Jun Ying looked at Zi Jin, who had fallen silent instantly, paused for a moment, and then spoke with difficulty: "Actually... even if he used the most despicable methods, it's hard for me to really blame him. After all... after all, I also want you to come back here. Although it's selfish, if I could be like Zi Yingfeng... even if it's just... just dying by your side... I would... I would be willing... you..."

"What are you saying!" Zi Jin glared at Jun Ying fiercely, stood up and walked to the table set up by the palace servants, and said resentfully, "If I hear these discouraging words again, I will not cook anything for you."

Jun Ying also stood up, looking at the three seasoned chickens, several lotus leaves, and the kneaded mud on the table, and frowned, asking, "What are you doing?"

Zi Jin rolled up her sleeves and said as she worked, "I'll make you beggar's chicken. I guarantee you'll drool after you eat it."

Jun Ying smiled and stood aside, silently watching Zi Jin's busy figure. Occasionally, he would raise his hand to wipe the sweat from her face, and soon Zi Jin's brand-new robes were covered with mud. After she finished, Zi Jin placed the three large clods of mud into the pit that the palace servants had already dug, and kept urging them to add more firewood.

Jun Ying laughed and said, "Alright, let them watch the fire. Go and change your robes."

Zi Jin frowned: "I'm not changing it. This robe is too much trouble to wear. I'll be sweating from taking it on and off. Besides, the chicken should be ready soon."

Jun Ying took Zi Jin's hand and led her to the tree, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead with a silk handkerchief: "Why are you so intolerant of the heat?"

Zi Jin looked at her hand, which Jun Ying was holding, and stared at Jun Ying's gentle smiling face, standing there in a daze.

Jun Ying seemed to realize his mistake, quickly releasing Zi Jin's hand and withdrawing the hand that had been wiping his sweat. He hurriedly explained, "I saw you were hot, so... it wasn't intentional... don't be angry..."

Zi Jin looked at Jun Ying's uneasy face, took a deep breath, and after a while spoke: "Jun Ying, don't you blame... don't you blame... her? If it weren't for her, you wouldn't be like this. You shouldn't be trapped here. You don't actually like this palace at all... you should..."

“You are not me, so how would you know what I’m thinking?” Jun Ying paused, gazing into Zi Jin’s eyes, and said softly, “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be alive today. Not only have I never blamed her, but I’m also grateful to her, grateful that she gave me the chance to live and let me stay by her side… Do you know? My greatest pride in this life… is that I have never done anything to make her sad… But I… failed to protect her…”

Jun Ying stared intently into Zi Jin's eyes for a long, long time before asking softly, "Tell me, if there really is an afterlife, would she... would she still want me?"

Zi Jin felt her eyes were itchy and swollen. She quickly turned around and wiped away her tears discreetly. She looked up at the lotus flowers in the distance and took a deep breath.

Seeing Zi Jin turn away without speaking, Jun Ying gave a bitter smile: "I know, I know... I'm already lucky in this life... How could I possibly hope for the next... I was confused, please don't mind me..."

Zi Jin quickly turned around, walked to Jun Ying's side, patted his shoulder with a smile, and said with unusual ease, "What are you thinking? She's not stupid. You're so good, how could she not want you? I guess... if there really is an afterlife, if you really meet again, she will definitely be just as reluctant to let you go as before. So you have to be careful. If there really is an afterlife, pray to God that you won't meet her again, otherwise for you... sigh... it will be the beginning of another period of suffering."

Jun Ying lowered his eyes little by little and chuckled softly. After a long while, he looked up again at Zi Jin, who had run to the stove. Her dark eyes were sparkling with life, as if they were filled with the gentle spring water of March, so tender that it was heartbreaking.

Well then, let's leave it at that... I'll wait, wait for the next life you promised me...

The palace servants quickly knocked the mud clods back together, cut the chicken inside into several pieces, placed them on a plate, and carried it to the small table under the tree.

Zi Jin picked up a piece and brought it to Jun Ying's lips: "It's so hot! So hot!...Try it!"

Jun Ying paused for a moment, smiled faintly, then opened his mouth and ate the meat from Zi Jin's hand.

Zi Jin asked anxiously, "Is it delicious? Is it delicious?"

Jun Ying gently chewed the meat in his mouth, slowly lowering his eyes: "Mmm."

Zi Jin said with slight disappointment, "Hmm? Such a lukewarm reaction? When I made it for Jun Lin, he said it was incredibly delicious... I thought you would like it too. They said you don't eat much these days. So you don't like this either. How about I make you something else tomorrow? What do you like to eat? I'll make it for you again tomorrow."

Jun Ying didn't look up, picked up another large piece of chicken, and continued eating.

Zi Jin smiled slightly as she watched Jun Ying's actions: "Hehe, I knew it! How could I not like it? Eat up, eat up... Let's finish this chicken today."

Jun Ying ate the chicken piece by piece, neither speaking nor drinking water. After most of the chicken was eaten, Zi Jin finally noticed something was wrong and quickly snatched the remaining meat away: "If you don't like it, don't eat it. Why force yourself like this?"

Jun Ying looked up and smiled: "It's delicious, no one dislikes it."