Heaven is the shore of mortal dust

Chapter 32

"That's like Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai, one is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit. Besides, it's too late to regret it now, the money is all gone." He said, spreading out his two slender hands, with a "what can you do about it" look on his face.

"Hahaha, you brat! You think I'll take your money? You got this restaurant for free, how much money could you possibly spend on just buying some supplies?"

Li Tianqi smiled.

"That's all gone." He still had that roguish look on his face.

Seeing her infuriating expression, Li Tianqi stepped forward and gave her another sharp rap on the head.

"Ouch—" Wei Zijun rubbed her forehead, glaring angrily, "I'm going to flick it back!" As she spoke, she reached out to flick the forehead of the assailant.

Li Tianqi wasn't about to wait there obediently. With a slight movement, he took two steps back. Wei Zijun followed, but before she knew it, he was already standing behind her, even giving her a light tap on the head. When she suddenly turned around, he had vanished again.

His movements are unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, sometimes safe; his advance and retreat are uncertain, sometimes he goes, sometimes he returns. This must be the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique). I never imagined he possessed such skill!

After several rounds of chasing, Wei Zijun realized she was no match for him, so she stopped.

"Second Brother, in two more years, I will definitely catch up with you." After calming her rapid breathing, she ignored Li Tianqi and turned to walk upstairs to see how her room was being built.

[Volume 1, Deer City Chapter: Chapter 28 Conversation (Part 2)]

Wei Zijun placed her room on the southwest corner of the third floor. As soon as she stepped into the room, she was taken aback.

The room was surprisingly fully furnished, with a bed, chairs, tables, curtains, and even bedding and writing implements all provided. It seemed that Liu Lang had taken care of her travel arrangements and had prepared a place for her to stay in advance. Wei Zijun couldn't help but praise Liu Lang in her heart once again.

Upon arriving, Li Tianqi couldn't help but admire the room's elegant layout and decor, as well as its warm atmosphere. He looked around and was drawn to a stack of drawing papers on the table.

I picked up those sheets of paper and examined them carefully, one by one, becoming more and more astonished.

On the drawing paper, the structure of several rooms was sketched in ink, the brushstrokes smooth and powerful, the lines light and straight. The style and structure of the tables and chairs, the decorations on the walls, and the folds of the curtains were all drawn with extraordinary realism and artistry. What surprised him most was the perspective; objects in the foreground were the largest, gradually decreasing in size as they receded into the distance, and the ordinary lines gave the viewer a sense of a three-dimensional space. One of the drawings depicted the room he was currently in.

"Who drew this?" Li Tianqi asked, turning around.

Wei Zijun glanced at it and said casually, "Oh, those are the drawings I made for Liu Lang."

"Did you draw this?" Li Tianqi stared intently into her eyes.

"Yes," Wei Zijun replied simply, not noticing Li Tianqi's surprised expression.

He was so astonished by just a few simple strokes; he'd be utterly amazed if he ever saw her paint. Keep in mind, she was a top student at the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, a member of the National Painting Association, and a multiple winner of oil painting awards. However, she abandoned art for business due to a certain event. After going into business, her fellow students would always include her paintings in their exhibitions to bolster their reputations. She had also once been fascinated by architectural drawing, finding an indescribable sense of satisfaction in watching landscapes and buildings radiate artistic brilliance under either mottled watercolors or rich oil paints. Therefore, this kind of architectural sketching was simply a piece of cake for her.

But she also knew another reason for his astonishment: the artists of this era had not yet mastered the techniques of three-dimensional perspective, so he had never seen such a three-dimensional drawing before.

"Who exactly are you?" Li Tianqi suddenly grabbed Wei Zijun's arm and asked.

Wei Zijun was startled by his sudden reaction: "Second Brother, are you drunk too? Of course I am me."

"Do you take me for a child? Who could be so skilled in both literature and martial arts? You must be of noble birth and well-versed in military strategy. Don't you know how conspicuous you are? How could an ordinary person possess such nobility, such literary talent, such wit, such elegance, and such soft, untouched hands?" He gripped Wei Zijun's hand tightly, his eyes flashing with danger. "Could you really be a spy? What are your motives? You deliberately concealed your identity, deliberately approached Chen Chang, and pretended to be innocent. Are you trying to spy on military intelligence? Hmm?" He tightened his grip on her hand.

"Second Brother, let go! It hurts!" Wei Zijun frowned in pain and tried to free her trapped hand with her other hand.

Not wanting his other hand to be grabbed as well, Li Tianqi dangerously pressed his face close to Wei Zijun's, "Speak!"

"What's wrong with Second Brother? I have read military books, but many people have read them too."

"What's so special about this little bit of literary talent? I'm skilled in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, but even courtesans in brothels can do that!"

"What's with all this talk of 'elegant and charismatic'? Isn't Second Brother just as handsome?"

"I may be a little quick-witted, but that's just how smart I am, there's nothing I can do about it!"

"My hands were born this way, I can't just chop them off!"

"I didn't deliberately approach Chen Chang; it was just a coincidence!"

"I'm not naive, and I certainly don't pretend to be naive, so what makes you say I'm naive?"

"If I really wanted to spy on military intelligence, wouldn't it be better if you just didn't tell me?"

Li Tianqi stared blankly at Wei Zijun, who had rattled off so much in one breath, utterly speechless. What was her brain made of? He really wanted to pry it open and take a look.

He let go of his hands in utter frustration.

Wei Zijun shook her hands, which were red from being squeezed, and glared at him with resentment.

Li Tianqi took a deep breath and grabbed Wei Zijun's shoulders. "No matter who you are, I hope you won't be my enemy, otherwise I'll be heartbroken."

Wei Zijun stopped what she was doing and stared into Li Tianqi's eyes. Those eyes held sincerity, helplessness, and even a hint of pain and reluctance. Such eyes made it impossible to deceive them, much less to hurt them.

"Second Brother, even if I am your enemy, I will not harm you," Wei Zijun said softly, gazing into his eyes.

Li Tianqi grabbed Wei Zijun and held her tightly in his arms like an iron hoop.

He believed in him, no matter who he was. Despite so many doubts, his chivalrous act of saving lives and his compassionate heart were genuine; his uninhibited and frank words in front of them were genuine; and the sense of security and warmth he felt when holding him was genuine.

Wei Zijun sighed softly and rested her head on his shoulder, letting him hold her.

After a long while, she raised her head.

"Second Brother!" Wei Zijun gently pushed Li Tianqi away. "If Second Brother wants to know, I will tell you, but I'm afraid you won't believe me."

"Of course I want to know, sit down and tell me slowly." Li Tianqi pulled Wei Zijun to sit on the bed.

"I said that my master saved my life, but actually it was my master's apprentice who saved me. Anyway, it's all the same. I was too lazy to say it that day."

Li Tianqi laughed; he was trying to save money wherever possible.