Función clerical

Capítulo 47

As he walked down the street, he saw soldiers searching house to house. Shen Zhili immediately quickened his pace and ran back, but was stopped by someone just as he reached the door.

When she looked up, she felt as if her blood was about to freeze.

"Song, music and dance..."

Ge Chui turned his face, his expression still one of decline, his eyes indifferent, followed by several men in black robes.

Shen Zhili forced a dry laugh, her scalp tingling: "Um... what a coincidence..."

"I found you by following the Gu poison on your body." Gechui's expression was expressionless, her voice hoarse: "Where is Hua Jiuye?"

Shen Zhili: "...I don't know either."

The singer exclaimed, "Your heart is beating faster. You're lying!"

Shen Zhili chuckled foolishly: "Hehehehehehe."

The song repeats: "Where is Hanahiya?"

Shen Zhili cursed the deadly aphrodisiac in her heart many times before she said with an awkward smile, "Hua Jiuye... I'll take you to find him."

Gechui followed behind Shen Zhili, who counted her steps as they walked towards the moat.

Shen Zhili: "Right here?"

Utabuki: "Here?"

Shen Zhili braced herself against the railing with both hands and plunged into the water with lightning speed.

With a few splashes, Shen Zhili held his breath, gripped the newly bought silver needles, and forcefully inserted them into the water before letting go and swimming further away.

Kabuki's neck was still wrapped in gauze, and Hanako's serious injuries to him were obviously not yet healed. Bringing Kabuki to Hanako at this time would be tantamount to suicide.

She's not stupid.

After spending a long time in the hot spring, Shen Zhili's swimming skills improved. Although the icy river water made her teeth chatter and her whole body tremble, her determination to escape grew stronger.

After swimming for an unknown amount of time, Shen Zhili suddenly experienced a cramp in her right leg.

Shen Zhili ran and tumbled to the riverbank. In her haste, she gulped down several mouthfuls of river water. As soon as she got ashore, her eyes rolled back and she was about to faint.

If you faint at this moment, you could die!

She clung to the man's trouser leg with all her might, pleading, "Save me, and I'll repay you with my body!"

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Several hours later.

While drinking the ginger soup brought by the maid, Shen Zhili looked around warily, still shaken.

After finishing the ginger soup, Shen Zhili's hands and feet felt warm. She whispered, "Thank you. May I ask where this place is...?"

The maid smiled politely at her, took the empty bowl, and did not reply.

A gentle and pleasant voice suddenly rang out.

"Girl, you're awake?"

Shen Zhili thought to herself, "She's already drunk the soup, how could she possibly be asleep?"

Looking up, a long, flowing, moon-white robe came into view. The robe was extremely ornate and elaborate, reflecting a faint light, and was obviously very valuable. A brocade belt was tied around his waist, with several glass bells inlaid in it, which swayed in the wind and jingled.

Looking further up, there were slender eyes, thin lips, a pointed chin, and captivating features.

Shen Zhili was shocked: "...Senior Brother?"

The man seemed somewhat confused and said, "Miss... I don't have a junior sister. Are you mistaken?"

That tone, that manner...

Shen Zhili instantly came to her senses: "I'm sorry, I made a mistake."

Regardless of whether he had any scars on his face, Hua Jiuye would never speak to her in that tone!

However… looking at that face, which, although similar in features, was noticeably softer, Shen Zhili silently shed tears. Why did she feel so flattered…

The man smiled slightly, as gentle as a spring breeze.

He spoke, his eyes as gentle as spring water: "It's alright, young lady, you caught a cold after falling into the water, please rest more."

Do you really want to say such weird things using your senior brother's face?

Shen Zhili turned his head and said, "Thank you for saving me, young master. But I don't know where this is?"

The man said, “Miss, don’t worry. This is my residence. It’s quiet and suitable for recuperation. Once you’re feeling better, I’ll have someone take you home. But I don’t know where you live… so I can go and inform your parents.”

Having not faced such a normal person for so long, Shen Zhili was momentarily speechless.

So I've really encountered too many perverts... ==

After a long silence, Shen Zhili sighed and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your kindness, young master, but my parents have long since passed away, and I am all alone with no way to send a message."

She definitely wouldn't dare tell Hanahiya, but she couldn't help worrying... She didn't know if Kabuki ever found Hanahiya after all...

Just as she was figuring out how to get information out of him, she noticed the man gently stroking her hair with his hand, as if to comfort her.

Shen Zhili looked up in horror.

Man: "I'm sorry, young lady, I must have reminded you of something sad."

Shen Zhili: "No, no."

The man said with great pity, "Miss, there's no need to explain, I know everything." His eyes were clearly filled with sympathy as he looked at Shen Zhili, as if he were looking at a pitiful girl with a tragic past.

What do you know?!

The man's gaze softened as he continued, "If you don't mind, please stay here."

He then gave instructions on several other matters, and while speaking, he made a point of asking about Shen Zhili's family background, as if afraid that mentioning it would hurt Shen Zhili.

Since it was all well-intentioned, Shen Zhili silently endured the endless nagging.

Finally, when someone came to call him, the man reluctantly gave a few more instructions before leaving.

Shen Zhili breathed a sigh of relief and was about to stand up when she noticed that the maid who had brought her the soup earlier was still there.

She handed Shen Zhili a set of high-quality new clothes, seemingly casually saying, "Your appearance is not outstanding, but you have a pitiful background. His Highness Xiaoyun likes pitiful women with tragic backgrounds the most... However, that's all."

Your Highness?

Shen Zhili suddenly grabbed the maid's hand and asked, "Who exactly is he?"

The maid slipped from Shen Zhili's grasp, her tone becoming somewhat indifferent: "Miss, you've worked so hard to get to His Highness's side, why are you pretending to be ignorant? In the entire Southern Frontier, only His Highness deserves the title of His Highness."

Shen Zhili: "He is... the son of the King of Southern Xinjiang?"

The maid added, "The only one."

Shen Zhili thought to herself: Wasn't that guy just now the son of Hua Jiuye's biggest enemy?

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Although Shen Zhili had a heart that was not afraid of illness, her body was too weak. Before long, she began to have a fever, cough and sneeze constantly, and had to stay in bed for many days.

Every day, the gentle prince would come to see her as the sun set, bringing her something to amuse her or chatting with her. His eyes were filled with tenderness, as if he were treating a delicate flower that was fragile and vulnerable. If it weren't for the maids who took care of her splashing cold water on her every day, Shen Zhili would almost have thought that the prince had fallen in love with her.

Unlike Su Chenche, who remained ruthless to the core even with amnesia, this prince was clearly much more of an idiot.

During their conversation, Shen Zhili subtly extracted all of the prince's background, upbringing, and interests, concluding that he was a delicate flower grown in a greenhouse, completely untouched by hardship.

His noble status, excellent appearance, and the envy of many led Prince Hua Xiaoyun to develop a peculiar and perverse sense of humor.

...He has a particular fondness for taking care of women with pitiful backgrounds and tragic experiences; the more tragic and miserable their lives are, the more he likes them.

Shen Zhili concluded that it was because they were living too well and had nothing better to do than eat too much.

However, this appearance, this surname... made Shen Zhili unable to help but think of Hua Jiuye.

What about Hanako's long-lost brother...?

But if Hua Jiuye is truly a member of the Southern Border royal family, how could he have encountered such a thing? Could it be that he was a descendant of the previous king...?

Shen Zhili sighed. No matter which scenario she was facing, it was all incredibly tragic. She could only hope to recover from her illness soon and go back to Hua Jiuye so that they could return to the Central Plains together as quickly as possible.

Speaking of which, Shen Zhili looked up at the sky and wondered why there had been no news from Su Chenche for so long.

Did he finally realize that he still loved Ye Qianqian, and so... gave up on her? Otherwise, given Su Chenche's relentless pursuit of her, even if he was kidnapped by his subordinates, he would still have a way to catch up with her, right?

Even though I know this is normal...

However, Shen Zhili pressed her head, feeling really annoyed...

Several days later, Shen Zhili's symptoms finally subsided and she was able to move around freely.

The clothes given to her by the maid were different from those worn in the Central Plains. Shen Zhili studied them for a long time before finally putting them on. She originally thought that the colorful clothes with patches of fabric would not look very good, but when she looked in the mirror, she was surprised to find that they were not bad at all.

Shen Zhili stared at herself in the mirror for a long time, deciding that she could make a few outfits to wear for fun if she had the chance in the future...

The jewelry on the dressing table was all silver, so bright it was dazzling. Shen Zhili's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed. No matter how valuable it was, it wasn't hers.

A maid outside asked, "Is the young lady ready?"

Shen Zhili hurriedly took a carved silver hairpin, inserted it into her hair, and then went out.

The maid glanced at it and exclaimed, "Hair! Hair!"

Then Shen Zhili was forced down and had her hair braided, and was also given a strange silver headdress.

Upon entering the garden, clusters of flowers were in bloom in the serene bamboo grove, their elegance accentuated by the bamboo fence.

The climate in southern Xinjiang is mild, and the flowers there are much more vibrant than those in the Central Plains. Moreover, these flowers are relatively rare in the Central Plains. Before Shen Zhili's fingers even touched the flowers, someone said in a sarcastic and self-righteous voice, "Oh, she's touching the flowers."

Shen Zhili paused and withdrew her hand.

"She pulled her hand back!"

Shen Zhili turned her head and glanced sideways.

"She's looking this way!"

After holding back for a moment, Shen Zhili addressed the group of beautiful women behind him, "Do you have a problem with me?"

A young woman from southern Xinjiang, hands on her hips, said, "You're the newcomer? The one who, because her parents are dead, had His Highness take care of her for days, and who, before drowning, clung to His Highness's leg saying she wanted to repay him with her body?"

...Do we really have to say this so loudly?

Shen Zhili's silence was taken as acquiescence, and the other party became even more aggressive: "Try crying for us."