Cen Ji stared at her intently. "Don't you like me?"
Ban Lan stammered, "Yes, yes."
Cen Ji said, "Then why are you speaking up for Mo Yin like this?"
Ban Lan said, "If you don't speak up for her, should you speak up for me?"
Cen Ji countered, "Shouldn't it be like this?"
Ban Lan retorted, "But what's the use of me speaking up for myself?"
Cen Ji said, "It's no use."
Ban Lan said weakly, "That's right."
So Cen Ji turned around and continued on his own path.
Ban Lan was stunned for a moment, then quickly followed.
Cen Ji said in a muffled voice, "You're strange."
Ban Lan said, "There are countless forms of life. You've just encountered someone who doesn't get along with you. That's not strange."
Cen Ji said, "Strange people certainly don't think they are strange."
Ban Lan decided to ignore his pointless ramblings, hummed twice, and then fell silent.
She lowered her head, and suddenly caught sight of the protruding dagger at Cen Ji's waist, and remembered He Bi's words again.
"You must be a secret guard from Kongshan Ridge."
After a long while, Cen Ji's voice finally drifted from the front: "How did you know?"
"Why bother saying your martial arts are assassination-based?"
Cen Ji sighed helplessly, "Does being an assassination specialist necessarily mean you're a bodyguard?"
Ban Lan nodded. She had forgotten that Cen Ji was blind.
"So, what's your rank?"
"Seventh Brother".
Ban Lan suddenly stopped.
Sensing that the person behind him had stopped, Cen Ji turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ban Lan moved her lips and said, "It's nothing."
Cen Ji looked at her, puzzled, and continued walking forward.
The two walked in silence for a long time before Ban Lan suddenly spoke up: "Senior Sister likes anything related to the number seven. I once asked her why, and she said she just likes it."
Cen Ji stopped again without warning and turned around.
This time, however, Ban Lan seemed to have foresight; she and Cen Ji stopped together.
Ban Lan looked at Cen Ji's eyes, which had suddenly become bright, and forced a dim, lifeless smile. This smile was so small that it immediately vanished upon meeting Cen Ji's gaze.
Ban Lan wanted to look at the sky, but when she looked up, all she saw were towering trees.
She was an outsider from beginning to end, watching them fall in love.
Cen Ji was never truly hers, so why should she be sad for someone who never belonged to her?
Seeing Cen Ji's joyful face, a smile returned to Ban Lan's face, like sunshine after rain.
"Your senior sister likes you, Cen Qi."
Lin Gui (minor revision)
Ban Lan said that Wen Moyin liked solitude because Wen Moyin liked the number seven.
Cen Ji was secretly delighted for a while, but then he suddenly realized that there was still a gap between liking "Seven" and liking "Cen Qi". So the smile lines at the corners of his eyes gradually faded away.
A small river in the forest blocked their way; the river was not wide, but the current was quite rapid.
Without a second thought, Cen Ji jumped in and slowly walked toward the other side.
The river water was just above his waist; though the current was swift, Cen Ji remained steady.
Ban Lan hesitated for a moment, watching Cen Ji's back recede further and further away. She gritted her teeth and jumped down, but stepped on a slippery rock and fell into the water with a splash.
Upon hearing the noise, Cen Ji quickly turned around and walked towards Ban Lan, pulling her out of the water.
Ban Lan coughed incessantly, her long, flowing hair sticking wetly to her face and body, her crimson dress clinging tightly to her body, outlining a few graceful curves, but her expression was like that of a chick that had fallen into soup.
Cen Ji chuckled, "It seems that giving that bag of clothes to Zhai Huan was a bad idea, otherwise you might still have a use for it now."
Ban Lan was busy spitting out the river water that had been forced into her mouth and didn't have time to pay attention to him.
Cen Ji looked down at his outer garment. Although the hem was completely soaked, the upper body was still relatively dry, so he took it off and draped it over Ban Lan.