Seeing that the other party remained silent, he glanced in the direction he could escape to, and was about to take a step—
"morning?"
The slightly raised tone of the voice made him realize something was wrong, and he automatically withdrew his thieving thoughts, cautiously glancing into the pavilion.
"I've been waiting for you for half an hour, and your lack of attentiveness is really making me feel bored."
A thought flashed through Xiao Kuang's mind.
The small building was unlocked, and there wasn't a single servant in the courtyard; even the loyal dog, Ah Cai, was dozing off. No wonder he escaped so easily today; it turned out his uncle was deliberately playing a trick on him.
He hates most about his youthful ignorance; the thought of mistaking the person in front of him for a gentle spring breeze and a warm moon makes him want to slash himself with a sword.
He misjudged people.
"How can your uncle be at ease with such a lack of progress?"
The worry in his voice seemed genuine, and Xiao Kuang instinctively tried to avoid the question, but he still heard the next sentence.
"Ji Jun has already arrived in Jiangdu."
"Don't disturb your uncle." As if his secret had been discovered, Xiao Kuang quickly interjected.
"Ah Kuang." A curt, unyielding voice.
Xiao Kuang turned his face away, making it difficult for anyone to look directly at his expression.
"Although we are uncle and nephew, we are close in age. Whether you've been deliberately charming or living a carefree life since childhood, I've never stopped you as long as you've chosen to do so. Do you know why?"
With his slightly curled sideburns damp on his cheeks, Xiao Kuang remained silent.
"Forget him."
His hands trembled slightly beneath his wide sleeves.
"You should have realized ten years ago that you two are not on the same path. Ji Junze's feelings for you were seven parts exploitation, two parts genuine affection, and one part pretense. Why didn't you understand that, A-Kuang?"
He understood, he actually understood, but...
"You've been clever since childhood, yet you're completely unguarded around those you're close to and fond of. Take today's trap, for example. If it were an outsider's scheme, you would have seen through it, and you wouldn't have fallen into it so easily. It was precisely because you saw this that Ji Junze used you as a hostage three years ago, forcing your uncle to provide financial support to his master." Shangguan Yi coldly snorted, "Holy virtue, holy virtue, if his master wants to be called holy and virtuous, he'll have to see if I allow it."
He knew the man's insincerity and ulterior motives. He also knew that his uncle knew he was willingly being used but kept quiet. He knew even more that, given his uncle's extremely protective and vengeful nature, the man's fate would be incredibly tragic.
He just couldn't bear to do it, even after being deceived time and time again. That's why he kept causing trouble, hoping that his uncle would focus all his energy on him and not make things difficult for that person.
Thinking of this, he felt a slight pang in his heart and said calmly, "I will not see him."
Seeing that the other party squinted as if disbelieving, he added, "The Qilin is about to leave port, and I want to go to Haizhou to make preparations in advance."
Feeling a scrutinizing gaze sweeping over him, Shangguan Yi finally snorted after a long while. "Don't worry, your uncle isn't stupid enough to do this here. Besides, a small punishment won't quell the anger in my heart."
Only after receiving this assurance did he feel relieved. "Thank you, Uncle."
"When you can truly forget him, then it won't be too late to thank me."
The plum rain seemed to have settled in Xiao Kuang's heart; he was somewhat absent-minded, so much so that he bumped into someone as he turned a corner of the corridor.
"I'm sorry, Miss Yu?"
"Good morning, Young Master Qiyang."
The pleasant greeting pierced through the misty morning, bringing him a moment of clarity.
Seeing that her beautiful face was slightly damp and there were water stains on her Taoist robe, he couldn't help but wonder what had made her come in the rain.
"Miss Yu, what brings you here?"
He had just asked the question when he heard a soft call from the pavilion behind him. "Zigui."
"Excuse me." Giving him a slight nod, Yu Zigui then brushed past him and left.
"I thought I was seeing things, but it really is you." A voice, both surprised and delighted, came from behind. "You came in such a hurry. Has it been three years since I last saw you?"
The other party didn't seem to mind and said frankly, "I did arrive a bit hastily, I hope you won't take offense."
Xiao Kuang was slightly surprised that her uncle had told her her courtesy name.
"Ziyu, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
A soft laugh escaped her lips. "Hmm, what got on it? Not over there, oh, let me do it."
"Haven't you gotten rid of it yet?"
"It's a bit difficult to clean."
"Ziyu, I have come here today to ask you for a favor."
"You always have to pay a price for asking for favors." The tone was light and seductive.
"A generous gift will be presented at that time."
"Gifts should be appropriate; don't send the wrong one from Zigui."
"I will definitely not let Ziyu down."
"Then I'll eagerly await it."
Three crisp claps.