Укротитель зверей

Глава 7

"Are you called Xiao Er?"

He was visibly stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, yes, I am Xiao Er."

I was so glad; the book hadn't lied to me. There really was a waiter in the restaurant.

The waiter glanced at me as he went upstairs and said to Ji Feng.

"If this young lady has difficulty walking, there are also private seats downstairs in our shop."

"You scoundrel, how dare you insult me!" I immediately raised my eyebrows and glared at him, about to speak, but my fingers tightened as Ji Feng squeezed my hand and replied, "No need, she can do it."

The private room was indeed elegant, with a table and a few chairs by the window. I felt happy again, and after sitting down, I slapped the table and called out, "Waiter, bring three bowls of white wine and a pound of beef."

The waiter stood to the side with a strange expression, and after a long while said, "Miss, we don't have any beef. You can have three-delicacy beef, beef balls, or braised beef. But a pound of beef... is only sold at the butcher shop next door."

He spoke a long string of words at a very fast pace, but I only heard the words "not a single pound of beef." I was immediately furious and slammed my hand on the table. Before my hand could even touch the table, Ji Feng stopped me. He looked at me and spoke in a very low voice, almost as if he was exhaling.

"Ping An, stop hitting it, the table is hard." Then she stood up and led the waiter out, the waiter talking all the way.

"Sir, we really don't have a single pound of beef in our restaurant. Look at the menu on the wall..."

Disappointed, I watched Ji Feng's retreating figure, not wanting him to leave, and couldn't help but call out to him, "Ji Feng."

He turned back and glanced at me at the door, his eyebrows twitching slightly, and said only, "Wait a moment, I'll be right there."

As expected, Ji Feng returned shortly afterward, followed by another chubby man carrying a large plate. Before he even put the plate down, he looked at me and smiled.

"Miss, I'm so sorry, the waiter made a mistake. This is just one pound of beef. Please enjoy it."

He placed the plate in the center of the table. I glanced at it, then looked back at Ji Feng, who nodded.

That's it!

I was overjoyed and didn't rush to eat. I waved him over and asked, "Where's the waiter?"

He chuckled, "My brother did something wrong and is reflecting on his actions in the kitchen. I'll take care of him here. Is there anything else you need, young lady?"

I had already picked up my chopsticks, but upon hearing this, I stopped and looked at him carefully. I was puzzled. "Are you brothers? You don't look alike at all. What's your name? Xiao San?"

He was sweating, but Ji Feng spoke up and said to him, "You can go down now." He felt like he had been granted a pardon and turned to walk out as if a ghost was chasing him.

I didn't have time to pay attention to him. I picked up the beef from the plate, put it in my mouth, closed my eyes, and started chewing.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Ji Feng looking at me. He wasn't eating anything, and his gaze was calm, never leaving my brow. When he saw me open my eyes, he asked.

"Is it tasty?"

I put down my chopsticks, thought for a moment, and then spoke, my expression very serious.

"Ji Feng, the taste of this pound of beef is so simple and honest..."

~~ ...

Hai: Ping An, you've become quite skilled at speaking now. As your mother, I'm very comforted.

Ping An: I hate you... Give me back my dream of eating beef...

Chapter 21

Although the taste of a pound of beef was quite simple, I still tried my best to eat a lot of it.

People should cherish what is hard-won. My father's reign as emperor was not easy, so he cherishes the throne. My elder brother's offspring were not easy to come by, so he cherishes Tianheng. As for me, I have suffered a lot for this pound of beef, so of course I cherish it too.

Ji Feng ordered some more food, including congee. He told me to eat the congee, but I was trying to chew the beef and shook my head. He insisted and pushed the congee in front of me.

What to do? I'm so hungry I'm practically delirious, and I find his fingers more palatable...

Actually, the plain congee was delicious, smooth and refreshing, with a mysterious fragrance. I held the bowl and looked at him from the rim, and mumbled a compliment.

"It smells very good."

He was looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought. Hearing this, he turned to look at me and said, "This is porridge made with lotus leaves. Eat more."

I nodded, held the bowl, and took another sip.

Ji Feng is different now. He wouldn't speak to me like this in the palace, but I don't find it offensive. I'm willing to obey him. At this moment, he's being kind to me.

When you like someone, all your dignity can be swept away; I've known this for a long time.

I ate slowly, and Ji Feng didn't touch a single bite. I called him to eat with me many times, but he just said he wasn't hungry. Even so, the food on the table gradually dwindled, and finally—I couldn't eat anymore.

Seeing that I was moving my chopsticks slower and slower, he finally spoke.

"Are you full?"

I looked up at him, wanting to say that he wasn't full, and that if he wasn't full we could stay here a little longer, but the words didn't come out.

I didn't want to lie to him about something so small.

I didn't answer his question. Instead, I turned to look out the window and asked him, "Ji Feng, is this the capital city?"

Since birth, I have lived in the palace for a long time. The only time I left the palace was when I went to the imperial mausoleum with my father and elder brother to pay respects to our ancestors. At that time, I was still young. At first, I was curious and peeked out through the crack in the carriage window. However, all around me were fully armed imperial guards. Their swords, halberds, and spears were dazzling in the sunlight. The streets were dark and gloomy, and all the doors and windows were tightly closed.

The nanny said that the custom of the royal procession was that no civilians were allowed to appear within three miles. I found this very boring and spent the rest of the journey in the carriage dozing off, too lazy to even look outside.

But what appeared before me at this moment was an incredibly noisy world. It was noon, and all the shops lining both sides of the street had their doors wide open. Vendors carrying loads on their shoulders shouted their wares along the street, and laborers pushing carts rumbled past the windows. There were pedestrians everywhere, and the sounds of hawking, cartwheels, and conversations were endless. The crowds flowed past me, making it extremely lively.

I peered out the window, looking at everything with great interest. Ji Feng was very patient and didn't rush me. After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice.

"Yes, this is the capital city."

I held back for a long time, but finally couldn't resist and turned to look at him. He was still sitting at the table, staring at me with his eyes fixed on my brow.

He had never looked at me like that before. His gaze was deep, not cold, but slightly cool like water. There were many things in it that I couldn't understand, or perhaps I did understand, but I refused to think about them.

Suddenly, a commotion arose below the window. Some people on horseback sped past, ignoring the many pedestrians on the street. Merchants and passersby scattered in panic, and dust billowed up in the air. Many constables in black uniforms could be vaguely seen appearing in the crowd, shouting loudly for everyone to disperse.

The door to the private room rang; it was the waiter knocking. He came in and said something.

"Esteemed guests, the government has ordered the road closed because an imperial procession is passing through. Our shop cannot operate today. Would you please settle your bill first?"

I didn't say anything, and neither did Ji Feng. He simply handed over the silver in silence. The waiter was a chatterbox, and he kept talking as he took the money.

"I'm so sorry, you two. I heard that some princess is going back to the capital. What is this princess thinking? If she's a princess, she should just stay in the palace and enjoy herself. Why does she have to come out for a stroll and cause such a commotion..."

He muttered to himself as he walked away, and the private room fell silent, leaving only the two of us. Ji Feng turned around and extended his hand.

That's good, he hasn't forgotten me.

But this time, I didn't put my hand on him or move; I just looked at him with a sorrowful expression.

I said, "Monsoon, you're not taking me back, are you?"

~~ ...

Hai: Peace, pat on the head. Actually, I've always wanted to put my "torture is healthier" ambition into practice on someone, but I haven't found anyone yet...

Narrator: ...Stop bullying her...

Chapter 22

After I said that, there was no sound in the private room for a long time.

Ji Feng stood upright, and there was only a table between us. He was tall, so I could only look up at him. When the waiter left, he closed the window, and the private room became somewhat dark. His face was indistinct in the shadows, and I suddenly felt afraid. In my haste, I closed my eyes and dared not look anymore.

I am the Emperor's daughter, so it's understandable that I'm not well-liked. But Ji Feng, I thought he would be different.

Or am I being silly? Who's any different?

A breath brushed against my face, and I was startled. I opened my eyes and saw that Ji Feng was already behind me, looking down at me, holding my hair in his hand.

In that instant, many thoughts flashed through my mind, wondering what he was going to do. But then I suddenly felt a chill on the back of my neck as all my hair was swept up, which really surprised me.

The monsoon was actually tying my hair up.

Before I was abducted, I was wearing a jeweled crown. After all the wandering and hardship, I don't know where it went. It was probably taken away by someone. After that, my hair has been loose ever since. I don't know how to tie my hair up myself. Anyway, I don't feel uncomfortable with it loose, so I just let it be.

His voice rang out above my head, still very low, with little variation, as if he were talking about something unrelated.

He said, "Ping An, you're a bit like my little sister, you know?"

I don't know, but I don't want to talk, I just want to cry.

Ji Feng's fingers moved through my hair as he continued, "I have ten brothers. Three of them died on the battlefield long ago, and the rest are constantly fighting. My youngest sister was born late and is named Chengyu. She is the only child my mother could keep by her side, and she doted on her very much, as did we. My father was stationed on the border and rarely returned to the capital. When he did come back, he always held Chengyu in his arms."

He gathered my hair together with his fingers, then untied the ribbon from his forehead and tied it up. His movements were light. After tying it up, he walked back to me and brushed my bangs aside.

“Chengyu is still young and always likes to run around with her hair down. I’ve always felt that you are somewhat similar to her, but in that stone chamber, I saw that your hair was disheveled. Ping’an, you and she are still different.”

I listened quietly, and finally burst into tears. The tears fell straight down, splashing onto the back of my hand, which I had been holding in a clenched fist on my knee.

I regret it. I regret showing my panicked and scared expression just now, and I regret closing my eyes in front of him. I know I will regret this for the rest of my life, but it's too late now.

He reached out and wiped away my tears, still looking at me, just looking at me. "Ping An, the palace is about to fall into chaos. I don't want you to stay there any longer. Someone will take you away and try to cure your illness. The best doctors in the world aren't in the palace. You'll understand when you get there."

I finally opened my mouth, but it felt as if countless sharp blades had been shoved into my throat. It was excruciatingly painful to speak, and it took me a long time to utter just three words.

"I don't want to."

I don't want to. I understand what he means, I understand everything now, but what can I do? All I know is that he's leaving me, and I don't want him to leave me. Sometimes, even knowing that the ending will inevitably be loss, isn't it better to close your eyes, cover your ears, and spend a little more time together?

He turned around and said his last words.

"Ping An, there are always some things in this world that we cannot choose to have or not have, do you understand?"

There was a soft sound outside the door, and someone pushed the door open and came in. The entire restaurant was silent. No one knew where they had gone. The person moved lightly and quietly, like a ghost, and was in front of us in the blink of an eye.

The face, as beautiful as stone, belonged to Cheng Ping. No, it wasn't him. This person was smiling. That monster Cheng Ping never smiled; he would only freeze you to death with his entire face. He smiled as he looked at Ji Feng, smiled as he looked at me, and smiled as he spoke.

"Is it her? There's a dark aura between her brows. Chengping was right; she won't live past sixteen."

Ji Feng stopped looking at me and answered him, his face slightly weary, "Isn't this the challenge you all love most when you get married? Take her with you, it's a long way, don't delay your journey."

The hustle and bustle outside the window had long since ceased, and in the silence came the distant sounds of carriages and horses, accompanied by orderly footsteps, faintly like thunder covering the ground.

My tears kept falling uncontrollably, like a floodgate bursting open, splashing and pattering, obscuring Ji Feng's face. I really wanted to see him one more time, but it was too late.

Jifeng has his family, and I have mine. Perhaps they are not good to the rest of the world, but they are always good to me.

Ji Feng was right; there are always some things in this world that we cannot choose whether to have or not. The sound of carriages and horses had already reached downstairs. Before the two of them had finished speaking, I opened the window and jumped out.