“You speak,” Lu Jingxing stood up straight.
Looking around cautiously, Huaiyu whispered, “Qingsi has been captured by Jiang Xuanjin.”
Startled, Lu Jingxing frowned. “When did this happen?”
“It should be in the past couple of days.” Feeling anxious, Huaiyu ran her fingers through her hair. “That girl has a fiery temperament, and being in Jiang Xuanjin’s hands won’t end well. Right now, I can’t do anything in my current state, so I need to find out where she is, and then you can help me rescue her.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Jingxing understood. “So, the reason you’re being so nice to Jiang Xuanjin is to save Qingsi?”
“Otherwise, what?” She raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I genuinely care about him being sick?”
Chuckling softly, Lu Jingxing shook his head. “I thought you had changed after dying once, but it seems you’re still the same.”
Truly both wicked and endearing.
Narrowing her eyes, Li Huaiyu said, “He’s ungrateful, so I’ll repay his kindness with a tenfold vengeance. I’m not a magnanimous person. If I get the chance, I won’t hesitate to kill him.”
Without hesitation!
Lu Jingxing sighed in relief. “I understand. Take this. If you need me, just go to any shop and have them inform me.”
As he spoke, he took the insignia from his waist and handed it to her.
This insignia was something every one of status in the capital carried. The front was engraved with formal characters, while the back bore a personal seal or a favorite design, used to signify identity and as a token.
Lu Jingxing’s insignia had a carving of “Yushan Feixue” on the back, which Huaiyu was familiar with. She took it, rubbed it a couple of times, and smiled. “Good.”
Glancing at her, Lu Jingxing suddenly stroked his chin and said, “With your current identity, can I come to the Bai residence to propose marriage?”
Rolling her eyes at him, Li Huaiyu replied irritably, “You can forget about that! I have a mountain of things to deal with, and I still have the energy to get married. Besides, do you know how formidable my current situation is?”
“Hmm?” Lu Jingxing asked with interest, “What’s so formidable about it?”
“The future young mistress of the Jiang family—how formidable is that?”
The Jiang family… young mistress? Lu Jingxing’s expression darkened. “Then I need to find a day to propose.”
“Stop joking.” Huaiyu caressed the jade insignia, smiling ominously. “I plan to use this identity to duel with Jiang Xuanjin.”
“You want revenge; I can help you without you having to sacrifice so much.” Lu Jingxing frowned. “You’ve never lived a day for yourself. Now that you’ve finally been given a second chance, why do you want to entangle yourself again?”
When she was still Dan Yang, she devoted herself to plotting for her royal brother, enduring countless slanders and taking on many burdens. In the end, what good came of it? Did she have a good outcome?
Having died once, why was she still so passionately willing to dive into murky waters?
Li Huaiyu chuckled softly and looked up at him. “The country is still unstable, and the throne is not secure. Even if I’m alive, or even if I were truly dead and turned into a ghost, I wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.”
Her voice was light, lacking any force as if she were casually bantering with him while strolling in the streets.
However, meeting her stubborn gaze, Lu Jingxing felt a jolt in his heart, stirring a sense of indignation within him.
“Do you still remember who ordered your death?” he asked.
Huaiyu smiled and nodded. “The Emperor’s decree.”
“Then you still…”
“He is my younger brother, and I am his elder sister. I know exactly what he thinks.” Li Huaiyu said earnestly, “He wanted to protect me, but he couldn’t.”
Sima Xu, the Prime Minister of two dynasties, was renowned for his achievements and virtue. Dying at her hands, with evidence and witnesses present, even an emperor couldn’t protect her.
“If you want to blame someone, blame our Ziyang Jun,” she said. “This Jun has methods that are too clever.”
She had previously thought Jiang Xuanjin was different from others in the court. Although he had been at odds with her, he was genuinely serving the new emperor and consolidating the country—a rare good minister.
However, at the moment of her death, she realized that this so-called good minister had a heart more ruthless than those cunning old foxes in the court. Hiring imperial physicians, inviting Sima, hosting palace banquets—he had meticulously plotted until he finally put her to death.
How infuriating that she had remained oblivious all along!
Her fists clenched until they turned white, then slowly relaxed. Huaiyu put on a smile and said to Lu Jingxing, “It’s about time. You should leave now. If Bai Yushi sees you, it’ll surely cause trouble.”
Lu Jingxing raised an eyebrow, unfurling his jade fan with a flourish. “You want me to leave so soon after I’ve just arrived? I can’t bear to part with you.”
If it were another girl, she would surely be charmed by such affectionate words. However, Li Huaiyu was not swayed; she crossed her arms and looked at him. “Don’t want to leave? Fine, I’ll have someone inform Bai Yushi to bring you some fragrant tea and discuss merchant taxes…”
“Sorry for bothering you for so long,” Lu Jingxing said, folding his fan and immediately becoming serious. He cupped his hands and said, “I take my leave.”
“Ha ha ha!” Li Huaiyu laughed heartily.
Seeing her smile with such delight, Lu Jingxing couldn’t help but chuckle softly as well. Suddenly, he stepped forward and leaned down.
Her face was suddenly magnified before her, and Huaiyu was startled, her laughter caught in her throat as her eyes widened.
His slightly pale lips hovered just an inch from her cheek, and Lu Jingxing paused, glancing at her shocked expression, a glimmer of mischief flashing in his eyes.
“Why don’t you keep laughing?”
Her lips twitched, and Li Huaiyu replied, “I’m afraid I’ll spit saliva on your face.”
“Are you not afraid of me kissing you?” Lu Jingxing asked, surprised.
Rolling her eyes, Li Huaiyu said, “What’s the difference between you kissing me and kissing your hand?”
After so many years of friendship, if there were any feelings between them, Lu Jingxing would surely have made a good prince consort. But there were none; she regarded him as a brother, and he regarded her the same way. Three or four of the concubines in her residence were gifts from him.
Li Huaiyu had no inappropriate thoughts about Lu Jingxing, and he surely felt the same.
The man before her lowered his eyes, the jade fan swishing open to cover his brows and eyes.
“Boring,” he said. “I’m leaving.”
“I won’t see you off.”
Waving her hand, Lu Jingxing strode out of the eastern courtyard with a carefree demeanor.
Huaiyu stepped out from the corner, smiling as she watched his retreating figure.
When she was a princess, aside from Qingsi, no other girls dared to play with her, fearing they would be scolded for being “improper” or “not adhering to womanly virtue.” For a long time, Li Huaiyu felt quite lonely and even once drunkenly grabbed Lu Jingxing’s sleeve, acting foolishly.
“Isn’t it pitiful that no one wants to be my friend?”
“Friendship isn’t about quantity; it’s about quality,” Lu Jingxing said, walking back to Feiyun Palace with his back to her, smiling. “Having me is enough.”