NOVPUB"Take your time searching for your future spouse, look around when you have the chance, maybe you’ll find someone you like." Chen Xi glanced at Mi Zhen, thinking of the current situation of Cai Yan, feeling it was right for Mi Zhen to be cautious now.
"Actually, I find you quite pleasant to look at," said Mi Zhen with a smile.
"Stop teasing me," Chen Xi said, looking into Mi Zhen’s clear eyes, knowing that she was playing with him again. He was initially excited, although he would not go to marry Mi Zhen, the feeling of being liked by a beauty was still an inherent weakness of every man.
"No effect, huh?" Mi Zhen said, surprised.
"What else do you want?" Chen Xi said speechlessly, "Learn from Zhen Mi, see how well-behaved she is."
"He says you’re well-behaved," Mi Zhen turned her head and said, and Zhen Mi’s face turned red in an instant.
"Alright, stop playing around. You’re the only one in this group who can choose your future husband; the others aren’t as lucky as you, so don’t make your friends feel bad," Chen Xi said after glancing at Zhen Mi, speaking slowly.
The girls beside Mi Zhen, some were already married, some engaged, and there were precious jewels like Zhen Mi, but their marriages were no longer matters of their own choosing. Whether it was for an alliance or due to the considerations of family doors, none of them had the autonomy to choose their husbands like Mi Zhen did. The method of Second Miss Cai was too remote for these young ladies.
What Liu Liang said at the beginning was seen by most as praise, but now Zhen Mi knew that because of that one statement, she could only marry an emperor or a Feudal Lord King, for only a princess and above could be described as "so noble as to be ineffable." Only those not of the Liu Surname could proclaim themselves kings, and with that alone, she knew that Chen Xi and she were unlikely to have any further involvement.
When Zhen Mi looked at herself in the mirror at that time, she thought her fate had changed, but after the ambiguity of the first stage, upon reflection, she understood that her identity had not changed; she remained the noble Zhen Mi beyond words.
That’s also why Zhen Mi gradually suppressed her own temperament in the face of Chen Xi, because since their fates were already sealed, she did not want to make things awkward between herself and Chen Xi.
Even without making a special effort to learn more, Zhen Mi, dwelling on Mount Tai, could ascertain what Chen Xi had done and realized his extraordinary brilliance; but the more she knew this, the more helpless she felt—Chen Xi was destined not to be a prince, and she was destined not to marry him.
While Mi Zhen might be a bit unrestrained, deep down she was kind-hearted. Realizing her mistake prompted by Chen Xi, she felt somewhat guilty when she turned back to look at Zhen Mi and the others. Fortunately, Zhen Mi nodded at her calmly, alleviating Mi Zhen’s embarrassment.
"Marquis Chen, we will not bother you any longer, may we borrow your study?" Zhen Mi approached, speaking in a calm tone, and bowed to Chen Xi.
"Hmm, feel free to use it, just don’t burn down my study," Chen Xi nodded and replied, noticing that the group seemed to be searching for something in his study.
After Zhen Mi led the group away, only Chen Xi, Fan Jian, and Chen Lan were left in the courtyard.
"Husband, are you still unable to let go?" Fan Jian looked back in the direction of Zhen Mi, then turned to meet Chen Xi’s gaze and spoke.
"There’s not much left, just a thought, without that touch of charm, it’s beautiful indeed, but that’s all there is to it," Chen Xi said calmly, "Let’s go, we should head back to the room. The wind is strong outside, and another year has gone by."
[Is nobility unspeakable?] Chen Xi couldn’t help but think of Liu Liang’s comment about Zhen Mi, and then he remembered the first time he saw Zhen Mi in Jizhou, that touch of charm which is still unforgettable to this day. Sadly, just as he said, it is merely a thought, for one cannot always live in the past.
When Chen Xi went out in the evening, Zhen Mi and a group of people were still rummaging through his study. However, it was clear they hadn’t found anything significant. At least, Chen Xi didn’t recall having anything magical in his study—if there was anything, it was probably just the notebook that recorded every event he could remember happening each year.
But even if Zhen Mi and the others got their hands on that notebook, they probably wouldn’t be able to decipher it. It was no longer a matter of simple codes; it was something else entirely.
"Young Sister Zhen, what are you looking at?" Mi Zhen asked curiously, watching Zhen Mi stop searching and start reading a book.
"Smack!" Zhen Mi quickly closed the book and said in a flustered manner, "Nothing, nothing at all, I wasn’t looking at anything." Her demeanor very much resembled that of someone insisting there was no silver buried here.
Mi Zhen looked at Zhen Mi skeptically, then at the blank-covered book, and after hesitating for a moment, decided it was best not to provoke Zhen Mi, who was now acting like a hen protecting her chick over that book.
"Huff…" After Mi Zhen left, Zhen Mi couldn’t help but place her hand on the cover and sighed in relief, her face slightly flushed, [Should I take this book home with me? Wuu wuu wuu, from any perspective, this is not a good book, right? He hid it so mysteriously; he definitely wants to sneak a peek. I can’t let him see it. I should take it and… burn it… burn it...] 𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖕𝔲𝖇.𝖈𝖔𝖒
Zhen Mi silently tucked the book into her sleeve and then pretended as if nothing had happened to continue searching. Soon after, in roughly the same place, she found another book whose cover had nothing to do with its contents. Flipping through a couple of pages, Zhen Mi felt a touch of annoyance and slipped the book into her sleeve as well.
"What are you doing?" Second Miss Cai startled Zhen Mi, causing her to nearly drop the book she was holding.
"Reading," Zhen Mi replied, her complexion still a bit flushed, but her expression showed no sign of panic, nor a trace of guilt from lying.
"Oh…" Second Miss Cai glanced at the book in Zhen Mi’s hands titled "Strategies of Commerce" and immediately knew what it was, especially since the cover wrapped around it was partly open. As someone who had been married for several years, Second Miss Cai recognized the nature of the book instantly. Although it wasn’t rolled into a scroll and wasn’t made from silk, the essence was the same.
"Take a bath and cool off after you finish reading," Second Miss Cai said with a mysterious smile, leaving Zhen Mi feeling a bit embarrassed.
Chen Xi, of course, had no idea that the indecent materials Liu Bei prepared for his marriage had already been taken by Zhen Mi. Truth be told, Chen Xi had never bothered to look at those things; he already knew what he needed to know.
Compared to Zhen Mi’s current embarrassment, Chen Xi was now facing a bit of a predicament; someone had blocked his path. Only someone who either wasn’t right in the head or was incredibly influential would dare to stop someone at Mount Tai, and certainly, anyone who dared to block Chen Xi in front of Liu Bei’s Residence wasn’t lacking in brains.
"Let’s talk about it, Zichuan. Can this work be finished by tomorrow?" Lub Su asked with a smile, pointing at the foot-thick book of plans that Wang Xiu was holding.
"Yes, yes, yes, don’t worry," Chen Xi quickly took on the task, wiping away sweat. It was clear that Lub Su was already upset; no one wanted to deal with an honest man’s anger.
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
