Chapter 108: Grand Finale (Middle)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Some sensation returned to his body, and his fingers moved slightly.
Clearly, he had just struggled for breath, but now it felt like someone who had been holding their breath underwater suddenly surfaced, breathing rapidly for a moment. After this, Jiang Yanchi could finally see everything around him clearly.
What’s going on? Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?
He opened his hand and unexpectedly found it was quite small, lying on the green grass by the lakeside.
The sun was setting, and the shimmering water pierced into his eyes, instantly invigorating him.
Warm sunlight fell on him, but the lakeside breeze brought moisture, making it feel chilly.
This was the palace.
What’s happening?
Lowering his head again to look at his worn-out plain clothes and ignoring the eunuchs and palace maids passing by the grass, he climbed up from the bushes. As he walked towards the lake, he noticed his reflection on the water’s surface, revealing the face of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy.
For a long time, he sat by the lake in a daze, pinching his palm hard. It hurt a lot, not a dream.
At this moment, a palace person behind him finally spoke, “Your Highness, what are you doing here?”
Your Highness? Not Your Majesty.
Could it be…
Jiang Yanchi immediately grabbed the person and asked, “What year is it now?”
The palace person looked puzzled and said hesitantly, “It’s the fifteenth year… of Changping.”
Changping fifteenth year. That was—
The year when the Crown Prince faction was completely eradicated, the year when Chu Xie took him out of the Cold Palace.
He had been reborn!
He had actually returned to the year when he was thirteen!
At this time, Chu Xie was still alive. He would die five years later.
Looking at himself, who had just come out of the Cold Palace but was dressed in tatters, it must be the day he first met Chu Xie!
Jiang Yanchi started to tremble and immediately rushed towards the Cold Palace. He remembered that in his previous life, the first time they met was outside Chu Xie’s mansion. But between that time and now, Chu Xie had met Duan Se. He had been to the Cold Palace.
Jiang Yanchi couldn’t wait for a moment longer, rushing past two palace gates, finally reaching the entrance of the Cold Palace.
Outside, a little eunuch stopped a palace person, “Don’t go in; the Zhangyin is inside.”
Jiang Yanchi’s heart seemed to stop beating, and his steps slowed down.
He stood quietly in front of this vermilion gate.
The warm sunset shone on his back, and the little eunuch, who hadn’t recognized him at first and wanted to stop him, took a closer look and realized he was the Second Prince.
So, he silently stepped aside.
Jiang Yanchi reached out, and with a creak, he pushed open the vermilion door.
Through the familiar crack in the door, the Raven Blue cloak came into view. As the door was fully pushed open, golden sunlight illuminated the face of the person, making that clear and beautiful visage exceptionally radiant.
It was like a budding lotus, pure and unassuming.
The person seemed a bit startled, took a moment to adapt to the sunlight, and then furrowed his eyebrows, asking tentatively, “Jiang, are you Jiang Yanchi?”
Yes.
At this moment, Chu Xie didn’t recognize him at all.
He quickly adjusted his expression, raised both hands above his eyebrows, and performed a very formal salute. “Chu Zhangyin.”
The person asked again, “Do you recognize me?”
“The Zhangyin holds a high position, who in the palace doesn’t know Chu Zhangyin.”
Jiang Yanchi lowered his head, trying hard to steady his voice, but it still carried a barely perceptible tremor.
It was Chu Xie.
It really was Chu Xie!
Glancing at him secretly, Jiang Yanchi saw his beautiful peach blossom eyes also staring at him, a somewhat complicated expression on his face. Soon, that look was suppressed, and he coughed lightly, “Well, if you recognize me, that’s good. Pack up and come back to my mansion.”
Seeing him turn to leave, Jiang Yanchi instinctively reached out and grabbed his wrist, a slender and delicate hand, as frail as ever, feeling cool to the touch.
A gentle tug made him stagger.
The familiar touch made Jiang Yanchi’s heart skip a beat.
“What are you doing?” The person seemed a little surprised, taking a cautious step back.
Jiang Yanchi immediately let go but tugged at the hem of his sleeve, asking, “Can I go back with you? Ride in a sedan.”
Chu Xie’s delicate eyebrows furrowed, showing a hint of confusion.
“Ah Yu!” Duan Se walked out of the house, regretfully pulling her child behind her. She apologized to Chu Xie, “Lord Chu, I’m really sorry. My child has never been out of the Cold Palace and is a bit naive. You go back first. We’ll clean up and join you later.”
“Okay.” Chu Xie nodded, turned, and left.
The wind lifted the dark hair, slightly disheveled, contrasting with the white crane-like slender neck. Every move and gesture exuded an extraordinary charm.
“So handsome.”
Duan Se was still lecturing Jiang Yanchi on the side, “Ah Yu, what’s going on? Didn’t your mother teach you not to covet things from others, no matter how good they look.”
Chu Xie had already walked away, but Jiang Yanchi couldn’t bear to look away from his figure. He blurted out, “It’s not something from someone else’s house.”
“It’s mine.”
“What?” Duan Se immediately slapped his head with a loud and crisp sound.
Jiang Yanchi winced in pain, muttering,
“That’s not someone else’s sedan; it’s Chu Zhangyin’s sedan!”
“…”
***
Jiang Yanchi went to Chu’s mansion in the evening. He saw that Chu Xie had prepared a table of delicious food, and Duan Se, are while crying with emotion.
Everything was so familiar.
However, Jiang Yanchi didn’t touch any of the food, just kept his eyes on Chu Xie.
Chu Xie had a good appetite and ate a lot. Jiang Yanchi silently noted down the dishes he moved his chopsticks more on, realizing that he had put all the dishes he liked in front of himself.
Soon, after eating his fill, Chu Xie wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. Jiang Yanchi, who was openly admiring the beauty, saw another eleven or twelve-year-old girl coming to the table and handed a golden warming stove to Chu Xie.
At the same time, she furrowed her brows and glared at him, saying, “What are you doing, staring at my Lord all the time!”
Jiang Yanchi felt that the little girl looked somewhat familiar. Upon closer inspection, he recognized her as the little Tao Li he knew when he was thirteen. Back then, Tao Li was only eleven years old, still a child.
In his previous life, he didn’t pay much attention to the people around Chu Xie at this time, so he hadn’t noticed her.
It turned out she had been with him since childhood, which explained their close relationship in the future.
Jiang Yanchi, however, just lowered his eyes obediently. “Feng Yu has offended my Lord.”
As his eyes swept over the golden warming stove in Chu Xie’s hands, his nose couldn’t help but tingle.
His eyes turned red, and his eye sockets were tinged with a hint of tears, but he kept his head down, not letting Chu Xie see anything unusual.
“No harm done.”
Chu Xie smiled faintly, just as news arrived from the prison. A paper soaked in blood was handed over, and Jiang Yanchi, who keenly spotted the blood, saw Chu Xie pick it up, took a quick look, and wiped his fingertips with a handkerchief. “What happened to the person?”
The person lowered his voice, “Broke a leg. Whether he can survive or not depends on fate.”
Chu Xie exhaled fragrantly, his eyebrows carrying a trace of indifference. “Since he confessed, like the Prime Minister, let him be exiled.”
Jiang Yanchi raised an eyebrow.
Hmm, how is it different?
How could they spare the life of the former Crown Prince?
Is it possible they plan to end the former Crown Prince on the way?
Or is it because the world is different, and the current Chu Xie is different too? Is this his nighttime personality, or…
Jiang Yanchi, with a furrowed brow, glanced at the person again, but unexpectedly met his gaze unexpectedly.
As their eyes collided, both naturally averted their gazes at the same time.
Jiang Yanchi tried hard to pretend nothing had happened.
Chu Xie was a clever fox; he should show fewer flaws. If he aroused his suspicion, things might really turn bad.
The person picked up the teacup and sipped tea, his indifferent eyes, so familiar. This made him unable to help but continue to cast his gaze, as if he couldn’t get enough of it.
If he wanted to look at him openly, it wouldn’t be difficult.
Let’s be bolder.
“Lord Chu.” Jiang Yanchi observed his expression, tentatively asking, “I heard that in a few days, it will be the Winter Solstice, and there will be a lively night market outside. How about Lord Chu taking me out to see?”
“Ah Yu!” Duan Se felt that the child was acting a bit strangely today. In the past, he was not so familiar with others. Why was he so impolite now?
“Mother, I have been in the Cold Palace since birth and have never seen the night view of the capital. Let Ah Yu go out and take a look, okay?” Jiang Yanchi’s eyes were sparkling, and he spoke with a bit of nasal tone.
Seeing Chu Xie’s brow furrow slightly, he seemed to be pondering for a moment, then he sighed, “Okay, I’ll accompany you.”
Duan Se couldn’t hold back her son and could only help him fasten the buttons on his collar, instructing, “Come back early, don’t cause trouble for the Lord.”
Jiang Yanchi grabbed a cloak and was ready to go out.
But when Chu Xie was about to go out, he made quite a show of it. The little maid Tao Li seemed very dissatisfied. Leading Chu Xie into the bedroom, Jiang Yanchi tried to follow, but Tao Li slammed the door shut, almost hitting his nose.
“Why indulge him so much, my Lord? I have never asked my Lord to accompany me to the night market.”
“It’s so cold at night, and my Lord may not endure it. Better dress warmly.”
“My Lord, this one is a must-wear, and this one too. Hey, hey! This one cannot be taken off; it protects the knees!”
After busy preparations, the door was finally opened.
Jiang Yanchi saw Chu Xie wearing a dark gray wolf fur cloak adorned with a circle of snowy rabbit fur. He must have layered up inside and carried another warming stove. The waist was also tied with another one, sealed tightly in a brocade bag, as a backup.
After Tao Li finished the meticulous arrangement, she instructed, “An hour, at most an hour. My Lord must come back.”
Chu Xie’s eyes were full of smiles. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”
“You, did you hear?” Tao Li shouted at Jiang Yanchi. She didn’t know Jiang Yanchi’s identity, but seeing the pile of ragged clothes thrown out by the steward, she thought, “Where did this beggar come from? Surprisingly, my Lord treats him so favorably.” She snorted, “Don’t ask my Lord to buy you candy. You must come back within an hour!”
“Tao Li, don’t be disrespectful.”
Chu Xie gently scraped her nose with his warm hand, “This is the Second Prince.”
Lowering his voice and softening it a bit, he patted the warming stove in his hand, “This stove is warm. Everything will be fine.”
Jiang Yanchi hesitated a bit, looking at the cold and icy night outside. “I changed my mind. Let’s go during the day.”
“Where’s the night market during the day?” Chu Xie extended his hand and naturally took hold of him, conveying warmth through his palm. Jiang Yanchi staggered a few steps before following his pace. “You’ve never been out of the Cold Palace, right? Let’s go. I’ll show you around outside. The capital is very beautiful.”
Tao Li’s voice hurriedly sounded from behind, “Hood, my Lord, put on the hood!”
Chu Xie had no choice but to stop his steps.
However, Jiang Yanchi also stopped.
Now only reaching up to Chu Xie’s chin, Jiang Yanchi tiptoed, reaching out before Chu Xie, and wrapped his hand around the snowy plush hood.
Gently covering the man’s head.
“Is it cold?”
Chu Xie seemed to be taken aback for a moment, paused, and then said, “Not cold.”
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
