ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 44
The air is very quiet, not a single person speaking. Only the distant sound of the waterfall can be heard, the misty water vapor dispersing and being blown away by the wind. For a moment, it feels like a fairyland.
The young crown prince sits on a carriage, phoenix-like eyes containing a hint of a smile, looking at everyone and saying, “What’s going on? Is no one welcoming me?”
In fact, not many people have seen the crown prince in person. The students from the Imperial Academy are all a bit uneasy. Finally, Su Qingshang stands up and bows, prompting others to follow suit.
Jiang Ziyu’s face looks particularly unpleasant. She’s so frightened that her whole body is about to shrink, not daring to lift her head. When she used to bully Xiao Rulei, she never thought that the Crown Prince would also be on Beiping Mountain!
Why would the Crown Prince come to this remote Beiping Mountain?
Jiang Ziyu’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenches into a fist. Her right hand is already swollen and bruised, painfully throbbing. At this moment, it’s somewhat numb. In the midst of fear, she steals a glance at Xiao Rulei. Fortunately, Xiao Rulei is leaning against Li Zhizhi, laughing and whispering to her, completely unaware.
Li Zhizhi noticed Jiang Ziyu looking over at her, and a chill swept through Jiang Ziyu’s heart as she turned her head. She felt her limbs stiffening, and cold sweat almost dripped down her forehead.
Li Zhizhi, sensing Jiang Ziyu’s fear, slightly raised her lips and silently mouthed something to her. After a moment, Jiang Ziyu finally reacted. Li Zhizhi seemed to be saying, “Just wait and see.”
Wait and see what? Was she going to report to the Crown Prince? What should Jiang Ziyu do? She didn’t know how she had dared to do such a thing at that moment. Now, looking back, she felt as if she had been possessed by a ghost. Her mind was in chaos, and she was restless. The sounds of the outside world seemed distant, and she was lost in her thoughts until a hand gently patted her.
Startled, Jiang Ziyu nearly jumped up and let out a scream. She looked up in panic, meeting the surprised gaze of Su Tangyu. Perplexed, Su Tangyu asked, “Ziyu, your face looks pale. What’s wrong?”
Jiang Ziyu came to her senses in a daze, only to find that everyone else had already stood up, and she was the only one still kneeling on the ground. All eyes were drawn to her, including those of the Crown Prince, whose gaze was indifferent yet carried a hint of scrutiny. Jiang Ziyu became even more apprehensive, and her legs felt weak.
Seeing this, Su Tang expressed concern and whispered, “If you’re feeling unwell, why not let someone escort you back to your residence to rest.”
Jiang Ziyu naturally welcomed the suggestion and was about to nod when she suddenly heard a smiling voice saying, “Is Sister Jiang feeling unwell? Come over here and have a seat. Let me pour you a cup of hot tea to warm your body.”
Upon hearing this voice, Jiang Ziyu couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear. Looking at Li Zhizhi, who was smiling and looking at her with slightly curved eyebrows, she felt a chill down her spine. She was about to refuse, saying, “I don’t—” when unexpectedly, Su Qingshang, who was usually reserved, also spoke up, saying to Su Tang, “Take Cousin Jiang over to sit. The Crown Prince has graced us with his presence. How can we leave the table before him?”
Su Tangyu thought about it and agreed. She couldn’t afford to lose face in front of the Crown Prince. She quickly a.s.sisted Jiang Ziyu and sat down beside Li Zhizhi, who personally poured a cup of tea and placed it in her hands. She smiled gently and said, “Sister Jiang, be careful, it’s hot.”
The tea in the cup was indeed hot, and Jiang Ziyu almost trembled, almost spilling the tea. Li Zhizhi noticed a gaze lingering on her and looked up. It was Su Qingshang. The corners of his eyes lifted slightly, as if he had smiled. Their eyes revealed understanding, resembling mischievous children playing together.
Unbeknownst to them, this silent exchange caught the attention of an observant person. Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, a pensive expression on his face. As he watched the two, a strange feeling arose within him, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.
He then turned his gaze to Pei Yanchuan beside him. The young man was staring at Li Zhizhi, one glance after another. He seemed eager to look but dared not look too much, as if his eyes were fixed in that direction. Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit disdainful, thinking, “What a sight.”
With the arrival of the Crown Prince, the atmosphere at the banquet became more subdued. The students from the Imperial Academy felt somewhat restrained, but thanks to the presence of Pei Yanchuan and his group of wealthy young men, the atmosphere lightened up again. Although they may not excel in poetry and essays, they were adept at revelry and merriment.
After a while, someone suggested, “Since we have nothing else to do, how about playing the hidden hook game?” Everyone agreed. The game was simple: partic.i.p.ants were divided into two teams, and a hook was hidden in the palm of someone from one team. The other team had to guess who had the hook.
Pei Yanchuan asked Xiao Yan, “Does Your Highness want to partic.i.p.ate?”
Xiao Yan nodded, “I can give it a try.”
The person who proposed the game of hiding hooks is Pei Yanchuan’s good friend, the one who likes to play with crickets. His surname is He, and his name is Ming. He volunteered to host the game and divided the partic.i.p.ants into two groups. Group A included Pei Yanchuan, Xiao Yan, Li Xingzhi, Su Tangyu, Li Zhizhi, and at the strong request of Xiao Rulei, she was also included.
Pei Yanchuan cast a approving look at He Ming: Good brother.
He Ming was very proud and divided the remaining Lin Xuqiu, Su Qingshang, and others into Group B, announcing, “Group A will guess first, and Group B will hide.”
No one objected. Groups A and B gathered separately, forming circles so that they could secretly discuss hiding hooks. Su Tangyu asked Li Zhizhi in a low voice, “Who do you think will be hiding?”
Li Zhizhi shook her head and said, “Let’s see in a while.”
Soon, Group B announced that they had hidden the hooks. They lined up, each extending their hands, clenched into fists with the knuckles facing downward. Li Zhizhi looked for a while but couldn’t see any issues because the hooks were too small. If they were really hidden in the palm, it would be impossible to tell from the outside.
She stared at each person’s face carefully. First, Miss Su, with a smiling face, showed no abnormalities. Next was the eldest Miss Su, holding a silk fan, with closed eyes and a gentle smile. Then there was Su Qingshang, calm and composed, with no difference from before. Finally, there was Jiang Ziyu…
Her face was extremely pale, her eyes lowered, and she seemed very nervous. The hand she extended was trembling slightly, appearing very guilty. This was a bit too obvious.
Pei Yanchuan immediately pointed at her and said, “I think it’s—”
Li Zhizhi suddenly pulled him back, “Hold on.”
Pei Yanchuan was startled, his eyes showing a mix of surprise and joy, but he restrained himself and calmly asked, “What’s wrong?”
The tone dropped a notch, and the expression was unusually gentle. The knowledgeable fox friends nearby overheard and started winking at each other, while the others were puzzled. Su Qingshang seemed to sense something and looked over, while Xiao Yan squinted his phoenix eyes and calmly observed.
However, Li Zhizhi remained unaware and explained in a soft voice, “I think it might not be in her hands.”
She was well aware that Jiang Ziyu’s reaction might be due to fear rather than guilt. If she guessed correctly, she would likely lose.
But…
Li Zhizhi’s gaze fell on Su Qingshang, who looked back at her with a faint smile, his expression calm, only a subtle lift at the corner of his eye, like a very subtle smile.
The question arose: Su Qingshang, as someone in the know, might intentionally do this, deliberately hiding the hooked hairpin in Jiang Ziyu’s hands, making it difficult for Li Zhizhi to guess.
In addition to Su Qingshang, there were also Song Lingyun and Lin Xuqiu. Song Lingyun wore a confident smile, while Lin Xuqiu…
Li Zhizhi suddenly spoke and asked, “Brother, is the hooked hairpin hidden in your hands?”
No one expected her to ask this question, not even Su Qingshang, who was momentarily stunned. As for Lin Xuqiu, his eyes widened suddenly, and then his earlobes gradually turned red, spreading further.
He stammered, “I… No, I…”
The truth came out with just one try, and everyone who knew the situation showed an unbearable expression. Li Zhizhi chuckled and said to He Ming, “The hooked hairpin is in his hands.”
Su Jia’s little cousin rolled her eyes and said unkindly to Lin Xuqiu, “What’s wrong with you? You stutter when you see her? We’ve worked so hard to act like this.”
Lin Xuqiu couldn’t argue and could only blush, lowering his head in embarra.s.sment. Opening his hand, he revealed a delicate jade hairpin hidden inside.
Li Zhizhi carefully picked up the hairpin and smiled at him, “Thank you for the concession.”
Lin Xuqiu blushed, waving his hands repeatedly, unable to utter a single word. Xiao Yan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he stared at her for a while. Suddenly, he made eye contact with Su Qingshang not far away. After a moment, they each looked away.
At this moment, He Ming announced, “Now, Group A will hide the hook, and Group B will guess.”
The members of Group A gathered to discuss, all with wide eyes and no one speaking. Pei Yanchuan cleared his throat and said, “What do you all think, who is more suitable to hide the hook?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Rulei immediately raised her hand, happily saying, “I’ll do it!”
Xiao Yan looked at her and sneered, “Letting you do it, the performance will collapse before it even starts.”
Xiao Rulei pouted unhappily, but Li Zhizhi said, “Let A’yang do it, she is very suitable.”
Xiao Rulei’s eyes lit up, and without a second thought, Pei Yanchuan agreed. Xiao Yan frowned slightly and looked at Li Zhizhi, saying, “Are you sure? A’yang doesn’t know how to act and is bound to reveal the secret.”
However, Li Zhizhi said, “I am 70% sure.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan did not say anything more. Instead, he saw Li Zhizhi take the jade hook and put it in Xiao Rulei’s hand. She whispered something to her, and Xiao Rulei, his silly little sister, nodded seriously, saying, “I understand, sister. I will definitely succeed!”
Xiao Yan: …
He couldn’t help but press his temples. Well, let them have their fun.
“Now, Group B will guess the hook!”
Li Zhizhi and the others all held out a fist for Group B to examine. They didn’t dare to stare at Xiao Yan directly, so they looked at Xiao Rulei and the others. All the members of Group A seemed calm, no different from usual, except for Xiao Rulei.
Although she had promised earlier, when everyone’s eyes were on her, she was still nervous. Her fists were tightly clenched, her lips pursed. She looked like an egg mixed in a pile of oranges.
Su’s little cousin kept staring at her and whispered a few words to Su Qingshang. Su Qingshang shook her head slightly, seemingly disapproving. However, Su’s eldest sister said, “I also think it looks like… Princess Seven’s temperament. She wouldn’t be good at acting. Look at her, as if afraid of being recognized.”
Upon hearing this, Su Qingshang said, “It’s precisely because she looks like that, it’s impossible for it to be her.”
After discussing for a while, the time was almost up. He Ming urged, “Have you all made your guesses?”
In the face of the indecisiveness of Group B, Su’s younger cousin had no choice but to brace herself and say, “In the hands of the Seventh Princess.”
With these words, Xiao Rulei showed a surprised expression, seemingly quite regretful. This raised suspicions among the members of Group B, could it be that they had really guessed it right?
Xiao Rulei slowly opened her hand, revealing an object hidden in her palm. However, it wasn’t the jade belt hook used in the play; instead, it was a gold belt hook, the same as the one the Crown Prince wore.
At that moment, everyone’s gaze fell on Xiao Yan, and he calmly adjusted his robe, seemingly unsurprised by the outcome. Just as Xiao Rulei revealed the hook, Li Zhizhi suddenly beckoned to him and exchanged a meaningful look with Xiao Rulei. In that instant, Xiao Yan inexplicably understood her meaning…
In front of everyone’s eyes, Li Zhizhi slowly spread out her hand, revealing the jade belt hook that had been hidden in advance. She smiled and said, “Thank you for your concession.”
With the outcome of the two rounds settled, some were happy and others sighed. Servants brought freshly brewed tea, and Li Zhizhi, feeling thirsty, accepted it. She lifted the cup lid and happened to find a pure white paulownia flower floating in the clear light blue tea. The servants hurriedly offered to replace her tea, but Li Zhizhi casually waved her hand, drinking the tea with the paulownia flower. It had a slightly bitter taste but was accompanied by the refreshing fragrance of tea, creating a unique flavor.
Before long, a maid approached and presented another cup of tea. Li Zhizhi looked puzzled, and the maid softly explained, “It was ordered by the Second Young Master. Paulownia flowers have a cold nature, so the young lady should drink this gentleman’s tea to warm her body.” Beside her, Xiao Yan, upon hearing this, turned his head with a seemingly casual smile and said, “The mountain wind is strong. Why don’t we let your Second Young Master offer a cup of gentleman’s tea to everyone? We shouldn’t show favoritism.”