Chapter 127: A Glimmer of Lethal Intent

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Updated: August 1, 2013

Qiao Zhi’s eyes finally found their focus as he grimaced, rubbing the spot where Lian Yue had just twisted his arm. “How could you twist someone like that? It really hurts, you know.”

Lian Yue’s mood instantly lightened, the flush on her cheeks gradually fading, leaving her fair skin even more tender and rosy. She patted Qiao Zhi’s arm. “Consider it a punishment for blocking my way. Fine, we’re even now. Please move aside—I need to pass.”

The path where Lian Yue and Qiao Zhi stood was narrow; for Lian Yue to get through, Qiao Zhi had to make way. That was why she collided with him in the first place.

But Qiao Zhi was clearly not willing to let her off so easily. “Did you encounter that group of women in the garden just now? So, did you gain anything?”

Lian Yue wasn’t buying it. “Why should I tell you? If you’re so curious, why don’t you go ask them yourself?”

“That’s inconvenient,” Qiao Zhi replied matter-of-factly, standing with legs apart to block the path. “They’re all my women. If I hang around them, what if others get the wrong idea?”

“You shouldn’t care about that. Everyone knows the Sixth Prince likes to flirt. Your reputation isn’t exactly spotless; what’s one more thing?”

Qiao Zhi’s heart tightened inexplicably. He never minded when others said such things, but hearing them from Lian Yue made him strangely nervous, prompting him to want to explain his past behavior.

Suppressing the impulse, he fanned himself awkwardly, hiding his unease. “I only fancy wildflowers and weeds. This prince keeps himself pure.”

It was true—he had only ever been involved with the prime minister’s niece, and even that was because she had pursued him. Still, his reputation wasn’t without blemish.

Lian Yue paid no mind. Interrupted by Qiao Zhi, she suddenly remembered her own matters. Seeing him so shameless, she hopped into a nearby flowerbed, stepping over him to continue on her way.

Qiao Zhi thought she didn’t believe him and hurried after her. “I’m telling the truth.”

“I never said you were lying. It’s just none of my business.”

Lian Yue ignored him, walking on. After their time together, she was well acquainted with his persistent nature. If he liked her, he could follow along.

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“How can it be none of your business?” Qiao Zhi felt wounded, as if deeply injured inside. “Think about it—if I really went after respectable women, why haven’t I touched your good friends Yao Yao and Lan Shui, or your maid called Purple Bamboo? With my charm, I might not win over Sister Lan, but Yao Yao and Purple Bamboo—no problem at all. And you? I haven’t…”

“Haven’t what!” Lian Yue’s nerves snapped taut; she stamped her foot and turned seriously to face Qiao Zhi. “I warn you, I don’t like your type. Don’t even think about me.”

“I don’t!” Qiao Zhi’s voice rose sharply, but inside he felt crushed, as if hammered. His heart throbbed painfully. “I told you, I only like wildflowers and weeds. A promised bride like you doesn’t interest me—especially since you’re a rare flower already taken, and your fiancé is my good brother.”

Though he spoke confidently, he had no real conviction. Did he truly have no such thoughts? Perhaps not.

“That’s for the best,” Lian Yue relaxed and kept walking. “Less trouble that way.”

Qiao Zhi fell silent, feeling his heart bleed drop by drop, each sound distinct. Behind him, Shan Feng watched his retreating figure thoughtfully. The prince’s attitude toward Miss Yue was indeed different.

Qiao Zhi had also reminded Lian Yue of her engagement to Yuwen Lingxi. Maybe he should write to his father to return the jade pendant to the Yuwen family. But if his father asked, what could he say? Anming… Sigh… He didn’t even know when they would meet again.

Had everything Anming said been a lie? Did he not care for her at all?

Behind them, Qiao Zhi wrestled with the same turmoil. He had always found Lian Yue amusing; being with her was never dull. Despite her constant taunts and sharp tongue, he enjoyed her company.

He began to reflect on when he started subconsciously scanning crowds for her, noticing her preferences, feeling uneasy hearing her say she didn’t like him. This was no good sign. Could it be that he really...

He cut off the thought decisively. A friend’s wife was off-limits; such things were absolutely forbidden. Without greeting Lian Yue, he took a side path to separate from her. He needed calm, a place without her presence to sort out his thoughts.

Lian Yue walked on, suddenly noticing the unusual silence by her side. Why was Qiao Zhi so quiet today? Had her words been too harsh?

She glanced sideways during a turn but saw no sign of him. Stopping, she realized a serious problem: though her inner strength had risen a level, her vigilance had weakened. If someone attacked from behind now, she’d be dying unjustly.

Especially since she wasn’t at home—her brothers and Sister Lan couldn’t constantly shadow her. She had to be more careful about her own safety.

As for Anming, there were still many questions she wanted to ask him. She wasn’t sure how he’d respond, so she would wait until their next meeting. But when would that be?

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Meanwhile, Anming was spurring his horse rapidly toward the Western Capital. The retired emperor’s birthday banquet was in five days. He knew Lian Yue would attend. With her keen mind, she must have many doubts awaiting his answers.

The pounding hooves couldn’t match the urgency in his heart. Suddenly, he sensed a deadly aura approaching from the left. As an assassin, Yuwen Lingxi recognized it immediately and flipped off the horse’s right side, narrowly avoiding a flying dart glowing with a faint green light.

Had he not dodged, the dart would have struck his chest. Even a graze could be fatal, for the toxin was deadly.

Though skilled in medicine, without time to detoxify, nothing could save him.

He sensed the attacker’s formidable inner strength—otherwise, neither he nor his companion Guan Bo would have detected the dart only after it was launched. This was a powerful enemy.

Yuwen Lingxi cared little who the assailant was. As an assassin, he had made many enemies. His father had even revealed his whereabouts during missions to those wishing to kill him. Without his exceptional medical skills, he would have died countless times.

The horse galloped on. As it passed a large tree, Yuwen Lingxi loosened the reins and slipped behind it, hearing the dart thud into the trunk. Luckily, the tree was thick enough to conceal him—and to allow him to do other things.

Guan Bo, trailing behind, also came under attack. His attacker’s aim was off, giving him time to leap from his horse and climb the tree.

Neither Yuwen Lingxi nor Guan Bo made a sound; such warnings were unnecessary.

Concealed by the trunk, Yuwen Lingxi quietly climbed into the branches without disturbing the birds. His dark eyes sharply scanned every blade of grass and leaf.

Recalling the dart’s trajectory, he gradually narrowed his search area. He was certain the assailant remained nearby, unmoving.

The search area shrank little by little until Yuwen Lingxi fixated on a waist-high cluster of wild grass by the roadside. Based on the dart’s height and angle, it had to be there.

Curious, Yuwen Lingxi wondered who was targeting him this time—and how they had learned his whereabouts.