"Congratulations, congratulations!"
"Congratulations to you both!"
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
As Zhong Li walked out of the great hall, several ministers surrounded her, coming forward to offer their congratulations.
She was not good at handling such matters, so she could only nod her head and paste a smile on her face.
However, after the initial pleasantries, everyone who had been courteous to her, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple with no particular background, all flocked to the man in the red robe opposite her, fawning over him.
Zhong Li glanced indifferently and quickened her pace towards the palace gates.
As the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, her rank was fourth grade, and all aspects of her attire and retinue were in order.
A carriage had already been dispatched by the palace to wait for her at the entrance, to escort her back to the Dali Temple.
The coachman was someone she knew well, the old horse handler who had long served the Dali Temple.
"My Lady," the old horse handler said, smiling and approaching as soon as he saw Zhong Li, "Congratulations to you, Lady Official."
Zhong Li curved her lips, intending to say a few polite words. The old horse handler's gaze flickered to her back, and a knowing smile appeared on his face. He turned and led the carriage to the side.
At first, she was somewhat confused. It wasn't until she faintly smelled the familiar scent of dragon saliva that she understood the meaning of the old horse handler's smile.
It was understandable, as the people of the Dali Temple did not yet know that she and Lu Wuxie were like strangers.
"Shizi!" Zhong Li took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, and turned to cup her hands in greeting to the man standing behind her.
Lu Wuxie had exerted himself to the utmost to break free from the ministers clinging to him and had chased after Zhong Li. He was slightly out of breath now, his chest heaving slightly beneath his robe.
"Why did you run?" he asked, frowning.
Zhong Li looked up at the man opposite her. The morning sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow on him. Beads of sweat slowly traced their way down his firm nose and sexy, thin lips. He looked even more handsome like this.
Her heart clenched slightly. Just a few days ago, this man's lips had been passionately intertwined with hers, and now...
"I don't understand what the Shizi is talking about." Zhong Li's lips parted for a moment before she could only utter this one sentence.
Lu Wuxie narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the woman's eyes. Seeing her momentarily flinch, he asked, "Are you avoiding me?"
Zhong Li remained silent.
Lu Wuxie took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the urge to pull her into his embrace and kiss her forcefully. He said, "A few days ago, when I left Qingliang Palace, Hua Yao informed me that you had left ahead. Why didn't you tell me?"
Zhong Li's brows furrowed. After thinking for a moment, she said, "The Dali Temple still has old case files to process, so I left first."
"Alright!" Lu Wuxie closed his eyes, enduring the urge to expose her lie, and continued to ask, "After I returned, I went to the Dali Temple to find you. Why did you have A Wu turn me away?"
Zhong Li pursed her lips, considering for a long time before saying, "At that time, I might really not have been there..."
"Zhong Li," Lu Wuxie finally couldn't hold back. He grabbed her shoulders with both hands and said, "You are avoiding me, why won't you admit it?"
Zhong Li closed her eyes.
"Do you know that I waited for you all day at the entrance of the Dali Temple when I returned? By the hour of Hai, when the Dali Temple guards changed, I finally left. You say you weren't there. Don't you go back to rest late at night?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li opened her eyes, looking at the man who seemed to be questioning her with an accusatory tone. She finally couldn't help it, and with a push, she opened his hands and said, "Does the Shizi really not know why I returned early, why I would rather stay cooped up in the Dali Temple than come out to see you?"
Lu Wuxie froze.
Zhong Li lowered her eyes and looked at the man's clenched white hands hanging by his sides. "In Qingliang Palace, you and Lin Jin were talking privately inside, and I was at the door. With your martial arts and abilities, you must have known, right?"
Lu Wuxie's Adam's apple bobbed.
"Then why are you pretending to be foolish now? Why are you acting so dazed?" Zhong Li asked.
"..." Lu Wuxie remained silent.
"Before, I didn't see you because I didn't know how to face you. I know you have your considerations in what you do. The feelings between us are inherently mixed with conspiracy. If it weren't for this conspiracy, we wouldn't have met.
But no matter what, since we are to be together, I just hope we can be honest with each other, without schemes, without one person using the other.
Lu Wuxie, I ask you, on that merchant ship of the Beichuan Gang, did you know that Xie Yunkun was the leader of the Beichuan Gang? That's why you calculated that Xie Yunkun would only target you, and you wanted to use me to kill him?" Zhong Li asked.
Lu Wuxie's thin lips parted as if to explain, but Zhong Li suddenly let out a sarcastic laugh. "Why would I ask you such a foolish question? You are reborn, you naturally know about Xie Yunkun."
"Li'er, things are not as you think..."
"Not as I think what?" Zhong Li interrupted Lu Wuxie and said, "I really didn't expect that for your plan, you would risk your life and gamble with me!
Gambling that I would also risk my life to save you, gambling that I would be moved by all the superficialities you did, and then do things for you. Is that right or wrong?"
Lu Wuxie felt his breathing become heavy with each question.
"Also, the case of Consort Rong, you actually knew who the mastermind was all along, didn't you?" Zhong Li asked Lu Wuxie, trying to suppress the sourness in her eyes.
Lu Wuxie's lips trembled, wanting to explain, but he found that he had no way to explain.
"To help the Sixth Prince gain favor with the Emperor, you knew that Lu Yuanchen might die, did you stop it? Or did you try for it?" Zhong Li said, feeling as if she could no longer hold back. Lu Wuxie in front of her was starting to blur.
"You didn't! Because if you had protected Lu Yuanchen, Lu Yuanfeng would never have been taken seriously by the Emperor, right?"
"Li'er, Lu Yuanchen's situation is too complicated, you don't understand. Even without me, he wouldn't have survived... and at that time..."
"Enough! What else do you need to quibble about?" Zhong Li shook her head, full of disappointment in Lu Wuxie.
Lu Wuxie looked at the resolute expression on her face and felt an unbearable pain in his chest.
"Later, with the Shennü Sect, you deliberately left Lin Jin with me. What were you afraid of? Were you afraid that if my feelings for you were not as deep as you imagined, you left for so long, and Lin Jin constantly reminded me, right?"
"Li'er... regarding the Shennü Sect, I truly didn't want you to get involved, but Lin Jin..."
"You're blaming someone else now?" Zhong Li let out a cold laugh and just looked at the man opposite her. The sunlight was still on him, but she didn't feel warmth, only an intense glare.
She shook her head, holding back the tears that were about to fall, and turned to leave.
"Li'er!" Lu Wuxie quickly grabbed her arm. He was filled with panic and sadness. He knew that if Zhong Li left now, they might never have another chance.
Zhong Li lowered her eyes and looked at the large hand that held her arm.
Just as she had been dependent on him before, she was now filled with anger.
"Lu Wuxie," she turned around and looked at him again, saying, "I have one more question to ask you."
Lu Wuxie swallowed the saliva in his mouth. He already had a bad premonition, but he knew he had to answer this question, and he couldn't lie.
"Alright."
"Feiyuan Pavilion, are you truly the Pavilion Master?"
"Yes!" Lu Wuxie closed his eyes.
"Good! Last question, who exactly is my adoptive father, Gai Chen?"