CH 86

After Ming Zhu was finished embroidering her two pairs of soles, she then felt a little hungry. When she raised her head away from the candle flame and looked out the window, she then realized it was already dark outside.

She thought Zhao Zhi tonight maybe would want to stay in the round-faced girl’s room for the night, but when it was dinner time, the man still came over. Dressed in black, he entered the room carrying the cold air of the night.

Touching the corners of his coat, Ming Zhu’s fingertips shrank back from the cold, “Have you eaten?”

Zhao Zhi replied: “No.”

The room was quiet as the candle flames shone brightly. The porcelain jade vase on the windowsill was full of branches of magnolia that Ming Zhu had snapped this morning, which were now diffusing a faint fragrance inside the room.

As Ming Zhu had dinner with him, she didn’t even speak two full sentences.

She didn’t eat a lot and after the food was removed, she took advantage of the time when Zhao Zhi was washing up to secretly eat a few rose-flavored pastries.

Zhao Zhi came back after he was done bathing and changing his clothes. His dark and thick eyelashes were damp with cold water droplets as the light shone on his white like jade skin. His thin lips were slightly pursed. He slowly walked up to her and took a deep look at her. Realizing immediately, he asked, “Did you secretly eat food again?”

Ming Zhu’s eyes were wide-open as she shook her head, “No, I didn’t.”

The man’s face which had been cold all evening gradually relaxed and his mood now seemed better as he stretched out his fingertips to wipe the corner of her mouth, “You didn’t even wipe it properly.”

Ming Zhu’s ears were burning hot, and she lowered her head, “It’s going to spoil if I don’t eat it.”

Zhao Zhi didn’t say anything. The smile that had just emerged gradually disappeared, returning to its usual cold and indifferent appearance.

Min Zhu just took it as him being irritated recently because of the messy affairs at court, she also didn’t want to get implicated, so she quietly remained aside and did her own thing.

Zhao Zhi seemed to have no intention of letting her go tonight, as he forced her to study and practice her writing.

Ming Zhu was very serious about writing at first, but after half an hour, her wrists felt sore and she gently told him that she wanted to take a break.

Zhao Zhi asked her to write one more sheet of paper and then he would allow her to rest for a while.

Ming Zhu, with her head down, was focused on finishing writing a poem.

Zhao Zhi picked it up and looked at it seriously before laughing out loud, “To be able to write like you, it’s kind of a skill.”

Ming Zhu could hear his teasing and felt vexed. But this time, she wasn’t embarrassed and just said, “My writing is ugly but so what ? I don’t make a living by relying on my writing.”

Zhao Zhi folded up her paper, “I didn’t say your writing was ugly tonight.”

He took the opportunity to cover her hand and pressed himself close to her ear. His voice was both low and magnetic, “Your grip on the pen is not right, and you’re not using enough strength, you just have to practice more, and after a few days, it will take shape.”

Her back was pressed against the man’s chest, her ears became soft and tingly as her head felt a little dizzy.

He was leaning too close.

Ming Zhu wasn’t interested in practicing her writing. She simply had no talent for calligraphy nor writing poetry. She also didn’t know why Zhao Zhi was always trying to nurture her to become a talented girl, versed in poetry and literature.

She was only interested in handicrafts.

Ming Zhu turned around, her eyes appeared wet, the color of her pupils became a light glazed color under the light. She looked at him as she asked in a soft voice, “Can I stop writing? My hand hurts ah.”

Zhao Zhi turned silent for a long time and used his hand to cover her eyes. The two words “you can’t” were on the tip of his tongue.

Ming Zhu pried open his fingertips and, tilting her neck, her eyes unblinkingly stared at him, with a pleading and coquettish look. His cold and stone like heart immediately turned soft.

“Alright, then you’ll practice again tomorrow.”

Ming Zhu, with a bit of a temper, mumbled in a low voice, “I won’t practice tomorrow either.”

Hearing her say this, Zhao Zhi just pretended not to have heard her. He found it a bit funny, it could be seen that she really didn’t like to write.

The red candle lights inside the room had been burning all evening long and the light was getting dimmer.

Ming Zhu, after bathing, slowly got into bed, she was used to sleeping on the inside part of the bed and she curled up inside the blanket, closing her eyes and pretending to sleep.

Not long after, Zhao Zhi lied down beside her. Reaching out, he put his hand on her thin shoulders and turned the person around. His breath was slightly cool, “Is your body feeling well now?”

Ming Zhu wanted to lie to him but didn’t dare to.

Zhao Zhi’s fingers were already exploring her waist, his fingers, with a gentle pull, loosened her belt, which was put aside. The man held her wrists and tackled them on the pillow. His black eyes looked unfathomable as he quietly stared at her for a while.

Then, with his free hand, he used her belt to cover up her eyes, tying a loose knot.