CH 91

~End of chapter 90

Ming Zhu had run around a lot today, she had sweated a lot and her body felt sticky and uncomfortable, “I want to take a bath.”

“I’ll order the servants to bring in hot water.”

Ming Zhu clenched her hands tightly, “I’ll wash myself.”

Zhao Zhi laughed, “I got it.”

The maids brought in the hot water, the surface of the water was covered with a layer of fresh flower petals. Ming Zhu sat inside the bathtub, stretched her limbs and closed her eyes to rest.

The water was steaming hot, blurring her little face.

On the screen, a new dress was hanging, one that she had not worn nor ever seen before. After taking her bath, Ming Zhu put on the new dress and finally realized that something was wrong.

Chapter 91

(32.3)

This dress was really too amorous and showy.

The waist and chest area was tight, the material used was fine silk gauze, it was light and thin.

Ming Zhu felt that the dress was a little small on her, the band-waist was a little tight. She was unwilling for a long moment to come out from behind the screen, up until she could no longer hide anymore. Her small face was red, burning, her footsteps were slightly hesitant as she slowly stepped out.

Zhao Zhi lifted his head and took one look at her, before indifferently looking away, without any change of expression. His face was very calm as he beckoned to her, “Come to me.”

Ming Zhu dawdled as she walked towards him, and when she was in front of him, her face already looked like a ripe and juicy peach in June, she whispered, “I’ll go change my clothes.”

Dressed like this, she was afraid that Zhao Zhi would think she was trying to seduce him!

Even the girls in Chunxiang House were dressed more modestly than she was.

Zhao Zhi’s eyebrows lifted up as he grabbed her hand, “No need.”

He said, “This dress is beautiful.”

Ming Zhu wasn’t yet aware, but this dress was brought in by Zhao Zhi. He was originally in a mediocre mood today, but seeing the beautiful and well-behaved her, he immediately felt much better.

Zhao Zhi pinched her waist, with a rarely seen gentleness, “Kiss me.”

That was fine even if she didn’t love him, but no matter what, he had to think of some way to make her fall in love with him.

Ming Zhu hesitated for a time, before slowly standing on her tiptoes and touching his chin, after rubbing against his chin a little, she gave up and tried to deceive her way out of it, “I can’t reach.”

Zhao Zhi didn’t intend to make things difficult for her. There was a faint peach fragrance on her, it was sweet and tempting, fresh and juicy.

He gently clasped the back of her head, lowered his head and kissed her.

It felt like there was a tormenting aridity in the air, early spring in March, was actually hotter than summer.

……

Ming Zhu’s consciousness was fragmented, the corners of her eyes were glistening with brimming water as her long nails clutched the man’s back with force, Zhao Zhi simply used silk to tie up her wrist together and pressed them against the pillow. Lowering his head, he then sucked her tears dry.

There was a sudden rain amidst the fierce wind, and she was like a leaf, floating on the surface.

In the middle of the water, floating and sinking, rocking and shaking.

Ming Zhu later realized that this was Zhao Zhi’s way of venting all of his anger because she had gone to Chunxiang House.

She sniffled through her red nose, feeling aggrieved. But she said very sincerely, “You go find those beautiful girls.”

Zhao Zhi did not pay attention to her words.

Afterwards, Ming Zhu ended up somewhat regretting that she had opened her mouth to say that sentence, for the rain seemed to become even more raging.

Ming Zhu was too tired to even move, her entire person looked just like she had just been rescued from the water, a few strands of hair were all wet from the sweat, her face was peachy red as she drowsily fell asleep.

Ming Zhu had now also figured out the pattern of her dreams, she would have them when she was particularly tired, and would stay for a while in those impossible to distinguish the real from the imaginary dreams.

In her dream, it was snowing heavily in the capital, on that bitterly cold winter day, a knee-high snow was blocking the road out of the city.

Zhao Zhi was wearing plain white clothes. A few painstakingly suppressed coughs were coming from the carriage, which was escorted by the armed Wei Liu. It was snowing all over the sky, without any signs of it stopping.

Wei Liu couldn’t hold back anymore, and dared to try and persuade him, “Your Highness, the road is blocked, it will be dark by the time we get there.”

The man in the carriage didn’t utter a sound.

Wei Liu then said, “It’s too dangerous to go up the mountain on a snowy day.”

Ming Zhu heard Zhao Zhi say, “Keep going.”

His voice was very hoarse.

Ming Zhu drifted along and followed him. They went up and into a deep mountain outside the city. There was a temple halfway up the mountain.

She thought Zhao Zhi had gone there to burn incense and worship the Buddha, but it didn’t seem to be what she had thought.

Zhao Zhi just stood outside of the Buddhist hall and took a look at the Buddha statue. There was mockery as well as a cold hatred inside his eyes. Then he turned around and walked out of the temple, into a deeper and more secluded place.

The man stopped in front of a tombstone. Although his face was expressionless, but his eyes looked like they were dyed with blood as they looked especially red. He squatted down and swept away the fallen leaves on the tombstone, before his fingers stroked over the name on it.

Seeing her own tombstone, Ming Zhu’s emotions were very complicated. So it turned out he came to visit her grave.

Amidst a blur, she seemed to have seen tears in the corners of Zhao Zhi’s eyes, but in a blink, they were gone.

Zhao Zhi pressed his face on the icy tombstone, his face was pale, his lips were also pallid. He softly said a few words: “Zhu Zhu, I have wronged you.”

Ming Zhu fell short of breath, as if she had received a heavy blow.

TL’s note : Quite a sad chapter right ?

As a side note, that sentence “Zhu Zhu, I have wronged you.”, I made the choice to translate it like that, but it can also mean “I’m sorry” or “I’ve let you down”