Jing Rong took two small steps forward and gave back the hat’s bead to her.
Ji Yunshu reached out for it, but the bead was tightly held in his palm. “This bead… I still haven’t let go of it.”
“This is just a common bead, is there a need for your Highness to forcibly take it?”
“Common? I feel like this bead is very precious.”
Ji Yunshu’s body stiffened. “…”
Jing Rong played a bit with the bead and sat on the ground. The corner of his mouth hooked up as he looked at the bead reflecting the flame’s color. “Teacher Ji… Ah no! It should be Miss Ji. I am very curious on the reason why you would cross-dress and be in contact with a pile of corpses? Don’t the daughters of most families usually stay cooped up in the bedroom and rarely go out half a step? They would spend their time embroidering flowers and searching for a good husband to marry when they come of age.” He summed up the usual behavior of women quite well.
Ji Yunshu simply replied, “I’m short on money.”
“Short on money?” Jing Rong was flabbergasted. He raised his head and took a good look at her. “The Ji family is prestigious and a wealthy home. How can they be short on money?”
As expected, he had already thoroughly grasped her background information!
“It appears that everything your Highness did the last time you visited my father – gifting me the Turnip-like cowparsnip root and burning my father’s whip – was completely intentional.”
He rotated the bead with his fingers and smiled. “I didn’t need to lift a finger that much.”
That statement was quite underwhelming.
Jing Rong continued, “Miss Ji, you’re already dressed, so there’s no harm sitting down. This prince doesn’t like to look up at people.”
Once again, Ji Yunshu wrapped herself tightly before sitting down, keeping a two-step distance away from Jing Rong.
“Are you very afraid of this prince?” He raised his sharp-like eyebrows.
“Not at all.”
“Then why are you sitting so far away?” Jing Rong was displeased with her reaction. He used his hand and patted a place next to him. “Come and sit here. It’s not like I’m naked. What are you afraid of? Besides, sitting so far away, how are you going to keep yourself warm through this endless night?”
Those words sounded quite wrong for some reason, but Ji Yunshu couldn’t refute them. She grudgingly scooted over toward the fire.
“Since your Highness already knew my identity, why didn’t you expose me?” She spoke out the question that nagged her mind.
‘Oi, oi, oi! Are you playing with me?’
Her question made Jing Rong’s handsome face to break into a rotten smile, stirring a thought-provoking feeling. In reply, he said, “Since you intended to hide it, why should I expose you?”
His reason caused Ji Yunshu to forget any intention to argue with him.
Jing Rong frowned and cast a sidelong glance at her before throwing back the question at her. “I’m truly curious. Aren’t you the third miss of the Ji family? Why would you lack money? And why do you need to endure that old bastard whipping you?”
‘Old bastard?’ Ji Yunshu inwardly gave Jing Rong a thumbs up.
She lowered her voice and replied, “Every family has their own problems. As someone from the imperial household, your Highness also has your own share of bitterness. Let alone someone from a common family, a drop of oil, a grain of rice or even a small needle could be a source of conflict. Getting scolded or getting beaten, aren’t they but usual things?”
Her words made Jing Rong pensive. “You’re wasting your talent in this tiny little Jinjiang city.”
“I am unable to understand your Highness’ meaning.”
“You should know that the capital is big and filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons, and the mighty army numbers in thousands. Within the capital, there’s the palace, but outside, there are the city walls. From the grand Emperor to the common guard overseeing the city gates, everyone follows the rules and laws strictly; efficient administration, bustling streets with the occasional joyous wedding and dowry procession, such a place is where Miss Ji ought to stay.”
His speech was quite convincing. She never expected such eloquence coming from Jing Rong. Unfortunately… “A place for dragons and phoenixes is where dragons and phoenixes belong. I am but a tiny canary. A small city, a small county is where I could dwell in peacefully.”
“Why?”
“Although the capital is big, danger lurks everywhere. Despite a strict administration, justice is not beyond human emotion. A bustling place yet it can’t compare to the idle tranquility of the small roads of Jinjiang.”
Hearing her words, Jing Rong couldn’t help but exclaim, “Such a glib tongue!” But he couldn’t deny that each of her sentences rang true! Jing Rong stirred the fire with a bamboo stick with a deep smile that never left his mouth, letting the fire burn stronger.
Ji Yunshu wrapped her arms around her knees and walled herself in silence. The conversation in the cold night had come to an end. Both people were now sitting side by side, each silent lost in their own thoughts: one was apprehensive, the other pleasantly surprised. Each of their arguments had their own merits. None of them were wrong, yet neither were completely right.
As the long night slowly passed, Ji Yunshu had pulled her long hair into a bun and leaned on a pillar behind her. She squinted her eyes. ‘Jing Rong, your thoughts were incorrect.’
Jing Rong observed Ji Yunshu. Under the orange and red glow from the fire, her palm-sized face was comparable to the highest quality blood jade, unconsciously attracting people’s gaze. Those closed eyes beneath those small eyelashes that always seemed to be filled with worry and indifference at times, only further made people’s heart itch!
With no other thoughts, Jing Rong took off his dried clothes from the frame and covered Ji Yunshu with them. As for him, he simply added more wood to the fire and rested nearer to the fire.
Throughout the night, the wind and rain whistled outside the temple.
When Ji Yunshu woke up the next day, the rain had already ceased. She discovered Jing Rong’s clothes covering her, but when she swept a glance at the place, he was nowhere in sight.
As she was puzzled by his disappearance, Jing Rong came in from outside. In his hands, he held several hot steamed buns.
“Awake?”
She nodded.
Jing Rong handed over a steamed bun. “Eat while it’s still hot.”
Ji Yunshu gave Jing Rong back his clothes and took a few steamed buns from his hands. Then, she observed him. She asked as she looked at him strangely, “Your Highness, you did not go out dressed like this right?”
At this moment, Jing Rong was only dressed in his inner garments. Although he had boots and wasn’t naked, it was still a bit inappropriate.
“Yeah. No one was looking anyway.” He also nodded and dressed himself in the meantime.
“No one was looking?” Ji Yunshu was puzzled. “Then, where did you get those steamed buns?”
“I just took them on the way.”
‘Shame on you! Stealing is stealing!’
Ji Yunshu gained a new level of understanding of this deity!
Which eyes saw him steal? He clearly left money to pay for those steamed buns!
After eating a steamed bun, they cleaned up and left the temple to the pier.
Due to the calm water, many boats were docked at the pier. They picked a boat and quickly returned to the city.
Jing Rong wasn’t reassured leaving her alone, so he wanted to accompany her back.
“No, I’m going to the yamen.”
“At this hour?” Jing Rong couldn’t understand why.
Ji Yunshu nodded before she walked toward the direction of the yamen while explaining herself, “If nothing unexpected occurs, the yin yang corpse case will be solved today.”
“Did you come to a conclusion?” Jing Rong followed behind her.
“Wait until I’m done checking something, and you will know. However…” She came to a halt and looked at Jing Rong seriously. “I need to ask your Highness to not expose my gender as to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
With a faint smile, Jing Rong stated, “As a matter of fact, this prince is used to you wearing male clothing.”
“…” With nothing to reply with, Ji Yunshu simply accelerated her pace.
Jing Rong laughed and followed suit.
They had yet to reach the yamen’s entrance when Magistrate Liu saw them and was somewhat surprised.