CH 20

The weather was gradually warming up and wearing a light jacket was sufficient at midday.

On this day, Zhao Zhi had finished his matters at hand, so he stayed in Wangyue Pavilion for a few more hours.

When Ming Zhu had finished grinding ink for him, she lazily leaned on the small table and started dozing off, her delicate and candid little face was slightly reddened by the sun, making her childish and gentle expression appearing a bit more innocent and lovely.

When Zhao Zhi finished practicing his writing and looked up, he saw she was asleep.

After remaining silent for a while, the man carried her to the bed, covered her with the blanket, and then got out.

Ming Zhu slept until dark and ate her evening meal, before seeing Zhao Zhi again.

At night, when came the time to sleep, the light was obscure and she could not see clearly anything in front of her. Her courage grew by a few degree thanks to the peaceful life she led these days.

When Zhao Zhi placed her hands on his waist, her face flushed red with shame and she breathed out hot breath as she said, "I'm sleepy."

Zhao Zhi stopped, "Sleep then."

For the next few days, Ming Zhu could not find any other excuse, and always used the same simple five words "I am not feeling well" to avoid him.

After one or two such occurrences, Zhao Zhi noticed that she was being half-hearted and that she was actually rejecting him.

Zhao Zhi had been considerate enough, and when he noticed her intentions, he felt like he had been toyed with and was furious.

That night, his face was frosty as he put on clothes, "I still have things to do, you rest first."

Ming Zhu happily laid back under the covers and went back to her sleep.

Ming Zhu had the same dream she made few days ago. She dreamed of the crown prince's residence, with white fabrics hanging everywhere as well as white lanterns. The smell of burning paper-money clung to her nose.

She seemed like a roaming spirit wandering in this unfamiliar residence, and she felt as if there was a gust of eerie cold air penetrating into her body. The servants carried buckets of water to clean the blood stains on the steps. Large black and red blood stains were scrubbed and washed, and bucket after bucket of blood water were being carried out.

From not far away came the sound of a voice arguing.

Ming Zhu followed the voice and heard a woman, whose face she couldn't see clearly, say: "Zhao Zhi, what are you doing exactly ? She's already dead! Can you think of me for a moment ? My dignity was destroyed the moment you set up a stele and built a tomb for her !"

Ming Zhu saw that familiar back standing alone by the window, keeping silent.

The woman seemed to have a break down. She laughed, "If you liked her so much, why didn't you marry her before she died? Don't tell me you didn't know that she loved you and wanted to marry you ? You got the person killed with your own hands, and now you're regretting it, but she can't see it anymore." 

The man turned around, his expression didn't carry any trace of being offended as he calmly said, "Someone come escort the junzhu out."

As Ming Zhu was listening to this cold voice, she woke up from her dream. These dreams, they were really just dreams, right?

It wasn't only in her dreams, even in the beginning when she was reborn, Ming Zhu often wondered about what happened after she died. What reaction did Zhao Zhi have after seeing her corpse ? Did he regret killing her? Did he feel even a little bit sad at all? Did he even shed one drop of tear for her?

He most likely didn't.

He probably didn't even bother to take a look at her corpse, so how could he feel regret ?

Perhaps because of this dream, Ming Zhu was feeling down early in the morning and couldn't raise her spirits no matter what she did.

In the end, Ming Zhu forced herself to lift her spirits. She thought that since she had angered Zhao Zhi last night, he would no longer be staying in the other residence for a period of time, but when she asked about it, she learned he was actually still here.

Zhao Zhi seemed like he was going to be staying in the other residence for quite some time.

Some people secretly sighed at the good fortune of the miss Ming Zhu, not everyone could enjoy the successive favors she was bestowed.

But surprisingly, although the crown prince stayed in the other residence, he never set foot in Wangyue Pavilion, and did not ask any news about miss Ming Zhu, as if there was no such person.

Ming Zhu knew that Zhao Zhi was prideful and haughty, the anger he felt towards her because she used multiple times false excuses to reject him would hardly dispel for a while. If he didn't come to see her anymore because of this, that was even better.

The servants clasped their tongue in wonder, miss Ming Zhu was really able to endure, she was given the cold treatment and yet she still didn't fret nor panic. His Highness didn't come to her and yet she still didn't take the initiative to go over. This was called being spoiled until she didn't know the height of the sky and the depth of the earth.

This one in Wangyue Pavilion was living a good life, but others weren't having it so good. Every day, they would be cautious when doing anything, not daring to make a single mistake, afraid that they would be the unlucky one.

(TL's note : just to be clear, there is the crown prince residence and then there's the other residence, where Ming Zhu is staying (her room\courtyard is called Wangyue Pavilion) and where Zhao Zhi sometimes visits, for short or long period of time, which is why Ming Zhu is sometimes being called an outside mistress, because she doesn't live in the crown prince residence, where the crown prince's consorts and concubine are supposed to be living.)