CH 137

Zhao Zhi asked in a hoarse voice, “Where is the peace talisman?”

[…]

She made round eyes as she asked, “What do you want it for?”

She was not sure if she could still find it.

Zhao Zhi did not expose the lie she was telling, he pretended not to know anything as his fingertips gently rubbed over her lips, “No need to look for it anymore.”

Since it was lost, there was no use to look for it again.

Zhao Zhi said indifferently, “Tomorrow we’ll go to the temple and ask for another one.”

Chapter 137

(49.3)

Hearing the sound of rain outside, Ming Zhu was a taken aback, then pointed outside the room, “Under such heavy rain, we’re going to go up the mountain to visit the temple?”

The man nodded, “We have to.”

Ming Zhu almost asked aloud what was in her heart, “Since when did you like going to the temple and worship the Buddha?”

She found it unbelievable.

Zhao Zhi couldn’t help but pinch her soft little face with his fingers, “We’ll stay at the temple for a few days.”

The last time Ming Zhu went to the temple to burn incense and pray for blessings was a long time ago. It was around the time when she and Wei Chiyu’s engagement had just been settled, she knelt before the Bodhisattva and prayed fervently, wishing that their marriage would go smoothly.

Unfortunately, praying to the Bodhisattva was not effective at all.

“Alright.”

When the two had finished talking and got ready to sleep, the hour was already late.

Ming Zhu buried her face in the pillow and very quickly fell asleep. Zhao Zhi closed his eyes but was unable to fall sleep. Opening his eyes, he watched the young lady in his arms with a complicated gaze, his hand that was on her waist unconsciously tightened its grip.

Zhao Zhi himself was very aware that his heart was getting more and more heavily attached to her.

But he was unable to break the ties, unable to give up on her. He had been keeping the delicate beauty for more than a year, without ever feeling tired of her.

Although he allowed her to go outside, but in fact, he still was not too willing to let her see other people other than him.

Whether they were men, or women.

Zhao Zhi sighed, he was normal towards others, but how come he had this pathological possessiveness towards her, that was getting deeper and deeper?

He only gradually fell asleep during the second half of the night, but he did not sleep well. The images in his dreams were on and off, and a familiar crying sound inside the dream kept tormenting him.

Zhao Zhi cleared away the fog in front of him and saw clearly the person kneeling on the ground wailing and crying loudly. His heart suddenly plummeted. The young girl’s eyes were red and swollen, a continuous stream of teardrops was falling down from her eyes, her voice was hoarse from crying, and she fell to the ground, curled up pitifully in a ball.

Zhao Zhi closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, what he saw was still the image of her being badly mistreated. A fiery rage attacked his heart. The girl that he was delicately raising in the palm of his hand, how could he let other people abuse her so?

He found that the hand he was reaching out to her couldn’t touch her. He could only watch her fall down in front of him, as black blood spilled out from the corners of her mouth, deeply piercing his eyes.

Zhao Zhi’s entire body was in pain, his ears were buzzing. As he painfully looked at this scene, a sharp stabbing pain was coming from his head, a pain so excruciatingly vivid it made him wake up from the dream.

He woke up in cold sweat, his face was white, and the back of his head was still ringing with waves of pain.

Zhao Zhi took a long time to pull his spirits out of that gruesome scene in his dream. With a pallid face, he looked at the person beside him. His sinking heart then calmed down. He held her tightly in his arms with strength, as he told himself that it was just a dream.

Zhao Zhi attempted to wake her up, calling out in her ear, “Zhu Zhu.”

Ming Zhu covered her ears with the blanket and complained with a nasal voice, “I’m so sleepy.”

Zhao Zhi stopped calling her and let her sleep for a while longer.

The heavy rain had stopped in the middle of the night, and after dawn drew its first lights, it was a clear day again.

Ming Zhu, still half-asleep, was dragged out of the bed by Zhao Zhi, until she got on the carriage, her head was still drowsy. Her head then knocked on his shoulder, like a kitten looking for a comfortable position. Leaning against him, she proceeded to catch up on her sleep.

Zhao Zhi clutched her fingers all the way, never letting go.

After more than an hour, the carriage stopped outside the temple gate, where a young monk had already been waiting for a long time. In order to welcome the precious guests, the temple was closed to worshipers for a few days.

Gu Shuyi did not know about this, every month she made a trip to the temple to pray for her mother, but today she was blocked at the door, and was astonished for a moment.

The young monk asked her to come back in two days.

Gu Shuyi was a little embarrassed, “Little master, please allow me in.”

As the words landed, another carriage was slowly making its way forward, leaving a deep trail on the muddy mountain road. Zhao Zhi took Ming Zhu’s hand and got off the carriage.

Gu Shuyi was pleasantly surprised to see the crown prince.

She was wearing a light green satin dress today, her waist was graceful, slender, and charming, she had put on a light makeup, looking fresh and refined, without losing any charm. These days, she had inquired here and there about what kind of girls the crown prince liked.

It was not that she was overconfident, but she felt that the crown prince at the very least did not seem to hate her.

Gu Shuyi stood under the dazzling sun and smiled at him, “Your Highness, can Shuyi ask you a favor?”

Zhao Zhi had just heard the conversation between her and the young monk. He took a glance at her, his gaze paused for two seconds, and then he said to the young monk, in an indifferent tone, “Let her in.”