Chapter 117: Hushed Conversations at Midnight

What was happening here?

Fang Jinxiu looked at Jun Zhenzhen’s surprised expression illuminated by the lantern.

How would I know! I didn’t know how I should answer him, so I just brought him in! I also made the guards leave! I threatened them not to tell Grandmother! Then I went to call you!

Only the devil knows what’s going on!

Fang Jinxiu stuffed the lantern into Miss Jun’s hands, before running off.

After giving her the lantern there was light enough that it wouldn’t be totally pitch-dark. She didn’t go too far; enough so that they could talk without being heard, but not so much that outsiders would think that the man and woman were alone.

She was really worried.

This what she promised those guards. Right now, not too far away, stood the group of guards who looked like they’d seen a ghost.

What was this nonsense, Fang Jinxiu grumbled inside, rolling her eyes at the sky. This is the result of not sleeping obediently.

Ning Yunzhao looked at the girl in front of him. She was lifting up the lantern, just like the first time he had seen her. Only this time, her hair was loose, hanging behind her back. She wore a white damask shirt and red skirt. She seemed to not know that she was going this far from her courtyard. She hadn’t brought a cloak with her, and in the spring night she appeared to be frail as a willow.

This was the attire of someone going to sleep. This wasn’t an appearance a blood brother could see, only the most intimate person.

Ning Yunzhao lowered his gaze.

"No wonder you knew what day my birthday was on," he began.

This was the first line exchanged when they met again. He had considered so many opening lines, and in the end what he said was something he had never thought of saying.

Miss Jun stared, then smiled.

A normal girl would never know Ning Yunzhao’s eight birth characters, but as his former fiancee who held a marriage contract, she would know it very well.

"Yes," said Miss Jun, "very coincidental."

Ning Yunzhao looked at her.

"Was it a true coincidence or a fake coincidence?" he asked.

Miss jun stared. The lantern in her hands illuminated the young man’s handsome but perplexed face.

Was it a deliberate plan to meet him and play chess.

It wasn’t strange that Ning Yunzhao would be mistaken. It really was too coincidental; even she was surprised. There was no way to explain it.

"You’re overthinking it," she said as sincerely as she could.

Overthinking it? Just one sentence, saying overthinking it? Just one sentence, as explanation for everything?

His heart was churning, so much so that he didn’t know what happened. But what was even scarier was that he suddenly couldn’t stop his churning emotions.

Perhaps because it was night. The night could cover the emotions he suppressed and hid in the day, so they surged over, unrestrained.

"It was just me overthinking?" he parroted. Perhaps nothing like that had been said before, up to the point his voice was trembling.

Miss Jun stared blankly again when she heard the sorrow and unease in Ning Yunzhao’s voice.

She really was not suited to console people. Moreover, she had never foreseen Ning Yunzhao saying something like that.

It seemed… strange. She didn’t know how to describe this feeling.

"Yes." Although Ning Yunzhao’s emotions were abnormal, she spoke the truth.

Yes?

Yes, he was overthinking?

"Why did you give me that lantern." He looked at her.

You are still saying I am overthinking it? Since you knew who I was, you knew what our relationship was, why didn’t you say anything? Why did you give me that lantern.

Up until today it was still seated on his desk. Everyday, he would scrutinize the lantern.

A meeting so coincidental, so wonderful, making him unable to forget, making him look forward to finding her by any whay, then making him discover that the one he was so diligently looking for is someone he never cared for, someone he threw away.

Aren’t you happy like this?

This young man looked several years older than Fang Chengyu. In both rumors and their two personal meetings he had been friendly and polite. When she heard what he asked now, Miss Jun felt somewhat embarrassed.

She knew what he was thinking, and understood why he thought that. Doing that was indeed a bit frivolous.

"I, didn’t think about it that much," she said with some regret.

She said he overthought it, and said she didn’t think about it much.

Ning Yunzhao could only feel turmoil in his heart.

"Noble Son Ning, I didn’t do it on purpose. When we met that time, it truly was too much of a coincidence." She thought of something to add and spoke more gently. "I was also very surprised. I didn’t mean to deliberately trick you. I felt that the match was very enjoyable, so I just decided to give you the lantern. I didn’t have any other ideas. My thoughts were that afterwards we wouldn’t meet and it would be irrelevant…"

She trailed off when she saw him hold up his hand.

"Okay, okay," he said. "I know, it was my misunderstanding. You don’t need to explain."

She looked at him.

Silence sunk between them.

He didn’t look at her, looking into the night.

"To be able to play such an elegant game indicates you are a light breeze and a clear moon [1]," he said. "Today, I came here to talk to you about what happened today."

‘Then what you said before was just trivialities?’ thought Miss Jun, but of course she wouldn’t ask.

"I must thank Ten Noble Son much for today…" she said politely.

"It is I who should thank you," Ning Yunzhao said. Although his voice maintained its warmth, his pacing unknowingly cut her off, as if he wasn’t listening to her.

Miss Jun did not say anything.

The silence made him feel even worse.

"I’ve already asked, and found that Miss Lin received incentive from my little sister to do what happened today," he continued. "Of course, my little sister did not know that she would arrange something like that, but I can’t deny that she wasn’t happy to see Miss Lin do such a thing."

She looked at him, studying his face.

He felt her gaze, but he didn’t show it on his face while impatience grew in his heart.

Don’t you know that looking at someone like this is very rude?

"So Noble Son Ning already knew the truth," Miss Jun said. "To be able to play such an elegant game, as expected you are a light breeze and a clear moon."

From the time he had left the Jinyun Hall and went back to Beiliu and then went back to Yangcheng, he hadn’t stopped at all. Obviously he had a staunch and calm resolution.

Although doing those things wasn’t for her, one’s conducts and deeds could reveal things about the person.

Whether she understood or not, didn’t matter. He lifted up his head, revealing his calm face.

"I came here to apologize for what my little sister has done."

Miss Jun smiled, but did not say anything.

"Of course, an apology must have sincerity. I can let Miss Jun see the sincerity," Ning Yunzhao added.

"Tenth Noble Son, you are very sincere. I can see it already."

She can think what she likes. Anyways, he did what he wanted to do, not because of anything she might think of it

He lowered his gaze, then raised his head again.

"However, was it you who did that to Miss Lin?" he asked.

She was not afraid of talking to people about this. She was about to say something when he spoke first.

"You could have avoided it. There was no need for this," he said.

She smiled.

"Other people harm me, so I shouldn’t harm them?"

He looked at her with a slight frown. This time, she didn’t let him speak, taking the first step.

"As Old Lady said, this was shit." Her lips curled into a smile.

The gentle lamplight landed on her smile and her eyes. She was saying vile words, but it sounded cute.

He avoided her gaze.

"Of course it's shit," he said annoyed. "Shit is also words."

The atmosphere froze.

He felt even more annoyance in his heart. He was a scholar, but scholars could also say profanity, just not in front of girls. That was too profane.

They were not familiar with each other.

"Noble Son Ning," she said solemnly but gently. "This thing annoys me."

[1] Someone is a light breeze and a clear moon: has a noble and benevolent character