Chapter 62

His lips didn’t kiss hers.

Wei Luo opened her eyes wider in surprise. If he had dared to kiss her, she would have bitten off his tongue. Unfortunately, before she could do this action, she was torn away from Li Song’s hold by a stronger force. When she opened her eyes, there was a sky blue robe in front of her. She couldn’t see that person’s face and could only feel that person’s arm tightly holding her with oppressive anger.

Zhao Jie had appeared without warning. One hand was around Wei Luo. The other hand was choking Li Song until his blue veins appeared. A layer of haze enveloped Zhao Jie’s face. Word by word, he asked, “Li Song, do you want to die?”

Just now, he had seen Wei Luo suddenly leave from the lakeside and walk towards the bamboo forest by herself. He felt a bit worried. This bamboo forest was vast with a complicated composition. He was worried that she would get lost in the bamboo forest, so he asked Gao Dang Yang and Gao He to entered the bamboo forest from the other side. He hadn’t expected that he would see this scene. Another man was closely holding his girl and was even lowering his head to kiss her. He had desired her lips for so long, but restrained himself from touching it even once. Was Li Song tired of living?

The more that Zhao Jie thought about this, the angrier he became. His slender fingers tightened and almost disconnected Li Song’s bones.

He should have guessed this earlier. Li Song had a hidden ulterior motive towards Wei Luo. They had started their feud as children and their interactions with each other were different than other people’s. It was too easy for deep affection to spawn from this type of situation. If Li Song even realized this slightly, he would start becoming interested in Wei Luo. So, he didn’t want Wei Luo to pay too much attention to Li Song. If she did, then after a while, it would be easy for this attention to give rise to another type of feeling.

He definitely didn’t want to see that day.

He had lifted Li Song up into midair. Li Song’s face was pallid, but he smiled challengingly and disapprovingly, “Prince Jing… do you also want?”

Zhao Jie paused and his gaze became colder.

They were both aware in their hearts that Li Song’s words weren’t in response to his earlier question. Instead, Li Song was asking him, “Do you also want to kiss her?”

Li Song knew his thoughts. When he thought about it, this was normal. When you adore a woman, you would pay close attention to her every word and action, including the men that revolved around her. His treatment of Wei Luo was too special. It was too easy for other people to find out as long as they paid extra attention.

Zhao Jie loosened his hold on him and heavily flung him to the ground. He held Wei Luo’s hand and started walking out of the bamboo forest. As he walked, he ordered, “Zhu Geng, cripple his hands for this prince.”

Zhu Geng had been hidden in the surroundings this entire time. Hearing Zhao Jie’s order, his figure appeared out of thin air in a flash, stood in front of Li Song, nodded and said, “Yes, prince.”

Although Li Song had martial art skills, Zhu Geng was a person who depended his livelihood on his martial art skills. There was still a difference in their skill levels. Zhu Geng threw a punch at him to declare his intention to fight. At first, Li Song was able to meet Zhu Geng’s attacks, but gradually the fight became more difficult and his movements because messy until he didn’t have the leeway to hit back. After another ten moves, he saw that Wei Luo and Zhao Jie’s backs were going farther and farther away. During this moment of distraction, Zhu Geng kicked him a far distance and he heavily hit a bamboo plant!

The bamboo leaves rustled. The bamboo plant was cut off in the middle and fell backwards with a loud crash. Li Song held his chest and heavily coughed. The injury there had just healed. Now that Zhu Geng kicked the injured spot, it was piercingly painful.

He turned his head and spit out a mouthful of blood. Before he was able to feel more at ease, Zhu Geng captured his left hand. In the next moment, a sharp pain came from his wrist. The sound of the bamboo leaves whirling and the water gurgling concealed the sound of his bones breaking. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. With great difficultly, he resisted calling out. His eyes closed and he fell down backwards!

Outside of the bamboo forest, there was a moon gate. After they passed through the moon gate, there was an area that didn’t attract many people’s attention. One side was a pale wall. The other side was the bamboo forest. If it wasn’t because he sometimes deliberately came here, no one usually passed by here.

On the way here, Zhao Jie tightly held Wei Luo’s wrist without speaking.

Wei Luo had followed behind him. She had struggled several times on the way here, but he had held her wrist tighter. His strength was great and he had hurt her wrist. She had raised her voice and called out, “Big brother!” But, he wouldn’t listen to her words and his face was very ugly. She blew out her cheeks and didn’t continue speaking. She could only be patient.

He had probably come to Duke Ding’s residence several times. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so familiar with this place. Wei Luo wasn’t sure about his intentions in bringing her here.

Zhao Jie let go of her wrist, placed both of his hands on the wall behind her, and corralled her into a corner. He lowered his head, stared at her lips, and hoarsely asked, “Did he kiss you?”

There didn’t seem to be a reason for him to ask this question, only his heart knew how much he care about this. He had painstakingly taken care of this girl, had held her in the palm of his hand, and had treated her as treasure for several years. She had grown up to be as tender and lovely as a flower. He couldn’t even bear to touch her and that Li Song had dared to try to kiss her. Right now, he felt that even if he hacked Li Song into mincemeat, it wouldn’t be enough to quell the anger in his heart.

Wei Luo blinked. She didn’t understand his question, so she asked, “Didn’t big brother see? Why are you still asking me?”

He had seen, but he was worried that he hadn’t seen everything. After all, he had arrived late and wasn’t clear about what had happened before he came. What if Li Song had already kissed her? As soon as he thought of this possibility, it was hard to endure. He looked at Wei Luo’s cherry lips, leaned over, and couldn’t help stretching out his thumb to wipe at her petal-like lips. Soon after, his eyes darkened and his thumb went left and right. He wanted to erase any traces of Li Song.

Wei Luo made a quiet noise from his rubbing. She turned her head away because of the discomfort, “What’s big brother doing?”

He didn’t reply and expressionlessly took out his silk handkerchief. He repeatedly wiped her lips. He wouldn’t allow there to be traces of another person on her.

The silk handkerchief hadn’t been moistened and hurt her lips as he wiped. Wei Luo tried to tilt her head to avoid, but he held her chin and wouldn’t let her move.

He hoarsely coaxed her, “Ah Luo, be good. Don’t move.”

But, what exactly did he want to do? Whether or not Li Song kissed her, why did he care so much?

After a while, he finally stopped his hand. Seeing her pink lips swollen from his rubbing, the anger in his heart finally ceased.

His face gradually relaxed. Seeing the girl’s red eyes and unhappy expression, his heart couldn’t help softening and he coaxingly persuaded, “Why are you crying?”

Wei Luo flattened her lips and complained, “Hurts.” Soon after, she pointed at her wrist and then at her mouth, “This hurts. This also hurts.”

He faintly curved his lips. He felt increasingly fond of her cute and spoiled appearance. He held her wrist and said, “Let this prince look…”

As expected, there was a circle of bruises on her delicate wrist. It was recently only a bit red, but it was still increasing in vividness. It was probably because he had been too angry just a moment ago. He had forgotten to control his strength and had actually hurt her. The sharp contrast between the circle of bruises and her skin was a ghastly sight. Her skin was too tender. The slightest touch would redden her skin. He couldn’t help feeling a bit depressed by this. She was so frail. In the future, after she married him, how could he love her dearly without apprehensions? He had waited for so long. He had preserved over twenty years of energy for her. He couldn’t guarantee that he would be able to control himself and not hurt her when the time came.

Zhao Jie softly rubbed those bruises, “Does this hurt?”

Wei Luo pursed her lips and answered his question with another question in an annoyed tone, “What does big brother think?”

As soon as he touched her, she subconsciously shrunk away from him. Her long eyelashes fluttered. She suddenly thought of something, looked up, and asked with misgivings, “Why did big brother appear there?”

He paused and without changing his expression, he said, “I passed by the octagonal pavilion and saw that you were walking to the bamboo forest. That bamboo forest’s paths are complicated and messy, so I was worried that you would get lost.”

Reluctantly, she could accept this excuse. Wei Low slowly said, “Oh.” She didn’t continue her questioning.

They shouldn’t keep standing here. If someone passed by here and saw them, it would be hard to explain.

Zhao Jie felt bad about her wrist and hovered his hand around it. There was already a large bruise forming in that area. If he didn’t take care of the bruise quickly, it might turn purple tomorrow. He led her out of this area and called out to a passing servant to bring medicine. He easily and familiarly walked towards a room and took her inside. After waiting for the servant to bring the medicine, he first warmed up the medicine in his hands, then he carefully applied the medicine onto her wrist.

Zhao Jie would occasionally come to Duke Ding’s residence and could be considered familiar with its layout. This room hadn’t been used by anyone in recent years, but it was still regularly cleaned. The table and chairs were free of dust and the windows on the inside were also clean. It would be fine to stay here for a while.

After he applied the medicine, Zhao Jie stood up, washed his hand, and pretended to inadvertently mention, “Ah Luo, when I passed by the pavilion, why did you ignore this prince?”

Wei Luo’s wrist smelled of medicine. She lifted her wrist to her nose to smell and said without thinking, “Older sister Gao went to look for you.”

He paused, looked at her, and asked, “What does Gao Dan Yang looking for me have to do with you?”

She tilted her head, “Everyone says that you and older sister Gao are a couple.” As she said this, her eyes turned and she seemingly casually said, “You also gave her a pair of jasper bracelets. Older sister Gao showed me them. They look pretty.”

Zhao Jie furrowed his eyebrows and stopped drying his hand, “What bracelets?” He didn’t have the slightest impression of them.

Wei Luo repeated the words that Gao Dan Yang had told her about the bracelets, including the part about listening to musicals. After finishing, she supported her cheeks in her hands and asked, “Big brother, do you have a lot of precious stones in your residence? If you have too many, could you give me some?”

The implication was that he used the same method in coaxing all girls into a happier mood. He didn’t use the slightest new idea. He gave Gao Dan Yang a pair of jasper bracelets and he gave her a turquoise squirrel waist accessory. Although the items were different, the essence was the same.

Zhao Jie didn’t remember this past event until she mentioned this, but he had never given Gao Dan Yang bracelets. He didn’t even have to think to know that this was the masterpiece of Empress Chen. His face didn’t show his unease. Why did Gao Dan Yang tell Wei Luo this? Did she mention this topic without thinking or was she deliberately warning her?

His heart was displeased, but he didn’t show any of this to Wei Luo. After he carefully thought about it and followed the clue, the edges of his lips were overflowing in their curvature. Did she say these words because she cared about him? She didn’t want him to give things to Gao Dang Yang?

Be that as it may, what had to be explained should still be explained, so that she wouldn’t misunderstand. He held back his laughter and said, “I haven’t given her anything. I didn’t give her those bracelets. Ah Luo, this prince has only given you gifts.”

Wei Luo looked at him. Her eyes cleared. A wave of light flashed through her eyes.

She pursed her pink lips and thought of the words that Zhao Liuli had mentioned that day. Zhao Liuli had listed Yang Zhen’s good treatment of her one by one. After she finished listening and seriously thought about it. Hadn’t Zhao Jie done the same things for her that Yang Zhen did for Zhao Liuli? He never had a pleasant face for other people, but he had endless patience for her.

Would he always treat her well? Would he always only treat her well?

She reached out her hand to grab his sleeve. She looked at him with limpid eyes like a deer’s and opened her mouth to say, “Big brother, you…”

Zhao Jie turned back to look at her and waited for her to speak.

She stated, “In the future, you can’t give anyone else gifts or treat anyone else nicely. You’re only allowed to be good to me.”

There was a ripple in Zhao Jie’s dark eyes. He looked at her and slowly asked, “Why?”

Wei Luo hadn’t thought about why. After he asked why, she felt somewhat at a loss

Just as she was about to open her mouth, there was a soft and timid knock on the door.

They both look towards the door and only saw Jin Lu awkwardly standing there. She looked rather cautious as she said, “Miss, Your Highness Prince Jing… seventh young master has been found. Bai Lan took him to the lotus pond behind the bamboo forest. They met Prince Ru Yang’s daughter…”