Wu Li lowered his eyes, watching her play with the fabric with eyes full of joy. He thought to himself: Girls really do like these flashy things.
He could not imagine how anyone in the world could doze off while eating. Her cold and fever had just started to improve, and he was afraid she would fall ill again and delay his upcoming journey, so he had no choice but to go find a blanket for her.
Passing under an eave, he saw an old woman with her head bowed, embroidering cloth. It was said that cross-stitch embroidery was popular in this area, with birds and flowers looking incredibly lifelike. They were often bought by merchants and sold to the Central Plains and Western Regions.
He casually picked up a piece of dark blue fabric and asked for the price. However, the old woman smilingly pulled the piece from his hand and handed him a colorful embroidered blanket instead. Young man, is this for your sweetheart? Little girls all love this kind. It is just a bit more expensive, three taels of silver more than the one you picked up.
Wu Li knew this was just a seller's common pitch. It was just a blanket; as long as it kept the cold out, it was fine. Why be so particular?
But as if possessed, he ultimately bought the expensive one.
At this moment, Chai Xiaomi wrapped the embroidered blanket around her shoulders, leaned close to him, and looked up with sparkling eyes. Wu Li, you specifically picked this gift for me, did you not? You were afraid I would catch a cold.
Wu Li was slightly startled.
The light from outside the eaves slanted onto the tips of the young girl's hair and fell into her clear eyes.
At that moment, he actually felt that spending those extra three taels of silver seemed... quite worth it.
As soon as this thought popped up, he sneered at himself: I must be crazy. What kind of idiot thinks spending more money is a good thing?
So he cast his eyes down at her, his tone laced with his usual impatience. You are overthinking it. I just picked it up by the side of the road. I never bother preparing gifts for anyone.
If you get sick again, do not expect me to carry you on my back. This is the only time; there will not be a next time.
But even though his words were so cold and hard, the eyes looking back at him remained clear and bright, like a murmuring stream in a mountain ravine, gentle and steady, silently reflecting his silhouette.
As Wu Li watched, he suddenly reached out. His fingertips brushed extremely lightly past her lips, plucking away a crumb of sugar that was about to fall.
Is your mouth a sieve? You drop whatever you eat.
The touch lasted only a second, as light as a brushing feather. Chai Xiaomi pursed her lips and wrapped the embroidered blanket around her shoulders even tighter.
A trace of a flutter crossed somewhere deep in her heart. She broke into a bright smile, generously wrapped her arms around Wu Li's arm, pulled him down to sit, and acted coquettishly, Thank you, Husband.
Wu Li sat blankly beside her. The sugar crumb on his fingertip melted, and he gently rubbed it between two fingers; it was sticky against his skin.
A wisp of sweetness seemed to linger in the air, drifting from the melted sugar crumb on his finger.
Wu Li lowered his eyes and gave a light sniff, but it seemed the scent was not coming from there after all.
Seeing Wu Li take his seat calmly, Jiang Zhiyu cast a suspicious glance at his own finger, which had inexplicably caught fire just moments ago. He then looked at the other's composed expression, and doubts began to grow in his heart.
His master had indeed taught him the art of controlling fire.
But that cluster of flames just now had come so abruptly and had absolutely nothing to do with him.
When had he ever cast a spell or chanted an incantation?
As Jiang Zhiyu stared blankly at his fingertips, his left foot was suddenly stepped on by Song Yueyao, not too lightly but not too heavily. The pain made him gasp.
Looking up, he saw Chai Xiaomi looking at him with a face full of confusion, waving her hand with fingers spread wide in front of his eyes.
Brother Yu, Brother Yu?
Chai Xiaomi really could not bring herself to call him Grandpa Jiang. Since the female lead asked her to call her Sister, she simply called Song Yueyao Sister Yao and Jiang Zhiyu Brother Yu.
Unexpectedly, Song Yueyao particularly liked this form of address, so Chai Xiaomi turned around and called Jiang Zhiyu the same way.
Who knew his eyes would glaze over, staring blankly as his mind wandered off to who-knows-where, not responding even after being called a few times.
Jiang Zhiyu suddenly snapped back to reality and responded with a low, Hmm?
Meeting Song Yueyao's gaze from across him, he finally remembered the purpose of his visit: he had come to say goodbye.
Yaoyao was never good at goodbyes, which was why it was up to him to speak.
Being able to escape the plantain spirit's illusion realm this time was all thanks to the phantom color stone that Chai Xiaomi had stolen. Before leaving, he ought to give her a proper farewell.
The sky was high and the sea wide, the mountains long and the waters far; once they parted here, there might not be another chance to meet again.
At this thought, a hint of reluctance surfaced in Jiang Zhiyu's eyes. Even though they had only met a few times, a complex and indescribable emotion lingered in his heart. Xiaomi, we are setting off for Liangya Province today. We came specifically to say goodbye to you and... your husband.
He paused and looked at Wu Li, his tone gentle and well-intentioned. Although this young man had an unpredictable temperament and was hard to get along with, when traveling out in the world, it was always better to make an extra friend than an extra enemy. Wu Li, if you do not mind, you can also follow Xiaomi and call me Brother Jiang. I gained a younger sister today, and as it happens, I am missing a younger brother.
You just come right up and claim a younger brother without even asking his age first? Wu Li picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. He smoothly tossed out the cold tea from the cup in front of Jiang Zhiyu that his fingertips had touched, refilled it with hot tea, and pushed it over.
Jiang Zhiyu politely nodded and took it, but the scalding walls of the cup made him put it down immediately. It was presumptuous of me. Seeing that you and Xiaomi are around the same age, may I ask how old Brother Wu Li is this year?
My husband is eighteen! He is the youngest, he is the maknae! Chai Xiaomi rushed to answer.
Since Jiang Zhiyu had actively extended an olive branch, this was the perfect opportunity for Wu Li to ease tensions with him and forge a friendship.
Perhaps in the future, Wu Li would not turn against the male lead and become enemies over the female lead.
The reason a villain is called a villain is simply because they stand on the opposite side of the protagonist.
If one always stood firmly in the protagonist's camp, even if they committed all sorts of evil deeds, they would eventually be whitewashed into a positive character. They would be accepted by the world and even given a righteous name. This was the most fundamental rule of this world.
Maknae? Jiang Zhiyu felt curious about this unfamiliar word.
I heard it from somewhere else. It is just a title, it means the youngest person in a group, Chai Xiaomi explained, then turned her gaze to Wu Li beside her.
She softened her voice, leaning close to his ear as if coaxing a child, and whispered, Do not always keep a cold face, it makes people afraid to get close to you. I can see that Jiang Zhiyu genuinely wants to make friends with you. It is not easy for everyone to meet, it is so rare. Just accept him as a brother. He is the Young Master of Lingyu Province, after all. When you meet a big shot like that, you have to hold on tight!
That faint, almost imperceptible sweetness drifted over again.
Wu Li tried to find its source, but when he sniffed carefully, there was no trace of it, as if it were just an illusion. He turned his face blankly, meeting Chai Xiaomi's adoring gaze, and his expression suddenly turned cold.
She seemed to particularly admire the title Young Master of Lingyu Province.
Oh? A Young Master. Wu Li lowered his head slightly, his eyes and expression hidden in the shadows, indistinct. He curled his lips into a smirk that was not quite a smile, carrying a shallow mockery.
A bloodthirsty chill flashed deep within his heterochromatic eyes, and the aura around him coiled silently like a venomous snake, making one shudder with fear.
Chai Xiaomi inexplicably felt a wave of bleakness. Just as she was trying to carefully discern the emotion in the depths of his eyes, she saw the smile on Wu Li's lips grow wider. He lifted his head, revealing an incredibly clean and innocent smile.
Brightly and warmly, he called out:
Brother.
Jiang Zhiyu was taken aback. Given Wu Li's previously cold demeanor, he had assumed the chances of them ever getting along were slim, so he never expected the man to address him so naturally.
