On the way to the prefect’s office, Ji Zhaoxi remained unusually quiet.
She had completely lost herself in the realization of how capable she was.
Her martial arts were incredible, and her medical skills were incredible too. Just what would become of her in the future?!
No wonder her father had always refused to let her go out and had insisted that she stay obediently at home. He had probably noticed her talent long ago and was helping her keep a low profile.
After all, having a genius daughter like her would certainly make any father feel a sense of crisis. What if someone snatched her away?
Ji Zhaoxi suddenly felt that she understood her father’s painstaking intentions.
Qin Qiwu was eating a pear when she glanced over and saw that Ji Zhaoxi’s eyes were red. She was startled.
“Miss Ji, why are you crying?”
Ji Zhaoxi wiped away her tears. “I miss my parents. I finally understand them now.”
Qin Qiwu’s eyes reddened as well. She had never expected that after going out for a trip, the rebellious Miss Ji would finally grow up. If the Great General could see Miss Ji like this, he would surely be overjoyed.
Fu Xianyan silently handed Ji Zhaoxi a handkerchief.
Looking at the sickly Fu Xianyan, Ji Zhaoxi suddenly felt that he was rather pitiful.
“I’ll protect you, Fu Xianyan.”
Fu Xianyan looked at her pitying gaze and fell silent for a moment.
Although he had no idea what strange thoughts were running through her head this time, he still nodded.
“Thank you, Miss Ji.”
Just then, the man in black suddenly jerked.
Ji Zhaoxi and Qin Qiwu were both startled.
Ji Zhaoxi frowned deeply. “Stop moving around! You’ll make the carriage overturn!”
Just as Ji Zhaoxi reached out to take a date from the table, the man in black jerked again, sending all the dates tumbling to the floor.
Ji Zhaoxi shouted, “What is wrong with you? I told you not to move!”
Every last date had fallen onto the floor.
Ji Zhaoxi had only just picked them up when the man in black jerked again.
Ji Zhaoxi laughed in exasperation. “Fine, move all you want. You can’t escape anyway.”
Qin Qiwu kindly reminded him, “Black Young Master, you should stop struggling. Miss Ji’s binding technique is very formidable.”
The man in black stared despairingly at the roof of the carriage as tears began to stream down his face.
Was there perhaps a possibility that he had been poisoned by a parasitic spell, and that was why he kept twitching uncontrollably…?
Before long, the man in black started twitching again.
Zhou Cheng wisely kept his mouth shut. He had now realized that these people were simply demons.
Soon, it was Coachwoman Ji’s turn to drive. Fu Xianyan sat beside her, letting the breeze blow over him while feeding her things.
“Dates,” Coachwoman Ji said seriously as she held the reins.
Fu Xianyan handed her a date.
“Pear.”
Fu Xianyan held out the pear and let her take a few bites.
“Water.”
Coachwoman Ji suddenly felt thirsty.
“Here comes the water.”
Fu Xianyan skillfully fed her some water.
Although Ji Zhaoxi was the one driving the carriage, Fu Xianyan was even busier than she was.
Inside the carriage, Xu Ancheng’s face had grown flushed from the sun. He took several large gulps of water, then smiled at the constantly twitching man in black.
“Why does Black Young Master keep twitching?”
Qin Qiwu answered with a smile, “Black Young Master is struggling. Miss Ji already scolded him for it just now.”
Xu Ancheng kindly advised, “Black Young Master, you should stop struggling. Miss Ji tied you up very tightly.”
It must be exhausting to struggle like that, especially in such hot weather. Black Young Master was sweating all over.
The man in black said nothing. He merely continued twitching while silently shedding tears.
He had finally seen through these four people. They used the most innocent tones to say the most vicious things.
The air was thick with heat. Whenever the wind blew, it sent waves of warmth straight into their faces.
Ji Zhaoxi’s mouth was parched from the heat. The sun was practically roasting her alive, and she no longer even felt like speaking. Her entire body had gone limp.
Fu Xianyan sat beside her, his face flushed from the sun as well. He had never been exposed to so much sunlight in his life.
Ever since he was young, he had been raised in darkness, keeping company with poisonous insects.
Now, the heat had left him dizzy and light-headed too…
“Miss Ji, have some water.”
Fu Xianyan handed the water to Ji Zhaoxi and leaned against her shoulder.
He gazed hazily at the air, which seemed to ripple and twist from the heat. Was this what light felt like?
He suddenly felt that he was better suited to remaining in dark places.
Even the cicadas in the trees were chirping feebly.
The inside of the carriage was hardly any better than outside. There was not a sound to be heard. Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng leaned against the carriage walls, too hot to speak.
Because of the heat-absorbing fabric of his clothes, Black Young Master was sweating profusely.
Zhou Cheng silently congratulated himself. Fortunately, he was wearing linen, which was much cooler than what the others had on.
Qin Qiwu suddenly sniffed. “What’s that smell?”
It was stuffy, and a little foul!
Xu Ancheng smelled it too. He opened his eyes blearily and looked toward the source.
Soon, everyone else realized where the smell was coming from as well.
The man in black, stared at by the other three: …
Qin Qiwu coughed and silently turned away.
Xu Ancheng was afraid of hurting the man in black’s pride. He did not dare cover his nose, so he could only lower his head and breathe.
Zhou Cheng quietly turned his head away.
It stank.
The man in black’s face flushed crimson. He really wanted to kill them all. He had never been this humiliated in his entire life!
Coachwoman Ji, who was diligently driving, glanced at Fu Xianyan beside her.
“Fu Xianyan, go inside. It’s too sunny out here.”
Fu Xianyan weakly shook his head.
He suddenly looked up at Ji Zhaoxi. Ji Zhaoxi, who had been looking rather dazed, immediately perked up when she noticed his gaze.
“Miss Ji… aren’t you hot?” Fu Xianyan asked hesitantly.
Ji Zhaoxi’s old stubborn streak flared up again. She raised her voice.
“Hot? This little bit of heat is nothing.”
Fu Xianyan fell silent.
He had spent too many years in dark places. If he could not even withstand this tiny amount of sunlight, how could he stay by her side in the future?
Ji Zhaoxi had no idea that her offhand remark had stirred up such enormous waves in Fu Xianyan’s heart.
Fu Xianyan straightened up and frowned tightly.
He would spend a little longer in the sun. If he stayed out long enough, he would get used to it.
Eventually, Ji Zhaoxi was nearly fainting from the heat. She was just about to call Xu Ancheng out when she noticed Fu Xianyan beside her, still sitting calmly beneath the blazing sun. Her competitive spirit rose as well.
Fu Xianyan’s breathing had grown faint from the heat. He stole a glance at Ji Zhaoxi. There was not a trace of weariness on her face, only determination.
Fu Xianyan gritted his teeth.
Just a little longer.
He had endured so much pain already. What was a little sunlight compared to that?
When Xu Ancheng opened the carriage curtain, he was startled to see two people who had been sunburned until they were red-black.
“Miss Ji! Young Master Fu!”
He hurriedly urged them inside, but the two of them stubbornly refused to go in.
After much coaxing and persuasion, the pair finally entered the carriage.
Qin Qiwu was startled as well when she saw them.
“Miss Ji, you were sunburned this badly and didn’t say a word?”
Ji Zhaoxi stubbornly replied, “Huh? Is it hot?”
Fu Xianyan was silent for a moment before softly saying, “It’s all right.”
Qin Qiwu was now convinced that the two of them had been roasted stupid by the sun. She hurriedly applied medicine to them. When her fingers touched their faces, they were so hot that she nearly got burned.
