Zhao Wujiu had commanded troops for many years, his orders were strictly followed. Usually, a single intimidating glance from him was enough to make his subordinates feel uneasy, prompting them to reflect on whether their advice or actions had been inappropriate.
His prestige in the army was not due to his status, but stemmed from years of leading from the front and masterminding strategies. However, it seemed less effective when dealing with a tough character like Bai Shiqi.
Bai Shiqi was not afraid of him. She pretended not to understand his intimidating glare and instead chatted eloquently about the local customs along the canal route, enthusiastically inviting him: "Cousin, staying cooped up in the cabin all the time isn't good for your health. When we reach the next town to replenish the ship's supplies of fruits, vegetables, and grains, why don't we go ashore for a stroll?"
Zhao Ziheng's face darkened: Cousin's legs... brother, are you completely tactless?
After Zhao Wujiu lost sensation in his legs, he refused to attend even the banquets held by the Empress in the palace, shutting his doors to visitors. Apart from the imperial physicians, no outsiders were allowed to see him.
Shu Changfeng stood by, holding his breath, looking tense. He could foresee Bai Shiqi being rejected, but he didn't know if it would provoke his master's wrath.
Zhao Wujiu's sharp gaze swept over his own legs, then met Bai Shiqi's eyes directly.
He very much wanted to know whether this glib-tongued young man before him was sincerely inviting him or taking the opportunity to mock his inability to walk.
Bai Shiqi's eyes were as bright as stars, complemented by red lips and white teeth—a truly handsome appearance. Her words were also very pleasing to the ear: "The scenery on both banks of the canal varies. Being stuck on this grain transport ship, seeing the same faces every day gets tiresome. Going ashore for a walk, tasting local delicacies, and listening to some tunes—nothing could be more carefree."
Zhao Wujiu could see not a trace of mockery in her eyes. Her tone was utterly ordinary, and she seemed to completely overlook the fact that he was in a wheelchair.
"Can someone like me just 'stroll around'?" He felt uncomfortable, his tone less than peaceful.
Bai Shiqi looked genuinely puzzled: "Why not? Riding in a wheelchair is much more comfortable than walking on two legs." She leaned in closer to look: "Is the wheelchair broken?" Somehow, she produced a sheathed dagger and began tapping and knocking on the wheelchair.
The room suddenly fell into silence.
Zhao Ziheng was dumbfounded. He really wanted to pull his foolish brother back to avoid getting kicked away by his cousin, but remembering the misery of doing horse stance alone, he silently suppressed the urge to intervene.
Shu Changfeng was even more astonished.
Zhao Wujiu was not an approachable person; to some extent, he could even be described as extremely cold, disciplined, and self-restrained.
In this short time, Bai Shiqi had already checked from the left wheel of the wheelchair to the right, then moved to the front, lifting the blanket covering Zhao Wujiu's feet, trying to examine the structure beneath the footrest.
She was leaning extremely close. Zhao Wujiu looked down, his gaze just falling on her face. He was surprised to find that her eyelashes were both thick and curled. He moved the wheels, initially intending to roll backward, but his mind was momentarily distracted, making a rare mistake—he actually drove the wheelchair forward. Caught completely off guard, Bai Shiqi's head bumped against his knee. As she was about to fall backward, he pulled her, making the mistake even worse—she plunged headfirst into his arms.
Zhao Ziheng: "..."
Shu Changfeng: "..."
Zhao Wujiu himself was also astonished by this turn of events. He intensely disliked others being close to him and had no habit of intimate physical contact with people. His precisely calculating brain paused for a moment before he mercilessly pushed against the shoulders of the person in his arms.
As Bai Shiqi tried to get up, her buttocks sank, lowering her body. Just as she raised her head, her face collided with Zhao Wujiu's rough palm...
Zhao Ziheng covered his eyes and let out a strange cry, full of righteous indignation: "Cousin, I finally understand why you've refused to marry all these years! Even if you prefer men, you can't just make a move on my brother?!"
Shu Changfeng: "..."
Shu Changfeng was deeply stunned by the series of coincidences and Zhao Ziheng's statement, unable to utter any further words.
From an observer's perspective, what happened was that Bai Shiqi had been checking the wheelchair from the front, and then... was pulled into the master's arms by him. That alone was shocking enough. But when Bai Shiqi looked up, the master actually... actually touched the young man's face...
This preference was not good!
Zhao Wujiu: "Shut up!"
The facts Zhao Ziheng saw were roughly the same as what Shu Changfeng saw. In that instant, he was even moved by his own noble integrity—Bai Shiqi, you little rascal, you refuse to share good fortune with me, yet I still damn well consider you a brother and offend my cousin for you!
Bai Shiqi was still squatting on the ground, turning her head to look at him in astonishment, deeply impressed by his train of thought—this guy had probably visited male brothels, his mind full of strange ideas.
But her astonished expression, in Zhao Ziheng's eyes, was the shocked and humiliated look of someone who had just been frivolously teased by his cousin. Recalling the past of their acquaintance and understanding, Zhao Ziheng thought heroically: Even if my cousin has immense power, I cannot let my brother be dishonored!
Introducing Bai Shiqi to Zhao Wujiu was his idea, and he was the one who brought her onto the ship, so he should be responsible for Bai Shiqi's innocence. Indignantly, he assumed the posture of someone about to beat a drum to appeal for justice: "Even though you hold a noble status, cousin, you can't just bully my brother, can you?" He bent down, grabbed Bai Shiqi's hand, and pulled her out angrily: "Don't be afraid, Shiqi! I'll handle everything!"
The two of them swept out of the cabin like a whirlwind, leaving only master and servant, Shu Changfeng, staring at each other, wide-eyed.
Shu Changfeng: "If there's nothing else, this subordinate will take his leave." He swiftly made his exit.
Only Zhao Wujiu remained in the cabin. Hearing the footsteps outside, he moved his wheelchair close to the cabin wall adjacent to Bai Shiqi's room. Expressionlessly, he pulled out a device resembling a copper bell from a hidden compartment in the wheelchair and pressed it against the wall.
Zhao Ziheng pulled the person into the neighboring cabin. Only then did Bai Shiqi shake off his arm and say in a lowered voice: "Alright, enough, brother! Any more acting and it'll be overdone. You caused this scene with your cousin just so you wouldn't have to get up for horse stance tomorrow morning, right?"
"Nonsense!" Zhao Ziheng also defended himself in a hushed, shameless tone: "I offended my cousin for the sake of my brother, and you not only show no gratitude but even slander me!" Under Bai Shiqi's knowing gaze, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed: "Stabbing myself for you is true, but by the way... letting my cousin feel my anger might just spare me from the horse stance tomorrow."
Bai Shiqi scoffed: "I knew you were planning for yourself!"
Zhao Ziheng lay back on the bed, humming comfortably, and began discussing Zhao Wujiu at length: "You don't know, my cousin is a cold person. There are many of us cousins, but he's the only one who's hard to get close to. He's getting on in years, busy with state affairs and still unmarried. His parents are worried sick. And on top of that, he injured his legs. Really bad luck."
Bai Shiqi: "I wanted to ask earlier. You keep saying your cousin is of noble status, and then you say he's busy with state affairs. Just how noble is he?" The two had known each other for years. He had always boasted extravagantly about being immensely wealthy, so Bai Shiqi took him for a rich playboy. But since he had such a high-status cousin, his own status couldn't be low either.
