Zhao Pei was still in shock and could only breathe hard. She held onto his arm and couldn't say a word. Xiao Yi felt her trembling and frowned as he asked, "What happened?"
"I... I." Zhao Pei panted and hurried to tell him, but she swallowed the thought in her mind, "I, I lost my way. I finally found someone."
Xiao Yi's frown gradually relaxed, and he asked again, "Why are you running?"
"It's a bit eerie here, and there's no one around. I'm scared." Zhao Pei made up a lie that made sense. Xiao Yi looked at her deeply, and then said, "Let's go."
"Why are you here?" Zhao Pei followed him and thought of this question.
Xiao Yi was silent for a long time, as if he was not going to answer. Zhao Pei curled her lips in boredom and turned her head away. He was obviously worried about her but refused to say anything. This man was really... (Music: How do you know he is worried about you? Maybe he just happened to pass by?)
Zhao Pei never understood and could not understand Xiao Yi's heart. He sometimes mocked her, sometimes cared about her, sometimes was indifferent, and sometimes teased her. What kind of emotion was it? She couldn't explain it clearly. Perhaps even Xiao Yi himself couldn't figure it out.
The two walked into the hall and sat down on the seat next to Yun Chang. Yun Chang leaned over and smiled faintly: "Where are your seventh brother and seventh sister?"
Zhao Pei was stuttering and hesitating about what to say, and took a sip of tea to cover up. Then she heard Xiao Yi say lightly: "Peipei is afraid of the dark, I'll take her to the toilet." Zhao Pei almost sprayed the tea on Xiao Yi's face. What is this talking about? Let alone other things, he said those two words lightly and naturally. It was really unworthy of his cold appearance.
Yun Shang was also obviously stunned for a moment, then she covered her lips and smiled softly: "Seventh brother still loves seventh sister."
Xiao Yi did not answer. He glanced at Xiao Tong who was listening to the music attentively beside Yun Shang and started chatting with him, leaving Yun Shang aside, making her very embarrassed.
Zhao Pei watched the two brothers talking happily, sometimes talking about what they had seen and heard in Jingzhou, sometimes talking about poetry and music. Xiao Tong smiled and talked freely, and had regained his usual attitude, even under Zhao Pei's gaze, he was still free and elegant. It seemed that he was not the one who lost his composure on the stage just now.
Look at these two people again, one is bright as the moon, the other is as quiet as the night. One is indifferent and otherworldly, the other is profound and unfathomable. Both are outstanding people, rare talents in the world.
She didn't dare to focus on the conversation between the two, fearing that one of them would reveal something. She turned her head and looked at a dancer on the stage dancing with a sword. He seemed to be only eight or nine years old and not very tall, but he was well-proportioned, and it was not difficult to guess what he would look like in the future. The sword dance was awe-inspiring and majestic. While dancing, she chanted: "Drinking wine and singing, how long is life? Like the morning dew, the past days are full of suffering. I should be generous, and my thoughts are unforgettable. How can I relieve my worries? Only Du Kang. My green collar is lingering in my heart. But for your sake, I have been pondering until now. The deer are calling, eating wild apples. I have guests, playing the harp and blowing the flute. It is as bright as the moon, when can it be picked? Worry comes from it, and it cannot be stopped. Crossing the fields and paths, it is in vain to keep each other. We talked and feasted, but I missed the old kindness. The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the magpies fly south. I circled the tree three times, which branch can I rely on? The mountain is never too high, and the water is never too deep. Zhou Gong spits out food for the guests, and the world is at peace."
The emperor was very happy, and while chatting and laughing with his concubines, he ordered people to give him money. When the boy saw the eunuch bringing a silver tray, he kowtowed happily.
Zhao Pei had no interest in watching the praises and thanksgivings behind her. She looked around boredly and saw Xiao Yuyao sitting upright in her seat. She was dignified and generous, like a noble peony in full bloom. She raised her phoenix eyes slightly and happened to meet Zhao Pei's gaze. Xiao Yuyao smiled at the corner of her mouth and looked at her with an ambiguous look.
Zhao Pei felt guilty and wanted to turn her head away. But she touched her earlobe with her hand and looked at Zhao Pei with a smile. Zhao Pei was slightly stunned and followed her movements to touch her earlobe. Then she was stunned. Her left earlobe was smooth and empty, and the original pearl pendant had fallen off.
When Xiao Yuyao saw that she had noticed, he smiled and looked away.
Zhao Pei's heart was beating fast. When did the earring fall off? She was already feeling guilty, and after Xiao Yuyao's revelation, she was even more confused. Could it be that she had dropped it on the spot and was discovered? What should she do
She stood up in astonishment and wanted to go back to look for it. Yao Yunshang stopped her and asked, "Seventh sister, what's wrong with you? Why are you so flustered?"
As soon as she said this, she attracted the attention of the two men. Zhao Pei bit her lip and explained, "My earring is missing. I'm afraid it fell outside."
Yao Yunshang looked at her and said, "That's right." Seeing how anxious she was, she advised, "Seventh sister, don't worry. Just send someone to look for her. It's cold outside right now. You'd better not go out yourself."
Zhao Pei was eager to get to the bottom of the matter, and still insisted on going out. Xiao Yi looked at her and said indifferently, "Forget it. Don't go out. It's just a pendant. If it falls off, it will fall off."
"What do you know!" Zhao Pei retorted angrily, her heart already in a ball of anxiety. When she found him staring at her coldly, she suddenly realized that she had just lost her composure, and muttered, "It's very important to me." Then, regardless of Yao Yunshang's dissuasion, she left the hall again.
She didn't know that someone followed her out shortly after she went out.
She hurriedly walked through every place she had just passed, searching everywhere. Unfortunately, it was dark and the pendant was not conspicuous, so it was difficult to find. She looked around the corner of the corridor, but there was no earring, but there was no torn skirt either.
A chill spread from my heart to my entire body.
There were hurried footsteps behind her. Zhao Pei's heart was beating fast but she didn't dare to look back.
"Pepe, I've kept you waiting for a long time." A familiar, clear voice sounded. She was slightly startled, and the person had already walked up to her and was looking at her with a warm smile.
She was visibly surprised when she saw his eyes, which were like shining stars. "You, you... why...?" she followed him? Before she could even say these three words, he embraced her. A familiar smell instantly lingered at the tip of her nose.
Zhao Pei came to her senses and quickly reached out to push him hard, shouting, "What are you doing? Let go!"
Xiao Lun did not move, holding her tightly and blowing into her ear as if he were a lover teasing her. But Zhao Pei could clearly hear him whisper, "Don't move. Someone is watching."
She was even more flustered when she heard this. Are you kidding? He was like this when someone was watching him? Wasn't it obvious that he was embarrassing her
Then I heard him say, "You're in trouble again, silly girl. What are you doing here for no reason? Aren't you admitting your guilt?"
Zhao Pei stopped struggling. She immediately understood Xiao Lun's intention. Although she didn't want to do this, she had no other choice. She let him hold her and smiled sweetly, "Why did you come so late? You made me wait so long." Then he asked in a low voice, "You know everything too?"
After saying that, she was already covered in pimples. Xiao Lun smiled and kissed her forehead gently: "Isn't it coming?" She replied softly: "Yes."
Zhao Pei felt a little uncomfortable in his arms, but was touched by his help. She nestled in his arms and murmured, "Sixth Brother, thank you."
"Don't call me Sixth Brother. It changes the meaning completely." Xiao Lun played with her hair on her shoulders with his slender fingers, glanced at the pillars not far away, and said, "Call me Sixth True."
Zhao Pei lowered her head and did not call him as she said. Xiao Lun waited for a while and saw her attitude, then smiled indifferently: "Forget it. Is Seventh Brother treating you well?"
"Not bad." The incoming water does not interfere with the river water.
"That's good." He breathed a sigh of relief and said it again, "That's good."
"What about you? Are you okay?" It was a rare opportunity for Zhao Pei to be alone with him like this.
"As you can see, it's not bad. But I'm going to Yangzhou in a few months." Xiao Lun looked at her with a smile, "Will you see me off?"
Zhao Pei didn't answer. It's not like I can just give it to you just because I want to. It's better not to make a promise first. He is a person who likes to be serious. Zhao Pei looked up at him and smiled, "Yangzhou is rich in beauties, but you should not be so happy that you forget about other places."
"No." Xiao Lun raised his eyes and looked there again, kissed her lightly on the face affectionately, and then stepped back.
"Have you left?" Zhao Pei didn't dare to look back.
"Yeah, they've all left." Xiao Lun replied casually.
Zhao Pei stretched her muscles. She had been frozen in his arms for a while, not daring to move. She felt uncomfortable all over. When she heard the word "all", she immediately asked, "All? There are many people?"
Xiao Lun realized that he had let the cat out of the bag and quickly explained, "It was her two subordinates." Zhao Pei nodded in understanding.
——————————————
Yao Yunshang saw Xiao Yi return to his seat with a cold face, but Zhao Pei was not beside him. She couldn't help but ask, "Didn't Seventh Brother find Seventh Sister?"
Xiao Yi looked quite embarrassed and nodded silently.
Yun Shang consoled him, "Seventh brother, don't worry too much. Seventh sister will come back after she finds the place. Oh, look, she's back just as she said she would."
Xiao Yi turned around and saw Zhao Pei sitting down with a wry smile, her face slightly pale from the cold wind. Yun Chang smiled and said, "Seventh sister, you are back? Seventh brother just went to..." Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Xiao Yi, "Did you find it?"
Zhao Pei shrugged: "No. Never mind, I won't look for it anymore." She smiled at him but saw Xiao Yi's frosty face. She thought to herself, who has provoked him again
Xiao Tong saw all this, and then looked at Xiao Lun's empty seat, and immediately understood. (To be continued)