Zheng Xiao Mistake: The Mistake of Rebirth Provoked the Cold Master

There is nothing important except life and death.

Therefore, Zhu Zheng had a very clear view of the poetry gathering. She and Rong Yan were strangers who had nothing to do with each other. The small encounter at that moment was already regarded as the price of a new life. It was not a question of whether to ask for marriage or not.

Wen Boqiu's face flushed red, and it seemed that he had already imagined the scenario of meeting the wrong person and then being abandoned.

Zhu Zheng paused and gave a dry laugh.

"he died."

After saying this, he realized he shouldn't laugh, and quickly forced himself to press down the corners of his mouth.

In Wen Boqiu's eyes, it turned into a forced smile to cover up the sadness in his heart.

From time to time in the distance, the sound of "The Unicorn Bag" being sung on the stage could be heard, with the mournful and lingering voice singing the line "Looking back at the prosperous times, it seems like a fleeting dream, and the remaining life is left to the raging waves."

The lingering sound was gentle and moving, making the atmosphere between the two people even more complicated and confusing.

Wen Boqiu lowered his head and was silent for a long time, then suddenly whispered something.

"My mother once said that the dead can never win against the living."

The lyrics of the stage, which were full of pretentious anger and slight joy, drowned out Wen Boqiu's voice. Zhu Zheng didn't hear clearly and asked, "What?"

Wen Boqiu raised his voice and continued, "Or does the fourth lady want to remain faithful to him?"

Zhu Zheng sneered. What's the point of being so chaste? Why is she keeping her principles...

If the gifted Grand Tutor unfortunately passed away, those who were eager to remain faithful to him would probably be scattered all over Dayong, from the imperial city to the streets, and it would not even be her turn in line.

Wen Boqiu's inexplicable words, coupled with the noisy stage, made Zhu Zheng's head a mess.

"Anyway, I have no intention of hiding anything. If you mind..." She got back to the topic.

Wen Boqiu looked gloomy, "How can I care?"

"Then..." Zhu Zheng easily understood his implication and said slowly, "Does Master Wen want this position?"

Wen Boqiu's expression changed slightly, and he asked in disbelief, "Miss Zhu, what do you mean..."

"I just said that you are a trustworthy person. The recent interactions between you and me have been inappropriate, which must have caused you to speculate. Today I can tell you frankly that I have no intention of indulging in petty love affairs. All I want is a roof over my head. Right now, I am interested in the Zhenguo Mansion."

Zhu Zheng's face was calm, his tone was calm, and he wrapped his purpose in obscure yet straightforward words.

"It is difficult to express my feelings, so I can only say this much for now. As for the meaning and benefits of this, I will leave it to you, Master Wen, to think about it yourself."

Wen Boqiu seemed to have disappeared into the clouds, stunned by Zhu Zheng's words.

His expression changed several times, and finally he grabbed her sleeve randomly, then quickly let go.

"Okay, I'll think about it carefully."

Zhu Zheng glanced at the crowd in the distance and saw Old Madam Zhu chatting with everyone.

One of the two young masters in the mansion died while riding a horse, and the other had a stroke while riding a horse. I really don't know where my grandmother found so much to talk about.

A group of eyes looked at the old woman who was trying hard to maintain her dignity with either amusement or sympathy.

She was silent for a while, then added, "What we said today is that I trust you. If I hear it from someone else in the future, I will never admit it, and I will never see you again."

"I can be trusted." Wen Boqiu assured, "I will never let you down!"

After going through the standard process of private transfer, Zhu Zheng felt inexplicably sad. If she hadn't misunderstood the wrong person, marrying Wen Boqiu might not be a bad choice for her in this life.

But now...

But the little girl's sadness only lasted for a moment. The two lives were filled with coincidences, which showed that they were not destined to be together and there was nothing to regret.

Zhu Zheng never expected to have someone to rely on for her whole life by marrying someone. She wanted the big tree of the Zhenguo Mansion just to get through the stage of offering sacrifices to Gong Yixiu's rebellion.

As for future protection, she knows better than anyone that it is better to rely on oneself than on others.

"Yeah." Zhu Zhengyi nodded and smiled at him again, "Go back first."

He turned around obediently, took a few steps, turned back to look at her, and added solemnly.

"To the Fourth Miss! I will definitely come to visit you within five days at the latest."

*

Zhu Zheng took a secluded path and glanced casually when passing by Changqing Palace. She saw a figure standing tall on the steps, with his clothes fluttering in the wind.

He stopped and his eyes met Zhu Zheng's.

The already unpredictable expression of the Grand Tutor appeared even more stern, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were calm yet cold, as if they could freeze the air around them.

Zhu Zheng's intuition told her that this was what Rong Yan looked like when he was angry.

The two were not far away from each other. Zhu Zheng was startled and subconsciously turned around to run away. Just as she took a step, her arm was pulled from behind and suddenly pulled into his arms. A faint smell of alcohol wafted into her nose.

"Sir..." Zhu Zheng's mind went blank for a moment, and she finally found her voice in confusion, "Have you been drinking?"

Rong Yan answered her with actions. His body was slightly tilted, as if he had lost his support and was completely leaning on the small body in his arms.

"Where have you been?" His voice was a little unclear and sounded behind her ears.

As the saying goes, don't argue with a drunk. Zhu Zheng was even glad that he was not sober, as it would have been much easier to get away.

She tried to break free from his grip, but he held her tightly, mumbling, "Let me lean on you for a while, I feel dizzy."

Zhu Zheng found it hard to imagine Rong Yan, with this distinguished face, drinking heavily at a banquet. In her imagination, the Grand Tutor only needed to drink the east wind and dew, and had nothing to do with sensual pleasures, wine and women.

With such a far-fetched idea, Zhu Zheng couldn't help but be curious, "Did the master drink alone? Or was he drunk like this by someone's toast?"

Rong Yan nodded, rubbing his chin against her face slightly, "Hmm..."

She was clearly asking a question, um what um...

The two people were so close that it felt as if a light feather was brushing across their ears. The low and hoarse voice tinged with drunkenness penetrated into their ears, stirring up a faint itchy sensation.

"Where is your attendant? Why isn't he following you?" Zhu Zheng had to ask the most important questions. She remembered that there was a strong, round-faced young boy who often followed him with a smile on his face. His name seemed to be Liufeng.

Rong Yan seemed not to hear her words, as if he was already drunk.

She tentatively pushed him out, and his tall body staggered and was about to fall backwards.

There were rugged rockeries behind them, and Zhu Zheng was so frightened that she quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

This time he lay back on Zhu Zheng's shoulders and hugged her tightly.

In a dilemma, Zhu Zheng thought about just letting go of him and throwing him to the ground.

But then she thought again, not to mention if something happened to her, would she become a criminal of Dayong? Even if she just left him here to sleep, the last person he saw before he closed his eyes was her. Wouldn't he hate her when he woke up...

I really should have eaten soap cakes at home today!

It is said that carrying a drunk person is like carrying a mountain. Zhu Zheng took a long time to create some distance between them. She put him on her shoulder with one hand and supported his body to stand up straight, but Rong Yan on her back kept sliding down. She had no choice but to hold his waist tightly so that she could gain leverage.

This mountain is made of glazed jade. Zhu Zheng had difficulty walking, fearing that he would fall and get hurt if he made a mistake.

But Dayushan himself was completely unconscious, with his entire body almost lying on her back, as if ready to crush her at any time.

This place was still some distance from the guest hall, and Zhu Zheng could only endure his nagging and drag him forward staggeringly.

After much difficulty, they made it to Chengyi Palace and dragged him to the couch. As soon as they relaxed their strength, the Glazed Jade Mountain finally collapsed with Zhu Zheng on top of it.

Zhu Zheng's mind was blank. She was already exhausted from dragging someone for such a long distance, and she was nearly crushed to death by him. It took her a long time to catch her breath.

Her neck was against his straight nose, and the light but hot breath hit her ears. The strong plum fragrance mixed with the smell of wine surrounded her, as if she was in the endless snowy mountains, drinking a pot of wine alone under the cold plum tree.

"Why..." He suddenly spoke, his voice as ethereal as the breeze.

Zhu Zheng's face was tickled by his blowing, and she couldn't help but lower her voice, "Why?"

He muttered, "Why can't I find you..."

Zhu Zheng felt guilty for a moment and wanted to explain properly, but then she remembered that he probably wouldn't listen, so she pushed him away and only said, "You should have a good rest..."

After saying that, he wanted to get up and leave.

However, Rong Yan suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, pressing it on the couch with his backhand. Zhu Zheng's heart tightened and she tried to break free from his hand, but he held it tightly.

The alcohol made Rong Yan's eyes a little red, and his gloomy eyes stared at Zhu Zheng.

"Don't be with him."

"With whom?" Zhu Zheng was puzzled.

He closed his eyes, his long eyelashes cast a shadow, his brows were furrowed, and one hand was placed on his brow bone and rubbed heavily, as if he was enduring some pain.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhu Zheng tried to pull her hand back and whispered, "I'm not you. I can be with whoever I want or not with whoever I want."

But he held her tighter, "...I'm not much older than you."

The incoherent words flashed through Zhu Zheng's mind, reminding her of many ordinary scenes, like the first acquaintance of a young boy and a young girl, or the casual chat between colleagues.

Rong Yan, who Zhu Zheng had always regarded as a powerful senior, suddenly became less unattainable. Zhu Zheng felt inexplicably warm in her heart, "Not many years old, how old is that?"

Rong Yan closed his eyes again, "...I don't know."

Zhu Zheng asked curiously, "How could you not know?"

He was silent for a moment, and finally repeated it in a low voice.

"I do not know."