The room fell silent for a moment.
Mingyi hid behind the screen, carefully observing the two men.
Ji Bozhai looked puzzled, but his hands had subtly tensed, clearly prepared for a fight. His tall stature alone exuded an intimidating presence.
As for Yan An, his anger was evident, but his martial skills were lacking, leaving him full of openings.
"Do you dare face my father's memorial tablet?" Yan An demanded bitterly.
Ji Bozhai chuckled, "What, does it have erotic paintings on it?"
Mingyi: "..." That mouth truly had no filter.
Veins bulged on Yan An's forehead as he roared and lunged forward, summoning a powerful Essence Power formation that descended like a golden bell, trapping Ji Bozhai within.
For his age, such Essence Power was impressive. However, Ji Bozhai was renowned for his formidable abilities. With a mere flick of his wrist, a streak of violet-gold light shattered the formation into a shower of golden dust.
"Instead of wasting energy on baseless accusations, you'd do better to train harder," Ji Bozhai remarked coolly. "That way, when you find the real culprit, you won't become the third victim."
Truth be told, his effortless victory while remaining seated was both awe-inspiring and infuriatingly charming. Sunlight streamed through the latticed windows of the private room, casting a divine glow on his shoulders like the wings of a celestial being.
Yan An's eyes reddened as he panted heavily, glaring at Ji Bozhai like an enraged young bull.
Seeing that her patron was clearly winning, Mingyi adjusted her hairpin and dress before calmly returning to Ji Bozhai's side. "Gentlemen, let's not escalate this. There must be some misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding? Of all the people who had grievances with my father, you're the only one, Ji Bozhai!" Yan An refused to back down, pointing accusingly. "Others might not know, but don't think I don't. You've always blamed my father for misdiagnosing the Meng Family, holding onto that grudge for years. Now you've finally seized the chance for revenge, haven't you?"
Ji Bozhai raised an amused brow. "Which Meng Family are you talking about?"
"Stop playing dumb! I saw you in the Meng Family's backyard when I was a child!"
"Oh?" Ji Bozhai stood, leisurely wrapping an arm around Mingyi's waist as he stepped closer, his gaze fixed on Yan An. "I grew up in the Slave Arena. Which Meng Family's backyard did you supposedly see me in?"
His oppressive aura was unmistakable. Standing beside him, Mingyi clearly saw the momentary confusion in Yan An's eyes.
So he had mistaken the wrong person?
She had suspected as much. During the banquet, she had been by Ji Bozhai's side the entire time—between drinking and flirting with the Dancing Girls, he had been far too occupied to commit murder.
Shaking her head, Mingyi softened her voice to mediate. "The Adjudicator will investigate the murder. If word gets out that you acted rashly, it won't reflect well on you. Since we've met by chance today, why not sit down and share some tea?"
"Tea with him? Never!" Yan An's fury reignited as he glared at Ji Bozhai. "This murder is definitely linked to you. Just wait—I'm going straight to the Adjudicator."
Ji Bozhai watched him leave with the look of someone humoring a fool, making no move to stop him.
"Sir, this..." Mingyi blinked uncertainly.
"Let him go," Ji Bozhai waved dismissively. "The Adjudicator isn't a fool after years of handling cases. He won't buy into such nonsense."
Then he glanced down at her, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Why did you come back? Weren’t you running away just moments ago?"She covered her lips and laughed guiltily, "My lord, what are you saying? How could this servant run away? I was just checking if there was an escape route behind the screen, so in case of any trouble, I could lead you to safety."
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "And how did that go? Did you find an escape route?"
Giggling, she nestled closer to him. "After looking around, this servant realized that you are the safest escape route of all. As long as I'm by your side, I have nothing to fear."
What a smooth-talking little thing.
With a soft hum, he pinched her tender cheek and led her back to the beast-drawn carriage.
The gold bars were heavy, too much for Mingyi to carry, so she could only sprawl over the chest, delightedly looking left and right.
"My lord, do all these belong to this servant now?"
"Can I use them to buy jewelry? Or maybe a courtyard?"
"You're giving me so much at once—aren't you afraid I'll run away?"
Chirping away like a little sparrow.
Ji Bozhai found it amusing and finally understood why Granny Xun had called her noisy. When this girl was happy, she talked nonstop, as if she could go on forever.
"My lord, since you don't hold an official position, what will you do if you give all your gold to me?" she pondered with a worried frown.
He chuckled and played along, "Then you can just return it all to me."
"No way," she said with utmost seriousness. "Gold can't satisfy hunger. Wait here, my lord—this servant will go buy you some flatbread."
Street-side flatbread was dirt cheap. She didn’t even need to open the chest, fishing out two copper coins to make the purchase.
Ji Bozhai rolled his eyes and lazily leaned back in the carriage to wait for her. He wanted to call her stingy, but her small hands were so delicate and fair, clutching those two coins in a way that was oddly endearing. She returned with a scallion pancake, so hot she kept switching it between hands, blowing on it while pinching her earlobes, then sticking her tongue out at him from afar.
He couldn’t help but watch her a little longer.
That pink little tongue, her bright and dazzling dress—amid the dull, dusty street, she was the most radiant and captivating.
Ah, well, he thought. So what if she’s a little greedy? Da Si was right—it’s better for a person to have vices than none at all.
"My lord, this shop makes the best pancakes," she said cheerfully, settling back beside him and handing him half. "Try it."
Freshly made, the scallion pancake was fragrant and crispy. Ji Bozhai took a couple of bites and nodded slightly.
"Good, right? Back when I lived on this street, I craved their pancakes the most." She took a big bite herself, closing her eyes in satisfaction. "Now I can eat as many as I want. How wonderful."
Casually, he asked, "You used to live on this street?"
"More like scraped by on this street," she replied with a smile, gesturing to indicate her height back then. "I was this tiny, and so skinny. Couldn’t even beg for many coins. Every time I passed by, I could only smell the aroma."
Ji Bozhai paused mid-chew and glanced at her.
She didn’t seem bothered by those memories at all, nor did she try to milk his sympathy with tears. She spoke of it as if it were just ordinary small talk. "Once this servant can afford a house, I’ll buy one near here. Then I can step out every day and buy a pancake."
Something stirred in his chest. Ji Bozhai gave a noncommittal hum and gently stroked the ends of her hair.
Every man harbors some heroism. A woman who needed saving was far more alluring than one who was merely beautiful.
Suddenly, he was intensely curious about what she had endured in the past.
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