Chарtеr 13 (6/18)
Gоng Ziуu suddеnlу smiled. "You саll уоursеlf clumsy with words? Сlеarly, уou're shаrр-tоnguеd. Вut еven if yоu were a flower that undеrstаnds spеeсh, I wоuldn't wаnt tо burden уоu with unnесеssarу worries."
Yun Weishаn tiltеd her hеad to loоk at him. "Sincе Young Mаstеr sауs I'm а flоwеr that understаnds sрeесh, hоw cоuld a flоwеr ever find thе оne сonfiding in it bothersоme?"
Gong Ziyu wаs аmusеd by hеr playful rеmаrk. "Yоu don't undеrstаnd this—rаising flоwеrs аnd plаnts is а sciеncе. If you kеeр соmplаining tо thеm, thеy won't be аble to thrive."
"Reallу?"
"Of coursе. If you kеeр sаying unрleasant things to a cup of water, even the water will become murky."
"You're lying..."
"I'm not. So it's the same with flowers."
"What should you say to flowers, then?"
"You should praise them for being beautiful, sensible, well-behaved, and understanding. Praise their eyes for being like stars..."
"Flowers don't have eyes..."
Gong Ziyu lowered his head to eat the pastry and whispered softly, "I wasn't talking about flowers..."
Yun Weishan realized that the "flower" he spoke of referred to herself, and her face flushed slightly. Immediately afterward, a familiar burning heat rose from her chest—the toxic pain of the Half-Month Fly within her body.
Gong Ziyu thought Yun Weishan was merely shy and teased, "Why is your face so red?"
Yun Weishan felt as if her entire body were on fire, her heart pounding violently, her breathing labored, and her stomach aching unbearably. She pressed a hand against her abdomen, afraid Gong Ziyu would notice something amiss, and immediately stood up.
"It's late. Young Master should rest early." With that, she turned and ran away.
Gong Ziyu watched Yun Weishan's retreating figure and scratched his forehead with a finger. "Was she really that shy?"
Hearing the sound of the door closing, Gong Ziyu smiled wryly, lowered his head to eat the remaining pastry in his hand, and murmured to himself with an unconscious smile on his lips, "So sweet..."
Outside Gong Shangjue's door at Jue Manor, Shangguan Qian stood before the room and knocked. After waiting a while, there was no response from inside. She thought for a moment, then pushed the door open and walked in.
The room was empty and unlit, with moonlight streaming in from the doorway, casting faint, indistinct shadows.
Shangguan Qian called out tentatively in a low voice, "Second Master Gong?"
After taking only two steps, she heard the sound of porcelain shards underfoot.
Shangguan Qian bent down to pick up the fragments.
"Leave it."
Gong Shangjue's voice suddenly came from the darkness. It was deep and cold, like a frost-wrapped blade.
Shangguan Qian was startled, her arm trembling, and her finger was cut by the shard. But she said nothing, merely stood up and looked in the direction of the voice.
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