Chao HuiBo and Chao MeiHua also quickly greeted the newly arrived Ji SongLi, despite the latter's lack of interest towards them. Ji SongLi only greeted He Shan and Sun Chen, who were still staring at him dumbfounded.
After all, the last time they had seen him, he was still lying on the bed like a cabbage. Nevertheless, the both of them tactfully stepped aside, noticing the young man's unyielding gaze towards the young woman previously hidden behind their bodies.
Ji SongLi sheathed his sword on his belt and stepped forward, only stopping an arm's length from YuLan.
His eyes anxiously darted from the top of her hair to the tip of her shoes, wanting to check every inch of her, making sure she was not injured or slighted in anyway.
She could only frown at him, her own lips pursed in straight line. The jumbled of emotions behind her own calm façade could only be felt by herself.
There was a myriad of feelings: relief, vexation, anger.
Only when he was sure she had not been harmed in the slightest, he finally let out a soft relieved sigh and smiled. It was the usual gentle soft smile. Yet, his heated gaze was unrestrained, as though he wanted to imprint her very existence into him.
Everyone else was starting to feel uncomfortable after a few moments of silence. He Shan finally coughed and asked Chao HuiBo in his attempt to dispel the awkwardness,
"Ah, Young Master Chao... . What did you say about an issue that is related to us as well?"
Chao HuiBo shifted his uncomfortable gaze towards Ji SongLi and Bai YuLan, who were still in their own staring contest. He could not help but to also let out a nervous cough,
"Ah, we were just from Old Master Liu YangHuan's estate. As soon as the court was over, along with the Second Prince and the Third Prince, and vice-commander Zhen, I wanted to pay a visit to the Ji family,"
Chao HuiBo glanced at YuLan.
He actually only wanted to pay a visit to this particular person.
"But the whole estate was in chaos... . Young Master Ji had gone missing... ." Chao HuiBo trailed off his last words silently. The missing person was now with them, what else could he say?
The Crown Prince still had to recuperate in his own fief after the last qi transfer. Chao MeiHua and Princess Zhang XiuYa tagged along. Chao HuiBo was not an idiot to not know who exactly the two young ladies wanted to see at Liu YangHuan's estate.
"And now, he is clearly here, looking very well..."
He Shan and Sun Chen also returned their gaze towards Ji SongLi. The previously sharp mighty looking Young Master with a sword, was now looking like a puppy at YuLan's intended disregard at him. Ji SongLi wanted to carry the herbal pouch still in her hands, but she just shifted her body to avoid his reach.
And was she... actually pouting?
They could understand her irritation, though.
How could a man who was so close to death's door now just bustle along in the streets unconcernedly? It was clear his sole purpose was just to find YuLan; from his current body language and his clear lack of interest towards of everyone else – despite the burning gaze Princess Zhang XiuYa constantly gave him. The Princess even uncovered her veil, for all deities' sakes! She clearly wanted to charm him with her beautiful face.
He Shan and Sun Chen could not help but to light a candle in their hearts towards the blatantly-ignored Princess.
"Not that she would have any chance to begin with, even if she were to be a bit nicer towards YuLan..."
A harried sound of horses' hooves was heard, then a screeching voice of the beasts as they were reigned suddenly.
Zhen BuFeng and Second Prince Zhang JunLi dismounted from their horses.
Striding in wide steps toward Ji SongLi, Zhen BuFeng growled, "You~!!"
He could not believe his eyes. Even amidst his daily chores, he could not stop worrying about Ji SongLi. And now the culprit, this pr previously bed-ridden man, was walking around without the slightest care in the world.
Ji SongLi shrugged lightly with a small sheepish grin, "Sorry, BuFeng."
Ji SongLi felt guilty to have caused his older friend worry, that was not a lie. However, as soon as he opened his eyes, he did not even think to eat or drink despite having been unconscious for quite some time.
Strangely, the qi inside his body was overflowing, he had never felt as strong as he did as soon as he was awakened. The consciousness was sudden, but when he tried to regulate his energy, he actually could not feel the slightest trace of poison he knew he had contracted so heavily. He did not know what kind of miracle, or what kind of drugs administered to him when he was out cold, but he certainly would not complain.
His first thought was that he wanted to see YuLan. Thus, he immediately set off to find her and he did. In fact, he was glad that he went out to try to find her, having seen earlier what she was about to be subjected to. He had no doubt He Shan and Sun Chen would do their best to protect her; but under pressure of an Imperial Family's members, sometimes, all the words in the world would most likely mean nothing.
"Everyone has been looking for you, SongLi," Zhang JunLi also added, exasperated, "Why did you just disappear without telling anyone at all?"
The Third Prince Zhang GuoFu had stayed behind to calm the panicking Wu JianRui, Hai FenChu, and Ji LanBai for his disappearance.
"BuFeng," YuLan calmly walked towards Zhen BuFeng. In her distorted state of upset, she forgot to address him by his title despite being in public, "Please accompany us home."
Still, she said that to interrupt Zhen BuFeng's irritation towards SongLi. Although she was also feeling upset, she did not want Zhen BuFeng to aggravate Ji SongLi further. Until further examination by the Imperial Physician, it would be best to return quickly and monitor Ji SongLi closely.
Zhen BuFeng sighed and after glancing angrily at SongLi for one last time - who was looking downcast now under his scrutiny and YuLan's indifference – he mounted his horse.
Ji SongLi's own horse was not far from Zhen BuFeng's, and he followed YuLan towards it. As soon as they were near, he offered his hand to help her onto his horse.
YuLan looked at him, her own hands still withheld under her sleeves. She curled her lips slightly as she turned on her heels and walked towards Zhen BuFeng,
"BuFeng." She looked up at the vice-commander of the Wolf army, who was still stationary on his horse, ""Can you share your horse with me?"
The stern looking vice-commander finally let out a smile and lifted her up effortlessly from the top of his horse.
Ji SongLi blinked for a second, before quickly also mounting his own horse and chase after them.
"YuLan, I am sorry," SongLi said, while looking at her body that was tightly plastered against Zhen BuFeng's. Nevertheless, he could not say anything to dispel his discomfort of the pair's close proximity to each other.
"What are you sorry for?" She stared ahead, refusing to meet his gaze.
Ji SongLi felt more wretched than ever, "..."
Zhen BuFeng glared at him before urging his horse to go faster, "You should be sorry, you idiot!"
Poor Zhang JunLi who was ignored, could only immediately mount his horse to follow them from behind.
The people who were left behind could only glance at each other.
More pitifully, Princess Zhang XiuYa bit her lower lips in grievance. Her watery eyes became more moist as she tried to hold back her tears from flowing.
She was upset, she felt humiliated.
Since being born until this moment, she never had to beg or try hard for a man's attention. Ever since she entered her puberty years, as a highly-ranked Princess and one of most well-known young beauties in the Empire, she had always been coveted by many. All she needed to do was to point her fingers, and noble sons would go out of their way to give her what she wanted.
But from start to finish, the other man refused to acknowledge her existence.
She dejectedly boarded her carriage.
Perhaps, it was time to make a formal request to her Imperial Uncle.
"What this Princess wants to get, she will get."
Chao MeiHua also had her wistful eyes on the white-blue colored robe figure, now getting smaller in the distance. She had also removed her own veil ever since Ji SongLi made his appearance. Chao HuiBo noticed the longing in his sister's eyes. He sighed in melancholy, not only for his sister, but for himself as well.
"MeiHua, a smart person knows when to give up. Time should not be wasted to obtain what one could not possibly obtain," he spoke to his sister.
He would be a fool to not notice that the Young Master Ji only had eyes for Bai YuLan. And from her interaction towards Ji SongLi, Chao HuiBo could tell that her level of concern towards the latter would at least be more than her towards himself and other males.
Chao MeiHua would only be building heartache if she were to persist in her feeling. But the young woman only straightened her posture as she walked towards her own carriage and boarded it, "Perhaps so, dear brother. But as long as the red ribbons are not tied yet1signifying marriage, this one will not give up."
After the curtains on her carriage were closed, Chao HuiBo mounted his own horse after saying goodbye to He Shan and Sun Chen. They would return to their own residence. Ji SongLi had been found, and whatever arguments happening in the Ji family would not be of their concern to be involved further.
Chao HuiBo sighed, "Hence why females are much stronger... . I don't know if you and the Princess are truly foolish, or if I should admire you both..."
When everyone was gone, He Shan and Sun Chen could only look at each other.
"So, I guess we just walk back?" He Shan asked, scratching his neck. He felt like a side-character, suddenly left behind.
Sun Chen chuckled, "Let the young ones settle their own business. What do you say if we stop by the tofu dessert shop at that little laneway?"
He Shan's eyes brightened, "Yes, absolutely. Let's do that!"
He bounced off with a spring in his steps, clearly eager at the notion of being able to eat the tofu pudding dessert. Sun Chen shook his head and smiled to himself, quickly following He Shan.
For Sun Chen, the dessert was too bland for his liking, it was only sweetened by a bit of brown sugar. But when they were only little orphans scavenging the streets and begging for money, the tofu pudding was the only small luxury they could afford when they could gather enough money.
It was cheap and He Shan loved it very much.
For Sun Chen, he enjoyed observing his childhood friend's clear exhilaration whenever he ate them. Then for him as well, it became delicious.
