Zhao Zhi felt that the man in the dream was him but also not him.
His cold and unfeeling side was not much different from him.
But he couldn’t bear to treat Ming Zhu like this, and even less to prepare a cup of wine in the cold winter and have people deliver it to her.
He was a man who did not regret anything he did. But this one time, halfway through, he changed his mind, and rushed to go there, but he arrived too late.
Zhao Zhi looked at those eyes full of sorrow and pain, and badly wanted to ask him, who are you exactly?
Chapter 177
(63.3)
When Zhao Zhi woke up, that heart-wrenching pain in his chest was still torturing him, it was as if he had experienced life and death, and his whole body was covered in cold sweat.
The next night, he kept having continuous and fragmented dreams.
There was a cute little girl with a round face and eyes that looked like they were carved out after a mold of Ming Zhu’s face, she looked lively and bright, fair and pure.
The little girl hugged his leg, and sweetly called him daddy.
Zhao Zhi’s heart turned incredibly soft, and just as he squatted down to pick her up, she dodged him and her big eyes turned red all over, as she whimpered, telling him that she was in pain.
She was very much in pain, in pain all over her body.
Zhao Zhi as well was in so much pain that he wanted to die, it seemed like the pain in his body was a thousand, a billion times more powerful than hers.
He woke up from the excruciating pain he felt from the bottom of his heart, unable to come back to his senses for a long time. His numb eyes gradually turned clear, and he missed a step when he got up, but being agile, he managed to support himself with his hand on the edge of the bed and didn’t fall down. The congested and stuffy feeling in his chest was getting more and more intense, as blood gushing up to his throat spilled out of the corner of his mouth. He wiped away the blood on the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, while propping up his body with force.
The next morning, Zhao Zhi went to the Lingchan Temple in Suzhou and gave the pair of silver necklace he had ordered for the child to the temple abbot, asking him to chant sutra for the child’s release from the purgatory.
At Lingchan temple, the incense was strong and prayers to the Bodhisattva there were very effective.
Ming Zhu also would go there twice a month to do good deeds for the child in her belly, and to pray that she would be born safely and live with no difficulties for the rest of her life.
Ming Zhu intentionally covered her face every time she went out. She couldn’t be too cautious, she really couldn’t afford the consequences of people finding out that she had faked her death.
When Wei Chiyu learned of this, he accompanied her every time she went to the temple to pray and offer incense.
Ming Zhu refused twice, but Wei Chiyu didn’t say anything and just quietly watched and silently followed her. Gradually, Ming Zhu was embarrassed to refuse him again.
As usual, Ming Zhu bowed to each bodhisattva. There were monks chanting in the Grand Buddhist Hall, so it wasn’t convenient for her to go over there, so she found a wing-room for the visitors to rest inside and sat for a while.
Wei Chiyu was afraid that she would be hungry, so he went to ask a little monk for a bowl of vegetarian noodles.
Just as he passed through the corridor, and passed by the main hall, he accidentally met someone he wasn’t supposed to see here.
Zhao Zhi, like him, had not expected to see him here, “Lord Wei.”
Wei Chiyu’s face was taut, but he hid his expression with tight control. No matter how nervous he was inside, he didn’t show any hint of it, “Your Highness.”
Zhao Zhi, who was dressing in black today, gave off somewhat of a gloomy aura, he nodded and hummed, before casually asking: “Aren’t you supposed to be in Changzhou?”
Wei Chiyu’s acting was watertight, “I was free these past few days, so I came to Suzhou to meet an old friend.”
Zhao Zhi did not doubt the truth of his words. The cold wind was tormenting today, he pressed his fist against his lips, and started to cough uncontrollably. His face was quite pale, “Mmh.”
Wei Chiyu lowered his eyes to cover his cold gaze, he absolutely could not and would not let Zhao Zhi discover any traces of Zhu Zhu.
He was going to hide her right under his nose.
He would never give anyone else the chance to ever snatch her away from him ever again.
Wei Chiyu’s clenched fist slowly loosened, “Your Highness, may you take care of your health.”
Zhao Zhi looked at him coldly, with slight mockery. Even Wei Chiyu didn’t believe the words he just said. He passed by Wei Chiyu and went straight back to the main hall.
Wei Chiyu truthfully told Ming Zhu about his meeting with Zhao Zhi.
Ming Zhu was greatly startled, “Did he find me so quickly?”
Wei Chiyu reassured her softly, “No.”
When Ming Zhu recovered from the shock, she said with a worried face: “If he discovers me, I probably won’t be able to go out ever again in this life.”
Wei Chiyu pushed the vegetarian noodles to her and said softly, “I won’t let him discover you.”
Ming Zhu squeezed her chopsticks and lowered her head to eat the noodles. In fact, she hadn’t thought of Zhao Zhi for a long time, she was subconsciously avoiding his name. Thinking about it, at this time, he was already married to his side consort. There might even be several other well-behaved and beautiful young ladies in his backyard by now.
Anyway, he was living more happily than she was.
“Stay in the temple for the night today, I will take you back tomorrow.”
Ming Zhu nodded, “Alright.”
Wei Chiyu looked at her face, reluctant to look away. He pursed his lips and smiled softly, before asking: “Do you want to eat anything else? I’ll go buy it for you.”
Ming Zhu had the habit to worry about him not having enough money, so she foolishly asked: “Do you have money?”
Wei Chiyu’s face erupted in laughter, he couldn’t help but touch her nose with his finger, “I have this much money, I’ve been saving it for you all along.”
His fingertips were soft as he touched the tip of her nose, which was also very soft.
Apart from Zhao Zhi, Ming Zhu had never been so intimate with another man, so her ears started to burn, and she said unnaturally, “I want to eat everything.”
Wei Chiyu said, “I’ll go out and buy it for you.”
