Chapter 273 – Ji Mountain Hot Spring (Part Eight)
Mr. Yuanjing chuckled and asked Liu Zhi, “You mentioned Zixiao? I took him under my wing recently, which fulfills a certain regret of mine.”
As he spoke, the young man had already turned and left, leaving behind a slightly slender and tall silhouette.
Liu Zhi’s eyes widened, as if he recalled something.
After a long while, he embarrassingly murmured, “So, he is indeed your fourth disciple, truly an extraordinary appearance…”
Though he said this, doubts crept in his heart. When did Wei Zixiao become Mr. Yuanjing’s disciple?
His thoughts fluctuated as worry shadowed his gaze.
Wei Ci was from Langya, where he had been studying, but due to a family crisis, they later left Dongqing.
Mr. Yuanjing narrowed his eyes slightly, as if seeing through everything. Noting Liu Zhi’s reaction, he meaningfully remarked, “Initially, I wasn’t supposed to take this disciple. Although there was a karmic connection, there truly was no teacher-student bond…”
Liu Zhi paused in his chess-playing, his expression a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
“If that’s the case, why did you accept him then?”
“You might not know, but this child, Zixiao, carries a knot in his heart. This, in turn, makes him clever yet prone to getting stuck in his own ways, easily leading him down a wrong path. I attempted to take him as my disciple twice before, but he rejected me. Now that he has come to a realization, I couldn’t be more delighted.”
For Mr. Yuanjing, nothing could be more gratifying than seeing a promising seedling untangle their knots and flourish.
Liu Zhi felt as if he had read a book written in a foreign language—utterly confused.
It was usually others chasing after Mr. Yuanjing to become his disciples; who would have thought someone could make Mr. Yuanjing take the initiative to accept students?
Wei Ci… It seemed that Amin had only referred to him as a decent strategist.
In simple terms, that meant—among the wise, he was the fairest, and among beauties, the wisest.
This was a man whose face could rewrite history, with schemes and plots found only in obscure tales.
So… Mr. Yuanjing, are you sure you’re not joking?
“To be so favored by you, he must not be lacking in any regard.”
Liu Zhi worked hard to maintain his composure, avoiding revealing any flaws.
“Indeed, Zixiao is well-suited for familial life.”
Liu Zhi and Feng Ren, who was observing the chess match: “…”
Wait, suited for familial life…?
This description, is it really appropriate?
Knock knock knock—
Jiang Pengji languidly lounged in the hot spring, resting her forehead on a neatly folded cloth. Her long, black hair was pinned up, revealing a delicate and fair neck, her skin misted with water droplets. The hot steam made her appear as if filtered through a soft lens.
Though she wore clothes, the viewers in the live stream were all vocal about their inability to handle it any longer.
【Candied Chestnuts】: #So hot, I want to dive in and have a double bath with the streamer!
【Streamer Come Out to Me】: There are always schemers trying to steal the streamer away from me.
Hearing a knock on the door, Jiang Pengji opened her slightly tipsy eyes.
A thin blush graced her cheeks as if she had just applied fine powder.
Is the maid delivering wine?
She lazily raised her brows and said, “Come in! Just put the wine by the pool…”
Outside, Wei Ci slightly opened the door upon permission. A warm, humid breeze rushed in, and all he saw was a cloud of mist.
The live stream audience was the first to notice something unusual; Jiang Pengji still laid there lazily, half-lidded.
【Just a Chestnut】: Streamer, don’t fall asleep!!! A strange man came in; you better be careful!
【Old Driver Alliance】: It’s a guy, not the maid bringing wine; streamer, don’t doze off or you’ll be taken advantage of.
【Mighty and Majestic】: Streamer, wake up! Don’t sleep, hurry and get up!
While some warned Jiang Pengji, others took note of the unfamiliar man’s appearance.
But before long, the flood of infatuated comments drowned out the warnings, creating a record-breaking spectacle.
Watching the comments change, Jiang Pengji frowned slightly.
She didn’t need to turn to guess the arriving man’s stunning looks.
While the viewers might lack various merits, their taste was relatively normal; not every handsome face could stir their admiration.
“You seem to have entered the wrong door.”
Without turning her head, Jiang Pengji casually said, propping herself up by the edge of the pool, her body relaxed.
The unfamiliar man outside didn’t step in but lowered his head to speak, his voice somewhere between a youth’s and an adult’s.
“I am Wei Ci, your father summons you to the Rose Garden Room No. 1.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Pengji abruptly turned to meet his gaze and asked, “You mean my father?”
Wei Ci’s body slightly stiffened, but he quickly reverted to normal, as if that odd moment had never occurred.
He firmly stated, “Yes, your father is presently playing chess with my master, and specifically asked me to come and relay a message.”
Jiang Pengji secretly rubbed her brow. Although soaking in the hot spring was pleasant, she couldn’t stay too long.
“Why is this young master so reserved? Wait a moment, I’ll tidy up and join you.”
“It’s no trouble, please take your time.”
The next moment, the door closed again, revealing a faint shadow lingering nearby, indicating that he hadn’t left.
Noticing this, Jiang Pengji furrowed her brow but said nothing.
Climbing out of the hot spring, she temporarily turned off the live stream, quickly dried herself, and slipped into a fresh robe.
After finishing this, she reopened the live stream and pushed open the paper door.
She addressed Wei Ci, who was kneeling at the door, “Thank you, young master, for leading the way.”
Now, without the mist obscuring her view, Wei Ci’s features came clearly into her sight.
Seeing him in person, she understood why the audience had been so excited.
His dark and thick hair, damp and clinging to his shoulders, left wet marks, droplets cascading from the ends.
His face was like a jade crown, skin as delicate as fine porcelain, with a subtle blush from the heat giving him an intoxicating look.
His brows were sharply defined, his eyes like ink painting, and his pure black eyes held a cool detachment. When they met Jiang Pengji’s gaze, they showed no emotion, as if his entire mind was blank… Just looking at him made Jiang Pengji think he was intriguing.
It seemed this young man was also meeting her for the first time, so why did he have such a high guard around her?
Her eyes darted, and a plan formed in her mind.
Jiang Pengji bent down slightly, moving closer to the young man, watching as his seemingly calm eyes betrayed ripples of unrest.
“If you didn’t have an Adam’s apple and ear piercings, I would have thought you were some young lady sneaking off to the hot spring.”
Wei Ci’s face was cold, slightly leaning back to create distance from Jiang Pengji, frowning with some displeasure.
“This young master’s joke is a bit excessive; it’s impolite to compare me to a woman.”
Jiang Pengji stood up, crossing her arms. “I was merely praising your good looks.”
Wei Ci pressed his lips together, stood tall to lead the way, and coldly replied, “Wei is a man; comparing me to a woman is indeed disrespectful.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Oh, quite the temper, huh!
“Liu Zhi?”
A familiar yet puzzled voice interrupted the moment.
Jiang Pengji turned at the sound to see a tall, handsome young man leaning against a small pavilion, smiling at her with delight in his eyes.
