Chapter 1408 – Earthquake in the Live Stream (Part 1)
“Zixiao, baby’s heart has been wounded by you. If you don’t believe me, touch it; it’s bleeding profusely!”
Jiang Pengji strongly pressed down on Wei Ci while pitifully grabbing his hand to touch her chest, almost scaring the upright and composed Wei Ci out of his wits. It was one thing when they were just a lonely man and woman alone in a room, but now they were in the wild outdoors—how embarrassing!
“Lord—Leader!”
Though separated by fabric, there was nothing fake about Jiang Pengji’s figure; Wei Ci’s palm could easily experience the fullness she offered.
Jiang Pengji leaned in and asked, “What’s wrong? Recognizing me now?”
Even after living two lives, Wei Ci, a man of proper conduct, simply couldn’t handle Jiang Pengji’s boldness.
“Is that really you, Lord?”
He blinked in disbelief. Could this enchanting woman with striking features actually be his leader?
“Yep, it’s really me, your Lord,” Jiang Pengji replied. “Is it that Zixiao finds my non-human appearance unappealing?”
To ancient people, the Han people of the Central Plains were one race, while anyone outside that was considered a barbarian—let alone those with golden hair and blue eyes, or those who were as black as charcoal. Jiang Pengji didn’t look quite so extreme, but her flamboyant red hair was enough to label her as a foreigner.
Wei Ci didn’t mean that at all; he just didn’t expect his Lord to appear like this.
“Lord—” he said somewhat awkwardly, “could you let me rise and tidy myself up?”
With that, he attempted to withdraw his right hand.
Jiang Pengji wouldn’t allow it and stubbornly held on, quickly undoing the collar of his clothing, exposing much of his fair chest.
“Zixiao, every time you reject me, do you know how heartbroken I am?”
Wei Ci couldn’t hold back a thought—has she turned into a ninja turtle? What in the world is this?!
“Lord!”
Jiang Pengji had teased enough. Watching as Wei Ci turned from his chest to his ears and blushed, she finally let him go.
“I can’t be blamed for losing control here. You can only blame Zixiao for being so delightful.”
Wei Ci couldn’t muster any anger and could only give her a reproachful glance.
Jiang Pengji couldn’t help but feel that beauty is beauty; even her eye rolls were stunning.
If the counterfeit still lived and heard Jiang Pengji’s heartfelt thoughts, he’d surely pound his chest and weep wildly.
Looking at Wei Ci’s face, the resemblance was striking and equally breathtaking. Why didn’t Jiang Pengji show him any tender affection?
All this talk about looks was just a lie!
Wei Ci stood up to tidy himself, ensuring his clothing was tightly fastened before he felt any semblance of security.
“Lord, where are we exactly?”
He looked around in confusion, realizing they were in the nearby woods by a river. The treetops were adorned with pure white buds, some shyly blooming while others remained tightly closed… After a moment, he recognized the scene and asked, “Before I passed out… I think someone tried to assassinate me… How did I end up here after waking?”
More pressing than that was his curiosity about how Jiang Pengji had transformed into this appearance—and whether she could revert back.
It wasn’t that he found her current look unappealing; it was simply that the outside world might not accept it, which presented a dilemma.
“We’re in Zixiao’s mental realm, so to speak, you can think of it as a ‘dream.’ This is a world you created, your very own dream,” Jiang Pengji said, pointing to her head. “You didn’t remember wrong; someone indeed tried to kill you. But I heroically came to your rescue and snatched you back from the Grim Reaper, did you feel moved, Zixiao?”
Jiang Pengji bragged, leaving Wei Ci utterly baffled.
Aside from that single boastful line, nothing else made sense to him.
“A dream? Am I currently dreaming?”
Wei Ci pinched his face, the sharp pain startling him.
How could he feel pain if this were a dream?
Jiang Pengji giggled, looking at his adorably naive actions. “Zixiao, feeling pain isn’t a standard to determine if you’re dreaming! This is your dream, a virtual world you created; you are its ruler. Feeling pain is nothing here!”
“If I’m dreaming, why would my Lord be here?”
Wei Ci was confused; if it were his dream, he should be seeing Jiang Xi’s form—not this!
“I came here precisely to save you, running into your dream,” Jiang Pengji said, glancing at her current appearance by the river and teasing herself, “With how I look now, even I find it strange. Zixiao, don’t you like this look?”
Wei Ci honestly replied, “I’m a bit surprised, but since it’s my Lord, no matter how you look, I naturally like it.”
Jiang Pengji fell into a strange silence for a moment.
“Zixiao, I need to correct your aesthetic. Besides this hair color, my appearance is indeed beautiful enough to cause kingdoms to fall.”
The Seventh Legion’s beauty standard is unparalleled, you know?
Every year during recruitment, her polished photos could deceive countless naive and innocent military academy graduates!
“I used to prefer simplicity, but now I find my Lord’s appearance quite nice. As for being beautiful enough to topple a kingdom, who knows if that’s true, but it definitely has enthralled at least one person.”
Jiang Pengji chuckled.
“Zixiao possesses a strong survival instinct.”
Wei Ci responded with an awkward smile.
How could he dare to provoke such a Lord in this state?
Jiang Pengji was right; Wei Ci’s survival instinct was indeed pronounced.
“Wait a minute—are we near the outskirts of the capital?”
Wei Ci carefully observed and finally recalled where they were.
In the past, the Emperor was so occupied with state affairs that besides a brief respite around his birthday, he rarely had personal time.
Only during his birthday could the family escape the prying eyes of the world and quietly come out to relax.
“Is this place important to you, Zixiao?” Jiang Pengji asked.
She noticed that the images of visitors were mostly vague and ghostly, while one particular scenery was refined and real. This indicated the owner had closely observed their surroundings, remembering every detail, which was why the virtual world responded with such realism.
“I often come here to sit for a while,” Wei Ci smiled slightly. “Do you know how to wake up from a dream, Lord?”
“Of course! You kiss me, and I’ll tell you how,” Jiang Pengji said playfully.
Faced with such a rogue and headstrong Lord, Wei Ci could only sacrifice his “appearance”.
Who knew as he leaned in, sleepiness hit him like a tidal wave.
Jiang Pengji supported the slumbering Wei Ci, placing him gently on the ground before stepping out of the mental realm.
Upon opening his eyes, the night outside remained gloomy, and the crackle of candlelight still echoed in his ears.
“Awake? Did you deal with that person?”
Liu Zhi had been paying attention to Jiang Pengji’s movements. Seeing her wake, he let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly inquired about the outcome.
Jiang Pengji replied, “The danger attached to Zixiao has been eliminated, but— that wasn’t the main body. Their cunningness and caution exceed my imagination. We couldn’t completely eradicate them; they will return, and next time, it won’t be so easy to handle.”
Liu Zhi’s expression suddenly turned grave.
Not being able to eliminate the main body meant infinite changes and hidden dangers loomed ahead.
