Chapter 172 - 171: A Powerful Flash of Inspiration
Chapter 172: Chapter 171: A Powerful Flash of Inspiration
Cui Jinghan had already guessed why he hadn’t noticed Pei Xuan tailing him—it was undoubtedly because Pei Xuan had used Qinggong.
When it came to the offensive power of his martial arts, Pei Xuan was definitely no match for Gu Qingjin. Nor could he compare to the Wei Brothers and Sisters, known as the Empire’s Twin Pillars, let alone the imperial court’s Lord Zhuge. However, his Qinggong was unparalleled. He moved as gracefully as an immortal, coming and going with absolute freedom.
In other words, Pei Xuan was exceptionally skilled at both pursuing and escaping. And if he wanted to make a move against a mere civil servant, it would naturally be a piece of cake.
But Cui Jinghan wasn’t afraid. Since he dared to speak his mind, he was fully prepared to bear the consequences.
To his surprise, however, Pei Xuan didn’t get angry. Instead, he flashed a meaningful smile. "It’s rare to see you so loyal and righteous, never forgetting your roots. Not bad at all."
Cui Jinghan frowned, unable to hold back his question. "How were you so sure it was me?"
"People who like me, Pei Xuan, bring me wine and flowers, along with blueprints for various weapons, hoping I can fulfill my dream of serving the country." Pei Xuan glanced at the scattered green bristlegrass on the ground and sneered. "Just look at what you brought."
"I see." Cui Jinghan’s expression remained entirely unreadable. "But you do resemble weeds, as weeds possess a tenacious vitality."
"Don’t think I can’t hear the implication that ’bad weeds grow tall’ in your words," Pei Xuan said. "I won’t waste my breath on you. What exactly are you doing in Jianghuai?"
"I’m a judge for the Yunzhou division of this year’s Youth Calligraphy Competition," Cui Jinghan replied flatly. "If you have any objections, you can file a complaint with the Mingjing Cultural Heritage Institute."
"The Mingjing Cultural Heritage Institute?" Pei Xuan raised an eyebrow. "It seems you’re doing quite well for yourself. But then again, the Cui Style is one of the most popular fonts in the calligraphy world. Your Number One Running Script is revered by so many."
Even though it was a sincere compliment, it made Cui Jinghan explode. Gritting his teeth, his eyes bloodshot and his face contorted with rage, he looked as if he wanted to devour someone alive. "If I had a choice, I would rather never have earned the title of Number One Running Script!"
Pei Xuan watched him quietly for a long moment. "I understand."
"Yes, you understand," Cui Jinghan muttered. "It’s truly laughable that the Number One Running Script turned out to be a work written at the fall of our nation. It shouldn’t be like this, it never should have been..."
His voice gradually dropped. "I’d rather spend my entire life unable to write a running script that surpasses my predecessors, and I’d even prefer to never be able to write another word again, than to see Jiuzhou occupied by foreigners! Do you understand?"
Pei Xuan let out a heavy breath, unwilling to continue this conversation. "Alright, take your time strolling around. I have things to do. Scan my QR code."
He offered his WhatsApp QR code.
After adding each other as contacts, Pei Xuan glanced at Cui Jinghan’s Moments. Apart from some promotional posts for the Mingjing Cultural Heritage Institute, there were no updates about his daily life at all. He mused that Cui Jinghan was an absolute fossil.
Pei Xuan put his phone away. "I’m leaving."
Cui Jinghan stood motionless. "I won’t see you out."
A gentle breeze swept by, the pine needles echoing with a crisp RUSTLE. It was as if they had returned to the past—peaceful and beautiful.
At 3:00 PM, on the bar street at Half Cup of Clear Dream.
"Miss Changying, Miss Qiu won’t be here until 7:00 PM tonight. Please take a seat first," a waiter greeted her. "When she arrives, I’ll have her mix some juice for you."
Shi Changying nodded, took out a set of practice test papers, and began working on the questions.
The waiter accidentally caught sight of the words "Junior High Chemistry" and couldn’t help but wonder if she was working part-time as a tutor, as he clearly remembered she was a high school senior.
After finishing a set of papers, Shi Changying took photos of them as usual and sent them to Shaoyuan. This time, he replied very quickly.
[A well-rounded fighter who can braid hair]: You parted ways with your friend this early?
[Only I am the first]: A Yuan has to go back to filming. I can’t take up too much of her time.
In reality, Qingyuan had planned to ask Sister Xu to get her a leave of absence. She was absolutely determined to take Zhuge Mingyue’s place—she had to stay by Your Majesty’s side! However, Shi Changying had told her to return to filming immediately; otherwise, the trending topics on social media would soon explode. Left with no choice, Qingyuan departed in tears.
[A well-rounded fighter who can braid hair]: Mhm. Address.
[Only I am the first]: Half Cup of Clear Dream.
Half an hour later, Shaoyuan’s figure appeared inside the bar. Even on his day off, he was wearing the plain uniform of Jianghuai High School. However, his striking features and outstanding temperament immediately captivated everyone’s attention, drawing all eyes to his appearance.
The waiter couldn’t help but sneak peeks at Shi Changying and Shaoyuan, who had taken a seat opposite her. He thought to himself that they were much better-looking than any celebrities he had ever seen!
Shi Changying pointed to the flower crown on her head. "Does it look good?"
Shaoyuan tilted his head, looking at her leisurely. "Did Miss Lu weave this too?"
Shi Changying wagged her finger. "Wrong. Ningning wove it."
Shaoyuan gave a soft hum. "Your hair is messy."
He braided her hair into a pair of cat-ear pigtails again. This time, he was very quick, finishing in just about a minute.
Shi Changying checked herself in the mirror, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Do you also play with dolls?"
Shaoyuan raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"
"You’re a lot more skilled now," Shi Changying said. "You must have put in some serious effort."
At first, Zhuge Mingyue had also known absolutely nothing about braiding hair, but overnight, her skills had advanced by leaps and bounds. Later, she heard from Gu Qingjin that in order to master this high-level hair-braiding technique, Zhuge Mingyue had roped in a hapless victim and practiced tirelessly all night. Her braiding technique was perfected, but her victim lost a significant amount of hair in the process, running in tears to Ning Liuyu and Nie Mingchu to beg for a hair-growth remedy.
"I don’t play with dolls," Shaoyuan said casually. "I just ran through it once in my head and got it."
Shi Changying rested her chin on one hand. "Then could the young master mentally practice a few more hairstyles? I like new patterns."
Shaoyuan didn’t respond to that, merely saying, "Do your practice questions."
As the waiter polished a glass, he couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. "It’s so good to be young!" He mused that this kind of innocent, beautiful, and naive affection could only be found in high school. As expected, romance was far more exciting to watch when it was between the youth!
After the Beginning of Winter, the days grew shorter and the nights longer. By 6:30 PM, the sky was already dark.
Inside a hotel suite, Yan Sinian had just finished grinding the ink when he heard the beep of the door card being swiped. He immediately stood up, his tone laced with flattery. "Senior Brother, where did you go? Have you eaten? Should we go out to eat, or have the hotel deliver food? Or would you prefer to order takeout?"
"I took a stroll around Pei’s former residence," Cui Jinghan said mildly. "The scenery was lovely, so I stayed a bit longer until the park closed at 6:00 PM."
Yan Sinian didn’t dare to reply, afraid that uttering even one more word would earn him a brand new assignment.
"Let’s order takeout," Cui Jinghan added.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Yan Sinian opened the food delivery app and prepared to order the most expensive items.
Cui Jinghan sat quietly by the floor-to-ceiling windows. The night sky and the city lights simultaneously fell into his pitch-black eyes, reflecting like a vast ocean. He rubbed his fingers against his teacup, his expression aloof.
Running into Pei Xuan had truly caught him by surprise. Although they had once been enemies in the court, four hundred years later, they were now kindred spirits in their shared misery, forced to live solely on their memories.
Wait a minute...
Cui Jinghan’s nerves suddenly snapped taut, and his hand began to tremble slightly. He had suddenly realized a very serious issue. Since he wasn’t the only one who had come to this future era, then... where was Your Majesty?
"Senior Brother, I’ve ordered. Take a look—Senior Brother, what’s wrong?" Yan Sinian jumped in fright. "Why is your face so pale? You... don’t cry!"
It was over; his aloof, unattainable Senior Brother had been body-snatched!