Fortune Across the World

Chapter 154: Riding Back with a Scarlet Mark of Affection

Ding Qiyu carefully guided the horse back to Qianli Palace's stables with Yi Girl in tow. The female disciples at the stables exchanged peculiar glances at Ding Qiyu but, due to the presence of the Young Palace Master, refrained from expressing their thoughts. Neither Ding Qiyu nor Le Zhuyi paid much attention to this.

Walking along the forest path, the atmosphere between Ding Qiyu and Le Zhuyi was unusually quiet, neither willing to break the silence. The recent horseback ride had left Ding Qiyu’s legs slightly sore. She walked straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the red and pink blossoms of the trees, known as Danying trees, as she had learned from Little Chun and the others.

Le Zhuyi walked with her head down, idly twirling the Thousand Feathers Fire Whip in her hand, her dainty feet stepping on the dappled shadows cast by the trees. It was unclear what occupied her thoughts.

Unable to endure the odd silence any longer, Ding Qiyu finally spoke, "Um, did you catch that intruder?" She kept her gaze forward, showing no inclination to turn toward her companion.

"It was an insider. But I didn't catch them," Le Zhuyi replied, not raising her head, still focused on the scattered shadows on the ground. After some investigation, she confirmed that the person in black wasn't an outsider but someone from within Qianli Palace. However, because the incident coincided with the Moonwatcher night, she missed the opportunity to apprehend them. With so many disciples in the palace, the clues to identify the traitor had run cold. It baffled her that someone would conspire with outsiders to harm their own home, which was what Qianli Palace meant to everyone.

Pondering this, Ding Qiyu commented, "I see… We need to be cautious, then."

"Yes, all patrols have been strengthened. You should be careful as well," Le Zhuyi said, ensuring that the area around the bamboo courtyard was included in the patrols. She suspected the intruder aimed to steal the mechanism layout to let the people from the Zhenxiao Sect in, so she had hidden the layout in an extremely secure place.

"Okay, I will be. How's your leg?" Ding Qiyu asked.

"It's nothing. Just a small injury," Le Zhuyi answered, "And your shoulder?"

"It's nothing, really. It's not even an injury," Ding Qiyu replied, to which Le Zhuyi nodded silently, and they both fell back into the previous silence.

Sunlight filtered through the branches of the Danying trees, gently merging their shadows with the rustling leaves, creating a warm, serene scene.

As they walked back to the main complex of Qianli Palace, the disciples they passed greeted them with oddly curious expressions. Le Zhuyi, after a moment's thought, understood why and felt her cheeks heat up. She stole a glance at Ding Qiyu, who was steadfastly looking ahead, and felt a small, satisfied happiness settle in her heart, overshadowing any embarrassment, lifting her spirits.

At a fork in the path, where Le Zhuyi headed to Yan Tian Hall and Ding Qiyu back to the bamboo house, Le Zhuyi handed Ding Qiyu a small white porcelain bottle. "You might have sore legs from learning to ride. This will help."

Feeling a warm gratitude, Ding Qiyu thanked her and took the medicine, increasingly aware of the caring nature beneath Yi Girl's fiery exterior. They exchanged brief farewells before parting ways.

After taking a few steps, Le Zhuyi called out, "Little carpenter, after teaching you all morning, shouldn't you call me 'Master'?"