The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 145 - Differences

Zhou Weizhao sat calmly in the dimly lit pavilion, where a tiered fruit platter with a lotus leaf design gleamed under the soft glow of the evening light, making the cherries and strawberries on top appear all the more charming and tempting.

Opposite him sat Ye Jingchuan, who occasionally stood up to listen for any sounds outside. Catching Zhou Weizhao's amused gaze, Ye Jingchuan felt a surge of irritation. "What are you looking at?! Never seen anyone curious before? I'm just wary that Han Zhi might decide to show up here out of the blue, in which case you'd have to fight with your dear little brother!"

His last words were laced with exasperation, as if caught in the middle of some guilty act by Zhou Weizhao. Yet he had no guilty conscience, nor had he done anything wrong for Zhou Weizhao to hold against him.

Still, he suspected Zhou Weizhao might have picked up on his private thoughts—specifically his unusual interest in Song Chuyi. Unaware of it himself at first, he hadn't seen anything odd about his actions. But after hearing his family members, his mother and his sister-in-law Princess Rongcheng, comment on it at home, he began to feel a bit uneasy.

They say, "A gentleman admires a fair lady." But when he first met Song Chuyi, she was just a young girl, albeit more intelligent than most girls her age. In his eyes, she was as innocuous as a carrot or cabbage. How could he possibly be attracted to Song Chuyi? He shivered, feeling a wave of goosebumps.

Before Zhou Weizhao could respond, a sound came from outside. Qingzhu entered first, bowed, and then led Song Chuyi inside.

Today, Song Chuyi wore a white jacket patterned with golden embroidery, paired with a simple white silk skirt embroidered with orchids. Her waist sash was also orchid-colored, adorned with a jade pendant that swayed with her movements, seemingly animated without any breeze.

As she entered, she saw Ye Jingchuan first. Startled, he took a sudden step back, leaving her momentarily puzzled. She glanced at him, then turned to Zhou Weizhao, her face full of curiosity.

Zhou Weizhao cleared his throat, motioning for them to sit, then asked her, "Are the arrangements settled?"

She had Zhou Weizhao to thank for his thorough assistance. Although Lai Chenglong's men had helped rescue Ma Wangkun, they hadn't offered any support in caring for him afterward. With Ma Wangkun gravely injured and unable to be moved, she had to trouble Zhou Weizhao further.

As the awkwardness subsided, Ye Jingchuan couldn't help but ask, "So, how's he doing? When I saw him, he didn't look good. It seems Han Zhi was out to kill him."

It was well-known that Han Zhi and Zhou Weiqi had grown up together, their mothers being sisters. Knowing Zhou Weiqi's character, Song Chuyi couldn't help but glance at Zhou Weizhao, who remained expressionless, as if he'd grown used to it. She found herself momentarily lost in thought.

There was no way she could ally with Han Zhi and Zhou Weiqi. These high-born men all seemed to share a peculiar trait: self-righteousness coupled with extreme arrogance. They sought to control people without ever lowering their stance, preferring to scrutinize them inside and out, latch onto their weaknesses, and demand unwavering loyalty.

But Song Chuyi detested being treated like a lapdog. Even Prince Duan had known to use a gentler approach initially, but Han Zhi and Zhou Weiqi had tried to seize Song Chuyi outright, prying into every aspect of her life, even leveraging events from her previous life. They wanted her to kneel before them, begging for mercy.

Yet even in her previous life, as tragic as it was, she hadn't been one to accept defeat—let alone in this reborn life, where she was transformed.

With her recent confrontation with Han Zhi, she had effectively burned bridges with Zhou Weiqi as well. Since there was no possibility of benefit from them, she would have to pursue another path.

She observed Zhou Weizhao closely. This Heir Apparent, who by rights should have died long ago, was still very much alive, sharing power with Zhou Weiqi under the Crown Prince, yet a treasured grandson in the Emperor's eyes.

At this point, she had to seriously consider whether or not to place her hopes in someone whose future remained uncertain.

Her thoughts raced through countless scenarios, yet to Ye Jingchuan and Zhou Weizhao, it all took place in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Weizhao slid a bamboo cup towards her. "Is there something wrong with him?"

Song Chuyi returned to the present, sighing. "The doctor says it's in fate's hands now. His condition isn't good, and he'll need time to recover here."

She didn't ask if the place was safe. If it weren't, Zhou Weizhao wouldn't be staying here. She was still somewhat taken aback by his foresight. She recalled Zhou Weizhao mentioning once that this family had been living here for over ten years. Had this residence been his all along, even back then?

What's more, it happened to be located right next to the house she had chosen?

One or two times might be coincidence, three or four times a stretch. But five, six times, or even more? That could no longer be called coincidence.

She gave Zhou Weizhao a somewhat scrutinizing look. "Last time, I didn't get a chance to ask—Your Highness, you certainly have a knack for choosing locations. How did it happen that you could save both me and Ma Wangkun so conveniently?"

"Your memory isn't very good," Zhou Weizhao replied, not batting an eyelid. "You asked me that before. I told you that keeping an eye on Han Zhi is a given. But I'll admit, when Qingying went looking for a house, I did give a slight nudge, guiding her to buy this particular one."

This explanation made Song Chuyi feel slightly more at ease. She nodded with a faint smile. "If Your Highness says so, then I'm relieved. But I have one more favor to ask."

Zhou Weizhao seemed to anticipate her request, smiling slightly. "You're good at taking advantage of the situation. Once I've started helping, it would be unreasonable not to see it through. Go ahead."

Ye Jingchuan, unable to find a place to join the conversation, lowered his head in frustration. He couldn't help but feel that Zhou Weizhao was different from himself. It seemed Zhou Weizhao never had to guess what Song Chuyi was thinking—she would often approach him for help on her own.

Many of their conversations were full of hidden meanings that he found confusing.

This difference bothered him. Thinking of the teasing remarks from Princess Rongcheng and his mother, he felt a nervous pang in his heart.