GTB Chapter 243

Chapter 245: A Conversation Between a Person and a Fox

“Little fox,” Jiang Jiuchu called out, immediately looking towards the doorway. She saw that Luoluo and Luyi were just opening the door to take out the bathwater.

She stood up and went to the doorway to check, but Shi Yan was nowhere to be seen.

She then turned around and walked back into the room, only to see the little red fox jumping on a chair, its two front paws resting on the edge of the table, a pair of fox eyes staring straight at the pastries on the table.

The little fox was probably hungry. Seeing Jiang Jiuchu looking over, it whined at her, the meaning obvious.

Jiang Jiuchu twitched her lips, looking at the little fox who was so sensible and didn’t steal food. Her heart softened, and she walked over, preparing to feed it, but she caught sight of a figure standing outside the window.

She paused, picked up the little fox, and walked to the window.

The little fox was suddenly picked up around the waist, its fox eyes filled with confusion.

Jiang Jiuchu walked to the window, opened it, and without a word, tossed the little fox outside. Then, she quickly closed the window, ignoring the person and the fox outside.

Hmph, wanting to use the little fox to lure her? No way.

Outside the window, Shi Yan held the aggrieved, whimpering little fox. Looking at the closed window, he really didn’t expect that this woman would even inflict joint liability when she was angry.

He soothed the little fox’s head with his large hand, deliberately saying, “I brought you here because it’s too cold at night. I’m holding you to keep warm, not to let you steal food.”

The little fox didn’t seem to understand, raising its little head and whimpering at Shi Yan a few more times.

Seeing this, Shi Yan gently patted the little fox’s head. “Don’t talk nonsense. How is Chuchu fierce? She’s obviously very cute.”

Little fox: “Ying ying~”

Shi Yan: “What? Not as cute as before? You little thing, isn’t it just that I didn’t give you pastries?”

“Besides, I think she’s cute, what does a fox like you know?”

“Ying ying ying~” The little red fox’s fox eyes changed from aggrieved to confused, as if saying, what nonsense is its master spouting today?

Shi Yan leaned against the window, looking helpless, and continued to respond to the little fox’s cries. “I can’t help being hungry, Chuchu is angry, she definitely won’t give you pastries. Endure it for now, and tomorrow morning I’ll take you back to the palace and let you fill your belly, okay?”

Inside the room, Jiang Jiuchu listened to the conversation between the person and the fox outside the window, and couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth. Had Shi Yan become a spirit, or had the little fox become a spirit?

This person and this fox could actually converse?

Although this little fox was extremely intelligent, it could only express its needs and roughly understand human meanings.

When could it actually complain about people, and call her fierce? Was she fierce? It was obviously Shi Yan who thought she was fierce. If he thought she was fierce, then so be it, but how did she become cute again?

Was this… slapping her once, then giving her a sweet date?

Jiang Jiuchu reached for the chessboard on the table and began to play a game of solitaire.

Half an hour later, the black and white pieces on the chessboard had been decided, but her restless heart was still covered with a layer of resentment, each operating separately, with no clear winner.

She raised her eyes and looked at Shi Yan, who was still standing guard outside the window. Oh well, let him freeze if he likes! Let’s see how many days he can freeze.

However, to Jiang Jiuchu’s surprise, one night, two nights, three nights… all the way to the seventh night, Shi Yan was still leaning against her window.

The morning air carried a hint of moisture. As soon as Jiang Jiuchu opened the door, she noticed the clean, damp bluestone slabs in the courtyard.

“Miss, you’re awake.” Luoluo came in with the water for washing her face.

“Mm.” Jiang Jiuchu nodded, then asked Luoluo, “Do you know what time it rained last night?”

“I don’t know, but when this servant got up in the *chou* hour, I heard it raining outside. It was pouring, it seemed to be quite heavy.”

“Oh.” Jiang Jiuchu walked to the washstand, picked up a face towel, and washed her face, feeling that her worries were a little funny. With such heavy rain, Shi Yan couldn’t possibly have been standing outside.

After all, she had been asleep, she wouldn’t have seen him in the rain. He wasn’t stupid, why would he stand outside and get soaked for nothing?

The rain in the middle of the night not only washed clean the bluestone slabs of Crabapple Courtyard but also washed clean the streets and alleys of the entire Kyoto.

This day was the day the Empress was executed, and also the day Prince Shi Xiu and the ministers who conspired with him were exiled to the frontier.

The roadsides were crowded with people, all looking regretful. Most of the common people didn’t understand why a prince, who was supposed to be noble and precious, would choose to rebel, resulting in such an end.

Jiang Jiuche, Jiang Jiuchu, and Xiao Li also stood in the crowd, listening to the people’s sighs and watching Shi Xiu walk by.

Xiao Li sighed softly, “Alas, this princess almost took a fancy to this Fifth Prince, but I didn’t expect him to end up like this. What a pity.”

As she spoke, she suddenly turned her head to Jiang Jiuchu and said, “Hey, I heard…”

As soon as Xiao Li spoke, she received a warning look from Jiang Jiuchu.

“Since it’s just something you heard, it’s not substantial. It’s mostly just hearsay, so don’t say it.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t say it.” Xiao Li shut her mouth.

As Shi Xiu passed by, Jiang Jiuche suddenly stepped forward and said to the guard in front, “Please be accommodating. I have a few words I want to say to the Fifth Prince.”

Jiang Jiuchu’s appearance caused Shi Xiu, who had been hanging his head, to instantly look up at Jiang Jiuche, and then his gaze fell on Jiang Jiuchu on the roadside.

He stared fixedly at the beautiful girl in his heart. Had she come to see him off?

A sense of reluctance arose in his heart. He was probably destined to be without fate or share with her in this lifetime.

No, he seemed to be without fate or share with anything. He, who had been regarded as inauspicious and sent out of Kyoto since he was a child, could he be fated with anything?

If it weren’t for that, how would he have fought for that position? If it weren’t for that, he and she should have had a chance, right?

But fate was so unfair, and he ultimately failed to change fate.

On the side, the head guard responsible for escorting them seemed to recognize Jiang Jiuche and quickly cupped his hands respectfully, “Of course, you may.”

Jiang Jiuche nodded and walked up to Shi Xiu, handing him a cloak he was holding:

“Years ago, under the Ling Shan Temple, there was a heavy rain, and the Fifth Prince showed kindness by taking in our family. Now, I offer a thin coat to express my gratitude, and I hope the Fifth Prince will not refuse.”

As he spoke, he unfolded the black cloak in his hand and draped it over Shi Xiu.

Inside the Jiang Jiuche’s cloak were several dozen hundred tael silver notes sewn into hidden pockets.

“Thank you, Brother Jiang.” Shi Xiu did not refuse. After thanking him simply, he glanced at Jiang Jiuchu and continued to walk forward.

He remembered the words his master had said to him when he left the palace gate just now: half a lifetime of poverty and half a lifetime of wealth, if one seeks satisfaction in half a lifetime of wealth, it will be a return to thorns.

Heh, a sneer curled up at the corner of his mouth. Shouldn’t he seek fulfillment in his heart?

But some people were born fulfilled, weren’t they? He should also ask for it, even if it meant returning to thorns.