Chapter 588: See you after 525, there may be no chance
Chinian was not soaking in the hot spring pool, but only sitting at its edge.
Wearing a beautiful robe—red as the base with light-colored floral prints on it—the collar like a Japanese kimono, stood firmly draped over her shoulders, revealing her tender and fair nape and... a space for wandering thoughts trailing downward.
Her legs were soaking in the pool, with milky white water sprinkled with red petals.
As her legs gently moved in the pool, ripples spread out in circles, stirring people’s spirits.
Her yellow hair was simply tied at the back of her head, neither too high nor too low, casual and natural.
From Zhongli Wuzhi’s perspective, part of her face showed clear, delicate features, charming and cute. Zhongli Wuzhi had often marveled at her beauty and never stinted on appreciating beautiful things.
However...
Zhongli Wuzhi squinted. Had he seen wrongly? The usually timid and shyly smiling Chinian now had a hint of sadness in her grey eyes.
He was now standing at the back door of the room, which offered a private hot spring pool for the room’s occupants.
He gently knocked on the back door, and upon hearing it, Chinian quickly turned her head. Seeing Zhongli Wuzhi come in, a smile spread across her face.
She gestured for him to come and sit beside her.
Zhongli Wuzhi took off his shoes. He hadn’t changed into a robe but was in his usual clothes.
Near Chinian was a long table about seventy to eighty centimeters, with a seat cushion placed on the other side of the table.
Zhongli Wuzhi sat cross-legged on the cushion.
Chinian continued to kick the water, seemingly amused by it.
Once Zhongli Wuzhi sat down, Chinian pressed an electronic bell on the side of the table and then made a gesture to Zhongli Wuzhi to "wait a moment."
Zhongli Wuzhi patiently waited while Chinian remained sitting at the edge of the pool, her hands bracing the edge.
A slight smile played on her face, and the sadness Zhongli Wuzhi had seen earlier seemed merely an illusion.
"Was it a spur-of-the-moment decision?"
Zhongli Wuzhi sipped his tea to moisten his throat and asked.
Chinian’s legs were in the bath, her body turned sideways facing Zhongli Wuzhi. Hearing his question, Chinian wiped her hands and picked up the pen and paper prepared earlier.
She turned her body, leaned on the table, and wrote,
—Last week when I communicated with my brother, it was his decision.
"Your brother’s decision?"
Chinian nodded.
Zhongli Wuzhi took a shallow breath, "I heard from Wen Nian that your stay in Country G was also your brother’s idea, afraid that your parents might use you because of the political situation."
Chinian chuckled,
—Yes, my brother has always been very thoughtful towards me. For me, he really put in a lot of effort.
"You seem to have a good relationship with your brother."
Zhongli Wuzhi said lightly.
Chinian just smiled.
A waiter knocked and entered, bringing wine and dishes, and then left.
Chinian took the initiative to pour wine for Zhongli Wuzhi and then wrote,
—I heard about your trip to Country M, quite terrible, always on the run.
She joked while passing the note to Zhongli Wuzhi, her face adorned with a playful smile.
Zhongli Wuzhi also laughed,
"Indeed, that time... was really a mess."
—During the war in Country M, why did you run to Country M?
Chinian genuinely didn’t know the reason and just asked casually.
This question, however, made Zhongli Wuzhi somewhat uncomfortable, his facial expressions stiffening a bit.
Chinian glanced at his expression and quickly jumped to another topic,
——Regardless of the last experience.
Zhongli Wuzhi slightly nodded; he didn’t want to mention it, nor did he want to think about it anymore.
At that time, for Lu Xiaoer, he truly had been reckless, risking even his life.
Looking back now, it was really impulsive, overheated.
——My brother came to pick me up, so I had him bring along a chef from M country, as well as some fine wine that had been stored in our Royal Family’s cellar for many years. I can only offer hospitality on your turf with our M country’s cuisine and wine.
Only then did Zhongli Wuzhi look twice at the food and wine before him, expressing his surprise,
"Is this your country’s cuisine and wine?"
——The meals taste very different from yours, you should try them properly.
"Actually, there’s no need for all this trouble. Even if you return to your country now, whether you visit G country again in the future or I visit M country, we can still meet."
As Zhongli spoke, Chinian simply smiled gently.
She poured Zhongli Wuzhi a drink and handed it to him,
——Try it. It’s made from grapes from our Royal Family’s estate. This particular batch was personally brewed by my brother’s and my mother.
"Thank you."
Zhongli Wuzhi raised the wine glass and sniffed it finely, its rich scent intoxicating.
He held up the wine glass toward Chinian,
"This time you return to your country, you should be able to continue being your carefree Seventh Princess. Let me toast to you first."
Chinian quickly raised her hand to reciprocate, but the moment their glasses clinked, the sorrow in her eyes was something Zhongli Wuzhi couldn’t ignore,
"Chinian?"
Zhongli Wuzhi called out to her, but Chinian remained unmoved, just quietly took a sip.
Having spent quite some time with the Seventh Princess, she had always been someone whose emotions were apparent on her face, with all sorts of joys and surprises, astonishments, and confusions.
Even if she was troubled or annoyed, she would display it openly on her face.
Now observing Chinian, from when he came in till now, the words had merely been formalities, and the expressions on her face looked very unnatural, like...
She was concealing something.
Zhongli Wuzhi didn’t drink, just placed his wine glass down.
Chinian paused and hurriedly pointed at his glass, a question clear on her face.
"Are you hiding something from me? Xiao Qi."
Chinian shook her head,
——I’m just sad because I have to say goodbye to you. I don’t think there will ever be another chance to sit face to face like this, drinking wine made at home.
"What do you mean there won’t ever be another chance?"
Zhongli Wuzhi felt that Chinian’s words sounded too pessimistic, "Going to M country by plane doesn’t take that long."
Chinian’s gaze steadily met Zhongli Wuzhi’s; his narrow fox-like eyes, different from the thick brows and large eyes of a typically handsome man, and distinct from those characteristic phoenix eyes.
Those fox-like eyes wouldn’t look good on someone else’s face, yet they were especially charismatic on Zhongli Wuzhi’s.
Chinian knew she was deeply enchanted by him.
——This time I returned to the country with my brother because my father has already arranged a marriage for me.
After much hesitation and delay, she finally confessed to Zhongli Wuzhi.
Zhongli Wuzhi looked at the line on the note and was surprised,
"Your father has arranged a marriage for you? A political alliance?"
Chinian smiled and nodded.
Zhongli Wuzhi pursed his lips, unsure of what to say at that moment.
Regarding Chinian’s return to her country for a political marriage...