They all want to change my future.

Chapter 35 A Boring Yet Beautiful Misunderstanding

The two walked side by side for a short distance before a fork in the road appeared ahead.

The two went their separate ways. Xie Shiyi noticed this and sighed, "It seems we have to part ways here."

"Indeed, we're on different paths."

Li Zhi nodded and was about to take a step when Xie Shiyi called out to him, "Brother, you still haven't told me your name."

"No need, you'll find out tomorrow."

Li Zhi kept walking.

What does that mean?

Xie Shiyi was puzzled, but seeing Li Zhi walking further and further away, she realized what was happening and quickly chased after him:

"Brother, that's not what I meant. I meant that you've helped me so much, I wanted to treat you to a meal."

"That's too much trouble." Li Zhi shook his head. "How about this, I'll come back to Hongshaolou in seven days, and you can pay for my ticket then."

"Huh? That's it?"

"that's all."

How can you be so carefree?

I am, after all, a member of the Xie family.

Watching Li Zhi's departing figure, Xie Shiyi felt immense admiration.

As expected, I hadn't misjudged him.

But my brother said we'll know what it means tomorrow, right?

The closer one gets to Zhaoyang Prefecture, the quieter the surroundings become.

Zhaoyang Prefecture is indeed somewhat remote.

Seeing that no one was around, Li Zhi stopped, looked at the ground, and asked, "So the Xie family is very famous?"

Lin Yueyin's voice drifted out.

"Indeed famous. The land of abundance in Sichuan, the Xie family has been operating there for hundreds of years, with interests in farmland, mines, and trade routes. They can be considered one of the wealthiest families in the region."

"No wonder Qu Hongxiao took a liking to her," Li Zhi said casually, then looked in the direction of the voice. "I thought Miss Lin wasn't planning on coming out."

"Are you blaming me for not intervening earlier?"

"No, not at all." Li Zhi shook his head. "Besides, I think I've already guessed why you haven't made a move. Qu Hongxiao is very strong, right? You're not confident in making a move, so you're continuing to observe from the shadows."

Lin Yueyin emerged from the shadows, her black clothes making her face appear even more plain.

She is at the seventh realm.

"Seventh Realm?" Li Zhi raised an eyebrow. "Are Grandmasters so worthless these days? You can run into one just by going out."

Lin Yueyin didn't respond to the teasing remark, but simply said, "Grandmasters are naturally valuable, it's just that you're exceptionally lucky, young master, to always seem to encounter one."

The disdain and complaints in those words.

Li Zhi didn't care, and instead smiled: "But isn't this a good thing? At least we know that the Demon Queen has such a young seventh-realm expert serving her."

"Indeed, it is an important piece of intelligence." Lin Yueyin nodded.

After all, a seventh-realm grandmaster can be considered a trump card for a force.

"Well then, considering the information I provided," Li Zhi said, extending his hand, "you can give me the money for the Red Silk Pavilion in seven days, right?"

Although she knew this was important, it didn't stop Lin Yueyin from looking at Li Zhi with disdain.

"It's alright, you go back and report to the Holy Maiden first, and ask her to approve the funds." Li Zhi waved his hand dismissively and walked towards Zhaoyang Prefecture, which was not far ahead.

Just like parting ways with Xie Shiyi, Li Zhi is now parting ways with Lin Yueyin.

But Lin Yueyin did not leave; her figure disappeared, but her voice remained.

"Are you trying to get rid of me again?"

"You've actually become smarter this time," Li Zhi praised, but quickly realized something was wrong: "It seems the Holy Maiden told you something."

Lin Yueyin didn't answer, but just snorted coldly and stopped talking.

Li Zhi stepped into Zhaoyang Mansion, and as soon as he entered the gate...

Then I saw a white figure standing quietly under the eaves, looking weak and pitiful, just like a wife who was waiting anxiously for her husband to return home.

The scene did evoke a slight sense of guilt in Li Zhi, but it seemed to dissipate in the wind.

He had just walked forward when Ji Baizhi quickly approached and said softly, "Young Master is back. Have you seen Qu Hongxiao? I wonder what she looks like."

There was only curiosity in his voice, not a trace of resentment.

This made Li Zhi glance at Ji Baizhi, as if trying to confirm something.

He then replied seriously, "She's definitely not as pretty as you."

"Young Master is joking again." Ji Baizhi chuckled, but the joy on her face was undeniable.

"I'm not joking." Li Zhi shook his head. "Also, I almost didn't make it back today."

Ji Baizhi's expression tightened: "Young Master, what has happened?"

"I've been targeted by a bad woman, and she's trying to force me to stay."

Upon hearing this, Ji Baizhi sighed: "Is Young Master referring to me?"

"No, you're not a bad woman."

After saying this, Li Zhi subconsciously asked, "Is your residence safe?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Baizhi immediately became serious. First, she swept her powerful divine sense across the area, and then the phoenix radiance illuminated the surroundings.

After completing this series of actions, Ji Baizhi finally relaxed: "It's very safe. No one is coming near, and Miss Lin isn't here either."

"That's good." Li Zhi nodded. "I met a grandmaster today. Miss Ji, can you guess who it was?"

Ji Baizhi was naturally clever. Connecting this to what Li Zhi had just said, she asked with some confusion, "Qu Hongxiao is actually a Grandmaster?"

"That's right." Li Zhi nodded. "Miss Lin also confirmed that she didn't even dare to reveal her presence, let alone protect me."

"Then it seems to be true." Ji Baizhi frowned and pondered, "But I didn't expect her to be a Grandmaster, and so young."

"Oh, right," Li Zhi added, "she was also one of the Empress Dowager's subordinates."

"The Empress has such a master under her command?" Ji Baizhi was even more surprised.

Then, she quickly pressed on, "Young master, could you tell me in detail what happened tonight?"

"That's hard to say, after all, I really made you look pitiful, Miss Ji."

Li Zhi shrugged, then, as if he had thought of something amusing, he said softly, "I think Miss Lin will definitely tell you when she gets back, after all, this is a good opportunity to kick someone when they're down."

Ji Baizhi was a little confused; what was all this about?

What exactly is it that can't be said and has to be relayed by Lin Yueyin?

"Young master, please tell me." Ji Baizhi couldn't help but ask, her voice tinged with a coquettish tone.

This kind of Angelica dahurica is very lethal; after all, a woman's beauty is a weapon.

But Li Zhigang had been tricked by such beauty before, and he sighed, "Miss Ji, a beauty like you is really a trap!"

"Huh?" Ji Baizhi's cheeks flushed slightly, but her eyes were full of confusion. "Young Master, what you're saying... I don't understand?"

Looking at her naturally beautiful appearance, Li Zhi suddenly thought of Qu Hongxiao.

Your deliberate allure is indeed no match for her.

and many more.

Li Zhi recalled Qu Hongxiao's words: "There are only two people who can surpass her in appearance."

She was referring to the Empress and the Eldest Princess.

Could it be that another faction within the imperial court is the wicked empress?

Thinking of this, Li Zhi tentatively asked, "Is the Demon Queen also extremely beautiful?"

"Why do you ask this, young master?"

"Just asking," Li Zhi said calmly. "Haven't you seen what she looks like?"

"Of course I've seen her." Ji Baizhi lowered her head, as if recalling something. "She was indeed very beautiful."

"Prettier than you?"

Ji Baizhi didn't answer, she just glanced at him.

That look says it all.

"Then why didn't I ask you before who's prettier than you, and why there wasn't a demise empress?"

Ji Baizhi's eyes widened in confusion: "Young Master has such a peculiar hobby? The Demon Queen is the Empress."

"The Empress?" Li Zhi was puzzled at first, but he quickly realized what was going on.

What is an empress? She's a married woman.

"I don't have that kind of fetish," Li Zhi sighed. "So why don't you mention the Demon Queen?"

"Because, young master said he wanted to find someone like me." Ji Baizhi's eyes were even more resentful.

Clearly, she, as a young and unmarried woman, couldn't bring herself to say what followed.

But Li Zhi realized that he had made a mistake in setting the conditions.

No, it should be said that the bet with Lin Yueyin caused Ji Baizhi to completely misunderstand.

She mistakenly believed that she wanted to find a virgin.

Li Zhi looked at the beautiful Ji Baizhi and sighed inwardly.

What a silly yet beautiful misunderstanding.