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The Boyfriend Who Never Meets Chapter 79

Save Tao Tao

 

What surprised Wei Yun was that before he could inquire about the Plum Garden incident, the lady and Princess Yu unexpectedly came to him first.

 

In a courtyard on the outskirts of Ying Capital, Wei Yun met Zhao Shuwei.

 

It was already deep into the night.

 

This night had no stars or moon, only a thick darkness.

 

A few dim lanterns were lit in the courtyard, providing the only light in this part of the world.

 

Holding the letter in his hand, Wei Yun’s gaze on the slender woman dressed in a black dress and cloak, her eyes cold and clear, became even more complex.

 

The woman seemed to have no intention of hiding anything anymore and boldly lifted the hood connected to her cloak.

 

Thus, in the dim light and shadow, her beautiful and stunning face was undoubtedly revealed.

 

Casting aside the luxurious clothes and gold hairpins, Zhao Shuwei, without any makeup, had an indescribable heroic spirit in her brows and eyes.

 

“Master Imperial Advisor,” Zhao Shuwei smiled slightly, bowing her head lightly.

 

Wei Yun stared intently at Zhao Shuwei before him, his gaze under his eyelashes unclear.

 

“What is the meaning of this, Princess Yu?”

 

During the conversation, Wei Yun silently reevaluated the woman in front of him.

 

In his memory, she was the only princess in the palace who had neither a maternal family to rely on nor the love of the emperor father, but because of her kindness, she got along very well with Princess Helan and even Princess Heyue, and she had a good reputation in the markets of Ying Capital.

 

Beyond this, there was nothing else.

 

But tonight, when Wei Yun faced those phoenix eyes of Princess Heyu, he suddenly detected something unusual.

 

Perhaps, he had misjudged Princess Heyu from the beginning.

 

Or maybe… she had just disguised herself well enough.

 

When Wei Yun received the letter today, he had speculated about many people, but never did he think it would be Princess Heyu.

 

“If I did not come to meet you today, I’m afraid there wouldn’t be another chance soon.”

 

Zhao Shuwei wore a faint smile on her face, “After all, regarding the Mei Garden incident, you surely have attributed all the blame to me.”

 

“What exactly do you want to say?”

 

Wei Yun stared at Princess Heyu in front of him, his voice remaining calm and distant.

 

“I admit, that day I did intentionally intercept Miss Xie,”

 

Zhao Shuwei continued with her eyes lowered, “And I brought her to Plum Garden indeed to test her significance in your heart.”

 

“But please believe, I am not on any side.”

 

At this point, Zhao Shuwei’s expression gradually faded, and the smile on her lips also slowly retracted, “I was only… for myself.”

 

Hearing this, Wei Yun did not speak, merely gazing at her.

 

“But as you have guessed, even though I orchestrated this plan, I was not the one who initiated it,”

 

Zhao Shuwei took a few steps, her skirt slightly fluttering, “Just as I wrote in the letter, the one who originally wanted to test you was my Third Imperial Brother.”

 

The Third Imperial Brother she referred to was Prince Zhao Zhengrong.

 

On that rainy day when Wei Yun went to meet Prince Zhao for Wu Fuqing’s matter.

 

Prince Zhao Zhengrong saw the faint red smear on his collar and knew it must be a girl’s lip rouge.

 

As a man who often mingled among women and had seen many, Zhao Zhengrong was very sure with just one glance.

 

But in the Great Zhou, who doesn’t know that the current Imperial Advisor, Wei Yun, is always aloof and reticent, avoiding women.

 

Even his residence is famously known as a monastery.

 

There wasn’t even a single female servant inside.

 

During his years as the Imperial Advisor, there were indeed some officials who, either to ingratiate themselves or to plant spies by his side, tried all means to bring various beauties into the back yard of his residence.

 

All kinds of beauties, of different shapes and figures.

 

But none of them could ever step through the front door of his residence.

 

Thus, gradually, rumors about Imperial Advisor Wei Yun having a preference for the same sex started to spread in the marketplace.

 

But Prince Zhao saw the trace of lip rouge on his collar.

 

Just this little detail piqued Prince Zhao’s interest.

 

No matter how much he investigated, he could not find out which girl Wei Yun had been in contact with recently; he almost never interacted with any women.

 

Except for… that cousin who suddenly came from Yecheng to Ying Capital.

 

On the night of the Lantern Festival when the crown prince sent someone to assassinate Wei Yun, Prince Zhao clearly saw Wei Yun, in a moment of urgency, pulling that cousin into his embrace to protect her.

 

This might not prove anything, but that night, Zhao Zhengrong couldn’t help but harbor some doubts.

 

In the rainy day that followed, Zhao Zhengrong, upon seeing a faint red stain on Wei Yun’s robe, was even more eager to verify the suspicions in his heart.

 

Having spent many years in the deep palace, Zhao Shuwei, known for her kindness, was famously considered a benevolent master in the palace and was well-regarded by many maids and eunuchs.

 

Thus, many things within the palace could not be hidden from her.

 

Zhao Shuwei did not know how Zhao Zhengrong managed to have his spies in the palace connect with Princess Helan, Zhao Shumin, nor how he sparked Zhao Shumin’s interest in Miss Xie. However, Zhao Shuwei could roughly guess Prince Xin’s intentions.

 

And coincidentally, she had the same thoughts.

 

Therefore, when she discussed this matter with Princess Helan, Zhao Shumin, she agreed to it.

 

“But please rest assured, Mr. Wei, the Third Emperor Brother now believes he has merely miscalculated and has not grown suspicious again.” Zhao Shuwei’s thoughts were intricate, and facing Wei Yun’s cold and gloomy eyes, she remained calm and composed, “Even if it were you who came that day, instead of Qi Ji, I would still have my ways to conceal this matter from Prince Xin’s guests.”

 

“What exactly is the princess aiming for?”

 

Wei Yun had almost never realized that this princess, Heyu, could have such deep thoughts.

 

Perhaps, she was even more unfathomable than he imagined.

 

Upon hearing Wei Yun’s words, Zhao Shuwei’s lips curved into a softer smile, and her phoenix eyes looked at him with added profound significance.

 

“What do you think, sir?”

 

She looked at him intently, “There are many rumors in the market now, claiming you have wild ambitions, branding you as the most treacherous official in Great Zhou. Yet, I remember, sir, you once devised a strategy that broke through thousands of troops, freeing my father, the emperor, from being trapped in Lanlong County. Afterwards, you personally investigated corruption and recovered relief funds meant for tens of thousands of Hedong refugees.”

 

“Therefore, sir, you have quite a few political enemies in the court.”

 

In Zhao Shuwei’s impression, what kind of person should the Imperial Advisor, Wei Yun, be?

 

Almost every person who died at his hands was not innocent, and his methods were always decisive and ruthless, chilling to the bone.

 

If he were truly a treacherous official, then many of those who died by his hand, along with their families, would not have had the chance to live.

 

Who among those who accomplish great things does not understand the principle of eradicating the roots?

 

But Wei Yun disdainfully did not follow this path.

 

During his years as the Imperial Advisor, he had survived countless assassination attempts, many by the families of those who had died at his hands, or due to political struggles in the court.

 

Yet, he always did as he pleased.

 

Even if he was not a treacherous official, it did not mean he was a loyal and good official to Emperor Qi He.

 

He was the only person Zhao Shuwei could not understand over the years.

 

And this young Imperial Advisor was not only extremely intelligent, but also possessed an unparalleled talent in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, unrivaled in the world.

 

Years have passed, and compared to his extraordinary talents, even the deeds of reclaiming disaster relief funds or saving the emperor, people only remember the title of Imperial Advisor given to him by Emperor Qi He.

 

A deceptive Imperial Advisor, who led the emperor to pursue the so-called path of eternal life.

 

He was a treacherous official, feared and secretly despised by them.

 

Yet, Zhao Shuwei always remembered.

 

“I also remember, when Lord entered the world, he composed the ‘Fu of Mingling with the Dust’ that spread throughout the capital of Ying, discussed eagerly among scholars and literati at that time.”

 

Zhao Shuwei paused for a moment, feeling suddenly more emotional, and she slightly smiled, “People have forgotten your ‘Fu of Mingling with the Dust’, but I have not.”

 

She said so, revealing certain feelings through her words.

 

This was enough for Wei Yun to understand her thoughts.

 

So, Wei Yun frowned, about to speak, but was interrupted by Zhao Shuwei, “Indeed, I have developed an admiration for you.”

 

Such straightforward words did not seem to come from the usually demure and polite princess.

 

“So, I also want to know what Miss Xie truly means to you in your heart, this is indeed my own selfishness.”

 

“Even if you hadn’t come that day, the appearance of Qi Ji already made it clear, Miss Xie is not just a cousin to you.”

 

Zhao Shuwei looked at the young Imperial Advisor before her, her smile slightly bitter, “You must also be aware that my father intends for me to marry the prince of the Yidan kingdom.”

 

“This is the fate he has arranged for me, but I cannot accept it calmly.”

 

Even though she is a princess, what does it matter?

 

Born not beloved by her father, she was just one in the vast confines of the palace.

 

But she refused to resign herself to this fate, to be a pawn to be used or discarded at her father’s whim.

 

For such a dim and brutal father, who showed not the slightest affection for her, why should she trade herself for the stability of the Great Zhou’s borders?

 

Zhao Shuwei smiled, “I had thought, perhaps only you could stop this from happening…”

 

Had the marriage not been imminent, Zhao Shuwei would not have wished to do so.

 

She had even considered laying all her cards on the table to Wei Yun, even if it meant trading sincerity for a deal.

 

“But now, I’ve changed my mind,” Zhao Shuwei shook her head and sighed.

 

Admiration, after all, is less than infatuation by a fine margin.

 

It is a feeling that can be stopped by propriety, from which one can withdraw in time.

 

Zhao Shuwei, always rational and calm, would not insist on what cannot be.

 

Thus, at this moment, she appeared entirely proper and composed.

 

She is a princess of high status, inherently possessing a noble pride.

 

Or perhaps she was born never to bow easily.

 

“That Miss Xie seems a very nice girl,”

 

Zhao Shuwei suddenly remembered the girl with the veil in the plum garden that day, recalling her clear, almond-shaped eyes, “Your taste… is very good.”

 

She and Wei Yun, in a sense, were similar.

 

Both of them walked alone in this treacherous world, their hands already stained with indelible blood.

 

And both aspired for power.

 

Yet, two overly similar people might not be suitable for each other.

 

“I will keep your secret for you,”

 

The secret Zhao Shuwei spoke of was that Miss Xie.

 

In the end, she looked at the dense night sky and said, “But I hope the adults understand that I, like the Crown Prince and the Prince of Xin, also carry the bloodline of the imperial family. What they can do, I can do as well.”

 

Wei Yun watched Zhao Shuwei’s departing figure, his eyes narrowing slightly. In those eyes, as dark as ink, there was a mysterious and obscure expression.

 

It was at this moment that he realized,

 

The Princess Heyu, who had always been unremarkable, actually harbored such ambitions as a woman.

 

As the night passed, when the sky was turning blue, a light rain began to fall.

 

Wei Yun didn’t have to attend court today, so Wei Jing didn’t come to wake him up.

 

But he was still awakened by the sound of rain outside the window.

 

In a daze, as he opened his eyes, Wei Yun heard the faint, crisp sound of the star chart rotating.

 

“Wei Yun! Wei Yun!! Light the incense quickly!!”

 

Then he heard the anxious voice of the girl.

 

Wei Yun turned his head and picked up the copper pendant emitting a faint golden light. He saw the girl in the light curtain looking almost on the verge of tears.

 

He frowned, immediately sat up against the bedpost, and when he spoke, his voice was noticeably hoarse, “What’s wrong?”

 

“Hurry up and light the incense!! Hurry!” Xie Tao urged him as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.

 

“…Fine.”

 

Wei Yun couldn’t refuse, so he lifted the brocade quilt and got out of bed.

 

As he lit the gold powder in the censer, gradually, the girl’s figure became visible in the dense mist, and she unexpectedly hugged him.

 

“Wei Yun! Save me! Please…” The girl muffled her voice against his chest.

 

“What’s going on?” Wei Yun reached out, holding her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

 

“You know…” Xie Tao started with some hesitation, her fingers nervously kneading his sleeve.

 

“I’m starting school the day after tomorrow.”

 

She looked at him with pleading eyes, “But I’ve discovered something terrifying.”

 

Wei Yun’s intuition told him that this might not be a very good thing. He furrowed his brows, “What is it?”

 

“My winter vacation homework isn’t finished!”

 

Xie Tao, with her chin held by him, looked pitiful, “And the most terrifying part is, I still have three essays to write!”

 

“So?” Wei Yun’s brow twitched.

 

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

 

Sure enough, in the next moment, he was tightly hugged by the girl again, with those pitiful, animal-like eyes looking at him. “So, so can you help me with my essay?”

 

“Please, Wei Yun! Can you help me with my essay?”

 

“Save me, Wei Yun!! Boyfriend!”

 

“… ” Wei Yun felt a slight throbbing in his temples.

 

Finally, he expressionlessly pinched her cheeks, staring at her with those usually indifferent eyes. “Dream on.”

 

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