Chapter 373: Beauty Saves Hero

Chapter 373: Beauty to the Rescue

Pei Zhiyi had been wanting to visit Ji Yuntang at Prince Ye's residence for a while, but had never found a suitable excuse to drop by. Today, when she happened to receive Ji Yuntang's message, she hurried over right away.

Luo Sinian wanted to see Luo Junhe. Knowing Luo Junhe was recovering well, he had prepared a large supply of tonics such as deer antler and reishi mushrooms, and brought them to Prince Ye's residence, telling the cooks to make them into soup for Luo Junhe.

Luo Qingge, on the other hand, assumed that Ji Yuntang's banquet was to celebrate her own victory in being named laureate. So when she came, she had also prepared a set of gold-inlaid jade jewelry and a fur-trimmed hat and sable coat, intending to present them as congratulatory gifts to Ji Yuntang.

As luck would have it, the four of them bumped into each other at the entrance of Prince Ye's residence. They all asked at the same time: "Did Sister Yuntang invite you too?"

"Did Third Sister-in-law invite you too?"

"Did Tangtang invite you too?"

Realizing they had all asked the same question, they couldn't help but laugh.

Just then, Ji Yuntang came out of the main gate.

Seeing them standing outside, she quickly waved and said, "Big brother, Qingge, Eighth Brother, Zhiyi—since you're all here, why don't you come inside?"

The four of them exchanged greetings and followed Ji Yuntang inside.

The snow-covered flagstone floor crunched beneath their feet, melted snow dripped down from the layered eaves, and ice had formed everywhere.

Luo Sinian, thinking of Luo Junhe, unconsciously quickened his pace.

But unexpectedly, he didn't notice the icy patch on the ground. His foot slipped, and his entire body pitched forward.

He tried to adjust his posture, but the long crane-feather cloak he wore was too cumbersome and hindered his movements.

At the critical moment, a flash of yellow shot out like an arrow from a bow, reaching Luo Sinian in an instant.

Pei Zhiyi reached out, wrapped her arm around the man's waist, and hoisted him up.

The scene seemed to freeze at that instant, and gasps echoed all around.

Pei Zhiyi looked down and met Luo Sinian's stunned gaze, which held a trace of shock.

She raised an eyebrow slightly and asked him calmly, "Prince Chen, are you alright?"

Luo Sinian instinctively wanted to say he was fine, but when he looked down, he realized he was in a rather awkward position in Pei Zhiyi's arms.

His waist was bent at a forty-five-degree angle, one arm hooked around the woman's shoulder, and one leg held high in her hand.

The classic scene of a hero saving a beauty from the storybooks—except now, he was the one being saved.

An extremely subtle feeling crossed Luo Sinian's heart, one that words could not describe.

It was then that he truly took in the woman in yellow before him.

It had to be said, Pei Zhiyi was very beautiful—but not in a fragile, pitiable way. Rather, hers was a strikingly heroic beauty, with a hint of defiance in her brows and eyes.

She wore a yellow brocade cloak trimmed with fur over a blue-and-white silk dress with silver embroidery and wide sleeves. Her black hair was tied up in a high ponytail. Her face bore no makeup, and she wore no jewelry—yet her gaze carried a proud, scrutinizing air, confident and spirited, radiating vitality.

It seemed that without any adornment or decoration, she naturally emanated a unique charm from within.

Luo Sinian had seen plenty of delicate, frail women in the capital, but this was the first time he had encountered someone as lively as Pei Zhiyi.

For a moment, he was so entranced that he forgot to get up.

Seeing him staring straight at her without speaking, Pei Zhiyi didn't hesitate. She flipped her palm, gave a firm push, and hoisted the man back upright.

She flashed him a smile. "Sorry, you're too heavy—my arm went a bit numb."

That smile was like spring flowers in bloom. Luo Sinian felt his heartbeat lose its rhythm, his throat go dry, and a faint flush creep across his face.

Pei Zhiyi was very direct in her speech. Under normal circumstances, Luo Sinian might have rebuked her for meddling in his business.

But this time, he clearly knew that deep down, he didn't actually mind.

On the contrary, he selfishly wished Pei Zhiyi would hold him for a little longer.

Luo Sinian didn't know what had come over him. He only knew that after being rescued by Pei Zhiyi today, all his thoughts had been thrown into chaos.

In the end, it was Xie Liuzheng's teasing voice that snapped Luo Sinian back to reality, but his face had already turned red all the way to the tips of his ears.

"Ooh la la, beauty rescues hero—could our Prince Chen be having a stirring of the heart?"

"Right? Being held by such a beauty as Second Miss Pei—it's hard not to be moved, right?"

After saying this, Xie Liuzheng leaned in, draped his arm over Luo Sinian's shoulder, and pulled him aside, his eyes burning with curiosity.

"I've introduced you to so many beautiful girls for your marriage prospects before, and you refused to marry any of them. Turns out you just hadn't met the one you wanted to marry?"

"Tell me honestly—have you taken a liking to Second Miss Pei?"

Luo Sinian's entire face flushed crimson. He gave Xie Liuzheng a speechless look, not even bothering to correct him.

"Is that what you call introducing me to girls?"

"You were just pushing all the girls the Duchess introduced to you onto me!"

Xie Liuzheng curled his lips into a roguish grin. "Isn't it all the same? You know I can't touch women, so when there's a good thing, of course I think of my best brother first."

"I'm a pretty loyal friend, wouldn't you say?"

Luo Sinian: "..."

Xie Liuzheng had too many twisted arguments, and Luo Sinian couldn't find a rebuttal.

All Luo Sinian knew was that over the years, to help Xie Liuzheng dodge blind dates, he had played the bad guy countless times.

As a result, many young women in the capital would turn and run the moment they saw him, like startled birds.

Luo Sinian himself didn't want to get married anyway, so he didn't really mind being used as a shield by Xie Liuzheng.

Having spent so much time with him, he felt he had become numb to women altogether.

He only had to deal with it occasionally when the situation demanded it.

Today wasn't the first time Luo Sinian had met Pei Zhiyi, but he felt that everything seemed to have changed—even his way of thinking had shifted.

After Xie Liuzheng and Luo Sinian finished their whispered conversation and turned around, the expression on Luo Sinian's face was extremely unnatural.

Seeing this, Pei Zhiyi thought her earlier actions might have given Luo Sinian the wrong idea, so she quickly stepped forward to explain:

"Prince Chen, I've spent a long time in the military camp, so when I see someone fall, I instinctively want to help. I didn't mean to offend you."

"I don't care much about the distinction between men and women. In my eyes, as long as they are good citizens of the Dongchen Kingdom, I should lend a hand when they're in danger. I won't hold Prince Chen responsible."

After saying this, Pei Zhiyi felt that Luo Sinian's expression seemed even more uncomfortable. She looked at Ji Yuntang, confused.

She whispered to her, "Tangtang, what's wrong with Prince Chen? He doesn't seem very happy."

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